Falling Stars

Ron Weasley paced back and forth in the hallway, listening to the repeated screams. He shook his head. She was beautiful, she had glowing chocolate brown hair and a figure so slim it was mistaken for anerexia. She had a beautiful voice and she was a pureblood. She was perfect.

But she wasn't Hermione.

Ron sighed, and contineud to pace. Sure, he had fallen in love with Louise from the first time he laid eyes on her, but, even though he'd never admit it, he was still in love with that bushy haired girl that he'd known for eight years of his life.

A blizzard raged outside, and all of the midwives were either on vacation or couldn't make it through the storm. Harry was in the other room trying to reach one.

Ron sighed. It was going to be a long night.

~-~-~-

Back and forth, back and forth. Being a midwife's apprentice isn't exactly glamerous work you know, you have to do other things, like mop, and sweep and organize. I only gave my master her supplies during birthing, such as towels and such. I was pretty lowly, because all I did was clean up afterwards.

I had been pretty low on cash this winter. Babies apparently don't favor to be born in Winter, they'd wait until it's warmer. They'd wait until I was just a bag of bones. Damn babies. But, why should I blame tiny little infants for my starvation? Because I can, that's why.

Well, I was mopping the floor of the Clinic. A blizzard fell outside. Looks like I'll have to spend another night sleeping on the Waiting Room Couch. I put the mop back in the closet and walked back over the clean floors with just my socks on. A girl takes pride in things she's just cleaned.

The phone rang.

Ah, a baby is born in Winter! And it chooses five minutes after my Master leaves to be born. Damn child.

"Hello?" I say.

"Oh, thank goodness!"

I almost dropped the phone. That voice on the other line, it was Harry's. My best friend, that I had left behind five years ago was calling the Clinic. Had they tracked me down? Were they looking for me?

"We need a Midwife. My best friend's wife is going to have triplet's any minute now and--" There was a scream in the background.

Well, I can put two and two together. Ron got married, he slept with another girl and was going to have red headed children to carry on the Weasley name of Pureblood. I had told him to. He did exactly what I said, for once.

But, why did it hurt so much?

"I'm no midwife." I said in a slightly depressed tone. "I'm just her Apprentice. The midwife should be back in a couple of days."

"Are you kidding?" Harry said. "Louise will have had the babies by then."

Louise. What a beautiful name, no way it could've compared with Hermione.

"Is your name Harry Potter?" I asked him. I knew the answer. I guess I just had to make sure.

"Yes, it is. How did you--"

"Harry." I said, choking on my tears. "It's Hermione. Hermione Granger, from school?"

"Hermione?!" He practically yelled into the phone.

"Yeah." I sighed. "Louise, is she prettier then me?"

"Oh, sure, she has all that outer beauty." Harry scoffed. "I guess that's what Ron fell for, but she can be a whiny brat. I, personally can't stand her. But, she makes Ron and his family happy, so what's to argue with?"

I smiled. Yes, this was Harry. "Is she smart?"

"Dumb as a Troll." Harry laughed. "Barely made it through school. She went to Beauxbatons."

"Oh, a second Fleur?" I said.

"Not quite. She's got no Veela in her, even though she might as well."

"I see."

There was another scream.

"Look, Hermione, do you know any Midwives that are available."

"Harry, there are none near The Burrow. There are no Midwives, they've all left."

"That's just great." muttered Harry.

"Harry." I said, pushing the tears back down my throat. "I could deliver the baby."

Harry was silent. "Are--are you sure? I mean, these are Ron's children."

"I know." And it hurt.

"Hermione, are you sure your going to be okay with this?"

"Yes, of course." I said. "I'll be there twenty-two seconds."

I hung up on Harry. Delivering Ron's child. Delivering Ron and 'Louise's' child. Delivering a child that's half dumb and half stupid. Two guesses one whether or not its a genius. I grabbed Martha's medicine bag and apparated away.

~-~-~-

"Did you find one Harry?" Ron said, grabbing Harry's shoulders. "Please tell me you did!"

