A/N: Hi it's me again with great news! This story is going to be twenty chapters long!!! Great, huh? Thanks again to all my reviewers, I promise I'll thank you individually next chap!!
Chapter 11: The Consequences
Harry had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right here. Why had Ginny turned so cold? So dark? Ron had told him earlier that day that Ginny was moving out, and he was on his way to her room to convince her to stay. Nothing good came from the Slytherins. Nothing.
He knocked on her open bedroom door. She glanced at him, and then returned to hastily shoving her things in her trunk.
"Please don't go," Harry said.
"And why should I stay? You don't love me anymore, you humiliated me in front of everyone… tell me Harry, why should I stay?" Ginny screeched.
"You're still my friend," Harry said.
"Oh, a friend," Ginny shook her head sadly. "You don't get it, do you? You want me to live under this roof with her--- with her throwing it in my face every chance that she stole you from me? Maybe some day… when I've accepted that you won't love me, I'll come back. But that time isn't now, Harry."
Harry was speechless. He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Good bye, Harry Potter." She said, and heaved her trunk to the threshold.
"Wait," Harry said.
She turned to him. "If… you ever need anything… anything at all, I'll be there."
"But that's not enough, is it?" she asked, and left him in her old room, her old life.
Harry moved Hermione in the day after Ginny had moved out. Her words stung his heart, and he wished there was a way they could all get along. They were all equals now, true, but he couldn't force them to live under the same roof. He took her on a tour of the whole castle, explaining its secret entrances and crevices.
Indeed, everything finally seemed in order for the two lovers, and they began planning their wedding.
Hermione didn't mind sharing her bed with Harry. They were going to be married soon, and Hermione loved the fact that she could snuggle up to him at night. However, as they slept, fiendish plots were being hatched elsewhere.
Hermione let out a small scream as something can crashing in through their bedroom window. She fumbled in the dark for her wand, and lit the nearest lamp as quickly as she could. "Harry?"
"Shh, I'm here," he soothed.
"What was that?" she asked, sitting up in bed.
Harry crouched beside something. First Hermione thought it was a poor owl that had lost its course and flew into the window.
"No, stay there. I don't want you to see it," Harry said.
"Harry, what is it?"
"A dead skunk… with a note."
Hermione felt a large lump form in her throat. "What's it say?"
"Hermione…"
"Tell me. Please."
"Animal is as putrid as you, go back to where you came from, Muggle." Harry read the note, and then walked to her, and took her in his arms.
Hermione buried her face in his chest. It wasn't an accident. Someone had deliberately thrown the skunk in. Someone didn't want her there.
"It's okay," Harry sighed. "I'll call the servants, they'll clean it up, it's nothing. Just someone playing jokes."
But Hermione knew it was something; and she wasn't quite sure Harry believed the words coming out of his own mouth.
Despite the event of last night, Harry was determined to cheer Hermione up. And he did so. With a bouquet of Ever Bloom red roses that would never wilt. Hermione was in the formal living room with the wedding planner, looking over China patterns when the sweet scent of roses filled the air. Hermione turned around, and saw Harry standing there, grinning, the bouquet in his hand.
"And who are those for?" she asked, grinning as well.
"Oh some girl I love," he answered and shrugged. "Did I mention she's standing before me?"
Hermione giggled. "Oh, the wedding planner?"
Harry laughed. "No, you."
Hermione kissed him, and then took the roses with a hug. "I love you so much,"
"Not as much as I love you." He said as he let go of her.
Hermione smelled the roses. "Oh they're gorgeous, Harry!"
The wedding planner seized this opportunity to jump in. "How about we include them in the wedding?"
Hermione grinned. "What do you think?"
Harry grinned too. "They're as eternal as my love for you."
Even the wedding planner swooned.
Hermione latched onto Harry's arm. "Let's go out onto the grounds. We have to chose the arch for the ceremony."
"The what?" Harry asked, but let Hermione drag him away.
As they stepped out onto the grounds, Harry saw three wooden structures, each more beautiful than the last. They were all arches, sparkling white. One had roses snaked all over it; the next hearts, and the last, which gave Harry's chest an irregular beat had bells that swayed and gonged in the breeze. There were also two bells in the center of it. It was simply beautiful.
"I was thinking of that one myself," Hermione said, squeezing his hand.
Later that evening, Ron, and Lavender, snogging outrageously sat next to Hermione and Harry at dinner.
"Do you think it's safe to ask Ron for the salt?" Harry asked Hermione, arching a brow.
Hermione giggled, and pulled out her own wand. "Accio, salt!" and it flew into her hand, without bothering Ron and Lavender. She didn't think a Nuclear Explosion could have bothered them. She handed Harry the salt and said, "I love you, but at least we can contain ourselves in public."
"Might be easy for you," Harry moped.
Hermione smiled, and kissed his cheek. "Why, do you want to get out of here?"
"Yeah, I'm full." He grinned. "How about you?"
Hermione nodded.
The two of them, trying not to look too suspicious got up from the table, and joined hands on the way to their room.
"I don't want you to worry about what happened last night," Harry told her as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't on my mind."
"I'm here, Hermione, no one can hurt you."
Hermione smiled, and snuggled back against him.
There was a knock on the door.
Harry rolled his eyes and groaned. Hermione giggled.
"Come in," Harry ordered.
A guard stood awkwardly in the threshold. "I hate to intrude sir, but there's something that requires your attention at once."
Harry groaned again and sat up. "Coming." He turned to Hermione. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
Hermione giggled again. "Okay."
Harry lazily followed the guard out onto the grounds. He stopped suddenly and felt his heart drop at the sight before him. The arch they had picked out for their wedding, the beautiful one with the bells was now aflame. Two guards stood on either side of it, trying to extinguish it with water from their wands.
"Who did this?" Harry demanded.
"There was a note," The guard said, and handed Harry a small piece of paper.
Harry read it. "You will never marry Harry Potter. We'll kill you first. We will never leave you in peace, Muggle." He felt another lump form in his throat, as he realized Hermione's life was in danger.
Harry had security around the castle beefed up, but didn't tell Hermione about the note. He didn't want to scare her more than she was.
Outside, in the darkness, two voices talked.
"Are you sure this will help me get Harry back?" a female asked.
The second voice had a cold drawl to it. "Positive."