A/N: As promised, here's part five of the story. I don't know when I'll be able to get six out because I can't seem to have two minutes to myself as of late. Too many deadlines at work and too few hours to rest when I'm home. Thanks for all the feedback as always. Also, many thanks to MushyPeas, my ever vigilant beta-reader. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of JKR's great works. I am just borrowing a cup of sugar to help make a new kind of pie. No money is being made whilst I do this activity.
If You Believe -The Normalcy
Harry glanced at his wristwatch. 6:30 PM. Ron was now fifteen minutes late.
As usual.
"Ron, you bloke! You better show up soon or I'll find some way to hex you wherever you are right now," he muttered to no one in particular as he paced anxiously in his flat.
As soon as he said this, a poofing sound came up behind him. Turning around, he saw his disheveled-dressed best friend of almost eleven years with an apologetic look on his face. "It's about time! Honestly, can't you somehow apparate on time for once?"
"I'm sorry! I had a hard time getting rid of Greta or Gretel or whatever her name is," Ron explained, a lopsided grin crept up his face. "I was really going to be on time today but she didn't want to leave."
"Right, Ron. That's what you said last time too," said Harry unconvinced. Harry shoved his hands into his pockets as Ron fixed his red hair and attempted to straighten out his clothes. If he didn't know any better, Ron probably had allowed himself one more 'quickie' before meeting him. It must be nice to have a sex life, Harry thought to himself.
"Aye, mate. I'm really sorry. It won't happen again really. Promise," Ron muttered another apology.
"You better hope Ginny is too preoccupied with other things to notice us showing up late. This is her rehearsal dinner for Merlin's sake! And your parents are hosting it!" Harry reached for his coat and slipped it on. "Are you ready yet?"
Ron flashed him a smile. "Ready as I'll ever be. By the way, remind me to give you something before the night is over. It'll be useful for uh…tomorrow night."
Harry only muttered something unintelligible as held up the portkey, which happened to be the rehearsal dinner pass, in his right hand, and as soon as Ron touched it, they both felt the pulling sensation that meant that they were now being teleported.
*****
"It's got to be Ron's fault," Ginny muttered unhappily. "Harry is in no way as irresponsible and inconsiderate of time as my stupid git of a brother is." She paced impatiently by the central platform on which she would be reciting vows in less than 48 hours.
Hermione sighed as she slouched by one of the lawn chairs that were set up for this wedding rehearsal. As Maid of Honor, she was in charge of coordinating plenty of the wedding rehearsal activities, including the rehearsal dinner. Thinking about it now, she could hardly wait to get to that part because she had been running around all day making sure things were in order for the wedding that will happen soon. Food had been the last thing on her mind up until now. Her reluctant avoidance for sustenance was hounding her mercilessly.
Her stomach growled loudly once again. If Harry and Ron didn't show up soon and get this bloody rehearsal going and over with, she'd make them both pay. Painfully.
"I'm sure they'll be here shortly, Gin," she muttered without much conviction. Fifteen minutes late now, they were. It has got to be Ron's fault. Harry always showed up fifteen minutes early in any event he attended.
Harry...
It's been over a week since they had that awkward bedroom encounter, she recalled.
Awkward?
To say the least, yes.
Let's see…Two weeks ago, she asked Harry that special favor of hers. She never expected him to consent to such a proposal, but after some heavy duty begging and expensive bribing, he relented. Then just last week, she almost found herself giving into her long time desire of finally...err. Finally what? Well, she was in his arms in a romantic manner! But noooooooooooooooo! Ron and Ginny had decided to-
Hermione paused and groaned. Bloody Hades! What was she thinking? What has gotten into her? She had lasted years without giving into her whims. There is no way in hell that she'd lose all that resolve she spent years building up. Especially not over the image of an almost-naked Harry Potter gyrating his hips to the musi-
Oh hell.
Harry hasn't even gone and done anything yet and here she was already having vivid images of him in nothing more than his skivvies to cover him. What has she gotten herself into?
