Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Harry Potter, I am simply borrowing J.K. Rowling's wonderful characters, history and locations!

Hermione had stomped up the few short steps in the Burrow to the old room she used to share with Ginny all those summers at Hogwarts. She had started leaving odds and ends there, along with various wedding items she had been working on with Mrs. Weasley. Hermione had never been one of those girls who cared about pearls and lace, but working on the wedding had helped put her mind at ease.

After the mild fight in the kitchen with Ron, she knew she had to keep her mind on something happier, something brighter. So, within a few moments, she found herself engrossed in the latest issue of Wizardly Weddings. Her eyes scanned the pages, looking for anything that might interest her in the slightest. She busily flipped through the pages, stopping as her eyes narrowed in on a shiny, moving picture.

The bride was dressed beautifully in a flowing white dress and a pearled tiara atop her straight golden hair. She was smiling, laughing as her father tightened his hold on her arm. The two seemed so happy, even though her father's eyes were glistening and full of slight uneasiness behind his smile. Hermione felt her eyes begin to water.

It was late. She knew that much. The sun had stopped showing through the lace curtains that framed Ginny's bedroom window several hours ago. The trees outside were crashing against each other from the howling wind. She could hear raindrops beginning to fall quietly against walls of the Burrow. The weather seemed to understand her feelings. Hermione wanted nothing more than to lash out at someone, something or perhaps just simply cry.

Kingley had left after breakfast and Hermione had not seen anyone since. How could she? What could any of them possibly do? She could already see the pity clouding their eyes. They meant well, and it wasn't as though they didn't understand. But Hermione couldn't bear their condolences, not yet.

Tears welded behind her eyes; she would have thought she was through crying. The past 12 hours had been filled with nothing else. She wasn't sure why Kingley had been sent with the news. She would have preferred someone she felt a bit more comfortable with, like Professor Lupin or Tonks, to tell her about her parents.

They had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. A small muggle community was tormented by Death Eaters soon after Hermione had left for her summer visit to the Weasley's. Now it seems, Hermione wouldn't be able to go back to her home; not that there was much left. She was an orphan, just like Harry.

'Harry was lucky to be so young, he hardly remembers Lily and James.' Hermione thought bitterly, and immediately regretted it. Her parents wouldn't want her to act in such a manner. She was lucky to have the memories she did. At least she had gotten some time with them. Her tears broke loose. She covered her face with her quilt, trying to hide the sobs that were threatening to escape.

Thunder clapped outside, causing Hermione to quiver in shock. Something in the walls creaked loudly, and she heard a gentle scratching on the window outside. Hermione's eyes widened. Perhaps it was from her lack of sleep or the unfamiliarity of being alone in the Burrow, but Hermione shot up right in her bed, and flung her feet onto the cold floor. With the quilt tugged tightly around her, she made her way out to the hallway.

She wasn't sure why she had gotten out of bed, or where she wanted to go from here. The hall was dark. She peered down the stairs, into the living room. The fire crackled softly as it was slowly dying out. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione thought she saw something stir in the darkness. Taking a few quiet steps down the stairs, what she saw warmed her instantly.

Ron was slumped on an armchair near the fireplace; he had purposely turned his chair to face the staircase. Hermione didn't know if it had been for her sake or not, but either way she found herself moving towards him, unable to control the knots forming in her stomach. His head fell onto his right shoulder, and his arms were resting on the arms of the chair.

She didn't want to wake him, but he looked so inviting, and she needed him. Softly she whispered his name. It took a few moments, but suddenly his eyes widened, stunned awake.

"Hermione!? Are you okay? What are you doing up?" He spluttered. Her heart melted.

"I can't sleep." She said simply. "Could I… I mean… would you mind if I sat up with you? I don't want to be alone." She said in a shallow murmur.

Ron blinked a few times and caught her eye. The amount of worry and concern she saw in his bright blue eyes scared her. She smiled weakly and looked to the floor. Ron straightened up in his seat. In a tired voice he replied, "Of course. Would you… do you want to move to the couch?"

Hermione shook her head. "This is fine. If it's okay with you…"

Before he could answer, she found herself budging him over slightly in the chair; Ron tried to squeeze himself as far to the side as possible, unsure of what was considered too close. She quickly surprised him though, by laying her head on his shoulder. They sat awkwardly for a few moments, until Hermione felt Ron reach his arm around her shoulders and pull her a little closer.

"Thank you." She mumbled quietly. She sighed, letting herself take in the softness of his t-shirt against her cheek and his comforting aroma, fresh cut grass, soap and the faintest hint of chocolate.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Ron said hoarsely. He moved his hand to meet the other on her arm, and squeezed her into an awkward hug. Hermione's eyes pricked with tears again; Ron had never hugged her before. "I'm here for you. Harry and I are both here; no matter what." He whispered.

Hermione reached her arm across his chest, and held onto his waist. She snuggled in closer, needing the contact, needing to be held by him. His head rested in her mass of curls. They were both silent, each listening intently to the other's breathing. Hermione laid her ear against his chest and quickly took notice of his heartbeat. With a few more deep breaths, Hermione found herself being lulled to sleep.

