A/N: Sara Malfoy: Thanks for the comments. It's sort of modeled after the movie, but not really. I just used the (very) basic storyline, and a few scenes here and there.
Spaz141, glad that it makes sense now! Well, in the books the only one remains in Hogsmeade, but I figured that during a battle it got destroyed and Madame Rosmerta decided to open one up in Diagon Alley while Hogsmeade was getting remade, and just stayed there. I was going to explain it later, but here we go!
Silverfoot, Creepy Susie, Draco's Gurl, I'm glad you like Draco. I love that little arrogant ferret...he won't ever change, I agree!
Ridxwan, HnH4EvA19, if you look closely at the previous chapter it mentions Harry picking up Hermione's too-big ring and magically shrinking it to fit her finger, then slipping it on while she was dozing on the couch.
DaNnY, I'll see what I can do! I loved that scene in the movie as well...
Pokey (love the username), you'll see that dumbass Ron soon. I think, anyway.
Nice analogy KypDurron!
Star22, I also wanted Julia to get together with the best friend, but *sigh* didn't happen! Stupid Cameron Diaz!
Thanks to fenriswolf, danilerin, Estaria, Jenna Kathleen, Khermione85626, SilverMoonlight, goodygirl, sweetkiwi456, and Katakali for your supporting comments!
Thanks to all you anonymous reviewers too!
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My Best Friends' Wedding
Chapter Four: Tradition
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(Harry)
I was walking to Hermione's house the next night, trying to absorb everything that had happened. I had decided the night before that I was going to give up my childish and selfish desires, and that I would stand by the newly found couple, happy and proud. I had my chance...I did what I did. But Hermione's reaction was the one thing that finally convinced me to give it up. Hermione deserved this, after all. So did Ron. Ron most importantly. It's the sacrifices I had to make back when fighting Voldemort, and it's the sacrifices that I had to continue making now.
I stopped in my tracks, sighing. Looking up to the sky I stared wistfully at the stars, the night breeze cool against my cheek. "Sirius," I whispered, grinning. "What the hell do I do now, hm?" I shook my head, smiling with my eyes closed as I continued to walk.
With every step echoing against the empty streets I knew I was closing onto a dead end. Did I really think that I could forget all my feelings for Hermione? Bloody hell no. I had been trying since my sixth year to do that, and obviously, those many attempts have failed.
What I knew I could do was be there for my friends in their happiness.
And if Ron ever did a damn thing to bloody up her life, I would feed him to blast ended skrewts and not feel a single remorse.
Looking around me, I recognized where I was. I had arrived at the foot of Hermione's apartment building without knowing it, a place I was dreading yet walking to. Looking up I saw a light on in her room, and taking a deep breathe, I walked in.
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(Hermione)
Why the bloody hell had Harry kissed me like that? Like me meant it...like he loved me? I wouldn't have a clue. Draco's words echoed in my head, and it amazed me how similar his words of advice had been to Ginny's.
But the fact of the matter was, no matter how easy they thought it would be, I knew I could never leave Ron. It wasn't Harry's ring on my finger. It wasn't Harry who cooed me and told me how much he loved me. It wasn't Harry who held me close, who stroked my hair and led me away to dance under the night sky while singing the corniest love songs anyone could find. The love songs he had found out I loved.
No matter how much I wished it was Harry, it was Ron.
I gave up on Harry so many years ago, and Ron was now the solid love in my life. The feelings I held with Ron were different from the feelings I held with Harry. Harry had been the sweating palms, the complete nervousness and mad thumping of the heart. With Ron, it was smiles and kisses and the feeling that everything was right in the world.
I was sitting on my bed, contemplating these things, when I heard the doorbell ring. Rising, I wrapped a bathrobe around my flimsy nightgown and walked to my door. Peering through the hole I saw the one person I didn't have the heart to talk to.
"Hey, Harry," I said as I opened the door. He smiled nervously at me, raking his hand through his hair. I felt my heart start to race.
