Disclaimer: The title of this story is part of a song, by Imogen Heap. I, in no way claim the rights to it. Also, all characters belong to the masterful J.K. Rowling.



The hot heat of Sydney consumed Hermione. Even though
she had been in Australia over three years, she had never gotten used to it. England never had such heat like this, and for some peculiar reason she missed the cold of England.

Lately, Hermione had begun missing more and more of her home. When she left, it was nearly two years after graduating from Hogwarts. Harry had defeated Voldemort, and it sadly cost him his life. Ron and Hermione had barely escaped, and were so in love that no one would have thought Hermione would go to Australia. She wasn’t going to, but Ron told her that if she went, he would wait for her because it was an opportunity that Hermione could not pass up. She often remembered the day she left, and every time it choked her to tears.


“I don’t want to leave you Ron. Not for three years.�

She had sobbed. But Ron took her hand, kissed her and told her to be brave.

“I’m not going anywhere.�


Hermione took that promise and held it with her, all the way through Healer Training. It was what kept her sane.

On a dull Friday afternoon, Hermione went to get a coffee with her roommate and best friend in Australia, Michelle. Michelle was the sort of girl that always lived every moment to its fullest and she was constantly trying to get Hermione to let her hair down, as it were.

“I miss Ron, so much. For days now, I picture what it would be like to go back to him, but every situation ends up with a white wedding day, and I know that isn’t the case. No one can pick up things just like that, and we’ve been away for three years.� Hermione said.

“You guys were engaged Hermione, why would it go wrong? Sure, you and him haven’t written or spoken in the last year, but he did tell you to go. And he told you that he’d be there when you got back. So, go back.�
Michelle debated. Hermione murmured and took a small sip from her latte. It was so hot, it burned her upper lip, but she didn’t want to show any pain, so she didn’t let on.

“He might not even want me back. Maybe he gave up on me, and he won’t want to see my face again.� Hermione mumbled, now starring down into her coffee cup. Michelle looked at her friend with pity, and told her that she’d never know until she tried. Hermione rolled her eyes and despite her conscience, she agreed to go back to Ron.

The Burrow was bustling with excitement. Molly Weasley and Ginny Weasley were so thrilled to have Hermione coming back. In the last three years, both Fred and George had gotten married, Bill had a divorce from Fleur (which was a blessing to the rest of the family), Percy had sadly died, and Ginny had a daughter, the child of a missed Harry, named Lily. Ron had moved out of the Burrow to a nice house in London.
“Ginny, have you called around your brother?�

“Yes, mum, I did. Although, Ron was really curious as to why it was so imperative he come for dinner tonight.� Ginny explained. Mrs. Weasley shrugged and carried on cleaning the kitchen. In a few moments her son would be with them, and then he would be reunited with the love of his life. If there was anything that Mrs. Weasley loved besides her family, it was love itself.

Hermione stepped up to the fireplace, her knees shaking. She was so nervous about seeing everyone from her youth again. Michelle was by her side, reassuring her that this was the right thing to do but even her friend’s encouragement was not enough to keep her lips from going white. She felt like she was being Petrified, all over again. With a deep breath, and a hug from Michelle, Hermione threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and shouted, “The Burrow!�

Hermione stepped into the green flames that seemed to tickle her and suddenly she was sucked into an awful spin. The roaring in her ears was a painful memory of why she never enjoyed traveling by Floo in the first place. But just as soon had she been sucked into this, she was sucked out, onto a cold hard wood floor. Hermione had managed to land on her knees, and she was virtually soot-free. She quickly got to her feet, and looked up to see 5 smiling faces to greet her, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Ginny, Bill and a tiny little toddler. Immediately, Hermione was smothered by hugs, and she burst out with laughter and giggles. Nobody noticed the little pop noise, until…
“Hermione?!?!�

Everyone let go of Hermione, and time just seemed to stand still. Hermione didn’t even look up for a few moments, slightly afraid of the outcome. Ron was standing in the doorway of the living room, his jaw dropped and gaping. He was still as tall as ever, with slightly longer red hair, and his freckles had faded a bit.

Hermione smiled at him, now convinced that she had done the right thing by coming back. All the love she felt for Ron came rushing to her once more. She was now reminded of their first kiss, on the night of Harry’s funeral, in the spring of their seventh year at Hogwarts. It was magical, and if she could ever relive a moment in her past, that kiss would be it. They both were hurting from the loss of their friend, but the kiss was the perfect way to escape all the fear, damage and darkness that surrounded them.

