A/N: Thanks to all my readers for sticking through this 17 chaptered success with me, and an even bigger thanks to all of these people for reviewing through it: pottersgirl91, tofuubeaver, san01, dwntwndanbrwn, vagrantben, imakeeper, nehimasgift, PapayaCrazy, Kuroumo, monsterme, DayStar-chan, Emi-Bum, svelte, Vera-Sabe (haven't heard from you in a while on here... glad you're back, even if only to read this story), longtimefan-firsttimewriter, xXCrackRomanticXx, KayKay2007, RedandBlack12, and Tigerstripes17.
Last chapter all. I hope that you enjoyed this as much as I did. I couldn't have asked for a better group of reviewers... and readers too! I will say this, there's an idea for a sequel in the works now. The summary is on my website on the My Writing Teasers page. And I must apologize for the extremely delay in posting this chapter. For you see, Admin suspended me from uploading and posting anything until 12:25 a.m.(eastern time) today (the 7th). And all because I wrote a songfic. Angered? You bet I was!
So angered, that I've started a petition against the ban on songfics. Want to sign it? Tell me in your review! Thanks again everyone, I'm forever grateful to you all!
Without further ado... Chapter 17.
Chapter 17 – Wishes Do Come True
Kirsten looked around the yard for her mother. She was nowhere in sight. She ran to the table where Mrs. Weasley was talking with Padma, Ginny, and Harry. She wasn't there.
"Have you seen my mum?" Kirsten asked.
"She walked over there," Mrs. Weasley replied, pointing in the direction of Mr. Granger.
Kirsten ran to her grandfather and saw that no one was there except her grandmother, grandfather, and Mr. Weasley. She looked around the yard once more and saw Luna and Ron sitting at a table, Luna playing with Tarot Cards while Ron stuffed his face. The twins were cleaning up where they had let off all their fireworks, and yet, there was no Hermione.
"Momma!" Kirsten shouted as she wandered around the yard.
Then she spotted her standing in the driveway with a man. Who was he? Kirsten ran over and stopped about four feet from them when she saw who her mother was standing with. Oliver Wood.
"You came!" Kirsten exclaimed before running over and jumping on him, taking him to the ground.
He said nothing as he sat up and hugged the little girl to him. Hermione stood there smiling, tears in her eyes, that is until she saw a flash from the nearby trees. 'Bewells' Hermione thought haughtily.
She pulled out her wand slowly and made no move to show that she was going to do anything. The flash came again and Hermione glared in the direction of the trees while keeping her head turned to Oliver and Kirsten who were still hugging.
When Wood stood up, Kirsten still clinging to him and crying happily, Hermione made her move. She pretended to be helping Wood to his feet, but instead, she aimed her wand and cast her spell.
"Stupefy!"
There was a howl from the trees and a flash and all was silent once more. It was then that all the party's occupants turned to see what was happening. Hermione rushed over to the trees and Mr. Weasley accompanied her along with Ron and Harry.
The four of them came back carrying Lawrence Bewells within their ranks. He was unconscious, his camera just dangling from his neck.
"Set him down," Hermione ordered as she brought him back around.
Bewells sat up and shook his head as Hermione removed the camera from his neck.
"I believe I know what to do with this," Hermione stated as she held it out by it's neck cord and blasted it to pieces.
Lawrence bellowed out his protests, but it was too late.
"Now just what in the ruddy hell are you doing here?" Hermione demanded.
"I followed your boyfriend there... I had to think something was up when he went running out of the party at the Puddlemere pitch. So, I followed him here," Lawrence admitted as he rubbed the back of his head.
"You've no right to be here," Fred growled as he and George pulled out their wands and pointed them at him.
"Did you ever think that celebrities are people as well... normal people who grew up with a mother and a father, and have a right to have a family without the world peering in on them," George pointed out with gritted teeth as he jabbed his wand in Lawrence's direction.
"Leave it go, boys," Mrs. Weasley said as she and Author began ushering everyone back toward the house.
Oliver sat Kirsten down as he glared at Lawrence and he was about to grab Kirsten's hand when she ran over to Bewells. He was getting up and she pushed him, making him fall face first into the dirt. He rolled over to grab her, but he only ended up grabbing himself after she quickly kicked him in a little below the belt.
Hermione gasped and Oliver stood there stunned as the twins laughed and Ron grabbed Kirsten.
"Serves you right," Ron laughed as he carried the little girl on his shoulders back up to the house while singing 'For she's a jolly good birthday girl' with Harry and the twins.
Hermione shook her head, and Oliver shrugged his shoulders, leaving Bewells lay in the drive as he turned to follow Hermione back to The Burrow.
Once in the house, Mrs. Weasley made tea for everyone and they all sat in the living room, all except Hermione and Oliver. Wood stood out in the kitchen, watching Hermione pace next to the table and wondering if she would wear a hole in the floor before she sat down.
"Hermione," Oliver began, but she stopped him right there as she held up her hand to him.