"Hey, Hermione." We stood there for a bit, me leaning against the door as he fiddled with his hair in the hallway. "Can I, um, come in?"
"O-oh, of course," I stuttered, opening the door wide enough for him to step in. He walked in, pacing a bit before stepping in front of me, taking my hands and peering into my eyes with such intensity I felt my knees start to buckle. "Harry, I-"
"Let me say something first," he muttered, his gaze unwavering. I swallowed, nodding. "I didn't mean for last night to happen. It just...did. If I could take it back, I..." He swallowed then, and looking away from me finished, "I would."
"Oh," was all I could say to this. You bitch! A voice in my head screamed. You're actually upset that Harry didn't mean it?! You should be rejoicing!
"I hope that we can just forget this and, uh, just go back to the way things were before..." Harry peered at me intently then, biting his lip nervously.
Oh he looked so cute when he did that. Stop it!
"Of course, Harry," I said, smiling. "I wouldn't give up our friendship for anything." His shoulders relaxed then, and he brought me in close for a hug, his arms wrapped around my waist.
Why the bloody hell did I feel so fucking upset?
"You free tomorrow night?" he said as we backed off from each other. "I want a night out, the three of us."
"Sure, of course," I whispered, trying to control my accelerating pulse. Harry grinned, one of those heart melting grins that used to take my breathe away back in Hogwarts.
That still does.
"We're going karaoke singing."
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(Harry)
"A...karaoke bar?" Ron whispered, appalled.
"Yeah, isn't it great?" Hermione said, grinning excitingly. "Oh I haven't been to one of these in such a long time!"
"Yeah...great..." Ron sent a glare my way, but I just shrugged. I had warned him, after all.
"Come on Harry, we have to do our song," Hermione said nervously, trying not to feel the tension between us. I smiled back, relieved that our tradition would come over her singing with Ron any day.
Selfish, I know.
"Woah, you two have a song?" Ron said, looking slightly envious and suspicious. "How come we don't have a song yet?" He demanded.
"Oh Ron, me and Harry just come karaoke singing together, it's perfectly harmless."
Harmless. Ouch.
We sat down at one of the tables as some guy was up at the platform singing, "Like a Virgin," laughing his way through. His friends, I presumed, were cat calling and whistling at his brilliant performance from the table next to ours.
Soon, his song was over and everyone applauded, enjoying this brief form of entertainment. The mic was passed to me then, and I grinned evilly, shoving it in Ron's hand.
"Go up there!" I said, laughing at Ron's paling face.
"N-no bloody way," he stuttered, trying to give the mic back to me. "I can't sing!"
"Sure you can, Ron!" Hermione laughed, pushing him out of his chair. He stumbled to the platform, sweat forming on his brow as he glared at us.
"Pick a song," I yelled, and he nodded, whispering to the employee controlling the karaoke box. The familiar song of "Lean on Me" started to breeze out of the stereos, and Hermione and I clapped.
Now, how did Ron know muggle songs? Simple. Hermione, regardless of her witchery, still loved muggle things. She had dragged us to countless movies, amusement parks, the works. And, of course, forced us to listen to muggle music.
Ron had never come with us to karaoke bars. He had always made up some lame excuse or pretended that he had to do something else. I had always assumed that he was just embarrassed of singing.
Now I knew he had something to be embarrassed of.
"Sometimes, in our lives...we all have pain...we all have sorrow," he croaked out, completely out of tune. "But if we are wise...we know that there's always tomorrow.."
"Lean on me!" he sang, off pitch. I cringed, and I could hear Hermione trying to stifle a giggle. "When you're not strong and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on...For, it won't be long, 'til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on..."
Ron threw a dirty glare our way, his ears red with embarrassment. But to my surprise, and apparently Hermione's, the crowd began to applause. Probably loving his bravery. Who knows.
