Till There Was You

Chapter 13: Goodbye To You

Disclaimer: Still don't own them….

A/N: Well it didn't take me quite as long as it has been to get this chapter out. I really am sorry that I haven't been able to update weekly like I used to. But I'm trying to get back on track. But the story is winding down now…. I think there will be four more chapters after this one. Possibly five…

            Well I hope you enjoy this chapter. This chapter (well the first half of it) is actually the reason this entire story exists. I wrote it first and then planned the whole story around it. I re wrote it when it finally came time to post it, just so if flowed better with the rest, but it's generally the same.

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything
I thought I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that
I tried to hold on to
 
And it hurts to want everything
And nothing at the same time
I want what's yours
And I want what's mine
I want you
But I'm not giving in this time
 
-Goodbye To You, Michelle Branch
 
 
 Thursday night Hermione sat in front of the vanity in her room as she finished getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. She looked in to the mirror. In 48 hours she'd be Hermione Grace Weasley. She couldn't help but smile at this for a moment. 
               'Mrs. Ronald Weasley,' she amended and her face fell as she reminded herself that she wasn't marrying the man she had in mind. 
               Hermione sighed and clasped on her earrings. She reached out to pick up her necklace but stopped herself and fought the urge to place the necklace Fred had given her around her neck. She stood up and examined herself in the blue dress Ginny had given her for her birthday. As she looked over her shoulder to make sure everything was straight in the back, she heard her door open and slam shut again. 
               Fred, looking as sad as she was, and seeming slightly frantic, was standing there staring at her. They hadn't been alone together since Ron had come home, as they had agreed. Hermione was about to open her mouth to say something when Fred finally spoke.
               "I don't want you to do it," he stated abruptly.
               "What?" she asked, slightly taken aback.
               "Don't do it," he repeated. "Don't marry Ron." He looked as though he was about to cry.
               "Fred…" Hermione wavered. 
               "I know you still think you have to do this," Fred's voice broke as he spoke, and Hermione could see his chin beginning to quiver. "But you see…"
               "Fred you promised you wouldn't do this," Hermione interrupted, trying to blink away her own tears that were forming. She was both angry at him for what he was doing, and heartbroken to confirm that he was as miserable as she was. Through everything she had never seen Fred shed a single tear. She had used that to convince herself that he wasn't suffering too much. Yet there he was breaking down in front of her. 
               "We could leave right now and go away together."
               "Please don't do this," she whispered as a tear finally escaped her. 
               "But we love each other and we should be together. You shouldn't be marrying him. Its that simple." Tears were now falling freely down Fred's face as well. He attempted to kiss the tears off Hermione's face but in return the only began to fall faster. She limply attempted to push him away. 
               "Please stop," she pleaded quietly through her tears, feeling as though her heart was shattering into a million pieces. She could see in his face that Fred felt like that same things was happening to him. She gently pulled his face closer so that his forehead was resting on hers and she gingerly stroked his face, wiping the tears away. "This is the way things have to be. You know that."
               Fred shut his eyes for what seemed like an hour. When he opened them again, he had lost the panicked expression he had had before. His sad eyes looked into Hermione's before he replied "I know."
               She kissed him lightly, not noticing Ginny start to enter the room. When they pulled away they stared at each other in a sad silence before Fred turned and left. As soon as he was out of the doorway, Ginny rushed into the room to comfort Hermione. 
 
 
 
               "Mione? Mione?" Hermione heard as she snapped back to reality. Ron was waving his hand in front of her face.
               "Yeah?"
               "You okay?" he looked at her half concerned and half amused.
               "Uh-huh," she lied. "Why?"
               "You've been staring off into space for the last five minutes."
               "Oh…sorry," Hermione murmured. 
               They were sitting alone at a table in the wizard restaurant Ginny had rented out for the rehearsal dinner. The entire Weasley family was there, along with those Grangers who understood about the wizarding world. Sirius and Remus were there along with a few other close friends, and some of the extended Weasley family.      
               Hermione glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Well, almost everyone. 
               Hermione's gaze fell upon Fred who was sitting at a table with George, Bill, and Charlie. He had an empty, dead look in eyes. Hermione noticed George continually glancing over at his twin with a concerned look on his face.
               "I wonder what's bothering Fred," Hermione heard Ron note and she snapped her head towards him.
               "What?"
               "Look at him! He looks like someone died! And he and George haven't played one joke all night. That's when you know its something serious." 
               Hermione didn't really answer him. Instead she shrugged and stood up.
               "I'm going to go get a drink," she said as she walked away. She could feel Fred's eyes on her as she passed by him.
               Instead of getting a drink, Hermione passed by the bar and headed outside. The breeze was cool against her skin as she took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. 
               "Hanging in there?"
               "Barely," Hermione turned to face Harry beside her. 
               "Ginny told me about this afternoon." Harry paused. "Hermione it's not to late…"
               "Yes it is," she turned away from him. 
               "No it's not Mione. You can still tell Ron."
               "You're not making this easier Harry."
               "I hate to break it to you but this isn't ever going to be easy."
               "Thank you oh wise one!" Hermione spat. You think I'm not aware of that Harry? Do you think this isn't hard for me?"
               "Hermione that's not what I meant…."
               "You know what Harry. Just stay out of this. You cannot control my life. I feel like you seem to think I owe you or something since you've had to deal with all of this but you know what? If you had been minding your own business in the first place you never would had had to find out. So maybe you should just learn your lesson and stay out of this! This had nothing to do with you."
               Before Harry could say another word Hermione breezed by him and went back into the restaurant. 
 
 
A/N: Once again it was sort of a short chapter but, I didn't really want to go any farther than this with it. Well if things go as planned there should be one more chapter before……Wedding Day. How's everything going to go down? Look for updates (hopefully soon) to find out!!
 
Love,
Bella.