Chapter 3
Hermione breathed in the cool crisp Sunday morning air, she smiled as the familiar smell of the burrow filled her senses. She was standing just outside the Weasley's property where she had just apparated too from her own home. She looked over at the old oak tree that stood just on the other side of the property line, and Hermione could clearly see the R+H carved into the the old bark with a heart encompassing the initials. She smirked to herself, just after the battle of Hogwarts when the elation of the win of the war still hung thick in the air and Hermione had yet to find her parents and restore their memory she came to live here at the Burrow. On the first night there as she and Ron snogged against the tree (for what was a rare moment of privacy in the household) he decided that carving their initials would be a deceleration of his love for her. At the time she thought it was very sweet and that someday when she and Ron were ripe and old that they would come back to this tree and reminisce of the love for each other over the many many years the spent with each other. Now she could only smile at the naivety of young passionate love, not that she was significantly older, but it was amazing how much had changed since he carved their initials in to the tree permanently scaring it with thier doomed love.
She pushed aside the rickety gate and strode towards the kitchen door, when she opened the door she was hit with the smells of bacon and egg and various other types of brunch foods. "'Mione!" called Ginny side swiping her in to a big hug.
"Morning, Gin." She smiled as she gave the redhead a tight hug and looked over Ginny's shoulder, and she was caught in the famous emerald eyes of Harry Potter.
"Morning, Hermione," he said and once Ginny had released Hermione from her grasp, Harry moved in and gave her a glancing kiss on the cheek and warm hug.
"Morning, Harry." She let go and looked at him. "How's James?"
Ginny laughed "I swear James after his namesake, that child is to clever for his own good. I don't know how we're going to keep up with him as he gets older."
Hermione chuckled. "Well, that just means he'll go on to do great things, after he gets done driving you two insane."
"Mione!" Ron strutted in with Sara in tow. "I thought I heard you!" he bellowed at her as if she were standing on the opposite side of a Quidditch pitch. He gave her a one armed hug still holding Sara's hand tightly. Sara gave Hermione a smile. "Hey, Hermione."
Hermione smiled at Sara over Ron's shoulder as he embraced her, once he let go she stepped back from him and looked around. "Where's everyone else?" noticing the normally bustling house was unusually tamed at the moment.
"Oh, mum wanted to do brunch in the garden so they're all outside setting up. Sara and I just came to check on the food."
Hermione nodded, "Well then, let's go." Hermione lead the way through the house to that back garden where sure enough a fleet of Weasleys were setting up tables and chairs.
"Hermione!" George exclaimed, thrusting his arm in the air and waving excitedly, and almost on cue the rest of the Weasleys looked up and greeted her as well.
Molly rushed over to Hermione just as she stepped into the garden and gave her a motherly hug, "Hermione, so nice of you to come," as she patted her on the back.
"You do know I come every Sunday," Hermione laughed softly as Molly let her go enough to place her hands on her shoulders.
"I know." Molly grinned "But it's always so wonderful to see you." She wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulder and guided her to the table where Mr. Weasley gave her a small hug, Fleur pecked her on the cheeks, Bill gave her a quick squeeze, followed by George and Charlie. Percy nodded at her, he was never big on affections but his wife Penny walked over and gave Hermione a soft hug followed by Angelina, George's wife.
Once she made it through all the greetings she grabbed the dishes and started setting the table with various little hands trying to help, which ended up in a broken plate. Hermione laughed it off and with a quick flick of her wand repaired it right as Molly called everyone to the table for brunch.
As everyone settled chatting to the person next to them, Ron stood up "Everyone, Sara and I have an announcement to make." He grinned from ear to ear, as he pulled Sara up to stand next to him " We're engaged!" he proclaimed, Sara stood almost sheepishly next to him.
In a instant the table erupted in cheers and while Hermione smiled and clapped with everyone else, something inside her choked back tears. Why her heart was breaking she had no idea, this engagement had been long anticipated, and Sara was wonderful for Ron and Hermione had come to adore her in that sense. Ron deserved a Sara, he had been through so much and needed somebody to be there for him, in a way that Hermione couldn't.
After brunch was over it was decided that champagne was in order, so everyone went inside to toast to the newly engaged couple, Hermione hung back and walked out towards the swamp and the old oak tree. Lost in her own thoughts she didn't hear someone come up and stand beside her.
