Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!!!!
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers and your kind comments.
Rachel A. Prongs - Yes, I thought about that. Thanks for bringing it up. Now that I've thought more on it, I've decided to have them edit it out of their story sometime in the future. It will, however remain in mine; because I think it adds a great deal of feeling and emotion to that particular scene.
RickyElRey - They're seventeen, and in their last year. I know that's wrong and I appreciate you telling me so, but I'm not going to bother with changing it.
Claire & David - I can't believe you actually reviewed!! Thank you - from Poems by Anne!!!!
Everyone else - A lot of you have had concerns as to whether I kill Ron or not. He is my favorite character, and I have given the situation a lot of thought. I can tell you now that I have made my decision, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. You're just going to have to read and find out for yourself!
Now, on to the story....
*~*Chapter Two*~*
*2048*
Harry groaned and, in frustration, pounded his head against the desk repeatedly. "There's only so much a man can take!" He mumbled under his breath. Then realizing he was succeeding only in increasing the pain that was already consuming his head, he decided to calm himself down in a way that was much more user-friendly.
Almost mechanically, he called out in a loud voice. "Agent 626, building F" When Hermione appeared in front of him he breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to pull her into his arms, resting his head against hers. She laughed.
"Have you reading resumes again, do they?"
He nodded. "One hundred and twenty-six, and that's just from today. You know, I liked it a lot better when I was the inexperienced one and my boss had to do all this. The top isn't such a great place to be."
"Now, now dear. I remember a few years ago you would have killed to be in charge of the order."
"'A few years ago' was quite a while back..."
"Oh really? Are you calling me old?" She brushed her lips against his ear, making him tremble.
"N-No," he stammered. "I was calling me old."
"Hardly," Hermione pulled away and glanced at the clock on his wall. "Listen, I've got to go, I left Ginny in a bit of a fix back at the office. And don't forget, we're eating dinner at Rebecca and Phil's house tonight."
Harry smiled as he thought about his youngest daughter and her crazy husband. "Great, I can't wait to spend time with my favorite grandbaby." Rebecca had recently given birth to Cecilia, her and Phil's first child after several failed attempts. "In the mean time, I think I'll take a break and start on that story we're supposed to be writing."
"It's about time," she scolded, then disappeared as fast as she had come.
Once again seating himself at his desk, Harry took great pleasure in shoving the resumes to the side as he conjured up a quill, parchment, and ink and went to work.
*June, 2004*
Though I had no appetite, I dug into my food with a false enthusiasm, pleading to myself that it wouldn't cause me to hurl. God, I was nervous. What if she says no? Nagged a voice in my head.
"She won't say no, she loves me," I protested.
Ha! How could she love you? She's beautiful, sophisticated, and smart. You, well, you're just some idiot who wears dirty underwear!
"I do no - well, yes, I did that one time, but that was because Fred had perfumed all my other pairs!"
So you admit it!
"Oh, just shut up you, you...."
"Harry, are you alright? You've been... well, screaming at your broccoli for the past few minutes." Hermione was staring at him, concern etched on her face. In fact, he seemed to have the attention of the entire room.
"Oh, he probably just wants one last trip to the hospital wing, doncha mate!" Ron joked.
I could feel my face glowing red. "I'm fine, really, just - Hermionewillyoumarryme." I almost slapped myself. Where did that come from?
"Come again?" Ron clearly didn't understand, but from the shocked look on her face, Hermione obviously did.
I knew I had just opened a can of worms, so I figured I might as well swallow them. Clumsily, I hit one knee and pulled my mothers wedding ring out of pocket. Immediately, the box sprang open and the enchanted ring began to sing: "You are the luckiest girl in the land, for we have a beautiful wedding plan." (A/N: Stole the ring and song from the mini series "The Tenth Kingdom". They are not mine.) Hermione's hand flew to her mouth. The great hall was silent, looking on in awe.
"Hermione, I love you. You are my best friend, my companion, my equal... the love of my life. Will you be my wife?"
When Hermione didn't move or speak, I became nervous. "I - I mean... you don't have to of course."
"Oh Harry, I've never wanted anything more in my life." She whispered.
"Is that, is that a yes?" I asked cautiously.
"Yes," she replied, certainty present in her voice.
Not knowing what else to do, I slipped the ring on her finger and then pulled her into my arms, oblivious to the applaud of our audience until I felt Ron's hand slap my back in congratulations. My heart hurt at the thought that Ron might not live to see us married, and I tried desperately to vanquish the thought from my mind.
Hermione seemed to sense how I was feeling. "I love you," she whispered in my ear, holding me just a little tighter. I knew then that she truly did. And if I had that, nothing else mattered.
*August, 2004*
"Dammit!" The entire room shook as my fist hit the table. I pulled at my hair in distraught, trying to get a grip on myself so that I could tell the others what to do. It wasn't working.
"With all do respect, Potter," Snape spat out the name, "I do think we should be doing something. And...well... you are in charge."
