Run
Chapter Three
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter; it all belongs to the wonderful Ms. J.K. Rowling. Bear with me on this fic; I know I've been neglecting it!
Smoothing down the front of the red cotton wrap dress she decided to wear for her date with Rory, Hermione took one last look in the mirror. Touching her unruly curls which she had pinned up into a bun to somewhat control them, she sighed. This was going to have to do, she thought. She silently thanked her mother for reminding her to bring a few dresses just in case she had to wear something besides jeans. A date with Rory Matthew definitely called for that.
Hermione looked at her watch and saw that it was a few minutes until 6:30 p.m. Rory was going to arrive soon. She had so many butterflies in her stomach, but was looking forward to the date. Raylene had called her all week, giving her different makeup and clothing tips. The week had dragged by or at least it had by Hermione's standards, but it was now Friday and her date would be arriving soon.
She peered out of the kitchen window of her cabin and smiled when she saw Rory's white truck coming up the driveway of the ranch. It hit her that he was really there and she was going out on a date with one of the most gorgeous guys she'd ever laid eyes on. Hidden by the curtains hanging over the window, Hermione watched as Rory's truck stopped and he dismounted. Her breath actually caught when she saw how handsome he looked. He looked great dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans, along with black cowboy boots shined to perfection, and a black cowboy hat. Hermione closed her eyes for a second and let the breath she'd been holding out. When he knocked, she waited a few moments before opening the door. She took another deep breath and walked over to her front door to greet him.
"Hi. You look great," Hermione said and immediately hoped she wasn't gushing.
"Thanks, you look beautiful. Red is your color darling," Rory drawled as his eyes drank in Hermione's slim curves accentuated in the fitted dress. He had been wondering what she looked like when she wasn't in her usual attire of jeans. He definitely wasn't disappointed. Seeing her in the dress showed him what was underneath. She was just his type, petite with slim hips and pert breasts that weren't too big or small.
Hermione gave a small smile and blushed. "Thank you, it feels sort of weird not to be in jeans."
"I don't think there's anything weird about it at all. It's nice to see you in a dress. Are you ready?" Rory asked and smiled back. Man, I love the way she blushes. I wonder if this girl is a virgin, she sure acts like it. I'd love to be the one to pick that cherry, he thought.
"Sure, I'll just grab my bag and we can go," Hermione replied.
They exited from her cabin and walked over to his truck. Rory opened her door for her, giving her a hand to get into his lifted 4-wheel drive truck. Hermione settled in and put on her seatbelt, smiling at him as he shut her door. Rory went around and got in. He started the truck and they were off on their date. As they left the ranch, Hermione saw Pat working with one of the horses. She waved to him and he waved back.
Pat watched as the truck left the ranch and shook his head. Never one to poke around other people's business, he still couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive about Hermione going out with Rory Matthew. Pat didn't know the young man well but he'd heard stories about how Matthew was quite the player and broke plenty of female hearts all over the country. He knew Hermione was a smart and capable young woman, but she did possess a certain vulnerability and innocence. Hermione was like the daughter he never had and he couldn't help having paternal feelings towards her. He could only hope that she had enough sense not to fall for Rory Matthew's charms.
Hermione looked at Rory while he drove, admiring his large hands resting on the steering wheel. He felt her looking and turned to grin at her. He was used to women checking him out. Hermione reddened slightly and faced forward. She picked at a loose thread in the seat and began speaking.
"So where are we going tonight?
"We're going to the 180 Ranch Steakhouse and Saloon. Have you ever been there?" Rory asked.
"No, I sure haven't. The extent of my dining experience in Big Sky has just been Tubby's," Hermione chuckled.
"Dang girl! You need to get out more. Well you'll be in for a treat, the atmosphere at the 180 is a little different from Tubby's," Rory laughed.
They drove for about another 20 minutes and finally arrived at their destination. Hermione was surprised to see that along with the pickup trucks, there were also luxury cars. Rory parked his truck next to another pickup. Hermione was about to step out, but Rory stopped her. He dismounted from the truck and went around to her side. He offered his hand to Hermione and she accepted it as he helped her descend from the lifted truck. He is such a gentleman, she thought.
