The Best Thing I Never Had

Epilogue 2: Daddy's Last Words

Ron looked up at them and met their gaze. Hermione noticed that there was nothing in his eyes. No anger, no pity, no remorse. Just nothing. She thought this was better than seeing fear in his eyes.

Over the past few years, Harry, being the Head Auror, worked with Minister Shacklebolt about a new type of prison, one that still kept its prisoner in maximum security without having the need of Dementors. Thus they came up with the Secure Correctional. Only those who committed crimes which didn't involve the Dark Arts, murder and such were detained here.

Hermione and Ginny slipped into the seats in front of him, both with hard looks on their faces.

"How are you, Ron?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"The same," Ron replied, his voice toneless. He held up an ivory card which Hermione recognized as their wedding invitation. "They gave me this. Is it true?"

"Yes," Hermione replied.

They were all silent for a while.

"If it is, then why are you still here?" Ron sneered. Confinement was doing him good. Hermione could see how much he was controlling himself and his anger. She could almost hear him battling with himself.

"I wanted to give you a chance," Hermione replied. "I already asked permission from the higher-ups. I want to give you a break from this monotonous life you have. I want you to have fun for at least a few hours. That's why I gave you an invitation."

"You thought I'd be happy seeing you get married?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Well, Ron won't . . . but I thought my best friend would," Hermione replied slowly. Ron looked at her warm brown eyes and for a while, Hermione saw softness from his own blue ones staring back at her. But as soon as he was aware of his emotions, Ron became cold and turned away again.

Ron scoffed. "Well, if you'd been marrying someone else I would have considered. Besides, you lost your best friend as soon as you let that slimy old git touch you."

Another long silence stretched between them. Hermione, wanting to distract herself and the tears that threatened to pour over, looked sideways at Ginny, who looked ready to murder her own flesh and blood. She had her fists balled on the table.

"I-I think we should go," Hermione finally said shakily. "Ginny, didn't you want to say something?"

She looked at her with the same glare and stood up, banging her hands palms down on the wooden table, causing everyone who was there (not much really) to jump and look at her in surprise. "Just so you know, everyone else was ready to forgive you if you'd shown up. Even Harry. Even Draco himself," Ginny said through gritted teeth. "Don't you even fucking dare to show up now or I'll tell everyone that you're still the asshole who threatened Hermione." The first tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily. Hermione knew that she hated crying. "You just lost yourself a sister."

And with that she walked away with Hermione in tow. Ron was left on the table, still emotionless, staring into space.

The visit took Hermione and Ginny most of the morning. Ginny had cooled down (or forced herself to) as soon as Hermione reminded her of the wedding. They had lunch at a Muggle restaurant where Ginny was able to eat her feelings.

Three hours. It was finally time to go to the hotel.

"Nervous?" Ginny asked in the car.

"If it were your wedding, wouldn't you be?" Hermione countered. Ginny shut up and continued driving.

When they arrived Ginny practically dragged her to the lifts and into her suite just to prevent her from checking on the garden, which Ginny insisted to be a surprise. Instead, she looked around the suite and imagined the things that she and her soon-to-be groom would be doing in it. She shuddered and felt her nervousness multiply by a hundred times.