Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I'm not an Heron shipper, thank you very much.
A/N: My response to the "My sin, My virtue" challenge from cosmopolitan, here's the link to it: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26784 Hope you will enjoy, and as usual if you read, please review, ok? Thanks! Oh, by the way, I think this could be considered a collection of one shots, everyone focusing on a different sin/virtue. Just so you know and aren't disappointed by the lack of continuity between the chapters, lol. Also, the chapters will feature a virtue, and then the opposing sin in the following chapter.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
The Seven Virtues And The Seven Sins
Chapter Nine: Patience
Harry watched his friends, a few days after Voldemort's demise, paying their respect to those who had fallen. There would be a time for partying and cheering, and some of that had already been done, but right now it was time to acknowledge the sacrifice of those who had died to help them survive the war.
The list of people close to Harry who had died was quite long, his parents just to start, then Fred, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye and many others amongst the students and their families, not to mention his much loved Hedwig.
As he sat there, watching his friends grieve, he couldn't help noticing that Ron had Hermione tightly hugged to him, her head resting on his shoulder, and even from where he was, some rows behind them, he could see she was sobbing, and leaning on him for support.
It was strange to see them that way, even after what he had witnessed some days before, when she had jumped on their redheaded friend and planted one passionate kiss on his lips. Harry was too focused on the battle to dwell on it at the moment, but he had had some time to think since then, and he realized he was happy for them, but not like he had expected to be.
He had thought he and Ginny would rekindle their flame, and Ron and Hermione would be together, and everyone would be happy. After all, didn't he miss Ginny during the Horcrux hunt? He kept looking for her on the Map, didn't he?
But reality was different. After killing Voldemort, Harry realized that once the huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he didn't need anything distracting him anymore. And as shocked as he was at the truth of the matter, his time with Ginny was nothing more than a distraction, an escape from his troubles, which she provided perfectly.
So, now that he witnessed one more proof of the budding relationship between Ron and Hermione, Harry felt odd. He was happy for them, because they deserved to find happiness after all the adventures they had been through because of him, and if they were happy being together, well, who was he to stop them? However, he wasn't completely happy. There was a longing in him to be in Ron's place.
"One day, maybe" he thought to himself. For now, his best friends were happy together, and that was enough for him. If Fate wanted Harry to be with Hermione in the future, then it would happen. Otherwise, he would support his friends no matter what, in every step of their newfound love.
With a curt nod to himself, Harry knew that was the right thing to do. Patiently wait, and if one day his time would come, make the most of it.
--
Sticking to his word, Harry never envied Ron for being Hermione's boyfriend, although he had many the reasons to. After all, growing up Hermione had become a lovely young woman, although her brains were always her best feature.
Tonight it was no exception. It was Hermione's twentieth birthday, and Ron had asked for Harry's help to organize a nice party for her, with all their school friends, although now all of them were employed in different fields, and quickly becoming true adults.
Having Harry involved in the preparations for the party meant that Ron had to outline his plans for it to his best mate. That was how Harry knew that Ron was going to propose that night. When he heard that, he clapped his best friend on the back, and gave him his congratulations.
"I'm sure she will say yes, Ron" Harry said, a sincere smile on his lips as he tried to reassure his nervous best mate. "And we will have another reason to celebrate" he added then. Yes, if Hermione was happy with Ron and wanted to marry him then Harry was fine with it. He just wanted her to be happy, even if not with him. As he had happened to read in the Bible, "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered. It bears all things, endures all things" and he had no doubt by now that he was in love with Hermione. As his final act of love, he would be happy to see her married to their mutual friend, to the man that made her happy.
But Fate has a strange way to conduct his affairs, and when the moment of the proposal came, everyone watched with baited breath as Ron got on one knee, and asked her to become his wife.
She stood there, frozen, surely not expecting that. The fact that all of their friends were there put a huge amount of pressure on her, but she knew what her answer would be.
"No"
Everyone gasped. Harry looked at Hermione, confused. Wasn't this what she wanted? Wasn't she happy with Ron? He never had a clue she would say no.
"What do you mean NO?" Ron said, standing up, his ears quickly becoming red, clear signal that one of his outbursts was brewing.
"Ron, I've just turned twenty, you're not even that age yet. It's too soon to get married, we're still too young…"
So that was the problem. Thinking of it, Harry could see Hermione wanting to secure her career before settling down.
"Bollocks. We could get engaged and then wait to actually get married, and you know that, Hermione. If you said no, it means you're not sure you want to marry me, not now, not ever, so maybe it's better if we call our whole relationship off" Ron said, storming out of the inn they had booked, and Apparating away.
Hermione stood there, her face in her hands, sighing. Harry, always the kind best friend, went to comfort her, and announced that the party was over.
In a few minutes, he and Hermione were in her flat, sharing a cup of chocolate.
"He's right, you know" she finally admitted. "I've been having doubts about our relationship for a long time now"
Harry said, nothing, just listened to her.
"I just clung to it, because you know, Ron was my first real boyfriend, and not many other blokes paid attention to me back in school, no one if we exclude Krum so I was scared I'd be alone" she told him. Harry nodded, he could understand the feeling. After the war, he had not dated. It was almost impossible to find a girl who didn't fawn over his fame and gold, someone interested only in who he really was, just Harry.
They sat there, in her living room, chatting, for a long time before Harry finally declared he better go home and get some sleep.
--
With time, the hard feelings between Ron and Hermione subsided, thanks also to Luna Lovegood, who was currently Ron's girlfriend. If he had to give his opinion, Harry thought she was even more suited to Ron than Hermione, in an odd way.
Ron himself had declared at a pub night with the guys that he felt much more relaxed around Luna, because he didn't fear sticking his foot in his mouth and upsetting her.
It was time, Harry deemed, that he claimed the fruits of his long exercised patience.
That afternoon, he surprised Hermione at work, in the Magical Law Enforcement Department.
After a bit of catching up, they hadn't seen each other in a few days due to being busy with their jobs, Harry cleared his throat, and finally asked:
"Hermione, would you like to have dinner together tonight?"
She was caught by surprise by his question, and remained speechless for a moment.
"You mean like a date?"
"Yeah" Harry nervously said, ruffling his hair with his hand, a habit he seemed to have picked up from his father James, although he only did it out of nervousness.
"I'd love to" Hermione finally replied, with a bright smile and a soft blush that made her even more enticing to Harry, just like her sparkling brown eyes.
As he went home to get ready for the date, Harry couldn't help thinking that maybe after waiting so long his time had finally come.
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