A/N: Wow, two chapters in one week! Go me! Chapter 13 is started, and I'll do my best to get it finished and sent off to my beta so that it can be posted early next week. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. (Especially the extra-long one!) Can't wait to hear what ya'll think of this one!
Chapter 12
"Katie?"
She jumped guiltily and quickly stuck the rose Ron had given her back into her desk drawer.
"Hi Ron," she said, hoping that the dim lighting of the library concealed her blush.
"You skipped lunch," he stated without preamble.
Katie looked down and shook her head.
"I wasn't hungry," she mumbled miserably.
He gave her a look.
"And the fact that George was there had nothing to do with it?"
"No! A lot of students decided to study through lunch, so I decided to keep the library open," she said, defensively.
He arched an eyebrow and looked around the deserted room.
She blushed again.
"Well, they are gone now. Most left the school an hour ago for Easter break," she continued.
He nodded and placed a picnic basket he'd been holding on her desk.
"Well, I got Dobby to pack us some food, and thought we could go have a picnic by the lake," he said.
"But haven't you eaten already?"
"Oh, I always have room for more," Ron said, patting his belly.
She gave him a skeptical look, hoping that he wasn't asking her out of pity.
"C'mon, you've barely left the library all week, not even for meals. It's Friday afternoon, the students are gone, let's go have some fun," Ron encouraged with a smile.
"But I have to… Fun? You think it's fun, spending time with me?" she asked, hesitantly.
The smile left his face.
"Um, sure I do. But if you don't want to, that's fine. I mean, I'm probably not the most interesting person…"
"Oh, I don't think that at all," she said quickly, placing her hand over his.
He smiled again.
"Good. Let's go then."
She started walking with him to the door, then stopped.
"Oh, wait! I have to go to Melanie's bachelorette party this evening," she said, frowning.
"Bachelorette?" Ron asked, confused.
Katie nodded.
"When Hermione found out that you guys were taking Harry out to The Three Broomsticks tonight, she said that it was Muggle tradition for the girls to do something for the bride. I don't really know Melanie, but Hermione says she doesn't have that many friends, and as 'victims of the law' we should all stick together and support each other."
"Well, we will be back in plenty of time for that," Ron said, not liking the miserable look on her face as she mentioned the law.
They walked out into the late afternoon sunshine and settled themselves next to the lake under the shade of a tree.
As they munched on the food, Ron regaled Katie with tales of the flying mishaps the students had had since he'd been teaching. She laughed, enjoying the momentary distraction from her depressing thoughts.
As it usually did, the conversation turned to George.
"Has he been any better?" Ron asked cautiously.
The happy sparkle left her eyes and she sighed, shaking her head.
"I had a talk with him, but I guess it didn't do any good," he said heatedly.
She blinked at him in surprise.
"Oh, that must be why he gave me that money the other day," she commented.
Now it was Ron's turn to be surprised.
"He gave you money?"
She nodded.
"He said it was for the wedding. He told me to buy anything I wanted for it, and to let him know if I needed more. George said that as a wedding gift to me, he would let me handle all of the details. Like it was some big treat or something."
Ron shook his head and moaned, embarrassed for his idiot brother.
They were silent for a moment, watching the gentle lapping of the water.
"I am thinking about leaving," she said, suddenly.
Ron's head whipped around to look at her in shock.
"I have an Aunt that lives in America. I haven't heard from her in years, but I thought I might look her up. Maybe she could help me find a job and a place to live," she confessed.
Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what to say.
"I'm miserable here, Ron! The students have no respect for me, working the library is boring, and I am really starting to hate George. Last night, I actually pictured myself marrying Flint instead. At least he wouldn't ignore me," she said, and burst into tears.
Ron pulled her into his arms, and let her cry, starting to hate his brother too.
After a few minutes she pulled back and wiped her eyes.
"Tell my why I should stay here, Ron. Give me one good reason."
Ron did the only thing he could think of.
He kissed her.
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"I'm sick of weddings," Severus complained late that night as he climbed into bed and grabbed his book from the nightstand.