They made their way to the entrance of the restaurant and when they walked in, they were greeted by the hostess. She led them to a table for two near the center of the restaurant. Hermione was taken aback at how the other patrons stared and waved to Rory as they walked to their table. It also didn't escape her attention as to how the other women, young and old, were coolly assessing her, asking themselves what did she have to attract the attention of Rory Matthew that they didn't. She liked the warmth of Rory's hand pressing gently on the small of her back as they made their way through the restaurant. When they arrived at their table, Rory pulled her chair out for her. Hermione wanted to swoon, this was definitely more romantic than any place Ron had ever taken her to. She loved Ron to death and always would, but there was no way he'd ever come close to being in the same league as Rory.
Hermione and Rory enjoyed dinner and the conversation flowed. He told her about how he was leaving soon with the competition team. They were going to be traveling all over the United States and he was probably going to be away for about 6 months. Hermione knew she was being silly, but she was going to miss Rory especially since she was just getting to know him.
When they were done with their dinner, Rory took care of the bill. Hermione was astounded as to how many patrons in the restaurant knew him and stopped by their table to greet him. She admired how courteous Rory was to everyone. Once the bill was taken care of, he took her hand.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Sure, thank you for dinner. I enjoyed it," Hermione replied as they stood up.
"You're welcome, I enjoyed it too sweetheart," Rory replied. He smiled and took her hand, leading them out of the restaurant. When they arrived at his truck, he turned to Hermione and tilted her chin so she was looking up at him. She held her breath when he bent his head and kissed her. Hermione closed her eyes and melted into him. Rory broke the kiss and looked at her.
"I've wanted to do that all night. I don't know about you, but it was worth the wait," Rory said softly as he looked into her eyes.
Hermione could only nod. She now knew what it was like to be kissed by a real man. Rory was far from being a bumbling, inexperienced schoolboy. He opened her door for her and helped her in. He went around the truck and climbed in on his side. As she was fastening her seat belt, Rory gently pushed her hands away and pulled her to him, so that she was in his lap. He started to kiss her again and she felt his tongue in her mouth. Hermione kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms were around her waist and his hands were caressing her back. When they came up for air, Rory smiled at her.
"I hope you didn't mind, but I just couldn't resist getting another taste of you, sweet Hermione. You are so beautiful," Rory said in husky voice. He had a raging hard-on and if he didn't get her off of his lap, they'd never leave this parking lot. "I guess we better be on our way. How about we go dancing at Tubby's? There's a good band playing."
"I'd like that," Hermione replied as she slid off of his lap and went to her side of the truck. She was glad that it was dark because she was blushing for she had felt Rory's excitement. This was all so new to her and it still freaked her out that she could have such an effect on a man as hot as Rory.
Rory smiled at her and returned to the driver's side. He started the truck and they left from the restaurant. As he drove out to the main highway, Hermione felt his hand touch hers. She smiled at him and held his hand until they reached their destination.
Draco was bored out of his fucking mind. He was having dinner with his latest future conquest, Lenora Farmington. She was quite fetching with her brown curly hair, hazel eyes, and petite figure, but the minute she opened her mouth Draco wanted to put his wand to his head. She had the mental capacity of a housefly, but Draco wanted to quench the fire in his loins and she seemed perfect. He would never admit it, but Lenora reminded him of Hermione Granger. As he was trying not to fall asleep listening to her talk about the absolutely adorable wand covers she saw in Diagon Alley just that day, the manager of the restaurant came up to the table.
"Mr. Malfoy, please excuse me for interrupting your dinner, but you have an urgent message," the manager said.
"Excuse me Lenora, I must see what this is about," Draco said as he stood up and began to follow the manager.
"Try not to take too long Snookums," Lenora replied in a high-pitched babyish voice she probably thought was sexy.
Draco fought the urge not to roll his eyes and gave her a tight smile. He hated those stupid names women came up with when they thought they were being cute and affectionate. Thank Merlin for small miracles, he thought as he walked away from the table. He was pretty sure that even though he was horny as hell, it wouldn't be worth it to sleep with Lenora. Something told him he'd never get rid of her.
The manager brought Draco to the small room where the owl was waiting and upon entering the room, Draco recognized the owl as being Roald and Pansy's. He opened the letter and read it quickly. Pansy was in labor! Draco turned to the manager.