“Ron! Wait up!� Hermione called, trying to run as fast as she could with her long robes on. Ron was gaily sprinting ahead of her, while calling her name. They reached the dark lake, and when Hermione caught up with him, after he had stopped, and told him he was acting crazy, he threw himself at her. Their lips touched, and an immense amount of live and passion escaped them both. Ron didn’t care that it was raining, and Hermione didn’t mind when they both sank to their knees in the cold mud. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

“Hermione, I have been a complete idiot. I’ve loved you for so long, and I just couldn’t see it for some reason.�

“Oh, Ron, it doesn’t matter. We’re here now, and nothing can take this away from us, not even Voldemort. This has been 5 years in the making for me.�

They must have sat out in the cold for hours, kissing, although they never felt it. An odder couple hadn’t been seen in a long time, however they loved each other.

Hermione was brought back to reality, and a cold shiver ran up her legs and her spine, all the way to her neck. Her heart started pounding so loudly she was afraid someone else could hear it as well. Something about Ron’s expression didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t put her finger on the problem, until she noticed something in the corner of the room that hadn’t been there before.

Out of the shadows, stepped a thin girl, with a sweet face, and long smooth chestnut brown hair. She smiled at Hermione and when she realized Ron was to shocked to do so, she introduced herself.

“Hi, you must be Ron’s best friend Hermione, the Healer. He’s told me so much of you. I’m Melody… Ron’s girlfriend.�

Disclaimer: The title of this story is part of a song, by Imogen Heap. I, in no way claim the rights to it. Also, all characters belong to the masterful J.K. Rowling.




Chapter 2


Hermione’s heart stopped. Everyone in the room fell quiet and a shocked look came over Mrs. Weasley, which told Hermione that they all hadn’t known about Ron’s girlfriend either. Ron’s ears went a shade of pink, and his upper lip disappeared. Melody looked disappointed that everyone’s reaction was so negative.

A million thoughts raced rapidly through Hermione’s head. She couldn’t think of what exactly to do, but she knew that she had to be alone.

“That’s…just…wonderful. I…am really happy for you, Ron. Now, if you could all excuse me for a moment, I need to use the toilet,� Hermione stuttered, as she pushed past Mrs. Weasley, and a concerned Ron, before running upstairs to the nearest bathroom.

Hermione quickly locked the door and let herself sink to the floor as she started to cry. She couldn’t let the sound out, but Hermione wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Her chest tightened and she felt her knees weaken. She couldn’t understand why things had come to this. She felt so alone and she wanted to disappear. She could even hear her heart shattering, slowly, like cracking ice. A dark shadow had fallen over her, and even when she heard Ginny knocking on the door, she couldn’t answer. She hated being alone, but at the same time she needed to swallow this pain by herself. She cried for hours, until she couldn’t anymore. Afterwards, she was so tired that she laid down on the cold white tiles of the bathroom floor and fell into a deep sleep.

Downstairs, Ron sat in the dark, eating a melted cheese sandwich and thinking about what he had done. He never meant to hurt Hermione. For some reason or other cheese sandwiches had always made Ron feel better. He had eaten cheese sandwiches whenever he had fallen sick, he ate a cheese sandwich when Harry had died, and he even ate one when Hermione had left. But now, Ron's problem was his doing, and the cheese sandwich just didn't have the same affect on him. He put down the sandwich and recalled the exact moment that he had met Hermione, his very first day at Hogwarts. On the train, he had thought Hermione to be very judgmental and a real know-it-all. He had no idea then that Hermione was so sweet, warm and caring. A pain stabbed at Ron’s heart. He groaned and ran his fingers through his red hair. Knowing that he had hurt that girl was ripping his insides.

Ron suddenly heard a loud, hoarse cough and Bill stepped out of the shadows and into the kitchen’s light. Ron smiled at him, and told him to sit down.

“Ron, I just wanted to tell you something,� Bill said, as he slowly settled down into the chair at the opposite end of the table. Ron knew that Bill wanted to talk about Hermione, but he was surprised by what Bill said next.
“When Fleur left me, I was devastated. I couldn’t eat, I worked myself to the bone and I didn’t talk to anyone. So, I know exactly how Hermione feels right now. When someone you love that much leaves you, your insides shrivel, your face grows weathered, and you feel like you want to die to ease your pain. Your emotion isn’t even sad it’s…well it’s nothing. You don’t feel anything, Ron; your world turns dark.

