Well Folks, this is the last chapter for this first story, I've already started the sequel called "If You Knew..." which I'll post probably later on today. I want to thank everyone for their reviews, and yes as Dylan said, can't seem to win lol but oh well. Truth is, like I said, all this story was written and finished before I started posting it so I didn't make Harry and Hermione get together any faster just because of reviews. My reason for getting them together was because I don't think Hermione still loved Ron, she just thought she did. He was her first love and like she said, she thought he was the one and was afraid to let that go. I think it was always Harry for her and maybe it took a kiss to see that.
Anyways, the first few chaps of the sequel are done and this story seems to be heading in a more adventure/mystery/romance and I quite like how its developing now that I have the couples established because really this is why I wrote this beginning story, I didn't want to fit this whole plot into what I have planned for what is now the sequel. I wanted to do a shorter story showing how hermione found love in someone who, in reality, has always been there.
As for my few flamers who feel the need to keep posting...The only thing I need to say is if you don't like the story stop reading, simple. There's no need to flame the same comments time after time.
Wow, I've rambled enough. So again, watch out for the sequel "If You Knew..." to be posted tonight!
Siriusly_Snuffles
Chapter Ten
Para Siempratus
Hermione waited patiently for Ginny to say something, anything to get that horror-struck look of her freckled face. Playing nervously with her fingers, she watched as Ginny shook her head and ran her hand through her long red hair trying to comprehend what she had just heard. If truth be told, Hermione didn't really care what her younger friend thought of this weird turn of events because it was her personal life. But on the other hand she did care, Ginny was her friend, her only real girlfriend, and her opinion mattered to her greatly. If she was this worried with what Ginny thought how on earth was she going to tell Ron what had happened?
" You kissed Harry?" Hermione nodded." Like…like on the lips? Ginny asked. Her brown eyes were wide with anticipation as she waited for her answer. When a small blush crept to Hermione's cheeks, Ginny let the corners of her lips twitch into a small smile. " How did this happen? I mean, wow!" She leaned back on her chair and threw her arms up waiting for an answer.
" I don't know! It just happened."
Ginny rolled her eyes and let out a loud snort of laughter, which caused a wave of irritation to come over Hermione. Here she was admitting something very private and all Ginny could do was laugh? Realizing the cold look Hermione was giving her; Ginny gave a small cough and bit back her laughter.
" Oh, I'm sorry Hermione. I don't mean to laugh, honestly, but that is such a lame excuse. It just
happened?" she asked, " Your lips just happened to touch over a fancy glass of Butterbeer." She placed
her hand swiftly to her chest and inhaled an over-dramatic sigh
and, again, escaped into laughter.
Having just about enough of her friend's teasing, she got up from her chair and levitated her cup to the sink. Maybe it would have been best to just keep her mouth shut and not have said a word. If only she had that timeturner at this moment….
" I'm so glad you're finding this amusing, Gin," she mumbled. She casually turned around and leaned against the wooden counter-top, arms crossed against her chest. " I really do not need this right now…"
Ginny's smile slowly faded from her. Nodding, she clasped hands together and gave a more softer and apologetic smile. " You're right, I'm sorry. Tell me everything and I promise I'll listen."
Looking her over and seeing that she was infact giving her all her attention, she slowly made her way back to the table and sat back down. Sighing, she began to re-count all of last night's events. At the end of it all, Ginny sat across from her with a goofy, sweet grin on her lips.
" He just kissed you? Just like that?"
" Well, I'm not really sure who kissed who. It's all such a haze really. I guess I'll say it was a mutual lean in" she grinned.
" So, how do you feel about all this? How does Harry feel about it all?" Ginny asked.
" I don't know, it's all so new. At first it scared me because I actually did enjoy it and it worried me because maybe I was doing this purposely just to get over Ron, you know?" Hermione stated, taking her gaze away from her hands and back up to Ginny.
" Well, did you?" Ginny asked honestly.
" Maybe some part of me did, but I'm glad it happened because now I see that I need to move on, move forward. I'm not really sure how Harry feels…I was kind of worried this morning when we woke up that he'd regret what happened because oddly I didn't"
" So what'd he say? Was he acting all weird and all…well…Harry like?" Ginny laughed in anticipation.
Blushing, Hermione smiled and tucked some hair behind her ears. " He kissed me on the stairs before he let Ron in."
" Aww, really? Wait, Ron didn't see did he?"
