Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set in the distant future. Hermione and Ron are about to get married, though Hermione isn't sure if Ron is ready. However, when she is given the chance to see all of her options, Hermione must choose the right path for herself.

CHAPTER 4

The image of Snape was hardly out of Hermione's mind before she found herself on a forest floor. She quickly got to her feet, brushing the dirt from her clothing and glancing around, looking for her next guide.

As Hermione glanced around, Remus Lupin seemed to appear out of nowhere, looking healthier and livelier then Hermione had ever remembered.

"Lupin!" Hermione grinned, running forward and engulfing her guide in a hug. She had been close to both Lupin and Tonks and missed them both greatly.

Lupin laughed warmly, returning Hermione's hug. "It is good to see you as well, Hermione and Tonks ordered me to give you a special thanks for all keeping an eye on Teddy for us…"

Hermione pulled away from her deceased professor. "Oh, Lupin, he is such a wonderful child. He's so smart, and kind…"

Lupin just nodded, smiling at the younger witch. "As much as I could talk about my son for hours, we are here on other business, aren't we?"

Hermione nodded, not sure what type of future Lupin was going to show her.

"Well, Hermione…I am going to show you your future with a different man…" Lupin offered Hermione his hand.

Hermione took Lupin's hand, wondering what exactly he was talking about. Before she could ask, however, they were off, her head was spinning, and suddenly she was landing in the front of a crowd, a rope holding her back as she stood at what she recognized as a large Quidditch Pitch.

Suddenly, the doors to the pitch opened and a slightly older version of herself emerged with none other then a slightly older version of Vitkor Krum.

The crowd around Hermione and Lupin went wild and Krum gave a quick wave with one hand as his other clutched fiercely tight to older Hermione who did not look very happy with all the noise and pushing from the crowd around them.

Within seconds, a Ministry car pulled up and Krum helped the older Hermione into it, giving one last wave to his screaming fans before the car took off.

"This is your future with Krum…" Lupin explained to Hermione, who was watching the car drive off.

Hermione gave a slight nod.

"You reconnected with him shortly after you walked away from the alter at your wedding to Ron…" Lupin continued.

Hermione turned quickly on her heel, shock written all over her face. "I did what?"

"You left Ron at the alter. I have to say, it wasn't your most shining moment…" Lupin said.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. How could she possibly do that to Ron? Of course it wasn't a good moment, it was an awful thing to do to him.

"At any rate, you and Krum got back together, and you are getting married next week…" Lupin explained.

"I hardly look an older then I am now…" Hermione commented. How could she be getting married already?

"You aren't. You're only twenty five here…you and Krum have not been dating too long…" Lupin explained.

Hermione nodded, though this was also something she was shocked at. How could she move on from Ron so quickly? And what could have possibly possessed her to go through with the wedding only to leave Ron standing there alone at the alter?

"Come on…lets go check in on Ron…" Lupin took Hermione's hand.


Hermione was getting used to being pulled from one area in her possible future to another and so she hardly needed to shut her eyes as Lupin dragged them to their next stop. When her feet glanced around and the laughter of children filled her ears among other noises of toys and gags she hardly had to look around to know where she was.

She was standing in the middle of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes joke shop. She was rather familiar with the place, considering Ron had helped George run it for awhile after the Third Wizarding War.

"What are we doing here?" Hermione asked Lupin. It didn't make much sense; after all, if they were checking in on Ron, he no longer worked here. He was an auror now.

"Watch…" Lupin said, gesturing to the front door.

Hermione glanced toward the front door and within seconds, a slightly older version and clearly drunker version of Ron came stumbling in, pushing past customers and their children.

"Oh my…" Hermione breathed. She had seen Ron drunk a handful of times in her life, but never like this. He could barely walk straight as he staggered toward the counter that a slightly older George now stood behind.

"Welp…that's it…" Ron slammed his hands down onto the counter. "I lost…"

"What are you babbling about?' George lowered his voice. "And why are you drunk? It's the middle of the day…"

"Didn't you hear the glorious news?" Ron swung his arms out dramatically, nearly knocking a display over.

"No…and I don't care what it is…you need to leave, Ron…" George pressed, noticing that parents were now moving their children out of the joke shop, clearly not happy with Ron's behaviors.

Ron ignored his older brother's request. "Well…the news is…that…Hermione' is getting married…"

Hermione winced as she watched the older version of Ron give a sarcastic grin as he spoke about her in this future. Clearly, Ron was taking her marriage to Viktor hard.

George rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell, Ron…not this again…"

"Not what?" Ron staggered back innocently. "What? I'm not allowed to be upset that the woman of my dreams is off marrying some…stupid…bon-bon…"

George slammed his fist on the counter since the joke shop was now empty. "Are you listening to yourself, Ron? How could Hermione have been the woman of your dreams when she left you standing there like an idiot?"

Again Hermione winced at George's words. She could never imagine hurting Ron like that.

Ron narrowed his eyes at George. "I…I just wasn't good enough…"

Ron's words cut Hermione like a knife and she turned away, unable to look at the sadness in his beautiful blue eyes. To Hermione's surprise, a hand wrapped around her shoulder and she glanced up to see Lupin giving her a slight half-hug of comfort as he continued to watch the scene in front of them.

"You're wrong, Ron. She wasn't good enough…" Geroge sighed and moved around the counter, giving his brother's shoulder a squeeze and leading Ron around the counter, toward the back door.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked, hiccupping.

"You need to sleep this off…if mum seems you like this at dinner it will cause more problems then I can even imagine…" Geroge said, leading Ron into the back of the shop.

Hermione shook her head when both Weasley's were out of the front of the shop. She was disgusted by what her actions had done to Ron. How could she possibly hurt him in such a way?

"What is it?"Lupin asked.

"How could I have hurt him like that? He doesn't deserve it…" Hermione told her old professor.

Lupin nodded. "Maybe not, but breakups are never easy. Someone is always left hurting more then another…"

Hermione shook her head once more, feeling tears threatening in her eyes. How could Ron think he wasn't good enough for her? He was more then good enough; he was near perfect.

"Come on…we should be going…we've got two more stops to make before my time with you is up…" Lupin said.

"No…no I don't want to see this future…" Hermione told her professor. She couldn't see Ron hurting like that anymore, especially not over her.

"Well, unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice, now do you?" Lupin reminded her, taking her hand and shifting locations once again.