Posted on the 8th as promised, by you get the new edited version on today, the 9th. I'll explain what I changed at the end of the chapter, because I wouldn't want to spoil it for you now! This story should be wrapping up in two or three chapters, and that may possibly include an epilogue of sorts. For now, enjoy this chapter!
Lucidity- Thank you for the lovely review. Quirky lines like the pork chops one are my favorite things. It makes me feel clever when I come up with one, and being a blond, the clever thing doesn't happen too often!
Harrysmom- Yeah, it was predictable. That's my own fault because I planned to introduce other cannon characters for possibilities like Neville and Luna, but I never get around to it.
Satine-cm- Here you go! Fresh new chapter! Yeah, the plot of unraveling a bit. It shall all be over soon. sniffThe story itself is original, it's just the daft line that was inspired by something else. So don't cry, just read away!
Mistygurl- I can't keep track of the days of the week either, it's all right! But I know today is Saturday and this is a new chapter! Yay!
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.
Chapter 13: Propositions for Hermione
Hermione was feeling quite ill again. The meaning of her visions and suspicions flooded into her mind. The waves of harsh reality churned in her stomach.
In retrospect, it only made sense that Hermione was the guardian. She'd had a connection to the Weasley family for almost a decade. Now she knew that it wasn't merely by chance, it was fate's magical intervention.
Hermione Granger was destined to be the guardian since the day Ginny Weasley was born.
Her head was in a twirl. How was she supposed to guide Harry and Ginny around this curse? What if she couldn't do it?
Hermione leaned her head over the side of her bed. She was positive that she was going to vomit with the thought that any mistake on her part could ruin the Weasley family. She could kill Ron or Ginny.
Nobody seemed to be willing to talk. Hermione had no idea what she could say. Luckily, someone else did.
"Get out?" Ginny's arm extended firmly towards the door as she looked at Harry and Ron.
The men looked both shocked and appalled. "What?"
"Just give us a minute and get out, okay?"
"Ginny, we have as much of a right to be here as-"
"I know, Ronald!" Ginny said, desperation leaking through the cracks in her voice. "Just a few minutes, please!"
It was true that Ron did have the emotional range of a teaspoon at times, but he recognized when something was truly bothering Ginny.
"Fine." He shot out in defeat. "Harry and I will be downstairs." He threw a look at Harry, who simply nodded in agreement and turned towards the door.
Ginny escorted them out and made sure the door clicked shut behind them. She stood facing the door for a moment. Hermione could only guess that Ginny was trying to gather her thoughts.
However, when Ginny turned around she realized her guess was wrong.
Ginny was trying to gather her tears.
Hermione not longer felt like she was going to be sick. Now she just felt pitiful. She couldn't have possibly felt as bad as Ginny did. Hermione was guaranteed to live through it all.
Hermione stood slowly, her weak legs quivering in fear of what type of confrontation was about to occur. Would Ginny be scared? Would she be angry? Would she be depressed for ages?
Out of the many possible scenarios Hermione had imagined in her mind, nothing was even close to what happened. There were no fits of tears, no screams, and no cowering away.
Ginny practically ran up to Hermione and held her in a tight, sisterly embrace,
"I'm so glad it's you." Ginny whispered through her tears.
Hermione's heart sunk. Ginny had high hopes in her. However, Hermione was still fearful. "Ginny, I can't promise you anything. I don't have the answers."
Ginny looked up at her with hopeful bright brown eyes. "We'll find the answers. All of us will find the answers."
"No, Ginny!" Hermione cried, feeling tears beginning to leak out of her own eyes. "The guardian is responsible no matter what happens! I'm responsible." Her intake of breath was sharp and strangled. "And if things don't go the way they should then.. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Hermione pulled Ginny closer, as if holding on for dear life.
"I should have known this sooner!" She chided herself aloud.
Ginny pulled away and sat down on the bed. She motioned for Hermione to take a seat next to her. Chances are Ginny didn't mean for this encounter to be so emotional.