" No! Are you kidding? I have no idea what he'll say if he finds out, heck; I don't even know if Harry wants to pursue this any further. We have yet to discuss that." Hermione replied. She was hoping Ginny would give her some expert girl advice here because when it came to advice on girl stuff, Ginny was all over it.
" Hermione, he wouldn't kiss you again this morning if he regretted what happened. He would have acted all weird and distant. As for Ron…."
She watched as Ginny took her gaze up to the ceiling in thought, her tongue sticking out ever so slightly.
" Are you happy?"
It was a simple question…was she happy? Hermione thought about that for a moment. The answer was simple; yes Harry made her very happy. He always had, even at Hogwarts. He always seemed to understand her and support her even when no one else had. He always knew what to say to make her smile and she couldn't think of more thoughtful person in her life than him.
" Yes, he does."
" If he makes you happy than that's all that counts" Ginny concluded.
~*~*~*~
By the next morning the Burrow was bouncing with activity as the wedding was just little over an hour away. Sitting
down in front of Ginny's old, wooden vanity, Hermione looked at her reflection in the mirror and gave a satisfied
smile. Her curly hair was done up in a classy little twist with several curls falling down that framed the sides of her
face. She had on just a touch of make-up that gave her a sophisticated but natural look; just what she was going for.
Taking her gaze down to her royal blue dress, She couldn't help but think of the Yule Ball in her fourth year at
Hogwarts. She remembered how angry she was that Ron hadn't asked her to be his date, how jealous he was regarding
Viktor and herself, and the big row they had at the end of the night in the Gryffindor common room. Realizing what she
was doing, she shook her head to stop herself. She wouldn't continue to do this, dwell on what was. She was a
strong girl and she would get through this. This day shouldn't be a depressing day, it should be a joyful day, a
day that not only celebrates Ron and Luna's love but a day that signals a new life for herself. With this thought
in her mind, she smiled at her reflection and made her way confidently downstairs in hopes to find Harry.
Wobbling all the way down in her heals, she finally reached the kitchen and made her way for the backdoor. Stepping outside she looked around the elaborately decorated backyard. About fifty wooden chairs were evenly lined up with a wide aisle running through the middle. Above the chairs, charmed into the air, were dozens of large, white peddled flowers that sparkled violently in the August sunlight. Taking her gaze to the left she could see the orchestra band already setting up with their instruments on the wooden stage that was draped with an elegant, silk sheet and light pink rose peddles. The whole scene looked beautiful, like something out of a muggle TV show or movie.
It was then that she remembered the reason she came out there in the first place, she needed to find Harry. Glancing around, her eyes finally rested on him as he emerged from the house with Fred (or was it George?) beside him. She could feel her heart stop as she looked at him. He wore a nice, sleek, black dress robe and his hair was surprisingly under control today. She'd have to ask him about that later. However, she couldn't deny that he looked magnificent. She'd never seen him so dressed up before. Smiling, she took a few steps in his direction when a voice stopped her.
" Hermione!" Turning around she saw Ginny, running towards her, her long hair in loose, spiral curls.
" Gin, you look beautiful" Hermione complimented. Ginny blushed slightly and tugged the end of her green dress up a few inches to stop it from dragging on the ground.
" Thanks, Hermione. I've been looking for you!"
" Me? Why?"
Ginny's smile grew wide as she grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her back towards the house. " Just come" she replied.
Hermione followed her friend's lead back up the rickety stairs and to one of the spare bedrooms on the right. Stepping inside, Ginny quickly shut the door behind her and she looked around to see Molly, and Melanie smiling at her. It was then that she looked over towards the attaching bathroom and saw Luna step out, except it wasn't Luna at all. She was, well, stunning. Her long blonde hair was slightly curled and was half up off her face while her blue eyes were accented with a shimmery blue eye shadow. Finally, Hermione looked at her gown. It was nothing extravagant, but it suited Luna perfectly. Flowing flawlessly to her feet was an elegant, white spaghetti stringed dress.
" Oh Luna, I've never seen a more beautiful bride!" Molly gasped, stepping towards her and giving her a motherly hug.
" You look very beautiful Luna. Ron will love it" Ginny replied.
It was then that the bedroom door opened to reveal a grinning George.
" Everyone's ready for you" he stated. And as quickly as he had come, he was gone again, apparating back outside.
" Oh, Luna, this is it!" Ginny squealed, grabbing her friend's hands excitedly, her face lit up with
excitement. Luna's face however, didn't match that excitement. Instead a nervous expression crossed her face.
Noticing this, Ginny's smile faltered. " Are you OK?"
Luna remained silent for several seconds before speaking. " I'm getting married…." She lamely said.
