Chapter 2: The Fallout of Taking Control

Hermione gave herself exactly one minute to look back at the rickety Burrow that she loved so dearly before she closed her eyes and apparated away.

She landed beside the Leaky Cauldrons door within a second, and it was another before she realised that this was a terrible place to escape. It was too open, too exposed and people absolutely knew her here. She was Hermione Granger for Merlins sake. She barely heard the startled gasps before she was gone again, turning on her heel to get out of there as fast as she could.

Her head spun as she landed again and she felt like she would vomit when she opened her eyes to see a simple, three-level house before her. Her eyes burned as she looked upon her childhood home. The one she'd lived in blissful ignorance of the Wizarding World until she was 11 years old, where her parents had loved her unconditionally.

It killed her to think that they would never know the woman she had become.

She must have been thinking about them when she'd panicked outside the Cauldron. Her magic had brought her home. The thought had her reaching for the white fence in front of her as her chest tightened and her ears rang.

It was a nice house, she thought blindly. She'd wanted to buy it shortly after the war, when the dream of reuniting with her parents had still been high; but once she'd learned that they couldn't come back to her, she'd decided against it. It wouldn't feel like home if it didn't have them.

Nothing felt like home without them.

"Oh, hello love." A friendly voice said as an older man rounded the hedges that lined the fence. He had on a pair of gardening gloves and was holding a hat in them, while he wiped his ruddy face on his arm. "I heard a strange noise, thought there might have been an accident." He gave a smile before his brow furrowed as he looked her up and down. "Is everything ok?"

"My parents used to own this house." She said softly, fisting her fingers in the soft fabric of her dress. She must have looked a right sight, crying while in a wedding dress. No wonder he was approaching like one would a frightened animal.

"Oh? The Grangers?" He asked and she flinched. "They sold this years ago, moved to Australia… I didn't know they had a daughter."

Hermione's nose burned as her lip trembled.

"They didn't know they had me either." She replied before clearing her throat. "Sorry. It's… it's been a long day." She shook herself, wiping a hand over the stray tear that fell.

"Would you like to come inside, love? Hava' cup of tea, perhaps?" He was a kindly man, and if she squinted, he almost reminded her of her father… but she shook her head.

"No… thank you. I'll be ok." She smiled at him before turning down the path with no direction of where she was headed. She felt his eyes on her for a long time before she ducked off the road and into an alley to apparate.

She paused a moment, trying to think of somewhere to go.

She couldn't go to her flat. She shared it with Ronald and that would be the first place they'd look for her. She couldn't go anywhere in the magical world because they'd know her immediately, and word would get out that she'd run away on her wedding day.

She couldn't go to shell cottage because Bill and Fluer would return there eventually, not to mention Dobby was looking after the place (for a wage of course) and would absolutely tell them where she was.

Grimmauld place was warded, so several people would be notified when she arrived there, Mr Weasley included.

Her chest tightened when she realised that she really had nowhere to go.

Merlin she needed a drink. The slight buzz of the champagne was wearing off and her heart was racing.

Think, Hermione she ordered herself, closing her eyes for a moment to try and focus.

Leaving the country was out; she didn't have a current muggle passport anyway so she'd have to travel by magical means. She was too conspicuous in London, especially in this gown. She was too conspicuous in the Wizarding World because of her face...

She just needed a place, one place where no one knew who she was and where no one who knew her would think to look…

Her eyes flew opened as she remembered a place exactly like that. She held her breath, lifted a hand and disappeared from the quiet Hampstead street.


The music started up upon Harry's arrival, the musicians not realising that he was, in fact, alone.

"Harry?" Ginny asked many things with just the use of her husband's name but he shook his head to silence her. "Harry, where's – "

"Please… don't hate her, Gin." He muttered and pushed past his wife and the bridesmaids to walk up the aisle toward Ron.

A mix of emotions crossed over Ron's face at his approach. His brows lifted then furrowed, his mouth tightened and then dropped. His cheeks dusted in red before become whitewashed completely. The other Weasley men gathered around when Harry stopped before of Ron and clasped his hands in front of him.

