Maybe it's All For the Best

Chapter5: Argument

Dinner hadn't changed at the Weasley House at all. It was as loud and as messy as it had ever been... and I loved it. I sat between the twins, across from Roe and Draco and didn't stop laughing or talking once.

"So you never told us you were an underwear model" George nudged me.

I glanced around for Mum to make sure she wasn't listening "You never asked" I shrugged when I saw her talking to Molly. "I also do swimwear" I smiled sweetly at them.

"I never thought I'd see the day sweet little Riley stripped for anyone" Fred nudged me from the other side.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Things change"

"Too right they do" They both muttered at the same time, giant grins on their faces. Fred wiggled his eyebrow suggestively at me and I clipped them both over the back of the head.

"Ugh, Pervs"

I glanced between them and the three of us burst out laughing. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry watching me from down the table. I glanced at him and caught his eye. Those eyes had always been a weakness for me, they were such a pretty green. He smiled and I smiled and then he looked away.

Nothing was the same now. We were like strangers. I suppressed a sigh and looked back at my food.

I decided this was a good time to make the announcement that I was engaged. I took a deep breath and stood, tapping on my glass to get everyone's attention.

"Can I have your attention please?" I said loudly. People kept talking, not hearing me over the noise.

"OI! RILEY'S SPEAKING!"

"THE PRINCESS WANTS TO SPEAK!" The twins stood up either side of me and yelled. That got everyone's attention and I laughed.

"Thank you. God I've missed you two" There was gentle laughter around the table and all eyes were on me. Suddenly I was afraid. I felt like I was 12 years old again and having to make a speech in front of my class. I swallowed. "I just have a small announcement, the main reason I decided to come home for a visit really..." I bit my lip. I slipped my hands into my coat pockets, my left fingertips feeling the cool ring. "I'm engaged" I pulled my left hand out of my pocket and held up the ring.

Shock registered on everyone's face and there was a moment of silence before everyone started talking at once.

"Engaged?" Dad exclaimed. "You're ENGAGED! You're NOT enganged!"

"My baby sister is engaged before me!" Avery wailed. I smiled and looked up and down the table. Sound was drowned out when I caught Harry's eyes. They were surprised but they also held another emotion I couldn't place... hurt maybe? I mentally shook myself. It couldn't have been hurt. Why would it be hurt? I probably imagined it. He broke our gaze when Teddy pulled on his arm.

"Congratulations love!" Draco broke me from my trance and hugged me. More hugging came from the rest of the family, tears even came from Mum. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the ring, fussed over me but for some reason I couldn't enjoy it. I felt numb.

"So why didn't you bring him home?" Sirius asked me as he took my hand to examine the ring.

"He's a muggle and I haven't told him about this yet... I wanted to pre-warn everyone about the engagement first" I shrugged. He gave me a raised eyebrow look. "It made sense to me at the time" I mumbled, feeling silly under his gaze. I cleared my throat. "He's also working. The main reason he couldn't come is because he's working"

"Hey what's that noise?" Fred asked loudly, stopping Sirius from saying anything else. I glanced over at him.

"It's coming from that bag" George frowned, poking my clutch that was resting on the table with his wand.

I frowned and listened, hearing the tinkly sounds of Jack's Mannequin playing from my bag "Oh that's my phone!" I exclaimed, walking over and pulling it out of my bag.

"Your what?" The twins asked together.

"My phone" I laughed. I didn't even know I could get reception out here. I glanced at the screen.

In Coming Call: Nathaniel.

Oh shit. I hadn't called him yet. I winced and stood. "I better take this" I said quickly to them and trotted back into the house.

"Hello?" I said tentatively.

"Why the hell haven't you called me!" Nate snarled down the phone. "You should have arrived HOURS ago. What the hell is going on?"

"Babe, I've been swept away by my family, I'm sorry I didn't call" I answered with a light laugh. "I'm ok though, I was gonna call you after dinner"

"You've been there since 2 this afternoon Riley, you should have called earlier" His voice didn't sound as pissed now and I breathed a sigh of relief. "I miss you, you know that right?" Suddenly his voice sounded so sincere. I smiled.

"I know... I miss you too" I leant against the bench and folded my arms across my stomach.

"Do you have to be away for a whole month?" He whined. "You're only there to announce that you're engaged... why does it have to take a month?!"

"Because I haven't seen my family in three years. I miss them, you know?" I sighed and leant against the bench. Out of the window I could see everyone talking excitedly and I got an overwhelming feeling that there was no place I'd rather be. "Besides, I think my mum and sisters will wanna start planning the wedding" I joked.

"Sisters? You have more than one?" He sounded like he was rolling his eyes.

"I've told you about them before" I mumbled. "Avery and Riley"

"Oh yeah" He sounded bored. "Look. I just miss you, that's all" He sounded sweet and kind now. "I'm not used to you being away on something other than work" He chuckled slightly.

"Well maybe I fly back to New York for a weekend, bring my sisters so you can meet them?" I suggested, suppressing a sigh

"That's my girl" He sounded happy again. "Anyway, I have to go. Brad and I are hitting the town tonight. I love you, talk soon"

"Love you too" I answered automatically. He clicked off and I just let my hand drop to my side.

