Disclaimer: As always I own nothing.
I could have probably skimmed this chapter down, but. . . I wrote it so it's here. Next chapter has Hermione in it more and the chapter after that has sex so woot woot!
The wedding was beautiful. Ginny looked gorgeous and Harry looked happier than Hermione had ever seen him reminding her of when she had first met Harry on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. Who would have thought as eleven-year-old Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the compartment together that they would have gone through hell and back together. Indeed if someone had told an eleven-year-old Hermione what the next seven years of her life would be like, she would not have believed it. Break all of those rules? Rubbish. And I would never skip out on my final year no matter what evil wizard was taking over the country. He can't stop me from taking my N.E.W.T.'s. Maybe life was just like that sometimes, completely unforseen and unpredictable. When Harry pulled back Ginny's veil and kissed her, Hermione smiled. Never had she known anyone who deserved to be happy as much as Harry.
The photographer pulled the wedding party to the side shortly after to take pictures. It seemed that Harry had taken Ron's advice and had gotten a different photographer. This photographer was a woman who looked like she was in her thirties without the faintest interest in Parvati, rather she was eyeing Charlie with big eyes and obvious smiles. After twenty minutes Fleur started complaining.
"How long is 'zis going to take?" she demanded smoothing her hair.
Parvati scowled, looking like she wanted to torch Fleur's hair.
"I think all the pictures are nice," Luna said dreamily watching Harry and Ginny get photographed alone by the wedding cake.
"It shouldn't be much longer," Hermione said a nearby seat and rubbing her ankle. Her feet were killing her, she couldn't wait until she could toss the heels aside and wear something a little more comfortable.
Parvati went and grabbed the seat next to Hermione. She was staring absentmindedly at the side of the tent the wind flicking the loose gaps of fabric freely. "Hey who's that?" Parvati asked nodding towards a small space between fabric of a tent.
Hermione turned and saw a rather short man with a small camera focusing in on Harry and Ginny. It took Hermione a minute to process what she was seeing mainly because the camera did not look like a wizarding camera. It was small and portable looking almost as if it was a muggle camera, there was no flash, and no billowing of smoke once the picture was taken. "That's not right," she muttered. Without taking time to consult anyone about it she grabbed her wand, pointed at the short wizard, and said, "Accio camera."
The small camera flew into the tent and Hermione caught it. Several pairs of eyes turned as the camera fell into Hermione's hand, and swung back to the origin of where it came from. The short wizard stood frozen in place. Ron took a step forward and then the stranger, as if remembering that he should try to escape, turned to run pulling out his wand to disapparate in the process. Ron ran forward and pulled out his wand yelling a jelly-leg jinx before the wizard could apparate away, and the wedding party watched as Ron pulled the wizard in the tent dropping him on the ground a few feet away from Harry and Ginny.
Hermione and Parvati got to their feet as the rest of the bridal party hovered around the snooping wizard. Even the guests who had left the tent so the pictures could be taken started slowly creeping back in wondering what all the commotion is about.
"Who are you?" Ron started pointing a wand at him.
"I- I was just-" he stuttered his face turning red. Hermione frowned feeling a bit bad for him. He was a dumpy sort of guy that looked like he had hardly gotten any exercise. On top of that he looked like he had no confidence, no smarts, and only a small patch of brown hair to call his own on a nearly bald head. For all intents and purposes, he reminded Hermione of what Peter Pettigrew would have been at forty years if he had not gotten involved with Voldemort and had aged gracefully as pathetic sad-looking men do.
"The press was not invited to this wedding," Harry said interrupting his stuttering comments. "How did you get past the security?"
The dumpy wizard just looked at Harry in awe and his face grew a deeper shade of red.
"You're also on private property," Ginny said holding Harry's arm and backing him. "If you don't tell us how you got in, we're going to press charges."
"Spit it out!" Ron said impatiently pointing his wand at him.
Finally he stuttered. "In-invisibility charm."
"We have a perimeter," Harry replied pressing further. "It shouldn't matter if you're invisible you shouldn't have been able to get in."
"You have a perimeter to stop invisibility charms on the land," the wizard replied shaking. "Not- not the sky."
"Slimey little git," Ron said disgusted as a look of realization dawned on Harry's face.