"Ron told me about this tree" Sara spoke softly
Hermione sprung out of her trance and looked at Sara. Sara was a pretty little thing; if she was 5ft tall that would shock Hermione, she had a sweet face and had many tattoos adorning her body. She was muggle born so there were many things that she, Hermione, and Harry could talk about together. Behind her eyes however, Hermione could tell she had known real pain, there was a sense of forced maturity there that Hermione could recognize instantly, and in the right mood Hermione detected a hint of longing. Hermione never dared asking however, she didn't feel she should delve into people problems without a good reason. "He did?" Hermione asked coming back to reality.
"Yea, told me all about how you guys dated, then got engaged and then broke it off." Sara kicked her feet in the dirt path not looking at Hermione her arms crossed.
Hermione placed a hand on Sara's shoulder. "Oh Sara, I'm not in love with Ron anymore."
Before Hermione could elaborate Sara laughed and cut her off "I know that!" She smiled at Hermione as if she were a child with the wrong answer. "I know, if you loved Ron still you would have married him instead of dragging your feet."
Hermione couldn't hide the shock on her face. "Then why did you come out here to talk to me?" She asked confused
"Because you looked like you needed to talk to someone." Sara casually shrugged. "And I know how you're feeling." Hermione gave here a curious look. "Before I started to date Ron I had a long term boyfriend, but we ended up breaking up but promised to be friends, and we were for a long time. Then when I found out that he had met someone new and wanted to marry her I was upset." Sara watched Hermione carefully. "As I see it, this was suppose to be your life, marrying in to the Weasley family and all. When I started to come around you were okay with me cause you wanted Ron to move on, but now that were engaged it's different."
Hermione thought for a long moment. "It's not that I'm jealous of you, because I adore you, you are wonderful for Ron." She paused, then looked down. "But you're right, you two are going to go off and live this wonderful life filled with love and each other, and here I am still buried in work. I feel like I may have given up on my chance to have happiness and a family. I'm worried all of the sudden that I won't find someone to marry and grow old with, that it will be me, my work and thirty-seven cats."
Sara laughed, and Hermione elbowed her in the shoulder. "Don't laugh!" She smiled.
Sara sighed. "Hermione, that won't be you. I promise you are to pretty and smart there is no way on earth you're going to end up with thirty-seven cats. Just give love a chance and you'll find it." She turned to hug Hermione, "Now if you don't mind there are people in there getting drunk in my honor without me, so don't be long, 'cause I believe you still owe me a toast as well," Sara teased.
Draco was picking at his food while his mother and Portia prattled on about nonsense, every so often he would shoot Blaise a kill me now look which Blaise would happily return. It wasn't until his mother started talking about some ball at the Malfoy Manor that he interjected. "I'm sorry mother, when is this gala?"
Narcissa looked at him almost as if she thought he had suddenly regained his voice from a silencing spell. "This coming Saturday. Why, Draco? Do you have other plans? Because I happen to know that many of my friends are excited to hear of your endeavors."
Draco peaked an eyebrow at her. "So soon after Father's burial? I thought it was uncouth to celebrate so soon," his smirk turning to a wince of pain as his mother kicked him in the shins under the table.
"We're not celebrating your father's passing Draco," she hissed at him. "But I have been planning a Battle Ball for several weeks now. Invitations were sent out before your father's passing, and it would be a shame to cancel it now."
Draco looked at Blaise who nodded to confirm this information, and Draco rolled his eye. "If you say so, mother."
"I do expect you to be there," his mother emphasized "And I would say you could bring a date, but I try to keep hussies out of such events."
Blaise choked on his food from laughing and Draco shot him a dangerous look.
After lunch the four of them split up, the two ladies decided that some shopping was in order even if they didn't actually need anything and the two men wanted to catch up on the past year.
"So, how were the foreign hussies?" Blaise teased
"Quite good, if I say so myself," Draco acknowledged. "There was this one woman in Spain," he shook his head, reminiscing of the curves her body made.
"Apparently I need to go to Spain," Blaise said, watching his friend's expression.
Draco laughed. "In all, it was good. After I left you in Greece, I went to Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Morocco and then landed in Spain. Not much to say other than I went," he shrugged.
Blaise nodded and looked down at his feet, his hands tucked in to his robes. "And were there any other issues?"
Draco visibly stiffened and looked down. "No, not since Germany, before I owled you." Draco paused for a moment. "And, to remind you, my promise still stands if my condition were to become common knowledge." Draco grimaced.
"Draco, I know trust is not something that is prioritized among our social circles, however I do promise. " Blaise eyed him carefully. "I hear The Broom Shop has the newest Nimbus if you wanted to have a look"
Draco lifted his head and nodded desperate for a new subject.