Hermione had never actually let go of the habit of checking and rechecking luggage even after leaving Hogwarts. It was nearly time for their bus to leave as the driver was getting ready to start the bus. Matthew was still upset at her for shouting at him, and Hermione felt guilty for shouting at him too.
She said to Matthew, “Sweetie. I’ll be right back.”
Hermione rushed out of her bus to the sweet shop in the station.
“One box of Mars bars please.”
“That won’t be necessary. I have some already,” a voice from behind Hermione said. It was Ron.
“Ron, leave us alone. Go away.”
“Well excuse me, I came here for Matt, not for you.”
“Oh yeah? Not for me? Then, will you please tell me Ron, what is this?”, Hermione was holding Ron’s letter in front of him. For once, Ron was stumped. Not only, because he was aware that now Hermione had come to know of his feelings in the most unceremonious manner possible, but also because he had no idea how it had reached her without his knowledge.
Ron stuttered, “Her-Hermione! H-How did th-that reach you?”
“That is not what bothers me now. What bothers me is……how could you, Ron? How could you think something like this about me, Ron? Are you trying to make fun of me? Is this some kind of a joke?”
“No, No! Hermione. This is no joke. I meant every word I wrote in that letter. I still do. The only thing is that when I wrote this letter, I did not know anything about Matt or your past and I-”
Hermione held up her hand and said in a very steely voice, “That’s enough, Ron. I don’t want to hear anything from you anymore. Just don’t interfere in my life, and leave us alone. Do I make myself clear?”
She tore the letter into bits, threw them on Ron’s face, and alighted the bus. Ron stood dumbfounded at the unexpected turn of events, as he watched the shape of the bus become smaller and smaller.
~*~
“Look at that. The freak is back…”
“Oh, where is your father, freakie boy?”
Matt was used to his schoolmates tease him this way, yet it still reduced him to tears. He had only one best friend, Kevin who was his mother’s old friend Lavender’s son. Since Kevin was also a wizard, he too faced the occasional bursts of magic within him. But this time, as he sat and chatted with Kevin about their holidays, he did not feel very bad about all the teasing. On the contrary, he had a gut feeeling that this was not going to happen anymore. Why, he didn’t know.
Matt was just showing Kevin the gift he got from his Aunt Ginny, when it was snatched from him by Rich, the school bully.
“Oh, what is this? A new present for Mattie boy? Is it unbreakable? I hope not.”
“Give it back to me, Rich. It’s mine.”
“Yours? Who gave it to you? Your Dad? Oh, I remembered . You don’t have one!” Rich mocked as he and his friends burst into raucous laughter, and before Matt could say anything, his present was hurled into the air. Matt closed his eyes, waiting for a crash or a thump. But none of it came. Matt squinted his eyes open only to find a tall, red-headed man holding his gift in his hand and examining it closely.
“YES!” Matt exclaimed. Looking at the shocked faces of his opponents, he said, “I have a Dad and he is mine.” He pointed towards Ron.
Matt ran into Ron’s arms and whispered into his ears, “Thanks Ron! Thanks for coming! Thanks for being my Dad!”
“Anytime son, anytime.”
Apparently, Hermione was completely unaware of the racket that had taken place in the playground because she was basking in the praises showered about her son. She was very proud of him, and would have stayed in that trance if she wouldn’t have heard shouts and cheers coming from the playground.
Somehow, she found out that Matt had placed bets with some child named Rich that his father can jump from the roof of the school buildiing. Matt’s father? She thought. She must got a jolt of shock when she saw the red-headed man standing on the roof. With Matthew?
“Matthew Granger! Come down here right now!”, she screamed. Adding an afterthought she said, “By the stairs please.”
Up on the roof, Ron had no idea what he was doing. All he knew, was that he did not want to let Matthew down. But he made it a point to tell Matt after he heard Hermione’s screams, “Matt, buddy. Make sure that next time, you place easier “ and safer - bets with your friends the next time. Especially, when they concern me. Please!”
“Sure Dad! I am sorry.”
“It’s okay. Now go back to your Mum carefully. Because, from what I see from up here, you are already in serious trouble.”
When Matt reached his mother, Hermione first hugged him tightly and then shot a glare at him which clearly meant “What on earth is happening here?”
Matt grinned sheepishly and said, “Actually, I just…kind of…told Rich that my Dad can jump from anywhere and land without scratch.”
“Matt, you didn’t,” Hermione groaned, feeling sorry for Ron for having become a scapegoat here. She was completely oblivious to Ron jumping from that fateful place and landing unscathed.
