“Mummy!”

            The faint screaming of my youngest daughter, Melissa, woke me as my eyes opened slowly revealing the fuzzy image of my ceiling. I sat up in my bed as I felt an arm draped around me. A smile formed on my lips as I watched my husband sleep, listening to his light snore. 

            It’s kind of funny how things always fall together. No matter how many obstacles there are, you’ll find yourself exactly where you want to be in the end. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than where I am, right now. I’ve got six kids who mean more than the world to me and a husband who can still make me weak in the knees with his kisses.

            I could never forget that very day that altered my life completely.

            It was back in my 7th year of Hogwarts.

            All of our NEWT’s were coming up within a couple weeks and I found myself very stressed out as I tried to pull off my Head Girl duties as well, not to mention the controversy that was going on in my love life.

            Technically, I was already taken by a guy. Unfortunately, he confused me greatly. He, himself, didn’t confuse me, it was the feeling I felt toward him that was confusing. For some reason, I felt that it was he who I would wind up with. He was Head Boy, so naturally, we saw quite a bit of each other, patrolling corridors together and organizing meetings.

            His name was Jason. He had hair, dark and messy enough to remind me of Harry’s, only his eyes were grey. We had our moments, little flirtatious remarks here and there, nothing big. Perhaps the scariest thing was that I could see myself with him ten years from now. We’d live in some artistic loft with a kid or two. I’d have plenty of money to treat myself to monthly perms and weekly manicures. He’d be a medi-wizard, since that was what he had aspired to be. Unfortunately, those late nights would leave me home alone while the kids slept over at their friends’ house. I’d be sitting there on our leather couch in that huge loft, listening to the WWN, all by myself. He’d come home after I was asleep, but I would never say anything to him. I would never admit to anybody how lonely I was.

            Yes, I had quite the imagination. It wouldn’t be that bad if I had loved him, and I would grow to love him. We were just so perfect for each other. He was in Ravenclaw and we could talk for hours about politics and medicine. In addition, we had never had a fight.

            Even if I didn’t love him, it wasn’t like I had any other guys to choose from.

            Well, that wasn’t completely true. There was another guy whom I’d fancied, although, the thought of the two of us ever being together was utterly ridiculous.

            The man didn’t have a clue! Or, maybe I didn’t have a clue. He was my best friend, and yet I couldn’t help but feel this strange attraction to him.

            Strange it was. He was the only man who could infuriate me to my breaking point. He made me want to scream at the top of my lunges and punch something. However, he was also the only man who was ever able to make my toes curl in pleasure at his mere touch. My breath caught in my throat whenever I saw him. Desire to feel him in every way I could coursed through my veins. 

            All I felt for Ron was pure lust. That’s all it was.

            Wasn’t it? Well, that doesn’t really matter. It was just easier to pretend my feelings for him were lust. How could I have loved anyone at such a young age?

            Now, what I felt for Jason was...

            What did I feel for Jason?

            It most definitely wasn’t lust. He was an attractive bloke, don’t get me wrong, but he didn’t have those piercing blue eyes that sent thrilling shivers down my spine. He didn’t have those amazingly bright red locks that my fingers ached to touch.

            God, everything about Ron turned me on!

            But, even with that, Jason and I just made sense.

            How I came to that conclusion, I’ll never know. Tell me, how does it make sense to spend your life with someone you don’t love? 

            Anyway, that day at Lunch, an owl landed in front of me carrying a letter. Harry seemed rather surprised as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Ron, however, didn’t seem to have cared. He was too busy chatting up Lavender Brown. It wasn’t enough that the woman already had her own boyfriend, she had to try and claim the one I wanted. I watched as he talked to her, obviously flirting with her. Didn’t he know Seamus held claim to her?

            A sharp pain on my middle finger brought me back to my letter as the owl bit my other finger, clearly wanting a reward for his deliverance. I gave him a piece of my brownie before shooing him off.

            My attention went back to my letter, an ivory envelope with a unique seal that I had never seen before. It was an image of an eagle eating a snake. I smiled as I realized who this must be from. I opened it, feeling an extreme curiosity as to why Jason would send me a letter, when I would see him tomorrow at our Prefect’s meeting.

