Notes: Well, here's what I promised….the story now goes into Hermione's viewpoint….hope ya'll like. Again, characters aren't mine….unfortunately….they are J.K. Rowling's property….yada yada yada….
Chapter Three
Someday
London, England
While Harry was eating breakfast with Sirius, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were eating dinner at his parents' house, The Burrow. News of their engagement had spread fast, and Mrs. Weasley had invited the entire family over to share in the good news. Percy was there with his wife, Penelope. Fred and George had closed up their joke shop in Hogsmeade early to come in for the dinner. Draco Malfoy and his very pregnant wife, Ginny, were also there. The only missing Weasleys were the two eldest---Bill and Charlie. Bill was in France working for Gringotts. He'd sent a congratulatory message to both Hermione and Ron by owl that morning. Charlie was unable to get away from his job working with dragons in Romania. He, too, had sent best wishes to the happy couple. Even Hermione's parents had managed to come.
To the outside world, it would seem like one big happy family. For the most part, it was. For the bride-to-be, it all of a sudden seemed too much to handle. Everything had happened so fast. Ron had proposed only two days ago. She'd already been approached by a number of dressmakers wanting to design her dress. Mrs. Weasley kept rushing over to hug her every five minutes. Hermione loved Mrs. Weasley dearly, but if she heard one more time how happy she was, Hermione knew she'd lose it.
She didn't understand why she was so cross lately. She tried to chalk it up to needing more sleep, but had a nagging suspicion it was something more. She loved, Ron. She loved him very much. He'd been there for her. If she were being truthful, she'd never loved him as much as she'd loved Harry.
Even after all that had happened, after all that had been said and done, she still got that funny feeling in her stomach whenever she heard his name or thought about him. She still worried about him. She knew that he was an auror, now. She knew that his job led him to dangerous places where he took perilous chances. She'd worried about him ever since she met him. It was a natural thing to her, though, like breathing.
As she looked around at the friends and family gathered here tonight, she couldn't help but remember all the good times the three of them---she, Harry and Ron---had there at the Burrow. It had become a tradition during school for them to spend the last couple of weeks of summer vacation there. This place was like a second home to her. She knew Harry felt the same way about the Burrow and the Weasleys as she did.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?" she said. "Oh, sorry, Ron."
"You looked lost in your thoughts there. You okay?"
"Yeah, of course," she said. "I'm just really tired."
"Not having second thoughts are you?"
"Of course not," she said. "I'm just tired."
"Well, we were all going to go outside and play some Quidditch, you want to have a go?" Ron asked her.
"You know how I feel about flying," she said. "I think I'll pass. You go on, though. I'll be fine. I think I'll take a walk. The fresh air will do me good."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked. "I could go with you."
"No," Hermione said. "Go do your wonsky-faint thing, or whatever it is you call it."
"I'm not even gonna touch that one with a 10-foot pole," he said. "Be careful, okay?"
"I will. I've got my wand, after all," she said. "Now, go ahead you prat!"
He kissed her on the cheek before heading outside to join the rest of his family.
Hermione grabbed her jacket and set off on her evening stroll. The sun was just going down and the air was cool and crisp. She was glad for the time alone, to be with her thoughts. She walked for a while, alone in her thoughts.
Without knowing it, or maybe subconsciously knowing it, she came to a clearing that she and Ron and Harry had found one summer. It was a great place to hide during the summer. The trees gave a welcome shade from the hot, summer sun. As she stood under the trees, her mind raced back to a memory of a few years back.
It was the summer after the Triwizard Tournament. Harry and Hermione had been staying with the Weasleys for almost two weeks. They'd be returning to Hogwarts for their fifth year in a couple of days. Hermione had been sleeping in Ginny's room and Harry had been sharing Ron's. The one bad thing about the Burrow as Ron was apt to tell anyone who would listen was that if you ever tried to sneak out or go down to the kitchen in the middle of the night, there was always a creaky stair or floorboard that would almost always give you away. Hermione remembered sleeping on a cot in Ginny's room when she was awoken by the sound of a creaking floorboard.
