Disclaimer: I have never used I, own, and HP in the same sentence unless there's a don't in it. You get my point?
How're you today? I'm sure you're all confused about what happened in the last chapter. I mean Hermione pregnant? I didn't exactly give any hints pointing in that direction...but you'll see...eventually.
hpchick13: I'm glad you liked it in all its confusion lol.
summerxkiss2: I know. I love Ron and Hermione together. It seems so right.
dancerrdw: Thanks.
Grint'sBestGal: Haha no not Jesus. No religion in my stories as far as I know. You have some good theories. Oh god you're so right. Long waits are worth it when it's a good chapter.
QueEnfullofDrama: Yes I know. Very strange.
One With A Constant Sugar High: Yes I know! Do you go on mugglenet? That's where I get my days counted off from haha. I cannot WAIT till HBP comes out.
piratingspiderelf: The Killers sound awesome. Yeah I know. She was sidetracked from the robes by her un-sexed pregnancy.
msyticofthepen: I will try to update more and more faster. I promise.
TheDaughterOfKings: LOL...nah it's ok. I kind of deserve it after the last long wait.
IAmRupertFan: Hehe. I almost kind of like his robes too. Thank you too!
Magic and Sparkle: Hah thanks I will.
mim: I know. I love cliffhangers but even so confusing cliffhangers.
Albino Redneck: Wow...that's freaky.
catus: Thanks! I like the more dramatic plots.
silver-pensieve: Yes, finally a cliffhanger. I love them.
PinkyTheSnowman: Yeah, I'm sure that's what everyone thought lol. Yes very large. Haha fancy pants, that's cute. I need to use that sometime in my vocabulary. Nope Krum didn't rape her, I'm sure she would've remembered. And no to the muggleborn thing. But interesting theories!
daddysgirl101989: I love the drama much more too. Nope I don't plan to make up some magic thing...I don't like that idea too much.
okabacha: Yes, as do all the other reviewers. I love keeping people guessing.
Laurel Kingsley: Wow, thanks. What do you mean by the question marks? I can work on it if I know what it means...lol..and I'll go read your story right NOW. ((goes off to read 'the Golden Zephyr')) Ok done reading and I left a review. Good job on that story and I'm really flattered that you actually think my opinion matters. That means a lot, thanks!
Kathleen: Woah that's alot of reading. Thanks for reading these two stories!
Aimz16: Ron's reaction might not even come in this chapter.
'I pretty much try to stay in a constant state of confusion just because of the expression it leaves on my face'-Johnny Depp
A warm night wore on. Yet in Ron's bed, he felt so cold. Hermione was beside him but had her back turned to him. She was all the way on the other side and wouldn't let come an inch nearer. He was confused. What could be wrong with her? Ever since the robe incident a few days ago, she had been so very icy around him. Whenever he touched her he felt her squirm as if he were some vile creature. And night time cuddling? Well, there was none. Even though they slept on the same bed they were about sixty centimeters apart.
It suddenly felt so wrong. And Ron knew something was hurting Hermione. When she'd cried in the guest bedroom during their argument over the dress robes, Ron knew something was wrong. When he'd asked her what was up and she said nothing he knew something was wrong. He had known something was wrong his whole time but he couldn't bring himself to ask her why she was lying because asking it was like accepting it were true. Ron wasn't ready to accept the fact that Hermione had lied to him.
"Hey, Hermione," Ron greeted her in that morning.
He chanced kissing her forehead and felt her shiver. He pulled back, immediately and poured himself a cup of coffee. Why was everything falling apart between them just as the wedding was dawning around the corner?
"Hi," she said in turn before falling silent.
"What have you got there?" Ron questioned, gesturing towards the post she had in her hand.
"Well, nothing very interesting except this," she replied, laying out a flowery white card on the table.
Ron bent over and pulled it closer to his face. It was an inviation to Seamus and Alex's wedding in about two weeks time which was also about two days before Ron and Hermione's wedding. They had also recently sent out inviation for the occasion but now Ron was beginning to doubt whether it would happen.
"So, you want to go?" Ron implored, raising an eyebrow, "You think you'd be comfortable?"
Hermione looked up at him so sharply Ron wondered what he'd said wrong, "Of course I'll be comfortable. Why wouldn't I be comfortable?"
"Erm, nevermind," Ron shook his head and left the kitchen.
What was with her. Did all people go crazy before their wedding? Ron walked towards his bedroom once again. He was feeling horrible about this wedding business. Why, why, why? That's all that went through his mind. Why was Hermione acting up? Why when the wedding was so close; when everything was just coming together?
'Maybe I'll pay a visit to Harry,' Ron thought, 'Anywhere's better than here right now.'
" 'Morning, mate," Harry grinned opening the door for Ron, "Come in."
Ron entered and found Luna sitting on the ground, painting her toe nails a bright red. It was obvious she had only just woken up. Her hair was all in array and her morning robe hung open loosely.
"Hi Luna," Ron smiled at the first semi-sane woman he'd seen in a while.
Then again Luna wasn't exactly sane all the time, was she?
"Ronald," she responded, softly, "Where's the mistress?"
Ron's face darkened, "Home."
Harry came up behind him and clapped his back, "So can I ask what you're doing here so early? You can barely put together a sentence this time of day, usually."
"Haha," Ron said, mockingly, "I don't know. Just thought I'd get out of the house."
Harry raised both eyebrows quickly and nodded, "Yeah, yeah. So did you get the inviation for Seamus' wedding?"
"Mmhmm, just this morning," Ron replied, talking a seat on their couch.
"So tell me, have you met this Alex girl?" Harry inquired, taking the place beside him.
"Girl is not the word," Ron implied with a chuckle.
