AN: Hello hello. How are you all? I'm glad you're reading this. I thought this up last summer going to college visits, and forgot I had written it. Although this is a song fic, its not based just on the lyrics. It sort of goes along with the music as well, I think. So listening to the song with the story enhances it =] But you dont have to. Enjoy! Reviews make me act like a happy five year old girl!
Song: Happy Ending by Mika
“Hermione? Why are you sitting down here? It’s nearly two-thirty” an extremely tired Ron Weasley said, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes.
“I should ask you the same question, Ron,” the girl in question replied from her position in the doorway of the kitchen of the Burrow. The door to the yard was open, a summer breeze blowing in to the kitchen. Hermione sat on the ground, knees pulled up to her chin. She didn’t turn as she waited for an answer from Ron.
When Ron didn’t answer, Hermione sighed and looked over her shoulder at the tall ginger. “It’s him Ron, I’m thinking about him” she said quietly. It was almost two months after the Battle of Hogwarts, as it was being called, but the wounds were still fresh for Hermione. Death was something Hermione could handle; she had witnessed it since Harry brought Cedric back their fourth year. But this death was so much worse to her, so much more terrible; she hadn’t quite been the same since.
Ron sat down beside Hermione, forgetting the snack that he had originally come down here for. “We all miss Fred, Hermione. I know that it doesn’t lessen your pain, but he was my brother”
Hermione was slightly shocked by the depth of Ron’s words, she still wasn’t used to this more adult Ron, and sometimes she found herself missing the old Ron, the one she had harbored a crush for in their fourth year. Hermione recovered from the shock and nodded gravely, she understood. A tear silently fell from her eye as she and Ron looked up at the night sky in silence.
Each successive night for the next two weeks found the two teens sitting in the same place, Hermione curled up, and Ron actually sitting outside on a step, facing perpendicular to Hermione.
They often talked of what would happen next, whether they would return to Hogwarts for another year, what jobs they would pursue, how Harry was coping. But tonight they sat in silence.
“I never understood Hermione. About you and Fred that is” Ron said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.
A slight grin played at Hermione’s lips. “No, not many people did I suppose. He just-“ her voice caught, “-he just reminded me that here are other things in life more important than school” she looked at Ron, and then back up at the sky. “I suppose George and him did as much around here,” she chuckled softly.
Ron did the same, “They gave us right headaches, they did.” Ron paused, and Hermione knew Ron wanted to ask a question. “When did you two know?” Ron finally asked.
Hermione knew exactly what Ron was asking. “I don’t know exactly when it happened. I remember realizing how happy he made me, and how much he made me laugh, and how light he made me feel. He made me less obsessive about my studies among other things,” she finished, looking from her left to her right hand, the latter which had a delicate silver band set with one diamond in it.
The ring no longer was a symbol of an upcoming marriage, but now was a sign of remembrance and mourning. “Not a month after I realized did he propose,” Hermione said, fighting a thickening voice.
Ron reached out and placed a hand over the Hermione’s hands. She looked up from her hands and met Ron’s eyes. She took his hand and squeezed it in a silent thank you. Both Ron and Hermione let go as a silence fell over the two again.
“Tell me about them Ron, what it was like growing up with Fred and George.”
“They’re actually in one of my first memories…” Ron started, telling Hermione about how Fred and George had convinced Ron he was actually adopted, and the ghoul in the attic was his real father, and how Mrs. Weasley found him in the attic crying, and how Fred and George weren’t allowed dessert for a month after that.
Hermione countered with her own memory, when Fred comforted her during one of Ron and Hermione’s many fights. She said how Fred completely understood, and let her rant about Ron’s behavior around the time of the Yule Ball.
Ron talked about how the twins brought light and laughter into every room they walked into. How they finally managed to convince Mrs. Weasley that Weasley Wizard Wheezes was something that they were completely serious about, about how Mrs. Weasley spoke with such pride of her middle troublemakers when she talked about their shop.
The conversation slowed as a particularly painful memory surfaced in Hermione’s mind.
“Fred!” Hermione exclaimed as she flung herself at the lanky redhead as he came through the tunnel in the Room on Requirement. The man wrapped his arms around the young woman.
“Hermione, I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured into the top of Hermione’s head before placing a kiss there. She had started crying into Fred’s shirt, so great was her relief and happiness of seeing him after so many months. “Hermione, don’t cry. C’mon. There’s something I want to tell you,” Fred said, unwrapping Hermione’s arms from around his waist, still keeping one of her hands in his own.
He led her over to a more or less relatively secluded corner of the room. “Sit,” he commanded her and pointed to a hammock that was behind Hermione.
“Fred? What is it?” Hermione asked as she sat down on the hammock behind her, “is everything alright?” The serious look on Fred’s face worried her; it looked out of place there.
A grin broke out on his face, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes. “Everything is particularly peachy, my dove,” he replied in a flowery manner. Hermione merely rolled her eyes at him, and the serious expression returned to Fred’s face. “Being away from you these past months has probably been some of the worst of my life Hermione. I was a wreck, you can ask George. Not knowing if you were coming back in one piece, or if you would ever realize how much I love you,” Fred said in all seriousness.
Hermione now realized she had seen the serious expression on Fred’s face once before, right before Fred had asked Hermione to be his girlfriend, and she now knew what was coming.
“The setting isn’t exactly how I had planned this,” Fred chuckled, “but I swore to myself that I would do this the next time I saw you. I swore to myself that I would let you know how much I love you, Hermione Jean Granger.” Fred then knelt on one knee while pulling out a small velvet box. Hermione’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Hermione, this is how much I love you. Will you marry me?”
“Oh Fred. I mean- I don’t- and the war- what about…” Hermione fell silent as Fred stood up and placed a finger over Hermione’s lips.
“Just nod. Yes or no?”
Hermione nodded her eyes still wide as a smile exploded on Fred’s face. He slipped the ring onto her left hand and pulled her up, catching her in a kiss.
“Mrs. Fred Weasley,” Fred whispered into her hair before kissing her again.
Hermione hadn’t realized that she had started crying. Embarrassed of crying in front of Ron, she tried to wipe way the tears on her cheek; a lost cause, she was still crying.
Ron stood up and tugged one of Hermione’s hands, causing her to stand as well. He simple hugged Hermione, and rubbed her back, trying to get her to clam down. A sob ripped through Hermione. The two stood like that for some time until Hermione seemed reasonably calmed down.
“I’m sorry Ron-“
“Don’t be sorry Hermione. I’m here for you. I always have been and always will be.”
Hermione and Ron continued to stand like that, in each others arms, when a new though crossed Hermione’s mind. Yes, Fred would want her to be happy; he would want her to move on, to have a happy ending even if he hadn’t had one.
“Thank you Ronald,” Hermione whispered, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
There was no way Hermione was taking her ring off soon, but she knew that Ron would be there for her every night until she did, and then some.
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