A/N: Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU to: potterstwin, miko-kagome69, Nynaeve80, cosmopolitan, ukambitious, and Omnike for REVIEWING!! I LOVE REVIEWS!!

kk...now about cosmopolitan's question...In my excitement of writing this story, I made a whoopsie. Congratulations. You caught me. Where it says four years, it should say three...let's just pretend it does, how's that? Ron doesn't talk to Hermione because...well...you'll find that out.

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Chapter 2

The Questions

"Hermione," Allie whispered fiercely as soon as Ron left, "What is going on?! You walk in and it's like suddenly Ron and Harry turn to statues!"

Hermione let out a small sigh and stared at her hands.

"It's a very, very long and slightly painful story, Allie. You've heard bits of it already, and I really just don't have the heart to tell you the entire thing right now." Hermione said slowly and softly.

Allie didn't look happy, but she nodded.

"Alright." She conceded, and was about to say something more, but stopped when Ron and Harry walked back in.

"Okaay…coffee." Ron said, setting down a tray on the table. "Allie…black, two sugars, right? Hermione…black no sugar?" Ron said hesitantly, looking at his friend.

Hermione nodded with a smile.

"Good memory, Ron." She said.

Ron shrugged, and served the coffee before sitting down next to Allie on the small loveseat.

Harry sat in the chair across from Hermione, separated from her by the coffee table.

"So, Harry," Allie said, "What do you do?"

"I'm an Auror," he said carefully, "at the Ministry."

Hermione turned to look at him interestedly.

"Really? I was going to be an Auror," Allie said thoughtfully, "but in the end I settled for journalism. I write for the Prophet!"

Harry's eyebrows rose.

"I've been noticing that the standard of that paper had been rising. I'm sure that's a very exciting job."

Allie wrinkled her nose.

"Not really…I don't do interviews, see? I got sick of interviewing conceited people, and eventually made my way up to editor in chief!"

"That's fantastic." Harry said genuinely, "Congratulations."

Allie beamed.

Ron smiled and put his arm around her.

"I'm very proud of her," he said, "Hermione…what is it that you've been doing since school? Still doing elf-rights work?"

Hermione smiled.

"Ha-ha, Ron. No…I'm actually teaching at Hogwarts."

Ron looked surprised.

"What subject?" he asked.

"Transfiguration." Harry said softly, and Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"That's right." She said, "How did you know?"

Harry shrugged and looked away from her gaze.

"I just always thought that was what you would do."

A rather uncomfortable silence overcame the group, and Allie glanced at Ron.

Ron sighed and decided to ask a question that he would most likely have to answer for when the girls left.

"Are you…seeing anyone, Hermione?" He asked.

Harry's head shot up, and Hermione could feel his gaze, though she refused to look at him.

"Not…not recently, no…" She said, "It's rather hard to have a relationship what with….having to teach classes and make lessons and…things…"

Ron nodded understandingly.

"I used to feel the same way…I'm very glad that I don't anymore." He said, looking at Allie, who smiled back at him.

Hermione watched the two of them, and felt an odd emotion rise inside of her. Brushing it aside quickly, she smiled.

"When's the wedding, by the way?" Hermione asked.

"Ron and I want to get married this June, actually. The twenty-second."

Hermione gaped at her.

"The twenty-second?! But…that's only four months away!"

Allie and Ron nodded.

"Which brings us, both, I think, to our next questions…we want the two of you to help us, if you won't mind…you'll sort of be…our unofficial wedding planners!"

Harry choked a bit on his coffee.

"Your what?" He spluttered.

Ron laughed.

"Come on, mate! You can handle it! Look, I promise, none of the girly stuff. Allie and Hermione can handle all of that. We'll do all the…manly stuff."

Hermione snorted.

"What's manly about a wedding?" She asked.

"I dunno," Ron shrugged, "The bachelor party…and…yeah that's pretty much it…"

Harry was shaking his head.

"I dunno…it sounds…"

"Oh, come on, Harry, please?" Allie said, "Ron's going to need another bloke to get him through all this craziness if we've only got four months!"

Harry sighed, but Allie could see she was winning him over.

