A/N- Thanks so much to all my reviewers! There's some special thank-you's at the end to everyone who reviewed. Here's Chapter Two!
Disclaimer- Nothing resembling Harry Potter or "The Family Man" belongs to me. Or maybe they do… ::laughs maniacally and looks over at the corner of her room where J.K. Rowling and Nicholas Cage are being held captive:: Hehe, anyway…
Second Chances
Chapter Two
~*~
Hermione ran down the stairs into the entryway after getting dressed. She could hear Ron and…Lexi…yes, Lexi, that's what he'd said, laughing in the living room.
She had to get out of here. She'd go to the Hospital, and go home to her normal apartment. This was not her life. This was some kind of dream or hallucination, and she had to get out of here to make it stop.
She reached for the door knob to the front door, and suddenly heard new voices join Ron and Lexi's. Voices she knew very well. The entire Weasley clan had just come by Floo Powder into "her" home.
"Where's our favorite five year old in the entire world?" She heard Fred's distinctive voice echoing through the house.
"UNCLE FWED! UNCLE GEOWGE!" Lexi squealed.
Hermione couldn't stand this. She couldn't see all of them. The last time she had seen any of the Weasley's was the day after she had turned Ron down. They were at the train station to get Ron and Ginny. Apparently he had written them, because she had never received such simultaneous icy stares. No one even spoke to her, except for Harry, who managed a weak "I'll see you soon" and a hug. Ron just got into the car and slammed the door. Fred and George had not smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley busied themselves very intently with Ginny's trunk. She would never forget that Ginny was the only one who had spoken to her. She had grabbed Hermione's arm as she turned to leave. Hermione had turned to see a glare very similar to the one Ginny usually reserved for Draco Malfoy. It was very jarring to have it directed at her.
"I hope you realize what you've done." Ginny hissed, her eyes suddenly filling with angry tears.
"Ginny-"
"Save it, Hermione. I just wanted you to know- you haven't ruined his life. You've ruined yours."
Hermione blinked back tears of her own. Ginny Weasley had not just been Ron's sister, she'd always been Hermione's closest girl friend. To hear such coldness from her was breaking Hermione's heart all over again. The Weasley family had practically adopted her-and now she'd thrown it all away.
"Ginny, please don't hate me for this. Please understand that-"
Ginny just walked away.
Hermione snapped out of her reverie and back into her present situation. She had to get out of here. NOW.
She stepped out onto the porch and apparated to the Hospital.
~*~
Hermione reappeared in her wonderfully familiar office. But wait. It wasn't familiar. It was completely different. Suddenly alarms started to go off. Hermione jumped in surprise, as Rose walked into the office.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Rose asked in a clearly placatory tone.
"Very funny, Rose. What's wrong with the alarms? Who rearranged my furniture?" Hermione laughed.
"How do you know my name?" Rose asked softly.
"It's me, Rose! Hermione Granger! Head Healer!" Hermione could not believe this. Had the entire world gone mad and just not told her?
"Ma'am, security's on its way for unauthorized apparation. I suggest you leave now and don't make this worse."
"All right, that's enough! This isn't funny anymore!" Hermione's voice was quickly getting higher-pitched.
She heard security coming down the hall. Sighing loudly and cursing under her breath, Hermione apparated out of the hospital and onto the sidewalk outside.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" She muttered, walking quickly away.
"Is that a rhetorical question?" A sudden familiar Irish voice said from behind her.
Hermione spun around to see her patient from yesterday, Leland.
"Did you do this to me?" She demanded immediately.
"Yes." Leland shrugged.
"Well, what the hell is this? I wake up in my ex-boyfriend's bed, kids running all over the house, my employees think I've gone completely round the bend-"
"It's a glimpse, Hermione." Leland said calmly.
"A glimpse? A glimpse of WHAT?" She practically shouted.
"Of what might have been."
"You must be bloody joking-I don't want to be married to Ron!"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Well, I said no, didn't I?"
"And you've never regretted it?" Leland raised an eyebrow.
Hermione fell silent for a moment.
"Change. It. Back." She said slowly and clearly.
"No." Leland said in that same maddeningly calm tone.