As much as I loved him, he had a good way of making me feel guilty over the smallest things.

"Are you ok?" Harry's voice made me jump a mile. I looked up and saw him standing in the doorway to the living room, Teddy on his hip.

"Oh. Yeah I'm fine!" I nodded with a smile. He raised his eyebrows like he didn't believe me.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"On the phone? That was Nate" I shoved my phone back in my pocket. I could feel Harry studying me so I dropped my gaze to my nails.

"Nice rock by the way" He muttered, placing Teddy on the floor. I glanced at the giant thing on my finger and sighed. "Congratulations"

"Thanks" I murmured and tucked my hand into my pocket.

"Why are you home, Riley?" He asked quietly.

"To visit everyone" I answered, pushing my hair off my face. "And tell everyone I'm engaged"

"Without Nick?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nate" I corrected him. "I thought it was better if you guys heard about the engagement before you met him" I shrugged. The more I explained it to people, the sillier it sounded. It made total sense three days ago... and now... it just didn't.

"Shouldn't that be the other way around?" Harry asked, running a hand through his already messy hair.

"Not all the time" I shook my head. "The circumstances called for it. I couldn't exactly bring him home yet because he doesn't know about this part of me... besides, he's working. He's a very busy guy" I nodded.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Why doesn't he know this part of you" Harry gestured around with his hands.

"I don't think I can trust him with the secret" I answered truthfully. I kicked myself internally. After all this time he still made me tell him the truth.

"Then why are you with him?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses up his face. His green eyes bore questioningly into mine and made me lose myself for a minute. But it was only a minute.

"Because he's a nice guy and I love him" I folded my arms and stared at the table between us.

"Do you really? Because if you loved him that much you'd tell him about you... you kind of have to eventually" Harry snorted. I lifted my eyes and glared at him. He hadn't said one this to me all night, and not suddenly he was questioning whether or not I loved my fiancé?

"Excuse me? What kind of a question is that?" I snapped. I could feel my temper bubbling up under the surface.

"A fair one" He stated simply. "Why marry someone if they can't know the real you?" He shrugged, looking totally arrogant and annoying, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug "He doesn't even sound like a nice guy"

"What?" I snapped again. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Your phone is really loud. I could hear him talking..." He rubbed the back of his head. "He sounds like a total asshole to be honest"

That was the last straw "Oh piss off, Harry" My temper finally broke. "You've ignored me ALL night, you've barely even looked at me but you think it's ok for you to tell me that my boyfriend sounds like an asshole... that I don't love him enough because I don't want to tell him a secret about myself?" I exploded "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" His face dropped into a look of surprise. "What's wrong with you? The ONLY reason why you came home to visit your family is because you got engaged to someone that it's going to be tricky bringing to the family Christmas dinners" He paused "Oh wait, you don't even come to those" He added snarkily.

"I'm sorry I missed things, I'm sorry I chose to move to New York but I only went because of you" I hissed at him, tears springing to my eyes. "I was serious that night Harry. I never want to see you again" I took a deep breath and swallowed "I'm happy now, ok? I love Nate and nothing is going to change that"

"You're not happy. I can tell" He shrugged.

"What the fuck makes you say that?" I shrieked not caring that I swore.

"I know you Riley. I can tell when you're not ok" His expression softened and his voice dropped. "I'm guessing you don't even want to be engaged. You think that ring is way too over the top for your tastes and deep down you know it's wrong that you don't want to tell him that you're a witch"

His words hit me like a kick in the gut. After all this time how did he still affect me like this? How did he know things about me that I hadn't told anyone? I pushed back my tears and let my temper flare up instead. I had to get away from him.

"You don't know me at all, Potter" I snarled, my hands balling into fists. "I am completely different to the person that you left three years ago. I don't need you to be my protector anymore. You gave that up when you gave me up" I let out a hollow laugh.

"You haven't changed that much but suit yourself" He shrugged and looked at the floor "I still care about you Riles" He murmured. My stomach clenched and the tears returned.

"Don't do that" I gasped "Please, don't do that. You don't care, you stopped caring a long time ago. Just do me a favour and don't talk to me again. We're better off leaving things the way they were" I turned and placed a hand on the doorhandle.

"Riley..."

"Bye Harry" I shook my head and walked back into the summer night.

"Everything ok?" Ginny raised an eyebrow and cocked her head slightly toward the house. I turned and saw Harry standing with his back to the window, Teddy in his arms.

"Yeah" I smiled, turning back to the table "It was just Nate. I forgot to call him and tell him I was home" I laughed.

"Cute... I can't wait to meet him!" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and staring at the ring again.

I laughed and was quite happy to be fussed over for the rest of the night. Harry left soon after I sat down. His excuse was Teddy but I knew it was because of what I just said. I didn't care. I meant every word I said. Things between us were better off left the way they were. The less I saw of him this trip, the happier I'd be.

Plea's Note:

Hey Guys! This was meant to go up last night but I fell asleep... Oops! Hope you forgive me. I just noticed that ALL these chapters have been longer than any of my other stories... this is due, most likely, to the fact that Riley's story takes place over a month, not a year, so I really have to make the most of my situations... Hope you don't mind!

anywhoo, till the next chapter (in a few hours to make up for my slackness!)

xo Plea