DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't own anything but the plot.
In the company of strangers I am less than fine. I am turning into wallpaper before your eyes. Somehow I always end up on the wrong side of this fight. One day I will get it right.
"Reasons Why" By Saving Jane
Chapter 3: Learning
Hermione sat quietly at the table in the Weasley residence, a steaming mug of chocolate held in between her hands, with most of the Weasley's (plus a few extras) surrounding her. Blaise had offered to come with her today but she had declined, saying that she really just wanted a nice little visit today. However, as she sat in the middle of the table, the "visit" felt more like a reunion.
As Molly Weasley tried for the eighth time in the past ten minutes to shove a plate of food in front of her, Hermione snapped out of her trance and pushed the plate away. "No thank you, Mrs. Weasley, I'm really not that hungry…."
"But you're as thin as a willow stick," Molly protested adamantly. "Just look at you, all skin and bones. Soon there will be nothing left of you."
Hermione smiled. "I highly doubt that, Mrs. Weasley. Actually, I just ate a little bit ago before I left the Leaky Cauldron so I really am not that hungry."
Molly waved her hand about impatiently. "Enough of this 'Mrs. Weasley' stuff. Call me Molly, dear, everyone else does, except my children of course."
"And we call her Bob," chimed Fred who earned a slap from his mother.
Hermione laughed along with the rest of them. She looked around. It was true, you never really know what you've got until you lose it… "It's so good to see all of you again, at one time that is. I've missed you guys so much."
"Then you shouldn't stay away," was Fred's answer to that. He smirked as he slung one arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "You should move back here."
"I really can't…," she started but was cut off when George said, "What will it take, Hermione, to get you to move back here? Money? A house?"
Hermione shook her head while chuckling. "Sorry, George, but…"
"How about a husband?" George added quickly. "Fred, here, is still available. No ring on his finger," he added, slapping his twin on the back.
Molly cried out at her son's suggestion but Hermione could see in the older woman's eyes that she really wouldn't have minded all that much if it meant having Hermione back in England. "Well, I'm sorry but I have to decline," Hermione said with a bright smile. She pinched Fred's cheek. "Don't worry, though, I still think you're adorable."
He leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, love, we still have the nights," with a wink.
Obviously everyone at the table heard his comment for Molly was around the table at record breaking speeds and slapped him upside the head. She walked away muttering something like, "How did I end up with sons like these two?"
"Anyways," Ron started loudly, setting aside his empty plate, "we are glad that you're back, Hermione. We've really missed you. It's just not the same without you here, scolding me at every little thing I do."
"Thanks," Hermione said with a faint blush, "but I'm afraid that it is better for me to live in America. I just…I wanted to see you guys so I came…"
"Are you staying for the wedding," Percy asked candidly as he walked into the kitchen, creating a pregnant silence. It seemed that at that moment, no one could look at Hermione and found interest in some other thing.
"It's okay you guys," she said, forcing a brilliant smile onto her face, " I don't know why everyone is tiptoeing around the subject…"
"Because we all know how you feel for Harry," Ron interrupted her, levelling her with his blue eyes. "We don't know what happened between you two, but we do know that you love him."
Hermione looked around at them, noticing the pity that was reflected in their eyes, all directed at her. Hermione hated pity; it always made her feel weak and vulnerable.
She nodded, looking down at her hands. "I see," she murmured, rising deftly from the table. She backed away from them and towards the door. "Then you all should understand why I can't stay." She smiled up at them as she opened the door. "It's been great seeing you guys."
XoX
They always say then when a wedding is approaching, the bride will get pre-wedding jitters. Well, right now, Harry wanted to shout out at all those people that it is the groom who gets the jitters.
Right now, Harry was dodging in and out of stores, desperately seeking to avoid the presence of his fiancé. Mean? He thought not.
He had a lot on his mind and he wanted to think about it…alone. Cho's very presence lately had been getting on his nerves so he thought it best to just avoid her all together.
But, like he said earlier, fate often liked to reach down her finger and knock Harry flat on his arse for the next store he so 'conveniently' ducked into was Fred and George's joke shop. And in it was…
"Hermione?"
The bushy haired witch spun around quickly, dropping the small box which she held in her hand. "Oh," she muttered, bending over quickly to clean it up.
Fred, who had been standing beside of her, bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Hermione. I've got this if you want to go talk with Harry."
Harry watched as Hermione gave the twin a withering glare and could perfectly understand. However, Hermione was a lady of grace and instead of walking away from him (like he probably deserved) she rose and walked over to him.
"Harry," she said with what seemed like a genuine smile, "it's nice to see you again."