"NO??" She threw her hands up in the air.
"No. Not until you figure out what you really want, Hermione Granger. Or should I say Weasley?"
"This is insane." Hermione snorted.
"So's love, sweetheart. Now go home. I'm sure your family's missing you."
"They're not my FAMI-" Hermione started to yell, but suddenly, she felt the same jerk behind her bellybutton she felt with a Portkey. How could he DO that?
In an instant, she was back on the snow-covered porch of the modestly sized house she'd left that morning. She hit the ground roughly, falling to her feet and unable to stand due to the ice patches. Oh well. Maybe she'd just stay right here until Leland got his cocky Irish ass back here and made her life right again.
"Went a little heavy on the eggnog already, Hermione?" She heard someone say from behind her.
Hermione spun around to see a slightly older but still very familiar Harry Potter strolling up the front walk, arm in arm with Ginny Weasley.
What the hell? They'd never even dated…
"Hey, Harry…Gin." She said Ginny's name cautiously, waiting for an angry outburst.
Ginny just laughed, helping Hermione to her feet as Harry lugged the presents.
"Your own Christmas party, and you're already wasted," Ginny teased, shaking her head, "Hermione, what would your children think?" She said in a mock disapproving tone, linking arms with Hermione.
Hermione blinked in shock but quickly recovered.
"You know those WAA meetings just aren't helping." Hermione shrugged.
"WAA?" Harry questioned.
"Wizardering Alcoholics Anonymous." She grinned.
"Oh, of course."
Suddenly, Ron appeared in the doorway.
"Last minute Christmas shopping?" He questioned, obviously confused and a little worried by her sudden disappearance.
"Just needed a little fresh air." Hermione said weakly.
"Well, Jackson's about to have a coronary if you don't feed him." Ron grabbed her arm, leading her back into the house, looking upset.
"I'm sorry, darling, I just…had a fit of the holiday blues. Had to be alone for a moment."
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"I knew that eggnog was a bad idea." He grinned.
"Shut up." She smiled back, and was suddenly surprised how easy it was to fall back into their easy banter that had been famous for at Hogwarts. Her heart suddenly twisted slightly.
"I'll go…feed him then." She said quickly.
"All right, love." Ron absently kissed her, walking back to the room with the Christmas tree.
Hermione watched him go, his familiar tall frame filled out only slightly and rather pleasantly by age. She felt a familiar tingle shooting through her veins. This was too bizarre.
~*~
"Hey, little guy," She walked over to the crib, where her son was crying hysterically, his little face red.
He looked like he couldn't be older than a year old, but already had many shared characteristics from herself and Ron. She lifted him from his crib, just looking at him for a moment. He was so clearly her child, but so strangely unfamiliar.
"I'll bet you're hungry." She said, unbuttoning her blouse and sitting down in the rocking chair.
Hermione looked out the window, watching the snow falling. She heard so many familiar voices she'd missed terribly talking and laughing downstairs. The child she'd always wanted but never had rested contently in her arms. She thought of Ron smiling at her again, something she hadn't seen in six years but had missed desperately.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
~*~
A/N- There you go! Chapter Two! And I actually sat down and planned this entire fic out, so expect updates pretty regularly. Here's a little shout to all my reviewers for Ch. One- please review this one too!
*Catgrl52- come on, this is me-die hard R/H shipper. Don't be so sure about that ending…
*Blue.Rose.Marcella- Thanks so much for the kind words babe! And I know what you mean about guys who are good with kids- I just melt.
*Ron Weasley2- I know- Hermione was being an idiot. That was hard to write!
*Lesa- I hope you liked this chapter too!
*Astounded- I plan on ending very differently than the movie. That was such a disappointing anticlimax to such a cool movie. Don't worry.
*Alwaysright1- I'd call Hermione lucky!
*OneDayFamous- Don't worry about the R/H goodness. It's coming. They are married, after all…
*koolcatt- Let's just say the ending of that movie was the one thing I thought was bad about it. So you'll see…
*May- Thanks babe!
*Shearer- Yay! You used the word "lurve!" That's like the best word in the world!
