I know what you're thinking. . .FINALLY!!! I know, I know. . .I'm horrible. But its finally finished! Hip Hip Hooray!
I had wanted to end this nice a clean like the rest of the story, but I just kept writing and writing. That's why it took so long. . . there was just so much left to write. I think this is the longest final chapter in history! Anyway. . .please let me know if you like the ending.
I have truly appreciated all your support and encouragement. I loved writing this and I hope to write more.
Love you all (and Harry Potter)!
Maureen
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She would never know how much she had broken his heart.
Graduation had been over a year ago and Harry was now in the midst of grueling Auror training. He sat alone in his cottage outside London reading from a small book in his lap. As he read he tried to force the lump in his throat to go away, but the more he read, the bigger the lump grew. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the page. Over the past year he had read and reread it more times than he could count, and every time he opened this small little book he was reminded of the love of his life and the pain she had caused him.
Dear Diary,
I have never been so happy as I have been the past few days. Harry and I are in love! But the joy was fleeting. Harry asked me to marry him last night. What was he thinking? We just got together! We are graduating this afternoon! Neither of us really knows where our lives are going to go after we leave Hogwarts! How can he think about getting married when he doesn't have a place to live tomorrow? I know he loves me and Merlin knows I love him, and we have been best friends for seven years now, but this isn't practical! How can he just blurt something like that out? Marriage isn't something you just rush into. We are too young! I don't know what to do from here. I told him I couldn't marry him last night and the look on his face was so heartbreaking. He hasn't talked to me since. I cant tell if he's angry or sad or both or what. He didn't come to breakfast this morning and according to Ron, he wasn't in his room this morning. I wish I could find him and explain to him why we can't get married. He needs to know I still love him, but we aren't ready to take that next step.
Harry set the diary aside and stared out the window. He remembered Graduation day like it was yesterday. He had spent the day riding his broom around the grounds trying to clear his head but it hadn't worked. Everywhere he went on the grounds held a memory of her from sometime in the last several years. He finally found a quiet place out behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch and sat for a few hours attempting to come up with something to say to her that would change her mind. He finally headed back to the castle when he checked his watch, the one she had given him for Christmas last year, and saw that it was almost time for the Graduation ceremony. He'd sat next to Ron and Neville and tried not to look in her direction too much.
"Harry! Harry!" The ceremony had ended not seconds before when Harry heard her call his name and saw her pushing through the crowd to get to him. "Harry, we need to talk." She had said, looking on the verge of tears.
"Ok, lets go for a walk." He said, leading her out of the Great Hall, out the front doors, and out towards the lake.
The sun was warm and reflected off the lake, making it shimmer. They walked a while in silence, both working up the words to explain their actions and the nerves to say them. Hermione was the first to break the silence.
"Harry, you have to understand. We just can't get married. We aren't ready! We've only been together a few days and we don't know what's going to happen in the future. We don't have jobs or places to live or any real plan . . ." She said fast, hardly stopping to breath. She wanted to get it all out without being interrupted.
Harry let the words sink in. The thing was, he really didn't understand. They loved each other, what else mattered. He voiced this to her.
"Harry, I do love you, but . . .but . . ." She paused
"But what?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"This . . . this isn't how I'd picture this going." She whispered.
Offended, Harry said, "This isn't how you pictured what going? The proposal? The circumstances? What, Hermione? Tell me what you had planned out."
Hermione looked hurt and surprised by his outburst, but lowered her head and said in a voice just above a whisper, "I don't know, Harry. I just didn't think that things would happen this fast. I'm just not ready for this." And with that she let out a great sob and ran away.
Harry mentally kicked himself for being so hot-tempered with her as he watched her run off towards the castle. When he finally calmed down and found the nerves to go apologize, he went back up to the castle but couldn't find her.
She had disappeared.
Back in the present, remembering that day caused his chest to tighten. How had he let her get away like that? Harry sighed as he continued to stare blankly out the window, not seeing what was going on in garden.
He sighed again and turned away from the window, shaking the memory of the look in her tear-filled eyes out of his head. He needed something to distract him. Just like an answered prayer, there was a knock at the door and Ron entered the room.
