ok obviously I can't update once a week, I'm sorry guys, I tried hard but I will be updating as soon as possibly but not weekly, thank you all for the support in messages and reviews, here is the new chapter :)

Chapter Five – One Bane at the Time

'We'll have to talk to Ron and the rest, before the Prophet plasters it around the front page,' Hermione said as she looked at Harry this time and the Potters remained silent for their son's reaction to Hermione's words. He sighed and nodded, still looking at the forms of his parents in disbelief. Instead of facing the fact of talking to everyone, he decided to ask his parents one of the things that floated in his head in a rush.

'How come you decided to show yourselves to us?' he asked as casually as he could and the Potters gave small smiles at him.

'Whoever uses the stone had the intention of us showing our forms to you, but we decided it would be proper to show ourselves to Hermione as well, after all we consider her part of the family, married to you or not,' James said casually and made both Harry and Hermione blush and actually avoid each other's eyes. Hermione looked at Harry's parents for a moment and then lowered her head.

'Thank you, that means a lot to me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter,' she said modestly and even though she had been used to be talking to ghosts thanks to the Hogwarts spirits, it still felt strange to address Harry's parents. They smiled at her and this time Lily spoke with her warm voice even though it slightly echoed.

'Your actions through the years for Harry's life and happiness mean even more to us, Hermione, and please, call us by our names. James is right, we see you as our daughter in law.' Lily said and this time her son and Hermione blushed even harder. She gave a slight sight but decided not to say a word more as James was looking at her with a huge grin, she only winked at him once and then looked at the awkward living people before her.

'It's time for you to speak to your friends before it's up to the Prophet to do so, and it'd be best if you packed your stuff since we'll be leaving for England soon. Harry, I'm sure there'll be some kind of fiesta for the Quidditch Cup.' Lily said and Harry gave a small smile at his mother, it was the first time she was planning even the smallest thing in his life. He nodded and looked at Hermione who had remained silent and uncomfortable close to the window of the room.

'Hermione, could I talk to you for a moment please?' he asked and smiled sheepishly at his parents who nodded in understanding as he moved closer to Hermione and led her to the bathroom of the room out of courtesy as not to ask his parents to disappear from sight just like that.

Hermione nodded her head at the Potters before she could follow Harry in the bathroom and let him close the door behind him. The small room filled with awkwardness the moment they remained in the presence of each other.

'So…' Harry started and struggled to find the words as Hermione was usually the one who did the talking. Should he say a word about last night, not the marriage but what followed, should he let it be for now? He needed to talk to her even though he wasn't sure what to say and they had agreed upon not talking for all those things for now.

'Harry, look,' Hermione started and for a moment she looked at her best friend's oh-so-familiar eyes, she needed to at least put one thing back in place, even if there was possibility that place had always been wrong, she needed that old wrong, for all this new situation felt scary and strange. 'You're my best friend and I know that at some point, we'll have to talk about what happened last night here in the hotel…' she started and sighed as she looked around, worried to meet his eyes and what could be in them. 'But for now, let it be, we need to talk to everyone then go back to England, find Kingsley, explain to him about your parents and when we have some solid answer or someone other than us trying to explain who could be using the stone, we'll figure this out, after all, in seventy six days this will be over and we'll be back to normal.' Hermione was trying unsuccessfully not to stammer as she looked at her hands, the tiles of the room, even the bath.

Harry felt a strange pang of fear at the prospect of those days ending, he wanted to put things straight between him and Hermione but he also wanted to…. to explain to her that being married to Hermione wasn't that bad, he hated the desperation he saw in her eyes, old feelings and hidden possibilities burnt like lava within him at the prospect of all this being discomforting to her. He had hoped good friends can make even better partners but obviously she wasn't taking any chances. However that led him to ask the next question.

'If it's so hard for you, why did you sleep with me last night?' he asked boldly as flashes from last night rushed in his head, images of her breathing close to his lips, her soft skin against his own, her scar on her left breast, her voice moaning his name in pleasure as he thrust within her body.

Hermione's eyes focused on him again but this time her eyes were cold, calculating, the stare you do not wish Hermione Granger addressing you with. He almost regretted his words as he saw her guards coming up fast.