"Harry?" Ron asked. There was a faint buzzing behind Harry as the guests all started whispering at once. "Harry, is everything alright? Where's?"

"I think we better talk about this somewhere a little more private, mate." Harry tilted his head, gesturing to the crowd whose buzzing was getting louder.

"What's happened?" Ron asked again, rooted to the spot. "Is Hermione ok?"

"She's ok… There's just been a bit of a … well… there's…" Merlin, he wished he'd thought this through before he'd gotten here. Or asked Hermione what he should say; she'd just looked so distraught, so full of despair, that he couldn't let her go through with this.

He hadn't noticed until she was spilling her secrets to him, but Hermione had really only ever done what was expected of her and no one had ever asked if that was what she wanted.

She'd fought in a war that wasn't hers and had lost her parents because of it; she'd gone back and finished at Hogwarts straight after to show people that it was safe to return and then she'd joined the ministry all because that was what people expected her to do. She'd always been the 'good' one out of the three of them, the one to succeed and to do things without ever being asked. Hell, the current and most likely theory was that she was going to become the youngest Minister for Magic ever and no one had asked her if that's what she wanted - in fact, he knew it wasn't. He knew she wanted to travel more than anything but had never thought to ask her when she hadn't.

Harry got the feeling that this wedding was the final straw. He just wished he'd noticed sooner.

"She isn't coming, is she?" Ron asked and there were several gasps from behind him. Harry reached for his friends arm and squeezed.

"She's not well, so I don't think she can. Let's… let's go and talk about this, ok?" He tugged Ron a little but Ron didn't move. He glanced behind them, watching the crowd whisper to each other behind their hands.

They would tear her to shreds for this. Each and every one of them would rip Hermione's character apart, unless he could get a handle on the situation.

He let Ron go and turned to them, clearing his throat.

"There's been a small change in the programming today. The bride has… she's…"

"Taken ill." Ron spoke, stepping in front of Harry. "She hasn't been well for a couple of days but still pushed for this…" He cleared his throat. "The party will still continue of course, please don't feel like you need to leave…"

"Harry, what the bloody hell is happening?" Ginny hissed when she joined them, but Harry shook his head.

"I'll explain everything later."

"No, now."

"Not the time, Gin." He said roughly, taking her hand to squeeze it. He pressed his lips to her knuckles. "Please help your brother and wrangle your parents?" He nodded to Molly and Arthur as they marched toward them.

"Hermione is unwell?" Molly asked, her face an unreadable mixture of motherly concern and suspicion. "But she was fine this morning?"

"Unwell how?" Arthur asked, erring more on the side of concern than his wife. "Do we need to call a mediwitch for her?"

Ginny held her husband's gaze for a moment longer before she turned to her mum and dad.

"She's exhausted. Harry called the mediwitch, I'm sure she's ok."

"Well, we should go to her." Molly said as she turned but Ginny reached for her.

"No, mum, please I need your help here at the party." She plastered a smile to her face and did that thing with her eyes to speak silently to her mother. Harry had never quite understood how it worked and assumed it was a mother-daughter thing.

"We need to keep up appearances for ze media." Fleur agreed, appearing at their sides. She leaned into Harry while Ginny spoke to her mother. "She iz not sick, iz she?" Fleur outright asked, her voice so soft he barely heard her.

"No." He muttered in response.

"Is she safe?"

"Yes." I think so.

"Zen we keep up zis front."

Harry realised that the family had closed ranks around them and one of the twins had dropped a silencing spell to stop the crowd from listening in. Ron hadn't moved, he hadn't said a word but he was looking at Harry and Fleur with sad, broken eyes.

"Ron…"

Ron shook his head and pressed away from his brothers, walking down the aisle to the world outside the chapel.

"She loves you." Harry said in a low voice. The sun was low, golden hour upon them and it cast everything in a strangely eerie red glow.

