Summary: Ron's going to marry an American Muggle!?!?!? Hermione secretly in love with Ron and trying to break up the wedding!?!?!? Harry's gay and with Neville!?!?!? Based on the movie starring Julia Roberts, which I am watching now.
DISCLAIMER: Let's face it. I don't own jack squat lol. The plot belongs to everyone associated with My Best Friend's Wedding and the characters all belong to J.K Rowling (lucky I would buy them off of her if I could) HAPPY READING!! R/R!
Kim and Hermione wondered around a store aimlessly looking for bridesmaid's gifts and Kim said, "But Ron loves his job."
Hermione sighed and said, "Yeah. Bad games, bad towns, bad pay, bad transportation, bad hotels, real bad food. Homeless, rootless, lonely, maybe your copy gets into one issue out of four." She stopped and smiled before adding, "What's not to love?"
"But he always says..."
"What's manly and independent," Hermione finished.
Kim nodded and picked up a cup inspecting the details.
"Why would he trade that for running, say, a big piece of the PR at a powerful, complex, challenging conglomerate like your dad's?"
Kim looked at Hermione and said, "That's just the sort of thing my father and I discussed."
Hermione nodded, "I'm not stupid."
Kim laughed and said, "No, you're not. So, you think Ron's not as happy with his job...You think he'd accept?"
"Ron? A job like that?"
Hermione nodded knowingly. "By any yard stick that involves sanity, it would be the greatest thing that ever happened to him. Present Company accepted. On the other hand, he's proud. Last thing any man wants to admit is being trapped in a dispiriting dead-end job that can never support a family."
Kim smiled as Hermione continued, "Throw a man a lifesaver, he'll say 'Thanks anyway, I'd rather drown.'"
Kim nodded again and said, "So...one almost has to--"
"Exactly," Hermione interrupted.
"Exactly what?"
"Exactly what you were about to say. Make it appear that he's doing you the favor. We make your father a co-conspirator. Ron does the favor for Walter. Walter's reorganizing his public relations, needs a brilliant guy who's close to him. Someone he can really trust."
Kim nodded once again.
"So you beg. 'Ron, please do this for Daddy! Please, please, please, blah, blah, blah. It's only for six months. It would mean so much to me to help him out.'" She turned her palms up as to say 'Voila.'
Kim began shaking her head. "He'll see right through it."
Hermione held up her index finger. "Only if he wants to." Kim smiled at Hermione who returned the smile. She put her arm around Kim saying, "In six months he'll be happy, settled, and successful."
"He won't get mad, huh?"
"Can I help you?" asked a voice behind them.
Hermione turned around and said, "Yes we're looking for a bridesmaids gift for a 26 . . .or is she 27 now? Anyway around that age range for a woman, obviously."
Kim, who was still focused, said, "He won't get mad?"
Hermione continued talking to the salesman, "Nothing here seems to capture her distinctive personality."
"Something customized perhaps? We can fashion most any item in gold. An object that might represent what is closet to her heart."
Hermione digs through her messy bag and pulls out something thin, "Could you do this in 24 carat?"
She tossed a MasterCard onto the counter. Her eyes met Kim's, who said, "Bingo." They smiled, more like sisters then ever.
"You don't think he'll get mad?" she asked again.
"You're call. You can live a lie in a fabulous selection of Red Roof Inns. Or you can make one desperate stab at hap--"
"I just don't want him to freak out. What do you think?" She looked into Hermione's deep brown eyes with the words 'Tell me what to do' in her own eyes.
"How mad could he get?" Hermione replied, honestly.
Later that night Ron and Kim were sitting at a table waiting for Hermione to come along.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Ron asked, rubbing his fingers against her knuckles.
Kim looked down at her drink and nodded.
"Not just a gag then?"
Kim shook her head and said, "No, it's...uh...it's a really big favor."
"I wish you'd just come out with it. I don't see why we have to wait for 'Mione."