"Hey mate. How ya holdin' up?" He said cheerfully.
"I'm doin' alright." Harry said half-heartedly.
"What's going . . .Oh, Harry. What are you doing reading that diary again? You know that's you cant do anything to change what happened." Ron said, trying to sound comforting but coming across a little annoyed.
"Yeah, I know." Harry said quietly.
Ron paused and looked out the window with Harry. "There are some people arriving already. But we've got some time before we have to get outside. Wanna play a game of wizard's chess?" Ron said, trying to cheer up his friend.
"Yeah. Tha'd be great." Harry said, smiling.
They played for the next hour, watching the pieces run around the board, kicking and knocking others off, and smashing anything that got in their way. Harry actually laughed out loud when Hedwig swooped down and snatched up Ron's bishop seconds before it was about to clobber Harry's king for checkmate.
Finally, Ron checked the clock and said, "Just about that time. You ready to go?"
Harry checked the clock too and sighed. "Yeah, ready as I'll ever be." He said, giving Ron a grin.
They straitened each other's ties and walked out into the yard where all their friends were waiting.
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He would never know how much she regretted breaking his heart.
Hermione sat at the kitchen table next to Lavender and sipped her coffee. She was thinking about him again. She couldn't help it. She kept thinking back to the biggest mistake she's ever made. She no longer had the old diary, but had started a new one and was reading over her last entry.
Dear Diary,
I am the biggest fool. I've been living with the guilt of my decision for over a year. I still think about him and what happened all the time. I regret telling him that I wouldn't marry him. I watch him now and see that he's trying so hard not to show that my reaction to his proposal hurt him and it breaks my heart that he has to go through that. He's already had so much rejection in his life. So much pain and loss, I will never forgive myself for causing him more heartache. But things are different now. I am different now. I am tougher, bolder, more sure of myself. I am going to show him that tonight. Tonight I am going to make up for being the fool that I am. I just hope he accepts the new, bolder me.
"I know that look. You're dwelling again." Lavender said, spying that sad, vacant look in Hermione's eyes.
"Sorry." She whispered, taking another sip of coffee.
"Sweetheart, you're never going to get over what happened if you don't let yourself. This isn't healthy. You just need to move on." Lavender sighed.
"I'm trying." Hermione whined. But I think this evening will more than make up for my mistake. She thought to herself.
"Oh look, everyone's starting to arrive!" Lavender said excitedly as she peered out the window.
Just then, Mrs. Weasley came in through the kitchen door and greeted both the girls with one of her famous hugs. "Oh girls, today's the big day! Look how lovely you both look. How are you? Lavender, enjoying your job working in the Ministry's Department of Seers and Seers' Unions?"
"Oh, definitely, Molly. I was sad when I left Hogwarts and Professor Trelawny retired. I know she may be batty sometimes, but she's so knowledgeable and has predicted so many things that have come true. She has taught me so much and I enjoy working with her again." Lavender beamed. She had jumped at the chance to help head up this new department. After Harry's Prophecy was exposed, Professor Trelawny became sort of like a celebrity and began working with the Ministry to start a Department specifically for Seers and their Prophecies.
"Splendid! And what about you, Hermione? You getting used to the work schedule?" Molly asked.
"Yeah. I really do love working at Hogwarts. Madam Pince and Professor McGonagall have been great to work with." She smiled. She had indeed taken the job as Madam Pince's assistant in the Library while Professor McGonagall trained her to take over as Transfiguration Professor once she decided to retire or step up as Headmistress of Hogwarts. Hermione loved spending her days among the books she loved so much and her nights doing magic and secretly learning to become an animagus.
"Wonderful! Just wonderful, darling." Molly gushed, giving Hermione another hug. Hermione had always thought of Mrs. Weasley as a surrogate mother, spending summers and holidays at the Burrow and confiding in her when her own muggle mother didn't understand what was going on. It was nice having Molly as a older witch to look up to and to open her heart to, especially after what happened with Harry last year.
