The next four months with Ron were so much fun. We kissed in the hallways whenever we could, much to the dislike of Hermione, although we never even saw her anymore. She hung out more with Ginny now, who started dating Harry a week after the dance. She and Colin apparently had a fight and Harry came to the rescue, making Ginny’s feelings for him flare up again.
Ron and I were eating lunch that day when the mail came in and I got a package from my grandparents, sending sweets. They said that they wanted me to reply as soon as I could, so right after Potions ended in the evening, I wrote the letter and went straight to the Owlery.
I called down a big barn owl and attached the note to its leg. Before walking back out, I watched it soar into the sky until it was just a speck in the distance. After that I went to the library to get a few books for a Transfiguration essay and spent an hour or two there. The trip back to the tower felt longer than when I had left it, and I just wanted to get back to Ron. I had been gone for quite some time.
“Chocolate cherries,” I told the Fat Lady, and she swung aside.
But the next thing I saw tore my heart out. I stepped in the room, looked at the couch, and saw Ron and Hermione” kissing.
All I could do was stare. They didn’t stop, either, they just kept at it. I wondered how long it would take until Ron realized I was there, but they both had their eyes closed.
I must have stood there for hours, or at least that’s what it felt like. People came and went, all looking at Ron and Hermione, but they didn’t say anything.
I felt like he had ripped out my heart and smashed it on the ground, forming an empty feeling in my soul. He didn’t truly care for me. He cared for Hermione beyond all reason” he never kissed me like that.
I noticed that I once again left my hairbrush on the table in front of them, so I took the opportunity. I hoped Ron would see me. He did.
As soon as I picked up the hairbrush he broke away from the kiss and looked up at me in horror.
“Having fun?” I whispered dangerously, glaring at him. I turned around and stomped up the stairs. Ron chased after me, leaving Hermione on the couch.
“Lavender, stop!”
I didn’t.
“Please, stop!”
Ron caught my arm just before I opened the door to the dormitory.
“It was just a kiss!” was his excuse as his grip tightened.
I felt tears leaking out of my eyes.
“Just a kiss?! How can you say that? I was standing there watching you two and you didn’t look up once!”
A guilty silence was his response.
“I’m so, so sorry, Lav,” he finally croaked.
“Don’t be,” I snarled, tearing my arm away from him and opening the door. “It’s over.”
*****************************
I couldn’t stop crying. The first guy that I had ever loved had betrayed me, and was now dating the girl he cheated on me with. That’s right” Ron and Hermione were dating. He asked her the day after I dumped him, much to everyone’s surprise. But what really shocked me was how everyone was so much happier for them than when Ron was dating me. One of the only people who were on my side was Parvati, but even she was happy for them.
I hadn’t talked to Ron since I dumped him and, quite frankly, I didn’t want to. But one day I couldn’t help it” he cornered me in the Charms room.
“Talk to me!” he pleaded as I shrank away.
“Why?!” I yelled, bottling my fear. We were the only two in the room” I had come back to retrieve my ink bottle that I left in here and Ron came in. “Every time I look at you two, Ron, I feel like my heart is being ripped out all over again! I don’t want to have anything to do with you” I don’t want to hurt anymore!” I began to walk out, but he caught my hand, turned me around, pulled me toward him, and pressed his lips against mine.
All my emotions and feelings for him rushed forward, and I wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him.
But it wasn’t right.
SMACK!
“Aargh!” Ron backed off and rubbed his cheek.
“How could you! How could you do that to me” to Hermione” again?! You know how she feels about you! How could you cheat twice?!” I screamed at him. He seemed to be in shock.
“I don’t know what came over me” it was like” déjà vu or something…” he said, quite confused.
I blinked. “What?”
“Look, Lav, I’m sorry” I don’t know what came over me, honest,” he apologized.
I glared at him and picked up my bag that I dropped. “You already used that excuse,” I hissed. I wanted to leave, but my feet wouldn’t move. We just stood there, looking into eachother’s eyes.
It was then that I realized how much I missed him. But as much as it tore my heart, I knew we were not meant for eachother.
“Ron, look,” I said gently, walking over to him, “we can’t do this again. We can’t be together. You know as well as everybody else that you and Hermione are meant for eachother” there’s no point for us to go out again.”
He put his hand on my face and looked deep into my eyes. “I still want you.”
“Don’t do this,” I whispered.
“I want to do this.” He took my hands in his, but I looked away and released my hands.
“No. No means no, Ron, and quite frankly, I don’t think you understand the meaning of it.”
He gave me a sad smile, which was so incredibly adorable that it made me melt. But I still refused.
“Hermione won’t know,” he said, trying to tempt me.
That was the final straw. “I can’t believe you, Ron! When did you turn into such an ass?! Hermione loves you and you love her-”
“I love you both!”
“No, you don’t, Ron!”
“I think I just proved to you that I do!”
“Get”it”straight,” I said through gritted teeth. “We’re done!”
“Do you still love me?” he asked, moving ever closer to me and gazing into my eyes.
Tears swelled up in my eyes and my heart started to race as I thought of what to say. “I did love you, Ron. I did.”
He looked down.
I walked over to him. “I’m sorry. But that’s just the way it is.”
Ron looked into my eyes and nodded.
I picked up my bag and left.