Till There Was You
Chapter 10: Happy Birthday or When The Last Time
Disclaimer: My Great aunt Miriam's pet sloth has a purple ass. Okay that's not true, I just wanted to see if people were still reading these. If you're really unsure as to whether I own Harry Potter. See disclaimers of all previous chapters and then call your doctor and set up an appointment for a cat scan….
A/N: Well here's chapter ten. Took me longer than I thought it would but I really wasn't sure exactly where I wanted this chapter to go. So thanks for being patient and I hope you like it!
They say it's your birthdayWe're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you. Yes we're going to a party party -Happy Brithday, The Beatles ~*~ Top down, chrome spinnin' -When the Last Time, the Clipse
"Hermione!" Fred burst excitedly into Hermione's room surprising her. "Guess what!" he said enthusiastically. Hermione though that if he tried to grin any wider her could possibly injure himself.
Two weeks had passed since the pregnancy scare and it had seemed to do nothing but strengthen their relationship. They'd both agreed that now wasn't the right time to end it. They had however decided that no matter what, it would end when Ron finally came home to stay, two weeks before the wedding. This left them with approximately two and a half months left to be together. A two and a half months they planned to take full advantage of.
"What?" Hermione asked in response, excited to find out.
"George and I just got an owl from a man we met at the convention we went to. He wants us to come meet him in his office in the States this weekend. He wants to invest!"
"Oh Fred, that's fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed. Then she frowned a little. "When did you say he wanted to meet with you?"
"This weekend. Why?" Fred's smile dropped a little at the glint of disappointment in Hermione's eye as he answered.
"Oh no reason," she smiled again not wanting to put a damper on his moment.
"No. What?"
"Nothing," she smiled reassuringly. "It's just that…"
"Just that?"
"Well it's just…"
"You're birthday is this weekend," Fred finished her sentence, suddenly remembering that her birthday was Saturday. "I'm sorry," he said.
"It's alright. We can celebrate Monday. We couldn't have done anything anyway. Ron will be home."
"True," Fred agreed. "But I still feel badly."
"Don't! This could be the most important weekend of your career. It's much more important than my birthday."
"Nothing's more important than you," he said.
Hermione resisted the urge to laugh but failed letting out a snort. "Wow Fred. That's got to be a 10 on the 'cheese grader.'"
"I try," he smiled.
"When you think you're leaving?"
"Probably tomorrow afternoon."
"Do you need help packing?"
"No. I think George did it already. He wanted to leave twenty minutes ago."
"So why didn't you ever mention this guy before?" Hermione inquired.
"Well he hadn't given us anything definite to go on at the convention and then the next time I saw you was the night we uhh… well it was the first night we well… anyway I guess you could say it didn't seem quite so important the next time I saw you." Hermione smiled at his answer. "So what do you want to do tonight?" he asked.
"Oh I guess it is Thursday! I hadn't really thought about it."
"Do you think Gin and Harry would want to do anything?"
"No. Ginny cooked dinner and took it over to Harry's. She'll probably be there all night. He's leaving for Hogwarts to speak to students tomorrow and then he's spending the weekend there with Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus."
"How on earth did they convince Harry to come back as a celebrity speaker? He hates that kind of crap."
"Dumbledore has his ways. And I think Harry really wanted to see Sirius and Remus. He hasn't seen them in awhile. He'll want to fill them in about the engagement."
"They're both teaching DADA this year?"
"Mmm-hmm. Apparently some of the students still start to shake if Sirius stops them in the corridor for something."
"Little do they know he's probably award them points if they were up to something, especially if it inflicted harm on a Slytherin. George and I could have won the house cup for Gryffindor all on our own if he'd taught there then."
"Oh! Would George and Katie want to do something?
"Probably not. Well see…. Katie isn't really speaking with me right now. She's angry that I sort of uhhhh… led her friend on that night…. George will probably be at hr place tonight.
"Are your parents home?" Hermione asked even though she didn't think they were.
"No, they're visiting Bill, Olivia, and the baby. I doubt they'll have enough energy to apparate back tonight."