"Oh, dear. Don't you girls need to start getting ready! The ceremony is set to start in half an hour!" She pointed at the clock. "Now, you girls need any help? Come here Lavender, sweetheart, you've got a hair out of place." Molly giggled as she pulled out her wand and began to help Lavender fix her hair. She the preceded to charm a wrinkle out of Hermione's dress and fix a scuff on her shoe.
Just as they were almost done getting dressed, Ginny stuck her head in. "Its time girls! Lets go! Everyone's waiting for the beautiful bride!" Mrs. Weasley left with Ginny to go take their own seats out in the garden.
"Lavender . . ." Hermione said, stopping Lavender in her tracks half way towards the door.
"Yeah?" Lavender said, and then seeing the look on her face said, "You nervous?"
"Uh huh." Hermione sighed, sinking into a chair.
"You know he loves you, always has, always will. Everything will work out perfectly. It has to. Weddings are supposed to be magical!" Lavender smiled and pulled Hermione to her feet and towards the window overlooking the garden where their closest friends and family were gathered. "You see him there waiting there with Ron at the end of the aisle? We cant keep them waiting now, can we? Lets go!"
Hermione sighed and smiled. She knew that Lavender was right. She hugged her best friend. They applied the finishing touches to each other's makeup and headed outside to the garden and down the aisle as the music started to play.
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"Everyone, I've got something to say! I want to raise a toast to my best mate. The past eight years, this bloke sitting here has stood next to me through thick and thin. And I couldn't have asked for a better friend. Ever since we shared a cabin on the Hogwarts Express, I knew that I'd made a friend for life. He was unlike anyone I'd ever met. Since then, we've had our share of adventures and misadventures. Flying the car into the Whomping Willow, trying to escape Aragog and his hungry relatives in the Forest, and Quidditch playoffs are just some of the many memories of narrow escapes we've experienced. With this guy by my side, we managed to slip through danger's grasp again and again. But now he's about to embark on the biggest adventure of them all. And I think if he can survive Hagrid's cooking, he can survive marriage." There was a roar of laughter as Champaign glasses were raised. "To my best mate and his best girl!"
"TO RON AND LAVENDER!" The crowd bellowed.
Harry lifted his glass, took a sip, and sat back down as everyone clapped for his Best Man speech. He caught Hermione's eye across the table in the Maid of Honor seat. She gave him that million-dollar smile of hers and raised her glass to him. He raised his glass to her and made a silent toast to each other.
The music started back up and couples were merging onto the dance floor. He saw her glance towards the swaying throng. When she looked back to him he smiled and nodded towards the dance floor, indicating his invitation to dance. She smiled and stood. Together they walked out onto the dance floor and he pulled her close to him as the music played.
"Great speech." She giggled.
"Why, thank you." He smiled down at her.
They again fell silent at the song continued and he thought back to the first time they saw each other after his failed proposal. It had been Ron and Lavender's idea. They had just started dating and planned to invite Harry and Hermione to dinner at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmede, not telling either of them that the other was coming. It had been an extremely uncomfortable night, neither of them speaking much. But he decided to suck up his pride and offer to walk her home. She'd thankfully done the same and accepted. On the walk back to the Hogwarts gates they'd both expressed their remorse for what had happened between them. He'd admitted that he'd been wrong in asking her so soon and unexpectedly like that. She apologized for reacting the way she did and running away. By the time they reached the gates, they'd agreed to meet the next day for lunch and "start over". Harry smiled when he remembered the lunch date. She'd come to his house, he'd made her a wonderful meal, and they ended making love on the kitchen table in the middle of the afternoon, twice.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked, seeing the look on his face.
"Just remembering our first date." He laughed as she smacked his shoulder, a scandalized look on her face.
He pulled her closer to him as a slower song began to play. When he was sure she wasn't looking, his smile faded slightly. Even though they were back together and falling back in love, the fact that she'd refused to marry him still hung over them and held them back. He'd become a little more guarded and let her take the lead. He knew that her feelings were hurt whenever he would say, "I love you" only after she had said it herself. But his heart was still healing from her rejection.
The song ended and she pulled away from his embrace. "I have to go talk to Lavender about something. I'll catch up with you later." She said with a smile and a peck on the cheek. Then she disappeared into the crowd, leaving him alone on the dance floor.
