A/N: hey guys! After having read HPB and JKR's interviews I am more determined than ever to write a good story for Harry and Hermione! I'm not jumping ship, I'm not losing hope and I am still a firm believer of H/HR… after all, we still have one more book to go! This story is set after 6th year and we are in the summer where Bill and Fleur's wedding is about to take place at the Burrow! I hope you enjoy it =)
Disclaimer: not mine … never will be!!
The sun outside was shining brilliantly onto the evergreen grass that could be found in the backyard of the Burrow. Birds could be heard singing beautifully in the distance, whilst trees were swaying gently to and fro by the tender breeze. This wonderful weather was quite a contradiction to Harry Potter's current mood.
Harry was sitting on the bed inside the room that he was sharing with Ron for the summer, contemplating all the strange events that had happened the previous year at Hogwarts. 'Hogwarts,' his mind thought 'my real home yet now it feels so - distant,' he concluded with a sad shake of his head, however his decision of not returning there for his last year seemed right and he had no regrets.
"This is something I have to do," he muttered to himself whilst getting up from the soft mattress and closing the gap between the window and himself. Leaning his forehead onto the window, with view that Burrow's backyard, he allowed himself to close his eyes and breathe out a sigh of frustration mixed with determination and fatigue. His breath fogged up a small amount of the window and he traced lazy circles with his forefinger, while his mind began a journey of thought through his 6th year at Hogwarts.
Flashes of faces made an appearance in the darkness of his mind - Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dumbledore, Snape - he jerked his head back and opened his eyes, yet they weren't the friendly emerald colour that his two closest friends knew. They held a glint of anger in them when a certain greasy-haired professor entered his thoughts, 'damn traitor.' However, since this was supposed to be a joyful day, he decided not to contemplate on that subject any longer. Two figures with hair the colour of fire came into his mind's eye, and anyone who could have seen him at the moment would swear that he had a ghost of a smile etched onto his face.
His best friend's sister and his best friend; two people that he knew practically ever since the beginning of his trip into the magical world. This year, however, was very different than the rest and he wasn't sure that it was for the best. He had figured that Ron held feelings towards Hermione that were a little more than friendship, yet he didn't know how to react when both of them started acting up on them; which is why he turned to Ginny Weasley. Albeit he always found her to be attractive, he never considered her anything more than Ron's younger sister. Nevertheless, during his 6th year they started going out but that only lasted for a short period of time. 'Things are better this way,' his mind tried to reason with him, 'she will be safe from Voldermort,' he concluded and it was true. If he wasn't involved with Ginny then she wouldn't be a target. 'Besides,' his mind went on, 'you both agreed that you work together better when you are just friends and not romantically involved,' this too, was true. After arriving at the Burrow, Ginny took him by the hand and they had the deepest conversation that they ever had, coming to the conclusion that what they had wasn't what they expected.
"I guess what I had in my mind was exaggerated because of the fact that you were The Harry Potter," Ginny informed him sadly, yet Harry understood what she meant. When people have an idea about something that's very important to them, they allow it to take the form of something god-like but in reality it's just a normal, every-day thing. They parted ways being closer than before, knowing that when the time comes, they'll help each other find what they're looking for.
His train of thought immediately switched tracks and Hermione Granger formed an angelic figure that glowed in the gloominess of his mind. He felt his breathe catch in his throat before pulling himself together and letting himself reflect onto this past year and what had happened between them. 'Things definitely changed here,' he thought miserably, and started pacing the room unconsciously. After having ran a hand through his unruly jet-black hair, he let out a sigh of frustration.
"What the hell happened?" he wondered out loud. Things were more tense between them and even more so when he arrived at the Burrow a week ago. They hadn't talked as much, she would continuously nag at him and not listen to his theories, and she hadn't guided him as she had always done in previous years. It was as if she was replaced by a new Hermione that was more closed to herself than anyone else.
"Damn it," he cursed and kicked the leg of the bed, immediately regretting it as his toe realized what happened and a dull pain made its way there. Letting his shoulders sag, he dropped onto the bed and cradled his head in his hands.