"Allright, allright!" I screamed, thinking fast. "Have division six assembled at location A, divisions two and three at location B, and the rest at location C. I know C is an unlikely, but that's just the reason Voldemort would choose it as the perfect place to launch an attack. Now go." Snape smirked, the his eyes held panic, and then vanished without a trace.
I sank back into my chair and allowed the reality of it all to sink in. It was really happening. He had come at last.
"Harry," a voice interrupted my thoughts. I spun around and saw Ron standing there and immediately felt like a large, muggle wrecking ball had just swung into my gut. Oh my God, Ron. Tomorrow your best friend could be dead.
Seeing the change in my face, he went on, if with forced effort. "Harry, you know tomorrow, well, tomorrow I might be...."
"Please don't say it Ron," I broke in, squeezing my eyes shut so that the tears that were now building wouldn't fall.
"Tomorrow I might die!" He said with a new burst of confidence. The tears escaped.
"I know." I replied softly.
All at once he broke into choked sobs, gasping for breath, letting go for what was most likely the first time. I step forward and embraced him. For a long while we stood their, clinging to each other, afraid that if we let go the other might disappear. Ron was the only brother I had ever known, and the best friend I had ever had. Without him, I didn't know if I could still be me.
Unexpectedly, Ron spoke. His voice was hoarse from crying, but I still heard his words clear as day. "I want you and Hermione to get married," he choked out.
I pulled back, confused. "We are getting married."
"No, I mean right now... tonight."
"But Ron, we..."
"I know this might sound selfish," he continued, "but I want to stand up with you Harry. You and Hermione are the best things that have ever happened to me. I want to hear you pronounced 'man and wife'; I want to be a part of it. And most of all, I want to know that you two will be okay once I'm... once I'm gone."
"Okay." I answered without a moments hesitation, seeming to loose conscious thought. I couldn't imagine getting married without him, and despite are situation, the timing seemed perfect.
Ron clearly didn't expect this. "Okay?"
"Well, I'll have to ask Hermione of course. But I want you there too Ron. I've tried to avoid the thought that you won't be standing next to me on my wedding day, and I know Hermione has too. Now, I won't have to worry about." I grabbed my jacket, suddenly in a hurry, the picked up Ron's and threw it at him, smiling. "Come on mate, we've got a wedding to attend, and your fetching the bride."
Ron returned my smile, and together we dashed out of building, racing to see who would reach the end of the apparation shields first.
*****
I raced into Professor Dumbledore's office, not caring if I interrupted something. Fortunately, I found him alone.
"Dumbledore, have the flowers arrived yet?" I questioned.
"As a matter of fact, the just arrived today. Would you like to see them?"
"I'm afraid there's no time, could I just have them please." Just then it occurred to me that we needed someone to preform the ceremony. "Oh, and could you perform the ceremony?. I'm sorry to ask, but we have no one else."
"You're getting married? Tonight? You do know what we're up against tomorrow, do you not?"
I froze, expecting a long speech on how we should wait. Then I noticed the familiar glint in his eyes.
"I think it's splendid. And to answer your question, I would be honored" He said. "Here are the flowers," he conjured up a small box without moving a muscle. "Shall we be off, then?" Dumbledore blinked, and a moment later we were standing in the most beautiful place I had ever seen.
In front of me was a small waterfall, falling gracefully over rocks and pouring into a large pond. Strangely, the water didn't seem to be the least bit dirty; it sparkled like a diamond, beautiful and clear and pure. When I finally was able to tear my eyes away from it, I noticed I was surrounded by lilac bushes, each in full bloom and seemingly too perfect to be real. There were also trees, there leaves green and undamaged. These formed a small path, on which was a long red carpet. For the first time I noticed, to my surprise, that this carpet continued, quite dry, on top of the water, before disappearing into the falls. My mouth fell open and I stood there, gaping at it all until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I turned to face a grinning Ron. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"Where are we?" I asked, disregarding his remark. "And where's Hermione?" I stood back, confusion slapping me in the face. "How did you get here?"
"Hermione's on her way," Ron replied, grin widening as if he knew something I didn't. "As for where we are and how I got here, I don't rightly know."
"Harry, Ron, places please. It's time to begin," Dumbledore's voice sounded behind us. Slowly, we turned and followed the red carpet to where he was standing. Ron leaned a little closer.
"Are you sure about this mate? I don't want you two to rush into anything on account of me."
"I'm sure." My voice sounded very convincing, I hoped. To tell the truth, I saw in my mind a vision of myself struggling to untie the knot that had formed in my stomach - and failing.
I was still picturing this when I heard the wedding march playing. Looking up, my eyes beheld the most beautiful site I had ever seen. It was my best friend, my love, my bride - my Hermione. The dress she wore was the purest white, sleeveless and with a square neckline. At the waist it formed a V, and the material there appeared to be embroidered with something, though I was too far away to see it clearly. In her hands she carried a bouquet of red roses to match the ones that formed a woven crown atop her head. But these things aren't what stood out the most. Her honey-brown eyes were alight with more love than I had ever seen in my life - enough love to match what I felt for her in my heart. My eyes remained glued on her as she came closer and closer, taking small, sure steps. This is right. Whispered a voice in my head. It sounded remarkably like hers.