"'Mione, whatever happens to me or Harry or Ron, I'm glad because if my baby is okay, I couldn't think of someone else I'd want my baby to grow up with. I know you'll love it like your own."
Hermione bit her tongue about the good chance that the baby would die if anything were to happen to Ginny. She could never hand her friend that reality check. Instead, she only nodded.
"I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time." Ginny sighed.
"If you're going to propose to me for your brother, that's very sweet, but I'd rather hear it from him." Hermione stuttered out the first sarcastic words she'd used in what felt like ages.
Ginny sat up Indian style on the bed so she could face Hermione. The scene made it seem like the women were in 3rd and 4th year again. "No, actually. I want you to join my family, but not exactly in the way you're thinking."
"What do you mean?" Hermione said, looking very confused.
"Do you think you could consider being my baby's godmother?" The sparkle in Ginny's eyes was undeniable.
Hermione jumped up in shock. "Of course I'll be the godmother!" Unfortunately, she was dropped back down to reality quite quickly. "But what about other friends? What about your cousins or other relatives?"
"Oh, sod them!" Ginny laughed. "Sod them all! Harry and I discussed this, and you're the only person we'd want to be the godmother."
Hermione now had one more emotion to add to the extensive list that had gathered since she awoke. Honored.
"Okay, then." Hermione nodded solemnly.
Everything seemed so much calmer. Hermione wasn't sure which emotion surging through her should have been the prominent one. She decided it was best not to think about it.
"Let's just go downstairs and get you a fresh plate of food, shall we?" Ginny suggested, and Hermione was only happy to oblige.
Hermione wasn't shocked when she found Ron and Harry after leaving her room. They were downstairs like Ron had said that they would be. However, just barely.
The boys sat on the bottom step and spun around at the first noise they heard.
"Now how am I supposed to get food if I can't get by the two blokes blocking the stairs?" Hermione questioned with a meek smile.
Ron promptly jumped up and allowed her to pass, shooting Ginny a look of exhausted surprise.
Hermione strutted into the kitchen, trying her best to uphold and optimistic expression. As soon as she was out of earshot, the interrogation of Ginny began.
"What happened?"
"We just talked for a bit, Harry." She would tell him the rest of the details later.
"So everything's okay?"
"Yes, everything is fine." Ginny assured her older brother. "She's worried, of course, but I think everything is going to be alright."
Ginny began to walk by them, but an arm reached out and stopped her.
She twirled around, her red hair following quickly behind. She came face to face with Ron once again.
"Do you think tomorrow is too soon?" He whispered urgently.
Ginny seriously considered the situation for a moment. Still, she felt no need for delay. "No, tomorrow will be perfect."
Getting through to the next day was quite difficult for Ron. He was never much of an actor, so he was go good at keeping secrets of this sort.
He was happy and annoyed and anxious and a millions different things all at once. He was shocked that nobody could see his nerves crawling under his skin all through breakfast, especially when Harry initiated conversation.
"Ginny, we should probably getting ready to go." Harry picked up his orange juice and swallowed the last of it in two gulps.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.
Ginny stood up from her seat. "We have an appointment with the healer at St. Mungo's, and then I think we're grabbing a bite to eat in Diagon Alley."
"You should join us." Harry continued Ginny's thought quite casually. "For the food, I mean."
"I'm always up for food." Ron laughed, hoping that the humorous truth would help ebb away the tension growing within him. It didn't.
"Hermione, what about you?" Ginny inquired. Seeing Hermione's reluctant visage, she added. "I mean, you wouldn't possibly leave me alone with these two, would you?"
"Alright, I'll come." Hermione sighed. "What time do you think we should meet you?"
"How about one o'clock?" Harry said. He pointed at his empty orange juice glass and mumbled something under his breath. "I hope that's okay with you, because that's your portkey."
"Fine then." Hermione said, looking at the time. "Where exactly are we going anyway?"