*Katos- Hello sister! Thanks for reviewing, I can always count on you to leave me a good one!
Disclaimer- Nothing resembling Harry Potter or "The Family Man" belongs to me. Or maybe they do… ::laughs maniacally and looks over at the corner of her room where J.K. Rowling and Nicholas Cage are being held captive:: Hehe, anyway…
Second Chances
Chapter Two
~*~
Hermione ran down the stairs into the entryway after getting dressed. She could hear Ron and…Lexi…yes, Lexi, that's what he'd said, laughing in the living room.
She had to get out of here. She'd go to the Hospital, and go home to her normal apartment. This was not her life. This was some kind of dream or hallucination, and she had to get out of here to make it stop.
She reached for the door knob to the front door, and suddenly heard new voices join Ron and Lexi's. Voices she knew very well. The entire Weasley clan had just come by Floo Powder into "her" home.
"Where's our favorite five year old in the entire world?" She heard Fred's distinctive voice echoing through the house.
"UNCLE FWED! UNCLE GEOWGE!" Lexi squealed.
Hermione couldn't stand this. She couldn't see all of them. The last time she had seen any of the Weasley's was the day after she had turned Ron down. They were at the train station to get Ron and Ginny. Apparently he had written them, because she had never received such simultaneous icy stares. No one even spoke to her, except for Harry, who managed a weak "I'll see you soon" and a hug. Ron just got into the car and slammed the door. Fred and George had not smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley busied themselves very intently with Ginny's trunk. She would never forget that Ginny was the only one who had spoken to her. She had grabbed Hermione's arm as she turned to leave. Hermione had turned to see a glare very similar to the one Ginny usually reserved for Draco Malfoy. It was very jarring to have it directed at her.
"I hope you realize what you've done." Ginny hissed, her eyes suddenly filling with angry tears.
"Ginny-"
"Save it, Hermione. I just wanted you to know- you haven't ruined his life. You've ruined yours."
Hermione blinked back tears of her own. Ginny Weasley had not just been Ron's sister, she'd always been Hermione's closest girl friend. To hear such coldness from her was breaking Hermione's heart all over again. The Weasley family had practically adopted her-and now she'd thrown it all away.
"Ginny, please don't hate me for this. Please understand that-"
Ginny just walked away.
Hermione snapped out of her reverie and back into her present situation. She had to get out of here. NOW.
She stepped out onto the porch and apparated to the Hospital.
~*~
Hermione reappeared in her wonderfully familiar office. But wait. It wasn't familiar. It was completely different. Suddenly alarms started to go off. Hermione jumped in surprise, as Rose walked into the office.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Rose asked in a clearly placatory tone.
"Very funny, Rose. What's wrong with the alarms? Who rearranged my furniture?" Hermione laughed.
"How do you know my name?" Rose asked softly.
"It's me, Rose! Hermione Granger! Head Healer!" Hermione could not believe this. Had the entire world gone mad and just not told her?
"Ma'am, security's on its way for unauthorized apparation. I suggest you leave now and don't make this worse."
"All right, that's enough! This isn't funny anymore!" Hermione's voice was quickly getting higher-pitched.
She heard security coming down the hall. Sighing loudly and cursing under her breath, Hermione apparated out of the hospital and onto the sidewalk outside.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" She muttered, walking quickly away.
"Is that a rhetorical question?" A sudden familiar Irish voice said from behind her.
Hermione spun around to see her patient from yesterday, Leland.
"Did you do this to me?" She demanded immediately.
"Yes." Leland shrugged.
"Well, what the hell is this? I wake up in my ex-boyfriend's bed, kids running all over the house, my employees think I've gone completely round the bend-"
"It's a glimpse, Hermione." Leland said calmly.
"A glimpse? A glimpse of WHAT?" She practically shouted.
"Of what might have been."
"You must be bloody joking-I don't want to be married to Ron!"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Well, I said no, didn't I?"
"And you've never regretted it?" Leland raised an eyebrow.
Hermione fell silent for a moment.
"Change. It. Back." She said slowly and clearly.
"No." Leland said in that same maddeningly calm tone.
"NO??" She threw her hands up in the air.
