Hermione found herself falling easily into her old schedule at school. Things were basically the same as they'd been for the past, but something seemed to be missing. She noticed that Ron spent a lot less time being his old, argumentative self, and a lot more time being thoughtful and sweet. Hermione knew he was trying to make a good impression on her, and she knew that he liked her from the late night conversations she had with Harry, but she couldn't bring herself to think of him that way. He was like her brother—she could never love him the way he wanted her to. She started slipping off away from him and Harry, spending more time with Ginny. Even though Ginny knew that Hermione didn't like Ron in that way, she couldn't help but slip in the occasional…
"You'll learn to love him…"
"He's really a sweet guy…"
"If you two got married, we'd be sisters!"
Each time, Hermione firmly shook her head, gathered up her things and walked out of the room. She couldn't bear hearing about her and Ron any more. She knew she could never love him, and she couldn't bear hurting so many people by not doing so.
One day, about six weeks after school started, she was sitting in the Great Hall with Harry when a letter came. She was sitting next to him, eating and looking over her Arithmacy notes when the Owls came in. They flew over and one let a letter fall into her lap. She quickly finished up the page in her Arithmacy book and ripped it open.
Hermione,
I just overheard the weirdest argument between my parents and George. I know you think this is out of the blue, but please, hear me out, hopefully I can explain what happened tonight so you'll understand what I'm asking you to do.
You see, George ran off with Katie last night. They were supposed to get married just outside Dublin, but they didn't make it. Somehow Katie's parents found out and tracked them down, catching up to them just outside London. They brought them back to the Burrow demanding to know if my parents knew what was going on—they didn't—there was a row. Katie's parents and mine sent all the kids from the room and had a go at each other, then after about half an hour, Katie's parents came in and took her away. I will never forget for as long as I live the look in her eyes as her mother dragged her out the front door. She held on to George's hand until the very last moment…it was like one of those scenes where the two lovers are being pulled slowly apart, but they are grasping onto each other for dear life. It was so sad…
Anyway, a few minutes later, Mum came in and demanded that Ron, Ginny, and I go up to our rooms. She kept George in the kitchen, and even though I tried to use my Extendable Ears, Mum put a Silencing Charm over the kitchen, and I couldn't hear a thing. George came up to bed about fifteen minutes later. He was very upset, I could tell because his ears were red and his eyes were glued on the floor. He came in and sat down. I waited, because I knew he'd tell me what was wrong. We keep no secrets, except one, which I will tell you about later. After a few minutes he looked up at me. His eyes were angry and hurt and his voice shook as he told me what our parents had said. You see, when George and I were born, according to our parents, Narcissa Black came to visit my mother and father. She had a chat with our father and mother, and they agreed to have us bound into Wizarding Engagement Contracts. George was supposed to marry her cousin Antigone Reid; and I was supposed to marry Antigone's sister, Nicola Reid. George is heartbroken. Katie is also bound in a Wizarding Contract to marry a boy from Beauxabons, Michaeux Pomerce, and her parents were furious that she tried to marry George instead. She's known of the engagement since she was young. As George told me this, I thought my heart would break into a million pieces, because not only do I know for a fact how much George and I both despise the Reid sisters, but the thought of being forced to marry someone without my knowledge is….horrible. I don't know why I had to write and tell you this, but maybe it's because you're feeling a similar pressure with your situation with Ron. I didn't understand until now how trapped you must feel. There is only one way to get out of the engagement, and that is if I marry my 'match' before my 20th birthday. I don't see how that will happen, seeing as my birthday is in a little less than three months. How am I supposed to find my 'match'? The one girl in this world that was made just for me…it seems impossible and I don't know how I'm going to find her in time. I'd rather live a horrible life all alone than live an even more horrible life with Nicola Reid. I don't know what I'm going to do. My parents regret the decision now, of course, but if we go against the contract, and DON'T marry the Reid's, our family will lose everything. What do I do? Tell me Hermione, you've always helped me and calmed me and told me what the right thing to do was…Help me now, I need you.
Yours Eternally,
Fred Weasley
Hermione gave a slight gasp. She slowly lowered the letter away from her face in shock.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry asked, reaching across the table to put his hand on her arm.
"Uh huh—I mean—I've got to go." She said breathlessly, shoving her books and quills and papers in her bag, and keeping Fred's letter clutched firmly in her own, ran out of the Great Hall to the common rooms.
The minute she reached her room, she slammed and locked the door behind her and threw her bag on the bed. Rifling through her drawer, she pulled out a sheet of parchment and a new quill, sat at her desk, and started to write.
Fred,
I was so happy to get a letter from you when I received it in the Owl Post this morning, now I am not so sure. I haven't heard from you in so long, After reading it, I've got to tell you it was kind of alarming. Marriage? It sounds wonderful, but only if you marry the right person. If it would help, I would marry you—now! In an instant! But in this kind of situation, I've got to tell you, I don't believe it would work out. I would never want to hurt your family if something went wrong. I couldn't bear for them to lose everything they've hoped for…As for me and Ron, well, let me reassure you, I don't love him and I never will, but it hurts so much to think I'm disappointing your family by what I'm doing—
"Hermione open this door before I have to blast it open!" A voice yelled from outside her door. She'd been so absorbed in her letter, she'd ignored the last five minutes of heavy pounding and yelling. Hermione jumped off her stool to open the door. As she pulled the door open, Ron fell in, red faced and blustery.
"What in the devil is going on?" He panted. "Why did you run out of the Great Hall in such a rush? What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing." Hermione stuttered, walking over and sitting on the stool.
"Hermione--?" Ron walked over and put his hands on her shoulders from behind. Hermione hesitantly placed her hand on top of one of his and shook her head.
"I'm fine, Ron, I just—you know, got a letter from my mother…" She didn't know why she felt the need to lie to Ron…she just had to. He leaned over and started to whisper in her ear. Then he caught sight of the unfinished letter on the desk. He picked it up and scanned it quickly, his face paling more and more as he read each line.
"Hermione—why—what--?" Ron's pale face went from a ghastly shade of white to an angered red in a flash. "Why the devil are you writing my brother? You're? I can't believe you two! What the—I can't believe you two want to get married! You've been leading me on then? Hermione! I can't—" Ron shook his head in disbelief and crumpling it, threw the letter on the ground, turned on his heel and ran out the door.
