Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set in the distant future. Hermione and Ron are about to get married, though Hermione isn't sure if Ron is ready. However, when she is given the chance to see all of her options, Hermione must choose the right path for herself.

CHAPTER 1

"Ron! The wedding is in three weeks and we still haven't picked out any flowers!" Hermione's voice bellowed from the kitchen of the Burrow as she sat over a large magazine of different flower arrangements for weddings.

Hermione had just turned twenty-three and in a few short weeks she was no longer going to be Hermione Jean Granger, but rather Hermione Granger Weasley, that was, of course, if she and Ron could agree on a flower arrangement.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled again.

"Ugh…what, Hermione?" Ron yelled from the living room, where he was playing a game of chest with his older brother, George. It was Sunday, and every Sunday they went to the Burrow for the day, to spend time with his family, and that was what he wanted to do, not go over flower arrangements for the tenth time that week.

"Please, come in here!" Hermione requested, flipping through the pages as she played with the engagement band on her left finger. She recalled when she had received the ring. It had been last Christmas. Ron had acted like he had not got her anything and then shoved the ring under her nose. She had cried and jumped on him, knocking him to the ground as all of his siblings laughed.

Now, Ron was on her last nerve and she could think of a million places she wanted to shove that ring, all of which Ron would not exactly appreciate. She did not understand why he was making it such an issue to pick of flowers.

Just as she was ready to shout again, Ron begrudgingly made his way into the kitchen.

"Don't look so upset. We need to get this done." Hermione told him.

Ron shrugged and sank into the seat next to his fiancé. "I just don't understand why it matters what colors I want? You just pick what you like. Flowers are not exactly my areas of expertise."

"Because, Ron, we wanted to plan this together. Remember? Every step…" Hermione reminded him of the promise he had made her six months ago. That they would work together on the wedding.

"Yeah, but you roped me into that promise by teasing me…" Ron grinned devilishly at her.

"Teasing?" Hermione raised an eyebrow innocently.

"Yeah…blimey…you had that little read dress on at dinner. I couldn't think of anything but how beautiful you looked. I'd have agreed to clean Malfoy's house for you that night, if you asked…" Ron told her.

Hermione blushed and suppressed a small smile. She knew exactly what dress Ron was talking about, and she knew the effects it had on him, though he had never pushed to pursue any of those desires. She had made it clear she wanted to save those things until her wedding night, and Ron had respected that, though sometimes she did overhear him complaining to one of his brothers or Harry.

"Ron, stop trying to make me feel guilty and help pick some flowers…" Hermione said.

Ron sighed and then, without looking at the page, pointed to a flower display. "That one…"

"You didn't even look…" Hermione told him.

Ron shrugged and leaned in, a devilish smile on his lips as he captured her mouth with his.

Hermione got lost in the kiss, but quickly regained herself, pulling away from him. "That doesn't get you out of picking flowers."

Ron rolled his eyes and gave a slight groan, both of his legs bouncing and causing the table to bounce.

"Ron, please stop…" Hermione gave him a slight side glare as she felt the table go still.

"Yeah, Ron, stop…" Ginny's voice mocked as she came bouncing in the kitchen, Harry following her. She gave Ron's left ear a flick.

"Merlin, Gin, sod off…" Ron swatted his little sister's hand away.

Hermione sighed, leaning back in the chair and folding her arms across the chest. She knew Ron well enough to know that Ginny and Harry would prove to be enough of a distraction for Ron that they would never get any flowers picked out.

"How are the flowers going?" Harry asked, glancing over to see what Hermione and Ron had been doing before he and Ginny had arrived.

Ron gave Harry a look that indicated he was ready to pull his own hair out, causing Harry to chuckle slightly before stopping at the flare he was receiving from Hermione.

"That fun, huh?" Ginny did not keep her mouth shut at Ron's facial expression.

"Whether its fun or not, it needs to be done…" Hermione said.