"You know," Hermione started as she stopped and then looked up at him, arms folded across her chest. "That you're just getting her hopes up to come here and act like you're going to be involved in her life."
"I'm not trying to get anyone's hopes up," Oliver remarked.
"Then what are you doing here?" Hermione questioned.
"Stopping myself from making the same mistake twice. I left you once and I'm not going to do it again... that's too foolish a thing to do again."
"Oliver, don't try an-"
"Don't try and what? Come back? Do you not want me to? Hermione, listen... I missed the first five – almost six – years of my daughter's life and a wonderful five – again almost six – years being with you to raise her," Wood plead desperately. "I'm not going to miss out on the rest of her life, and I'm not going to leave you to live out your life with another man who can't even be half of what I know I am to you."
"And what is it that you are to me, Oliver Wood?" Hermione demanded somewhat angrily. "What more are you than a memory? A character in a book that I read to my daughter every night? The father of my child who hasn't been there? What more are you?"
Wood stood stunned for a moment. Was he really all that to her? Surely, he was something good to her.
"I'm your first... your only," Wood spoke softly. "Aren't I the only one you've ever loved in a way that's more than anyone you've loved before? Wasn't it – at some point – something good in your life? You mention all the bad, but I don't think you understand... this hurts me just as much as it hurts you. I miss you more than anything I could miss in my life... I can't even play the game I love to play because I'm always thinking about you."
"Don't lie to me, Oliver Wood!" Hermione snapped.
"I'm not lying to you," Wood hissed. "What makes you think I'm lying to you?"
"Because you left me once before for that damn game... why would you stay now?"
"Ever heard of learning from your mistakes?" Oliver growled back. "And, besides, I've told you before – or at least I thought I had told you – I wasn't really trying to leave you for Quidditch. I had thought that you could find better than me because I didn't think that once you started at St. Mungo's that we would see each other all that often."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She gave a resigned sigh and bowed her head before speaking again, this time calmly.
"Oliver, I don't want to believe you're back or tell our daughter that you are unless I know for certain," Hermione muttered. "I don't want to see her little heart crushed in the same way that mine was when I heard you were leaving."
"Give me this last season with the team... please," Oliver begged. "Just this last season because they won't be able to find anyone to replace me in time. Kirsten and you can come around with me just for this year, and after that, I'm going to find a job somewhere else, I promise."
"Where, Oliver? A job where?" Hermione inquired.
"I don't know... in the Ministry in the Magical Games and Sports Department, or something," Oliver raved. "Just give me this chance to be with you... to be apart of my daughter's life, too."
His eyes were full of emotion that just pleaded and tugged at Hermione to say yes. She always did have trouble turning away from that face.
"What about my job, though?" Hermione questioned softly with a smile.
"Can't you just ple- What?" Wood asked in slow astonishment.
"I'll give you that chance, but what, sir, am I to do about my job while I'm traveling the world with you and our daughter?" Hermione repeated.
"You're- you're going to- to give me a chance?" Wood inquired excitedly.
She didn't have time to answer though as he rushed around the table and planted his lips on hers. It was a kiss like she had never gotten before. Sure, she had had many first time kisses with Oliver, but this was another like no other. It was built up excitement released with passion and happiness that no one but they could know in that moment.
Oliver was about to deepen the kiss when he heard something clatter in the hallways just outside the kitchen. He and Hermione parted, turning to see four red heads peering around the corner. Hermione blushed and Wood raised a brow as Ginny was helped up by George. Fred glared at Ron and smacked him on the back of the head as Ron picked up a broom a dust pan, his face fiery with embarrassment.
"What are you four doing?" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice scolded as she stood with her hands on her hips and tapping her right foot. "I thought you said that you were going to get the tea, Ginerva Weasley."
"I-"
"Yeah! Shame on you," Fred and George said in unison while crossing their arms and shaking their heads.
"And you two! I should have known that when Ginny left the room that you weren't going to the restroom," Mrs. Weasley continued.
"Yeah!" Fred said to his twin.
"Or going to get something you forgot outside," Mrs. Weasley snapped at Fred who grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Ron laughed and Mrs. Weasley rounded on him next.
"And I don't know-"
"I did do what I said I was going to when I left the room," Ron protested before Molly could finish. "I changed my shirt," he added as he gestured to his new T-shirt which was free from tea spills.
"But you're still just as guilty," Mrs. Weasley stated. "Now back into the living room with the lot of you!"
"Yes, mum," they all mumbled while filing past Molly who smiled sweetly at Wood and Hermione before turning to leave.
Hermione turned back to Oliver and was about to say something when Ginny's voice interrupted her.
"Hate to barge in again," Ginny teased as she winked. "But uh, can you bring the tea in when you come in if you're not too busy and it's not cold by then?"
Hermione shot a playful glare before nodding and then turning back to Oliver as Ginny left.
"I think you've made me the happiest man on earth tonight," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and they swayed a little in each other's arms.
"That's good," Hermione smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in the scent that she had missed so much over the years.
"C'mon, Momma!" Kirsten shouted from the living.