“Actually, he did,” Ron said from behind, making an obvious show of dusting his clothes as he had landed firmly on his feet. Throwing a wink at Matt, he continued, “and I am glad he did. It’s not everyday that you can brag about your Dad. Right, Matt?”
Matt winked back and sprinted off to play with Kevin.
Hermione turned her attention from Matt to Ron, who was already looking at her. She thought she saw his expression change to harsh from……was that admiration?
“If you are wondering why I’m here, then let me tell you that I am not following you, or stalking you. I’m here because I promised Matthew. And I intend to keep my promise,” saying this, Ron walked away towards Matt and away from Hermione. He missed the speechless look on her face, which gave way to a hint of smile.
Meanwhile, Ron half regretted his harsh behaviour with Hermione. But he could not just let go of the anger he felt when she tore his letter at the station, without even listening to his side of the story. It was such an ironic situation that, while Hermione was claiming that Ron was making fun of her feelings, she was actually the one who was making a joke out of Ron’s feelings.
The day just passed by with Ron doing everything that suited Matt’s crazy whims; literally everything and literally crazy. As Hermione was keeping a check on Matt as well as dealing with the praises of his teachers about his smartness to complaints about his mischiefs, she managed to steal a look or two at Ron. To her chagrin, she even met his eyes once or twice. She could not quite decipher what she saw in his eyes then.
Soon, Parents’ Day was over and Ron stealthily distanced himself away from the school towards his car to allow mother and son some moments to themselves. He could not hear them speak, but he could see that Hermione looked truly sad as she was parting from her son. He remembered what his father said about her, that this was surely one of the moments when the otherwise strong Hermione looked the most vulnerable. He actually saw how true that was.
Hermione, as usual, could not hold back her tears. She managed to deliver the same old lectures of eating well, writing regularly, and not being shy to report any problem to the authorities. Finally, she broke down, “Matt, be safe, my baby. Don’t cry!” It seemed that the last sentence was more directed to herself than to her son.
Matt looked at his mother and lifted her face with his small hands. Wiping her tears, he said, “Honestly Mum! I am fine. You’re telling me not to cry, and look at yourself. Mum, you are crying!”
“Oh yeah. Silly me!”
Matt understood his mother. He realised how hard she worked to keep him happy and comfortable. He knew that she loved him and he loved her too. He had heard from his Aunt Ginny how intelligent and brave his mother had been in her school days, and still is, and he wanted to be like her. So he worked hard and was a good child at school, to make his mother happy and proud for him.
“Mum! It’s time to go.”
“Ok, baby. Take care. And Matt, I am sorry for yelling at you today.”
“It’s okay, Mum. I love you.”
Hermione gave her son a tight hug and turned to leave.
~*~
Ron drove in silence all the way. It was raining outside and that stormy weather exactly potrayed his mood right now. For once, he was not in seventh heaven that Hermione was seated next to him, silently. Hermione too, for her part, now completely regretted her behaviour at the bus station earlier that day. She felt that she had to explain her situation to Ron. He deserved it. So she turned to him.
“Ron?”
“Hmmm?”
“I am sorry about today…”
“Oh, no, Hermione. Not at all. You think I am angry at you. Oh no,” said Ron, in a tone that sounded that was casual but was actually, very angry and hurt.
Hermione sensed that, because she said, “I think I should explain.”
“Explain? Why Hermione? Can’t handle that you have, for once, failed miserably in something like marriage?”
That was the last straw. Now Hermione was angry. How can he say something so rude and cruel?
In a cold voice, Hermione said, “Stop the car.”
Ron too had realised that he had gone too far with that comment. But now, what was done was done. There was no going back. But he didn’t stop the car.
She repeated, loudly, albeit in the same cold voice, “I said stop the car. Right. Now.”
The car stopped and Hermione got out of it immediately, walking away briskly from it.
“Hermione! Wait! I am sorry! Please stop! Come on, it’s raining!”
“I don’t care for the rain, Ron. Why Ron?”
Ron did not understand what she meant by the question and it showed on his face. However, Hermione was too agitated to notice that as she continued, “Why is it always the woman’s fault? Is it my fault that you left me after Hogwarts to pursue your career? Is it my fault that Ian never loved me and left me to chase after some bimbo and her money? Is it my fault that Ian never bothered to find out anything about his family? Tell me Ron, is it my fault at all? Ron, I have limits too. How long can I bear all this?”
“ ‘Mione, ‘Mione, I understand,” said Ron, slowly approaching her. But she stopped him.
“No Ron, you don’t understand. You will never understand. I think it’s best that we part our ways.”
“No, Hermione,” Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her back. “I don’t think we should part our ways. We have done that for eight years. It didn’t work for me then and it is not going to work for me now.”