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"This has to work!" Lavender said, smiling from ear to ear.
"I hope so." Hermione said, glancing over towards Harry, who looked as if he was scanning the crowd for her.
Hermione was crouched down next to Lavender who was seated at the wedding party table. She had just divulged her plan to completely win Harry back to her friend. Lavender had only been too happy to hear of the plan and she was determined to help Hermione and Harry get back to where they were.
"Ok, you know what to do. I'm going to go off and change." Hermione whispered, and off she went.
She crept around the side of the house where no one could notice her change. Minutes later she trotted back over to Lavender. Lavender tied a small note to her wrist and Hermione once again hurried off, but this time in search of Harry.
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Harry had sat down to wait for Hermione to return and when Ron showed up and began chatting. After a minute or two, Lavender called Ron onto the dance floor and Harry was once again left alone.
He began to search the crowds again for Hermione, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Just as he was about to get up to go search for her, a bushy brown fox trotted up and jumped up into Harry's lap. Startled, Harry cursed loudly. He tried to get the animal to get off of him, but it refused to budge.
Then the fox stuck out its front paw and Harry saw that attached to it was a small piece of parchment. Curious, Harry untied the string and unrolled the parchment. On it were two words:
Follow me.
"Follow you? You're just an animal. Who sent this?" Harry asked it, but immediately felt stupid because, of course, foxes cannot talk back.
The fox jumped down off Harry's lap, scampered off a ways, and looked back as if to see if Harry was following. He was staring at the strange fox, but hadn't budged. The fox waited a moment and then trotted back, took the cuff of Harry's pants in its mouth and started tugging.
"What the? Ok, OK! I'm coming!" Harry said, getting up. The fox let go and hurried off in the direction of Harry's house. Harry followed.
The fox led Harry all the way to the back door of his cottage, which stood slightly ajar. The fact that his door was unlocked and open didn't worry him, seeing as there was a party going on in his garden and people were coming in and out to use the bathroom and to store personal belongings. What worried Harry was when the fox slipped in through the crack and disappeared into the house.
"Shit! Where are you going?" He yanked the door open. He paused, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark kitchen, then saw a bushy brown tail disappear up the stairs. Cursing under his breath, Harry ran up the stairs after the fox.
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The first part of Hermione's plan had worked, now she had to move quickly to put herself in position for part two.
Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she felt an odd calm wash over her as she changed from the fox into her human form again. She had kept the fact that she had become an animagus from Harry for this specific reason. She knew that her plan would work, or at least she hoped.
She jumped as she heard Harry's footsteps reach the top of the stairs and get closer to the bedroom door. Then the door opened . . .
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And Harry saw Hermione standing in the middle of his bedroom, naked. Stunned, he couldn't vocalize the question that begged to be asked.
Hermione giggled when she saw the look on his face and said, "Looking for someone?"
Harry grunted his response. Finally he gathered his senses and said, "Did you see a fox come in here?"
Hermione giggled, stepped back, and instantly changed back into the brown fox that Harry had been chasing after. Harry's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped. He didn't know Hermione was an animagus, and he certainly didn't know she could be this manipulative, in a sexy way of course.
The fox jumped up onto the bed and instantly turned back into the beautiful woman Hermione had become. She leaned back on one arm, her legs bent to one side, and silently beckoned Harry nearer with her eyes. He could feel himself harden just from the site of her sitting there.
Finally words found him. "You know, you didn't have to go to all that trouble to get me to come up here." He said with his crooked smile.
"Oh, I know. I just wanted tonight to be special, and I wanted to surprise you." Hermione smiled.
"Oh, I'm surprised alright." He said, approaching the bed. "You are one crafty fox."
"Why, thank you." She said. She patted the spot on the bed next to her, motioning for him to sit next to her. He sat. She rose up onto her knees, positioned herself behind him, and began kneading his shoulders. He groaned as her hands worked out the knots and stress from the last few weeks that had built up in his neck and shoulders.
"Harry, I had one other motive to get you up here alone tonight." Hermione said after a few minutes. Harry could sense that she was nervous; her voice was soft and higher than usual. He turned to face her.
"What's wrong." He asked, concerned.