"Yeah, you too." He shifted nervously. "Finally giving in and buying some pranks?"
Hermione glanced over her shoulder at Fred who had stood back up and was walking away. "Yeah," she muttered. "Fred told me to come by and see how the business is going so I thought I would. It really has been doing well."
"It's a hit. Everyone wants to come here whenever they come into Diagon Alley, or Hogsmeade now for that matter. They want to open one up in Scotland."
Hermione nodded and smiled. "They should. Actually, we were just discussing the possibility of them opening up one in America. All the people where I work always get the magazines and tell me that I should see if they would open up a store."
"What did the twins think?"
"They loved it. As soon as they can get more information from the zoning committee over there, they're going to try to get enough space to start building." She glanced around. "I don't think they should have any problems…"
"No," he agreed, then, "and if they do, I'll help them."
Hermione nodded, her smile wiped from her face. "Boy Wonder, stepping in to save the day again," she whispered, her eyes cast downward, "for some anyways."
He opened his mouth to tell her that he was sorry. To ask her for forgiveness, no, to beg for forgiveness. But the words just wouldn't leave his mouth. He heard her take a deep intake of breath and focused his attention back on her.
"Look," she said, "I know I didn't say this the other day, you know how I get over Cho, but I just want to wish you all the luck with your marriage. You two seem well suited for each other…"
"Hermione…"
"I'm not planning on staying that long, actually just for another couple of days or so, so I should be out of your guys' way soon…"
"Hermione…"
Her brown eyes landed on his. "I know that you don't want to see me, Harry, and, though I might not understand, I can accept it. I know now that I shouldn't have come here. Not now…hell, probably not ever, but I had to."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Hermione, you don't have to avoid England just because of me."
She bowed her head and when she lifted it back up, he could see the tears that brimmed her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered softly, "I do."
Harry watched sadly as she brushed past him and out the door, not once glancing back at him. She felt lost to him now, completely lost, and he couldn't say he liked the feeling.
"You don't deserve her love."
Harry looked around to find himself facing down Blaise who was glaring at him. He tried to move past, but he found his arm gripped. "Look, just let me go. She's leaving and I'm getting married, there's nothing left to talk about…"
"There's everything to talk about," Blaise spat. "She loves you and every fool can see it, and what do you do? You rub your engagement in her face and yet you didn't even have the decency to tell her yourself. You let the press do your dirty work."
Harry shoved the other man away. "You don't know the situation so why don't you just back off."
"And if I don't?" he challenged Harry. "I, like many others, have stood by while you shovelled through our lives like a wrecking ball and now you just want me to stand aside while you hurt the one woman who loves you unconditionally? Sorry, Potter, I won't."
"Is there a problem here?"
Harry looked over his shoulder at Fred and George who stood a little ways away, watching them closely. "No, Blaise here was just giving me some unneeded advise."
Blaise glared at him once more before storming past him and out of the door, heading off in the direction Hermione had went. Harry stared after him. Blaise would prove to be a pest, he knew, as long as Hermione was in England.
"Harry, mate, are you sure you know what you're doing?" George asked, coming up beside of him.
"What do you mean?"
Fred shook his head while chuckling. "You don't even realize the problem that's staring at you right in the face." He looked at Harry. "You need to sort out your priorities, and once that is done, open your eyes to what is right in front of you."
Fred walked off leaving Harry with only George to keep him company. "Avoiding Cho are you?" the twin asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"How did you know?"
"I saw her walk by earlier and then you came dodging in her so I just added it up," he replied. "The only question is why would you want to avoid the woman you are about to pledge your life to, eh?"
Harry sighed. "It's complicated."
The corner of George's mouth tilted up. "That seems to be the favoured answer of every question nowadays. Now, I have a magazine up front, brand new, that I thought you might be interested in."
"Really? What is it?"
"It's on racing brooms," George replied. There was an odd glint in his eyes that made Harry wary. "There's a particularly interesting article in there about the new racing broom that will be out for viewing soon."
"Does it say who the inventor is?"
That glint in his eyes flared up and George quirked, "It may say something concerning the inventor. I put it back for you. It's up front at the counter…"
Harry followed him up to the counter and waited patiently as George retrieved it. He glanced down at the cover to see a sleek black broom on the front, the words The Marauder written in startling gold on the handle.
He glanced up at George quizzically. "Go ahead," was all he received in reply, "no charge. After all, we are in your debt for giving us enough money to start up our joke shop."
Harry, about to protest, was literally pushed out of the shop, the magazine still clutched tightly in his hand. Only when he was a good ways away did he notice the fact that the magazine was not set to come out until another three months.
