The usual chaos of the Burrow was nothing to what greeted Harry's eyes as he apparated himself and Hermione into Ron's childhood room. Bright orange greeted their eyes and so did a lone figure on the solitary bed. Harry cringed as Ron glanced up from his comic book.
"So," Ron spoke as Harry moved towards the door, "you don't want to go down there mate."
Harry glanced from Ron to the door and then went over to the bed and sat down beside his best friend. Hermione quickly joined him and the three of them sat there staring at the orange plastered walls.
"This isn't going to work, is it?" Ron said suddenly and Harry felt like he wanted to be anywhere but in the room as they had this talk. "I guess the not showing up was a pretty good indication, but there were others. Weren't there?"
"I'm just going to…" Harry stood up but found himself shoved back onto the bed by Ron.
"No," he said. "We have been in this together from the start and we are certainly going to get through this together too." Harry looked over at his red headed friend. He looked just like the Ron he knew and loved but something was different. "We're still going to be best friends, Hermione?"
Harry watched as Hermione, who had been staring at the floor the entire time Ron was speaking, flung her arms around Ron. Her hair which was still in curlers came partly undone by the sudden movement. She was crying again, he noted, as he watched his two best friends turn from lovers back into his best friends.
"I'm so sorry, Ron," Hermione voice came out hoarse as she pulled away and Harry could see that Ron was smiling slightly. "We lost track of time and then as we rushed to apparate over here I realized something…"
"What?" Harry interrupted her.
"I couldn't marry Ron." Harry was very confused once again. "And it wasn't because I didn't love him, I do, but it was because at the age of twelve I gave my soul away to both of you."
"I think Ginny was more pissed than I was," Ron laughed as he spoke.
"I'll explain everything," Harry said but he didn't move from his place beside Ron.
"She needs time to get over this, mate."
"Get over what?" Harry practically yelled, "I'm still going to marry her."
"Not today you aren't," Hermione forced out between giggles.
"Well, yes not today." Harry was getting frustrated with her laughter. "But one day."
"Think about it this way," Ron poked Hermione to get her to stop laughing. "Why were you late?"
"Ron, Hermione already told you why."
"She told me you lost track of the time."
"We did," Harry nodded to reinforce his statement.
"So you're telling me that on one of the most important days of your life you lost track of time talking to another girl?"
"Women," Hermione interjected.
"Fine, women," Ron corrected himself. "Don't you find that odd?"
"No because it is Hermione. She needed me."
"You were there first," Her voice was a whisper but Harry still heard it.
"Er, I guess I was." He felt suddenly lost. This whole week came crashing down on him. He couldn't find the perfect words for his vows and he quit the aurors to spend more time with Hermione.
Wait, he thought, what did I just think? I want to spend more time with Hermione, his mind was going crazy, Harry thought. It wasn't odd to want to spend more time with ones best friend, right?
"I'm not mad at you two, Harry?"
Harry had no clue what Ron meant but he didn't get time to ask either because all the sudden Ron held up his hand. After a moment all three of them heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Go," Ron said. "You both should get away for a little while and I'll do my best to reason with my mum and Ginny."
Hermione grabbed Harry's hand as he looked between Ron and Hermione. He felt like he was missing a very important piece of the puzzle. "And Harry," Ron spoke, "you better take good care of her."
"I think it is the other way around," Harry said with a grin, that he didn't feel, as he looked to the women holding his hand. After a three way hug Harry felt Hermione tug on his arm and with a feeling of slight pressure he found himself in front of the gates guarding Hogwarts.
It had been two months since his almost wedding to Ginny Weasley. The press had gotten a field day out of Harry and Hermione not showing up, and Ginny was apparently still in an uproar. Harry at first wanted to go and make things right. After all, he reasoned, he did love her, but then as everything settled down he came to realize that he loved the idea of her much more.
Now, as he stood beside a shelf in the library at Hogwarts he knew that loving the idea of someone was a pretty idiotic reason for wanting to get married. Harry heard a distant humming and he knew it wouldn't be long before Hermione came into view. Ron and the other Hogwarts staff were the only people in the world who knew where they were.
Ron had written them a letter two days after saying that Molly had come to understand everything, but Ginny was pretty pissed. Apparently, she kept going on about how a hero isn't to leave the girl. Harry didn't know what she was talking about and he still didn't.
"Hello there Harry," Hermione said and Harry knew he had been spotted. "Reading Rita's biography of Dumbledore again?"
"Nope," Harry grinned at her.
"Then what do you have in your hands?" She tried to take the book Harry had out of his hands but he jerked it away causing her to stumble into his arms.
Harry looked down at her for a second, "If you gave your soul away to both of us then are you ever going to be able to get married?"
Hermione looked up at him with puzzled eyes, but she didn't push away. "Yes, I just have to give that person my whole heart."
"Good to know," Harry tried to keep his voice sounding casual. "And I'm reading Hogwarts, A History."
At this Hermione let out a tiny laugh of disbelief. Harry looked down at the woman who was flush against his chest. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist and her arms were resting on his shoulders. Suddenly, as if something clicked in his mind, Harry leaned down and captured Hermione's lips with his.
She gave a little start at his motion but didn't pull away. After a couple of seconds Harry leaned back just enough to whisper, "Can I have your whole heart?"
"You already have it," She whispered and captured his lips with hers.
~*~*~*~*~
Harry stood at the head of a church at Godric's Hollow. It was two years to the day since they shared their first kiss. He watched as his friends and family filed into the church. He watched as Hermione's friends and family did the same. Ron stood behind him yawning every twenty seconds.
As the last person took their seat, Harry noted it was Hagrid; music began to swell and fill the church. With a nudge from Ron, Harry looked up and saw Hermione slowly walking towards him. She looked absolutely stunning, and Harry felt like he was the luckiest man in the world. Plus, she didn't ask him to write their own vows.
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