Disclaimer: This story is based on characters, settings, and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling as published by, including and not limited, to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. The use of these characters and settings is for entertainment purposes only; no infringement is intended or should be inferred. I also do not own the song "The Good Stuff," by Kenny Chesney.
(A/N): For those of you who are waiting for the continuation of my other story I'm sorry. Life has been throwing a lot of curveballs at me and my writing has been suffering. I've been thinking of writing a fic to this song for a while. The song has been altered so that it fits the story better.
The Good Stuff
Well, me an' my lady had our first big fight,
So I flew around 'til I saw the neon light.
A corner bar, an' it just seemed right.
So I pulled up.
"You insensitive prat!" shouted a lovely young lady in Gryffindor robes, her blond hair covering her tear filled eyes.
"What did I do? Honestly, tell me." replied an exasperated teenager also in Gryffindor robes, equally loud. He shook his head in confusion and anger at his girlfriend.
"If you don't already know then I'm not wasting time explaining it to you." She huffed and stormed up the trail leading to Hogwarts.
"WOMEN!" hollered the confused and angry young man. Deciding that he needed to escape he made his way to the school's broom shed. Grabbing his Lightning 220 he flew of in search of something to ease the pain he was beginning to feel in his heart.
That was when he saw the Golden Snitch (formerly known as the Hog's Head), a tavern, and brought his broom about for a landing. The young man looked up at the sign and wondered about the owner for it was a neon light and he only recognized it because his mother and girlfriend were Muggleborns. Still even with the oddity he felt that it would be good for him to go in.
Not a soul around but the old bar keep,
Down at the end an' looking half asleep.
An he walked up, an' said : What'll it be?
I said: The good stuff.
As he entered he found the place was nearly deserted but considering the time (and the fact that the place wasn't as seedy as it used to be) it probably should be. He sat down on one of the bar stools and looked about. There was and elderly man he assumed was the bartender in an easy chair looking as if he were taking a nap. The old man grunt, sat up and looked directly at the boy.
The old man knew what was wrong with the boy as soon as his green eyes caught sight of him. Gingerly rising to his feet he made his way over to the young man and he asked, "What'll it be?"
"The good stuff!" replied the boy looking up.
He didn't reach around for the whiskey;
He didn't pour me a beer.
His green eyes kinda went misty,
He said: You can't find that here
The older man looked at the young boy and froze upon hearing those words. He had lost count on how many times he had heard those three words. Each time though they struck a cord in his heart because he thought about 'her'.
His emerald eyes glistened with unshed tears as he said, "You can't find that here!" and continued with:
'Cos it's the first long kiss on a second date.
Momma's all worried when you get home late.
And droppin' the ring in the spaghetti plate,
'Cos your hands are shakin' so much.
An' it's the way that she looks with the rice in her hair.
Eatin' burnt suppers, the whole first year,
An' askin' for seconds to keep her from tearin' up.
Yeah, man, that's the good stuff
Series of flashbacks
"I had a great time Harry." whispered Hermione with a contented sigh as they arrived at her house. She leaned forward and started to give him a light peck on the lips but then deepened the kiss. As she pulled back from him she found him with a goofy smile and glazed eyes. Giggling she shook him slightly and he came out of his kiss induced stupor.
"Good night Harry." she said giving him another light kiss on the lips.
"G'night 'Mione," he replied as she sighed at his still dazed tone. They parted and she walked into her parent's house. Inside she found her mother waiting for her.
"Why are you so late Hermione?" She asked in an, according to Hermione, overly concerned tone.
"Time just got away from us mom," she replied as an argument ensued.
…
Harry and Hermione are found in an Italian restaurant in Venice speaking over plates of spaghetti. Harry takes his hand from his pocket with diamond ring clasped in it.
He looked into his loves eyes and said, "Hermione, I've known you most of my life. You became my friend when I had few. You were there with me from the Philosopher's stone, to the Triwizard tournament, to helping me destroy the Horcruxes and finally defeating Voldemort." He gazed at her lovingly. "You were there when I lost sight of what truly mattered; even when I fell for the wrong girl you were there. I could not imagine my life without you in it."
He pulled his shaky hand from beneath the table ring clasped in it and asked, "Will you marry me?" Unfortunately the moment was 'ruined' when the ring fell from Harry's trembling hand and landed right in the spaghetti.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the situation until she noticed that Harry was beginning to sulk. "Yes, Harry I will marry you." she said clasping one of his hands as she used her other to fish out the ring, and had him place it sauce and all on her left ring finger.
…
Harry marveled at his luck as he looked into his wife's eyes. His WIFE! He marveled at that, as he took in her appearance white gown, rice in her hair, and he thought that she had never looked more beautiful than at this moment.
…
Harry found himself eating what once was a casserole or at least he thought it was. It looked that way in the center but the edges were black. Carefully carving into it he again wondered why she had decided that she should be the cook. Oh well. After finishing the piece he had been given he saw her close to tears. She knew she wasn't all that good at cooking but she was getting better.
"May I have seconds?" the smile he received from her made him know that it was well worth it.
End Flashbacks
"Yeah, man, that's the good stuff." Harry whispered looking at the young man in front of him.