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She paused. Why does this have to be so hard?
"Harry, you and I have been together now for a while, but both you and I know that its just not the same as it was before. . .you know. . ." Hermione paused again and looked down at her hands, which lay in her lap now.
"Before you said you wouldn't marry me." Harry said awkwardly.
"I never said I wouldn't! I said I couldn't!" Her voice got even higher and a lot louder. She didn't want to fight with Harry now so she quickly calmed down. "I told you that it was impractical to marry so young, but I never said I didn't want to."
"Well, you could have made that a little more clear." Harry said callously.
Hermione closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and counted to ten. "Harry, please. I don't want to argue. All of that is in the past. All that matters is our future and where it takes us. That is why I brought you here."
Harry looked at her and his hard features softened. "Alright. I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have said that." He sighed.
"Its alright. Now, can I get on with why we are here?" She said with a small smile that, the noticed, revealed that she was hiding something.
"And what would that be?" Harry smiled back.
Hermione was once again on her hands and knees on the bed with an evil grin on her face. She pulled him down onto the bed and straddled him. "Remember my diary?" She said playfully.
"Of course. How could I forget?" He said, sounding a little confused.
"Well, I have a new entry. I had a dream the other night and its been haunting me ever since." She leaned down and whispered the last few words into his ear. At these words she could feel him grow hard through his pants material.
"Oh yeah?" His voice came out a croak.
"Yeah. It was about you and me. I thought we could act it out, you know, like old times." She said, removing his bowtie and beginning to unbutton his tux shirt.
"Mm hmm." He moaned as she rubbed her arse against the bulge in his pants.
"You were in a tux. . ." She kissed his throat. "I was in a soft, flowy dress. . ." She kissed along his collarbone. "I was slowly walking towards you. . ." She kissed behind his ear. "And. . ."
"And?" Harry said breathily.
Hermione looked Harry strait in the eye and said, "And. . .We got married."
"What?" Harry sat up quickly, looking confused.
"I had a dream we got married Harry. I know that I hurt you a year ago, Harry. But I never stopped loving you. I have always loved you. I have been thinking about this for a long time and I think. . .I know that I am ready now. I am ready to take that step with you, Harry. If the offer still stands. . ." Hermione's eyes pleaded with Harry's.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" He said slowly.
"Yes." She whispered meekly.
"I don't know, Hermione. So much has happened. . ." He turned away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed once more.
"I know. . ." Hermione said, tears starting to stream down her face. She had lost him. She didn't know what to do now. I am such an idiot.
"Oh, Hermione! Don't cry." Harry said, turning towards her again and putting his arm around her still naked shoulders.
"But you don't love me anymore!" She let out a great sob and buried her face in his neck.
Harry burst into laughter! Hermione looked into his eyes, confusion etched on her face. She didn't understand why he was laughing at her.
"This is so unbelievable! First you break my heart by telling me you cant marry me. Then a year later, you lure me up here for sex, then stand here naked and propose to me." He laughs even harder at this. Hermione could feel her face flushing. Why was this so funny to him? Why couldn't he just say no and leave her like normal guys. Did he have to mock her pain? "This is going to be a great story to tell our grandchildren."
"Our what?" She gasped.
"Our grandchildren. You know, the ones we'll have when our children grow up and get married." He said, his eyes sparkling.
"Our children? You mean. . .?" Tears filled her eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy.
"The children we have when we are married. Yes. Hermione Granger, I will marry you. I have always wanted to marry you. I was just waiting until you let me know you were ready. I just never imagined you'd do it like this." Harry smiled and laughed again.
Hermione smiled and laughed as well. No words came to her. She was just so relieved and overjoyed that he still loved her and still wanted to marry her that she couldn't speak. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
"I love you." She whispered when the kiss broke.
"I love you too. Now what are we going to do about the fact that you're naked and I am as hard as a rock?" He said, looking down between them at the bulge in his pants.
"Oh, leave that to me." She said, pushing him down on the bed again. "I'll take care of you. Tonight, and the rest of my life."
"And I'll make all your dreams come true, future Mrs. Hermione Potter." He winked and kissed her.
"Promise?" She said, grinning.
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