"So Ginny is at Harry's George is at Katie's, your parents are at Bill's. That leaves me…and you," she grinned suggestively. Fred quickly caught on and returned the look. "I'm thinking we don't do anywhere tonight."
"I'm thinking that sounds like an excellent plan."
On Friday George and Fred left around noon for America. Hermione and Fred said their goodbyes and Hermione had been surprised when Fred handed her a small package, instructing her not to open it until Saturday night after Ron went to bed. The entire day Hermione realized that she had no idea what to do with herself. She actually found herself looking forward to Ron's arrival. As much as it frustrated to be around him, knowing what she was doing behind his back, she had begun enjoying his company more and more. She found that their relationship had retrogressed and begun to feel like the one that they had at Hogwarts before they started dating. She couldn't quite figure out what had caused this change, but she liked it. The previous weekend she Ron and Harry had taken a trip to Hogsmeade. The whole day Hermione had felt like a Hogwarts student again, spending the weekend with her two best friends. It made her miss the days when thing we so simple.
While awaiting Ron's arrival, Hermione was surprises to see Pig zoom into the room before zipping around her head. Hermione smiled at the sight of the tiny pathetic owl, who was as energetic as ever. Ron not owned a more professional and reliable Eagle Owl, which he used to send most of his letters; however, he still insisted on owling Hermione with Pig. She managed to still the jittery owl and untied the letter attached to its leg.
Hermione-
Sorry it's not much notice, but I'm not going to be able to make it home this weekend. An emergency came up and I'm going to have to remain in France. Don't worry I'm sure you won't miss me too much.
Love,
Ron
Hermione frowned as she read the letter. She knew she didn't have the right anymore to be upset at Ron for anything he did, but she couldn't help herself from being bothered by the fact that he hadn't even mentioned her birthday. In fact, Hermione got the feeling that he had forgotten it completely. She sighed at set down the letter. Now what was she going to do with her weekend?
Hermione sat alone in her bedroom feeling a little lonely. The only person she had seen all day was Mrs. Weasley. She had wished Hermione a happy birthday and asked where Ron was. When she told Molly that he wasn't coming home, Mrs. Weasley mutter something about him getting his priorities straight and wandered off.
Around 1:30 there was a knock on her door and Ginny poked her head into the room.
"Happy Birthday!" she smiled.
"Thanks Gin."
"Feeling lonely?" Ginny must have sensed sadness in Hermione's tone.
"Just a little."
"I know what would cheer you up."
"Ginny I don't have any money to go shopping with. Neither do you."
"Not a problem. Harry left me with his Gringotts key," she smiles mischievously.
"For emergencies?"
"No. He said in case I needed it for and I quote 'the wedding or stuff.' I'd say Ginny and Hermione's day of fun would fall under stuff." Ginny nodded encouraging Hermione to agree with her. If Hermione had thought Harry would really care, she would have protested. But Hermione knew Harry knew Ginny far to well to hand over his key to her for a weekend and not expect her to have a little fun.
'All right," Hermione agreed. "Let's go."
"Hermione you have to buy that," Ginny said admiring the dress robe Hermione had on. It was a light blue covered in sheer black giving of the illusion of a romantic midnight blue. It tied around the neck and the neckline plunged a little farther than Hermione was accustomed to.
"Ginny you barely convinced me to try it on. There's no way you're going to talk me into buying it."
"You have to!"
"What on earth would I wear it for?"
"The rehearsal dinner."
"No. It's too dressy."
"Hermione considering I planned it, I think I'd be the better judge of what qualifies as appropriate attire. It's perfect. Ron would love it," she began to smile but then frowned. "I mean Fre…. or I…This is so confusing Mione," she sighed.
"Tell me about it," Hermione said walking back into the fitting room, speaking to Ginny through the door. "But I agree: Ron would like it."
Hermione slung the dress robe over the door as she began to redress.
"Excuse me," Ginny called the boutique attendant. "Could you ring this up for us please?" The woman took the dress along with Harry's Gringotts' key away from Ginny.
"Ginny!" Hermione said coming out of the fitting room.
"I don't care if you ever wear it. You have to at least own it. Consider it a birthday present."
"Thanks Gin."