" It's ok to be nervous dear, " Molly started, " It's normal to be."
" I'll be down, just give me a moment." She replied, giving them all a brave smile.
Ginny, Molly and Melanie seemed to hesitate a moment before finally stepping out of the room. Hermione, being the last, was just about to follow suit when she looked back to see Luna examining herself in the long mirror that hung on the wall.
" You really do look beautiful…" Hermione spoke, her hand still on the doorframe. Gazing at Hermione through the mirror, Luna let out an exasperated sigh as she smoothed out the lower half of her gown.
" You know…" she began, " I've often wondered why he wanted to marry me…I mean after all, I am just Loony Lovegood…"
Stepping back into the room, Hermione slowly made her way towards Luna. " He wants to marry you because he loves you."
Luna then turned around and faced Hermione. " What if he marries me then suddenly wishes he hasn't…what if-"
Hermione let out a soft chuckle and placed a comforting hand on Luna's shoulder. " Luna, he won't change his mind. Have you seen the way he looks at you? The way he smiles when he talks about you?"
" He use to look at you with love on his face…" she retorted.
Hermione's smile wavered a bit. Swallowing hard she gave a soft shrug. "What Ron and I had was special, yes, but after all this time we've both realized that we are better off as friends. We'll always be apart of eachothers lives and we'll always, always be best friends but that's all we'll be… friends. Now, he loves you, I know he does. He's even told me so. I've watched the way he looks at you and let me just say, he never looked at me the way he looks at you."
" Really?"
" Really" Hermione confirmed.
Smiling, Luna gave Hermione a soft hug. " Thank-you" she sniffed.
" Oh, you're welcome" she grinned, hugging her back, " Now let's go, everyone's waiting for you!"
Hand in hand the two made their way down stairs together. And it was at that moment that Hermione realized that Luna Lovegood wasn't so bad afterall. Infact, they were more alike than she ever realized.
~*~*~*~
As Hermione took her seat and watched the wedding progress, a surge of happiness filled her body just watching
Ron's beaming face as Luna walk towards him and the pair began to exchange their vows. This was it, he was going to
be a married man and she couldn't be any happier for him. Actually, she had trouble believing it…Ronald
Weasley…married! The thought made her let out a small snicker which causied her to get a dirty look from some
unknown, strange woman who was seated beside her. Her gaze then travelled over to Harry who was standing in the best
man position. It was obvious to everyone who Ron's best man would be when he announced the wedding. There was no
one else it could be besides Harry. The two of them really were a unique and troublesome pair who couldn't survive
without the other. Even when the two had a row, they could only go so long without speaking to one another. To Ron and
the rest of his family it didn't matter that Harry didn't have the same blood because to them, Harry was a
Weasley.
Bringing her thoughts back to the wedding and seeing that the vows were now exchanged all that remained was the binding words. In a wizard wedding each partner were to say the words that would bind you to your partner with love for eternity. This was considered to be the loveliest part by many, seeing the couple speak the two words that would keep you together through the good times and the bad…
" At this time, I ask the both of you to each take your right hand and place them on your partner's heart and one at a time, starting with Ron, to say the binding words…para siempratus."
Ron cleared his throat. " Para Siempratus"
" And Luna."
She sent Ron and smile and repeated, " Para Siempratus."
It was then that a white light erupted from the pair almost blinding Hermione and the rest of the crowd. The charm had worked. The two were now officially married.
" I love you…" Hermione could see Ron whisper.
" I love you too" she grinned back as they leaned in for their kiss.
~*~*~*~
Later that evening, Hermione found herself sitting alone at one of the large round tables as everyone else continued to
dance and laugh happily along with the orchestra, who was currently playing some up tempo jazz song that was unknown to
herself.
" Hey" came a voice, breaking her away from her thoughts. Looking up she saw Harry grinning down at her. " Want to dance?" he asked, extending his hand.
" I'd love to" she blushed. As he lead her out to the dance floor the music suddenly shifted to a slow ballad.
" I promise I won't step on your toes" he joked as they began to sway slowly to the music. Hermione giggled.
" I think it's me you have to worry about for that, Harry."
" You-er-look great tonight..." he nervously complimented.
" As do you. You know Im quite impressed with the hair, Mr. Potter."
laughing, he looked upwards towards his hair. " You don't want to know how many flattening charms are on this hair...I felt like a girl getting it all down, let me tell ya."
She laughed at this before the two grew quiet, both just dancing along to the slow beat. It was after a few comfortable moments of silence that Hermione decided to speak again.
