Three hours earlier
Hermione was sitting in front of the vanity, looking at herself wearing the wedding dress, staring into her own eyes, trying hard not to cry every time she thought about what had happened earlier.
Harry's word still stung inside her heart, inside her soul. 'Maybe… maybe…' She kept thinking... if she just had the courage to call off the wedding, to leave Ron, to forget about the Weasleys. "No, I can't do that, it's wrong, so very wrong… but… maybe…" She whispered to herself.
"Maybe what?" Ron blurted out from the threshold, "What can't you do?"
"Ron! What are you doing here? You know it is bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony." Hermione said blushing, hoping that Ron hadn't heard everything she said.
"Since when do you care about luck?" He said jokingly "I just wanted to see you, see how you were. But anyway, what were you talking about? What can't you do?" Ron said as he approached her, all the time Hermione remained sitting in front of the vanity.
"It's nothing, I was just thinking aloud… Really, it doesn't mean anything" She was lying, and even Ron could tell…
"Oh, come on, I can see you're lying, Herms…" His sentence was interrupted by Hermione's irritated response
"Don't call me Herms. I've told you on many occasions to not call me Herms… or Hermy for that matter; I really don't like it."
"Hermione, calm down, I understand that you are nervous because of the wedding, but really… you've been strangely jumpy all day; is there something wrong?" As he said this, Ron sat down next to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
Hermione stood up suddenly, not being able to bear the idea of having to break Ron's heart with all of her renewed feelings for Harry; she walked away from him, as if by keeping her distance from Ron she could also keep her feelings on check. "I think it would be best for you to leave now, Ron… I need to be alone right now…"
"You aren't getting second thoughts now, are you? Please say you aren't because this is starting to make me feel really uncomfortable… I mean, Herms, we've been waiting too long for this to finally happen…" Ron's face was draining from color as his initial suspicions seemed to be about to get confirmed, yet he tried to keep a certain upbeat tone as he spoke.
Hermione turned around to face Ron, her expression was indescribable, though her eyes were filled with annoyance and something more, something that Ron couldn't really put his finger on.
"Do you even listen to me, Ron? I've just told you, less than five minutes ago to not call me Herms, and what do you mean with 'for this to finally happen'? We have only been engaged for about a year, you make this sound like an achievement and not a celebration…" Hermione was bubbling up inside, she was boiling, she knew that this kind of heart telling argument was something that her and Ron had on rare occasions, and that everything she just said and was about to say would change their relationship forever.
"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Ron's voice was calm, filled with uncertainty and a pang of hurt, his face was completely pale and tears had started to form behind his eyes. "This is an achievement for us; we can finally be together, the way it is supposed to be. You sound as if you don't want to marry me. Yesterday you were fine; and now I come here, only to find you whispering about how everything is 'completely wrong' or some other nonsense, would you care to explain your sudden decision to me? Or is that something else that you were just thinking aloud."
"I never wanted things to be this way Ron; but I talked with Harry today-" Her words were abruptly interrupted by Ron's sudden outburst.
"So, you speak to Harry but not to me now? Is this some other matter in which only 'your dearest Harry" can understand you? Because we all know that he will always understand; with all of your silent conversations and meaningful gazes, how could I, simple and always annoying Ron, understand anything that comes out of your mouth?!"
He screamed those final words, his face, once drained from all colour now sported a vivid shade of red that would rapidly turn to purple.
"What are you implying, Ron? Because all of this time it's been me the one that has never left your side, everytime you needed me I was there for you. And you shouldn't express yourself about Harry that way! He's been nothing to you but a great friend, the fact that he doesn't even hold resentment for you after what you did… You should be happy to be his friend 'cause he's showed you nothing but love and trust, and everytime you feel jealous of him, you end up acting like a twelve-year-old boy!"
Hermione was angry and upset, she couldn't believe that Ron had actually dared to imply that her and Harry… it was just inconceivable. Angry tears were running down her face, and the previous concern that she'd felt for making a scandal on her wedding day had been completely discarded after she heard what Ron last spoke.
"There you go again defending him, you always chose him over me! Who you say to be in love with; don't you think it's completely natural for me to doubt just how well you two get along-"
SMACK! She slapped Ron across the face with as much strenght as she could manage only to momentarily spin around and leave the room in tears.
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A/N: Thanks again for the amazing response, for the great reviews and for the encourgament to keep on writing. I'm hoping this will start to explain what happened, though it's just the first part; by the way this was the last pre-written chapter, so the updates from now on will be posted on a slower pace, I'm a really slow writer.