Chapter Eight
Monday turned out to be an extremely busy day for Hermione Granger. Margaret had her scheduled for a full day in the Wizengamot, which really made Harry's arrival rather inconvenient.
"You two boys wait here," Hermione instructed Ron and Harry once they were in her office. "I'll try to finish this up as quickly as I can, and then we can get started."
Once Hermione left, Ron immediately put up the privacy wards and silencing enchantments. Harry just waited. Clearly the redhead had something he had to say.
"If we can't figure out what the Order did to you and how to reverse it; are you really willing to do what Hermione says you have to do?" Ron asked.
Harry had spent the better part of his weekend thinking hard about this very question. As yet, he hadn't come up with a suitable answer. He didn't really know if he was willing to do it. And even if he was, he was sure Hermione couldn't ensure that his
magic would actually return.
"Because she's kind of asking a lot."
Harry just nodded. "I know that." He took a breath. "I mean, would you do it? Would you allow her to?"
Ron spent a few seconds thinking about that and, like Harry, he didn't know what he would do. "I reckon we should figure out some things then. Are you sure you're up for having a go at Kingsley?"
Harry shrugged. "There are worse things to go up against." He laughed for a moment, but then got very serious. "The question is, Ron, are you? My going in there isn't my going up against just Kingsley. I'll be going up against the Order. The Order."
Ron swallowed. "No, Harry, we'll be going up against the Order."
"I'm sorry for dragging you back into all of this," Harry said, feeling like it was something he had to address. "I'm really sorry I've made it so difficult being friends with me."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "You definitely have," he said with a grin. "But I'm not complaining. Not really."
"Do you hate me?"
Ron regarded his once best friend rather sympathetically. "No, Harry, I do not. I just hate what you felt you had to do. We could have sorted this all out earlier. We could have found a way to get your magic back then. All of this would have been different."
Harry sighed. "You know, I've thought about what my life would be like if I had never lost my magic," he said, his voice growing softer. "I suspect I would still be with Ginny. I think we would be happily on our way to getting married and having maybe
three or four children." Ron just smiled at that thought. "And I believe that you and Hermione would still be together. I don't know which couple would get married first, but it would happen some day, and then you would also have children. And the
four of us, with Neville, and Luna, would live these simple, perfect, easy, maybe sometimes even boring lives."
Ron frowned slightly. "Is that a life you would want for yourself?"
"It just seems improbable, doesn't it?" Harry continued. "Ever since I found out I was a wizard, I've been running from death, fighting for a decent life where I could just be normal. It just seems pretty impossible for me to reach that kind of easiness,
doesn't it?"
"But you have that as a Muggle?"
"I did," he admitted. "I wandered for a long time. I travelled to far away places, but I was always going to come right back to England. I had to be somewhere close. I had to be here, near all of you, even if I wasn't with you. I don't think I could have
been anywhere else.
"I settled where I did because of a man I met in a bakery kind of bistro," Harry explained. "His name was Christopher Ahern. The way he talked about food made me fall in love with it. He told me that the shop was going to close down because the owner
couldn't keep up with the payments. He said that the owner was getting old and he couldn't keep it going; that he was looking for someone to take over, while his daughter was at school.
"So I bought it. I saved it and, for the first time since I became a Muggle, I had done something meaningful. When Chris died, his daughter came back. She came back and the entire world changed."
"Julia?"
Harry nodded. "We've been together ever since."
That piece of news hurt Ron in a way he didn't quite understand. It was a pain he suspected was connected to Hermione. If she were to hear this story, he wasn't sure how she would react. It told him that Harry's relationship with Julia was real and deep
and true. The type of relationship Harry and Hermione used to have; one they could probably still have.
"It just seems like an easier life," Harry went on. "No real stress. Just Julia and me living life, working in the shop, being happy. I don't know if I could give that up just to get my magic back."
Ron blinked. "Harry?"
"Don't get me wrong, I love being a wizard. But where have you heard of a wizard and a Muggle having a successful relationship? I would scare her half to death if I ever told her, and I don't think I could live my life lying to her."
