One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

40. End Game

21st August 1977

"You never told me what your parents wanted to speak to you about the other day."

Hermione hesitated, her eyes widening. She'd somehow managed to forget in the last few blissful days that she was planning on having this conversation with James. She'd pushed it from her head, not wanting to think about it. She preferred to spend the uninterrupted time with him, enjoying their still developing and changing relationship.

"I'd forgotten." She admitted, tilting her head back to look up at him. They were sitting on the sofa in the library they'd basically claimed as theirs over the last week that James had been there. His long arms were wrapped around her, one large hand resting on the gentle curve of her stomach, the other holding the book they'd been reading together up in front of them.

His lips quirked a little in a soft smile he wouldn't ever let anyone except the other Marauders see - much too vulnerable for anyone else. "Want to tell me now?" He put the book down on the little table beside them, and used his now free hand to push a curl back behind her ear gently, cupping her face in his hand, his calloused palm warm against her cheek.

"Yea." She sat up and pushed herself out of his arms, not because she wanted to leave the warmth of his embrace (something she'd quickly gotten attached to), but because she needed to have this conversation facing him. He pouted exaggeratedly when she pulled away and turned to face him, and she laughed and rolled her eyes.

"That's better." He said with a large grin.

"What?"

"You, smiling. You looked much too serious." She smiled, and then blinked, reminded why she was so serious. "Oh, Merlin, the look's back." He quipped, grinning unrepentantly when she shot him a scathing look. "What did you wanna ask?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Your mother would smack you if she heard you talking like that." She said with a laugh.

"That's why I do it."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't muster up a genuine smile when she was so worried about his reaction. "They talked to me about my betrothal contract."

"What about?" James' eyes widened behind the thick frames of his glasses, and a frown immediately furrowed his forehead. "I thought they let you choose?"

She swallowed, and made purposeful eye contact, forcing herself to get the words out, "They do. That's what they wanted to talk to me about though. I turn eighteen in September so the contract needs to be started before then, and probably before we go back to Hogwarts."

James blinked a couple of times, and looked down at his hands, fingers twisted together, and fiddling with the Potter ring. His knuckles strained from how tight he was clenching his fingers together. "So you've chosen?"

Hermione frowned too, unsure why James sounded so dejected and hurt at the thought. "I mean... that's what I wanted to talk to you about." She said tentatively, willing him to look up so she could try and gauge exactly what he was thinking. He was silent for so long that any hope she'd had was dashed. She reached up and fiddled nervously with her otter, the small animal rubbing its head against her fingers as she did. "James?" He finally looked up, and Hermione was surprised to see her own sadness reflected back in his hazel eyes.

"Who did you pick?" He asked despondently. He somehow managed to look small in his sadness and worry, despite his broad frame.

"What?" Hermione was completely confused. She wasn't sure exactly what was upsetting James so much - wasn't it obvious she'd chosen him? "What do you mean?"

"That's why you're telling me, right? That's why it took you so long to tell me? You wanted to end things nicely, or whatever." James couldn't keep eye contact with her, but Hermione was too busy being utterly baffled to really notice the tears gathering in his beautiful hazel eyes, "It's okay, you don't have to blame it on that. We tried and you decided you didn't want me anymore."