Hermione,

            I have something quite amazing to show you, plus there’s something I would really like to tell you. Meet me on the roof of the South Tower while everyone is eating dinner tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll bring food for us.

Love,

Jason

            I smiled in spite of myself at his thoughtfulness. It certainly did sound like a romantic affair. I would have to get dressed up, but not seem as though I got dressed up just for him. I should be dressy, yet remain casual. Actually, I should just wear my uniform. Yes! That was genius!

            “What is that?” Ron’s attention had apparently finally averted to me as his eyes raked over the letter I held in my hand.

            “What does it matter to you?” I don’t know why I felt the need to be bitter toward him. He seemed slightly hurt, but only for a moment. He simply stared at me as though he thought he could scare me into telling him.

            Oh God, I loved his eyes, the brightest cobalt blue I had ever seen. The chatter and murmur of the people around us slowly faded away as those pleasant shivers traveled down my spine yet again. I felt as though I was looking into his soul, and the thought alone brought a heat I had never felt before between my legs. I could barely breathe, and I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of desire in his eyes, before Harry cleared his throat.

            The world returned as I quickly avoided his eyes, pretending that nothing had just happened between us. After all, I was going to go see Jason tonight, not Ron. I couldn’t allow myself to lose the connection I shared with Jason just for a few raging hormones I had a temporary problem controlling.

            In truth, I never did have control over those hormones, or at least, the control I had was extremely slim. I’m speaking particularly about an event that had happened the previous summer. The details are a bit hazy now, but I remember quite clearly the position Ron and I had wound up in as Ginny walked in on us. I couldn’t even spare a glance for Ron after that, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never deny that he had set the standard for all guys that I would ever meet. Deep down, I always knew no man could compare to Ron. I didn’t want any man to compare to Ron. All I wanted was Ron. I wanted him to be the only one who would taste me, fill me, and make me complete.

            Oh wow! I could not allow those kinds of thoughts to penetrate my mind. No. No. No. I have got to stop myself from digressing as I do so often.

            Finally, words began to form through my teeth as I forced myself not to think about what I so desperately wanted to think about.

            “Deeply sorry, but I will be missing you two at dinner tonight due to a meeting I cannot possibly miss in the Divination classroom,” I said, trying to remain as calm as my nerves would allow. I avoided looking at Ron at all costs, but I could feel that skeptical look on his face.

            It may sound stupid to have told them of my future location, but if I hadn’t, they would’ve grown worried about me at dinner. Of course, I should’ve realized that it wouldn’t help to tell them I was meeting in the Divination classroom, as they knew I hated the subject. Perhaps, I just had wishful thinking that Ron would come looking for me. 

            Despite the incredible urge to look Ron in the eyes, I simply walked out of the Great Hall, keeping my back as straight as possible, stubbornly holding my head high.

            I had to prepare for tonight. 

            Looking in the mirror was a nightmare. No matter how hard I tried, I could not tame my damn hair, and my experiment with makeup was not working out. I felt as though my face was buried beneath a mask. I turned on the faucet and washed my face. I obviously did something wrong because the mascara wouldn’t come off; it only spread away from my eyes, causing me to look like a raccoon.

            Oh God, everything had to go wrong. I ran out and grabbed my wand, muttering a quick cleansing charm and felt so much better. It would just have to do.

            I honestly had no idea what to expect as I walked out of the Common Room, taking the same path that I had in 3rd year toward the Divination classroom on the top floor. I felt slightly excited, but it was mostly buried under the extreme hesitance to start a relationship with anyone other than Ron. I couldn’t lie to myself. I knew the truth, my heart had belonged to Ron. 

            I climbed the first ladder to the classroom, but in order to avoid being seen by Professor Trelawny, I remained hidden in the ridiculous fog and crimson light of her classroom as I climbed the final ladder that would lead to the roof.