“The thing that I find hard to understand is that you two were in love, but you were best friends before that. And you through that away, for someone you’ll probably never have the same kind of relationship with? I hate to say that because, I don’t know Melody, and she seems nice, but she’s not Hermione.�

As Bill said this, Ron’s skin shivered and thousands of little goose bumps emerged over his arms and legs. His brother never talked about Fleur, and he didn’t even feel the least bit offended when Bill had said that Melody didn’t have the same relationship with Ron as Hermione had. Every bit of that was true. He simply felt angry with himself that he had done this to Hermione, after he had witnessed what the same experience did to his older brother. Ron finally whispered that he wished this situation hadn’t happened.

“Then why did you do it, Ron? Honestly tell me. We all need to know.� Bill asked.

Ron sighed and dug into his pocket.
“I got this letter from her about a year after she left. She seemed so happy. She didn’t even say anything about missing me, although I suppose she did. Then, I remembered how smart she was. I was never good enough for her, and no matter what I do, I never will be. After that, I thought of the fact that, if we had ended up getting married, Hermione would never be able to do all of the things she had dreamt of. She could never reach her full potential if she had someone like me weighing her down. If I let her go, she
could be the brilliant woman she was destined to be.

“So, when I met Melody and saw how down to earth she was, I had to at least give a relationship a try. I never feel out of place with Melody. She’s smart, but she’s not overly brilliant like Hermione,�
Ron explained, as he fidgeted with his hands. Bill sighed and asked Ron if he thought that Hermione was overbearing. He told Ron to just admit it, plain and simple.

“Hermione isn’t overbearing, Bill. It’s her world that’s overbearing.� Ron choked.

Bill nodded. “Still, you should have told Hermione all of this, before you and Melody became really serious.�

“I tried. I probably wrote a thousand letters that all started with, ‘Hermione I love you, but I can’t do this anymore’. I just couldn’t send them. I wanted to let her go and so she could be free, but I was so afraid of hurting her.� Ron explained, as finished his sandwich and sent his plate over to the kitchen sink with a flick of his wand.

With a deep breath, Bill slid his chair back and got to his feet. He turned to leave and before sauntering up to his bedroom, he softly said, “Sounds to me like you were afraid of completely losing her.�

Ron unfolded the letter that he had carried around with him for several months. He read it, silently, but mouthed the words. As hard the subject was to face, Ron knew that the person he had to talk to was Hermione. There wasn't any getting around it this time. The conversation was destined to be heated, and he would be surprised if he didn't leave it with his eyes watering.

Ron left the kitchen and headed upstairs. The whole house was silent. Everyone had been asleep for a long while. He stopped by the bathroom and slowly turned the knob to see if it was still locked. It was. Hermione was still inside, breaking. He could almost see the pain that she was going through, from the other side of the door. Ron knew that talking to Hermione would have to wait until the late morning, when she was feeling a little more stable. He took a deep breath, and carried on to his bedroom.

Ron’s room hadn’t changed at all over the years. It was still dedicated to his all time favourite Quidditch team.
Ron leaned back onto his bed, and groaned as his back settled into the mattress. He closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind, until he was sound asleep.




thanks to my most awesome beta, Leanne for help on this one!