"It seems like I'll have to cut my dinner short. Please let Ms. Farmington know that an emergency has cropped up and give her my regrets. This should take care of everything," Draco said hurriedly as he handed money to the manager.
"I hope all is well sir. We'll let Ms. Farmington know of your departure," the manager replied as Draco nodded and quickly left the restaurant to head to St. Mungos.
When Draco arrived at St. Mungos, he was directed to the maternity ward. As he made his way there, he met up with Roald, who greeted him with a huge grin.
"Mate, it happened so quickly. As soon as we arrived here, Pansy gave birth only a few moments later. Come and meet your godson," Roald said.
"That's brilliant Roald, congratulations! How're they doing?" Draco asked as he walked with Roald.
"Pansy was amazing. She and Leopold are doing fine," Roald replied. Draco had been a bit taken aback when Pansy said they were naming the baby Leopold if he was a boy, but she explained that Leopold was Roald's grandfather's name. They had decided they were going to call their son Leo, for short.
When they walked into the room, Draco was touched by the sight of Pansy with Leo. She was beaming and looked happy as she gazed at Leo. She looked up and gave a tired smile.
"Hey Draco, I hope we didn't interrupt anything," Pansy joked.
"I came as soon as I received the message. Looks like little Leo couldn't wait to make his entrance. He's gorgeous Pans," Draco said softly.
"Thanks Draco. Do you want to hold him?" Pansy asked.
"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt him," Draco replied nervously. He had never been around babies and wasn't sure how to handle one.
"You won't hurt him. Here you are, make sure you support his head," Pansy said as she handed Leo to Draco.
Draco took Leo from her arms and carefully held the newborn. He smiled down at Leo and the newborn stared up at him. That was all it took and Draco knew that he would always be there for this child, his godson.
Pansy smiled at them and looked at Roald. "Would you look at that? He's a natural with babies." Roald nodded and smiled back.
Draco looked at them and grinned. As he held Leo and looked at Pansy and Roald, Draco realized something. He truly wished he could find someone and experience this with her. But Draco had yet to meet a witch he wanted to marry and start a family.
Hermione closed the door of her cabin behind her. She was smiling from ear to ear and leaning against the door. Tonight had been the best night of her life. She couldn't believe that she had stayed out dancing until 2 a.m. Hermione wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She actually went out on a date with Rory Matthew and he asked her out again the following evening. She was so glad that she had made the decision to come to Daisy Springs.
Within the next month, Hermione spent almost all of her free time with Rory because he was leaving for the rodeo tour. When that day arrived, Rory came by Daisy Springs to tell her goodbye. They were going to stay in touch with phone calls and texting, but it wasn't going to be the same. Hermione watched with a heavy heart as his truck disappeared down the curved, dusty road leading away from the ranch. Rory was going to be away for six long months. Hermione was going to be counting the days until he returned.
At different times of the day she thought about Rory and blushed about how far she had gone with him. On the night before his departure, Hermione had let him remove her shirt and bra. He had removed his shirt too and revealed a finely chiseled chest with a smattering of dark curly hair. Her body gave a delicious shudder when she thought of how his warm skin felt against hers and the way his hands explored her breasts. He told her that she was perfect. She blushed when she realized that if Rory hadn't stopped them, she would've have gladly lost her virginity to him that night.
"Hermione, as much as I'm enjoying this, we need to stop," Rory said in a husky voice. It was killing him to do this, but he respected her. The more time he spent with her, the more he was convinced that she was the girl he'd want to marry when he decided to settle down.
"Oh okay Rory. I hope I didn't do anything wrong," Hermione said as she found her bra and slipped it on.
Rory watched her and was a bit saddened to see those gorgeous tits hidden from his view. "I can assure you, you didn't do anything wrong Hermione. I just want to take things slowly. You're special honey. Will you wait for me?" Rory asked as he brushed a stray curl from her face as he looked at her with his gorgeous blue eyes.
"Of course I will," Hermione replied softly and kissed him. Rory kissed her back and held her close to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, as if he wanted to savor her. After a few moments, he broke away from her with a smile.
"Hermione darling, if I don't leave now, I never will. I'm going to look forward to more moments like this when I return," Rory said as he stood and put on his shirt.
That was their last night together and it was always running in Hermione's mind at different times of the day and night. Her time with Rory stirred up so many new feelings. She had never felt like this when she was with Ron.