He grabbed a carton of milk an' he poured a glass.
An' I smiled an' said: I'll have some of that.
We sat there an' talked as an hour passed,
Like old friends.
Harry reached behind the counter and picked up a carton of milk and pulled out a glass.
The young man smiled as he poured a glass and asked, "Can I have some of that?" Harry just chuckled as he brought out a second glass and poured milk into it as well.
"So do I get at least your name young man, or do I have to continue to feel like an old man?"
The young man chuckled before holding out his hand and saying, "I'm Dan."
Taking it Harry simply said, "Harry Potter." Immediately Dan's gaze searched Harry's white hairline. His eyes widened as he caught site of the scar but he averted his eyes after mumbling an apology. "It's alright Dan I'm used to it and I've seen people stare at it for longer than to just see it. By the way is that one of those new Lightning 220's?"
I saw a black an' white picture an' it caught my stare,
It was a pretty girl with bouffant hair.
He said: That's my Hermione,
Taken 'bout a year after we were wed.
During their chat Dan's eyes spotted a black and white wizards photograph with a lovely bushy haired girl. She was looking at the two of them with a slightly amused expression on her face, and she quickly looked away as she had noticed he saw her.
"Who's that Harry?" He asked.
"That's my Hermione. I took that picture about a year after we got married when we found out that she was pregnant. I always have it near now."
He said: Spent five years in the bottle,
When the cancer took her from me.
But I've been sober three years now,
'Cos the one thing stronger than the whiskey:
"I lost her about eight years ago. It's amazing that with all the improvements made in health neither wizards nor muggles have found a cure for cancer. It was the hardest time of my life including facing Voldemort. I spent most of my waking hours in a bottle of this or that trying to kill my pain but then when…"
Was the shot of her holdin' my baby girl.
The way she adored that string of pearls,
I gave her the day that our youngest boy, Earl,
Married his high school love.
An' it's a new tee-shirt saying: 'I'm a Grandpa'.
Bein' right there as our time got small,
An' holdin' her hand, when the Good Lord called her up,
Yeah, man, that's the good stuff.
Series of Flashbacks
Harry staggered into his room at the back of the Golden Snitch, a nearly empty bottle of Odgen's clutched in his hands. When he caught sight of an old photo of Hermione holding their daughter Lily the bottle fell from his hand.
…
Harry looked down at his wife and daughter and thought again that Hermione had never looked more beautiful. He brought up a small camera and took a picture.
…
"Oh my god Harry it's lovely," whispered Hermione as she looked at the pearl necklace Harry was holding.
"Not as lovely as it's owner," replied Harry as he nuzzled her neck. Unfortunately the moment was interrupted as a tuxedo clad young man entered the room fumbling with his bow tie.
"Dad I don't know how you…oops sorry." Ronald Earl Potter, commonly known of as Earl to distinguish him from a certain red head, mumbled as he caught sight of his parents. Sighing Hermione moved to her youngest son and began to fix his bow tie for him.
"I've told you that tie is a necessary evil. Now stop complaining and get out there. It's your wedding after all." replied Harry. And thus Ronald Earl Potter married his love from Hogwarts Jennifer Molly Weasley.
…
"Are your eyes closed dad?" asked his daughter Lily Thomas who was standing beside her husband John.
"Yes dear," Harry replied in a semi-bored tone. Lily grabbed a shirt from a bag beside her and held it open.
"You can open your eyes now." When he opened his eyes Harry saw a shirt that said 'I'm a Grandpa.' His mouth dropped open in shock and he looked at his daughter and received a nod from her.
…
"I love you 'Mione," Harry whispered clutching his wife's hand as she lay in bed. They had known this had been coming for a year and had fought it tooth and nail but it wasn't enough. The cancer spread too rapidly to be removed and Hermione had only gotten weaker as the days went on.
"I love you too Harry," she replied before her eyes closed for the last time. Harry would not be moved from her side for the next few hours.
…
"That's the good stuff Dan; always remember it!" Tears were in both men's eyes now. Harry continued by saying:
He said: "When you get home, she'll start to cry.
When she says: 'I'm sorry,' say: 'So am I.'
An' look into those eyes, so deep in love,
An' drink it up.
'Cos that's the good stuff.
That's the good stuff."
Dan after bidding his new found friend good night rushed back to the castle. Upon entering the Gryffindor common room he found that his girlfriend was the only one there tears in her eye.
"I'm so sorry Dan!" she mumbled into his shirt as she wrapped him in a fierce hug.
"So am I Emma! So am I." he replied holding her tight. He lifted her chin so that he could see her face and as he did he saw nothing but love inside. He brought his lips down to meet hers with all of the passion her held.
…
Off at the Golden Snitch Harry suddenly smiled without fully understanding the reasons. He made his way off to bed and renewed his promise to himself and Hermione to live his life until he could join her.
The End
(A/N): This is a story I have wanted to write for a long time but had trouble doing it. I never wanted one of the two to have to find out how to live without the other but I just had to get it down on paper. I hope that you enjoyed it. A question I've had is whether anyone else noticed that J.K. changed Hermione's birthday in HBP. Just wondering as I have not seen anyone mention it. Although even with HBP I still believe that it will be H/HR. Don't lose faith.