A/N: Here's another installation of this story. I would like to thank those who have read this story, but mostly I would love to really thank those who have reviewed it. Please R/R again, as always any and all help is needed and appreciated.
Chapter 14
Dreams Refused
The Burrow
Current Day
"Yes he is and yet he isn't," Minerva repeats her words from so many years ago, she repeats them to the stunned room.
"He really said that about his wand," David asks confused.
"Yes," Minerva answers.
"Why would his wand save his life," David asks more to the point. "I mean beyond the obvious reasons," he clarifies.
"Harry's wand's core contains a Phoenix feather, this Phoenix only gave two fathers. A wand cannot duel with its brother," Ron says trying to remember it exactly.
Hermione can't help but smile at Ron's attempt. "Dad," she says to her father knowing he still doesn't understand. "The owner of the other wand is Voldemort," she explains to him.
"So when they duel each other their wands won't work," he asks trying to understand.
"Exactly," Dumbledore agrees.
"So it was very wise of him not to have his wand with him," Alexandra asks.
"Yes it was," Minerva says. "As he told me the first thing they did was search him for it, I have no doubt in my mind they would have snapped it."
David looks at his daughter and the at her red headed friend, "that explains why your still able to be friends," he says with a nod.
"It is all very complicated," Ron says in agreement, "but worth it," he confesses with a smile towards Hermione.
"Did he ever try to pull away again after that," Alexandra asks.
"No, Harry didn't," Ron says with a shake of his head, "him and I were in the same Auror training classes, however sometime in there Hermione did," he says with a shrug.
Hermione blushes at this as everyone turns to her, "I kind of forgot how much I needed our friendship," she confesses.
Alexandra looks at her daughter knowingly, "you loved him," she says honestly.
Hermione looks at her mother, "I still do," she admits in a whisper.
"If you loved Potter why did you go and marry another," Severus asks in a growl.
"So Harry could move on knowing she was happy and safe," Ron says surprising himself with his words.
"I did love Jack," Hermione rushes out, "or at least I thought I did, I thought it was true love, but I guess it was only an infatuation that got way out of hand," she tries to explain. "The only person I've ever truly loved was Harry and he didn't love me," she whispers.
"If you loved him, then what happened a year ago," Severus demands in his normal snarling growl, "what caused you to turn down his proposal," he snarls at her.
Hermione's head snaps in the direction of her former potions Professor, confusion clearly written on her face, "what proposal," she demands in return. She stares at him wondering at his words, let alone his demanding yet almost protective tone of voice. Curious at his seeming protectiveness of someone he has always hated and loathed.
Ron looks over at his friend horrified, "he didn't get a chance to ask," he nearly gasps out in shock, "you don't know," he questions softly.
Hermione looks over at her friend, "Ron what are you going on about, what are you getting at," she asks concerned by his tone of voice and the look of horror on his face, "what proposal was I to have turned down," she demands after a moment's silence.
"Marriage," her father answers in a whisper before anyone could push away the secret anymore. He needs it to be known, it's been eating at him for over a year and a half now.
"WHAT," Hermione cries out in shock, she is glad she is already sitting for she would have fallen down from the shock.
Everyone looks at David wondering why he said it, it was agreed upon a long time ago they would never bring the topic up. Harry asked them not to tell her, and yet here over a year later, her very own father is the one to tell her. "He was going to ask you to marry him," Ron says shocked at the fact David was the one to tell her, let alone with the fact he knew at all.
Hermione stares at her father than she slowly looks over at Ron. Finally a fresh set of heart tearing sobs wrack her whole body, "I didn't know," she sobs out into her mother's embrace, "I didn't know," she whimpers.
"Honey, what exactly happened that day," David asks his daughter the one question he has needed to ask for a long time now.
"I," she sobs out, "I didn't give him a chance to talk," she admits sadly. "I was upset about him not caring about me as much as I care about him," she says to them. "I didn't give him a chance to talk, I didn't give him a chance to defend himself," she whimpers out.