"Smart, slimely little git," Parvati corrected him impressed.
"We'll throw him out for you Harry," Charlie said stepping up and grabbing the wizard by the forearm as Bill grabbed the other arm.
"And, we'll tell security how he got in so they can improve this," Bill added.
"Thanks," Harry said to them smiling a little as he watched the his new brother-in-laws drag the wizard away, not giving him the decency to undo the jinx so he could walk on his own.
Ron turned to Hermione once the wizard was gone. "What is that?" he asked looking at the small portable digital camera in Hermione's hands.
"It looks like a muggle camera," Hermione said holding it up. "Although he may have jinxed it to take magical photos. From what I understand though, it's hard to do that with this design." Hermione looked at the photographer to see if she had anything to add.
"It can be done, although for higher quality photos you're not going to want to use a muggle design especially that one. If you're just trying to get some pics that a magazine will want to buy though, I mean, some kind of picture is better than no picture," she said shrugging, "even if the picture won't be as clear and there will be some lag in the movement."
Harry took the camera from Hermione. "The Dursely's use to have a camera like this," he said frowning. Ginny took the camera from Harry and pointed her wand at it so it fizzled and sparked, clearly broken. She set it on the table and gave her new husband a testing smile. "It's our wedding day," she said smiling. "Forget about that stupid git, Charlie and Bill will make sure it gets taken care of.
Harry gave her a small smile and pulled her in a small chaste kiss on the side of her mouth. "Alright, let's get things started then."
xxx
The dinner included all of Harry's and Ginny's favorites. It reminded Hermione easily of Hogwarts, not just from the feast that lay in front of them, but because after the ceremony the banners had changed from the simple lavender color of the ceremony to banners of red and gold. There was even a gryffindor lion emblem behind the wedding party's table as if there was any doubt of where the choice in change in color came from. In addition, many people from Hogwarts were there. Everyone who had been a part of the D.A. were there including some older gryffindors such as Oliver Wood and Alicia Spinnet. Hagrid was there also taking almost half of the circular table along with a few of his fellow teachers including McGonagal, Sprout, and Flitwick.
"It's like Hogwarts all over again, isn't it?" Parvati asked gesturing towards the atmosphere around them.
"It definitely feels like it," Hermione nodded, looking at the girl sitting next to her.
"So are you nervous for the speech?" Parvati asked taking a bit of treacle tart.
Realization dawned on Hermione's face. Then horror. "Parvati I completely forgot about that! What am I going to do?"
Parvati didn't say anything but burst out laughing instead.
"Parvati, please!" Hermione hissed. "This isn't funny."
"Oh on the contrary, I find it hilarious."
"What am I going to do?" Hermione asked faintly.
"Wing it," Parvati suggested.
"I don't 'wing it,'" Hermione said offended that Parvati could even suggest such a thing. "I prepare for things. I meticulously prepare for anything and everything that could happen."
"I know you do," Parvati said rolling her eyes. "This might actually be a good exercise for you. . . oh don't look at me like that, you look like you're gonna cry. If you really want some help on it maybe you should go over and ask Ron what he's doing. I mean yours can't be worse than his."
"Right," Hermione said looking sick and slowly standing up.
"Go," Parvati said giving her girlfriend a slight push in the right direction. Parvati watched her girlfriend walk timid over the other side of Harry at the groomsmen table. She tapped Ron on the shoulder who was busy devouring a chicken leg. Even if he was propped up on a high table in front of all the guests he did not seem to think it was important to eat nicely. Upon seeing Hermione, he swallowed and from the look on his face it was painful. Parvati smirked as he started coughing on his food, but he quickly excused himself so he could talk to Hermione.
They walked towards the edge of the tent. Hermione had her back to Parvati, but she had no doubt just confessed her lack of preparation to Ron who first looked surprised then started bursting out laughing. Hermione hit his arm angrily, and Ron controlled his humor and pulled out a piece of parchment from his dress robes. He gave her the paper like it was a secret to his success which made Parvati roll her eyes. She couldn't imagine anything profound coming from Ron Weasley. He pointed to a couple things on the paper and Hermione looked up and nodded. She took the paper to read it, and Ron looked down at the paper as well as if he was doing the same thing, but slowly let his gaze wonder up to Hermione instead.
