QLFC: Season 10, Round 7
Team: Falmouth Falcons
Position: Chaser 2
Prompt: A Fairytale Story
Optional Prompts: (action) Dancing, (object) Glass Bottle, (song) "gravity" – Sara Bareilles (Theme: Someone Falling in Love With Someone They Don't Want to Fall in Love With)
Note: I drew inspiration from the frogs' adventure through the bayou in the movie "The Princess and the Frog." It was mod-approved on Discord by Elizabeth.
Word Count: 3,017
Betas: Big thanks to Ikuni and Sapphire402 for all the help and improvements!
Warnings: Alcohol Use, Allusion to Depression and Suicidal Thoughts, Relationship with Large Age Gap
Summary: When Mother Magic intervenes in the lives of two lonely souls, an unlikely match is made.
Love is Sometimes Found in Mysterious Places
After breakfast one Saturday morning, Arthur decided to go for a stroll along the creek that wound its way through the fields surrounding the Burrow. He often spent time exploring the landscape by himself. It was better than sitting alone in a quiet, empty house all day, the only sound coming from the ghoul in the attic or the wireless.
He hated Saturdays since Molly passed. Of course, one of the kids might pop in for a quick visit, but that didn't help drown out the loneliness or grief. Throughout the week, he could stay at work as late as possible before dragging himself home – if one could even call it that anymore. Every week, the family would gather for Sunday dinner, and it served as a great distraction until they all left and the house returned to silence, somehow more deafening than before they arrived. But there was no escape on Saturdays.
Arthur hiked along one of the paths he'd worn down over the past several years. As he entered a thicket of trees, the tingle of magic washed over him like he'd passed through wards, and he emerged in a completely unfamiliar wood.
oOoOo
Hermione strode along the footpath in a park in Muggle London, a book clutched in her hand and her sequin bag slung over her shoulder. Her jaw tightened at all the young families occupying the park. There was a time she thought she'd have a family with Ron, but that dream ended years ago. She longed for a family of her own, but now she was twenty-six years old with no prospects.
Fixing her gaze on the ground ahead of her, she picked up her pace. All she wanted was to reach her secluded spot and while her Saturday away reading. She would cast Muggle-repelling and Silencing charms and forget all about the world she lived in.
However, when she stepped through the branches of a bush, she felt the tingle of magic. The enchantments from the previous week should have dissipated days ago. When she emerged, she tripped over someone's foot and was caught in strong arms.
"Hermione?"
Looking up to see her rescuer, she said, "Arthur?" He'd told her soon after the war's end to start calling him by his given name. "Where are we?"
"At first, I thought George was testing out one of his products on me, but I'm not so sure now. How about I Side-Along you to the Burrow? Make sure we both get back safe." He held out his arm to her, which she took.
Nothing happened.
"Maybe we should send a message," Hermione suggested. "I'll send one to Harry, and you can send one to Bill."
Color rose in Arthur's cheeks. "That's a good idea, but…I-I can't Conjure a Patronus anymore. Not since Molly…"
"Oh. That's okay," Hermione whispered. "I'll take care of it."
However, not even a silver wisp appeared from the tip of her wand.
Hermione huffed. "Can we do any magic?"
Over the next several minutes, they discovered that they could cast only the most basic spells, but nothing truly helpful to getting them out of the situation they found themselves in.
"I reckon we better start walking," Arthur said.
"To where?"
Arthur shrugged. "It's better than standing here."
They started down a very obvious path leading away from the clearing – the only path they could see, actually. Hermione had to almost jog to keep up with Arthur's long stride and fast pace.
"Did you feel like you were in danger before coming here?" Arthur vaguely asked.
"No, not at all. Why? Did you feel like you were?"
"No, I – No."
They continued down the clear-cut path through the woods with very little conversation over the next couple hours. Every now and then Hermione would have to call for Arthur to slow down. When the sun reached its peak and began sinking back down and they still seemed nowhere closer to civilization, panic started to set in.
"We can Conjure more water, but I only have a sandwich and an apple," Hermione muttered to herself, trailing behind Arthur. "I suppose they'll realize we're missing when we're not at the Burrow tomorrow, but it could still be days before anyone finds us."
Arthur ducked under a low-hanging limb. "You were planning on coming to Sunday dinner this week?"
"I normally do, don't I?"
"Not lately. Has something happened? Have you had a falling out with someone?"
"No."
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing."
Arthur abruptly stopped and turned to face her. Unable to stop soon enough, Hermione ran into him, her hands automatically grabbing his taut abdomen to steady herself. Her fingertips grazed a sunken area on his left side that she assumed was from the snake attack. His piercing blue eyes bored a hole into her. "Hermione."
She looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "I just haven't been…comfortable there lately."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?"