All nervousness left me like a great flood, and I stopped trying to untie the knot that was no longer there. Instead I pictured her, just as she was then, now, and forever - in my arms. Lost in all of this, I didn't notice her next to me until I felt her hands clasped in mine. Her eyes searched mine, and as it always was, I felt free to let her roam them. After all, she had always done the same for me.
When Dumbledore finally spoke, it seemed to me as I had been pushed through a glass window and into a different dimension. He cleared his throat. "As much as I hate to interrupt this moment, I feel we must get on with the ceremony. Harry, Hermione, you know that by wizarding tradition it is up to you to pledge yourselves to one another... with whatever words you see fit."
We stared at each other for a long while, each trying to find the perfect words to say. At last, it came to me, and I began to speak without knowing it.
"I remember one night when I was thirteen. It was summer so I was with the Dursleys. That day I had gotten a letter from you, and I read it through so many times that there were holes where my thumbs had been clutching it. And when I went to bed, I held it crinkled up in my hand so that no matter what happened, I would think of you. I thought maybe it would help me with my nightmares, like a reminder that I had a friend. It worked." I paused to wipe away the tear trickling down her cheek with my thumb. "That night I had a dream. It started when I was a baby, and I saw my mother rocking me. She was singing. In the dream I closed my eyes to savor the sound of her voice, and when I opened them she was gone and you were there in her place, cradling me in your arms."
"That's when I realized it wasn't me anymore. It was our child, Hermione, though I didn't realize it then. I watched as you grew older, and then an older version of me snuck up behind you and wrapped you and the baby in a hug, joining the singing. I woke up the next morning smiling, my first smile in weeks." Hermione was weeping openly now, and my thumbs began to ache as I swiped faster.
"I didn't understand that dream back then, but I do now. In the past, you have always been there, Hermione Shirley Granger. And when I think of the future, I see myself, but there's always you. You have to be there; I love so much, I'm not there without you." I heard sniffles from behind me, and realized Ron must be crying too. "And so I, Harry James Potter, do swear to love you until the day I die, and beyond, God willing." I finished. Hermione reached a hand up to my face and swiped, and I realized that I must be crying as well.
It took awhile, but when the two of us had calmed down, Hermione took her turn. "I've always known I'm different from other people - well, I suppose that's silly, we're all different. To the world I'm nothing but a bookworm, a know-it-all, a loud mouth. But that's only part of me, really. The real me, the secret me... all my life I've been waiting to share it with someone special, someone that would love me for all I really am and someone I could trust with myself." She paused, taking a deep breath, her eyes beginning to leak again. My own tears didn't reappear until she spoke the next words. "Harry, you're it." We both began our swiping.
"You're the man I want to hold me, and kiss me. You're the only one I could ever trust to love me. So from here on out, Harry James Potter, my heart and body are yours, if you want to argue that they weren't already. I know you'll take care of me." At this point, we had both given up on swiping and allowed each other's tears to run unchecked down our cheeks. Unable to help it, I pulled her against me, caressing her damp face with my lips.
Nobody spoke while we held each other. Dumbledore and Ron only stood their silently, allowing us our moment and wondering at how lucky they were to witness it. They should have known we wouldn't have had any others, if only two could be chosen to see us wed. Finally, we pulled apart, remembering that we still had part of the ceremony to go. Dumbledore had, not surprisingly, read our minds. He had each of the flowers clasp in one hand; in his left, a rose, and in his right, a lily. Both glowed beautifully, alive and remarkably vibrant. The rose he placed in my hand, and the lily in Hermione's.
"These, of course, are your flowers." He said. "Each one grows for its owner when they first fall in love, and they become more brilliant as the love grows. When a couple marries, they exchange their flowers to show that their love now belongs completely to the other person, who must be the object of their affections." Dumbledore nodded at me, more with his twinkling eyes than with his head. "Harry," he said.
I lifted Hermione's hand and touched the rose to it. The flower wrapped itself around her wrist, displaying it's open bloom on top, where it would rest forever. Smiling and eyes now dry, she did the same with me and the lily. We stared at our hands in awe, letting the fact that we were really husband and wife sink in.
Dumbledore's smile matched our own as he hugged as both, and when he let go, a teary-eyed Ron enveloped us both together in a bear hug. Once again, I found myself forcing down the lump in my throat. I quickly dismissed such thoughts; this was a happy time, and I wasn't about to ruin it.
"There is always a time for muggle traditions," said Dumbledore. "So without further ado; Harry, you may now kiss your bride!"
And I did kiss her, then, and forever more.
*****
Remember When
We vowed the vows, and walked the walk
Gave our hearts
Made a start, and it was hard...
*****
A/N: I'm so, so sorry it took so long for me to get this one up. And here's some more bad news: I don't know when I get to the next chapter. *Cringes*. Please review, I love to hear what all of you think. Thank you muchly!!!
~Anne aka wolf33