" You know what I was thinking about today as I got ready?" she asked, taking her head off of his shoulder.
" What?" he replied.
" The Yule Ball," she smiled, " I was so angry when Ron didn't notice me in my dress right off the bat."
" I did" he said. He seemed to realize what he had just said since he smiled uncomfortably and looked downwards.
" What? You did? When?" she questioned, surprised by Harry's answer.
" Er- Right before we were about to go in…I…I remember wondering who that cute girl was in the nice dress" he said, his cheeks turning a shade of bright red. Hermione grinned broadly at this and tapped him playfully in the shoulder.
" Harry, you never told me that"
" I was, what, fourteen? What was I suppose to do at that age?" he laughed. " So, how you holding up?"
" With this whole wedding you mean?" she asked. He nodded." Actually, I'm doing really good."
" Well, good!" he joked.
"You know… A wise man once told me not to live in the past and that one day I'll find that love again…"
Harry smirked. " And?" he prodded.
" And…I'll have to go and tell him he was right." She teased.They looked at eachother for several more seconds before both slowly leaned into a romantic kiss.
Hermione couldn't explain the feeling. Kissing Harry wasn't weird at all… it was the total opposite. It just felt right. She could have stayed there dancing in his arms all night if she could, unfortunately though the two were soon interrupted.
" Er-I hate to interrupt…" came a voice.
Rapidly breaking apart, Hermione looked behind Harry to see a confused Ron, looking at them with wide eyes. Around them she could then see several other shocked faces watching the pair as well. She had totally forgotten about her surroundings and where they were. How could she forget that none of their friends or family knew about them yet?
Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing since he wore the same guilty expression as she had.
" Uh, I just wanted to talk to Hermione for a moment…" he replied, looking rather embarrassed that he caught his two friends kissing.
" Oh-uh-yea. I'll just go over and-uh-talk to your dad…" Harry fumbled. He sent Hermione a quick smile before making his exit.
" So…. you and Harry?" he asked…it was more of a realization than a question. Looking down at his fingers he gestured for her to take a seat at a near by table.
" Yea, we've been spending a lot of time together recently and well…. we like eachother" she finished,
not knowing what else to say to make the situation any less awkward.
Ron remained quiet for a few seconds before finally sending her a small smile. " Well, I'm happy for you two then."
" Really?"
He nodded.
Hermione was surprised at this. She wasn't expecting Ron to be acting this great about it, but he was a married man now.
" Thanks Ron.... And what about you? Congrats! The ceremony was beautiful."
Ron blushed slightly as a tinge of pink appeared on his ears. " Thanks. I-uh-didn't know if you'd show today…"
" Why wouldn't I show? I wouldn't miss your big day, Ron."
" I know, but…well…after everything that happened the other day…"
" Look, Ron… I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to come here and mess everything up for you like this. I really just want you to be happy, honestly" she said, placing her hand on his knee. He smiled and put his hand overtop of her own.
" I am very happy," he smiled.
" I know…. What do you say? Friends?" she asked.
" Best friends" he replied, pulling her into a hug.
Pulling apart, Hermione looked over and saw Luna making her way in their direction. " I think someone wants to dance with you" she smiled, nodding her head in Luna's direction.
He nodded and stood. " Save me a dance?" he asked, turning back around.
" You bet" she grinned, watching him make his way back over to Luna and giving her a big kiss.
After her conversation with Ron it felt like her life was finally in the right place. She had her friend back, she had
a found a new love in Harry and she was back home where she belonged. Things were finally going right for her. It was
well into the night when Ron and Luna decided to leave for their honeymoon and as Harry and Hermione watched them go a
new thought struck her.
" Harry?" she slowly asked.
He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder as they made their way back towards the house.
" Mhm?"
" There's something that I need to tell you…"
An intrigued look came onto his face as he stopped and faced her. " What is it?"
" Well, I officially quit my job at the Paris paper. I'm moving back here for good."
" I knew you would" he smiled.
" How?"
"It's not you, never was. You don't belong behind a desk writing articles. You need to be out there making a difference" he concluded.
A smile crept to her face as she rested her head on his shoulder.
" And you think I'll make a difference?"
" Oh, I know you will...Miss know it all" he joked.
Wrapping her arms around his neck she slowly leaned into kiss him.
" Well then, I guess that makes you Mr. Know it all? Are you OK with that?" she grinned.
" Couldn't be happier."
Grabbing her hand and placing in his, the pair slowly made their way back inside, oblivious to everything around them.
~*~Para Siempra-For always~*~