Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
And here we are to chapter four…the anticipation keeps building but I foresee an eventual resolution…and one more thing, a big thank you to all the nice people who reviewed.
Chapter IV: Until the Sun Sets
They walked along in silence. Ginny felt her emotions swell and die in an endless cycle. Was she right? Did she make a mistake?
"Are you alright?" came his quiet, concerned voice.
"Yes, yes…" she replied distantly.
No.
She had created a complexity that could have a disastrous solution. Telling Harry so abruptly was not something she had planned; especially in the presence of someone he did not hold in high regard.
A deep sigh escaped her. If only she could persuade Harry to listen to her explanation. Then she would tell him the entirety of her story - meeting Draco Malfoy in a coffee shop one day, the frequent late-night encounters, and her growing desire to be with him instead.
`Twas a feat, not easily reachable; Harry was probably unwilling to ever see, let alone talk to her again. She, however, always valued his friendship, despite the distance that had always seemed to separate them and not permit for romance to fully develop - the reason the last five years of her life she pretended happiness, as she slowly grew to realize that Harry Potter was not the person she desired to end her days with; it was Draco.
She raised her gaze to meet the setting sun on the horizon…an end, usually, also meant a new beginning…
A strong arm snaked around her and held her tightly. She sank willingly in the warm embrace, hoping, for tomorrow would be a new day.
**
Ron walked up the steps, his feet feeling heavier with every step. At length, he arrived at the front door of the flat that belonged to Harry and Ginny. With a firm fist, he knocked to announce his presence.
The shuffling of footsteps, a slide of a lock, and the door opened. A grim-looking Harry stood in front of him, and he noticed his outlook becoming even worse.
"Hiya, mate," said Ron jovially. "Long time no see…how's life?"
"Aye, don't ask…" replied his best friend. "Come on in."
Cautiously stepping inside, Ron made his way in the living room to his customary seat.
"So?" he asked.
"What?" came the indifferent reply.
"You, Ginny," Ron ventured. "How are you doing?"
"Oh, that," Harry smiled bitterly. "We're through."
The simplicity of Harry's response left Ron uncomprehending for nearly an entire minute.
"Through?" he repeated faintly.
"Yes, Ron. I'm filing for divorce as of tomorrow."
"But why!" the redhead jumped up in shock. "You're the perfect couple, from any perspective!"
"Yeah, well…"
"What happened?"
"Draco Malfoy," Harry said simply. "She's been sneaking behind my back with him for a while…I had my suspicions, but seeing them confirmed…" Harry didn't finish.
"Malfoy! That bloody prat!"
Ron's angry outburst and select choice of vulgarities repeated over and over did not surprise Harry in the slightest. However, he decided to guide Ron away from that topic, and press him for the reason of his visit -for he did not come without one, Harry was confident.
When at last Ron calmed, Harry looked at him questioningly.
"What," asked the puzzled redhead.
"Enough of the drama in my life, Ron," said Harry rather directly. "What's on your mind?"
His best friend gulped, and took a deep breath.
"Hermione," he said slowly, and looked at Harry pointedly.
"What about her?"
"Well, it's a bit difficult to explain, see," he took another deep breath. "I…well, me and the team, we won against Puddlemere United, and then we decided to celebrate the victory…"
Ron's voice faltered.
"I think I see where this is going," said Harry.
"You do!" Ron's panicked reply came. He was nervous, waiting on tenterhooks for Harry's response.
"What is her name?" he asked casually, as if they were discussing a topic as bland as the weather.
"It's ah…Luna Lovegood."
Harry remained thoughtful for a moment. Helping Ron out of his predicament currently, could mean that he could reveal his secret at a more acceptable time, when the strong feelings, about to erupt, would settle.
"Then how can we tell Hermione?" asked Harry.
"I don't know, mate," said Ron desperately. "It's been tormenting me for the past fortnight. I do not have the courage, or the will, to confront Hemione. I need your help."
"Alright then, but I can tell you right now, that she will not be happy…let me talk to her alone first, and then, perhaps, she will be inclined to accept your explanation…"
"Harry, if you do that, I'll be grateful to the grave," Ron's elated tone sounded.
"No worries, mate - `s what best friends are for."
"Thanks!"
Taking this moment to be the cue when he should leave, Ron voiced his parting greetings to Harry, thanked him again, and left the flat, hoping against hope that his best friend would be able to reconcile him with Hermione when he admitted the awful secret to her.
**
As Hermione was preparing to depart for a bite of lunch, she noticed an owl swoop in her office, and land heavily on the surface of the desk. In its talons was clutched a folded piece of parchment.
Hermione walked over to the owl, and quickly recognized Harry's handwriting on the back of the envelope. She took the letter, and the owl flew away into the corridor. Opening the parchment hastily, she read the contents twice over rapidly to grasp Harry's meaning.
Hermione,
I have something of great importance to tell you - Ron came to see me yesterday, and he brought news that are at best, bittersweet. It's too risky to talk about it in a letter, but if you meet me at the Leaky Cauldron after work, I will relay everything to you.
Yours,
Harry
P.S. I love you.
Hermione calmed enough to think. She did not know what Ron had told Harry. Earlier that day, Ron had requested of her to spend the evening and the following day together, as he was required to depart with his team for a tournament in Scotland the next day.