“Ron, are you sure you’re all right with this?� Hermione asked, handing Ron a gold ring with a very large diamond embedded in it. Ron sighed. “Of course I’m all right with this, Hermione. I actually agree that rushing into marriage isn’t what we should be doing right now. Besides, we’re still going to be together, aren’t we? This won’t change anything.� Ron took the ring, placed it back into the blue box, and stuffed it deep inside his pocket. Two weeks after Ron proposed, Hermione asked Ron to break off the engagement until she had figured everything concerning her career out. Hermione didn’t want to break up with Ron, she just couldn’t have everything happening all at once. At the time she thought it was the smartest thing to do. “Oh, Ron, do you have any idea how much I love you? You’re so understanding, thank you. We will get married, I promise, but I just want to wait right now,� Hermione whispered as she pulled Ron close to her. Ron smiled warmly. “I love you too, Hermione. I always have, and I know that I always will. I could never even imagine loving anyone else,� he said softly. Hermione rested her head on Ron’s shoulder and sighed. Hermione’s eyes fluttered open. She was lying on a wet floor and had a hard time lifting her body up off of the tiles. An instant panging feeling arouse in her heart, and it depressed her. However, she didn’t feel the need to cry anymore. She felt a little better. She struggled to her feet, went over to the bathroom mirror, and sighed at her appearance. She looked ghastly. Hermione dug into her robes and pulled out her wand. She mumbled an incantation, and held tightly onto the pedestal sink with her left hand. A soft pink mist surrounded her head for a few short moments, and when it faded, Hermione’s face was cleaned up. She smiled at herself in the mirror. Hermione suddenly felt strong enough to face the rest of the world. Hermione held her head high as she unlocked the bathroom door, and tried to feel confident as she walked down the tiny corridor that led to Ron’s bedroom. She knew that she had to talk to him because it didn’t make any sense to avoid the conflict. After staying in the Burrow many, many times Hermione knew that she had to be quiet when passing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s bedroom, because even though they slept late on weekends, they were very light sleepers. Ron’s bedroom door now seemed larger than ever before. She felt so tiny and insignificant standing beside it. With a deep breath and several thoughts of assurance, Hermione turned the brass knob and slowly swung open the door. Ron’s room looked the exact same as it did when she first arrived at the Burrow several years ago. It was so juvenile, but it represented Ron, and she loved that Ron would never cease to have the spirit of a child. Melody was standing over Ron’s bed, her suitcase packed and on the floor beside her. Ron was sitting in the corner, running his fingers through his flaming red hair and sighing. They did not even notice Hermione enter the room. "Please, Melody, don’t do this. You don’t have to go,� Ron pleaded. "Oh, yes I do, Ron! You never told me that you were in a relationship with Hermione! In all of the times you mentioned her, not once did you tell me that you were romantically involved! Not to mention that you were practically cheating on her with me! How could you do that? I’m appalled at you. I also just feel so sorry for Hermione! To give your heart to someone, and have them throw it away like garbage, that is unheard of! You are a sweet guy, or at least you appear to be, so I would have never thought you were capable of something like this. I’m leaving Ronald Weasley, and there is not a thing you can do to stop me,� Melody shouted, as her eyes stared at Ron in a flaming heat of scorn. Hermione’s eyes widened and she started to back out of the room, silently. Unfortunately, at that moment, Ron’s owl, Pigwidgeon, decided to give away Hermione’s presence. Melody seemed taken aback to find Hermione standing there, looking so unbothered. “I just wanted to see how you two were doing,� Hermione said lamely. Ron rolled his head back, not able to believe that his situation could have possibly gotten any worse. "Hermione, I am deeply ashamed of Ron. I had no idea that-� Melody stated, but Hermione put up her hand to stop her. "No, it’s all right. I’m not really angry with anyone. I just came up to talk to Ron, that’s all. I needed to just get the facts, so I can forget him and move on with my life,� she said. As she spoke the last sentence, she was looking directly at Ron. She wanted to tell Ron that she no longer cared for him, because she thought that would be what he wanted. He didn’t want to be tied down to her any longer, and she had to let him go, even if it meant heartbreak for her. “It seems that you two should really talk privately, so I’ll go out for a couple of hours. We can talk, Ron, when I get back.� Hermione held her head high with confidence, and walked out of the bedroom. As soon as she shut the door, a large and devious grin spread across her face. This is exactly what Ron deserves. Melody leaving him is really justice, she thought. Not even a small part of her felt sorry for Ron. But, as Hermione went down the creaky wooden stairs that led to the kitchen, she suddenly needed advice. But who would she go to? In her youth, Harry had always been the one to keep the peace whenever she and Ron were fighting, but now Harry was gone, and Hermione had no one else to turn to. Ginny was too busy raising little Lily, and the twins would never take her seriously. She was too afraid to talk to Bill, though he knew exactly what she was going through, and Mrs. Weasley tended to oversee Ron’s faults at times. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, it hit Hermione. She knew where she had to go, even if it seemed a bit silly. Hermione pulled on her black over-cloak and wrapped a dark green scarf around her neck. She was desperate to find an answer to her problem. With a small little pop, Hermione vanished. About a second and a half later, Hermione reappeared in a foggy mist. The ground beneath her was cold and moist, and she could see nothing off in the distance. All she could see were hundreds of tall tombstones, and an old sign that read: Godric’s Hollow Cemetery. Hermione peered over the gloom and walked forward until she found three identical tombstones, standing side by side only a few feet away from her. A shiver came over her as she crossed the hard, frosted grass to kneel in front of the last tombstone. Hermione felt a small tear run down her cheek like ice. Etched on the smooth gray stone, underneath a carving of a lightning bolt and the picture of a snitch read: Harry James Potter July 31, 1980 – April 15, 1998 Hermione sighed. She knew that she would look a little silly talking to a rock, but she convinced herself that this rock was Harry now. "Hello, Harry. I know that it took me a long time to come here, and I’m sorry. But I need you now. It’s funny that with all of the magic that I possess…I can’t bring you back. The Muggle way of death isn’t that different from ours.� Hermione stopped talking to gather herself, and then continued. “Ron hurt me, really badly. I have never felt the way I do now. I want to love him, and be with him, and I came back here so we could be happy together. But, he cheated on me! I want to be angry with him now, but I can’t. I love him too much. I want to hate him for hurting me. His girlfriend…Melody…she’s leaving him because of what he did. And I’m afraid that once she’s gone, he’ll want me again and then he’ll end up hurting me again. I’m just so confused and I need you. You always helped me through conflicts between him and me and now you’re gone… I feel so alone.� she cried.