"You've only been to one. It's not like ours could count as a real wedding," Hermione grumbled, brushing out her hair.
The satisfaction she'd received from hosting Melanie's bachelorette party earlier was beginning to wear off.
The party had gone off without a hitch and now Melanie had several naughty pieces of lingerie to chose from for her wedding night. Plus the young woman had made a couple of new friends. She and Katie seemed to get along well, although Katie seemed a bit jumpy and had gotten very defensive when Hermione had asked what she had done that afternoon.
She turned her attention back to her husband, awaiting his response to her statement.
He remained silent.
Hermione sighed in frustration. She'd been trying to goad him into a good fight all week, but he refused to participate. The man was unnerving! For the longest time he refused to let anything go, preferring to spend hours dissecting the situation and pointing out exactly how wrong and misguided she was. But ever since her breakdown last weekend, he had been detached, refusing to argue with her about anything. He had even started answering 'yes, dear,' to her every request of him.
Last week, she'd been hurting, and felt extra sensitive to the things he said to her. However, she quickly began to miss her snarky husband. This polite, but 'detached' Severus just seemed so wrong!
She couldn't even bring herself to initiate sex with him and he had never done it once in their whole marriage. So, for the first time since she'd married him, she'd gone a whole week without sex. The thing that upset her most about it was that he didn't seem to mind at all.
She put the brush down on the dresser and walked over to stand beside him, clearing her throat to get his attention.
He looked up from his book with feigned interest.
"Should I wear my scarlet dress robes to the wedding tomorrow?" she asked, knowing that he hated the color. Also, they would be terribly inappropriate for a spring wedding.
A grimace flittered across his face, but it quickly returned to its normal blankness.
"If that is what you think is best," he answered evenly.
"That is it!" she cried grabbing his book and throwing it across the room. "What the Hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.
He was taken aback by her outburst. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her if this was just another 'pregnancy thing', but he managed to restrain himself.
"I have no idea what you mean," he replied instead.
"Why have you changed? Especially after being so adamant that you never would!"
She hit a nerve and he found that he could no longer suppress the anger he had been holding back all week. He leaped out of the bed to stand in front of her.
"I did not want to change! I hate change! But regardless of what you may believe, I do not take pleasure in making you miserable. I would like nothing more than to go back to the way things were, but I have got this annoying guilt weighing on my mind since last Saturday night, and I do not know how to make it go away!" he yelled his confession.
They were both staring at each other and panting slightly.
Hermione was touched by his words and felt that odd contracting/expanding feeling in her chest again.
"Severus, it wasn't your fault that I broke down like that. Well, not entirely anyway. You have been really considerate this week. It is not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I want my husband, not a doormat."
He scowled at the analogy, and she giggled.
"There he is," she said triumphantly and stepped forward to kiss him.
He pulled away looking confused.
"Then why were you so upset?"
She looked a bit sheepish.
"Oh, a lot of things were bothering me and I'm sure the hormonal surge I'm going through didn't help," she explained.
He sat on the bed, and gestured for her to sit next to him.
"What was bothering you? Tell me everything," he commanded.
She looked a bit skeptical, but decided to comply. He was making an effort, she should do the same.
"Well, I was jealous of Rachel…"
He gave her an offended look.
"Not because of Charlie! She just seems to be having so much good luck lately. And she's gorgeous and happy… I know I was being petty, but I just couldn't help it."
Hermione sniffed and straightened her spine a little.
"I started missing my parents, who, by the way, have no idea that I'm married and pregnant. But that's a discussion for another time," she said, smiling at his relieved look.
"And there's Melanie and Harry. I think they'll be okay, but lately they've been making me feel more like a marriage counselor than a friend."
"And…"
He held up a hand to stop her.
"You worry about too much. Stick to the things that concern you and let the rest go," he advised.
She looked indignant.
"The things that concern my friends, concern me!"
"That is very Gryffindor of you," he said, dryly.
"Oh, and as a Slytherin you don't worry about anyone but yourself, huh?"
"That is correct."
She frowned.
"No it's not. You have been worrying about me all week. And if you are this upset over my troubles, I can only imagine how worried you'll be about our baby," she said with a smile.