Hermione wiped the tear away from her cheek in haste. She had forgotten about needing someone to give her away on her wedding day. Her heart ached as she rewatched the picture of the bride and her father. "I suppose it only makes sense that it would be Harry or Ron…" She muttered to herself. In the back of her mind, a voice was telling her to ask the former rather than the latter. Something about Ron giving her away to Caden didn't feel right.

Ron tumbled down the flights of stairs in search of Hermione. He hadn't seen her all morning, not since the invitation fiasco. His insides tightened as he replayed the conversation him and Harry had just had. He couldn't believe that his Hermione could be, well expecting, expecting something that wasn't his. He knew he was being childish and selfish, but the thought had never crossed his mind before. Someday Hermione would be married with children. And the way things were going, those children wouldn't have red hair.

Anger surged through his body as he bounded down the steps, two at a time. Caden was taking too much from him, too fast. He was ripping Ron's dream right out from under him, much sooner than Ron expected. His fists clenched slightly, his eyes determined. Maybe this was the motivation he needed.

"Ron, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Arthur said cheerfully, popping out of the bathroom just as Ron rushed past.

Ron snapped his head back; maybe his father knew where Hermione was. He tried to remove the distressed emotions from his face; however, Ron was not always the best at hiding his feelings. "Dad, have you by chance seen Hermione?" He asked through tensed lips.

Arthur eyed him suspiciously, and scratched his balding head. "I think I saw her in-"

"No, Dad don't tell him." A stern voice, full of vigor interrupted. "This git doesn't deserve to know where she is. Not after the stunt he pulled in the kitchen." Ginny added, making her way up the steps towards the two of them. She stopped a step below Ron, blocking his pass.

Ron glared at his sister. "I don't think that is any of your business. Where is she?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Why? Found a few more words to call her? You don't call a girl daft when she's sending out invitations to her wedding, Ron. You just don't. Apparently, you didn't want to follow my advice from last night. Don't insult her, talk to her."

"That's what I'm about to do. I want to know why she's getting married so early, not that you don't know already." Ron spat.

Ginny put her hands on her hips in a very Mrs. Weasley like fashion. "Oh, really? Enlighten me Ron, why is she getting married so quickly, could it be that her fiancé is a wonderful man who she loves her fiancé and can't wait to spend the rest of her life with?" Her eyes were narrowed at him. The words stung Ron, straight through his beating heart.

Arthur, obviously sensing the tension, lifted his hands to separate the two. "Now, now, there's no need to-"

"She's got a bun in the oven, Ginny!" Ron shouted. Both Ginny and her father's eyes widened. Arthur's hands fell to his side as he took a few steps back.

"Oh dear…" Mr. Weasley started.

"Wh-What did you just say?" Ginny stumbled and shook her head in disbelief.

"You're treading on very dangerous waters, Ronald." Ron's head snapped from glaring at Ginny to this new intruder behind her. His eyes bulged when he saw her.

Hermione's eyes, slightly puffy, were glowering at him. She had wrapped her sweater tightly around her body, her arms crossed as if shielding herself from something. For a moment, Ron could see the hurt flicker across her eyes. He made his heart sink. He hadn't meant to bring it up like this. Stupid, nosy sister.

Ginny twisted around in shock. "Hermione, don't listen to him. He's just a confused and completely barmy soul."

Everyone was quiet for a few moments. Hermione's eyes never left Ron's. He shifted his weight under her stare. "Well…" He began, if it wasn't for Ginny's deadly glare he would have continued to ask the question he was dying to know.

Arthur coughed uncomfortable, taking a few backwards steps up the stairs. "I think I just heard Molly…" He gave a weak smile before turned and jogging upwards.

Hermione shook her head, holding back embarrassed tears that were threatening to fall. "I would prefer if you would keep my private life private from now on Ronald. And perhaps you could learn how to think before you speak." She pushed past him and Ginny.

As she passed, Ginny swatted Ron hard in the shoulder. "Git." She muttered under her breath. "How could you do-"

Hermione cleared her throat and said without turning around again. "And for your information, though I don't see how it is any of her business, there is no bun in my oven." Her voice was dripping with mockery and sarcasm.

Involuntarily, Ron grinned as he watched Hermione go. Ginny caught this and kicked him before climbing back down the stairs.

Harry leaned backwards, hands flat on the floor. He stared at the chessboard in front of him intently. He could see now that Ron would have had him beat in two moves. As much as Harry hated being beat, he wished more than anything that Ron would have stayed and finished the game. It would have saved quite a few people from some embarrassing situations. He had left about 10 minutes ago, and so far, Harry hadn't heard any shouts or hexes, which meant that hopefully Ron never caught up with Hermione.