"She would understand."
Harry took a deep breath. "Maybe she would. I don't know. What I do know is that everything we're dealing with is hypothetical. I've made countless sacrifices in my life already, Ron; and I don't think I want Julia to be one of them."
Ron didn't say anything for a while, his gaze never once leaving Harry's face. This was a very deep conversation. He suspected that Harry hadn't had many people to talk to about all of this. Ron was able to be his best friend again. Before they could
move on, Ron had to ask the question: "What about Hermione?"
Harry frowned. "What do you mean what about Hermione?"
"Clearly, there's some stuff the two of you need to talk about," Ron pointed out his observation. "Something's bothering the both of you and I really need you to sort it out before we move forward with whatever it is we're trying to do with the Order."
Harry just shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Hermione and I are fine."
"You and Hermione are definitely not fine."
Harry shifted in his seat, finding the conversation suddenly very uncomfortable. "We're fine. And you really can't talk. You and Hermione weren't particularly fun to be around during the hunt either."
"That was different."
"How was that different?"
Ron managed a smile. "You're right. It wasn't that different. We both had the hots for each other, kind of like right now, right?"
Harry shot a look at him.
He laughed. "Come on. You can't even deny it. There is something there. There always has been. The two of you always had something I envied. You were best friends from the very beginning, with a sort of understanding I could only dream of having. Tell
me you didn't think about her while you were in your self-proclaimed exile."
Harry could feel himself angering. "You're talking rubbish," he said strongly. "And of course I thought of Hermione. I thought about all of you. All the time."
Ron sat forward. "Okay, answer me this, since Julia met Hermione, has she asked about her?"
The breath seemed to leave Harry. He was hit by a feeling of utter defeat. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"What exactly did she say?"
He thought back. "She just asked if Hermione and I had ever… umm, you know… dated."
"Dated, huh? That's all?"
"Well, she asked if we'd ever got together… umm, on a… level that's more than, umm, just friends."
"And you said…?"
"No!" Harry rushed. "Of course not. We're just friends. Always have been. There's never been anything more."
"Keep talking, Harry; you might just convince yourself."
Harry felt that defeat all over again, as if he was fighting a battle he knew he had already lost. "I know what I feel, Ron. And it has nothing to do with Hermione."
Ron shook his head, but he chose not to say anything more on the subject. He had said his peace and he knew it was time to move on until he totally lost Harry once again. Ron let the silence drag on long enough for the frown on Harry's forehead to subside.
"I have to show you something," Ron said. "I haven't told anyone about it, but I reckon you can keep a secret."
Harry looked at Ron, anticipating something big. He was not disappointed, as Ron pulled out a small box. "Ron?" Harry whispered. "I know we've known each other a long time, but I've always seen you as just a friend."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Merlin, Harry. You're such an idiot."
He smiled sheepishly. "So, let's see it then."
Ron made quick work of opening the little box and revealing a yellow-gold band ring with a small diamond. "I spent months of wages on it," he said, feeling like he had to explain. "Luna knows I'm from modest beginnings, but I wanted to give her something
special."
"She's going to love it," Harry found himself saying. "Wow. This is a big deal, Ron. When do you plan on doing it?"
Ron sat back and put the ring away. "I thought of doing it when her first article makes the front page, but I can't really plan on when that's going to happen. Could take years for all I know."
"I reckon you should ask her tonight," Harry said. "If there's anything I've figure out about life; it's that you never know what's going to happen. You love her, you ask her. You start your life; don't waste any time. Especially now with all this uncertainty
with the Order."
Ron seemed to pale at Harry's suggestion. "Tonight?" he asked, his bottom lip quivering. "Isn't that a little soon? I mean, I kind of wanted it to be a little romantic, you know?"
Harry thought about that. "You know, I think I actually have an idea…"
The boys were still planning what they were going to do for the proposal when Hermione returned to her office. She looked particularly worn out, as if what ever she had been doing didn't go her way. Harry was hit with the urge - the need - to comfort
her. He wanted to say something to cheer her up, but it all felt a little weird after the conversation he just had with Ron.
