Love Blossoms Once More by mysteriousnight
Chapter Notes: Chapter Summary: Harry and Hermione finally make it to Ron's shop, and Hermione steps inside. Hermione looks around and doesn't see Ron, and feels like crying. Ron pops up from behind the counter holding a statuette. Hermione gasps and Ron drops the statuette. What happens next for these two?
Hermione went pale with fear and anxiety as Ron’s ears went crimson with embarrassment. After the gasp, silence fell between them. They just stood staring at each other for a long time, not saying a single word. Harry, wondering what was going on, looked back and forth from Hermione to Ron, and back and forth again, with a very confused look.
Finally, Harry broke the silence, trying to sound casual, “Well, hello mate! Er….Fancy seeing you here!” Harry seemed to realize that he had not maintained as much casualty as he had wished. (Actually, he hadn’t maintained any casualty whatsoever.) Ron and Hermione still stared at each other, neither of them looking away.
Ron tore his eyes off of Hermione, pointed his wand at the statuette and watched it repair itself, then replied, “Er…mate, I own this place. I mean, I’ve owned it for about two years now…Is everything alright, Harry? Are you feeling okay?”
“Er…Yeah. I’m just fine, thanks,” Harry voiced nervously. He looked over at Hermione, who stood motionless with her mouth slightly open. “Say something,” Harry mouthed to her. Hermione shook her head, then Harry rolled his eyes.
Hermione thought about the reason she came. You came to see him! So talk to him will you? She said to herself. Hermione nodded then spoke, “Hello Ronald.”
Ron’s ear went a deep shade of red. He cleared his throat loudly and asked, “So, Harry, how are things at the Ministry? I haven’t talked to my father in a while. I’m hoping he’s doing an excellent job?”
Harry answered, “Oh yeah. Your father’s one of the best ministers that the wizarding world has ever…”
Hermione had stopped listening. She was thinking about Ron. Why had he ignored me? I know he heard me. I could tell by the drastic change in the color of his ears. I don’t understand! I’m standing right here, and he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. Well, besides that stare. Oh my gosh, his eyes were filled with so much pain! Why must he take out his pain and anger with me? I mean, I didn’t kill Ginny! Hermione started to doubt the fact that she wasn’t responsible for Ginny’s death, then tried to remember every detail of the day that Ginny died.
Me and Ginny had been planning on dinner that night. Ginny was meeting someone earlier in the Three Broomsticks. But who? I can’t remember. Whoever it was didn’t show up. She decided send a quick owl to me to telling me she was going to wait a little while for whoever she was waiting for, (because they hadn’t shown up yet), then she would be right over. I waited for so long…I got so worried. I went looking for her. When I found her, she looked horrible. She was lying on the ground, semi-conscious, with cuts and bruises everywhere. I could hear her forced breathing. She couldn’t talk at all, but she was motioning strange signs. I sent out for help to the only people I could trust--- the Order. Lupin, Tonks, and Fred and George were the first ones there. Yeah, that’s right. Even Fred and George were crying. They helped me get her to St. Mungo’s. That’s when Ron arrived, and oh my gosh! He was so hurt! He never spoke to me again! Hermione sighed and tried desperately to hold back her tears. She still couldn’t figure out if Ron blamed her for Ginny’s death. She gave up and decided to listen back into Harry and Ron’s conversation, ready to intervene.
“…Only fifteen games lost! That’s a record for those Chudley Cannons…eh Ron?” Harry questioned. He eyed Hermione curiously, as though trying to read her mind. He gave up after a while, unable to comprehend what was going on in her head, and unable to read what he saw in her eyes. He listened back in to what Ron was saying.
“Yeah…I suppose,” Ron said, as though he were only half listening, also. “I mean, I’m starting to lose interest in Quidditch…because””
Hermione again decided to greet Ron with, “Hello, Ronald.”
“Er…Hermione? What are you---”
“Harry, let me handle this,” Hermione voiced in a tone that told Harry to stay out of this situation.
“Alright…” Harry said sadly. He knew what was coming.
Ron still had not responded to Hermione’s greeting. She repeated, “Hello, Ronald.”
Ron was determinedly looking down, ears steadily turning redder by the second.
“Ronald,” Hermione said, holding back tears of anger and frustration, “I-I wanted to thank you for your gift…”
Ron looked at Harry as though asking him for help, but Harry looked down and became fascinated with his fingernails. He gave up on Harry, and spoke up, stuttering, but his voice becoming steadily stronger, “H-hermione, W-what the b-bloody hell are you doing here?” His tone was sad, hurt, angry, and almost dangerous.
Hermione was speechless. She stood and stared at Ron with her mouth open, shocked, and searched for the right words to describe the hurt he had inflicted upon her. When she had found them, she voiced shakily, “I-I can’t believe you. I was doing a nice gesture, in return for yours. I don’t know what I’ve done that makes you hate me so much. Yet, it seems as though you have no trouble writing meaningless notes and giving meaningless gifts. I mean, I’m guessing they were some sort of joke right?”
Ron wanted to tell her how much he loved her, and that he far from hated her. He wanted to tell her that she was as meaningful to him as life itself. I know I should tell her, but I bloody can’t! I can’t let anything happen to her. It seems as though anyone I am close to can die at any moment, and I couldn’t handle it if it were Hermione’s turn. Ron wanted to keep her away, so they wouldn’t get close, and he wouldn’t be hurt again. He wouldn’t be able to handle another death.
He came back in touch with reality and realized both Harry and Hermione were staring at him, waiting for a reaction. All he could say was, with his voice cracking, “It was Fred and George’s idea.” Ron regretted almost immediately the words that came out of his mouth. That sentence was the biggest pile of codswallop Ron had ever made up.
Hermione stared at him in disgust. She ripped the locket from her neck and tossed it at Ron. “I believe this is yours,” she said in a high-pitched voice. She walked toward the door. She turned and gave Ron a look of sadness and longing, with tears forming in her eyes, before saying, “I wish you could share the same feelings I have for you.” She turned and left the store.
Ron wanted to chase after her, tell her he did share those feelings. But the thought of her dying kept him from doing that. He wished life wasn’t so complicated. He wished life wasn’t so fragile. He wished he had been there the day Ginny was attacked.
A/N: That was chapter four. It was a bit teary, but I had to put it in. Sorry about the long break in between chapters three and four. School was winding down, swimming was starting up. Alright, enough excuses. So, Chapter five will bring you to the Three Broomsticks with old mates Ron and Harry. The story starts to turn for the better, and that's all I'm going to say. One more thing, if you read this, please take a few minutes to review!! It's greatly appreciated!! Thank you to all the consistent reviewers!!