Ron took no trouble to hide his feelings in the look he was giving Hermione. Hermione was, of course, paying no attention as whenever she read something she was absorbed in it no matter how boring the material was. Parvati felt her blood boil watching Ron look at Hermione. Didn't he know Hermione was hers? She scowled, but Ron paid no attention. His attention was absorbed completely on the bookworm in front of him as if he was trying to memorize every line on her face. Parvati was very familiar with that look. It was one Hermione had given her often their last year at Hogwarts when she thought Parvati was not paying attention. He licked his lips and lifted his hand lightly and pulled a strand of hair in front of her face to behind her ear to which Hermione looked up and Ron smiled and said something. Parvati cursed herself for being so bad at reading lips.
"Parvati are you okay?"
"Hmm?" Parvati involuntarily took her eyes of the pair in the corner and saw that Ginny was the one speaking to her a couple of seats to her left with a concerned look on her face.
"Why are you standing is something wrong?"
Standing? "Oh," Parvati said feeling awkward as she sat back down wondering when exactly she had stood up. "I'm fine Ginny thanks," she said giving her a reassuring smile.
Ginny gave her a small smile back and turned back to Harry who said something and laughed. By the time Parvati redirected her attention back to Hermione, she noticed the pair were done and were making there way back to their seats. Hermione had a piece of parchment in her hand.
"What's that?" Parvati asked trying to sound disinterested as Hermione sat back down.
"A list of love quotes. Apparently Ron has no speech, but he's gonna pick a quote and wing it off of that," she said looking down at the parchment.
"That sounds dumb," Parvati said bluntly. "I bet they're the most cheesy quotes too. Let's see," Parvati said snagging the paper. "Okay, 'Come live in my heart and pay no rent.' How they hell do you make a toast around that?"
Hermione crinkled her nose and made a sappy face. "That's kind of cute."
Parvati rolled her eyes. "I've heard better."
"Really, like what?"
"There was one I heard one time. . . it was like 'Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine and then you take the girl's clothes off.'"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I would never say that quote at a toast in a wedding. That doesn't sound like love at all."
"It worked for us," Parvati said pointedly and Hermione made a face, obviously not pleased at all about that comment. "Anyway I would never say any quote about love at a wedding."
"Why not?" Hermione asked wondering why girlfriend was getting worked up about this.
"Because," Parvati said sorely, "you could never explain love in a quote. That would simplify love too much. There's a reason people write books about love and tell stories about love because there's no way you could condense it in a sentence. There's too many parts to love, there's too many things to say about it. You can't define love."
Hermione sighed. "So what do you suggest I do Parvati?"
Parvati shrugged. "I don't know. If I were you I would have prepared for it."
"You are very irritating right now."
Parvati laughed. "Just say tell them good luck, and wish them to be happy. Every toast is more or less the same Hermione, don't get too worked up about it."
Hermione sighed getting worked up about it and wondering very deeply what she should do about it. Once the food was mostly cleared Hermione stood up and tapped her glass with her wand sending a reverberating chime throughout the room.
"What are you doing?" Parvati asked looking up at her surprised as her girlfriend stood up in front of her.
"Winging it," Hermione replied sourly. She pointed her wand at her throat and said, "Sonorus."
"Hello if I could have your attention everyone." Hermione's voice was amplified throughout the room. "I'm Hermione, friend of the bride and groom and Maid of Honor, and I think I'm going to start the toasts tonight.
"So I met Harry on the Hogwarts Express in our first year, and I would never have guessed that we would have became the close friends we became. I'm pretty sure he couldn't have guessed it either because, well, I came on a bit strong and I mostly annoyed everyone at Hogwarts my entire first year."
There were a couple laughs from the guests and the wedding party. Parvati seemed to find it particularly funny.
Hermione continued the speech as such, interjecting memories to what she was saying and occasionally there were some weak laughs. She felt a bit like she was ranting and with the tough crowd downing the drink in her hand and sulking felt like the best idea. Rather abruptly she concluded, "Now if we could raise a glass for Ginny and Harry that they have a long and happy marriage."
Everyone took a sip with a loud cheer, and Hermione downed her glass and sat down. She coughed a little bit afterward to which Parvati laughed and said, "Nice one."