"Huh?" Harry said, incredulously but as soon as the information dawned-"Oh! I never had a clue Seamus swayed that way."
"Neither did I," Ron said, laughing softly to himself.
"Well good for him," Luna said, wide-eyed, "I've always wanted to attend a same-sex wizard wedding."
"Well I guess that settles," Harry smiled, "We're going. There'll be no talking her out of it now. So are you and Hermione going?"
Ron remembered back to what Hermione had said.
"Of couse I'll be comfortable. Why wouldn't I be comfortable?"
"I suppose...," Ron muttered, grimly.
"Why the sad face?" Harry asked, suspiciously.
"Something's wrong with Hermione, isn't it?" Luna said, without even looking up from her toe nails.
She was currently painting the pinky and Ron stared at her, "How did you know?"
"Well the only person that can get your trousers in a twist is Hermione," Luna responded.
She finished painting her toe nails and then wiggled them in glee. Ron and Harry watched them wriggle for a while. Harry turned away first.
"Tell me, what's wrong with you two?" Harry questioned, looking even more serious than Ron himself.
"Well...truthfully she's been unbelievably distant lately. She snaps at me all the time and she won't even let me touch her," Ron explained, feeling worse and worse as he acknowledged his problems, "And I have not a clue why."
Harry was acting rather stiff. Ron was just beginning to feel weary, suspicious of Harry and comfortable all at once when Luna spoke.
"How long as she been like this?" Luna asked, finally looking up to meet his eyes.
"A few days, almost a week," Ron admitted, sighing.
"Hmm...," Luna hummed, "Well how did it start?"
Ron repeated the story of the dress robes. Harry didn't speak nor did he move but Luna added in a few 'I see's' and 'Yeah and's'. After he had finished she sat there looking at him for a long time. Ron was looking back at her, wondering when she'd speak. Her gaze grew steadily intense and stern. Ron twitched and shifted his weight. Now even Luna looked mad at him. What had he done? Did he mistakeningly say what he'd done horribly wrong without meaning to or understanding? It was then that Ron realized Luna wasn't looking at him but rather beside him, at Harry. He looked very guilty and very nervous. What did Harry know that he didn't?
"You guys...," Ron began but Luna cut him off.
"Ron, I think you should go," Luna stated, not moving her eyes from Harry, "Harry and I need to talk."
Her voice had suddenly talked on the serious tone of reality and it made Ron promptly jump off his behind and exit the Potter household. He closed their front door behind him and stood in the hallway of their apartment building. He strained to listen for any clue of what they were talking about for Ron was almost a hundred percent sure it was on the topic of him and Hermione. However, all he heard was low mumbling. He sighed and decided to head back home. So now even his best mate was keeping secrets from him.
The days passed by, slowly, stretched to their longest by the summer sun. Ron felt like a captive in his own house where he left little to no love. Hermione was growing ever distant and ever since his visit to Harry and Luna's even they were becoming unreachable. He often went to the Burrow to let it all go. To forget about what he was feeling but their cheery attitude about his upcoming wedding and their own lives was enough to make him remember vividly how much pain he was going through.
The worst part was that when he got home from work, Marcel would often be there and then he and Hermione were required to act like the happy couple Marcel knew. They would sit beside each other and Ron would force himself to put an arm around Hermione. She would force herself to enjoy it.
Now they even had a honeymoon planned. A three week honeymoon that went from Paris to Venice to Osaka. It was supposed to be very romantic and beautiful. Ron felt sick. He didn't know what he and Hermione would do alone for three weeks. They had even taken days off of work and it started five days before their wedding.
Being at home was just as bad as being at work all day. In fact it was more horrid. At home he had more time to think and his mind was haunting him with thoughts he would've thought ridiculous previously. Perhaps Hermione was having an affair? Perhaps Harry knew and was covering for her? Perhaps Harry and Hermione were having an affair together.
One morning Ron awoke and realized it was just barely two days before his wedding. He felt about a million times worse and his feet were cold as ice. Literally and not literally. But he wasn't going to walk out because in all truth he was still madly in love with Hermione. He knew he couldn't continue without her. And if she hadn't walked out on him didn't that mean something? It was just recently that things had gotten sour but perhaps after they were married it would go back to the way it was? See, that was all he was holding on for. That it would go back to normal. It had to. It just had to.
He got up and started to head downstairs. It was then that he remembered he and Hermione had to go to Seamus' wedding tonight. Maybe a party was even to bring them together. Talk, laugh, and kiss like they used to. It was all he wanted.
"Hi sweetheart," he greeted her, "How're you?"
"Fine," she said, reading the Daily Prophet.
"So do you want to go to tonight's wedding with Harry and Luna?" Ron suggested.
"Whatever," Hermione said, not even looking at him.
"Yes well, excited aren't we?" Ron said with slight sarcasm.
"Ron, can you let me read for two seconds?" Hermione snapped, catching his eye.
Ron's ears grew red and he knew his face read that of a hurt expression, "Yeah, of course. Sorry for bothering you, Hermione."
He started to walk out. He'd just go back to their bedroom and sleep till the wedding.
"Oh, Ron, wait!" Hermione called, running up to him, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I've been dreadfully rude lately. I'm sorry, I love you."
She managed to give him an awkward hug but he instantly warmed up to it. Right now he'd take anything he could get.
"I love you too," Ron said, his face and voice a glow with happiness. Now this felt normal, "And you're forgiven. Just promise you'll be back to normal by the time we get married."
Hermione looked up at him oddly, "I promise things will be back to normal."
Ron forced a weak smile. Even though she tried to hide it, he could see the her crossed-fingers behind her back.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoy. See, I didn't take a month! LOL...well this story won't be many more chapters longer. I'd give it five max. But I won't swear it on my life. You never know. OH and btw HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Mommies rock the universe.