Hermione stayed busy at the ranch and still participated in barrel racing events in the surrounding areas. She was amazed at how well she and Treasure were doing; she was starting to take first place, beating Raylene. Raylene didn't mind, she was glad that she and Hermione were friends. They were becoming closer than ever and both young women felt like they had found the sister they never had.
It was January and Rory had been gone for almost 3 months. He and Hermione sent numerous texts to each other during the day. He called her at night and they stayed on the phone, sometimes for 2 hours. Hermione missed him so much and she was mentally marking the days off on her calendar until he returned.
One morning Hermione was in one of the barns tending to a cow that was soon going to be giving birth. She was cleaning out the stall and putting fresh hay, when Nancy approached her.
"Hermione dear, there's a gentleman that wants to see you at the front office," Nancy said.
Hermione gave her quizzical look as she put down the bale of hay. "That's strange. Who would be here to see me?"
Nancy shrugged. "I've never seen him before. I thought he was a salesman, but he specifically asked for you."
Hermione grinned, shaking her head as she walked with Nancy to the front office. She had no idea what this could be about. When Hermione walked in, she was approached by the man. He appeared to be in his late 40s, and was dressed in a crisp red cotton western-style button-down shirt, pressed Wrangler jeans, and a pair of shiny black Roper boots. He was short in stature with a slight paunch, with kind brown eyes and a nice smile. His smile reached those eyes when he looked upon Hermione.
"Ms. Hermione Granger, my name is Gabriel Somerson and I'm a representative for Cowgirl Blue. How are you?" he said as he extended his hand.
Hermione shook it. "I'm doing well Mr. Somerson, thanks for asking. How are you?"
"Just dandy Ms. Granger and the name is Gabe. Are you familiar with Cowgirl Blue's products?" Gabe asked.
"Please call me Hermione and yes I'm very familiar with Cowgirl Blue. As a matter of fact, I'm wearing a pair of Cowgirl Blue jeans at the moment," Hermione chuckled.
"Indeed you are and I'm glad to see that Hermione. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here so I'll get right to it. Cowgirl Blue will be sponsoring a barrel racing team for the pro-rodeo circuit and we'd like you to be a part of it. We've been following your progress and Ms. Raylene Devlin's. You two gals are exactly who we're looking for to represent Cowgirl Blue," Gabe said.
Hermione sat down heavily in one of the chairs near the front desk. 'Wow, I totally wasn't expecting this. Does Raylene know?"
"No, I was planning on going to her family's ranch after our meeting is done," Gabe said and smiled.
Hermione nodded. "This is very flattering Mr. Somer-I mean Gabe, but I have a job here at the ranch. I can't just up and leave them shorthanded."
"Oh yes you can Hermione. This is great; we'll have a staff member on the pro-rodeo circuit! You need to get out there and show the rodeo world what you can do!" Joe exclaimed.
Nancy walked over to where Hermione was sitting and sat across from her. "Hermione, you and Treasure have worked so hard and it looks like all that hard work is paying off. If you want to do this, Joe and I have no problem with it. You'll always have a place at Daisy Springs, no matter what."
"You really think Treasure and I have what it takes for the pro-rodeo circuit?" Hermione asked, still not believing this was happening.
"Hell yeah and you'd be a fool not to take this opportunity that just dropped into your lap," Pat boomed as he walked into the office.
Hermione stood up and looked at Gabe. "I guess that settles it Gabe, looks like I'm going to be part of Cowgirl Blue's team."
Gabe shook her hand again. "Welcome to team Cowgirl Blue Hermione Granger. I just have some paperwork to go over with you and I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Thank you so much for your time, you will not regret this."
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity," Hermione replied. She still couldn't believe her luck.
The next few weeks were very busy for Hermione and Raylene. They had to be fitted for their team's clothing and gear. Raylene was brimming over with excitement and so was Hermione. They were going to be on the same circuit as Dave and Rory. As the two young women tried on the clothing and had it altered, they chatted about how awesome it was all going to be. There was one thing that Hermione kept from Raylene. Maybe she was imagining things, but when she told Rory about she and Raylene being sponsored by Cowgirl Blue, he didn't sound too thrilled. She kept replaying the conversation in her mind.
"Rory, I hope you're sitting down, I have great news!" Hermione exclaimed over the phone.