"It was generic," Hermione said frowning, "laced with weird memories I used to try and make it unique."
"Nahhh," Parvati replied sarcastically which received her a light punch on her shoulder. "Everyone cheered at the end."
Hermione sighed as she watched her champagne glass magically fill up again. "The only reason they cheered was because it was over."
"It'll be better than Ron's will be," Parvati said. "I predict it."
"Well we'll find out now," Hermione murmured as Ron stood up to address the guests.
Ten hilarious minutes later Ron sat down as everyone clinked their glasses together and drank merrily.
"At least you don't have to follow that up," Parvati said as a way of comfort.
Hermione gave her a sour look. "You're a terrible seer Parvati Patil."
xxx
Parvati took a swig of butterbeer and eyed her best friend watching Seamus Finnigan like he was a piece of meat. They were sitting at one of the round tables that had been pushed off towards the side once the dancing had started. The dinner was long since over and they were watching the money dance from the side- or rather Parvati was watching Hermione dance with Harry, while Lavender was sizing up Seamus as he danced with Ginny.
"Well Parvati, I think I found who I'm gonna have my classy one night stand with," Lavender said biting her lip flirtatiously.
"Yeah, I've noticed you stalking your prey," Parvati said rolling her eyes. "You've known Seamus for years Lavender and you've never even dated him-"
"We went to the Yule Ball together," Lavender reminded her, "and we had a thorough snogging session."
"I distinctly remember you talking non-stop about it for weeks on end. If you sleep with him tonight are you not gonna shut up about? Cause I want to know if it's in my favor to support this or pull all stops to keep this from happening."
"Shush you. . ." Lavender said with a smile. "Anyway are you gonna dance with one of them," she gesturing towards the newlyweds.
"Oh I don't know," Parvati said with a sigh. "I'm trying to figure out which one to dance with. I mean Harry looks pretty hot tonight, but I remember him being a terrible dancer. Ginny looks really pretty in that wedding dress though, but I don't know if I want to go against the expected norm- Lavender are you listening to me?"
Lavender waved her hand at her like she was listening as she continued to follow Seamus with her eyes. "There he goes, he's going towards the bar," she said more to herself than Parvati. "Well, Seamus, I know how much you like to make things explode, maybe tonight I'll requite the favor." She downed her butterbeer and headed her way towards the bar to find something a bit more strong as her best friend rolled her eyes.
Parvati's attention traveled back to the newlyweds. Hermione was no longer dancing with Harry but was talking to George Weasley on the side of the dance floor. As if they were talking about her, George and Hermione glanced at Parvati at the same time, and Parvati noticed George looked quite pleased as if he thought he had caught her staring at him. Parvati pretended not to notice and made her way to the floor to dance with Harry. After a waiting for a few dances, Parvati's turn came and Harry greeted her with a smile as she placed a galleon in his dress robe's pocket.
"I wonder," Parvati started as she placed her arms around Harry's neck and he put his hands on her waist, "if you would have danced with me at the Yule Ball more if I had payed you to."
Harry laughed lightly. "Unfortunately, it probably would not have worked. You would have just been broke and had sore toes by the end of the night."
"Yes, you weren't the best dancer," Parvati agreed with a smile. "You've gotten better though, you're not looking at your feet at all, and you've haven't stepped on any of my toes yet."
"Well, Ginny insisted I take some dance lessons, and I'm very glad I did. Otherwise, I'd be in bloody hell right now."
"Dancing is not that bad," Parvati scoffed.
"I'd rather face dragons," Harry said solemnly. "Speaking of unpleasant situations, I heard you got my wife out of a bad one earlier."
"I tried to help, and I'm good with hair."
"She said I should thank you for making her look so beautiful." Harry surprised Parvati by grabbing one of her hands and lifting it up, giving her a slight twirl as he pulled her back towards him. "Of course I would think she looked beautiful if she showed up with a shaved head, but her hair does look very nice."
"Well, anyone who has gotten so much better at dancing simply with a few lessons deserves to have a bride with beautiful hair," Parvati said still slightly surprised at Harry's suaveness.
"Ginny's really glad she asked you to be a bridesmaid, and frankly so am I."
"The wedding was really nice Harry, and this reception is as good as they come," she said eyeing Hagrid dancing with Ginny ten or so feet away.