She looked at the ground, and then back up at the tombstone. Feeling that it was rather pointless, because Harry would never answer her, Hermione sighed and got back up to her feet. With a heavy heart, she turned away from her friend’s grave and returned to the Burrow. Ron watched sadly as Melody was engulfed in green flames and instantly gone. He shoved his hands in his pocket and hung his head low. "You know you brought this upon yourself. You deserved this,� A cold voice said behind him. Ron turned around to look at Ginny, who was holding Lily in one arm, and looking at him with fire in her eyes. Ron had been seeing this look a lot lately. "Yeah, I know,� Ron mumbled, “I’m scum.� Ginny nodded and let her restless daughter down. At first Ron thought Ginny was going to hit him; she looked so mad, and if she had hit him, Ron wouldn’t have minded. Instead she calmly whispered, “Ron, I just want to ask you one thing. Do you honestly love Hermione?� Ron thought about it for a moment and assembled all of his feelings. He looked down at his feet before firmly looking up at Ginny and saying, “Yes, I love her. I want her to forgive me, but she has every reason not to.� Author's Note: I have to thank my beta, Leanne for all the work she did on this chapter. Good job Leanne... ten bouncing crazy people out of 10

Hermione arrived back at the Burrow later that evening. She had a cleansing feeling in her soul, and she was finally ready to talk to Ron. When she appeared in the living room, the only one in the room was little Lily, who was much too busy playing with her levitating toys to notice her godmother in the room. Hermione knelt down and gave Lily a little kiss on the top of her head, stroking the toddler’s soft jet-black hair.



“I can’t believe how big you’re growing. In no time at all, you’ll be going to Hogwarts and dazzling everyone with you’re Quidditch skills,� Hermione said softly. She knew that Lily wasn’t really listening to her, but she didn’t care. A voice came from the top of the stairs, slightly startling her.



“How are you so sure she’ll be good at Quidditch?�



Hermione jumped slightly before spinning around to see Ron standing with a somber look on his face. “I thought it only natural. Both Ginny and Harry were amazing Quidditch players,� Hermione explained.



Ron smiled slightly and sighed. “We better talk.� Hermione nodded in agreement.



Ron led Hermione up to his room so they could talk with a little privacy. Ginny, however, saw the pair pass by in the hall and pressed an Extendable Ear up against the door.



Hermione sat down on the edge of Ron’s bed and Ron pulled out his chair to sit opposite her. For at least five they sat in a nervous silence, both unsure of exactly what to say. Finally, fed up of the silliness, Hermione blurted, “Ron, I really need you to explain. Why did you do it? Was it the long-distance? Was I just no longer appealing to you? What was it that led you to this without even giving me the courtesy of a letter?�



As soon as the words escaped her lips, Hermione felt an immense amount of relief pass over her. Ron’s face fell, but he had clearly thought out what to say, as he responded quickly. “I didn’t do it to intentionally hurt you, Hermione. I would never do that. For a while after you left I was feeling really awful, and that doubled every time you sent me a letter going on about how much you loved training. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I’m not good enough for you and I still stand by that. You deserved to be with someone smarter or more talented than me. I had to talk to you about it, I know, but I couldn’t. So with nowhere to turn, I met Melody and she and I hit it off. The entire time… I felt sick to my stomach, but every single letter I tried to send to you sounded too cruel, no matter how I worded it. I was being stupid.�



He stared at his feet and coughed a little, looking up into Hermione’s eyes with assertion. “And I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need it right now. So, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I couldn’t handle life if you hated me…I love you.�



Hermione’s straight posture slumped as tears came to her eyes. She tried her best not to cry, and even though she succeeded it wasn’t an easy thing to do. “Ron…that…is…such a load of rubbish,�

she said, very slowly.