"I'm sitting darling. What's the great news?" Rory asked and chuckled.
"Raylene and I have been offered spots on Cowgirl Blue's barrel racing team! Do you know what this means? We'll be on the same circuit as you and Dave. We'll be able to see each other!" Hermione replied happily.
"That's wonderful babe. I didn't even know Cowgirl Blue sponsored anyone, that's great," Rory said, almost in a monotone.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked. She thought he would've been more thrilled. Rory sounded like she had just told him she was suffering from an insufferable disease or something just as tragic.
"No, no nothing's wrong babe. This news really brightens my day. I'm a little banged up and bruised from one of the bulls being ornery. I'm sorry if I don't sound like myself. I think I'll take a shower and turn in early," Rory said.
"Okay, you take care and get a good night's sleep. I miss you Rory," Hermione said softly.
"I miss you too darling. Good night," Rory replied and hung up.
Hermione wondered what his problem was; there was something off about Rory. She went to bed after the phone call, but it was some time before she finally fell into a fitful sleep.
When Rory finished his phone call with Hermione, he placed his cell phone on the nightstand in the motel room he was staying in that evening. He sighed and lay back against two pillows. Of all the rotten luck, he couldn't believe Hermione and that loudmouth Raylene were going to be joining this rodeo circuit. This was really going to cramp his style. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the door. He rose from the bed, smiling as he walked over to answer it.
"Hey there, I hope it isn't past your bedtime Mr. Matthew," the sultry brunette drawled when Rory opened the door.
"No honey, you're just in time, come on in," Rory replied and moved aside so she could walk in. Brandi was a waitress at a diner where he'd eaten breakfast that morning. Rory liked what he saw and had given her his motel room number. Brandi must've liked what she saw too because there she was.
As Brandi strolled into his motel room, he felt his crotch tightening as he took in her nicely-shaped rear in the tight jeans she was wearing. He couldn't wait to tap that ass. Rory didn't think that there was anything wrong with what he was doing. He was leaving this town the next morning and would probably never see Brandi again. He viewed Brandi as a "practice girl," as in she was okay to have sex with, but not someone he would consider marrying. He was able to satisfy his needs with gals like her. Hermione Granger was definitely not a "practice girl," and he had the utmost respect for her. However, she was totally going to cramp his style by being on the same rodeo circuit. Rory had no idea how he was going to work all this out, but he was confident he'd think of something.
Hermione and Raylene waved to their friends and family as they left from the town square in Big Sky. Cowgirl Blue had provided them with a tour bus that would also serve as their accommodations. They were followed by two trucks pulling horse trailers and equipment. Gabe was traveling with them, along with the driver of the tour bus, Tom Turner. Their first stop was Denver, Colorado where they would join the rest of the rodeo circuit. Hermione was nervous, but excited at the same time. She and Raylene couldn't wait to see the guys.
When they made it to their destination, the tour bus pulled into the parking lot of the coliseum where the rodeo was going to be taking place. When the vehicle stopped, the young women stepped out to stretch out their legs and check out the coliseum. Imagine their surprise when Dave and Rory were there to greet them. Raylene hooped and hollered as she ran into Dave's arms. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, hugging and kissing him. Hermione was a little more hesitant when she approached Rory, but any doubts she had soon melted away when Rory pulled her into his arms.
"You are a sight for sore eyes darling, I sure missed you. I'm glad you're here," Rory said softly.
Hermione smiled at him and hugged him. He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes as she savored the kiss and enjoyed being close to Rory again. It was as if he wanted to pick up where they left off.
The young men were quite impressed with the setup that Hermione and Raylene had been provided by Cowgirl Blue. They couldn't get over how luxurious the tour bus was; it was nicer than most of the motel rooms they stayed in. Dave was genuinely happy for the girls, but Rory couldn't help feeling a little resentful. He could see Raylene being on a team like this, but Hermione had just started and here she was being sponsored by one of the biggest corporations. He thought Hermione was a great gal but really didn't think she had what it took to make it in the pro-rodeo circuit. Rory hoped she wasn't in for too rude of an awakening.
As they traveled to different places, Rory thought Hermione was going to cramp his style, but she and Raylene stayed in the tour bus, while he, Dave, and the rest of the guys on the tour went back to the motel. He would have dinner with Hermione, play tonsil hockey and feel her up for about an hour, and then he'd return to his motel room to meet whatever lucky gal he'd picked up earlier in the day. Life was good for Rory.
