Ron arrived back at The Burrow about an hour later, having wandered mindlessly around Diagon Alley, searching for something, anything, to take his mind off Hermione’s news. After he had failed to be distracted by Quality Quidditch Supplies (it took him ten minutes to realise he was staring at a Harpies Calendar before he moved on in disgust, only to stare mindlessly at a blank wall for another ten minutes), he had an inkling that he might not be dealing with the news well. He knew for certain that things were bad after he had spent a quarter of an hour in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and still all he could think of was Hermione (even after lollipops had started growing out of his nose, which he was sure was courtesy of the twins, even though they were back at the Burrow, waiting to torment him even more no doubt).
So he headed home, hoping something there would take his mind off it.
Understandably, he was not too pleased to see none other than Hermione standing in the middle of the kitchen.
“Oh, Ron!” Mrs. Weasley gushed excitedly. “Hermione has exciting news for us!” Ron noticed that assorted family members were seated around the table, eagerly awaiting whatever Hermione had to say.
“I know,” said Ron, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but apparently no-one noticed.
“Yes, that’s what Ron and I were talking about earlier,” Hermione explained. Ginny beamed. Ron gathered that she must have been thinking along the same lines as he had earlier. “You see, Terry and I were talking yesterday, and…” Everyone leaned forward with baited breath, except Ron, who pulled out a chair violently, the wood of the chair leg giving a terrible screeching noise against the cold stone floor, which in turn made the family wince and glare at him.
“And, you see - wait, where’s Harry?” Hermione broke off to ask, not seeing his familiar face looking up. Oh, what does it matter? Why drag it out? Ron wondered.
“He had to go into the office, to check something or other,” Ginny filled in. “Never mind him, get on with it!”
“Well…” I can’t take this, not again, Ron decided, getting up once more. “We’re engaged.” At those two words, Ron instantly fell back down, his legs seemed to have turned to lead. For a moment, no-one spoke. Ron could tell that, like him, no-one had been expecting that. But after that second, everyone got up, chattering excitedly and crowding round Hermione, asking to see her ring, had they set a date yet, and so on. Everyone apart from the twins, who had been waiting at The Burrow for Ron’s return, mainly so they could heckle him some more. But as they heard Hermione’s news, a new expression came over their faces and, if Ron didn’t know any better, he would have called it sympathy.
“Ron? Are you in there?” Harry called from outside Ron’s bedroom door. Ron grunted, slightly annoyed at being torn away from staring blankly at the ceiling. “I hear you’ve been hibernating since yesterday,” Harry said upon entering the room. “It’s Hermione, isn’t it.” It wasn’t a question, as Harry pretty much took it for granted that when Ron was upset or angry, Hermione would be in some way involved, whether they’d had an argument, or she’d had a strange expression on her face that caused Ron to trip over thin air and spill his pumpkin juice all over his paperwork, which meant he had to do it all over again, or other such incidences.
“No!” Ron protested, to no avail.
“I hear Ginny and Luna are bridesmaids.”
“Great.” Ron rolled over in his bed, hoping Harry would take the hint and leave.
“Hermione asked me if I wanted to be a groomsman. But that‘s mainly so I can walk Ginny down the aisle, she thought it would be weird if her own brother did it. Robert, a guy from Terry‘s work is going to be his best man.”
“Great.” Ron’s voice was slightly muffled by his pillow, which he had buried his head under.
“Ginny’s going shopping with her today to pick out - uh - bride…stuff.”
“Great.”
“Are you ever going to stop saying that?” Harry was beginning to get annoyed.
“No.”
“Well, that’s a start!” Harry said encouragingly. “Oh come on, Ron! You can‘t change anything by ignoring it! You have to get up, get out, and do something about it!”
“You know what? You‘re right!” Ron jumped out of his bed, having been struck with an idea.
“What?” Harry asked warily - he had a bad feeling about this.
“You‘re right,” he repeated. “I can’t change anything just hiding in my room, can I? I need to get out there and do something about it, before it's too late!” That answer did not please Harry. “Oh, Harry, I need to borrow your Invisibility Cloak,” Ron requested, though it sounded more like an order.
“Why?” Harry asked suspiciously, though he pulled it out of his pocket all the same.
“So I can follow Hermione,” Ron answered, almost running out of the room, snatching the cloak out of Harry’s hand as he passed.
“You know, that sounds like you're bordering on stalkerism!” Harry shouted after him, although Ron happily ignored it as the door slammed behind him.
“Oh, Hermione, this is all so exciting!” Ginny exclaimed as she looked at all the different wedding cakes. Ginny felt a similar thrill to when she had been making her own wedding preparations, especially with mouth watering beverages at such close proximity. She was tempted to ask if they did samples, when that made her think of someone else. “Wait - what did Ron say?”
“What did Ron say to what?” Hermione asked, seemingly absent-mindedly, but Ginny knew better. Hermione was never absent-minded when it came to Ron.