Harry was quiet. "I did, but Ron, you have to know something, about the midwife."

"What? Is she a ghost or something."

"I wish." Harry scoffed.

"What? Is the Midwife pregnant?" Ron asked.

"Ron, I called the clinic and the Apprentice answered. She said she'd be able to deliver the baby, but I still doubt it."

"What? Why?"

"Ron, the Midwife--"

"Out with it!" Ron yelled.

"It's Hermione."

"H-Hermione?" Ron stuttered.

"Hermione, as in the one that left you. She took up being an Apprentice a few years ago." Harry said. "She's going to deliver your children."

Ron didn't say anything, but sank in the nearest armchair.

CRACK

A girl dressed in clothes that might've been mistaken for peasant clothes apparated into the room. She carried a rather large bag and her hair was tied up. She gave them both a small smile.

"Right. So where is she?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Hermione, are you sure your up to this?"

"If you ask me again, I might change my mind." She said angrily. "Now where is she?"

~-~-~-

He hadn't changed. He was still Ron. I held back a smile and followed him to his old room.

She was giving birth in his old room?

Well, I must admit, even though Louise was sweating like a hog, she was beautiful. She screamed again.

Honestly, most women don't start screaming until they're actually giving birth.

~-~-~-

How I survived that child birth? Well, that's just something that no one will ever know, even me. To hold back the tears, I just pretended that Louise was Ginny and I was birthing Harry's child. And then, I would see Ron's worried face, worried about his wife.

His wife that wasn't me.

I didn't want to look at the baby. I wiped it with my apron and wrapped it up with my apron and gave it to the mother, who looked at me gratefully. Her bold gray eyes so innocent.

Something that my mud eyes would never do.

I gathered my supplies and left the room. I couldn't apparate, my wand had frozen on the way here. I'd walk, it was only a hundred miles.

I'd hopefully freeze to death.

"Well? How is she?" Ron asked, coming up to me.

"She's not dead." I said sarcastically.

Ron's eyes widened.

"No, Ron." I said, smiling. "They're both fine."

He walked past me and into the room, followed by his family.

~-~-~-

They put the baby down after two hours, to let it have its rest. I'm not sure if they named it. I wanted to leave.

"Never leave without being paid." Martha told me.

I had used up her painkillers, something she told me never to touch, but Louise just kept screaming for them. I'd like a pain killer right now. I needed to go to Diagon Alley and buy some more, as I'd probably be fired if I didn't.

Louise emerged first, holding her husband's hand.

"Shouldn't you get some sleep, Louise?" Harry asked her.

"No, I'm fine." She laughed, then she saw me and ran up to me, smiling. "Thank you so much, ma'am."

She studied me for a minute. She looked me over from my bush of hair to my torn up boots.

"You're young." She said. "How old are you?"

That was a good question. I never really celebrated birthdays anymore, I just let them pass, knowing I'd be glad when I could drop down dead and forget about this pitiful world. Let's see, Ron would be twenty-three in a few months, so that would make me...

"Twenty-two, ma'am." I answered. I sounded like a servant. Well, that's what I was really, a servant.

"Really?" She turned to Ron. "You have to pay her extra Ron. Midwives are usually old widows who are grieving for their dead husbands, and she's so young! Just a few sickles more."

Oh, but my dear, I am an old widow grieving for my dead husband that I never had. If only you knew...

"That's not necessary, ma'am." I said, my pride still fighting with me emotion inside of me. "No charge."

"What? But we have to pay you! You came in a blizzard!" Louise proposed.

"I insist, it is free." I said. I just couldn't stand to be in tha thouse any longer, with all of those people with red hair staring at me, knowing exactly who I was, what I had done, and refusing to acknowledge it.

"She's an old family friend." Ginny spoke up.

"I-I have to go." I stuttered, opening the front door. A gush of cold air flew in.

