A/N: Thanks so much to all those who reviewed. I'll be updating quickly since this story is already completed. It's only five chapters long. But I'm quite the obsessive-compulsive and I like to edit myself so I'll be uploading the chapters one by one.
To "wmlaw," I already submitted this story at checkmated under the name "orestes," but I don't have a beta yet. I have another story there that I might be submitting here too.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Hermione's fiance.
Chapter Two
Harry's Idea
Hermione and Ron stared at Mr. Weasley in shock.
"Dad, you're kidding right?" asked Ron.
Mr. Weasley shook his head again. "I'm afraid not. That's the magic of the ring. It binds a couple until they receive their marital blessings. It loosens to the groom's touch during the ceremony so he can slip it off and replace it with a wedding ring. He can have it back after that. That's why I still have mine." He showed them his own ring.
"But surely there must be another way to get it off?" Hermione asked hopefully.
"Well, there is another way," said Mr. Weasley hesitantly. "But it's not an option."
"Of course it's an option, Dad. How do we do it?"
"You can't. You have to be dead."
Color drained from Ron's face.
"The spell ends of course, if the ring's owner dies. That makes the girl you're engaged to free to marry someone else," explained Mr. Weasley.
"You're right," said Ron. "That's definitely not an option."
"What do we do now?" asked Hermione. "I can't be wearing Ron's ring. I'm getting married to Nathaniel in two days!"
There was a popping sound. They looked up to see Harry and Ginny had just apparated in.
"Is there something wrong?" Ginny asked when she saw Hermione's worried face.
Ron quickly filled them in on the situation.
"I suppose, there's nothing we can do," said Harry. "You'll just have to wear it forever."
"I can't do that!" cried Hermione. "What is Nathaniel going to feel when he puts on my wedding ring and sees there's already ring there that he can't dislodge... and it's Ron's!"
Her fiance was extremely jealous of Ron and Harry. It took her several months of arguing with him before he was convinced they were just her friends. And even up to now, he couldn't even talk about them without a hint of suspicion. It was the one thing Hermione disliked about him. But he was always quick to assure her that he was jealous because he couldn't bear to share her with any other man. Wearing Ron's ring would certainly not go well at all.
"Hermione, dear, I don't mean to meddle." Hermione looked up to see that Mrs. Weasley had joined them from the kitchen. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help overhearing. But maybe, just maybe you should reconsider getting married to your er... to that man." Her scorn was not lost to Hermione. "You barely know him and who's to say that he's the one... and well Ron's ring did fit you after all."
Hermione and Ron both blushed and everybody looked uncomfortable. Hermione felt annoyed. She knew Mrs. Weasley still entertained the thought that she was destined to marry into the Weasley family through one of her sons. She never really liked Nathaniel, but Hermione didn't think she would be so forward to say that Hermione shouldn't marry him.
Mr. Weasley cleared her throat. "Well, Molly dear. The part about the ring fitting only the woman you're destined to be with... we're not exactly sure that's true."
"But Arthur, your ring fit me perfectly and so did Bill's on Fleur and—"
"And so did every Weasley ring on all their wives," he finished. "But we can never tell if it fits only one woman. Maybe it fits any woman's finger regardless. No one has ever tried fitting it randomly. It's not exactly something a man with any sense would dare do if it meant getting tied down forever to a woman he may not want. This is the first time it's ever happened."
The air became lighter after that explanation and Hermione was relieved. She'll take Mr. Weasley's word for it. If it wasn't proven, then the legend attached to the ring was probably not true.
"It still doesn't give us a solution to the problem at hand," said Ginny. "Is there really no other way—short of cutting Hermione's finger off or killing Ron?"
There was a long moment of silence before Harry exclaimed: "Why not just marry him?"
Everyone looked at him as if he just grew another head.
"You only need a marital blessing to get the ring out, right?" Harry clarified. He looked at Hermione. "You just need to get through a wedding, not stay married for life. Why not just get married tomorrow then divorce Ron after the ceremony."