Ron's heart dropped. Harry and Ginny exchanged odd looks. "We'll just meet at the Leaky Cauldron. We can decide from there."
"Alright, we'll see you then."
Ron felt his sense of balance begin to straighten itself out. He was panicking more than his mother did when Charlie flew his broomstick into a tree at age eleven.
"Let's get ready, Ginny."
"I should go upstairs and finish that book I started yesterday." Hermione yawned, still having hours to get ready for lunch.
When Harry, Ginny, and Hermione left the table, Ron was still mentally scolding himself for worrying like a woman. He could only hope the feeling would pass.
Much to Ron's displeasure, the feeling only increased as the day wore on. By the time Ron and Hermione grabbed onto Harry's portkey, Ron's nerves were doing backflips.
Ron had no chance to calm himself, because before he knew it, the portkey lurched their bodies forward. He was caught in a blend of color and motion that left him feeling more terrible than ever before.
It was the green blades of grass caught their fall.
Ron knew that Hermione must've been extremely confused.
His thoughts were only confirmed by Hermione's next words. "This definitely is not the Leaky Cauldron."
"I know." Ron agreed, trying to keep his voice steady. He was the one in control here, so why did he feel so powerless?
Hermione carefully observed the surroundings. They were in a long, slender front yard. Her eyes crept up the walkway until she saw a very familiar sight indeed.
"Ron? Isn't that-"
"Yes. It's 12 Grimmauld Place."
Ron could hear Hermione's gulp before she asked, "Why are we here?"
"You'll see." Ron managed to say, reaching out and grasping her hand as he helped her up off the grass. "Come with me."
Hermione seemed reluctant to go near the building, but Ron understood why. This was Sirius Black's old house, a place that had been both a fortress and nightmare for them only a few years ago.
There were a few things that Hermione was bound to notice though. The fresh gray paint covering the house. The much more welcoming blue front door. The shiny silver doorknob that Ron twisted as he flung the door open.
Ron felt more pleased than he had been with anything he'd ever done in his entire life when he heard Hermione gasp.
He let her take a few steps into the house to observe the polished staircase with a new banister, the blue painted halls, and the tiny strip of red carpet that led into the scarlet living room.
12 Grimmauld Place had been transformed from a mere house into a home.
"Did you do this?" Hermione managed to squeak out.
Ron was smiling like a fool. He could already feel his voice and his confidence crawling out of the hiding place they'd been in all day.
"I can't take all the credit." Ron pointed out. "The design was Lupin's, he and Harry helped me put it all together."
Hermione whirled around at the mention of Remus Lupin. "But I thought Remus would be here. After doing all this work he must want to move out of his wretched old flat and live here."
"Remus did move out of his wretched old flat." Ron was feeling quite smug at the moment. There was nothing like being able to deliver a series of shocks to Hermione Granger all at once. "But he's not living here."
"Then where is he living?"
Ron smirked mischievously. "With Tonks, of course."
Hermione walked leisurely into the living room to explore the ornate windows, the new furniture and the revamped fireplace. "I never knew Lupin and Tonks were moving in together!"
"I know." Her ignorance to Lupin's love life was part of his plan. That way she'd give no second thoughts to what he was doing with the house on Grimmauld Place.
It was time for the big part, Ron decided. "Lupin didn't want this house anymore, he just wanted to make it a place a family could appreciate. It would have to be a wizarding family, of course. The house still can't be seen by muggles without a witch or wizard's guidance."
"So what was the plan you thought of?" Hermione asked.
"I thought of you." Ron said simply. He tried to fish into his pocket as subtly as possible until his hand clamped around a velvet box. "Hermione, you drive me crazy sometimes. We drive each other crazy sometimes."
Ron slowly descended on to one knee. He felt the nerves twitch again. He was walking the fine line between truth and insults. "But I love you, Hermione. I really do, and no matter what happens, I want to be with you."
