Of Arranged Marriages and Butterbeer

My best friend, her hero, his kindness and Stockholm?

I never meant to slap him after that last comment, he only spoke the truth to my question but it had been done. I didn't need him thinking just because his body was controlling him that it was okay with me. It wasn't. I wasn't ready and now after this I wasn't sure if I'd ever be ready. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry but most of all I wanted to just be a normal eighteen year old falling in love. Like that's ever going to happen. Your husband to be doesn't seem interested in that sort of thing. He already gave his heart to one Miss Angelina Johnson. You don't have a chance in hell, Granger. Sighing I went to sit outside in the garden. We had left for the burrow without a word to each other after that incident.

"Hermione is everything all right?" I heard the deep voice of one of my best friends. I couldn't tell him. I didn't have to turn around to see that it was Harry. Even if I wanted to I couldn't burden him with my troubles he had gone through so much and suffer the most, I wanted to shield him now as much as possible from the bitterness of my life.

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to get some air." I half lied. I did need the cool air but everything was shot to hell. He took a seat beside me, taking my hand in his.

"You're a bad liar Hermione, but I know well enough not to pry. Though your sadness I can feel and it's eating away at me." Harry spoke softly; I couldn't look up at him. I knew the moment that I did. I would break down and cry. He squeezed my hand giving me comfort and I laid my head down on his shoulder.

"Harry how is it that you ended up with the person you love?" I asked still unable to look at him.

"To be honest Hermione, I have no idea. I guess for the first time in my life something actually went right." He answered.

"I'm sure that you won't feel that way once you hear our sweet Ginny snoring." I teased to lighten our mood a bit.

"I'll survive that." He chuckled forgetting for the moment that it was me he was trying to comfort.

"Oh no, Harry do you think that Ron will be the best quidditch player in the world now that your wish has come true?" I laughed as I remembered what Ron had said the first time we found out about the law.

"He did say that didn't he?" Harry burst into laughter as he recalled that day as well. We continued on about any topic that came to our heads and I was grateful that he didn't try to solve my problems for me as Ron would have once he found out that I had been hurt.

Dinner was going to begin soon and then I would be back in there being ignored by my husband to be, my emotions would be oblivious to everyone around me but Harry. Yet this was not the time to lose my composure. I was Hermione Granger. I will survive this entire thing if only to come out the loser.

"You don't have to be strong right now Hermione, I'm right here. If the tears need to be shed, let them fall." Harry encouraged with his hand still interlocked with mine.

"I can't, I just can't Harry. If I do I know that you find a way to make it right and there'll be awkwardness between everybody." I replied still staring out into the starless night.

"Hermione, I'm know that Ginny hasn't told you this yet but I can't be your hero anymore. I'm hers. I can be on loan for awhile but I don't know if that'll help you solve all your problems." Harry joked but it was enough for me to look at him. "There's those big brown eyes I wanted to see." He smiled at me taking his free hand to brush the strands of hair out of my eyes.

"Famous Harry Potter is going to be a groom soon." I changed the subject so that the conversation was less about me. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes...but you are not allowed to change the subject without the other person getting tired of it as well." He was fast and had caught on.