Let's face it, my clothes aren't exactly fit for a Queen. They were rags, since I was just cleaning before they called me. My boots were the light ones, since I figured I could've apparated.

Maybe I would freeze to death, after all.

"You're not thinking of walking home, are you?" Harry asked me.

"My wand froze." I said simply.

A hand closed the door.

"You'll freeze to death." Ron said, looking at me.

Good! I wanted to yell at him. Let me freeze.

I didn't say anything. What's a lowly servant girl to say?

"Can she stay here, Mrs. Weasley? Just for one night?" Louise asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Of course." Mrs. Weasley said, not looking me in the eye.

"Oh, you must try some of Mrs. Weasley's cooking!" Louise said, taking my hand. "It's wonderful!"

~-~-~-

Awkward. Yes, it was awkward, sitting there, with Louise, Harry and all of Ron's family. I gave up everthing for Ron, and I wanted it to be like this, but I never wanted to see it happen or anything. I just wanted to remember the way things were before.

"What's your name?" Louise asked me.

"Hermione." I said. "Hermione Granger."

"Are you a squib?" She asked me.

I saw Harry bite back a laugh. Well, Squibs were usually Apprenticed.

"No." I said.

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" She asked me.

Did I got to Hogwarts? Did I got to Hogwarts? Excuse me, I saved Hogwarts on seven different occasions! Hogwarts was my home for seven years!

"Yes." I said quietly.

"Did you see Harry and Ron while you were there?" She asked me.

No, I didn't see them. I just blindfolded myself for seven years and walked around the castle. Honestly!

"We, knew each other." I said simply.

"Really? Ron's never mentioned you before. In fact," she turned to Ron. "he's never mentioned anything about his school days before. Were you guys friends or something?"

Oh, the best of friends! We defeated the Dark Lord together! But, maybe that didn't mean anything now.

"You could say that." I said.

"Oh, please!" She grasped my hand. "Tell me about Ron and Harry and Ginny in Hogwarts! They'd never mention it for some reason! I am itching to know!"

I turned to Harry who had a look of confusion on his face. Ginny stared at her soup. They didn't want to mention me. They didn't want to remember me.

Suddenly, I thought of Weasley is Our King. Oh, that tune still rings in my head. I chuckled a little.

"There's too much to tell." I said, smiling at her.

"Oh, please! Ron wouldn't tell me, I need to know!"

Talk about a nosey girl.

"Was Ron a good student? I bet he was top of his year every year!"

I almost dropped the water glass I was holding. Ron? Top of his year? What's next? Dobby, the next Headmaster of Hogwarts?

"He was a good student." I said.

"Oh, your leaving out too much, you have to tell me more! Tell me everything!"

"I don't like to live in the past." I said simply.

"Please, please please?" She begged.

Bloody hell!

"Ron was on the Quidditch Team." I said.

"Really? Was he good?"

"Are you kidding me?" My spirits rose. "They dedicated an entire song to him."

"No, really?" She turned to Ron, who nodded meekly.

"Weasley is our King." I laughed. "I believe that was it."

"Really?" Louise smiled. "What about you?"

"What about me?" I scoffed.

"Well, were you on the Quidditch Team?"

"No." I said.

"Well, you must've done something. That's amazing though, Ron could be intelligent and play Quidditch!"

Harry released his laughter.

"You left a few details off of that story, Hermione." He said.

I smiled.

"Oh, Ron!" she turned to her husband. "I can't believe you never mentioned Hermione before, she's charming!"

"I guess it slipped my mind." He mumbled.

It slipped mine, too, Ron. It slipped mine. At night, I'd cry over him, and then wake up, my pillow wet and I had forgotten what I'd been crying about. It just slipped my mind.

Yeah, right. Give me a break.

"Did Ron help you with your homework?" she asked.

Did he--WHAT?

"No, I did it by myself." I said indignantly.

"Well, once or twice, didn't he help you?"

I passed Hogwarts because Ron Weasley helped me with my homework. Ha! That's a laugh.

"Once or twice." I said to satisfy her.

