The Waltz by Skeeter

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 20/09/2004
Last Updated: 20/09/2004
Status: Completed

A rather odd songfic, written in about fifteen minutes... it actually starts out R/Hr -
you've been warned! But don't worry, everything will be right in the end. :)




1. untitled
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**The Burrow's spacious backyard was splendidly decorated for the reception by Molly's
own hand, as she would have it no other way; white doves with the voices of songbirds perched in
the ancient oaks and elms, singing gaily for passersby; thin tendrils of emerald ivy crept up the
very same trees, intertwining themselves in swirling patterns, maps as old as time, and also curled
delicately over the flowered arch that the bride and groom had been wed under; glass lanterns,
levitated every few feet, glowed with the pale blue light of tiny faeries, and soft music
reverberated through the air around the couples dancing in the grass.**

**Ron watched from off to the side as Hermione danced with his brother. Bill had abandoned his
beloved fang earring at the polite request of his wife-to-be and the shrill demand of his mother,
but as always, his long red hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that fell just below his
shoulderblades. He was chuckling at something Hermione had told them as they danced, and when she
looked pointedly over at Fleur, he followed her gaze almost longingly.**

**Laughing again, she released his hands and gave him a gentle shove in the direction of his
wife, who walked into his open arms and stepped into the dance without missing a beat. Ron smiled
fondly and fingered the small box in his pocket, which caused an icy chill to wriggle around in his
stomach. Damn nerves. If it weren't for them, he would have had the courage to do it
already...**

**Hermione walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Want to dance?”**

**He took his hands out of his pockets and locked them with hers, spinning out into the open
space of their yard that was half-filled with dancing couples. By then, however, the song had
ended, and they paused in step as they waited for another to begin. At the request of Arthur and
Molly Weasley, a slow, beautiful waltz struck up, that was relatively unfamiliar to most of the
guests, being an American tune. Arthur and Molly had loved the Tennessee Waltz for years, though,
and soon everyone had fallen into the pattern without hesitation.**

**I was waltzing, with my darling,**

**To the Tennessee Waltz**

**When an old friend I happened to see,**

**Hermione's deep brown eyes were staring into his, looking through to his very soul, and
the sensation that the look caused nearly made him melt. Her dark, curly hair had lost its
unattractive frizzyness over the years and hung in thick ringlets at her shoulders, shimmering
slightly in the dim light. The silvery-blue satin of her dress was draped perfectly over the curves
of her body, almost liquid-like in the way it glimmered when she moved a certain way. But Ron's
sole focus was on her eyes, and he was so lost in her beauty that it was a wonder he didn't
crush all ten of her toes.**

**With complete disregard for the fact that it was his own brother's wedding reception, Ron
probably would have pulled the velvet box from his pocket and dropped down on one knee right there,
if at that moment, Hermione's eyes hadn't snapped away from Ron's gaze to look over his
shoulder. The dull murmur of voices that surrounded them had gone silent, and a few people stopped
dancing.**

**“Harry...!” breathed Hermione, releasing Ron's hands and rushing towards the tall figure
who had suddenly appeared at the back, his untidy black hair still dishevelled as always, his round
glasses slightly crooked on the bridge of his nose, and his lightning bolt-shaped scar right there
for everyone to see in the center of his forehead. Ron could feel his face burn with suppressed
rage.**

**Did he have any idea how long it had been? Three years. Three damn years since he had
disappeared entirely in the middle of the Great War's final battle, just moments after
defeating Voldemort. It had taken months to keep Hermione from bursting into tears the moment she
stepped out of her dormitory at Hogwarts, to return to decent eating habits, and it had taken two
and a half of those three years for her to accept that Harry really was gone.**

**And now, true to his love for the dramatic, the bastard was back.**

**Molly, who was closest, grabbed Harry and Hermione by the wrists and led them speedily to the
back door of the Burrow, shoving them both inside and shutting the door behind them. Anyone with
half a brain could gather, just from her expression, that no one was to enter that house for...
oh... a good four days, at least. The performers, who had stopped the music to stare in awe at the
Boy-Who-Lived, quickly returned to the melody while Ron simply stared at the back door where Harry
and Hermione had disappeared.**