Hermione opened mouth to protest, but Ron silenced her with a finger on her lips. He continued, “Hermione, I understand what you have been through. More than what you think is my ability to understand. And trust me, I love you more than ever. Don’t be surprised, Hermione. It is true. I have loved you since the time you told me that I have dirt on my nose. I loved you even when the day we parted on the last day at Hogwarts.”
Hermione asked, with tears in her eyes, “Then why did you go?”
“I am sorry, Hermione. It just seemed the best thing to do at that time. You have no idea how much it hurt me.”
“Ron, do you have any idea what your coming back has done to me? I had so long buried those feelings in me and..”
“Hermione,” Ron said. “Don’t say a thing.”
Ron moved towards Hermione and kissed her softly with all the love in him. It was more than a kiss. It was a proof of the promise that Ron made to himself and Hermione that he would give her and Matt a better life. It was a kiss that released Hermione from the torment of her past and gave her hope of happiness and love in future. It was a kiss that made Ron forget all about his career plans and Hermione, all about her situation in reality, for now they were too deep in love to notice any problems.
As they parted, there was no need to ask any questions aloud but Hermione felt the need to answer the one that was in Ron’s eyes and she just said, “Yes Ron.”
Ron could have jumped in the air had it not been a serious situation, but all he could was open his mouth to say something when Hermione silenced him by saying, “Shh Ron! Don’t say a thing.”
~*~
All the way, from Hermione’s flat to the Burrow, Ron felt giddy with happiness. He felt almost drunk with it. So when he reached home, he rushed to his room to find Ginny busy chatting with a person. A very familiar person.
“Harry!”
Harry turned to him and gave him a big smile, saying, “Hey Ron! So nice to see you!”
“Nice to see you too, Ron!”
“Oh yeah, hello to you too, Ron,” said another voice in the room.
“Hillary! Hi, how are you? Glad that you could make it,” Ron greeted Hillary with a peck on the cheek.
“Ginny, have you introduced her to the family?”, Ron turned to Ginny.
“Actually no, they just came, you know and we had just started tallking when you came,” Ginny replied. “C’mon Hillary, let’s leave the blokes alone. They have some catching up to do.”
Saying this, Ginny led Hillary out of Ron’s room, but not before throwing a wink in Harry’s direction. Ron noticed it.
“Whoa, mate, what was all that about?”
“I’ll tell you that later. But first, tell me about your project?”
“Oh……er…….project? Okay, sit down. I’ll tell you.”
Ron told Harry everything about how he met Hermione, how they were put together in the Operation Settle-Down. He even told Harry about all the funny dates, his dream, his dream-woman, Matthew, Hermione’s past, and how he reached the conclusion that she was the one he was going to marry. Then he stopped.
All the while, Harry gave all the reactions that Ron had expected him to give at the right moment. But he was confused when Ron stopped all of a sudden.
So Harry said, “Is this the part when I am supposed to ask you about your decision? Because if you don’t tell me on your own, I am going to hex it out of you.”
Ron smiled. It was a very different smile from his usual lopsided mischievous grin. It was a smile full of maturity, and happiness. But….there was most certainly some trace of mischief in it.
He said, “Oh, I’ll tell you if you tell me all about Ginny’s wink.”
Harry was taken aback and had no choice but to blush.
“Oh, about the wink, er……It’s just that……Hillary and I are…um… engaged.”
Without a warning, Harry found himself in his friend’s embrace and hugged him back. Truly speaking, in all his years of friendship with Ron, he had never hugged, actually hugged him with brotherly affection. So he was surprised. Pleased, but surprised. Nevertheless, he hugged him back, and said, “Whoa! Who are you and what have you done to Ronald Weasley?”
“Huh?”
“Mate, you realise that you’ve become a softie?”
“Yeah, mate. You know how it feels and all?”
“Of course I was just teasing. So are you going to tell or do I go on with my threat?”
But, before Ron could say something, they heard a knock and then Ginny’s voice saying, “Dinner’s ready, guys!”
Ron had an idea.
“You know what, Harry, I think now that I have made a decision. I might as well tell it to everybody. Let’s go. Not to mention, all this emotional stuff makes me hungry.”
After dinner, when everybody had settled down, Ron decided that this was the time. So he began, “Er…everybody, I have something to share with you guys.”
All the chatting stopped and everybody’s eyes were now at him. Feeling encouraged, he continued, “Mum, Dad, I know it was your plan to put me on an Operation Settle-Down. So, I just want to say that your plan worked. In the most unusual way, yes, but it worked. What I mean to tell is that I have found the girl I want to marry.”
Now everybody’s curiosity had reached its peak.
“Mum, Dad, everybody, I have decided to marry Hermione.”
~*~