“When you told him you were engaged?” Ginny sometimes doubted her friend’s Outstanding exam results.
“Oh. Nothing really.” Hermione replied, though it looked like she was more interested in the different types of multiple tiered cakes.
“Nothing?” Ginny asked in disbelief. Not even her brother could be that insensitive.
“Congratulations.”
“What?” Ginny asked, feeling extremely confused, although she wasn't sure that it showed on her face, as her mouth was currently hanging open at the sight of the chocolate éclairs decorating one of the numerous cakes she was gawping at. Ginny briefly wondered what was bringing on her sudden sweet tooth, before turning her attention back to Hermione, forcing her to answer.
“That’s what he said. Congratulations.” Hermione looked away, either to consider the castle shaped cake with spiralling marzipan towers, or to hide the sadness in her eyes.
Ron arrived at Diagon Alley in time to see Hermione and Ginny leaving the bakery but too late to catch them up without being noticed, as a herd of people walked in-between him and the girls. He hurried after them, still concealed by the Invisibility Cloak.
“Hermione!” he called out, not sure if she would be able to hear through all the hustle of people all around. They looked as if they were heading to Madam Malkin's, which Ron didn't particularly want to enter, especially if they were picking out a wedding dress. Ginny was going that way - Hermione had stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“So I thought that maybe - Hermione? What's wrong?” Ginny stopped to notice that the bride-to-be wasn’t even near her, let alone listening to her. Hermione shook her head, as if there was water in her ears that she was trying to get out.
“No, I just thought I heard -” Hermione paused, thinking, before giving her head a final shake, “someone call my name, that’s all. But I must have imagined it. Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Just that if you choose peonies, then the bridesmaid dresses will have to be…” As Ginny carried on, Hermione trailed off into thought, she was sure she had heard her name being called a minute ago. And let’s face it, not many people were called Hermione these days. Also, it had almost sounded like -
“Terry!” Hermione looked up to see her fiancé standing in front of her. “What are you doing here?” He leaned forwards to give her a hug, whilst, unbeknown to Hermione, Ron looked on.
“I was actually just coming back from a meeting, but I was hoping to run into you, as you said you and Ginny would be here. I thought we could have a look at the flowers and stuff together,” he suggested.
“That sounds nice,” agreed Hermione with a smile. “Though actually we were just about to go and look at dresses.”
“Well, how about I go and get the invitations made up?” The girls nodded and departed to their separate ways. Ron, who had been about to leave on the arrival of Terry, decided to call Hermione once more.
“You know, you are so lucky, Hermione!” Ginny told her, before Ron had a chance to call out again. “Having a fiancé like Terry!” Ron buried his head in his hands. “I mean, Harry was great, and he always, well, almost always, did what he was told, came for fittings and flowers and stuff. But honestly, sometimes I got the idea that he’d much rather be out playing Quidditch or something. Now, Terry actually came down here by himself! You've got him well trained - I’m impressed!” Ginny laughed, unaware of Ron’s anguish at her words.
“Yes, Terry’s really great,” agreed Hermione as they paused to look at the dresses in the window, though Ginny noticed she seemed to be rather distracted.
Ron, however, did not notice, and so turned to leave, saying softly, “Bye, Hermione.” As he had by then walked away, he didn’t see Hermione turn around again, towards the spot where he had been.
“I could have sworn…” Hermione trailed off, and rubbed her eyes as Ginny ushered her inside. “Ginny?” she asked hesitantly. “Is your brother here?”
“Which one? Isn’t this shade lovely!”
“Ron! Where’s Ron?!” Ginny looked at Hermione like she’d grown an extra nose (which would have been highly probable, only they‘d avoided the twins all day).
“I don’t know! Probably still hiding away in his room, like he has been since yesterday. Did you know, he didn't even come down for dinner? It’s worrying! Why do you care anyway?” she asked suspiciously, sitting down to watch Hermione try on dresses.
“Because I’m going crazy!” Hermione wailed from inside the changing room.
“Don’t worry, dear, everyone gets pre-wedding jitters!” the store clerk assured her. Ginny jumped; she hadn’t been aware anyone was listening. The girl, seeing her look, hurriedly went back to the till.
“I keep thinking I can hear Ron calling my name, but when I turn around, I can’t see anyone!” Hermione carried on, sounding like she was about to burst into tears. “This is awful! If I’m getting married to Terry, why is it all I can think about is Ron?”
“What does that tell you?” Ginny asked, wondering how the girl who knew about practically everything had let this one, very important, piece of knowledge escape her for so long.
“Oh my gosh,” Hermione gasped as she came out from the changing room, a look of recognition came over her. Ginny nodded. “It must be...temporary insanity!” Ginny fell forward onto the table whilst trying to give her a scathing look at the same time. Needless to say, she didn’t quite pull it off.
When Is Too Late? by Oppungo
Chapter Notes: Many thanks and appreciation to my beta, songbook99.