**Introduced him to my loved one,**

**And while they were dancing,**

**My friend stole my sweetheart from me.**

**It wasn't as though he wasn't happy Harry was alive and back, Ron assured himself as
he marched determinedly towards the house, but he wouldn't be able to bear it if Hermione was
still in love with Harry. He opened the back door and slipped inside, shutting it with a soft
`click', and heard voices from the living room. Hermione was obviously in tears as she asked
breathlessly**

**“Harry... three... three years... it's been three years, Harry... where have you
been?”**

**Harry made a series of soft, comforting noises that nearly sickened Ron. “When Voldemort
fell, Lucius and Bellatrix knew he wouldn't rise again. I was so weak that they stunned me and
dragged me away easily. I've... I've been in the Forbidden Forest this whole time.**

**“****What?!****” Hermione gasped, her wide eyes shining with tears. Harry nodded
gravely.**

**“They wanted to take over in Voldemort's place; reunite the Death Eaters who were still
living, and start a whole new war. Lucius thought they could do it together... Bellatrix wanted the
power for herself. She tried to kill him, but he anticipated it and killed her first. Pettigrew
released me, because of the bond... Lucius killed him. I took his wand and apparated to Hogsmeade,
but the school was empty for the summer, and...”**

**He practically collapsed into a sitting position on the floor, as if just talking about it
had exhausted him, and it probably had. Weak and emaciated, he had dark shadows under his eyes and
he was far dirtier than he had first appeared. Ron watched from the doorway as Harry pushed himself
into a kneeling position and thrust his hand into the pocket of his robes - his Hogwarts robes, the
ones he had been wearing the night of the final battle - and pulled out a black velvet box.
Ron's blood ran cold.**

**“Hermione, I wanted to do this that night before we left the castle, but the Death Eaters
attacked so fast that there just wasn't time... I wanted to look into your eyes, and to tell
you how much I loved you... and then I wanted to slip this ring onto your finger and ask you to be
my wife. I want to do the same thing right now that I should have done three years ago, because I
love you now more than ever and I couldn't bear being without you again.”**

**He swallowed.**

**“Hermione Granger, will you marry me?”**

**I remember the night,**

**And the Tennessee Waltz,**

**Now I know just how much I have lost,**

**Hermione's breath caught audibly in her throat and tears streamed from her eyes, sliding
down her face like liquid diamonds. Releasing the breath she had been holding in a sigh that
sounded suspiciously like** **`Ron,'** **she threw herself forward and flung her arms
around Harry's neck, burying her face in his shoulder.**

**“Yes, yes, oh Harry, I will! I love you...”**

**As Harry held her in his arms and ducked his head to kiss her, Ron stared blankly at the two
before turning on his heel and marching silently from the house. He jammed his hand into his pocket
and whipped out the velvet box, not even pausing to look at the ring inside, the ring that he had
saved his sickles for two and a half years to buy, and marched out into the street with his wand in
his other hand.**

**“Lumos.”**

**“Where to, lad?” Stan asked a moment later as the Knight Bus ground to a screeching stalt in
front of him. Ron tossed the box up to the young man, who flipped it open and goggled at the piece
of jewelry inside.**

**“Where can that get me?”**

**“Hey...” said Stan, ignoring his question, “You're Ron Weasley! `Ey, `ey Ern, this is
`Arry Potter's best friend right here!”**

**“I** **said,** **where can that get me?” Ron insisted, grinding his teeth
furiously.**

**“Anywheres your heart desires!”**

**“Good. Take me as far away from here as possible,” he said, and stepped up into the bus,
ignoring Stan's odd look.**

**Yes I lost my little darling,**

**The night they were playing,**

**The beautiful Tennessee Waltz.**

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