He blanched and she hugged him, resting her head on his chest.
They held each other.
"So, you will tell me the next time you feel overwhelmed?" he asked.
"Yes, if you'll listen."
"Good, I do not want to be slapped again."
She winced and pulled back so that she could see his face.
"I'm really sorry about that," she apologized and leaned forward to place a few kisses on the offended cheek.
He looked down at her with a slight smile.
"That is much more preferable," he said, earning a giggle and more kisses.
As much as he'd tried to hide it, he had really felt the loss of their lovemaking that week. Despite all of Hermione's reassurances to the contrary, he still harbored a fear that his advances would be unwanted. Surely it wouldn't be much longer before the girl came to her senses and kicked him out of her bed.
He sighed with pleasure when she placed one of his hands at her breasts, happy that she felt confident enough to do it. At the same time, he felt irritated that he lacked the confidence to do it himself.
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Rachel used her wand to idly switch a few pictures around in her and Charlie's new chambers. It had been decided that they should reside in the area connected to the infirmary so that Rachel would be more easily accessible for emergencies.
The Headmaster had somehow, greatly extended the size of the living space that had been there before. Now, instead of just two bedrooms and a bathroom, they had one large sitting area, and five doors leading off of it to nice-sized rooms, a master bedroom that had its own bathroom, a guest bedroom, office, and two more bathrooms. It was perfect, really.
She sighed, ignoring the indignant squawk of the lady in a portrait as she levitated it to a different wall.
"What's the deal, dearie? I looked just fine where I was," the lady said with a sniff.
Rachel glared at her.
"Well, I'd tidy up a bit if there was anything to tidy, damn house elves. I'm bored. When I'm bored, things get rearranged," she said.
Charlie probably wouldn't be home for another hour, and while she enjoyed the company of the women earlier at Melanie's party, she wanted her husband.
"Well, go rearrange somewhere else!" the lady in the painting snapped, and walked out of the frame.
Rachel frowned, but decided she had done all she could in this room anyway, and walked into her and Charlie's bedroom.
She was contemplating messing with the colors of the linens, when a photograph on the fireplace mantle caught her eye.
It was a Weasley family portrait.
Rachel felt a pang in her chest as she studied Molly and Arthur. She wondered if they would have approved of her. Her gaze went to Bill, who was very handsome, and then Percy who looked like a nerd. Then there was Charlie, Fred, George, and Ron, all of them looking pretty much the same as they did now, although the picture had been taken at least five years ago. Finally, she looked at Ginny; the youngest sibling and only female child. She was very pretty. Her red hair was striking against her white complexion, and her large brown eyes were warm and friendly.
Rachel stared at her for a long time, feeling something tugging at her memory. Had she met Ginny before? It was possible, but something felt wrong.
She stood deliberating for a minute, then finally put the picture down with a defeated sigh.
It would come to her later.
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Melanie stuffed the last piece of lingerie into the back of her bottom drawer, and shut it with a sigh of relief.
Her face was still on fire at the thought of actually wearing any of that stuff in front of Harry. Perhaps once they were married, and a bit more comfortable with each other, she might be able to. But for her wedding night, she wanted to start out a bit more covered then those negligees would allow.
She picked up her Arithmancy book and walked out into the sitting room to study. Tonight would be her last night a single woman and part of her wanted to talk to Harry and get his thoughts and feelings on things, but he wasn't home yet. She wondered how long it would be before he returned, but decided it didn't matter. There was no way she'd be getting any sleep tonight anyway.
Harry shook her awake an hour later.
"Melanie? What are you doing out here?" he asked, wobbling slightly.
His breath smelled like Rum.
She yawned and stretched, blushing when she noticed his gaze fall to her chest.
"I was studying while I waited on you to get home," she replied, feeling a little dismayed that he was intoxicated.
He sat down on the sofa next to her, allowing his leg to touch hers.
She smiled uneasily at him, and attempted to calm her racing heart.
"We're getting married tomorrow," he said, abruptly.
"Yes," she replied, nodding slowly.