Deciding to explain her unexpected absence with added pressure from work, Hermione returned to her lunch commitment, and departed towards the baker's eatery on the opposite side of the street.
In the meanwhile, one Harry Potter was rather restless as well. After writing the note to Hermione, he spent hour after hour devising an appropriate means of telling Hermione - he was not fully aware of how she would take Ron's news.
That, however, was not the sole complication. There was a possibility of using Ron's affair as a means to support Hermione's case for divorce, which he had no doubt she would desire.
On the other hand, the proceedings between him and Ginny would begin quite easily. He had received no communication from her ever since the unpleasant encounter between them and her admission of romance with Draco Malfoy. Yet, he felt the need to talk with her, before attempting actions that he could quite possibly later regret.
A sudden idea occurred to him. Calling out to the secretary in the next room, Harry requested for one of the Auror trainees to be summoned to him.
At length, a young fellow, no more than nineteen years old, entered Harry's cabinet.
"You sent for me, sir?" he rapped out, as if by script.
"Yes, Brenton, I did. There is an assignment I think will be beneficial for you to complete as part of your training," Harry said quite seriously.
"Ready for service, sir!"
"Well then. There is a woman, by the name of Ginevra Potter, whose last name is a mere coincidence with mine," said Harry when the trainee showed signs of wishing to inquire on the similarity. "You are to locate her whereabouts and track her movement. Do not make your presence known, and all reports are to be submitted directly to me. Understood?"
"Yessir!"
"Any questions?"
"No sir."
"Then you're dismissed and ordered to begin immediately."
The young Auror turned and left the room. Harry sat back in his chair to contemplate what he would say to Ginny once she was located. He doubted she would contact him, and in that circumstance, he chose to rely upon his resources to establish the communication.
**
Hermione sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron. She was restless, checking her watch often and looking around for Harry's appearance. The bar itself was nearly empty; two ancient warlocks were sitting in one corner, obscured by the smoke of the pipes they inhaled from, and absorbed in a quiet conversation. With their exception, and that of Tom, the old barman, the establishment was empty.
At last, Harry's silhouette became visible in the doorway. In her relief, Hermione released a breath she had been holding from the anxiety coursing through her mere moments before.
After a short huddle with the barman, Harry came to Hermione, holding two butterbeers.
He took a chair opposite hers, and gave her one glass.
She took a sip, and looked expectantly at her companion.
"Hermione," he began tentatively, "I see you received my note."
"Hmm, I did," she affirmed.
"In that case, I don't think there is a need to stall," Harry continued more confidently. "Look, Hermione, this may come as an unpleasant surprise, but Ron came to me yesterday, before he went to see you."
"What did he ask of you?"
"Well, the other night, or the day before he came back, the Cannons beat Puddlemere, and he went to celebrate, and that night, he also met Luna Lovegood…"
"I see."
Hermione's voice was cool, but her gaze had also hardened considerably. Harry felt a pang of fear.
"And I was thinking today…" he went on. "Since we also shagged behind his back, I think it would be fair we admitted it, and consider divorce in this situation; and you said you have reasons to divorce Ron, separate from the fact that he was doing bed acrobatics with Luna…"
A thoughtful expression had set itself over Hermione's face.
"I don't know, Harry," she replied. "I don't believe that admitting about the night we spent together is a good step at this stage."
"Then how would you confront Ron with a guilty conscience?"
Hermione's expression only became grimmer at his words.
"I will just say that I forgive him, but I want a divorce still," she said unconvincingly.
"Yeah, and he'll believe you when you say that," Harry replied. "Without the affair, he might as well find your arguments too weak."
"That is exactly what I'm afraid of, and I want Ron and I to remain friends."
"Then, as I said previously, we both need to talk to him," Hermione said rather sternly.
Finding no proper argument for Hermione's statement, Harry took a sip of his butterbeer, and sank into thought once again. Inexplicably, he knew tomorrow would not be a good day.
**
Dear Luna,
How are you?
I'll be telling Hermione tomorrow of our little escapade, and as much as I do not look forward to doing it, I have to. Harry will be on my side, and hopefully, I will be able to proceed with a divorce. Hermione deserves a better man, and I am not he.
All my love,
Ron.
Luna read the letter again. The small glimmer of hope she felt since their last encounter only became more powerful. She and Ron had communicated in this manner all of the previous year, and she had kept the stack secretly. This letter was soon going to join it, but not before she had written a reply.
Taking a spare piece of parchment and an eagle feather quill, Luna thought for a minute, and then began to write, in the hope that all would turn out well.
Dear Ron,
I am well, and I hope you are too.
You made a mistake, and now it's time to fix it. I wish you the best of luck.
Love,
Luna
Her heart had suddenly begun to pound, as she attached the letter to her owl. Why was she so nervous? Similarly to her anxious companion, she was anticipating a successful outcome of the process, and that she and Ron would finally be together, without worries and difficulties impeding their relationship.
Casting the owl through the window, she watched it fly away in the dark sky, carrying her heart and hope to the one she so desperately loved.
A/N Yeah, yeah…cheesy ending I know, but I was out of ideas…stay tuned for chapter five, because it is coming up…as soon as I figure it out.
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