Hermione sat in the kitchen of her home. Oliver and Kirsten were waiting on her so that they could Apparate to the Puddlemere locker rooms for the first match of the season. Hermione yelled back that she was coming as she took the last drink of her coffee.
"Hey, Miss Granger," Wood joked from the doorway of the kitchen. "Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, yeah," Hermione replied. "Just let me finish this sentence."
"Sentence for what?" Oliver asked as he walked over to Hermione and leaned over her shoulder to read what she had been writing.
There he saw a familiar book, and on a page where there had once been a sad ending, a new paragraph was started.
It's been my experience that has led me to guess this: All endings are beginnings, whether we know it or not, and that's where our story picks up. With the ending of a summer romance and the beginning of a life together as a family. One daughter, a mother, and now a father. They might have their hardships, but they're going to make it through all that with each other still intact.
"Do you think so?" Wood asked as he leaned down further and kissed her cheek.
"Mmhmm," Hermione smirked as she placed her quill in the book and shut it.
"Get a room, but later on," Kirsten said in disgust from the doorway of the kitchen. "We've got a Quidditch match to go to."
Hermione and Oliver exchanged glances before laughing and chasing her into the living room. Oliver scooped her up and they Apparated into the locker room where Amy, still the team's most energetic member, now two months along into pregnancy, was trying to rile the team up.
"C'mon! We're going to win this!" Amy shouted. "I'll bet you ten Galleons we- Oh! Hello Oliver... Kirsten. Hermione."
"Hi," they all chimed as Wood began to put on his pads.
"We're going to get a good seat," Hermione said as she, Kirsten, and Amy left. "So, who are they playing today?" Hermione asked as they made their way through the stands.
"Bigonville," Amy answered nervously.
Hermione felt a little nervous ball settle into her stomach, and it grew as Wood came out onto the pitch. His game had improved tremendously ever since Kirsten started to attend the practices as their water girl. She would cheer him on from the sidelines of the pitch as he blocked every goal that came his way.
"Go Brian!" Amy shouted as she jumped up and pumped her fist in the air when Puddlemere scored.
The Puddlemere team was making quick work of the Bombers, and it looked as though they would never score because they could never keep the Quaffle long enough. But, suddenly, a Bludger hit one of the Puddlemere Chasers and sent them spiraling away, unhurt, but out of the way.
Bigonville took possession, and Hermione held her breath as three Bomber Chasers headed for Oliver. Flashes of accidents passed over Hermione's mind while Kirsten screamed beside her, though her daughter sounded very distant. Hermione bit down on her lip and watched as Oliver jumped up on his broom, jumping over a Bludger and blocking the Bigonville score attempt.
Kirsten and Hermione burst into cheers as Amy danced about in a circle yelling something about Bigonville sucks.
The game ended after only an hour and a half of play, the final score four-hundred and sixty to two-hundred and ten with Puddlemere as the victor. Amy, Hermione, and Kirsten raced down onto the field and through the crowd of reporters that was already starting to form. The cameras flashed a thousand watts per minute as Oliver hugged Hermione and held Kirsten close to his side.
"Mr. Wood!"
"Oliver Wood!"
The reporters' shouts were coming from all directions and flashes were blinding the three as each reporter asked the same thing.
"Are you married now?"
"Is she really your daughter?"
"How long have you been together?"
"So the article by Lawrence Bewells in the Prophet was true!"
"Yeah, she's mine," Wood said with pride as he squeezed Kirsten to his side and smiled down at her. "And she's a damn smart little devil as well as a ruddy good Quidditch player. Of course, that's to be expected," he added with a laugh.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.
"To answer your other question: no... we weren't together during the time that that ridiculous article was printed," Wood finished.
Another round of shouts were put forth and Kirsten stuck her fingers in her ears, hating the loud voices and clicks of the cameras as they took pictures with blinding flashes.
"Are you engaged?"
"When's the wedding?"
"Will you continue on with the team through the season or take leave?"
"Um...," Wood stuttered, looking jerkily to Hermione.
"The wedding's set for next spring near the season's end so he can continue to play until the season's over," Hermione replied confidently. "That is if he ever gets the courage to ask me to marry him," she added while looking at him pointedly.
Wood's brow shot upward on his forehead as he smirked at her in mild disbelief.
"Fine," Wood shrugged. "I might not have a ring, and I might be a few years late, but Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"
Hermione blushed slightly and giggled as Kirsten grinned broadly and nodded her head fervently. Hermione sighed and nodded slowly while reporters' roars of question drown out all other sound.
"A few years late? How long has this relationship been going on?"
"But you stated only a moment ago that you weren't together when the article of a little over two months ago was printed!"
"We weren't," Hermione repeated for Oliver.
"Then what happened? Did you have a previous relationship?"
Wood looked to Hermione out of the corner of his eye with a cocky look of secrecy.
"Buy the book and find out," Oliver replied before turning Hermione and Kirsten toward the locker room and ushering them out of the crowd of the still questioning reporters.
