The Plan
Disclaimer: not mine. (And the award for the most original disclaimer goes to…)
Author's note: Due to the unexpected popularity of Bill Weasley, I decided to add this chapter in. Enjoy!
Chapter 7 – Plan in Motion.
One week before the wedding, Ron found out about Bill knowing she was pregnant. Hermione had been sitting with her feet up in the living room of The Burrow, (they'd had to sell the flat) reading 'Children: A guide to every illness.' when Bill had popped into the kitchen, looking pleased with himself.
"Here," he said, spotting her in the living room.
He handed her a large white box tied with ribbon, which she opened curiously. Inside, folded with hundreds of sheets of crepe paper, sat a beautiful set of white wedding robes. She pulled them out reverently, looking stunned.
"Bill, you didn't have to…"
"Nonsense, I found them and I knew they where perfect," he said, casually leaning back in his chair.
Hermione held up the robes to her frame and felt her heart sink.
"They don't fit…," she said, disappoint thick in her voice.
He grinned boyishly, "That's why I bought these, their magically enhanced, designed to fit any witch and make her look slim."
"Oh, Thank you," she said and was surprised to find herself crying. Bill stood up, looking a little forlorn at her emotional outburst. Hermione felt like hexing herself, she hadn't meant to make him feel uncomfortable, he had done something nice for her and here she was bawling like a small child
"Sorry, It's just so nice of you," she said, wiping away tears with her hand.
Bill pulled her in to an awkward hug and handed her a tissue.
"Erm, its okay, don't cry," he said, looking very uncomfortable. From the panicked, uncomfortable look on his face she found herself smiling in amusement. He gave her a bemused look, obviously wondering if she had been dropped on her head as a child, which only made the situation more comical to her. She startled chuckling and before long, she was laughing out loud, having to sit down.
Bill wandered in to the kitchen, to make tea just as Ron popped into the living room to find her puffy eyed and red faced, sprawled across the settee.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" he demanded, and Bill peered around to identify the new voice.
"Tea?" queried Bill, waving the kettle at him.
"I'm fine Ron, I was just laughing too much," she said, a huge smile on her face.
"Oh," he said looking down at her, "no thanks Bill."
"We're out of milk anyways, I'll be back in a minute," he said pulling out a few sickles from the milk jar that sat on the mantle piece and disappearing with a 'pop'.
Ron knelt down in front of Hermione, before reaching out for her and pulling her in close. He kissed her, a deep passionate kiss that told her he missed her, loved her and wanted her. He was kissing her neck, his hand roaming unchecked…just as Bill reappeared in the living room.
Ron slowly turned to regard his brother, his eyes glazed and breathing slightly shallow.
Bill looked amused, "Haven't you been doing enough of that sort of thing?"
"What?" asked Ron, standing up with a confused look.
Bill seemed to realise his mistake and hastily tried to rectify it, "Oh I meant…erm…I'll be in the kitchen making tea."
Ron looked down at Hermione, who squirmed under his gaze, knowing her guilt was screaming like a banshee. Ron's eyes widened, he ran a hand through his hair, looking thoughtful. Hermione sat on the edge of her seat, not knowing what to say. Ron gave her one last look and jaw set, stomped in to the kitchen after his brother, looking murderous. Hermione scrambled after him, straightening her robes along the way and rushed to where the two brothers were staring each other down.
"Now everyone stay calm…" she began, in an effort to keep the peace.
"Why can't you stay out of it? I told you I didn't need your help!" Ron accused, red tingeing his face and making his freckles stand on edge.
"I was trying to help, you great prat, you were, no are, working yourself to death!" answered Bill slamming the kettle down on the table, causing an orange to jump out of the fruit bowl and roll off the table.
"What, so that gives you the right to go harass my wife?" answered Ron, and Hermione felt her heart flutter at his words, despite the fact that she could of heard them from the other side of a Quidditch pitch and, that she wasn't officially his wife yet.
"She isn't your wife yet," said Bill, making Hermione feel indignant, if Ron wanted to think of her as wife, let him.
"That does not matter," said Ron in a voice she hardly recognised, and it drew her attention to him. She studied him closely, he was ready to kill, and apparently, he'd chosen Bill as his target. From the way he was standing, the tense set of his shoulders and the way his eyes wouldn't leave his brother, she realised just how much stress and frustration Ron had been hiding from her.
"What does matter is that you're going to do yourself in if you carry on, she's not an idiot Ron."
"That is my problem, you still had no right to go pestering her," said Ron.