"Do 'WHAT' to me after the ceremony?" Ron asked, looking extremely worried.
"Get a divorce." Harry repeated.
"What's a 'divorce?'" all the Weasleys asked in unison.
"That doesn't mean you're going to kill me, does it?" Ron quivered.
Hermione shook her head. "Harry, there's no such thing as a divorce among Wizards. It doesn't exist. A wizarding marriage involves a magical contract between the couple. You can't separate the couple once they go through it so they can be free to marry again."
But something about what Harry said got her thinking. She suddenly had an idea. "But annulment is possible," she added.
"Isn't that the same thing?" asked Harry.
"No, it's not," Hermione said. She looked around at the puzzled Weasleys. "A divorce means the marriage took place but the state allows the couple to separate legally so they can marry again. With an annulment, the marriage is proclaimed false due to certain circumstances such as coercion." She held up the ring. "This could pass for coercion. I'm forced to marry Ron or I have to suffer wearing it for the rest of my life. Harry you're brilliant!"
"But Hermione dear," Mrs. Weasley argued. "Even if you do marry my Ron tomorrow and file an annulment after, it takes time to take effect. I've known someone who did file an annulment. It took her at least a month. You won't make it in time for your wedding on Saturday."
"Not neccesarily," Hermione shook her head. "It won't be a problem as long as we keep my marriage with Ron a secret. I'm having a muggle wedding with Nathaniel. There's no way the Ministry can trace that. And British muggle law doesn't honor my wizarding wedding with Ron. Technically, I'll be having two husbands in name for a month or so. But it's just until the annulment pushes through."
Mrs. Weasley frowned at her disprovingly and Hermione turned away so she wouldn't see her look guilty. She knew Mrs. Weasley must be thinking her a real 'scarlet woman' now for conceiving a plan that involved bigamy. But she reminded herself that she would be doing anything wrong. It wasn't like she and Ron would do anything married couples would do.
"We can have a wedding tomorrow!" exclaimed Ginny excitedly. "Let's do it early in the morning, at sunrise. It will be so romantic."
"It's not supposed to be romantic, Ginny. It's not real," she added softly, hoping Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear to add insult to her injury. It was useless of course since she was standing not five feet away from her.
"You can still pretend it's romantic," Ginny huffed. She looked starry-eyed and grabbed at Hermione's arm. "This will be great, Hermione. We can do it in the backyard. We'll have flowers—I know it's September, but I've got this spell Neville taught me to make the flowers bloom again as if it was spring. Oh and we can get Dumbledore to perform the marriage rite. He is a member of the Wizengamot."
"Yes, yes," said Hermione, uncomfortably. "But we have to keep it quiet. Thank Merlin, Nathaniel's not coming home until tomorrow evening. He doesn't have to know. Mr. Weasley, do you think you can get in touch with Professor Dumbledore and explain everything. I'm sure he'd understand about the secrecy and everything."
"Let me take care of that," offered Harry. "Mr. Weasley, maybe you could ask Percy to help out. He does know some people in the Ministry—in whatever office that takes care of marriages..."
"It's civil registry, Harry," said Hermione.
"Yeah, that. Percy might know someone that can prepare the documents for the annulment."
"I'll go contact him now," said Mr. Weasley. He and Harry got up from their chairs and headed upstairs to write letters.
"I'll check the old drawers for my old wedding dress robes," said Mrs. Weasley. "Let me see if I can do something so they'd fit Hermione tomorrow." She quickly disappeared up the stairs.
"I'll help," said Ginny. She followed after her mother just as fast.
"Well, everyone seems to have gotten everything worked out for this. I guess you don't need me."
Hermione was startled. In her excitement of getting the ring off her finger, she had forgotten Ron was there and she didn't even ask him if he wanted to help her out of this by getting married to her.
"Oh Ron, I'm so sorry," she began. "I totally forgot—I didn't mean..."