"Don't thank me," Ginny smiled. "Thank Harry."
"Could I please have you signature for the bank withdrawal here?" the attendant returned with a bag and a receipt.
Ginny flicked her wand at the parchment and Harry's signature scrawled across the bottom line. The saleswoman smiled and left Hermione and Ginny with their purchase. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"Harry's the one who put the charm on my wand," she defended herself.
Hermione shook her head. "That boy loves you way too much."
After their arms were full of bags and they had worn themselves out from shopping Hermione and Ginny decided to get something to eat.
"Hermione, I don't want to meddle in your business but I'm going to ask anyway. Why are you still marrying Ron?' Why don't you just tell everyone you're in love with Fred?"
"Because I couldn't do that to your family," Hermione answered not bothered by Ginny's prying.
"Have you ever thought about telling Ron?"
"Of course! I think about it every five seconds. Once I even wrote a letter to him confessing everything and put it in a drawer to mail in the morning. That night I had a dream. Fred and I were married and your entire family pretended like we didn't exist. Only George would talk to us. Ron had disowned all of you claiming someone should have told him about Fred and me sooner and that you all were a horrible family. He and Harry even had had a falling out over it. When I woke up the next morning I put the letter in the fire. I love Fred and I love Ron and I love your family. And I know how important you all are to each other. I could never tear your family apart."
"If I thought I could argue with you and win I would. But your as stubborn as all of my brothers combined. So I'm not going to try."
"Thanks."
That night Hermione got home and put her bags down in her room. She was about to change out her jeans and into something more comfortable when she saw the package Fred had given her the day before sitting on her dresser. She picked it up and slowly unwrapped it. She lifted the top of the small box inside and revealed a small silver locket. She smiled at the beautiful necklace and pulled it out of the box. She carefully opened it and almost dropped it when a blast of music exploded from it.
"Top down, chrome spinnin'" The words came blasting from the locket. Inside was a picture of Fred dancing to what he had announced to be his official favorite song a week earlier. The other side was inscribed to say, "Now its our song." Hermione laughed. Only Fred could manage to make his humor romantic.
She was about to shut the locket again when she suddenly felt the room start to spin around her. She shut her eyes and willed the feeling to go away. After a few moments the spinning seemed to cease an she opened them again. However she discovered that she was no longer in her room. She didn't know where she was.
"The music didn't wake up Ron did it?" she heard a voice from behind her.
"Fred! But… what? How?"
"Handy little things port-keys are," he grinned.
"Fred this is the best birthday present ever," she ran and hugged him.
"It didn't wake him up did it?" he seemed worried.
"All the way in France? Probably not," Hermione responded.
"France?"
"He sent an owl, saying he wasn't coming home. I think he forgot about my birthday."
"So if you were to stay the rest of the weekend no one would care?"
"I suppose not," Hermione smiled.
"Thank Merlin for making my brother an idiot! Okay now come with me, we'll go to my room."
"Whose room is this?"
"George's," he said leading he out and across the hall. He opened the door and Hermione was attacked again with the same loud music as before. The room was filled with candles and there were lights on the ceiling twinkling like stars. She looked over at Fred to thank him and found him lost in his own world dancing to the music. She laughed.
"I love you Fred Weasley," she said brightly. He stopped dancing for a moment and stared at her before smiling.
"I love you too. We've never said that outside of one of our many emotionally draining, ultra serious conversations before," he noted. Hermione realized he was right. She hadn't even thought about the words as they came out of her mouth. Something about being there with Fred had made her forget all about Ron and everything else.
"Well I meant it," she smiled and then pulled him the rest of the way into the hotel room, shutting the door behind them.
A/N: So here's chapter ten finally. Nothing too too important going on eh? Except why didn't Ron come home? What was the emergency? I guess we'll all just have to wait and see. Thanks for reading this and thanks to all my reviewers they mean a lot to me. So Happy Thanksgiving to all! Review if you get a chance
Love,
Bella
PS: I posted that other story finally if anyone is interested. Like a said it's mainly Harry/Ginny but I threw in some Hermione/Fred even though it was originally Hermione and Ron paired up.