"Sorry I took so long," Hermione said, moving around her desk and flopping down into her chair. "There were… complications."
"I'm sorry," Harry said, and it seemed to carry a lot of weight. It was as if he was apologising for a lot more than something he had no clue about.
Hermione managed to smile at him, acknowledging what he was trying to do. "Do you think we can continue this after lunch? I'm not really feeling up to discussing conspiracies and betrayals."
Harry wanted to stand up and go to her. It was as if his body wanted to propel him forward, as if his mind considered him to be the one she needed. It was strange.
"We can talk about other things," Ron offered, sensing the severity of Hermione's mood. "Like the fact that I intend to ask Luna to marry me."
Hermione just stared. "Wait. What?"
Ron was beaming and Harry just nodded in his own excitement. This was a secret for the three of them; something more exciting, something to hold onto.
"Tonight?" Hermione asked, her surprise getting the better of her. "You're going to ask her tonight?"
Ron looked at Harry for a moment, before he grinned at Hermione. "Well, why not?"
"Do you think he's going to be okay in there?" Hermione asked, as she, Harry and Julia stood across the street from the shop. At night, it was a bistro; a truly romantic, perfectly lit bistro. And this Monday night; it had only one table set for one red-headed
wizard and a blonde, almostwhite-haired witch.
"He'll be fine," Harry assured her. "He's been planning it for ages. I'm sure it's all going to come tumbling out as soon as he opens his mouth."
"And that doesn't alarm you?" Hermione asked, laughing lightly.
Harry gave her a sideways look. "You can always go in and check if they're okay," he offered, smirking the only way Harry knew how.
"I'm perfectly fine out here, thank you very much," she said, folding her arms across her chest and biting on her bottom lip as she waited, which made Harry laugh.
Julia watched their interaction rather curiously. They were, she deduced, very comfortable with each other. Harry had told her they were never together, but she couldn't help feeling like she was an intruder in whatever they had going on.
Harry turned his attention to Julia. "Do you think the chocolate fondant will set in time?" he asked.
She found his concern adorable. "If he gets to the famous question before dessert; I doubt they're going to care."
Harry just smiled as he took hold of her hand and pulled her towards him. He placed his lips near her ear and whispered, "Would you care?"
Julia squeezed his hand, even as she started to beam. All she wanted to do was turn to him and kiss him full on the lips but she managed to stop herself. Something just didn't feel right about displaying affection towards Harry in the presence of Hermione.
Julia wouldn't be able to explain why she felt like being with Harry was wrong, in the eyes of the great public; as if he was meant to be with someone else; with the woman standing just to their right.
Hermione felt supremely awkward as she stood there, feeling like the fifth wheel in a terrible dream. How on earth had she ended up where she was? Without Ron. Without Harry. Alone. Because, even though she had many people in her life; she couldn't deny
the feeling she felt: loneliness.
Harry looked past Julia to Hermione, who seemed to have gotten smaller as the evening went on. He suspected it was partly his fault but he wasn't sure what he could do. She'd had a terrible day at work, and he and Ron had tried to cheer her up by getting
her to help them with planning the proposal. What they had failed to think about was that, if they were going to have it in the bistro; they were going to need Julia's help as well. And suddenly it was no longer the Trio's secret.
Being Julia, she took control of setting up the bistro. Hermione had managed to chime in on things Luna-related but she was demoted as Julia was more familiar with the bistro. Ron was a bundle of nerves by the time Harry sent him home to get ready for
the evening. It was at that point that Hermione wanted to leave, mainly because she didn't think she could handle being alone with Harry and Julia. But Julia had insisted she stay. The three of them had to see the entire thing through.
Which was why they were still standing on the sidewalk across the street from the bistro some ninety minutes after Ron and Luna had claimed the entire shop.
The first notable movement from within happened a few minutes later. The three of them could sense it. And suddenly, Ron's head popped out from the bistro's front door. His eyes were shining, maybe from tears. Joy or sadness, Harry couldn't be sure. But
then his face burst into a wide grin and he yelled out at them. "She said yes!"