Ron’s eyes widened. “What?� He asked, dumbfounded.



Hermione stood up and started to laugh. “Do you honestly expect me to believe that? For three years you had the chance to tell me this. You could have written a letter before you met Melody telling me that you were having doubts about our relationship. You aren’t fourteen anymore, Ron. You’ve grown beyond that. I know you have. You hurt me, and I can’t forgive you. There is no chance in hell that I can fully forgive you for what you did. You played me, Ronald Weasley!� Hermione shouted.



She gave him another angry look and opened the bedroom door. Ginny stumbled into the room and gave her best friend a look that said “I couldn’t help myself�. Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed down the hallway. Ginny got to her feet and smiled weakly to her brother. “That didn’t go as well as I would have liked,� Ron mumbled.





Over the next couple of days, Hermione had her head stuck in the fireplace, talking to several Healers about a position as far away from the Burrow as possible. She didn’t want to go back to Australia, but she couldn’t bear to have a position at St. Mungo’s either. All of the Head Healers at the various institutes around Europe were practically begging Hermione to choose their facility, so all Hermione had to do was choose where she wanted to live. It was easier said than done. Every time Hermione had settled on a place, she imagined how hard it would be without any friends or family.



After talking to a Healer from Portugal who couldn’t speak English very well, Hermione decided to take a break. She couldn’t handle all of the stress. She went outside to feel the fresh air against her face. It was a pleasant treat after the stuffy offices she had stuck her head into over the past forty-eight hours. Hermione sat down on the bench that sat beside the house and stared off into the distance. She looked over at the lush thick forest surrounding the Weasley home and sighed.



Just after they had graduated from Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione would sneak off to the forest to be alone. They never did anything that could be classified as wrong, but it was a place that held a lot of memories. The forest was the place where they went to talk, to kiss, and it was even the place where Ron had proposed. Hermione couldn’t look at that place and not have a heavy heart.



She hardly noticed Mrs. Weasley come out and sit beside her. “We haven’t really talked since you’ve been here, have we?� Mrs. Weasley asked. Hermione smiled weakly and nodded.



“Well, considering what’s happened… that’s not really a surprise,� Hermione said, looking at her feet.



“I should have come and talked to you right away, there’s no excuse for it.�



“Honestly, Mrs. Weasley, it’s all right. Besides, I would have felt really awkward if you had come to me sooner. This way, I’ve had a little more time to sort out where I stand on this…um…conflict. I don’t really know how to categorize it,� she explained. Hermione laughed tensely.



Mrs. Weasley smiled. “Dear, you’ve been like a daughter to me long before you and Ron even started dating. However, when you two were dating, I was always extremely worried that Ron would do something to mess it up. So, obviously a part of me wasn’t at all surprised when Ron found another girl, even if I was mortified,� Mrs. Weasley said. “However, judging by the fact that my son has locked himself in his room for two days, he is upset that you won’t take him back.�



“Mrs. Weasley, how could I? I can’t trust him anymore,� Hermione said.



Mrs. Weasley sighed. “That’s true, dear. And normally I would tell you to stick with your instincts, but…this is Ron we’re talking about. In your fourth year, he wrote me and told me about what happened at the Yule Ball and from that moment on, I could tell that he could never live without you. The way he went on and on about how you were making a fool out of yourself by dating Krum…how could he not love you? During the time he was dating Lavender, the only thing he could think about was you. And I believe with all my heart that he loves you. Melody, in my mind, was simply his…his last stepping stone.�



A tear came to Hermione’s eye. “Do you really think so? Do you really think I can trust him again?�



Mrs. Weasley nodded and put her arm around Hermione.



“Mrs. Weasley, hearing your take on this really makes me reconsider leaving him forever. But now I’m back to square one and I don’t know what to do anymore.� Hermione subtly glanced over at the forest before burying her face in her hands.