"It's nothing to do with anyone besides me." He continued watching her. "It's hard for me – to be there – when everyone's married and most have kids."
"Hermione, no matter how large the family gets, you are still part of it."
"That's not it. I want what they all have. I want a husband and a baby – a family of my own. Coming round all the time just reminds me that I'll probably never have that." Tears sprung to her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, and she relaxed into him.
"Hermione, you're still young. You've plenty of time," he murmured into her hair. "And as much as I'd have loved for you to become an official part of the family, there's someone out there much better suited for you than Ron was. I'm glad you two stayed friends because I couldn't bear to lose another member of my family." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently moved her back so he could look her in the eye. "Please don't let this keep you away. We've all missed you. Besides, isolating yourself, at least in my experience, only tends to make things worse."
Hermione sniffed and nodded. Arthur wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb, rough on her soft skin, and offered her a small smile, which she returned. They started down the trail again at a much slower pace, his hand resting on her back between her shoulder blades.
"What are we going to do about food?" she quietly asked.
"Don't worry. We'll be back before nightfall."
"How do you know? We don't even know if we're still in England."
"This trail has to come out somewhere – a village or a road." His hand slipped off her back. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "My kids are probably already looking for me."
"That's good, isn't it?"
"I'd hate to worry them. I was trying to get back before they thought anything was wrong."
"Well, I'm sure they'll be concerned, but you're a grown man who is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."
"Yes, that's true, but I've given them reason to be worried in the past."
"What do you mean?"
He stopped in his tracks and silently cursed himself. He swallowed hard then confessed, "Since Molly passed…it's not been easy for me. That first year or two were the worst, but I still miss her every day. It's like there's this ache – this gaping hole in my chest that never goes away. Five years later and I still have days where I –" He blew out a long breath. "Let's just keep going."
"No, Arthur. Stop. What are you trying to say? Why would they be so worried?"
He couldn't face her. "There are days, still, where the pain of losing her gets to be too much, and there's only one way that I can think of to alleviate it…and that's to join her – but I couldn't do that to my kids."
"That's been an option?" she tentatively asked.
He didn't answer her directly. "On those days, I go for a long walk. I leave a note on the table for the kids if any stop by, letting them know where I've gone, and they know what that means. If I don't come back in a few hours, they know something's wrong and they should start looking for me. I don't want to put them through that."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"
He frowned. "It doesn't matter now. They've probably already noticed."
oOoOo
After many more hours, just as the sun was setting, they finally emerged from the woods. A little cottage sat on the other side of the field. They immediately began to jog over to it, hoping someone was home and could help. However, when they got closer, a sign in the front garden came into view that read Welcome HG and AW.
Looking around, Hermione pulled out her wand and called, "Hello?"
No one appeared.
Arthur carelessly stepped through the garden gate, wand still holstered. Hermione grabbed his arm.
"What if this is a trap?"
Arthur's eyebrows knit together. He shrugged.
"You want to go into some cottage in the middle of nowhere just because our initials are on it?" Hermione asked incredulously. "We don't know who did this. None of our friends or family would have."
"Pardon me if I'm not as cautious as I used to be, as I was during the war or before Molly died. I don't really care what happens to me anymore, to be honest. If someone's going to come up and kill me" – he shrugged – "I'd be okay with that."
"And what about me? I may be unhappy, but I don't want to get killed!"
"I'm sorry." He pulled himself together at the reminder that he wasn't alone and drew his wand. "I didn't think about you. I've been on my own for so long...Are you ready?"
She nodded.
They proceeded with caution, checking the exterior of the cottage and every room inside. With no threats forthcoming, they explored further. All the kitchen cabinets were fully stocked, their preferred toiletries sat in the bathroom, and their styles and sizes of clothing hung in the chifforobe.
Utterly exhausted from hiking Merlin-knows-how-many miles that day, they agreed to discuss their situation tomorrow, cooked a quick dinner, showered, and retired for the night, Hermione in the bed and Arthur on the sofa.
oOoOo
The next morning, Arthur cooked breakfast before Hermione even woke up.
When Hermione finished her tea and Arthur finished his coffee, they both felt ready for the conversation about the mystery they were in.
"You didn't plan this, did you?" Hermione asked.
"Of course not. This has to be some sick joke. What are they even thinking, me and you?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you. It's just, you and me. You're young enough to be my daughter and I still love Molly. I'll never stop loving her."
"So you won't even date anyone your own age? You'll stay lonely and miserable and your kids will worry about you for the rest of your life?"
"I will never love anyone the way I love Molly. We were together since we were fourteen years old. The only times we were apart were after my snake attack and when she was in hospital at…at the end. She's the only one for me."
"Did she tell you she didn't want you to move on? She wanted you to wallow in loneliness and misery?"
