Part Twelve:
By the time Hermione was revived, everyone at the Burrow was freaking out. There was no sign of Ron, and he hadn't left a note. Nobody had any idea where he could be.
Except Harry.
While everyone was busy, Harry Apparated to Hogsmeade. For some weird reason, he had some idea that his best friend was hiding out at the village's least popular, seediest pub.
The Hog's Head.
And he was right. When Harry's eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the pub, he could see only a few people in there. It was, after all, a Saturday morning. And at the bar, hunched over and nursing a glass of red currant rum. He didn't look up until Harry was right behind him. But instead of looking surprised, Ron just sighed. "I can't do it, man."
"What're you talking about?" Harry sat down next to him. The bartender ignored him, but he didn't want a drink, anyway: he'd had enough the night before.
"I can't do this. I can't marry her."
"It was your idea," Harry pointed out.
"I know, I know," Ron took a long drink and sighed again. "But I had no idea what I was getting myself into."
Harry sighed. He had to be the voice of reason here, he knew that. "You're getting yourself into a lifetime of love and happiness," he said. He knew it sounded hookey, but Ron actually smiled a little.
"But I can't expect her to make all the money."
"Huh?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "What the hell does money have to do with anything?"
"Everything, Harry," Ron said impatiently. "I grew up poor, so I know what I'm talking about."
"But you and Hermione do okay," Harry argued. "She's a Healer, and you-"
"That's EXACTLY the point!" Ron exclaimed. "She's the one who makes more money! I'm supposed to be the husband, and she makes more then twice what I do."
Harry rolled his eyes. "What does that matter?"
"I've seen my mother stay at home all my life," Ron explained as calmly as he could. "She'd cook the meals, clean the house, raise the kids...not have to worry about saving lives everyday!"
"You know Hermione respects your mum," Harry cut in, "but if she heard what you were saying, she'd slap you."
"But-"
"You know how Hermione is," Harry pressed on. "Do you think all that other stuff matters to her? She's happy with her job, and you're happy with yours, and you're happy together. Isn't that what matters?"
"Look," Ron said, "I've seen Fred and Angelina. She works, and that got in the way of family."
"So you want a family?" Harry said. "Well, Hermione wants one, too! But it's your WEDDING day, not the day to worry about kids yet."
"I don't know, Harry," Ron said slowly. "I wish we'd talked about this before."
"You don't have to plan everything," Harry said. "Sometimes things just...happen."
"Like you and Ginny?"
Harry blinked and stared at his friend. Ron smiled. "Come on, Harry. Everyone knows what happened last summer."
"And last night?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, um..." Harry paused. "I'll tell you everything if you promise to come back with me."
"Asshole." But Ron was smiling. He stood up and threw a galleon on the table for the bartender. "Fine. Okay. Whatever."
"You can be a little more excited, you know." They headed out of the pub.
"Yeah," Ron said. He stood in the middle of the street and screamed: "IT'S MY WEDDING DAY!"
"SHUT UP!" an old witch called from her upstairs window. Laughing, Harry and Ron Apparated back to the Burrow.
*************
They arrived in the room full of Weasley's and Hermione at the Burrow. Everyone started chattering with relief when they saw Ron. Hermione got to him. "Oh, Ron!" she cried. Everyone expected her to throw her arms around his neck and hug him.
SMACK! Everyone gasped as she slapped him hard in the face. "Ronald Weasley, it is our WEDDING day! Don't you EVER run off like that again, do you hear me?"
"Yeah," Ron said, still grinning in spite of the red hand print on his cheek. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. One by one, the Weasleys and Harry piled out. "I'm sorry," he whispered when they'd pulled away. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Why did you go?" Hermione whispered. Her voice was breathy, she was panting slightly after her outrage and the kissing.
"I was scared."
"Don't be," Hermione said with a smile. "Everything'll be okay. No matter what."
"I know that now," Ron admitted. Looking into her eyes made everything feel okay.
"Come on," she said softly. "We have to get ready for our wedding." Ron watched as his fiancee walked out of the room. And he realized: she'll be my wife today.
