Liquor and a Letter

Peer Pressure

"No."

Ron knew it was coming but he still became aggravated at the man in front of him. It was going to be hard to convince a steadfast Harry Potter to revert course but he was up for the challenge. At least he hoped he was.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Ron questioned tightly.

Harry shook his head in frustration and winced momentarily, most likely still feeling the effects of his hangover. What was Ron thinking? Did he honestly think Harry wanted any part of Hermione's wedding? Was he trying to torture him?

"If she wanted me to come, she should have asked me herself," an indignant Harry replied with a wave of his hand, turning his back to Ron.

"Would you have agreed to go?" The redhead asked in response.

"No."

Ron was really beginning to hate that word now. He stormed over to Harry and forcefully turned the man around, giving him a chance to get his bearings before grabbing him by the shoulders.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU'VE SPENT NEARLY FOUR YEARS DRINKING YOUR MISERY AWAY AND THE FIRST CHANCE YOU GET TO MAKE AMENDS AND END IT FOR GOOD, YOU THROW IT AWAY."

The entire house shook at the furious bellow that erupted from Ron as Harry flinched back and looked down to his feet ashamedly. If he wasn't so angry at the git, he would have felt ashamed for yelling at him. But, he mentally agreed to himself that the git needed to get his head out of his arse.

"I...can't, Ron," tears quickly fell from Harry's eyes, "I can't watch her be with another man. I missed my chance and she hates me now. I think that's enough punishment."

"You never told me why she hates you," Ron said. If he could understand why the two fell apart, he could have some idea of helping them get back together.

Harry took a deep breath and looked even more ashamed of himself, if that were possible, and sat down on the couch. "A year ago, I went to see her in New York just so I could talk to her and hopefully mend fences. I wasn't trying to confess my love to her or tell her to be with me but I won't lie and I say I hoped for it to happen."

Ron nodded along to the story and gestured for him to continue without words.

"That's when I first saw her and that new guy. They were leaving some restaurant or something and things were progressing," he used air quotes to emphasize that last bit, "and I couldn't help the jealousy and anger that rose in me."

Harry shook his head to free himself of the image of Hermione in another man's arms, smiling happily and occasionally stopping to kiss on the sidewalk. The very image was the muse of all of his nightmares. He remained silent and tried to find the will to continue the story.

"I found myself at some bar," Ron snorted at that and Harry looked down in shame again, "and I...well, I got drunk faster than ever before." Coming from Harry, Harry who spent all of the last four years in a drunken haze, that was saying a lot. "After I returned to my hotel, I was so heartbroken...so bitter. I decided to write a pretty damning letter to Hermione, telling her that I was over her and that she could go ahead and enjoy her life with her new man."

'Pretty damning' told Ron all he needed to know. Harry must have truly said some hurtful things and must have called Hermione some of the worst words in the dictionary. He wanted to smack the idiot upside the head but there was more to the story.

"I woke up the next morning, not knowing I sent the letter until I got a response. Up until that point I tried to contact her for the last three years through owl but she never responded. That morning, however, she did. She told me that she hated me, that she hated ever having met me, and that she wished I could just never be a part of her life again."

Ouch, Ron mentally exclaimed. Though, Harry probably deserved it due to whatever it was that he said in that letter. The redhead could find a silver lining in all of this, however. Clearly, Hermione hadn't meant what she said in the letter or she wouldn't have even considered asking him to come to her wedding. Unless she was trying to spite him but Ron didn't think Hermione capable of that.

"I'm just honoring her wish, mate," Harry finished with a resigned whisper.

"Harry, mate. She's obviously willing to put it behind her if she wants you to come," reasoned Ron. Harry snorted at it but the redhead sat next to him and threw an arm over his hunched shoulders. "Listen, mate, Hermione asked me to ask you because she didn't want to make things awkward between you two. But I think the fact that she even wants you to come is a sign that she's ready to move on and hopefully regain your friendship."

Harry didn't look too convinced but, for some reason, the redhead could sense he was close to a breakthrough. He decided to keep going and hopefully convince his best friend to give in. "Look, I know you're hurt and I know it'll hurt to see her with another but it's not going to hurt as much as having her hate you even more for not coming to her wedding. It's not going to hurt as much as not having her be a part of your life permanently especially when she's clearly offered you an olive branch."

The green eyed wizard deflated a bit so Ron continued to press on. One more set of words ought to do it,

"Show up at the wedding, show her that you're happy for her, show her that you didn't mean what you said in that letter. Suck it up for one day and you two will be back as the Golden Duo." He clapped Harry on the shoulder encouragingly.

A minute passed as Harry considered his words but Ron knew he had won. He had to resist the urge of jumping up and down in joy at the thought of him besting a determined Harry Potter.

"Okay, I'll...go."
———
After Ron's owl came in with the news that Harry would attend the wedding, Hermione felt her gut sinking at the thought of him being present during what should be the happiest day of her life. She couldn't believe she let her parents and Justin pressure her into inviting him after everything she did to avoid him. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to keep popping back into her life? He hurt her enough times and she took it easily for far too long.

She wanted to be angry with the man that was her fiancé but his happy face and overjoyed reaction was heartwarming. His admiration of Harry Potter was endearing to her and she didn't have the heart to tell him just how much of an arsehole the man really was. It would be like telling a child Santa Claus wasn't real. No, she couldn't do that to him. It was just one day and then she could continue to ignore Harry's existence for the rest of her life.

Her parents were also excited to see Harry again and she had half a mind to tell them the truth but, again, the words died in her throat. Somehow, she didn't want them to see Harry in that light even if it were his true colors being shown. The idea of Harry Potter was better than the actual man and she wasn't nearly as spiteful enough to reveal the actual man to everyone. She cursed herself for being so soft.

"Oh, Hermione. I'm sure he's going to be happy for you," her mother told her comfortingly with a gentle smile plastered on her face.

"I'll tell you what, why don't we invite them for dinner so we can talk? I think it's high time you two finally talk again and repair your friendship," her father said calmly, too calmly for her liking.

Before Hermione could even shoot down the suggestion, Justin was excitedly answering for her. "That sounds amazing, I would love to meet him before the actual wedding," he said in that same go-lucky voice he got whenever he talked about Harry.

"Why do you want to meet him so much?" Hermione bit out a bit more harshly than she intended. When Justin recoiled as if struck by her, she winced and felt the guilt wash over her.

"I just want to know more about your life, he seems to be a big part of it and you said he used to know you as well as anyone."

Hermione hated that that was a good answer. She couldn't find a flaw in it or try to use it as a reason not to invite Harry. Once again, she was buckling under the pressure leveled at her by her parents and boyfriend. She abhorred her innate desire to make everyone around her happy.

"I'll owl Ron."