"Consider it compensation for the Yule Ball. I hope you have a better date here."
"The person I'm with is pretty brilliant," Parvati consented with a smile. A moment later they were interrupted by a tap on Parvati's shoulder. Luna had come up for her turn with Harry but instead of knuts, sickles, or galleons she had a single long, grey feather.
"Er- thanks Luna," Harry said awkwardly as she stuck it in his coat pocket.
"It's a feather from a griffin. It's supposed to bring good fortune and strength for the relationships in your life," Luna said dreamily. "I suppose it will be helpful towards you and Ginny."
Parvati excused herself as Harry gave her a funny look. She was walking towards the side of the dance floor when someone called, "Parvati!"
She turned her head and saw Dean Thomas walking towards her. "Dean!" she said throwing her arms around him in a hug. "I haven't seen you since school, how have you been?"
Dean shrugged. "Pretty much the same," he said with a smile. "How about you? You know we never all went to those muggle movies I told you about. Remember how we always said you, me, Seamus, and Lavender were going to go?"
Parvati hit her forehead remembering. "Oh, that's right. I completely forgot about that. How come we never did?"
"Don't know, but I'll tell you what I'll talk to Seamus about it then owl you. It's been far too long since we've all hung out together."
Parvati agreed and the two walked to the bar together to get some drinks. They ordered and took a seat on some stools as the bartender gave them their drinks.
"So what have you been up to, Parvati?" Dean asked as he took a sip from his goblet.
Parvati took a swig of a sweet, fruity drink from her straw. "Well, I got this internship at St. Mungo's for nursing. It's pretty interesting, I like it a lot. Although, you wouldn't believe the stuff people end up at St. Mungo's for- this guy the other day had a hexed toilet seat stuck his arse. He was sent straight to the healers, but from what I understand it was not a very pleasant removal."
Dean laughed. "Yeah I'm sure."
"I'm trying to get into the children's ward though, I filled out an application to be trained there. Right now I'm doing a little bit of everything, but I'd rather be trained to nurse kids."
"You're really good with kids," Dean complimented her remembering how she had come to visit him one summer and had taken quite easily to Dean's younger half-siblings.
Parvati grinned biting the straw between her teeth. She took a sip of her drink and asked Dean what he had been up to.
"Advertising," he answered. "I'm trying to build up a name. I've been around a lot of the smaller business owners in Diagon Alley, but I'm slowly moving up. I draw logos and portraits- things like that- and then I bewitch them to move and such. If you've been to Diagon Alley lately and passed Madame Malkin's there's a big poster on the window- the little girl and boy in Hogwarts robes- I drew that."
"Me and Lavender we're just there the other day! Merlin, Dean you did that? It looked brilliant!"
Dean shrugged sheepishly. "It was my biggest job yet. I did one for Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley once," Dean shivered. "They must not have known I was a half-blood or surely they would not have hired me. I was kinda desperate at the time though, so I took it."
"I hate Knockturn Alley," Parvati agreed. "The people there give me the creeps. I always have my hand on my wand if I ever go down there."
"Yeah hopefully I can keep getting bigger jobs and avoid that place. I'm hoping to one day open a studio and just make art and sell that for a living. Anyways, how's you sister doing? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Oh Padma, well you know her. She was always studious in school and now she's always working. She's in India now actually, she's working with a team that are trying out new magical herbs- you know research and the like. I always joke that once she stops research she's going to end up at St. Mungo's as a healer and I'll be her nurse. She definitely has the head for all that healer stuff- and the N.E.W.T.'s."
"Ah, so I guess I'll have to count her out for the movie then," Dean said with a smile. "Good for her though, sounds really interesting." Dean took a swig out of his goblet and set it down. "So how did you end up being a bridesmaid? Did Harry take more fondly to his Yule Ball date then I remember?"
Parvati laughed. "Hardly. It was more like Charlie came back from Romania last minute and they needed a bridesmaid stat. I think Hermione put my name in the drawing."
"You know I don't mean to be mean," Dean said with a grin, "But I thought it was the weirdest thing when you two became good friends. All I think about is how you and Lavender always tried to hide her potions book before class our third year, and how she always found it anyway."