She sighed and looked at the doorway. "Moral support. I mean what's the point of having someone so close to a big sis--"
She cut herself off because Hermione just entered the room. She looked beautiful in a sleek, shimmering black dress. She looked around and spotted Ron and Kim and waved as she began walking toward them. Ron followed his fiancée's gaze and spotted Hermione. He stood up to greet her and said, "Wow and wow. You got a date after this?"
Hermione smiled as she sat down and said, "Never can tell."
Kim smiled at her and Hermione smiled back as Ron said, "You remind me of that song we used to..." and with that he began humming The Way You Look Tonight.
"Someday, when I'm awfully low..." he sang quietly. He looked between Hermione and Kim and said, "Alright Kimmy. You're up."
Kim cleared her throat and said, "It's really my father who needs the favor."
He nodded as she continued, "H-He's reorganizing some of the divisions of the company."
He glances at Hermione, who looks down at her drink, which the waitress just brought. Ron said quietly, "He never mentioned that. Neither did y--"
"And Public Relations is a big problem for him," she looked up in his eyes and saw the anger beginning to swell. She continued, "He needs someone incredible, someone really close, who he can really trust..."
Ron said, dangerously quiet, "Like family, huh?"
Kim could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes and she said, "It would only be six months or so. Or three or four. It would me so much to him."
"To him?"
"And to m--"
Ron glanced at Hermione and said, "And you knew about this?"
Hermione looked up and said, "Well I think you ought to listen to her Ron. I mean, it's her life, too."
"Well, which is it? You gonna tell me Daddy thought this one up? All of a sudden, I'm the only jerk alive who can help him out? What don't you start by being honest for one fucking second, Kim?"
"RONALD!" Hermione said, surprised.
Kim gulped back tears and said, "I am being honest! All of a sudden I'm supposed to quit my job, forget my family, forget my friends, forget all the plans I had for my life..."
"Well, forgive me for screwing up your plans! I'm sure glad I'm hearing this all now, before it's too late."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What am I supposed to do with my life? I'm 28 years old. I work in a low-paying, low status, zero-respect job that I happen to love! How inconvenient. No problem, a little bullshit about Daddy's "needs" and presto! I'm a lap dog in high society."
Hermione cleared her throat and said softly, "Ron, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity."
Ron whipped around to face her and said, "Does it really? How come never took some sell-out establishment job? I mean, you had plenty of chances!" He glared at her and added, "I'll tell you why! Because it isn't you! It isn't me either! We're the same person!"
He turned back around to face Kim. "What a sweet little picture! Mommy and Daddy aren't losing a daughter! They're gaining a eunuch!"
"Well, if that's how you fe--"
"Damn straight it's how I feel! What's their wedding gift? A little gold collar that says "Ronnie-poo? Or do I have to change my name to Binky?"
By now, Kim was sobbing and Ron said, "Great! Tears! The big equalizer! You wait two days before our wedding to drop this on me, and I'm supposed to roll over and drool?"
He looked in her crying eyes and stands up, "Fine! I'm the insensitive, sexist, asshole! You're well rid of m--"
"RON!!" cried Kim. Not just a cry, a heart-wrenching sob that made Ron stop dead in his tracks and Hermione look between the two of them. She choked back sobs and said, "Ron, you are so," she gulped, "so right and I am so very wrong!"
Ron and Hermione both blinked completely confused.
"We can't go down two different roads and still be together! We settled this, and I reneged. That wasn't fair! Please, please take my hand! You have to forgive me and forget this ever happened or I'll just die!"
People turned around and looked at the two of them, but they only saw each other. Ron pulled Kim up in his arms and hugged her kissing her in the most heartfelt kiss Hermione had seen them engage in. "I love you," Ron mumbled in his ear and Kim sighed and said, "I love you too, so much."
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
A/N: OKIES THE NEXT CHAPTER IS MY FAVE! It's gonna involve the song!