"Ron, she's pregnant not made of glass," said Bill, looking frustrated.
"She still doesn't need the stress, I will look after my wife and family, keep your nose out!" said Ron jabbing a finger at Bill.
"Stop being so bloody stubborn!" yelled Bill swatting Ron's finger out the way. Hermione started feeling afraid that things were going in a dangerous direction.
"What is goin' on in here?" asked Charlie, flanked by Harry and Ginny. Hermione felt a little relieved; if things got physical at least there was someone who could step in without being maimed to badly.
"Nothing," Ron answered eyes trained on Bill, "stay out of it."
"Ron?" asked Harry, coming forwards. Bill stood his ground facing his youngest brother.
"Hermione, are you okay?" asked Ginny, looking at Hermione with worried eyes. Hermione focused hazily on the red haired girl in front of her, nerves taut and she decided she couldn't take much more. Why hadn't Ron told her how he felt? "Have you been crying?"
"I…I need to go out," Hermione said. She was vaguely aware of Ron calling her name as she rushed out the back door
She marched outside into the cold biting wind of October, wind tugging at her hair and turning her tears to ice. The ground underneath her was water logged and slippery with mud, long grass was brushing against her robes preventing her from running. She was just reaching the meadow where they played Quidditch games, when Ron skidded to a halt in front of her.
"I'm sorry Hermione," he said taking off his cloak and offering it to her.
"I don't want it," she said turning to walk away.
"Hermione!" he yelled against the howling wind, rushing to stand in front of her again.
"What?" she asked, folding her arms.
"I…I…Please don't be mad, I don't think I can handle it," he looked desperate. His blue eyes where wild, standing there in the middle of the field, wind wiping his hair and robes in every direction. She felt herself shiver, and he hesitantly stepped forward with the cloak. She closed the distance and buried her head in his shoulder. He wrapped it around her and to her surprise, lifted her in his arms.
He walked back towards The Burrow, but instead of going in to the house, he carried her in to the garage. The wind rattled the roof, the whole thing swayed uncertainly and she found herself resisting the urge to duck. He sat her on an old muggle washing machine with hundreds of wires stuck out of the back. He rested his forehead against her and closed his eyes.
"Ron, what's wrong?" she asked timidly.
"I just want everything to be perfect for you," he said with a sigh, looking tired.
"Sorry?" she asked, bewildered.
"Your plan, I can't solve the job thing, but house, marriage, children I can manage."
"Ron, that doesn't matter," she said, pulling him in to a hug.
"But you said," he answered quietly, resting his head in the crook of her neck.
"I know what I said, but I meant that I hadn't expected everything to happen so quickly," she replied, entwining her fingers in his hair, "I'll settle for a life with you."
He tightened his grip around her, "I'm tired."
"Let's go to bed then."
"Can't, gotta go to Gringotts and sort out changing your name on the account, then over to Sampson's to double check that the robes for the wedding have been pressed. Then I need to go and buy a cake."
"Anything else?" she asked in surprise.
"I need to eat," he finished thoughtfully.
"Let me sort them out," she said.
He looked up ready to argue and she put a finger over his lips.
He gave a slight nod of his head, and she lead him back to the kitchen. May be it was mark of how truly tired he was that he didn't argue with her.
She entered to find everyone sat nervously around the table. Mrs Weasley had arrived home from shopping and appeared to have been briefed on the situation because she had been watching for them out of the window.
Hermione gave Ron a small push towards the stairs, which he climbed tiredly, ignoring the eyes that followed him.
"Could I ask a favour?" she asked everyone, flushing slightly.
"Ask away," Bill said, looking pleased as he rose from his seat.
By the time she had explained, Bill was pulling on his cloak, paper work in hand. Mrs Weasley was writing a shopping list for Harry and Ginny and Charlie had already gone.
She made her way upstairs, food in hand and fighting to open the door with no hands, she entered the bright bedroom. Ron lay slumped on their bed waiting for her, and he gave her a tired smile as she handed him his dinner.
To be continued…
Author's Note:
Okay thanks to all my continual reviewers I know I promised to do the wedding, but I want to do something truelly orginal…and inspiration has yet to strike.
Special thanks to Duckchick for reading through before I posted. A truly marvellous Duck she is!
Potty for Potter: Glad you liked, I started off trying to write the wedding and ended up with something a little different…
Death the second endless: I'm sure it won't turn out lousy! Have a bit of confidence, if you don't believe in yourself no one else will.
Thanks to the continued reviews of Lady Lupin, Cosmoz, Jishka, Cyn,