'I was drunk,' she said curtly, 'Just like you were,' she added and Harry felt the challenge in her tone, his hot-headed Gryffindor character pushed him to answer with a challenge of his own.

'They say people are true when drunk,' he said and let out the truth as much as he could, her eyes for a moment lost their cold as she looked straight at his.

Did he mean his words? Was he trying to tell her what she thought he did? Was she willing to accept what he meant? Would she try once again with her best friend, her closest friend? Her previous experience with Ron prevented her. She wasn't supposed to have so many questions for the person she knew better than herself, yet again, she wasn't supposed to be in such situation with that very same person when she had vowed to herself she would let herself feel the pain.

'They say a lot of things about drunk people, you shouldn't consider them all to be the truth,' she answered at last, she wasn't ready for that kind of conversation and she wouldn't have through challenges and riddles anyway. She had just asked him to let it be and all he was doing was pushing it further. He wasn't Ron who would have just let out a comment or even an insensible remark and leave. He was Harry and he knew how to get what he wanted from her.

She moved a step towards the door of the bathroom but Harry caught her hand and stopped her, their eyes met again and stared at each other for a moment. They had been like this before, on their own with their hands holding each other, not as to stop one another from leaving but in times of need, despair, danger, even close to death.

'Hermione…' he tried this time, it wasn't easy for him to challenge her, to use his knowledge of her character when her brown eyes looked at him like this, she always respected him when he wouldn't talk, not she was forcing him to do the same with her very eyes.

'Please, at least for now, let it be,' she said and he sighed, brought her hand close to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

'I know you think we fucked it all up, but I'm here for you just like I know you're here for me,' he finally said and he knew she understood his words, they had been running around the subject for years now, they knew better than that, but for now, he would grant her wish, he would let it be.

She finally nodded, not letting her hopes or panic rise at the prospect of his words and finally took her hand away and moved outside the bathroom to find no one else but Ron waiting in the room, the hangover of his was evident in his posture and eyes, the Potters were looking at him amused although he obviously couldn't see them. Hermione felt the panic she had fought a minute ago as sooner or later, he would know.

'Hermione? What are you doing in Harry's room? Or actually his bathroom?' Ron asked, his voice always holding that part of suspicion when it came to Harry and Hermione, only this time he would be proven right. Hermione didn't miss Lily's small eye-roll at the tone of the ginger young man.

Hermione was ready to speak but at that moment Harry moved out of the bathroom as well and almost stumbled upon Hermione who hadn't moved more than a foot from the door. Ron's eyes narrowed.

'Hey, Ron,' Harry said awkwardly and glanced at Hermione who nodded her head, the sooner the better.

'Hey, guys,' Ron said as he watched the two friends moving close to him and seating in opposite directions.

'Ron, we need to tell you something.' Hermione started and Ron looked at them with suspicion in their eyes.

'I'm listening,' Ron said and waited as he noticed the two looking at a direction of the room, he looked at the spot as well.

'He can't see us,' Lily informed the youngest couple who only nodded as Ron was still looking at the spot the Potters were standing.

'OK, Ron, look,' Harry started and the ginger young man looked back at his friends.

'Come on, guys, you're scaring me, I just came here to tell Harry that we're leaving in an hour for the fiesta in England.' Ron said and Hermione decided to tell the truth and be done with it.

'Ron, last night, Harry and I got drunk, went to Vegas and got married, the thing is the marriage is legal for the British Ministry and now we must stay married for the next seventy six days or so.' Hermione said as coldly as she could to hide the emotions that still ran in her heart about the whole deal.

Ron was left speechless to look at them for some endless moments before he could burst in laughter.

'Oh guys, I almost bought it, and my head is killing me so stop it,' Ron said between snorts and sniffs of laughter as he held his head, he paused his reaction when he saw the solemn faces of his friends, his eyes fell on the rings they still had failed to remove from their fingers, or forgot to… 'You're bloody serious?' he asked after a moment more and this time Harry nodded as Ron looked first at him and then at Hermione who sighed and nodded. 'And when you say you got married... while drunk…. You… you two did…?' he asked and the solemn faces of truth before him had him off his seat and in a fit within moments.