Before she could spend more time reproaching herself, a poofing sound was heard not too far from where she was sitting. The idiots, yes idiots, of the hour had finally shown up. Based on her initial observation, it seems that her guess on the cause for the lateness was indeed correct. Harry was obviously fuming at Ron as it was obvious how generous he was with the icy glares shooting from his emerald green eyes. Ron, on the other hand, seemed quite oblivious to his best friend's unkind assault. He just walked away from Harry and darted toward his sister who seemed equally ready to kill him.
"Ginny, my dear sist-"
"Don't you 'my dear sister' me, Ronald! You are twenty minutes late for Merlin's sake!"
"Erm…," Ron muttered, "I was unavoidably detained. But I'm here already so let's get it going. I'm absolutely famished."
"I bet you are," Harry remarked as he walked up to Ron and Ginny. "I'm sorry we're late, Gin. If it wasn't evident yet, it was your brother's fault that we're tardy."
Ginny batted Ron's arms away as her brother attempted to hug her. "Back off, Ron. I already know why you were late. That wrenching stench of womanly perfume you're emitting is indication enough." She turned to Harry. "I know it's not your fault, Harry. Now could we please get it going? I'm afraid that if we delay any further, Draco might get impatient enough to whisk me away to have an obscure elopement. And that simply won't do. I swear he's more eager to get married than I am!"
Hermione stood up and walked on over to join the trio. "If not for Draco's sake, do it for mine. If you delay this rehearsal any further, I'd personally strangle you both and hex you with modified, non-illegal version of the Cruciatus Curse. At the moment, my appetite for food is greater than that of Ron's, I'll tell you that," she gave Ron a scolding look.
Ron blinked and stared. "Who are you and what have you done with our Hermione?"
"Ron! Shut it! My head's already formulating the ways to do that curse!" Hermione growled.
Harry's right eyebrow shot up as he spied what seemed to be smoke coming out of Hermione's ears.
"Bloody Hell! Will you look at that, Har-" Ron started.
Before he could finish, Harry smacked Ron behind his head and muttered, "Let's get a move on now, shall we? She's quite serious it seems."
They were led by Ginny toward the platform where the wizarding minister stood chatting animatedly with Arthur and Molly Weasley. Ginny called out to Draco who was sulking by a nearby tree while Hermione summoned the rest of the rest of the bridesmaids which consisted of Luna Lovegood, Lavender Brown, and Angelina Johnson-Weasley. The groomsmen, who included Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, and Blaise Zabini, had already gathered by Harry's side. Once the whole wedding entourage was assembled, the wedding rehearsal began…
*****
One hour and fifteen minutes later…
"Are we done yet?" Ron exasperatedly asked. He clutched his stomach as it growled yet once again.
"I second that!" Hermione weakly muttered with her eyes closed. "Are we done yet? My stomach will consume itself soon if it doesn't digest food anytime soon."
Harry chuckled as he sat next to Hermione. He couldn't help but feel sorry for his two best friends as they sagged on the chairs in pitiful fashion. "Look at you both. You look like you haven't been fed for days the way you're begging for nourishment."
Observing them with their withered expressions, he was vaguely reminded of Edvard Munch's The Scream painting. It was quite comical. "The rehearsal wasn't that bad or that long."
Hermione was about to open her mouth to retort when her stomach growled loudly. "Ugh…No more energy to banter. This is really bad. Repeat that comment later, Potter. I'll think of a clever retort by then."
"Harry!" he heard Molly's voice call him. Dinner time, he was sure. "Get Ron and Hermione! We're ready for dinner."
"Thank Merlin!" Hermione managed out.
"Thanks Mrs. Weasley! We'll be there in a second!" Harry belted back.
Without another second to spare, Ron was up and about, and hurriedly running to where the tables were set and food was about to be served. Harry shook his head and laughed. There were only three things that could make Ron that quickly energized: food, sex, and Chudley Cannons quidditch.
Turning to Hermione and offering her his hand, he helped her up and wrapped his right arm around her. She looked extremely exhausted and Harry wasn't sure she'd be able to make it to the tables without crawling on all fours. As much as he'd find the sight amusing, Hermione might react to his amusement negatively.