Ginny shrugged. "Harry and I didn't even have flowers at our wedding…"

"That's because you two decided to get married in the middle of a Quidditch Field…" Hermione shot back. Ginny and Harry had married four months earlier at the Quidditch World Cup where everyone in the Wizarding World was able to watch. That was not the type of wedding Hermione wanted for her and Ron.

"Hey…that was our choice…" Ginny shrugged, defending her decision.

"Who cares? Just pick some flowers, Hermione. Honestly, everyone is going to be so captivated with us, the flowers won't matter." Ron grinned widely.

"Better get big flowers then…" Harry teased back.

"Git…" Ron scoffed at Harry.

Harry laughed. "Well, why don't you let this git buy you a drink? I'm heading to the Three Broomsticks to meet Dean and Seamus."

"Really?" Ron was on his feet within seconds. That sounded like a better plan then picking flowers.

"Ron! The Flowers!" Hermione reminded him. How hard was it for him to sit for five seconds to do something with her?

"I'll pick them when I get back, I promise…" Ron pleaded with Hermione.

"Ron…" Hermione tried again. She really just wanted to get it over with and Ron was dragging it out.

"I promise, Hermione. Just let me go get a drink or two and I will come right back and do this with you." Ron said sincerely.

Hermione gave a small smile. His eyes were too beautiful when they were pleading and so she caved. "You promise you will be back soon?"

"Promise…" Ron moved forward and kissed Hermione quickly before following Harry out of the kitchen.

Hermione shook her head when she heard the boys disapparate and moved back to the flower magazines.

"Need some help?" Ginny offered. She might have teased Hermione a lot, but Hermione was easily one of her best friends.

Hermione shook her head and closed the magazine. "No, its fine. Thanks though. I just really want Ron to help, but I can't get him to sit still for two minutes…"

"Well, you knew who he was when you got engaged, Hermione. He hasn't changed much…" Ginny reminded Hermione.

"He hasn't changed much since third year…sometimes he acts just as immature…" Hermione sighed.

"And that's why you love him…" Ginny reminded the curly-haired brunette.

Hermione gave a small nod. It was true. Ron's sense to humor and his childish ways were things that Hermione found extremely cute, though lately those things were slightly getting on her nerves. Just one time, she wished Ron would be serious about something.

"Plus, you won't ever need to have kids, because Ron will fill that role forever…" Ginny teased.

Hermione's smile suddenly faded at the thought. She wanted children someday, but Ginny had a point. If Ron did not start growing up soon, how could she expect him to be a father?

"Ginny, don't tease, dear. Hermione is under enough stress." Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen and scolded her youngest daughter while gently patting Hermione's shoulder.

Clearly, by the tone in her voice, Mrs. Weasley could sense Hermione's ease and Hermione was grateful for it. She did not want Ginny to put anymore worrisome ideas in her head right now. It was the last thing she needed while planning her wedding.

Hermione sighed as she got ready for bed in Ron's bedroom at the Burrow. Although Ron had his own flat in London, his room at the Burrow was still well lived in, and Hermione assumed that was because Mrs. Weasley was such a wonderful cook that Ron could rarely turn down a visit to his childhood home. It was late, and she was sick of waiting up for him to return for his casual drink with Harry. He had promised her he would be back in a reasonable amount of time to finish going over things, and now she had waited so long that Mrs. Weasley refused to let her disapparate back to her flat until the morning.

As Hermione pulled her sweater off and rummaged through Ron's draws, which were full of wrinkled clothing that he just piled in them, something on top of his dresser caught her eye. It was a picture of her and Ron on the day he became an auror. They were young, but looked so happy. Now, however, Hermione wanted to strangle Ron when he got home, if he ever made it.

Hermione sighed, yanking a large wrinkled white shirt from the drawer and tossing it over her head, pulling her curly brown hair into a ponytail. She then made her way over to the bed and tried her best to sleep, though her mind was racing with thoughts about Ron. More particularly, about a comment Ginny had made downstairs.