Ron felt a pit at the bottom of his stomach as he lay on his bedroom floor with his arms spread out and one knee tucked in. He felt a pang of malcontent, and his pain was insufferable. He couldn’t stand the thought that the love of his life was downstairs, planning to leave, and she would never come back. Every once in a while, when he listened hard enough, he could hear Hermione’s voice, and heart broke all over again.

It had been almost a week since Hermione had rejected him when Ron decided he had to get out of his room. He was feeling as if he was being suffocated, and the walls of his room were slowly closing in around him.

The sun was shining brightly, and it would be one of the last, beautiful sunny days for months. Ron put on his jacket and Apparated outside, not wanting to run into any of his family.

He appeared at the edge of the forest just down the hill from his house, and as soon as the sun’s warm rays hit his face, he felt a little better. Ron leaned up against the nearest tree trunk and sunk to the ground. His limbs felt a little lifeless, however, the longer he sat outside, and the stronger he felt.

Ron tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He sat there for ten minutes in precious silence, until…

“Ron!�

Ron’s eyes snapped open and he looked up to see Hermione sprinting towards him. He felt a pang in his heart and slowly got to his feet. By the time Hermione reached him, Ron was standing, with his head hung low.

“Ron…oh, I’m so happy you’re out of your room. Listen, I wanted to tell you something really important. I’ve thought over my earlier decision a little more. I was a little blunt, and I can’t just leave with us this way. You mean too much to me,� Hermione said, giving him a sympathetic look. Ron perked up.

“So…you’ll consider taking me back?� he asked, smiling.

Hermione sighed. “No…what I mean is I can’t leave you like this." She took his hand, and led him back over to the tree to sit down. She sighed once more and cleared her throat. “Ron…I actually had the intention to take you back earlier. This morning, when I woke up, I was going to take you back. My mind was made up. But, then I went downstairs, and I looked at a photo of you, Harry and me on the mantel. That photo was taken right before our fourth year, and we looked so happy. I realized that I love the way we were back then. I loved that we were friends, and our relationship wasn’t complicated! As soon as we hit our fourth year, and the Yule Ball, that’s when everything changed. I don’t want that. I want to go back to the way we were. Please Ron, we need to go back to being best friends…it’s the only way. We need to go back to the beginning.�

Ron’s face dropped. “How am I supposed to do that? I can’t watch from the sidelines as you go on with your life! How am I supposed to be a good friend and watch the woman I love with all of my heart, marry someone else, or have someone else’s children?� he shouted angrily, overwhelmingly hurt.

Hermione sighed. “Ron, I never said that I would love another. I just said that I couldn’t be with you again. I want us to be friends, but I need to move on with my life. I can’t look at you and honestly trust you after what you did. That isn’t fair to you and it sure as hell isn’t fair to me.� Ron didn’t say anything. “Ron…I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m going to be a Healer at St. Mungo’s, and for that to work you need to be in my life. I need my best friend.� Water came to her eyes, as she looked meaningfully into Ron’s.

Ron groaned with frustration. “I will never understand women. You know that I will never stop loving you, and yet you want us to be best friends and go our separate ways. That doesn’t make sense!�

“Please, Ron. Believe me; we will both be better off. I don’t think that we’ll move on completely…but it will work out for the best.�

“So, you’ve forgiven me…but you still don’t want to be together…?�

“I know it doesn’t really make sense right now. This is just how it needs to be,� Hermione said softly.

Ron sighed. “All right…I’ll try to do this for you. But just know that I might not be able to get over this for a while.�

Hermione nodded. “I’m going back inside. You should come and have dinner with us,� she said, before kissing Ron lightly on his cheek. She slowly got to her feet, turned on her heel and sauntered gracefully back down to the house.

As she walked away from Ron, Hermione felt assured that she had made the right decision.

****

Hermione was right, of course. She and Ron never ceased to be good friends. Hermione never loved another, but she managed to surround herself with her family and friends to keep her extremely happy. She even quit Healing when she was thirty and went on to be one of Hogwarts’ most successful Headmistresses. Ron never married; however, he adopted a son because he had always wanted children. He named his son Finn Arthur Weasley, and strangely enough, Finn inherited the famous Weasley red hair.

Hermione was also right about Lily. She had grown up to be the Seeker of the England Quidditch team.

Every month until the day she died, Hermione made a visit to the Burrow and Godric’s Hollow to visit her old friends. And on her desk, Hermione kept a picture of her and Ron, together, hugging and smiling. However, she never looked at it. She just let the dust settle on it…because she figured that was the way it should be.