"Ron, you never told me you were a genius!"

I know why he didn't tell her he was a genius. Because it would be a bold faced lie.

Ginny giggled.

"I guess it just slipped my mind." He mumbled.

~-~-~-

They had all gone to bed, except Harry, Ron and I. We sat in silence, not knowing what to say, not knowing the appropiate action.

"Hermione, how could you?"

"How could I what?"

"How could you talk about everything like you never left me?" He asked.

"Well, she asked."

"Well, you didn't have to answer."

"You're right." I said. "I should've gotten up when she started begging and walked back through one hundred miles of blizzard."

"That's not what I meant." He said quietly.

"Ron," I said quietly. "She's really beautiful."

"Yeah." He mumbled.

"I wonder how she gets her hair like that." I said absentmindedly.

"I don't know." Ron said.

Louise came down the stairs, in her night dress. What a slim figure!

"Coming to bed, dear?"

"In a minute." Ron said.

She nodded and smiled, starting to go up the stairs.

"Louise." I stopped her. "C-could I see your engagemnt ring?"

"Certainly!" She said, giving me her hand.

I felt the tears coming on. "Do you know what this is?" I asked her, smiling.

"What?"

"Star dust."

"Oh, that's nice." she said, walking up the steps.

I stood there, Ron and Harry staring at my back. I turned around, with the tears coming down my cheeks. I walked over and put my arms around Ron.

"I told you so!" I said.

"Told me what?"

"I told you that you could do better then me!"

"What?"

"Honestly, Ron!" I said, wiping the tears away hastily. "Look at her, she's gourgeous! And that ring fits better on her finger then it ever did on mine."

"Stop it!" Ron said, standing up. "Stop acting like your happy, just stop!"

I was silent for a minute.

"How can you be happy for me? After you left, my family said you did the right thing. And, they respected you. I fell for her looks, Hermione. Doesn't that bother you?"

"You want the truth?" I asked him, my voice shaking.

"Yes, I want the truth."

"I hate her!" I said. "She's absurdly dumb, she's probably the daughter of God with those looks! And, Ron, she's so skinny! I can't believe she could even deliver that baby without breaking all of the bones in her hips!"

"Is that all?" Ron asked me.

"What do you want me to say, Ron? Do you want me to say that I wish I was her, with her silver eyes, with her slim figure, with her chocolate brown hair with highlights that glow in the dark? Do you want me to tell you that you are the stupidest most materialistic person inthe world? Do you want me to say that?"

"Hermione--"

"Hermione what? What do you want now?" I scowled, turning away.

"Why did you come back?"

"To deliver a baby, of course." I said.

"But, why you? I mean, why couldn't they find any other midwife?"

"Ron, if you wanted your kid to die, then by all means, go up there and choke your baby to death! If you wanted your wife to die, then by all means, go upstairs and perform Avada Kadavra on her, I won't stop you!"

"Hermione, why did you want to deliver my child?"

"Because you're an idiot!" I yelled at him.

"That makes no sense!"

"No, you make no sense, Ron Weasley!"

"It's you!"

"It's you!"

"It's you!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"Me!"

"Me..!"

Damn it, had I fell for that again? I can't believe, what's that, the second damn time I fell for that dumb thing. Ron got that dopey grin on his face.

"Glad you see it my way."

"Ugh!" I turned away from him.

"Will you two shut up?" Harry said, breaking his silence. He sighed and started up the stairs. "I'm going to bed."

~-~-~-

Ron and I sat there, not looking at each other, not saying anything. It was awkward.

"Why?"

"Don't start that." I said.

"Why did you leave me?"

I sighed, the pain, it was so real, like it had happened yesterday.

"Because I love you."

"Then why did you leave me?"

"Because--" I grabbed his hand. "Because I didn't want you to go against your family. Nothing should come in between you and your family, and it wasn't going to be me."

"But, Hermione!"

"But nothing, Ron Weasley!"

"Is it because I was poor?"

"What?!"