He picked up one of her hands, and began studying it, running his fingers gently over it.
"I hope you like the ring I bought you," he said, again he seemed to be just saying whatever popped into his head.
"I'm sure I will," Melanie told him, trying to decide if she liked Harry this way.
He seemed unguarded, like he'd tell her anything she asked. A very Slytherin part of her wanted to exploit this and ask him some personal questions, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It just felt wrong to pry information out of him that way.
He held up his fake hand and offered it to her to inspect.
"I only get slight feeling in it, but I can move it pretty well," he said, and Melanie couldn't resist touching it.
It felt slightly cooler than the rest of him, but it was hardly noticeable.
"Its fine, Harry," she said, earning a smile.
He was quiet for a while, just openly staring at her.
When Melanie couldn't stand his scrutiny anymore, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
He blinked and told her.
"Sex."
Melanie gasped and looked away from him.
She wondered if someone had slipped him some Veritaserum, or if alcohol always had this effect on him.
"Sex, with me?" she asked, hesitantly.
He nodded, and lifted a hand to caress her cheek.
"You're my student, and its felt wrong, thinking about it. But now, it doesn't bother me so much."
"Because you're drunk?" she asked.
He seemed to consider that for a moment.
"I am drunk. But no, I've been thinking about having sex with you for a while. Trying to get used to the idea."
"Well, it's not like we have a choice," she reminded him, feeling very warm.
"No. We don't have a choice, do we?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
Melanie held herself completely still, scared he would stop and terrified that he wouldn't.
"Melanie? Can I kiss you?" he asked suddenly.
She looked into his eyes, gasping as she saw how dilated they were.
Did she want him to kiss her?
She remembered the one time he'd kissed her before, and how sweet it had been. Also, it would probably be a good idea to get used to kissing him before the wedding tomorrow when they'd have to do it in front of a rather large audience.
She nodded shyly and closed her eyes.
He missed her mouth the first time and she had to stifle a giggle.
Harry frowned, and held her head in place with his hands the second time. He was right on target that time, but pulled away and looked at her confused after a minute.
"You're not doing it right," he said to her, and she winced.
She knew her face must resemble a tomato by now.
"Well, I've never been kissed before, so you'll have to show me!" she cried, indignantly.
A look of comprehension crossed his face and he leaned forward to try again.
He kissed her, then pulled back just enough to say, "Open your mouth."
He kissed her again and this time she allowed him to slip his tongue inside her mouth.
Melanie sighed in delight at the feel of his tongue caressing hers and felt the tension begin to leave her.
His hands moved down from her face to her shoulders and Melanie wondered if she was supposed to touch him.
Then his hands started moving even lower, and she felt a flicker of panic. Before his hands could reach her breasts, she grabbed his wrists and placed them back on her shoulders.
Breaking the kiss, she sternly said, "No hands."
Harry kept his hands where she placed them, but moved his mouth from her lips, dragging them down toward her chest.
He tried to use his chin to pull the neckline of her shirt out enough to kiss the skin underneath it, but in his current state it was impossible.
He looked at her pitifully.
"I need my hands," he whined.
A wave of sympathy caught her unaware as she remembered his fake hand. It seemed cruel to deny him the use of it, even for something as insignificant as this. Then again, he probably wouldn't remember much of this in the morning anyway.
There was a freedom in that thought. She could do anything she wanted, then deny she did it later.
She smiled, mind made up, and carefully pushed away from him so she could stand up.
"Where're you goin'?" he slurred, blinking in confusion.
She didn't say anything.
"Come back. No hands, I promise," he begged.
She smirked at him and then surprised them both by suddenly straddling his lap.
"You can use your hands, but our clothes stay on," she said, firmly.
He nodded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into another kiss.
Melanie forced herself to relax into his embrace, and just enjoy the sensation of his hands running all over her.
He started out by stroking her sides and back. Then he ran his hands up her arms to caress her shoulders. He moved his mouth from hers and trailed kisses down her neck.
Melanie let out soft sighs of pleasure, basking in the attention. No one had ever kissed and touched her like this before.