With a deep sigh, he glanced around the room. Pig was snoozing in his cage, an odd event for such a wound up owl. The window was shut tightly due to the coolness of the outside. It had been odd coming home after such a long absence. He had been nervous to see everyone again, but to be completely honest nothing had changed. Molly and Arthur were still heartwarmingly kind; Ron had made him laugh as soon as he saw him; and Ginny, well Ginny had still left knots in his stomach.

He, voluntarily, hadn't seen her yet. Now that there was a massive amount of water separating the two, he knew that Hermione was right. He would have to bulk up that Gryffindor courage to speak with her. He only hoped she wouldn't ask about all the letters she had written.

He felt horrible for not responding. But he couldn't. Each time he tried to write back, his mind went blank and he was afraid he'd break down and let her back in. Harry couldn't though. The dangers of his life weren't over. His job was about defeating evil, repeatedly. How could he let her into that mess?

Of course, Ginny was a smart girl. She found her loophole around that excuse…

Harry heard the door creak open behind him. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the sullen face of Ron Weasley behind him. "So, how'd it go? Manage to escape from the leg locker curse? Or did she go for the more subtle approach and hit you with a silencing charm?" He asked coolly. Silence met him in response.

He turned to see what had kept Ron was mumbling for him to shut up or at least from plopping down on his floor with a disgruntled groan only to find a most unfortunate sight. Hermione was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She glared at him soundly. Harry raised an eyebrow, "He's still alive, isn't he?"

Hermione shook her head and swiftly walked around Harry, swatting him in the back of the head before turning to stand in front of him. "How dare you let him come talk to me like that!" She scowled.

Harry laughed now, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh come on, it's Ron. He can't have done much harm. If you're going to blame anyone, blame Fred and George-"

"You're his best friend. You should have stopped him!" She interrupted.

Harry grinned, "Right, because I can control Ron. Are we talking about the same person?"

"He practically told the whole house! I heard him shouting from the kitchen and went to find out what about, only to find him standing next to his father and yelling at his sister about my… shotgun wedding." She whispered the last words, as if she thought Molly would be lurking in the shadows of the hallway. "I believe you're the one to thank for putting that definition in his head?"

Harry shook his head, "I only helped a little. Calm down, Hermione. He didn't mean anything by it. He was just looking out for you… in his own, very Weasley way." He gave her a slight smile.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him again, before her gaze slowly drifted to the chessboard at his feet. "I think he was winning." She said slowly.

"Nothing new there." Harry shrugged. "So, did you come up here just to chew me out?" He watched her as she sat on the edge of Ron's bed. She bit her lip slightly.

"Actually, I have a bit of an important matter to discuss with you…" She started, letting her hands fall to side of the bed beside her. "It's about the wedding."

Harry sat up straighter, wondering what could spark this nervous glimmer in Hermione's eyes. "Okay. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, I mean everything is going fine. But well, I've been thinking, I've got myself a Maid of Honor, and Caden has picked his Best Man, but I'm missing something very key... That is, I still need someone to give me away." She said in a rush, her eyes were boring holes into the floor. "Since that role is traditionally given to the bride's father, well obviously, tradition won't work for me. And I was thinking I need to find someone who I trust completely and who I know will do his very best to get me through the day…"

She looked up and gave Harry a half smile, hiding the glistening tears behind eyes. Her thoughts fell quickly onto the photo in the magazine she just saw. She took a breath, trying to regain her focus.

Harry saw her difficulty and tried, "Hermione, are you trying to ask me to give you away?"

Hermione laughed softly, inwardly thanking Harry for asking. "Why, yes Harry, I am."

He beamed up at her and said, "Of course, I will. It'd be an honor."

She smiled at him, letting herself breath. She felt a large weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you. I was hoping that was what you would say." Suddenly, Hermione shot up from the side of the bed. Her smile faded and a frown replaced it. She stared angrily at the door.

Harry turned again to see Ron in the doorframe, leaning casually to one side, his hands in his pockets. "Hey." He face was growing redder by the minute as he stared on past Harry at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes, returning her arms to her chest. "Yes, Ronald?" She asked sternly.

"Um, what are you two doing?" He mumbled, running a hand through his bright red hair. Obviously surprised that Hermione spoke to him.

"I was asking Harry a question about the wedding-" Hermione began.

"Yes, the non-shotgun wedding." Harry interjected, before hastily standing to avoid another swift smack from Hermione.

"Harry's going to be giving me away." Hermione said simply, her eyes falling back onto Ron's. His hand had stopped in the mess that was his hair.

He gulped and said meekly, "That's great."

Hermione nodded and marched past the two boys. Ron stepped to the side, allowing her to pass. "I thought so too. Things are falling together nicely." She bumped into Ron's arm with her shoulder as passed. He caught a twinkle of a smile out of the corner of her eye and relaxed somewhat.

Ron stepped into the room and shut the door shaking his head. Harry leaned back against the wardrobe, happy to have avoided an scene of confrontation between the two.

"That was a close one." He mumbled.

"Giving her away? To Caden?" Ron asked aloud, and grumbled to Harry. "Traitor."

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