He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew was that he was hearing some sort of commotion going on in the Weasley's backyard. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and stretched his hands while walking over to the window and looking out. People had started to gather and were taking their seats for the small wedding that was about to take place in just a little over an hour.
"I guess I better get ready and go down," he thought out loud and began to put on his dark green robes over the jeans and t-shirt he was wearing. He wasn't in the mood for a celebration, but was in awe at how the Weasleys went on with life as if nothing serious was going on. Sure, the clock downstairs was always pointing at "In Danger" but they were determined to go through this wedding without any incident. He had heard many conversations between Molly and Fleur about how the seating arrangements should be and what flowers had to be brought in, that he let out a chuckle of amusement.
He was brought out of his reverie when he heard a step on the stairs creak. 'They must be sending someone to get me,' he thought, and tried to hurry up the process of getting ready. Being punctual was never one of Harry's good traits! Looking himself in the mirror, he gave a half-hearted nod of approval and tried to flatten down his hair, even though the mirror was trying to convince him that he was fighting a losing battle. With running one last hand through his hair, he managed not only to not tame his hair, but also to make his glasses go flying from his face and onto the floor.
"Great, just great!" and as he fumbled his way on the floor trying to see past all the blurs, he heard a crack underneath his knee and inwardly groaned. Finally, he managed to pick them up and "saw" that they were at a weird angle.
"Bloody … damned…" he started a train of curses but stopped suddenly when he saw a figure on the doorway watching him humorously. At least, he thought that they were watching him like that because of the person's sad attempt at trying to control they laughter, and his mind raced to the first person that he could think of that laughed like that.
"Oh Harry honestly!" he heard and his suspicions were confirmed who this person was. "Reparo!" Hermione gracefully said that offered Harry his new-fixed glasses.
"Thanks," he told her with appreciation laced in his voice whilst putting them on. Suddenly the unknown blurs all came in focus and he was slightly taken aback with her appearance. It was as if putting on his glasses made him see clearly in more ways than one. Giving his head a slight shake, he managed to put on a weak smile and turned once more to the mirror for a final look.
"You're fine Harry," he heard Hermione say, and looking at her through the mirror he couldn't help but wonder why there was such an empty look in her normally sparkling caramel eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by her saying,
"We really should be getting downstairs," she started, "they're about to get started with the ceremony," and with that she turned on her heel and left the door but stopping at the doorway waiting for him. Harry made his way towards her, and together they left the room and went downstairs.
Once outside, they found Ron and sat in the two empty chairs that he had saved for them.
"What took you so long?" Ron asked but Harry just waved his hand dismissively.
"Nothing," he muttered and was grateful when from the corner of his eye he saw Hermione give Ron one of her silencing looks.
The wedding started and everyone was admiring how beautiful Fleur was on her special day. Her blonde hair was blowing gently in the light wind and the setting sun was giving off magnificent colours that made Fleur truly resemble an angel.
Bill was looking up to her as if she was the only thing that he could see. Harry respected Bill for what he had gone through, and even though he wasn't back to his original strength and in a wheelchair, he didn't want to postpone the wedding any longer and so here they were. Especially after seeing Fleur defend her love for him in front of Molly in the Hospital Wing, they were closer than ever before and much stronger together, not allowing anyone to doubt the love that they had for each other. Despite the fact that the scars were still visible on his face, he looked handsome with his blue eyes shining off all the love that he had for the woman that was standing before him. Hands laced together, they listened to the man that was marrying them with glances being exchanged between them every now and again.
Finally, they were shown off to their audience as,
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley" with applaud ringing all over the garden and congratulations being shouted everywhere. The happy couple made its way down the aisle and Harry shook their hands as the passed by, yet at the same time he was engulfed by sadness as he couldn't help but wonder if he will ever have the chance of experiencing such an event. Still, this wasn't the time for him to become selfish again, and so with determination he pushed back that bad feeling and allowed himself to feel happy for Bill and Fleur, walking back to the reception area with Ron and Hermione on either side of him.
A/N: I know it was a bit short, but hopefully the next chapters will be longer! Please review even if it's just to say "I like it!" "I hate it!" :p neni =)