He yanked the box out of his pocket a little harder than he meant to, almost losing his balance. He opened it up with shaking hands to reveal a small and simple, yet classy diamond band.
"What I'm trying to say is.. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"
Ron could see the tears in her eyes, but he could also feel something going on. Hermione must've been in such a shock that she couldn't respond. "Hermione?"
"I'm sorry, Ron." A tear slid down her cheek. "I love you, but I can't marry you."
Ron had just gone from the highest high in his life to the lowest low of his life. He'd just been denied one of the few things he'd always wanted in his life. Always.
He should be used to it by now, of course. He never got what he wanted because someone always wanted something else that stood in his way. He was sure Hermione had her reasons. Hermione always had her reasons.
Besides, who would want to marry a Weasley?
"I understand." Ron mumbled, even though it was a complete lie. He would never truly understand. "I'll just be leaving then."
He shoved the ring back into his pocket angrily, hoisted himself up off the floor, and headed for the door. He didn't want to talk to her anymore. There was nothing let to discuss. But where could he go? The portkey was set to go back the Burrow where Harry and Ginny were waiting after their breakfast in Diagon Alley.
"Ron!" Hermione called out as he walked down the hall. He didn't stop or look back.
Footsteps flew up from behind him, and as he reached for the doorknob, he felt a tiny pair of hands turning him around.
"Ron, it's not like that!" Hermione cried out desperately.
One of Ron's hard-earned dreams had just been shattered. He wasn't feeling merciful. "Oh yeah, Hermione? What's it like then?"
"I love you! I told you I love you!"
"Apparently that's not enough for you! If you don't recall, you just said no!"
Hermione gripped his shoulders tightly. "You said you wanted it to be perfect! If you propose now because of this curse, how can it be perfect? You don't want to marry me. Not now, at least!"
"I DON'T CARE!" Ron bellowed. "I don't care about the bloody curse or my sodding family or anything else! I'm asking you to marry me! It could be tomorrow or in a decade for all I care! But here's what you don't get: I WANT TO MARRY YOU!"
For some reason, Ron didn't feel that screaming out such declarations was going to help the situation. He was due for a slap any minute now.
Something in Hermione's eyes changed as Ron prepared himself to be rightfully smacked. Her face eased down from its defensive position and she licked her lips tentatively.
"Then marry me."
Ron was now absolutely flabbergasted. "What?"
"I want to marry you, Ron. I just didn't think that was what you wanted." Hermione peered up at him with shimmering chestnut eyes. "If that's what you want, then marry me."
Oh, how the tables had turned.
Ron's lips crashed down upon Hermione's without another word. He decided that if he spoke, he'd probably say something stupid and ruin everything.
When the kiss ended, Ron reached into his pocket once again. He fiddled with the box until he'd pulled the ring clean out of it.
Once again faster than he'd meant to, Ron picked up Hermione's left hand and placed the ring on it. It was lucky for him that Hermione didn't seem to mind.
They stood there and enjoyed the moment for as long as they could. Ron couldn't describe the feeling he had at that time. He had Hermione in his arms once again, even after he thought he'd lost her.
"So this is our house?" Hermione whispered into his ear as the embrace ended.
Ron nodded happily. "Mum's going to have a fit. First Harry and Ginny move out tomorrow, then we'll move out soon too."
Ron smiled at the thought of the overexcited reaction they would receive upon informing his mother of their new life together. Hermione seemed to be smiling for the same reason.
"I haven't even seen this entire house yet!" Hermione muttered. "I can only imagine what the room I used to stay in looks like without the cobwebs!"
Ron was feeling bold. No, Ron was feeling recklessly bold.
In one swift motion he swept Hermione off her feet and into his arms.
"Let's go find out!"
Okay, I changed Hermione's original answer to Ron's proposal. Having her say yes right away and leaping into his arms just seemed too fluffy. So, was it a good or bad change? Any other comments on the chapter? Review, ladies and gentlemen, and let me know!