All characters, settings, etc, are the copyright of JK Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing.
Freeze
Chapter 5: The Thaw
Hermione sat at her work desk, idly tapping her cheek with a pencil and staring off into space. Ron had been staying at her house now for three weeks, and neither one of them had heard from either Ginny or Harry so they could only assume the Freeze was still in effect. Hermione had gone out with Thomas on Wednesday evening to make up for being “sick” on their previous date. Unfortunately, during the entire evening, she found herself thinking about a certain red head with a gorgeous grin. Ron had grown on her this past week. They had been spending more time together in the evenings, laughing and talking about old times. Neither one had mentioned their breakup, however, and time was running out. Soon the Freeze would be over, Ron would be returning to London, and once again they would be apart.
Hermione sat up straight, took a deep breath, and got back to work.
~*~
Ron wanted this evening to be perfect. He only had another week with Hermione and wanted to do something special for her. So he’d gotten the idea in his head to cook dinner for the two of them. After all, how hard could it be to make a roast dinner using Muggle appliances?
He prepared for the evening by watching the cooking channel all day long, taking notes, and setting out all the proper materials. Hermione had a few cookbooks so he looked those over until he’d found a recipe that didn’t look too difficult. He set the oven temperature to three hundred and fifty degrees, which he found to be easy enough. Except he accidentally turned the broiler on, so instead of the roast cooking gradually, the top dried up, started to sear, and the entire kitchen filled with a light smoke. In a panic, Ron opened a window and used a towel to fan the smoke out as best he could. Crookshanks seemed to find this all very amusing and sat in the kitchen doorway to watch the show.
Hermioine returned home to find the table set for two, a very disgruntled and red-eared Ron sitting with his head in his hands, and a half-burned, half-raw roast in her sink.
“Ronald, what happened? Oh.” As she realized what he’d tried to do, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Well I was trying to cook a meal. It’s my last week here and I wanted to say thank you. For letting me stay here.” He sighed loudly and sat back in his chair. “Instead I almost burned your house down and dinner is ruined.”
Hermione turned her broiler off, gave the roast in the sink a quick glance and then sat down next to Ron. She put a hand on his knee. “Hey, thanks for dinner.” She smiled.
“Yeah, brilliant eh?” He rolled his eyes and snorted but the hand on his knee sent an electric shock through his body.
She stood and grabbed the phone. “I have an excellent idea.”
She ordered a pizza.
~*~
Hermione tip-toed out of her bedroom and crept down the hall in her pajamas. It was late, but moonlight filled the living room and she could see him perfectly as he lay on her sofa, sound asleep. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She sat down on the chair opposite him and watched his breathing for a moment.
She had to know what he was thinking.
Three years ago he had come to her and had laid his feelings on the line. Two weeks after that, he left and shattered her heart. Since she couldn’t sleep, and he wasn’t talking, she figured she would at least find out why before he left and she never saw him again.
Unfortunately it was one in the morning.
She switched on the table lamp. He didn’t move. She cleared her throat. He continued to sleep. Sighing, she got up and sat down next to him on the sofa and shook his shoulder. “Ron.”
He stirred but didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he put his arms around her, placed a hand behind her head and in his sleep proceeded to bring her face to his and give her a thorough kiss. She splayed her fingers on his chest and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he threw her off of him and scrambled up to a seated position. “Hermione! What the bloody hell?”
She landed with a thud on the floor and frowned up at him. “I was trying to wake you up and you grabbed me. It wasn’t my fault!” She stood and brushed herself off. Her lips were on fire.
He ran his hands through his hair and looked at the clock. “What’s the matter? Why were you attacking me at one in the morning in your -” his eyes widened at her white tank top and hip-hugging pajama bottoms, “Night clothes?”
She stomped and corrected him, “Ronald, I wasn’t attacking you! I was trying to wake you. I wanted to talk.” She sat back down on the chair to keep a safe distance and hugged her knees to her chest. Why had she forgotten her robe? She could feel his eyes on her bare skin.
Suddenly he yawned and threw the blanket back. She gasped and turned away but then turned pink once she realized that he was, in fact, wearing pajama bottoms. He grinned at her obvious discovery. Then the grin faded as he realized he had just kissed Hermione in his sleep, and couldn’t remember a damn thing about it.
“Talk, yeah...” He leaned forward, rubbed his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees. He looked her straight in the eye. “Alright. I’ll start.” He was frowning now. “Why did you leave me three years ago?”
Her mouth dropped open. Obviously he had been wanting to talk to her too. “I… because I told you I would leave if you went after Draco Malfoy!” She bit her bottom lip and the tears welled up in her eyes with the memory of their final argument.