She knew she should probably just go back to sleep, but something made her get out of bed and check out whatever was happening. She made sure that Ginny was still asleep and slipped on her own robe and opened the door, slightly. To her surprise it wasn't Fred or George sneaking out, it was Harry. She followed him down the stairs and out the door. She didn't think he noticed her, but he turned suddenly.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked.
"I should ask you the same question," she said. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep," he said. "Thought the fresh air would be nice."
"Do you want some company?" she asked.
For a moment, she thought he'd say no, but to her surprise, he smiled and nodded.
They walked in silence for what seemed like eternity.
"I wanted to thank you, Hermione," he said, breaking the silence.
"Me? For what?" she asked.
"For being the only person who hasn't bombarded me with questions about how I'm doing or how I'm feeling," he said. "I appreciate it, more than you'll ever know."
"Well, you know how hard it is for me to be quiet," she said.
He laughed, softly.
"I hope you don't think it's because I didn't care how you were or didn't worry about you, because I did. I just knew that if you wanted to talk about it, you would," she said simply.
"I know," he said. "Mrs. Weasley looks at me like I'm a wounded puppy or something every time she sees me. I mean it's nice to know that they care, but I---"
"What?"
"I feel like such a hypocrite," he said. "You know, that whole thing with Cedric, it was my fault."
"Harry!" she said. "You know very well that that most definitely was not your fault. You do know that no one blames you for what happened. This was Voldemort's doing, not yours. You have to know that."
"I know," he said. "But it's still---"
"Still what?" she asked.
"Still really hard to deal with," he said.
"With time it will all get better," she said. "Time heals all wounds."
"Don't start with the clichés, Hermione," he said.
"Oh, I know," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "Every cloud has a silver lining. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. My dad is always saying stuff like that whenever I feel down about stuff. I can almost tell him what he's going to say before he says it."
"How can you do that?" he asked, smiling.
"Do what?"
"Know exactly what to say to make me feel better," he said. "You've always been there for me, Hermione. Even with the whole row with Ron, you believed in me when no one else did. I never told you how much I appreciated that; how much I needed that."
"That's what friends are for," she said. "Oh, there I go again with the clichés. Will I ever have an original thought?"
He laughed again.
"I missed that, you know," she said. "Your laughter. There hasn't been enough of that lately. Glad to know it's back. I hope that it sticks around. You know laughter is the best medicine."
"Someone really needs to stop you," he said, laughing. "You're out of control."
"Yes, but you love me for it," she said.
"You always hurt the one you love," he said, pinching her arm.
"Hey!" she said. "Okay, you are gonna pay for that one. Pay, do you hear me!"
He started to jog and she hurried to catch him.
They had stayed out in the woods until the sun came up. They finally walked back up to the Burrow and sneaked back inside. Luckily, no one had woken up yet. To their delight and amazement, the floorboards and steps didn't creak when they were sneaking back to their rooms. They bid each other a quick goodbye.
Hermione took off her robe and slipped back under the covers of her cot. She didn't fall back to sleep, though. Her mind was racing. She had known then, in that one night, that she had fallen in love for the first time in her life. It felt wonderful. She couldn't imagine ever feeling any different. "I'm gonna love that boy until the day I die," she whispered. She hoped that someday, she'd work up the nerve to tell him and that someday, he might even return those feelings. Someday, she thought, as she drifted back to sleep. Someday…
"I can't keep doing this," Hermione said, wiping away a tear from her face. "My life is with Ron now. I can't keep thinking back on something that was obviously never meant to be. "
"Goodbye, Harry," she said, taking one last look at the clearing.
She walked back toward The Burrow. She could hear the sounds of the Weasleys still playing Quidditch in the backyard. The sound of the game got louder with every step. She quickly made her way to the backyard.
"Hermione, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "We'd wondered where you ran off to."
"Just needed some fresh air," she said. "Clear my head, you know. "
"Glad to have you back, sweetheart," Mrs. Granger said to her daughter. "This is truly amazing, this Quidditch."
"You should see an actual game being played, Mom," Hermione said. "You should have seen Harry play. There was never anyone like him on a broom, Mom. He was truly amazing."
"Well, maybe someday I will," Mrs. Granger said, with a knowing smile at her daughter.
"Yeah," Hermione said, looking up at Ron. "Someday…."