"Please swallow your pride if I have things you need to borrow..for no one can fill those of your needs that you won't let show..." Hermione and I looked at each other and began laughing, making an unspoken agreement to never bring Ron to karaoke bars again.
She turned her attention back to Ron's attempt at singing, but I continued to watch her. She was smiling, her eyes bright and her hair completely untamed. She was wearing a simple blue shirt, jeans and her favorite black sneakers.
She looked beautiful. I forced myself to turn my gaze away from Hermione and back on Ron, who was starting to enjoy himself up there on the stage.
I knew I was doing the right thing.
All for Ron.
As the song drifted to an end, Hermione got up from her chair to kiss Ron. I forced a smile at that image.
Hermione walked up to the platform, motioning for me to go up there. I grinned, making my way up there.
"Brilliant, Ron," I said to him as we passed.
"Oh shut it," he replied, grinning as he clapped my back. Hermione had already told the employee what song we were going to sing and as I made my way up there, I heard the familiar tune easing out of the speakers.
"Now I've had the time of my life," I sang, smiling as I looked over at Hermione. "No, I never felt like this before. Yes, I swear it's the truth...and I owe it all to you."
"'Cause I've had the time of my life," Hermione sang, smiling back at me. "And I owe it all to you..."
"I've been waiting for so long, now I've finally found someone to stand by me."
"We saw the writing on the wall as we felt this magical fantasy!"
"Now with passion in our eyes there's no way we could disguise it secretly..." we sang together. "So we take each other's hands cause we seem to undersatnd the urgency!"
"Just remember!" I interrupted, smiling as Ron whooped from our table.
"You're the one thing.."
"...I can't get enough of..."
"So I'll tell you something..."
"This could be love!" We belted out together, our mics centimeters apart. "Because...I've had the time of my life! No I never felt this way before...Yes I swear...it's the truth! And I owe it all you!" We continued, closing our eyes and swaying to the music as a few couples walked to the dance floor, immersing themselves in the music.
"Now I...had the time of my life...No I never felt this way before...This I swear...it's true...and I owe it all to you!" I finally sang, my eyes on Hermione the entire time. She smiled at me, and I lost myself in her eyes, forgetting everything else. Before long the song was over and everyone was clapping. Smiling and giggling, Hermione took my hand and walked off the platform, her breathing ragged.
"Harry, that was wonderful!" she shrieked as we hugged, laughing.
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(Ron)
Now, I'm no singer. Obviously. Embarrassed much when I had to sing "Lean on Me" completely out of tune in front of a bunch of bloody strangers? Duh. But it was all worth it seeing Hermione and Harry up there on the stage, singing together.
After Voldemort, seeing Harry truly happy was a rare thing. Sure, he smiled, he laughed, he was still ol' Harry. But the moments at Hogwarts when he was completely at ease, loving life? Rare. Bloody rare.
And that was what I was looking at up there on stage as he closed his eyes and sang, completely in sync with Hermione.
"Just remember!" Harry belted out and I whooped, laughing as he sent a grin my way. I smiled throughout the entire song, loving every bloody moment. Hermione really enjoyed karaoke singing; she had always dragged Harry and me to those muggle places every time she had a free moment. But I flaked every time. I'm no singer, as I said before.
"Now I...had the time of my life...No I never felt this way before...This I swear...it's true...and I owe it all to you!" Harry finally sang to her, near the end of the song. It was probably the one part of the song where Harry sang directly to Hermione. He kept eye contact, his eyes blazing with happiness as he smiled at her. Hermione, who was laughing, smiled even more broader and returned his looks of pure bliss. He continued to look at her, looking like he would give up anything for these last few moments with her.
And that's when it hit me.
My smile began to falter as I heard the ending of the song. At the end, everyone around us broke into applause, and Harry and Hermione hugged, smiling and laughing and giggling. Oblivious to everything around them.
Harry fucking loved Hermione.
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reviewing's good for the soul...
A/N: "Lean on Me" is by Bill Withers, and "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" is by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack. Damn I love that movie, lol.