"Okay," he agreed. "I must be out of my mind, but okay."

Allie and Ron both beamed, and turned to Hermione.

"How about it, Hermione?" Allie asked cheerfully.

"Of course I will, Allie."

"Great!"

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"Thanks so much for having us over, Ron, Harry." Allie said, hugging them both, and kissing her fiancé.

"I'm glad you got to meet Harry, Allie." Ron said, and Harry nodded.

Allie grinned.

"I would say the same about Hermione, but you two already knew her." She laughed, and Ron smiled vaguely, but Harry's face seemed a bit frozen.

Sensing that her words had had a negative effect on the boys, Allie quickly joined Hermione in the hallway and they left for their apartment.

Allie chose wisely not to ask Hermione about Ron or Harry on their way home, but the minute the door to their apartment had closed, she pounced.

"What in the name of Merlin was going on over there, Hermione?" She demanded, pulling Hermione down to sit on the sofa.

Hermione sighed, and took a deep breath.

"Okay. You remember when you first met me?"

Allie nodded.

"Okay, well…I went through a bit of a rough patch about a year or two after graduating. The thing is, there was this bloke that I'd known since I was eleven, and around my seventh year at Hogwarts, I was falling in love with him. He…he was amazing. He'd had such hardships, but never really complained about them, and he was brave…and compassionate…and sweet…and such a friend that I just loved him more every day. I felt horrible at first, because he was one of my very best friends, and so I kept quiet for almost two years until around a year after graduation. I tried to distance myself from him a bit, but that just made it worse, and I ended up living with him in a flat that we shared with another guy and…after a while it just felt right. He was affectionate towards me, and I started to think, you know, maybe he does…maybe, just maybe, he could love me. I decided I was going to tell him how I felt. I waited all day for him to get home from his work and he was a bit later than usual, and he came in, and I told him I had something to tell him. He was, as it turned out, horribly drunk, but had always been pretty good about keeping it in check, so he seemed to understand what I was saying. I told him that I loved him, that I'd always loved him…that he was the only guy I ever thought about really, truly dating and being with forever."

Allie looked nervous.

"What did he do?"

"He listened to me, and after a while, he had this huge grin on his face. When I quit talking, he just looked at me, and took my hand, and he kissed me. He told me he knew exactly how I felt and he had been feeling the same

way."

Hermione paused.

"So," she said quietly, "so I fell asleep in his arms and I was the happiest I had ever been in such a long, long time. But then, I woke up in the morning, and he was gone. He'd…completely packed up everything and disappeared, leaving just a note."

Allie looked even more on edge.

"What did the note say?"

Hermione sighed.

"It…it basically…he had written out that he was very sorry for confusing me last night, that he had been drunk and completely out of his mind, and he…he thought that I was his…his fiancée…and apparently, he didn't 'remember' any of what was said between us. I never knew he was engaged. He hadn't," Hermione was sobbing slightly now, "he hadn't s-said a word to either of us…and he t-told me that he was leaving to b-be with her…he was the best thing I had in my life, and I finally told him how much he meant to me…and…and he broke my heart."

"Oh, Hermione…" Allie whispered.

Hermione took a shuddering breath, wiping her face.

"I ruined everything that night and…and I wrote to him telling him I never wanted to see him again. It's been about three years since then, and I just saw him for the first time tonight."

Allie's face was horrorstruck.

"Do you mean…it was…?"

Hermione sighed.

"I fell in love with Harry."

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After Allie and Hermione had left, Harry and Ron went into the living room. Ron could sense that Harry was upset, and decided to give him a little time to collect his thoughts.

"So," Ron said, "what do you think of Allie?"

Harry looked up.

"She's great, Ron. She's obviously very committed to you, and I'm glad you found her." Harry said truthfully.

Ron nodded thoughtfully.

"And what do you think of Hermione?"

Harry looked at Ron sharply.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

"I mean, Harry, that it was obvious that you care for her very much!"

Harry sighed.

"And it was just as obvious how upset she is with me." He said in a subdued voice.

Ron winced.