"Sure, you just went off and planned my wedding," said Ron sarcastically. "Nobody wants to know what the unsuspecting groom has to say. Or if he even wants to participate as the unsuspecting groom."
"It's not like that. Oh Ron, this is all my fault. I dragged you into this mess. This is just so silly. We don't have to go through this. Getting married then having it annulled, it's ridiculous. Why did I even think of it? I'm going up there and tell everyone to call the whole thing off."
She turned towards the stairs but Ron caught her arm and spun her around to face him.
"Oy, I was kidding," he said. "It's no big deal. It's not like I'd take it against you."
"You're not mad that I assumed too much?"
Ron snickered. "That little thing? I know the idea's silly. But if it gets you out of a fix, I'll help. I'll marry you tomorrow."
Hermione hugged him. "Thank you, oh thank you!"
"I don't exactly have a choice," he said. "Heaven forbid Hermione Granger would suffer wearing my ring for the rest of her life!"
"I appreciate it," said Hermione. "You don't know how much. What can I do for you?"
Ron slid his arms around her waist and gave her a sly look. "Well, you can cheer for me against Harry when we get into the Quidditch finals."
Hermione pouted. "That wouldn't be fair to Harry."
"Uh-uh-uh," he shook his head. "You said the boyfriend gets priority. Well, I'm going to be your husband—well at least for a short time, but your husband just the same. That's a notch higher than a boyfriend."
"Alright," she admitted. "But don't tell him."
"He wouldn't care less. He won't even notice you're not cheering for him anyway. His eyes are glued to my sister when he's not looking for the snitch. And she'll be cheering him on. I'm the one who hasn't got any moral support."
"I think you get enough moral support from the majority of the females in the crowd. I seem to remember a group of blonde teenage girls holding up a banner saying 'Ronald Weasley, Marry Us' in your last game."
"Well I prefer an older brown-haired woman giving me moral support, especially if she's my best friend. Her cheers matter more."
Hermione beamed at him. Ron could sometimes say the sweetest things. She lifted her face and kissed him on the cheek.
There was a pop behind them and Hermione stepped away from his arms.
"Did we interrupt something?" George asked. Beside him, Fred was looking at them suspiciously.
"You two're looking a bit friendly... too friendly. Is the wedding off, Hermione?"
"Nope." Ginny just appeared from the stairs. "The wedding is on tomorrow—with Ron."
Fred's and George's eyes were wide as saucers.
"It's not like that, you dolts," said Ron. He, Hermione and Ginny explained the situation.
Fred and George shook their heads. "A shame the marriage is not going to last," said Fred to Hermione. "Always wanted another sister."
"But couldn't say we blame you Hermione," added George. "Don't think any woman can stand living with ickle Ronnikins."
"I live with him!" Hermione defended.
"Not for long," Fred kidded. "And you're an exception. Just accept it Ron, too many girlfriends moving in your life, none of them staying too long."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ron challenged.
"Hey don't bite our heads off, only joking," said Fred.
"Are you saying I'm not husband material?"
"Well..." Fred muttered uncomfortably.
Hermione wished the twins would just shut up about it. Who cares if Ron didn't have a steady girlfriend that lasted? She thought. It didn't mean he was a bad person. In fact, aside from Harry, there's no man who was as kind and caring as he was. Any woman would be an idiot not to see that.
Oh, and Nathaniel's kind too, she added. Well, anyway, the point is, nobody has a right to call Ron non-husband material.
"Lay off him," Ginny reprimanded. "Make yourselves useful in the kitchen and set the table for dinner."
"Yes, mother," George sneered. But he and Fred went off to do her bidding. Fred stopped half-way and turned to Hermione.
"But we are invited to the wedding, aren't we?" he asked.
"Yes, yes," she replied, still annoyed at him. "But I'd appreciate it if you keep this thing quiet, alright. Just family, and friends," she added, thinking of Harry and Dumbledore.
"Of course, Hermione," replied Fred with a twinkle in his eye. "We'll keep it among the family and a few friends."