He looked down at his hands. "We talked about that at the beginning of the second war. We both said we'd want the other to move on with their life, and be happy, and to find someone else to help us heal."
"Then why don't you? This life isn't what she wanted for you."
"I can't. I want to, if only for my children's sake, but I can't. I've gone on a couple dates, but it feels so wrong. I know it's been five years, but it feels like I just lost her. No one can replace her."
Hermione covered his hands with hers. He looked up at her. "No one has to replace her. You can have something special with someone else – something different, but special. Molly already told you to move on. Now you just have to let yourself do it."
Arthur snatched his hands away and abruptly stood before clearing the table. Hermione took the hint and let him wash the dishes by himself, moving to the sofa with her book.
A while later, Arthur sat in the chair across from her. He cleared his throat. "Whoever did this, it was intentional, though I have no idea how they managed to restrict our magic or drop us in the middle of the forest. I'm going to venture out a bit today and see if there's a nearby village. You can join me if you want or you can stay here."
Hermione set her book down. "I'll come with you."
oOoOo
Over the next two days, they both explored the surrounding woods and countryside, but never saw a village or any other sign of civilization. They resigned to staying put where they had food and shelter.
"Besides," Hermione had said, "there's a higher chance of someone finding us if we stay in the same place."
The days wore on. Reading books and playing board games provided by the cottage, going for walks, swimming in a nearby pond, and cooking together helped pass the time. Hermione caught herself developing romantic feelings toward the Weasley patriarch, but tried rationalizing it by telling herself it only made sense since they'd been alone together for days sharing a small living space.
Arthur noticed he'd been happier than he had in years, but couldn't put his finger on why until their fifth night.
They'd gotten out a bottle of wine for Hermione and one of firewhisky for Arthur. He poured himself a third glass and, after asking Hermione, poured her a second. The glass of the bottle of wine clinked against the glass of the firewhisky when he set it back on the coffee table. Instead of reading or playing a board game that night, they sat and talked in front of the crackling fire with the wireless playing softly in the background.
"Ooh, can you turn it up a little please?" Hermione asked when a ballad came on. "This is one of my favorites."
Arthur stood and turned the volume up, but he didn't sit back down. He remembered her saying she liked dancing at some point in the past few years. He offered his hand in silent question. She set her wine glass down and allowed him to lead her around the sitting room as they swayed to the music.
One song turned into two, then two into three, and three into six. With each song, they relaxed more into each other's arms. At the end of the last song, Arthur spun her around. When she faced him again, her smile lit up the room, brighter than the fire that flickered in her brown eyes.
He kissed her smiling lips.
She didn't pull away.
The kiss became one of passion before he came to himself, and Hermione returned the kiss until she, too, realized what she was doing. Immediately, she rushed into the bedroom and locked the door. She wasn't afraid of him but of her own actions.
"Hermione!" Arthur called through the door. "Hermione? I'm sorry. I…I got carried away. I don't know what to say."
When silence met him, he returned to the sofa and poured another drink. He was falling for her, if he hadn't already fallen in love with her. That's why he'd been happier, his heart was mending though there would always be a Molly-shaped hole. He had to be mad to think Hermione returned his feelings despite the kiss, but he couldn't help holding onto that hope.
Hermione didn't come out for the rest of the night.
oOoOo
The next morning, Arthur awoke on the sofa like usual. When he saw the bottles and glasses on the coffee table, he remembered what had happened and a rock settled in his stomach again.
Even if she didn't feel the same way he did, they couldn't undo that kiss. They couldn't go back to the friendly, familial relationship they'd known for the better part of fifteen years. One thoughtless second ruined everything, not only for them but the rest of the family as well. And for the foreseeable future, they were stuck living in the same house.
He spent most of the morning outside, giving Hermione space and letting her approach him when she was ready.
Around midday, she brought out sandwiches and tea and set them on the little table in the front garden.
"I've fixed lunch," she quietly said as she took the seat across from him.
"Thank you."
They ate in silence, for the first time uncompanionable.
"About last night –"
"We don't have to talk about it," Hermione cut him off.
"We do. We've been stuck here for a reason, and I'm not sure if this is it, but I feel our relationship has shifted." He gently grabbed her hand from where she was clenching the edge of the table. She met his gaze for the first time since the kiss. "I know this is a bit strange, what with the age difference and you having dated my son, but I've grown rather fond of you the past few days and I'd like to see where this goes, if you'll have me."
"I have…feelings that I suppose could be worth exploring," she quietly admitted, color rising in her cheeks.
Arthur gave her a lopsided grin. With a sudden wave of magic that both of them felt, a village materialized where there had previously been a field. Looking at each other in surprise, the two of them couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. Only after confessing their feelings to each other, they were finally able to go home, though neither really wanted to.