"She did seem a little…more withdrawn towards you." Ron admitted.

Harry laughed bitterly.

"Of course she is. I told you just this morning how screwed up things between us were." Harry sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, "I wish I'd done things differently…and now it's too late."

Ron sighed.

"It doesn't have to be too late, Harry! You can do this! It might take some work, but you can show her how you feel!"

Harry shook his head.

"No," he said quietly, "I missed that opportunity. It's over, Ron. And I'd really appreciate it if we gave up on the idea."

Ron sighed.

"Okay, Harry."

That night, Harry kept thinking of how happy Hermione had seemed, and how beautiful she was. She'd been enthusiastic when talking about her job

as a professor, and Harry wished he could see her teach. He knew she'd be great at it.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

Maybe one day, he could.

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The next morning, Allie was sitting up in the kitchen waiting on Hermione, who walked in rubbing her eyes groggily.

"Hey, Allie." She mumbled, pouring herself some coffee.

"Hi. Look, Hermione, I was thinking last night about what you said Harry did, and there are a few things that just don't add up to me."

Hermione sighed.

"Allie..." She said pleadingly, but Allie shook her head stubbornly.

"No, Hermione, just listen. His engagement...don't you think it odd that he's not married now? That he's living as a bachelor with Ron, who's never said anything about Harry being engaged? Or his engagment breaking up? Or--"

Hermione held up a hand.

"Allie, please. I spent too many years picking apart the reasons why he never cared, and I've finally moved on. I'm happy not knowing, not caring."

Allie sighed.

"You can honestly tell me you don't care?"

"Yes, I can."

"Say it then. Tell me right now, 'I don't care about Harry Potter or why he isn't married.'"

"You're acting like a child, Allie. I don't care about Harry's life."

Allie sighed.

"And I'm through discussing this, I have to go to work."

Allie blinked.

"You only just got here for the weekend! There aren't any classes today!"

Hermione sighed.

"It's Sunday, and I have to do lessons for tomorrow. I'll be back this weekend, okay?"

Allie waved.

"I don't see why you even bother keeping this half of this apartment."

Hermione laughed.

"To escape Hogwarts. Living there for the larger part of seven years wasn't the highlight."

Allie sighed.

"It's useless...especially now, since I'll be moving out."

Hermione sighed.

"I know. I'm going to give it up when you do, actually. Downsize a bit and move to a one bedroom apartment for the summers. I'm going to miss it, though."

Allie smiled sadly.

"I'm going to miss you, Hermione."

Hermione laughed.

"Oh, don't get all sad now! You've still got a little time with me before the wedding!"

"Speaking of which, the florist appointment is tomorrow night, since I know you'll be teaching."

Hermione sighed.

"Okay, I'll be there...and now, I really have to go."

"Bye!"
Allie watched as her friend disappeared with a pop, then in turn, left the aparment.

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"Ron! RON!"

Ron came running down the stairs of his apartment looking startled.

"Allie? How'd you get in?"

"Apparated. Your wards recognized me."

Ron looked confused for a bit, then smiled.

"Harry must have added you, then."

Allie grinned.

"Is he here?"

"Harry?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Good."

"Why's that good?" Ron asked.

"Because I want to talk to you about him and Hermione."

Ron looked wary.

"What about them?"

"You know what happened right?"

Ron shook his head.

"No...do you want to tell me?"

Allie hesitated.

"Not...not really. It's just Hermione's my best friend, and I had to coax it out of her last night, and I don't think it'll be right if I tell you."

"Then how am I going to be useful in the conversation about them?"

Allie looked thoughtful.

"How does Harry feel towards Hermione?"

"He's crazy about her, I think. He refuses to do anything, because he says he completely screwed everything up, and there's no use. Why? How does Hermione feel towards Harry?"

"I think she still loves him." Allie said quietly, "She just doesn't want to."

"And you're telling me this..."

"Because I think they deserve each other. Harry's a very nice guy, and he is crazy about Hermione. I could see the reactions between them last night. It was stilted and unnatural, but that's because they're denying how they really feel."

Ron was silent.

"Anyways, I have got this brilliant plan..."

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