"Not enough to marry me, apparently." Ron muttered, shaking Harry's hand off his arm. His eyes blazed with hurt and anger and Harry shook his head.

"She's scared… She needs to be the one to explain it to you but please, Ron, don't hate her."

Ron gave a sniff and rubbed the bridge of his nose roughly.

"She left me, Harry. At the fucking altar."

"I know, Ron."

"Where is she?"

Harry let go of a breath.

"I don't know. I didn't ask where she was going… I didn't want to know."

Ron closed his eyes.

"Harry."

"I don't, Ron. Seriously; and I didn't know before today. If I had I would have made her call the whole thing off. Trust me, Ron. Please."

Ron took a deep breath and nodded. He paced back and forth for a moment before he straightened his shoulders and brushed down his dress robes.

"We maintain that she's ill. We tell no one who isn't immediate family that she's gone."

"What do you mean gone?" Molly Weasley said in a tone Harry only remembered hearing out of a Howler.

Ron turned and shushed her at the same moment Ginny appeared.

"She can't just be 'gone'… she's at home… she's sick?" Molly continued but Ron shook his head.

"She's not at home. Harry doesn't know where she went."

There was a beat and Molly's face coloured pink.

"So she's left you at the –"

"Please mum." Ron held up his hand to cut Molly off. "I don't know enough right now but Fleur's right about appearances. Those reporters will tear her – us – to shreds." He ground out, clearing his throat as he corrected himself. "Let's just get everyone having a good time, yeah?"

"How dare she. That stupid girl, what the bloody hell is she thinking?" Molly's voice was like ice and Harry flinched as she fixed her glare toward him. "Harry Potter, did you know about this?"

"No, Molly, I swear I – "

"Don't, mum." Both Ginny and Ron spoke with such equal ferocity that it startled Molly. The Weasley matriarch's eyes widened as she looked between her two youngest children who had never once spoken to her like they just had.

"But Ronald she's – "

"She'll have her reasons, I'm sure." Ron replied, cutting his mother off. He lifted his gaze to Arthur, who had appeared behind his wife.

"Dad? Take mum and keep everyone happy, ok?" He asked and Arthur nodded, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. He murmured something about needing to hear Hermione's side and Harry saw the instant her shoulders softened. He couldn't help but think Ginny was exactly the same as her mother; quick to anger initially but willing to be talked through it. He reached for Ginny and gripped her hand tightly.

"Come on Molly, let's get the guests over to the tables and get the music and food started." Arthur suggested, gesturing to the beautiful lakeside setup where tables were draped in cloths that looked like spun sugar, with table centrepieces made from old books and flowers. It really was a stunning setup and Harry wondered exactly when Hermione had checked out of the whole process.

They all re-entered the tent, shoulders steeled, a family unit used to weathering storms together. Molly started ordering her family around as soon as she could.

"Fleur, Angelina please go and tell the caterers that we need to bring forward the canapes and hors d'oeuvres. Katie and Gabrielle, go and help the band set up, quickly now." She started ordering everyone around. "Boys, go and mingle. Hermione is unwell that is all anyone needs to know."

The Weasley brothers all glanced to Harry before agreeing with their mother, scattering to the now buzzing crowd. Molly took a step away before she turned back to face Harry, Ginny and Ron.

"I will not forgive her for ruining your day, Ronald. She's hurt my son… My family."

"Mum, please -" Ron sighed but Molly raised her hand to silence him before she disappeared into the crowd with a smile on her face.

Ron's shoulder slumped.

"She'll come round, mate. Once you and Hermione talk this through." Harry patted his friend's shoulder.

"Stay for a moment Ron and then you can leave." Ginny agreed, placing her hand on her brothers. "We'll join you. I think there's more that my husband isn't telling us."

Harry sighed. If the Weasley boys looked similar when they were confused, then Ginny was the dead ringer for her mother when she was angry. It was going to be a long night; he could feel it.


Authors note: These chapters are mostly unedited. I try my best but like I said, this is really just therapy for me at this point. Enjoy!