CHAPTER 3
A.N : I know, I havent' updated for a really really long time. But I was really caught up in some stuff! I am sorry!
Anyways, yesterday the remaining story came in my head in waves! And I had to simply write it down. So here goes...
Oh yeah..It's all J.K Rowling's, I am simply Bawling..!
HOW WE CAME TO BE.
" To Auror Potter!"
"To Auror Potter!", they all repeated, raising their glasses in the direction of the dark haired, green eyed man, who after all these years still looked a bit embarrassed at being the centre of attention.
And to "Harpy Ginny!" chorused the two red headed identical twins standing at the back, to which Ginny glared at them and the rest of the red heads in the room laughed.
"Go get 'em Gin!" called Angelina Weasley, the wife of Fred Weasley.
"They never tire of calling her that, ever since she has been selected for Harpies' team" said the only other red headed woman in the room at the laughing Hermione.
"I am sure she must get riled up every time" said Hermione knowing her friend well.
"She sure does and that's what they love the most, but she gives as good as she gets" said the woman as she started taking the plates to set up the table, and sure enough a yelp of pain could be heard coming from one of the twins.
Hermione hurried to help her, and the two woman started taking out the food. She felt a sense of nostalgia in helping Mrs. Weasley, she remembered times when she was younger and used to stay at the Burrow admits all the noise and laughter that was ever present, being one of them then. That noise and laughter was still there she thought, it's me whose missing. Wiping away a stray tear which had formed as she indulged in the old memories she looked at the woman beside her "I have missed this Mrs Weasley."
"What dear?"
"These gatherings, you, Mr. Weasley, the Burrow, it's been so long and I am so sorry!" Mrs Weasley gave a warm motherly smile to Hermione, a bit teary herself as she looked at the girl whom she considered like Ginny. She came over and hugged Hermione. "It's alright dear, we all know how the job of a Healer is, besides what matters is that all of us are here now right?"
"Right" said Hermione wiping her eyes and taking the food to the table. Soon the others came in and started crowding around thus not giving Hermione much time to dwell anymore.
"Give Angelina three plates Mom, she eats for herself, the baby and herself again now!" exclaimed Fred, getting a whack in the process from his wife.
"I only have a bigger stomach because they are twins Weasley, its all because of you by the way."
"And aren't I a phenomenon" said Fred, "me being a twin and going to be the father of a pair as well" he said giving a smirk to the others while gently helping his wife sit down despite her whack.
"That you certainly are weirdo" said the other twin.
"Oh you heard me from your left side did you George" I can't see your ear though funnily!"
George's rebuke was cut by his Mother telling them to concentrate on their food. Very soon however their banter began again, this time unnoticed by Mrs. Weasley who was lecturing her other son. "Charlie, it's high time dear, you know, you can't remain single for the rest of your life."
"Mom, please, the life I live is not for some young girl..."
Mr Weasley, Bill and Percy were having another discussion on wizard stocks, "Nimbus has not yet recovered from the fall, it's not safe yet..."
Ginny was feeding James while Harry who sat next to her was talking to Hermione. "...it strangely reminded me of the forest we used to camp in, you know. I forgot the name.."
"The Forest of Dean?"
"Aah.. yes, and I tried to search for the exact spot we used to camp, but I couldn't find it."
"You remember that farm, from where we had stolen eggs?"
"We didn't steal them Hermione, you left money under the coop."
"Yeah, one of the good meals we had. I still remember Ron's constant grumbling about our lack of good food."
"He still grumbles about it" said Ginny, "I met him at the playoffs, and you know how the players are supposed to eat healthy and all, he was not happy"
Harry and Hermione laughed, as George turned to them, "and why isn't he here the git?"
"He is with Maria in Italy" said Mrs Weasley.
"Maria is it now?" asked Ginny, "well I hope she is better than that toad of a girl,he once brought over!" the others laughed obviously at some joke which was lost on Hermione.
Harry looked at Hermione's puzzled face and explained, "Oh, Ron's last girlfriend,she was one case, she made even Umbridge look better."
Hermione laughed thinking about the comical face of her ex-professor and imagining a younger version of her, preferably with a long tongue. Harry stared amused at his laughing friend who now had tears in her eyes. After Hermione had calmed down, he passed her a glass of water, he looked around and after confirming that the others were occupied in their conversations and Ginny was busy with James leaned and said to Hermione, "I am glad you moved over him Hermione."
The almond eyes of his friend crinkled in a bitter sweet smile but she nodded her head and looked deep into the inquisitive and concerned eyes of her best friend.
"Yes Harry, me too."
"Malfoy must possess some great charm then,eh?"
"Haha, no, you know how our relationship is right Harry?"
"Yes and I want to talk to you about it Hermione."
Hermione sighed knowing how this conversation would go, it happened semi-periodically, and everytime she tried to explain to Harry that even though there was no love between them, she was comfortable with him.
"We are friends Harry" said Hermione later as they sat on the Weasley's couch alone as the others had apparated away, and Ginny was in the kitchen talking to Mrs. Weasley.
"Friends" said Harry in a way as if he was weighing the word up.
"Yes. And listen, I know you will say that now that everything is done I must look for better prospects and la la la"
"See you are not serious Hermione, but tell me seriously, SERIOUSLY, whether you two and yes I am talking of his happiness as well, I know him to be a Ok guy now, so can you two really be happy in a marriage like this? Where you both are just.. as you say...friends? I know you Hermione, and I know what a marriage entails, I know being friends is a good thing, but shouldn't there be more? Are you content to be on this contractual friendship with him? Tell me."
Hermione looked into the deep green eyes of her friend, and was touched by the anguish of his concern for her happiness. Harry was always her brother, her side of the family, he would have been of the Bride's party had her wedding to Ron happened and she knew it would be fruitless to lie to this man especially after what they had been through.
She took a deep breath as she stared at the wedding band in the hand, complete with the small Malfoy crest.
"He...me...well...the truth is Harry, once I dearly and truly wanted to marry for love, to be with a person who loves me...I...those dreams, those expectations as you know, did not materialize, so I stopped hoping for them Harry, stopped expecting them."
She took another breath as she realized the pain she had to endure when her dreams had shattered was still there somewhere in residual form. She continued as Harry held her hand. "What Draco and I have is an arrangement but it is a surety Harry, I said earlier we are friends and we are comfortable like that, he gives me my space, I give him his, and don't think by that we stay away from each other, we are important to each other. We have fallen into a pattern Harry and I don't want to break it."
"Hermione, he is in love with another woman, you told me they still meet and...and stuff." said Harry a bit uncomfortably.
"So? Even I am in love with another man Harry!"
"Hermione, you told me you moved over him!"
"And I did Harry, but he is still the man I love!, when I said I moved on I meant his memories don't pain me anymore, his thought does not bring regrets to me anymore! I have been in love with Ron since I was thirteen Harry! Thirteen! How can I stop loving him now all of a sudden?"
"But Hermione..."
"No Harry, please, let it be. I am happy, I love this life, I love my job, I am getting what I wanted to achieve, I don't want to let this go now, because if I do, I will be lost again Harry...and this time for good."