Hermione was feeling a little frustrated. She was so ready to take it to the next level with Rory, but whenever she tried to unfasten his jeans or feel his erection, he'd only smile and push her hand away. He wanted their first time to be special.
"Hermione baby, as much as I want to, we need to stop," Rory groaned.
"But Rory, I'm ready," Hermione pleaded as she kissed his neck.
Rory gently pulled away and looked at her. "I want our first time to be somewhere special. Sure we could do it here, but it would be so quick and meaningless. Baby, when I make love to you, I want it to be for the whole night. I want to hold you in my arms afterwards and wake up to your beautiful face in the morning."
Hermione, being so young and inexperienced fell for this and was overcome with love and affection for Rory. She really felt that he cared about her and didn't want to compromise her virtue.
In the weeks that went by Rory had to reconsider his thoughts about Hermione not being good enough for the pro-rodeo circuit. She and Raylene were in a tight race for having the best times. They always placed in the top spots and Hermione was coming out first more and more. Cowgirl Blue's executives and Gabe were thrilled for both young women had exceeded their wildest expectations. Cowgirl Blue's merchandise was flying off the shelves since Hermione and Raylene had begun to compete. Women admired them and wanted to emulate their style. They were becoming household names in the pro-rodeo world.
Raylene had found a way to sneak out of the tour bus and spend a few hours with Dave in his motel room. Hermione, along with Gabe and Tom, always turned in early and they were all heavy sleepers. When Raylene was sure that they were asleep, she'd sneak out to where Dave was waiting for her and they'd slip off to his motel room for a little fun.
It was 3 a.m. one Sunday morning and Raylene was stepping out of Dave's motel room. It was a cool morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dave had left ahead of her so he could start up the pickup truck and get the heater going. She was about to head downstairs to the parking lot when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. There was Rory making out with a redhead in the doorway of his room. He was shirtless and his jeans were unbuttoned. He was chuckling as the redhead whispered something in his ear. When they disentangled from their passionate embrace, the woman waved to him and began to walk away.
"You still have my number right? I'll be waiting for your call," the redhead said over her shoulder to Rory. Her name was Laura and she was a rodeo groupie.
"You bet darling. Thanks again babe," Rory replied as he watched her walk away. He had no intention of calling her and had already forgotten her name.
"It was my pleasure," Laura said in a sultry manner. She couldn't wait to tell her friends that she'd spent the night with Rory Matthew.
Rory was about to shut the door and get back in bed when he sensed that he wasn't alone. When he turned and saw who was there, he did a double take, and then inwardly groaned. Fuck, it's Raylene, he thought.
"Hey there Raylene, wasn't expecting to see you," Rory said, wondering how much she had seen of his interaction with the redhead. Judging by the sour look on her face, she had probably witnessed a good bit.
"I don't fucking believe you Rory! How can you do this to Hermione? You know, I had a few reservations about Hermione getting with you, because let me tell you bucko, your reputation precedes you. But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. However, you haven't changed at all. Why are you spouting all that bullshit to Hermione about waiting to sleep together? She is one of the finest people I know, you don't deserve her. You're a fucking asshole," Raylene growled.
"Raylene, it isn't what you think. That gal you saw came by for an autograph and I couldn't get rid of her," Rory lied. He was going to say anything to get out of this.
"Rory, do you think I'm one of those dumb broads you're always picking up? I saw you kissing her. What're you going to do about this?" Raylene asked as she tapped the toe of her right foot and looked at him expectantly.
"What do you mean?" Rory asked.
"Are you going to tell Hermione or shall I?" Raylene asked.
"Damn it Raylene. Please don't say anything before I talk to her. I never meant to hurt Hermione, I care for her," Rory pleaded.
"You've sure got a funny way of showing it. Hermione sees you as some sort of Prince Charming, huh more like Prince of the Dipshits if you ask me," Raylene said scornfully as she looked at Rory with disgust.
"All I ask is that you give me a chance to tell her. Please, I'm begging you," Rory replied.
"Fine! I'll be nice and give you two days to tell her. If you don't, I'm telling Hermione everything," Raylene said.