"I was poor, I was in debt, is that why you left?"

"Bloody hell, are you deaf?" I sighed. "I would rather marry you then some rich bastard."

"Why?"

"Because, Ron, you have this stupid grin..."

"You love me because I have a stupid grin?"

"Yes! That's why I love you!" I said, the tears springing from my eyes. "Because you have that red hair, because your dopey and clumsy and unorganized and--"

He pulled me. His hand was on the back of my head and he had pulled my face into his. And all of those old emotions that I thought had rotted and decomposed came back, new and as fresh as ever before.

And I kissed back.

He leaned back, that grin on his face, as if he was satisfied.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him.

"Because--"

"Wait, don't answer that!" I said, getting up and grabbing Martha's bag from the table. "You are a married man!"

"But--"

"No!" I snapped. "If you want to kiss someone, your wife is up there, go snog her to death, but you can't ever kiss me again!"

"Why?" Ron asked me getting up, the tears already evident in his eyes. "Hermione, why?"

"Because!" I screamed, the tears still coming. I grabbed his hand. "Because of this!"

A gold wedding ring encircled his ring finger.

And my fingers, they suddenly felt so naked, so bare.

"Hermione..."

"That's who I am!" I said. "I'm Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger, you hear? Granger!"

"I know who you are." And then, he put his arms around me. He put his cursed arms around me and gave me that feeling of safety, that false sense of love.

I didn't belong here.

"Really?" I whispered. "Could you please tell me."

"What?" He backed away.

"I don't know who I am anymore, Ron. I just don't."

"Hey, stop crying, you." Ron said, smiling that dopey grin.

"I can't..." I said.

And I couldn't.

~-~-~-~-

The snow layed calmly on the ground, and my wand had thawed, leaving it not frozen and rigid. I stood there, with my medicine bag, staring at Harry, Ron, Louise and Ginny.

If I could smile, I would've.

"Thank you." I said, more to my feet then anyone.

"Hey, no problem." Ginny sad, patting me on the shoulder.

And then, the next minute we were hugging, Ginny and I. We were in a sisterly embrace. No, not sisterly. We would never be sisterly.

Never.

"Thank you, again." Louise said, her smile gleaming at my eyes.

That smile...

"Well, Goodbye Harry."

Why I only said goodbye to Harry? I don't know. I'll never know because I never meant to say anything.

~-~-~-

I was out of the door, wanting to apparate. I took my wand and waved it. I wondered why I wasn't going anywhere, but then I realized that I wasn't saying the correct spell.

"It's Leviosa, not Leviosar." I muttered to myself, smiling slightly.

~-~-~-

I didn't go back to the Clinic, I took Martha's Medicine bag and went to Hogsmeade. I went into Zonko's, the old joke shop, where Ron had spent all of his time. I walked around, in my peasant shoes making a sweeping sound as I wandered through the eyes.

I walked into an aisle that said, "Joke Pets". They made jokes out of poor defenseless animals! Barbaric! And then, I saw an old abandoned rat, looking up with these scared yellow eyes.

Scabbers.

I opened the door to the cage. I knew the rat couldn't be Scabbers, but for some reason, that rat gave me comfort.

Comfort from a rat. What a peasant I am.

"Hey, you." I said, holding him in my hands.

Then, the rat began to morph and change until it became the body of...

"RON!" I screamed. "You never told me you were an animagus! Are you registered?"

And then, he took me in his arms, his big strong arms and he kissed me. And this time, I didn't resist. I melted into that embrace.

~-~-~-

"Ma'am? Ma'am, what's your name?"

"Wha-what?" I asked, sitting up. How the hell did I end up in St. Mungo's.

"We've given you painkillers."

"Painkillers?" I spat. "I'm in no pain. I have to go, I have to get back to the Clinic..."

"No." The man restrained me. "You were found in Knockturn Alley, you'd taken an overdose of painkillers."

"I wouldn't do something so stupid!" I protested. "Now I have to go Diagon Alley, I've got to buy more pills.."