Walking slowly side by side with each other, Harry took the opportunity to breathe in inconspicuously her wonderful scent, the scent that was distinctly Hermione.
Jasmine and apples, he thought.
They were faint scents but they assaulted his sense of smell regardless. He wanted more of it because it was mercilessly addicting. Closing his eyes for a moment, he wondered how much longer he'd be able to keep her at a far distance when it comes to how he felt about her. For a long time, he's harbored feeling of love and desire toward his best friend. It was because of these feelings that he's managed to stay chaste all this time. He couldn't look at any other girl much less want any other girl because of Hermione Granger. True, he'd been tempted countless times. But no witch had entirely convinced him that she was worthy of getting into his bed.
No wonder Ron enjoyed teasing him. He recalled the new rhyme that Ron fashioned for him, deriving from the special Ronald Weasley song that the Slytherins composed for him back at Hogwarts…
'Harry cannot manage a fling,
He cannot get a girl to cling.
That's why all the lonely wizards sing
Harry Potter is our King!'
Harry thought for a moment and groaned inwardly. Maybe this was Voldermort's way of exacting revenge on him from the grave: Denying Harry of what he desired the most, tantalizing him with something that he can't have because she was his best friend. Tormenting him with her motherly care when what he desired was her womanly love. Oh how he can hear his greatest foe cackle with evil laughter now.
'This must be what karma is,' he thought bitterly. 'I take his life, he continuously makes mine hellish in return from the grave.'
"Harry? Did you hear what I said?" Hermione's voice interrupted his pathetic attempts at soul-searching and self-examination.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
Hermione pulled slightly away and looked up to him. "I said I need you to stop by my place tonight to pick up the potion for tomorrow evening. I have a vial with your name on it waiting at home."
The black-haired wizard reddened. He almost forgot about the task that he had to accomplish tomorrow night. Merlin, could his life get any more adventurous? "Um…Yeah…After the dinner then?"
"You're not having second thoughts, are you? Because if you are…" Hermione started in a threatening tone.
"No, no! I…I guess it just slipped my mind until you mentioned it. Don't worry. I'll do it." He didn't know how he'd manage it, but he'll do it because she asked him to. Zues knows that he can't really deny Hermione Granger anything. Then again, there was also that Merlin card that he was going to get after performing the deed. "I'll apparate with you back to your flat and pick it up later."
She gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat. "Thanks, Harry. For doing this. I…don't know…well, never mind. Thanks again."
"Yeah. Sure." Harry gave her a small smile in return. "So, Hermione…what do you think of all this? Ginny's getting married before any of us. To Draco of all people."
Hermione sighed. "Well, I'm not thinking about it as her getting married before any of us. There was no race to the altar in the first place. And you don't see any wizard beating at my door, rushing me to the altar, do you?" She looked toward Ginny and Draco who were busy talking to some of Ginny's relatives.
"To me, it's a speck of normalcy almost. We're finally moving on from Hogwarts. From the past. From Voldermort. From your prophecy." Without realizing it, she had clutched onto his arm more tightly. "It's a good feeling to see them get married. It's…normal. It's...eventful but also uneventful at the same time. Am I making sense?"
Harry nodded in agreement. Hermione was right. It was a glimmer of normalcy that has evaded him for more than twenty years. Granted that what he was bribed to do tomorrow night wasn't exactly normal, at least he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder all the time or worry about his scar throbbing immensely.
Those days of nightmares, constant vigilance, impending prophecies, and unknown destinies have passed.
Here come the days of weddings, Quidditch glory, vomit-flavored beans, and The-Boy-Who-Shall-Strip.
The wizard with emerald eyes smiled ruefully. Frankly, he didn't mind being called the The-Boy-Who-Stripped after tomorrow night. It had a much nicer ring to it than the current stigmata he carried as the The-Boy-Who-Lived.
Bring it on, he said to himself chuckling as he and Hermione reached their destination and joined the rest of the wedding entourage at their tables. He glanced quickly at Hermione before letting her go to join Ginny's bridal group.
'Tomorrow, I shall become Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Stripped. Fear me, Voldermort.'
-TBC