Rory sighed. "That's fair enough. I just hope by some miracle she'll forgive me. That gal you saw meant nothing to me."
Raylene rolled her eyes. "You're truly a piece of work. I hope Hermione has enough sense to tell you to get the fuck out of her life."
Rory didn't answer her. He went back into his room and shut the door. Raylene looked at the closed door with a grimace on her face and shook her head. Wait until I tell Dave about this, she thought as she descended the stairs to meet him.
It was Sunday afternoon at the rodeo in Santa Fe and Hermione was so exhilarated. She and Treasure had placed first again. Raylene had placed second and hugged Hermione as they waited to accept their prizes. Hermione was amassing quite a collection of belt buckles. As Raylene watched Hermione and saw how happy she was, she thought about Rory. She wondered if he was going to tell Hermione later that evening. It tore her up to know how this was going to break her friend's heart, but damn it to hell, Rory couldn't keep making an ass out of her.
When they were done, they went to sit in the stands to watch the last event of the day and the most anticipated, the bull riding. Cowgirl Blue had a box reserved at the stadium, but the young women preferred sitting with the spectators. They were very gracious as the people sitting near them congratulated them on their performances. Hermione looked at the program and frowned when she came to Rory's name.
"What's wrong?" Raylene asked.
Hermione pointed to the name of the bull Rory was going to be riding. "Rory's riding Red Dynamite." Red Dynamite was a mean sonofabitch and a force to be reckoned with; he gave the rodeo clowns a run for their money. A rust-colored bull with splotches of white, no one was able to stay on the 1800 pound beast for eight seconds.
Raylene made a face. "At least Rory won't be on him long," she giggled.
Hermione gave her a good-natured nudge with her elbow. "Rory might be the one to finally put Red Dynamite in his place. I'm so nervous for him, he's going to be the last rider."
She and Raylene watched the bull riding and cheered them on. Dave did really well and made it to the 8-second mark. He had a good chance to place first. Finally it was Rory's turn. Hermione watched as he was in the stall and was about to mount Red Dynamite. Just as he was about to sit on the bull, he turned and looked at Hermione. Her heart melted when he smiled and winked at her. Raylene fought the urge to roll her eyes.
It all happened so quickly. The gate opened and Red Dynamite shot out with a vengeance, intent on bucking Rory off. Sure enough Rory was only able to stay on for 4 seconds. He was flung into the air and landed on his rear end in the middle of the arena. He stood up and brushed the dust off of his jeans. The rodeo clowns ran to distract Red Dynamite, but the bull was too quick for them. Rory had removed his protective vest and was walking back to the gate, when Red Dynamite went straight for him. Rory turned and saw the bull. He tried to run to the gate, but it was too late. Red Dynamite pierced his side with one of his horns, and then tossed him into the air as if he was a ragdoll. The crowd gasped in horror as Rory fell heavily to the ground. The rodeo clowns were finally able to subdue the vicious bull and led it away so the paramedics could get to Rory. They lifted him onto a stretcher and took him away to where an ambulance was waiting.
Hermione watched all this and put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Raylene reacted quickly, grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her away from the stands. They needed to get to the hospital. She saw Dave and he ran to them. Dave led them to the pickup and they climbed in. They left the stadium and followed the ambulance. When they arrived, Rory was prepped for emergency surgery, for he was bleeding internally.
They had been sitting in the waiting room for about an hour and were joined by Gabe and Tom, along with rodeo officials. Raylene held Hermione's hand and tried to console her. Despite how much she disliked Rory, Raylene never wished anything like this to happen to him. She hoped and prayed he was going to be okay.
Another half-hour went by and then a middle-aged doctor walked into the waiting room. He looked around and asked who was there for Rory Matthew. They all stood up and Dave went up to the doctor.
"How is he doing? Did the surgery go well," Dave asked.
The doctor looked at all of them and sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, we did all that we could, but he had lost too much blood. Rory didn't make it."
Hermione let out a wail and collapsed to the floor. Raylene went to her and hugged her. She cried along with Hermione, thinking about the awful things she had said to Rory earlier. Hermione would never have to find out the awful truth. Rory was gone.
Some of you are waiting for the Dramione interaction, well it won't be long. This incident will definitely send Hermione back to the wizarding world. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
As always, I appreciate the reviews and alerts. Thank you!