“Well you really taught me a lesson, didn’t you?” He was angry now and decided to stand for the rest of this heated discussion. “Hermione, we had just told one another about our feelings after how long,” he began to pace, “And then you run off to America and don’t tell me where you’re going.” He stopped and looked down at her. “You killed me that day, you know. I came back and all I wanted was to hold you and make plans together and you had left me. I still can’t believe you did it.”
She blinked the tears away and stood up to face him “I told you not to go after Malfoy. It was reckless, Ronald! I thought if you really loved me that you would stay with me.”
“THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! I was training to be an Auror, Hermioine. That’s what Aurors do. They chase dark wizards! Malfoy was responsible for all of those brutal attacks, and he belonged in Azkaban. I helped the Order catch him. You didn’t have faith in me! When I came back and you had left, I realized that you never really loved me at all.”
“It’s not that I didn’t have faith in you, Ron! I was scared! I didn’t want to lose you!” She got up and stood directly in front of him. “I was so tired after the war. I had just found you, and I didn’t want to lose you. The investigation involved Death Eaters, and I was petrified!” She looked down and shook her head. How could he think I didn’t love him?
As this registered in Ron’s brain, he turned away from her to think for a moment. “So you decided to go to America? AMERICA, Hermione! What were you thinking?” He sat down and put his head in his hands.
“Ronald, I didn’t tell you or Harry that day, but in addition to the Ministry offering me a position in London, I was also offered a higher-paying job in America working for the ADoA. But I didn’t want to be apart from you! So I took the job in London! When you left me without even batting an eye, I figured you didn’t care about us.” She was shaking. “So I left! I thought that if I were mistaken, you would contact me, but you never did!” Her hands were on her hips as she glared up into his eyes.
He sneered at her. “I’m sorry, Hermione, it took us awhile to find and defeat Malfoy and the Death Eaters. By the time I got back, you were long gone. I can’t even believe…” He trailed off as he turned away from her, shaking his head and grumbling.
She held her ground. “I left England, but I never stopped thinking about you Ron. I’m glad you finished your training. And I’m very proud of you for helping Ginny and Harry.” She looked down and hugged her arms around herself to stop the shaking.
He heard her whisper, “I’m glad you came here. No matter what happens. I’ll never forget you.” The tears fell freely now and she cried in earnest.
Suddenly she was enveloped in his arms, and he rocked her gently from side to side and told her not to cry. But she cried harder, still realizing all the time she had wasted when all either of them wanted to do was be together. Now she had gone and ruined everything. She pushed away from him and ran back to her bedroom where she closed and locked the door. She stood there sobbing, her heart breaking all over again.
She heard him try to open the door, then a brief bit of silence before the door flew open with a loud BANG, making her jump and spin around. He stood there breathing heavily and all at once he was in front of her, pulling her toward him and kissing her fiercely. She kissed him back, running her hands through his hair and up and down his bare back.
He growled deep in his throat as he pressed himself against her. His hands were on her back and under her shirt when he realized he needed to set the record straight, once and for all. He pulled away suddenly and held her face in his hands as he looked into her eyes and said, “I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: I’ve never met anyone quite like you before, Hermione Granger. I love you. I always have and I always will.”
She sniffed and flashed him a brilliant smile. They were both crying now. “I love you too, Ron. I never stopped. I’m so sorry I left.” Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.
Ron didn’t go back to sleep on the sofa that night. In fact, Ron didn’t go back to sleep at all that night.
Epilogue
The American Department of Aurors agreed to let Hermione transfer back to London. Various homeless folk stopped her on the street to say their farewells and wish her the best of luck overseas. She had made many friends but was looking forward to seeing everyone back home. When she returned home from her last day of work in America, she took out her box of magical items and used her wand to clean her house from top to bottom. Meanwhile, she and Ron made out on the sofa and Crookshanks looked on in total disgust.
Harry and Ginny came by personally to collect Ron and were pleasantly surprised to find out they would be leaving with Hermione as well. Hermione scolded Harry for not contacting her before or after their wedding, after which Harry apologized and reminded Hermione how easily your brain turns to mush when you’re crazy in love. This excuse worked, and she backed off.
Thomas wasn’t surprised when Hermione told him she would be moving away soon. He said deep down he had sensed her heart was elsewhere. He wished her the best of luck in England. Mrs. Crowley, however, told Hermione she was looking forward to a new neighbor who didn’t have wild parties every night of the week.
~*~
Two months later, after Ron and Hermione got a flat together in London, a home warming gift arrived from Harry and Ginny with a note attached telling them that the Freeze had never actually been necessary.
Once again, Harry and Ginny had come through for Ron and Hermione. And once again, Ron and Hermione were grateful for the help. ~*~
a/n: Thanks for reading, folks. Thanks again to Grimmrook for the help “ it was much appreciated. Peace out.