"I completely forgot about that," Parvati said with a smile. "She was way too high-strung that year though, it was too amusing to not do."
"So what's she been up to then? She's Hermione Granger she should be trumping all of us right now with the number of N.E.W.T.'s she got."
"Oh she has an internship at the ministry. It's in the Muggle Abuse Regulation office- a side office from the Auror office. She's just an intern now, but she basically goes out and detects wizards that are mistreating muggles with their magic for sport, or out of ignorance, or abusing them just to hurt them. She said most of the muggles they find that have been affected by magic are from other offices in the ministry. Like, if a muggle sees magic and a team goes out to give them memory charms they take years of memories by accident or carelessness instead of just a night or a day. Apparently, it's very tricky to undo spells like that when it's been cast by someone else."
Dean laughed. "Yeah, I think Hermione's job beats my pipe dream."
They chatted for a while longer sipping their drinks and reminiscing. Shortly after the dance floor was open to everyone and a fast-song was playing. Dean downed the rest of his goblet. "Care to dance?" he asked he hopped to his feet. He held a hand out to Parvati in a very gentile manner that made Parvati smile. She agreed and they both made their way to the dance floor which was growing thicker with people by the minute. Everything was going fine, except for the fact that Dean had almost been plowed down by a drunk Rubeus Hagrid that was dancing with Minerva McGonagall, until a slow song started. People broke off into pairs almost immediately. Seamus and Lavender, who they had been dancing near, broke off as did Neville and Luna, and Oliver Wood and Alicia Spinnet who were also surrounding them.
Dean seemed to notice this and almost blushed as he looked at Parvati. He held out a hand, "Do you want to dance Par-" he started, but was interrupted by a prompt approach from George Weasley. He grabbed Parvati's hand and waist and pulled her into a dance.
"Hi there Gorgeous," George said to Parvati as a way of greeting. Dean looked like he had swallowed a slug. Parvati half-expected him to walk away without saying anything as he was not usually an aggressive person even if he had been wronged and humiliated. Tonight, however, he wasn't really having it.
"Hey," Dean said hardly, grabbing George's arm and stopping the dance. "She was going to dance with me."
"Why? Did she say she was?"
"Well. . . no," he responded flustered.
"Well then I'm dancing with her. She's hardly complaining."
"You didn't even ask her!" Dean said getting angry. "You just came in and grabbed her. You don't just grab whatever woman you want to dance with and assume she'll dance with you!"
"As I said," George said with a smirk, "she's hardly complaining." He shrugged off Dean's arm. "Maybe you should have made your move sooner"
Parvati scowled, not appreciating in the slightest how they were talking about her as if she were not there. She was about to pull away when she saw Ron and Hermione dancing together across the floor, and momentarily forgot about the two boys arguing in front of her. Ron looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself, having pulled Hermione close to his body, but Hermione had the most peculiar look on her face. The expression was not quite bored, but not enthusiastic in the slightest. She looked as if she was remembering and considering something almost thoughtfully, but with little effort as if she did not want to put so much energy into thinking about it. While Parvati was busy deciphering Hermione's expression George had let Parvati go and by the time she turned her attention back at the two boys she noticed they both had their wands drawn and were looking daggers at each other.
"For the love of Merlin!" she said exasperated as the two boys were gaining attention by the other couple's dancing around. Charlie, in particular, seemed to notice and made his way over.
"Hey, what's going on?" he demanded from them eyeing his brother and Dean's raised wands.
"Well, this git here thinks he can just come up and interrupt any couple he wants," Dean started angrily.
"They were not a couple," George said with a smirk. "He hadn't even-"
"I don't want to dance with either of you!" Parvati said loudly getting angry. "You both talk about me as if I'm not even here. You just assume I'll dance with whoever wins the argument, Merlin, you two are insufferable!
With that and a glare, Parvati stalked off the dance floor and made her way outside the tent for some fresh air. She was half-expecting Dean or George to follow her, but after a couple of songs passed she figured Charlie had stopped either of them from approaching her and she internally thanked him for that.
xxx
It was not until a few songs later that someone had come outside looking for Parvati, and it was the last person she expected and not one she was too keen to talk to.
"Hey Parvati." He strode next to her and stopped at her side facing the thicket of trees as she was.