Ginny had called Ron immature and Hermione could not get her thoughts of it. She knew at times Ron could be childish, but immature? Hermione would have liked to disagree, but his inability to hold up a simple promise that evening seemed to prove otherwise. If Ron was too immature to send an owl or show up on time like he promised, was he too immature for their relationship, or worse, for marriage?

For the first time since she had been with Ron, Hermione felt panicked over the decision. What if Ron never got his act together? What if he always acted as he did now? Could she marry someone like that, would she want to?

Before Hermione let her thoughts get to far ahead of her, she decided to head downstairs to get some fresh air. Surely, the night sky would calm her and make her realize she was being silly. Of course she and Ron were the perfect balance for one another.

As Hermione made her way downstairs in the Burrow, she was surprised to see the light in the kitchen on. It was far too late for anyone else to be up, so she could only assume someone did not turn it off. She quickly moved in to switch the light off but was caught off guard by what she found in the kitchen

"Oh, Hermione? You couldn't sleep, dear?" Mrs. Weasley guessed from her seat at the table over a cup of tea and the magazine Hermione was trying to pick her wedding flowers from.

"Oh…no…struggling a bit." Hermione explained to her soon-to-be mother-in-law. She had been caught off guard by Mrs. Weasley's presence. She had not expected to find anyone else downstairs at all.

Mrs. Weasley motioned for Hermione to sit down with a small smile.

Hermione smiled back and slide into the chair next to Mrs. Weasley, not really sure what to say.

"Are you nervous, dear?" Mrs. Weasley guessed.

"Huh?" Hermione was caught off guard by the question. Was she that transparent?

"About the wedding…about marrying Ron?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Hermione blushed. Whatever second guesses she was having about marrying Ron, she did not think it was appropriate to speak to his mother about them.

"Its quite all right, dear. I felt the same way right before I was going to marry Arthur. I just wasn't sure…" Mrs. Weasley said, seeming to be able to read Hermione's thoughts.

Hermione was shocked at this revelation. Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley were perfect for each other, surely they had always known that. "You…you were?"

"Of course…Arthur is so much like Ron. I felt like I was marrying a child at times…" Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly.

Hermione was shocked. That was exactly what she was worried about. She swallowed hard and turned to Mrs. Weasley. "How…how did you know it was right then?"

"Well, I saw all of my options…" Mrs. Weasley said as she stood and mood to a cabinet, digging until she found a small bottle. She then pulled it out and placed it on the table in front of Hermione.

"What is that?" Hermione asked.

"Its called Essence of Options…it shows the user what paths are possibly available to them…" Mrs. Weasley explained.

Hermione made a face. She had never heard of it before and she was well-versed in potions.

"Its an old potion…illegal to brew today since it would seriously mess with many people's futures but I remembered the ingredients from when I was getting married and brewed a batch in case Ginny needed it before she married Harry…I don't think you using it this one time will get anyone in trouble…" Mrs. Weasley explained.

"I don't understand. How would it mess with my future?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it will show you every future you could have and then allow you to pick the one you want. If everyone used it, everyone would be right about everything all the time, or greedy at least, and not everyone can have things their way…" Mrs. Weasley explained.

Hermione nodded.

Mrs. Weasley stood. "Well, I am going to leave it with you. If you decide to take it, make yourself comfortable on the couch immediately after because it will have you asleep in no time…"

Hermione nodded again as she watched Mrs. Weasley walk out of the room. She then stared at the bottle for a few minutes, wondering if she wanted to use it. What if she saw her future with Ron and hated it? It would sadden her, but then she would know not to make the mistake of marrying him now.

Hermione sighed. Ron had gotten her so confused lately that she really saw no other option. The potion could save them both from heartache down the line if they weren't really meant for each other.

And so, Hermione knew she had no choice, and quickly picked up the potion, drinking a good swig of it. Immediately, she felt light-headed and moved quickly to the couch like Mrs. Weasley had instructed. Within minutes she was sound asleep.