DISCLAIMER: HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. © 2001. I don't own anything, okay! Just leave me alone! Bradley Stone is my own original character. There are some lines from Moulin Rouge, though, because I love that movie almost as much as I love Harry Potter.
***
"Hermione, what are you doing here? You know that its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the-Hermione, what's wrong?" Brad said with a concerned tone.
"Well, we need to talk about today."
"Okay, shoot," he said cheekily.
"Well, first of all, how are you doing?" she said.
Hermione had decided that idle chat was best to start off with.
"Hermione, just cut to the chase so that you can get out of here," Brad said coldly.
"I don't love you the way that you love me," she said quickly.
"I don't know what to say. I mean, you made me believe that you loved me and now you are just deciding that you don't; on the day of our wedding? How could you do this to me?"
He was angry; she had seen it before. That vain in his temple was becoming more prominent. She hated that. It was so disgusting and then he would lie about it and say that he wasn't angry.
"Brad, just listen to me, okay?" she pleaded.
"Fine, but this better be good."
She had heard those words before. They came from her mouth just the night before when Harry was trying to tell her that he loved her.
'Well, I at least could have picked up good traits from him, but no, I had to pick up the bad ones,' she thought bitterly to herself.
Hermione proceeded to tell him of her days in Hogwarts and how, over the years, her obsession for Harry Potter had turned to love. She told him of how she had gone to see Molly shortly after he had left for a year and she had followed her head instead of her heart. She told him about how she thought that it was love between them, when actually; it was only a good, supportive friendship. And finally she told him about yesterday.
"So I am the voice in your head and Harry is the voice in your heart. Well, didn't your mum ever tell you that you were a smart girl? Follow your head, that's the only logical solution. We don't have to get married today; we can get married tomorrow. And let's not invite those two boys; they may just make it too rough for you to do the right thing."
She was getting frustrated now. He always did this to her. Brad always tried to make her believe that his way was the right way. If he didn't like it, than it wasn't worth the effort.
"Brad, I am telling you that I am leaving you because it's the right thing. I love Harry with all of my heart, there is no room for you," Hermione immediately regretted what she had just said.
"So that's it. So that is bloody it. I give you the last year of my life, and you toss me out with the garbage because something better came along? No one marries for love any more. They marry for fame, money, and recognition. You don't love him, you just want to be famous Potter's girlfriend!" Brad spat out.
"Well, I could at least give him a chance!" Hermione said with teary eyes.
"Give him a chance to see how famous you can get. By then, it won't matter what he wants; you'll be famous and you won't need him anymore. Save the man from the pain; he's already been through too much."
He was starting to get to her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't give in this time. She could not let him win this battle, no matter what the cost.
"At least then I will be able to make my own decisions instead of you making them for me!" she screamed at him.
Brad looked puzzled by this. They were silent for a moment, but then he spoke.
"Fine, you date him for a month and see if it's better than me. No one is better than me," he said angrily.
"I am going to go and get Harry and Ron. They are waiting outside," Hermione said softly.
"They're here? Couldn't trust me to behave, huh?" he said.
Hermione glared at him, got up and walked to the door.
"You two can come in now," she said quietly.
The three of them went into the kitchen and took seats around the table.
"Brad has something to tell us," Hermione said quietly.
Harry could tell that she was upset. Brad had made her that way. Harry was doing his best to restrain himself from pummeling him.
"I give my blessing for you to date Hermione, for a month, to see if it will work between you two rather than between us," he said reluctantly.
"Well, that's very gracious of you, but its not up to you," Ron said angrily.
Ron had been fuming outside. He was constantly fighting the urge to run inside and beat the living daylights out of this guy. Ron had been fighting that urge for a year, and that was not an easy thing for a hot-tempered, redheaded, Quidditch keeper to do.
"It isn't, but I am making it up to me. The offer is on the table; take it or Hermione and I are going to go get married," Brad said arrogantly.
"Why, I ought to--" Harry said as he started to get up.
He couldn't believe his ears. This guy had the nerve to try and control Hermione's life with him and Ron standing right there.
"No!" Hermione said firmly. "Brad, I am not going to marry you and I am certainly not letting it be up to you as to who I do marry. We are leaving now. Goodbye, Brad."
With that, the three of them walked outside with Brad yelling after them.
"I made you the woman that you are! You will be my wife! You are lucky to be dating me!"
Once they were out of the house, they promptly apparated to Harry's house.
"What did you ever see in that guy?" Ron asked.
Hermione stayed for a while and then announced that she had to leave. She and Harry kissed until they heard Ron coughing in the distance.
"Don't go," Harry pleaded.
"You'll see me tomorrow, I promise," she said.
"Tomorrow is too far away," Harry said.
Hermione looked into his emerald green eyes. She was almost ready to give in to his request when he let her go.
"Go quickly so that I can see you sooner."
They kissed quickly again and Hermione apparated home.
"Out of all of the nerve! Did you hear that guy?" Harry said to Ron after Hermione left.
"Ya, I heard him. Harry? I was just thinking about something," Ron said.
"You were thinking? That must hurt," Harry said sarcastically.
"I am being serious. I've known Brad longer than you and I would say that he is the type of guy that would do impetuous things without thinking about it first," he said with concern.
"And?"
"And, well, I think that you should keep a closer watch on Hermione than you ever have before. If he says he is going to do something, he does everything in his power to do so. I just don't want her to get hurt."
"I know, and I will."
Seeming satisfied, Ron hugged Harry and left.
Harry decided that it was time for bed, but he did a quick little gig before getting there.
He reached into his pocket and found something small.
"I suppose mom's necklace will have to wait until tomorrow," Harry said to himself.
He undressed and changed into some black silk boxers.
"'So smooth, she'll be cumming back for more,'" he said, imitating the salesman again.
Harry went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. After he was done, he made a quick check on Hermione before climbing into bed and falling fast asleep. The dancing image of Hermione filled his subconscious.
Tomorrow he would go back to work as a new man.
In the morning, Harry woke up and went through his usual routine. He showered, shaved, and dressed for work.
"Something is different about you," he said to his reflection.
Harry went downstairs into the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. Cereal certainly did seem to be his favorite this week. He rinsed out his bowl and left it in the sink.
"I'll have to do some dishes tonight," he said bitterly to himself.
With that thought, he decided that it was time to go.
He apparated to his office to find, nothing other than, more paper work. Harry started at it straight away so that he would not leave any for tomorrow, but just then he felt a terrible pain.
"Hermione," he quickly said before passing out onto the floor.
Right at that moment, someone was carrying Hermione out her front door.
"Harry, Harry, wake up! Someone call the mediwizard!" Lupin was screaming.
He had come in to tell Harry the most terrible of news, but had found Harry lying on the floor.
"Lupin? Lupin! It's Hermione! Someone has her!" Harry screamed frantically.
"I know, I know. I was just coming to tell you," Lupin said.
"Well, I have to go find her!" Harry said frantically.
"Settle down, Harry. We need to know where she is first."
"Yes, yes, of course."
Harry sat up straight. The look he had on his face was that of extreme concentration. He started floating in the air and spinning around very fast. There was a bright light that seemed to be coming from him. The closer he got to what he was seeking, the brighter the light got. He stopped quickly and so did the light.
"I hate it when you do that. It makes me dizzy," Lupin said while trying not to vomit.
"I can't pinpoint a location, they are moving too much, but she is still in London. And I saw who it was. It was Brad."