The Question

The Question

Chapter Four

Hermione walked with slow measured steps toward one of her favorite spots, the beech tree. She went there often to think and to immerse herselft into her studies. She came to the tree and sat down. Her eyes twinkled brightly. The Crystal Lake water moved slightly back and forth, offering its music to her ears. The water seemed alive as it splashed and danced along. She looked up at the sky. The clouds made a daisy chain.

She viewed her surroundings and thought on how peaceful everything was. However, in her soul, her inner being, she felt anything but peace. The waves of doubt, fear, and uncertainty broke upon her soul like a stormy sea. Perhaps she shouldn't have said yes to Ron's marriage proposal in such haste. Nevertheless, she had yes written in her daily planner and that was seldom wrong.

Her mind began to drift and slowly she fell asleep. In her sleep a dream paid her a visit. She was in a cemetary. A chilling wind blew, making her shiver. With tears dropping like silver coins from her eyes she stopped and pondered on how much he wanted wealth. He hated being poor. She began to walk again and finally stopped at his grave. She knelt and placed flowers by the Quidditch broom she had placed there a year before. She wanted to come every day, but emotionally she couldn't handle it.

With her voice trembling, she told him how much she missed him and how much she loved him. She told him about the events of her life that year and how proud of her he would be on how she handled them. She told him how she longed for him to be at her side to face lifes burdens together. How difficult it was to face them alone. She begged for his forgiveness for not saying yes to marry him.

She knelt for a bit longer and did not say anything. Her mind was like a canvas, her thoughts like strokes of a paintbrush painting pictures of there past lives together. The stone, the chamber, the adventures parallel to the goblet. She gave a slight smile when she thought of his favorite chess piece, the knight and his horse. She thought of the trails they rode together. After a while she slowly raised herself.

She said, "Well my love it is time to depart."

She turned and walked away. When she arrived at the edge of the cemetary she turned once more and looked back. In an instant her hands were brought to her face and she began to sob with such force and emotion that she fell to the ground.

Hermione shook herself awake. She blinked in amazement and was shocked at the intensity of her dream. She looked up. The sun splashed full on her face. Beads of perspiration trickled down her face.

"What and awful dream," she thought.

She began to try and understand its meaning. Oh if she only had a book to guide her. After some thought, she came to the conclusion that the dream was kind of warning. If she had said no to Ron, would she someday kneel at his graveside wishing she had said yes? She thought about this for a moment. The beads of sweat began to bother her. She reached inside her robe to find something to wipe across her forehead. To her surprise, she pulled out an elf's hat. She held it for a moment thinking of how amused Ron would be at how she was going to use it.

"Oh well, she thought, twas ever thus, spew would have one less garment."

She used it and then placed it back into her robe.

Hmmm she thought, "Maybe I can wash it."

She began to smile. She knew in her deep self that she had made the right decision to say yes to Ron's proposal. She would someday be Mrs. Ronald Weasley.

She continued to think. At Hogwarts all she wanted was to be the best student, to be A-number-one at everything. She wondered what kind of grade she would get as a wife. Most of her day was organized by daily schedules and planning and yet she said yes to a young man who seemed to have no concept of planning. Ron often flew by the seat of his pants. Her thought of seat of his pants made her realize that as his wife she would have to do the laundry. She knew from her experiences at home that men and washing clothes are like 2+2=5. They just don't seem to know how to it properly. One time her father had to wash clothes. He threw everything together, whites and colors, just to get the task done quickly. Her mother burst out laughing when her father could not understand why his white knickers had a slight pink tint to them. However, her mother stopped laughing when she her white/pink blouse. Then it occurred to her, that when she did the laundry, she would, she gasped, have to wash Ron's knickers.

"Its, its such a private garment," she thought. And knowing Ron, they could be rather spartan.

However, she certainly did not want Ron washing hers. Then a slight devious smile came to her lips. There could be some advantages to washing Ron's knickers. If he got out of line, she could starch them up a bit. She let out a soft giggle.

She then took out her notebook and turned the pages until she came to the page she was seeking. On this page she wrote down these words.

The main springs have matrimony with the rivers,

And the rivers with the great waters;

The winds of paradise mix forever,

With a melody of sensation;

Nothing in the universe is solo;

Everything by a law of the Author of our being,

In one anothers lives mingle:

Why not I with thee Ronald Weasley?

She closed her notebook. "Why not I with thee Ronald Weasley?" She thought. She took a final notice of her surroundings. The last light of day splashed crimson across the sky and tinted the edges of the lingering clouds with violet and blue. She raised herself up and headed toward the castle and Ron.