His hands crept under the hem of her shirt, and stilled on her belly. His jewel-green eyes sought hers, asking for permission.
Taking a deep breath, Melanie nodded, and nearly cried out loud as his hands eagerly grasped her breasts through her bra.
He claimed her mouth again as his hands caressed and kneaded her covered breasts.
She had been afraid that she'd be too small for his taste, but she seemed to fit in his hands perfectly. She could also feel the evidence that he was enjoying himself poking into her belly.
She gasped when he pinched a nipple, sending a shock of pleasure to her core.
Melanie allowed it to continue for a few more minutes, then reluctantly pushed away from him.
Harry was upset, acting like a child who had his favorite toy taken away.
"Harry, you're drunk! I promise that tomorrow night we can finish this. I want you sober for it though," she chided.
He gave her a thoughtful frown.
"I've never done it sober," he admitted.
She crossed her arms across her chest and glared down at him.
"Well, from now on, you will."
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"I kissed Katie today," Ron drunkenly blurted out to George as they staggered back to the castle after Harry's party.
He had convinced George to hang back so that they could discuss things.
At first George looked angry at his statement, then his shoulders slumped and he sat down on the ground.
"Why? Why would you kiss her? She's supposed to marry me!" George demanded.
Ron was surprised to see tears in his brother's eyes.
"She's miserable, mate! You have been treating her badly and you know it. We've talked about this before."
George hung his head, not even bothering to deny any of it.
"I really care about her," Ron continued, "And the more time I spend with her the more I like her. I only wish that it had been me that offered for her and not you."
George looked up at his brother with the most sorrowful expression he'd ever seen. It made Ron shudder. George and Fred were the happiest most carefree people he knew. It seemed so wrong to see George so obviously miserable.
"But I love her."
Silence greeted George's odd proclamation.
"What? You don't… I mean… You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying," Ron said finally.
George glared at him and got to his feet again.
"I'm not that drunk! I love Katie Bell! I've been in love with her since my third year," he yelled.
Ron blinked.
"If that is true, then why do you treat her like dragon dung?" he demanded.
George wrinkled his nose, and then looked down with a sigh.
"I asked Katie out in my fourth year. She turned me down. Said she wasn't ready to date yet. Do you have any idea what that kind of rejection felt like? I was so upset, and that just made Fred angry at her. I tried to move on, but she was all I could think about. Then we left school, and she's been the farthest thing from my mind for the last seven years. I mean, occasionally I'd wonder what had become of her, but I really never gave her much thought. Then out of the blue, there she is again, needing a husband. It was like a dream come true, only now it's more like a nightmare."
"Why? Why haven't you told her how you felt? Why do you keep ignoring her?" Ron asked.
"She hurt me. I don't want to give her the chance to do that again," he stated bluntly.
"So? Hasn't she suffered enough? You were both kids then, it's different now. She won't reject you now," Ron pointed out.
"No, she can't reject me now," George corrected.
Ron sighed, fed up with his brother's attitude.
"Well, you are just going to have to change. Start treating her right, George, I mean it. If you won't, I will. Even if she's married to you."
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Rachel gasped and sat up in bed, her eyes flying to the fireplace mantle. She couldn't see the picture in the dark, but she knew it was there.
Charlie stirred and sat up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her bare back.
"Nightmare?" he asked, sleepily.
"No, it's just… Your sister, Ginny. I was looking at her picture earlier. I knew I'd seen her before, but I couldn't remember where. Now I do," she said, breathlessly.
"What are you saying?" Charlie asked, waking up more at her words.
"I saw her, Charlie. After the final battle. She was at St. Mungo's! Charlie, she's alive! I know she is!"
End Chapter 12
A/N: DUH, DUH, DUUUUUUH!
He he! The fun is just beginning. I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts about the new developments. I have not yet decided how I'm going to resolve the Ron-Katie-George thing, so any input would be nice.
Promo: Is Ginny really alive? Will Ron continue to woo Katie despite George's feelings? Where are Melanie and Harry going for their honeymoon? What has Draco Malfoy been up to? –Stay tuned!