"You've had enough pills, ma'am."

"I don't mean those you damned idiot!" I said, getting angry. "They're for Martha."

"Martha who?"

"Martha, the midwife? I'm an apprentice."

"We've kept a record of you, your a peasant. You scrub the floors of Hogwarts in the summer."

"Honestly!" I scowled. "Who are you, go away! I don't know you! I'm Hermione Granger, Apprenticed!"

"We know who you are Ms. Granger. Is there anyone we can call to inform you of your injury?"

"I'm not hurt you fools!" The man was still restraining me.

"Is there anyone we can call?"

Ron. Call Ron, tell him I'm hurt! Tell him I'll die! My head was screaming.

"There's no one." I murmured, laying back down.

The years, had they passed in a dream? I was a midwife, and I was in Zonko's, and then, it was all black...all gone...there was a giant void where the memories once were.

"Who are these people?" The man asked, holding up a picture.

Ron and Harry waved at me, captured in a black and white photograph.

Damn it, they searched my robes.

"No one." I said grabbing at the picture. I took it and held it.

"Who are they? If you do not tell us, then we will be forced to put you in a psychiatric ward."

Was I crazy?

"Ron and Harry." was all I said.

And then, the pain killer had its effect. Everything seemed so peaceful all of the sudden and I fell asleep.

~-~-~-

Ron was looking down at me. I was awake, but I was afraid I was still dreaming. So many things weren't real anymore.

I might as well give up.

"Hey, you." He said quietly.

"Ron? Did they call you here?" I asked him, sitting up.

"Yeah, they did." he smiled. I noticed Harry in a chair next to him, his head titled back as he snored.

"Tell them this is absurd!" I said angrily. "I mean, one minute I'm in Zonko's, and the next I'm in this damned place being told I'm some sort of peasant!"

"I know." Ron said, stroking my face. "I know."

"Ron, where's Louise?"

"Who?"

"Louise, your wife?"

"Hermione, I don't have a wife." He said, a puzzled look on his face.

He--WHAT? I had dreamed the whole thing. I had dreamed my entire life away. I was dreaming. It was all a dream.

"Ron." I said. "Is this a dream?"

"No, Hermione, this is real life."

"No, it's a dream." I said. "It's all been a dream. I'm dreaming. How long have I been dreaming, Ron?"

"Hermione, your not dreaming anymore."

"Ron, what's today? How old am I? What's tomorrow?"

"Calm down." Was all he said.

"I can't calm down!" I yelled. "I think I dreamed away five years of my life!"

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Ron asked. "Your cab, it crashed. They couldn't find your body. You were found a few months later in Knockturn Alley."

"Ron." I said, grabbing his hand. "Are you sure this isn't a dream?"

"It's not a dream."

"Yes it is!" I whined.

"Hermione, you're awake." He said. After a few moments, he asked. "What did you dream?"

"I dreamed I was a midwife, and you got married and I had to deliver your child. And then I went into Zonko's and you were a rat..."

Ron laughed. "You have a wild imagination, you know that?"

"And your mum, she didn't want you to marry me, because I was muggle born." He was quiet. "That was a dream, wasn't it?"

More silence.

"Tell me it was!" I screamed.

"Hermione...it was real."

"Nothing is real." I said quietly.

What could I believe? I had dreamed up five years of sweat and pain and greif.

How do I know I'm not dreaming now?

"It's not real, Ron. It just isn't!"

He put his arms around me.

"Will you still marry me?"

"No." I said, pulling away. "Your family--"

"Hermione!" Ron said. "You shouldn't care."

"Well I do!"

I layed myself back down. A nurse came to my side and injected something into my arm. Whatever it was, it seemed to have an immeidate effect because the next thing I knew I was drifting off to sleep again.

~-~-~-

So what?

So what if it was a dream now? It's alright. Because, I stood there, looking at the stars. Ron was beside me, and we were eleven. We weren't in love.

It was simple.

And it was perfect.