'Ron, before you start-'

'Before I start?' Ron screamed at Harry as he had done in the past, Hermione glanced actually nervous at Harry's parents as the two friends were to fight for her. 'You know I'm trying here…' Ron said and everyone in the room –alive or not- got the meaning of his words about his try to have Hermione back. 'As for you… I suppose you got what you wanted since you always choose him!' Ron screamed this time at Hermione and Harry would swear he saw both the ghosts of his parents making each a step forward as to protect Hermione, or stop Ron, either way the atmosphere was thick and electrified.

'Ron, listen… Hermione and I…' Harry tried to negotiate with his best friend although he knew he wouldn't make it, Ron was always sensitive about everything Harry-Hermione related and revealing to him that they accidently got married and had sex was a stab deep in the wound he always kept open for his own reasons and purposes.

'I have nothing to listen to, you were supposed to be my friend, we've been through this, you told me things I thought were true from your lying mouth!' Ron shouted at Harry who tried very hard to keep his own temper in check. He had said things in the past, when he was younger, naïve, hunted in a game of death and destruction, in the middle of nowhere and desperate for his teen friend back. Now he didn't have it in him to reveal to both Ron and Hermione that those said words back then came in complete contrast with how he felt about his female best friend and as it happened, first wife. He glanced at Hermione for help, as always and the look she gave Ron almost frightened him.

Hermione was ready to make the step back, to try again and again to make Ron believe that it was a mistake, that it meant nothing, that it was a huge mess and that she didn't mean it. But as she felt Harry's eyes on her and the presence of his parents close by, combined with the furious face of Ron that she had seen way too many times over the past years, she decided to have a different approach on the matter.

'I am not an object, certainly not your object, it's been years, you should have accepted a few things over the course of them, Ronald…. What I do with Harry or whoever else is actually my business and you like it or not. I have no obligation to change my mind, wait for you or actually make myself believe that the two of us have some future as a couple. You deserve the truth and this is it, we're friends and we'll always be if you wish for it, but nothing more.' There, she had said the truth she was dying to scream at his face. She had made it in calm tones, no hysterics and no holding back. She was in turmoil about what she did with Harry but this was the perfect opportunity to get clear with Ron before she had everyone else to face.

The Potters were looking at her almost in admiration while Harry seemed mesmerized. She didn't want to analyze anything at that moment but she knew, if she had said anything else to Ron than the things she had just uttered, it would be wrong both for him and herself. She needed to short out what she had had done with Harry, had it had meant but for now, she wouldn't be passive, she had to act against every bane at the time.

Ron was left speechless to stare between his friends before he could storm out of the room and slam the door shut. Hermione sighed as she expected nothing more or less from him. Harry was left speechless for a moment more.

'That certainly wasn't subtle but I think he got your point at last.' Harry said and Hermione noticed the small elbowing James gave to Lily before she could soundlessly hush him. She looked back at Harry and for a moment the fact of herself looking at her husband brought the almost familiar by now panic back in her head.

'Everyone is waiting downstairs.' Harry reminded to the room and Hermione looked around her. They had to be done with it and possibly arrange a portkey for themselves after it because she wasn't sure how people would react around them.

'Could you please arrange another portkey for us? Maybe one of the secondary ones arranged for your team? Maybe direct it to Grimmauld or some place safe for us to be until we go to the ministry?' Hermione changed the subject without getting completely off the point. Harry nodded his head and looked at her for a moment. 'I hope I am welcome to Grimmauld.' She added as she hadn't thought that Harry's renovated house might not be where he wanted them or her to be for the time being.

'You renovated the place, made it a home for humans, you're its actual mistress, with the marriage or not…' Harry added with a tiny dose of humor and Hermione smiled and nodded her head, pretending she didn't hear James mumbling something to Lily who hushed him again…

sooooooooooo what you think guys? did you like it? I wanted a small part for ron and only and the next one will be the chapter of their return to england... you like james and lily and their little hints of favor towards hermione? and what about her way before ron for the first time? thank you for reading

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