"Ron," she said as way of greeting.
"Charlie told me what happened," he said slowly and caught her eye. "Sorry about George he can be a bit straight-forward and, well, he hasn't been the same since Fred died. He's really lonely."
Parvati stiffened a little at the mention of Fred. It was days like these, with a wedding going on and everyone laughing and drinking, that the mention of the war seemed like a dream- as if it had taken place in some far away place a long time ago rather than at Hogwarts a couple years ago. Parvati did not really know how to respond to this, obviously Ron had suffered losses more than Parvati had. Both her and Padma made it through alright and Lavender, of course, was luckily saved by Hermione.
"I'm not saying that to excuse his behavior," Ron said quickly. "I'm just trying to explain it."
"You can use it as an excuse," Parvati said slowly. "You and your family lost a lot more than I did."
Ron scratched the back of his neck. "I miss Fred a lot sometimes. I miss George and Fred together actually, I mean what a pair of gits they were. . . It's not so bad some days, but others- well and there was Tonks and Lupin, Moody," he added as an afterthought with a sad smile. "I don't know if you ever had met Tonks. She was pretty cool."
"Hermione's mentioned her," Parvati said remembering. "She's the little boy's mother right, the ring bearer's?"
"Yeah, Teddy. The war, I mean, it had to happen it was inevitable. If it had gone on any longer a lot more of us would be dead right now."
Parvati nodded in agreement.
"Well anyway," he said scratching his neck again and changing the topic. "Hermione was looking for you, I told her I'd check outside."
"Ahh, right," Parvati said feeling awkward. Talking about Hermione with Ron Weasley of all people would always be uncomfortable. He was after all, intent on being with her. "I guess we should go back inside then," Parvati motioned to turn and leave, but was stopped by Ron.
"Parvati- wait," he said nervously. He gave her an almost pained expression. "Ginny won't tell me anything- she says she doesn't know- but you're good friends with Hermione, so can I ask you something?"
Parvati's thoughts screamed NO! but her mouth didn't cooperate, "Okay."
"I know I messed things up with her, but I want to patch things up. We've been friends for almost a decade, and we've been through so much together. I know she feels something towards me- we've been through hell and back together it's not something she'd forget about- I just don't know what."
Parvati waited for him to continue, but he had stopped talking to look at her imploringly. "What do you want me to say Ron?" she asked after a minute.
"Well, when does she want to get back together with me?"
Parvati opened her mouth to respond, but stopped and gawked at the lanky red-head in front of her.
"I know we'll get back together," Ron continued. "I mean we've just been through so much there's no way anyone could know her better than I could. We're well, we've become perfect for each other in a way- no one could understand her better than I do."
Parvati felt partially slapped in the face. Of course, she knew that he had no knowledge of their relationship, but even if he had he probably would have still said it. And, If he had said it in malice, Parvati could do very little but agree because it was true. Parvati could not remember the last time they had talked about the war, and Hermione had certainly not ever told her what her, Harry, and Ron had been up to the entire year leading up to the battle. Every time she alluded to it, she changed the subject or had said very bluntly that she was not in the mood to talk about it. Ron was there, he knew what they had been up to- this part of Hermione's life that she had just erased whenever Parvati asked her about it. She even had this scar slightly below her wrist that said "mudblood" in untidy scrawl, that she had never told her about no matter how many times she asked. Ron, Parvati figured, probably knew what that was about too. And, all the things that had happened to Harry like his previous encounters with Voldemort before the final one? Parvati was in the dark about everything. It was in that moment that she could not help but realize how very little she knew about Hermione, and how very much Ron did. Never had she once felt threatened by Ron's affection towards Hermione until now.
"Parvati," Ron said snapping her out of her reverie. "Well?"
Parvati did not have the faintest clue what to say, but her mind invented something and spewed it out, "Well if you know her so well Ron, why are you asking me? You obviously know her better than I do." Instead of sounding bitter and resentful when she said it, it actually sounded like a compliment.
Ron smiled.
"You really like her, don't you?" Parvati asked not at all wanting to hear the answer.
"I love her."
Parvati smiled for Ron's sake. As they both walked back towards the tent Parvati acknowledged the fact that her girlfriend might be better off with Ron, and once Hermione realized that Parvati would be alone.