"No. Not until you figure out what you really want, Hermione Granger. Or should I say Weasley?"
"This is insane." Hermione snorted.
"So's love, sweetheart. Now go home. I'm sure your family's missing you."
"They're not my FAMI-" Hermione started to yell, but suddenly, she felt the same jerk behind her bellybutton she felt with a Portkey. How could he DO that?
In an instant, she was back on the snow-covered porch of the modestly sized house she'd left that morning. She hit the ground roughly, falling to her feet and unable to stand due to the ice patches. Oh well. Maybe she'd just stay right here until Leland got his cocky Irish ass back here and made her life right again.
"Went a little heavy on the eggnog already, Hermione?" She heard someone say from behind her.
Hermione spun around to see a slightly older but still very familiar Harry Potter strolling up the front walk, arm in arm with Ginny Weasley.
What the hell? They'd never even dated…
"Hey, Harry…Gin." She said Ginny's name cautiously, waiting for an angry outburst.
Ginny just laughed, helping Hermione to her feet as Harry lugged the presents.
"Your own Christmas party, and you're already wasted," Ginny teased, shaking her head, "Hermione, what would your children think?" She said in a mock disapproving tone, linking arms with Hermione.
Hermione blinked in shock but quickly recovered.
"You know those WAA meetings just aren't helping." Hermione shrugged.
"WAA?" Harry questioned.
"Wizardering Alcoholics Anonymous." She grinned.
"Oh, of course."
Suddenly, Ron appeared in the doorway.
"Last minute Christmas shopping?" He questioned, obviously confused and a little worried by her sudden disappearance.
"Just needed a little fresh air." Hermione said weakly.
"Well, Jackson's about to have a coronary if you don't feed him." Ron grabbed her arm, leading her back into the house, looking upset.
"I'm sorry, darling, I just…had a fit of the holiday blues. Had to be alone for a moment."
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"I knew that eggnog was a bad idea." He grinned.
"Shut up." She smiled back, and was suddenly surprised how easy it was to fall back into their easy banter that had been famous for at Hogwarts. Her heart suddenly twisted slightly.
"I'll go…feed him then." She said quickly.
"All right, love." Ron absently kissed her, walking back to the room with the Christmas tree.
Hermione watched him go, his familiar tall frame filled out only slightly and rather pleasantly by age. She felt a familiar tingle shooting through her veins. This was too bizarre.
~*~
"Hey, little guy," She walked over to the crib, where her son was crying hysterically, his little face red.
He looked like he couldn't be older than a year old, but already had many shared characteristics from herself and Ron. She lifted him from his crib, just looking at him for a moment. He was so clearly her child, but so strangely unfamiliar.
"I'll bet you're hungry." She said, unbuttoning her blouse and sitting down in the rocking chair.
Hermione looked out the window, watching the snow falling. She heard so many familiar voices she'd missed terribly talking and laughing downstairs. The child she'd always wanted but never had rested contently in her arms. She thought of Ron smiling at her again, something she hadn't seen in six years but had missed desperately.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
~*~
A/N- There you go! Chapter Two! And I actually sat down and planned this entire fic out, so expect updates pretty regularly. Here's a little shout to all my reviewers for Ch. One- please review this one too!
*Catgrl52- come on, this is me-die hard R/H shipper. Don't be so sure about that ending…
*Blue.Rose.Marcella- Thanks so much for the kind words babe! And I know what you mean about guys who are good with kids- I just melt.
*Ron Weasley2- I know- Hermione was being an idiot. That was hard to write!
*Lesa- I hope you liked this chapter too!
*Astounded- I plan on ending very differently than the movie. That was such a disappointing anticlimax to such a cool movie. Don't worry.
*Alwaysright1- I'd call Hermione lucky!
*OneDayFamous- Don't worry about the R/H goodness. It's coming. They are married, after all…
*koolcatt- Let's just say the ending of that movie was the one thing I thought was bad about it. So you'll see…
*May- Thanks babe!
*Shearer- Yay! You used the word "lurve!" That's like the best word in the world!
*Katos- Hello sister! Thanks for reviewing, I can always count on you to leave me a good one!