By the time Hermione was revived, everyone at the Burrow was freaking out. There was no sign of Ron, and he hadn't left a note. Nobody had any idea where he could be.
Except Harry.
While everyone was busy, Harry Apparated to Hogsmeade. For some weird reason, he had some idea that his best friend was hiding out at the village's least popular, seediest pub.
The Hog's Head.
And he was right. When Harry's eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the pub, he could see only a few people in there. It was, after all, a Saturday morning. And at the bar, hunched over and nursing a glass of red currant rum. He didn't look up until Harry was right behind him. But instead of looking surprised, Ron just sighed. "I can't do it, man."
"What're you talking about?" Harry sat down next to him. The bartender ignored him, but he didn't want a drink, anyway: he'd had enough the night before.
"I can't do this. I can't marry her."
"It was your idea," Harry pointed out.
"I know, I know," Ron took a long drink and sighed again. "But I had no idea what I was getting myself into."
Harry sighed. He had to be the voice of reason here, he knew that. "You're getting yourself into a lifetime of love and happiness," he said. He knew it sounded hookey, but Ron actually smiled a little.
"But I can't expect her to make all the money."
"Huh?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "What the hell does money have to do with anything?"
"Everything, Harry," Ron said impatiently. "I grew up poor, so I know what I'm talking about."
"But you and Hermione do okay," Harry argued. "She's a Healer, and you-"
"That's EXACTLY the point!" Ron exclaimed. "She's the one who makes more money! I'm supposed to be the husband, and she makes more then twice what I do."
Harry rolled his eyes. "What does that matter?"
"I've seen my mother stay at home all my life," Ron explained as calmly as he could. "She'd cook the meals, clean the house, raise the kids...not have to worry about saving lives everyday!"
"You know Hermione respects your mum," Harry cut in, "but if she heard what you were saying, she'd slap you."
"But-"
"You know how Hermione is," Harry pressed on. "Do you think all that other stuff matters to her? She's happy with her job, and you're happy with yours, and you're happy together. Isn't that what matters?"
"Look," Ron said, "I've seen Fred and Angelina. She works, and that got in the way of family."
"So you want a family?" Harry said. "Well, Hermione wants one, too! But it's your WEDDING day, not the day to worry about kids yet."
"I don't know, Harry," Ron said slowly. "I wish we'd talked about this before."
"You don't have to plan everything," Harry said. "Sometimes things just...happen."
"Like you and Ginny?"
Harry blinked and stared at his friend. Ron smiled. "Come on, Harry. Everyone knows what happened last summer."
"And last night?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, um..." Harry paused. "I'll tell you everything if you promise to come back with me."
"Asshole." But Ron was smiling. He stood up and threw a galleon on the table for the bartender. "Fine. Okay. Whatever."
"You can be a little more excited, you know." They headed out of the pub.
"Yeah," Ron said. He stood in the middle of the street and screamed: "IT'S MY WEDDING DAY!"
"SHUT UP!" an old witch called from her upstairs window. Laughing, Harry and Ron Apparated back to the Burrow.
*************
They arrived in the room full of Weasley's and Hermione at the Burrow. Everyone started chattering with relief when they saw Ron. Hermione got to him. "Oh, Ron!" she cried. Everyone expected her to throw her arms around his neck and hug him.
SMACK! Everyone gasped as she slapped him hard in the face. "Ronald Weasley, it is our WEDDING day! Don't you EVER run off like that again, do you hear me?"
"Yeah," Ron said, still grinning in spite of the red hand print on his cheek. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. One by one, the Weasleys and Harry piled out. "I'm sorry," he whispered when they'd pulled away. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Why did you go?" Hermione whispered. Her voice was breathy, she was panting slightly after her outrage and the kissing.
"I was scared."
"Don't be," Hermione said with a smile. "Everything'll be okay. No matter what."
"I know that now," Ron admitted. Looking into her eyes made everything feel okay.
"Come on," she said softly. "We have to get ready for our wedding." Ron watched as his fiancee walked out of the room. And he realized: she'll be my wife today.