            I lifted the trapdoor bringing the sky into view. A pink tint filled the night filtering from a sharp ruby red light shaped like an almond on the horizon as the sun set. Its beauty was truly beyond words; it was utterly gorgeous.

            I guess I expected to see some sort of romantic setting with Jason looking up at me with a goofy smile, because I found I was disappointed. The roof was completely vacant. Even if he had been there, there was no way his goofy smiles were as heartwarming as Ron’s. However, he wasn’t there. Was there any way I could’ve been stupid enough to fall for some sort of trap?

            Confusion set in. Nothing made sense. It was a bit earlier than he might’ve been expecting, but wouldn’t he have been here first anyway? I walked closer to the edge, looking down on the grounds. I could see Hagrid’s hut from where I was. I tried to think of the exact wording of the letter when I heard a creak, signaling entrance from the door I had come from.

            I jumped, feeling extremely apprehensive as to whether I would be happy to see Jason’s raven hair or not. Relief filled my senses as the light reflected upon the hair, showing quite clearly that it was crimson. I hadn’t seen the person’s face yet, but how many redheads had I known that would follow me up a tower when all I wanted was for him to leave me alone?

            “Ron?” I was surprised at the high decibels in my tone, revealing anger when I felt nothing of the sort. I had thought I wanted him to leave me alone, but as I looked at him, I knew that could never be true.

            “God, Hermione! How daft can you be to come...”

            “You have no right to be here.” Ron had now fully ascended through the door and stood there, staring at me with an intense look as his ears reddened.

            “I’ve got as much a right to be here as you!”

            I forced myself not to look at him, knowing I would break down at once. I could not allow him to win, even if he did have a point! I’m Hermione Granger and the day I lose an argument to Ronald Weasley will never come!

            “You followed me here...”

            “Because, for the greatest witch of your time, you can be incredibly daft!” 

            My mouth was ready for a retort, ready for some brilliantly scathing remark to prove my point, but my mind wouldn’t allow it as the impact of his words hit me.

            The greatest witch of my time? 

            He had the strangest way of making me feel so much better, even when he wasn’t trying to. I denied all logic, and finally looked into his eyes. My stomach did a sort of somersault at the sincerity within them. Those familiar shivers traveled up my spine. I felt so vulnerable beneath his gaze.

            “I can take care of myself,” I continued on, stubbornly.

            “I have no doubt that you could...”

            “How did you know I’d be here?” I said, cutting him off. The softness is his tone was too much for me to take. I could already feel the little control I did possess falling away. 

            I had never realized how tall this man truly was, or how when he got angry, not only would his ears redden, but so would his hands. He had quite massive hands. I wanted nothing more than to feel his hands on my body, or to see if it was true that if a man had big hands, he would have a big...

            “You left your letter in the Great Hall.” His words jarred me back to reality, making me blush at the insane fantasies that were running through my head.

            My letter? Jason’s letter! The last I had seen it was when I first opened it! How could I be so stupid as to leave it there when I knew Ron would die before allowing me to date another guy?

            Rage took over at his audacity! Why did he feel it was up to him to protect me? He wasn’t my bloody father! He had some nerve to follow me here tonight! Even if he did harbor some undeclared feelings toward me, he could still be such a prat!

            “I told you, I could take care of myself!”

            “You’re not doing a very good job of it,” he said, his voice rising to compete with mine. I hadn’t even noticed that I had been yelling at him.

            I felt the need to counter him, but couldn’t find the strength. Instead, I looked off into the sky which had now lost most of its color, growing darker by the minute as vague lights became slightly visible in the distance.

            Why did we always have to argue? Here we were, in the most romantic place I could think of, arguing! All I wanted to do was run to him, grab him, and mimic the kiss we had shared last summer! I wanted to give in to the sensations running through my veins, to make him mine and make sure no girl could ever take him from me.

            “I’m just worried about you, Hermione,” he said, his voice softening, making my legs feel like lead. As he drew me out of my thoughts, I noticed he had cut the distance between us in half. 

            “I don’t need you to protect me, Ron,” I said, feeling chagrined at the bitterness in my own tone.

            “God, Hermione! I never said you did! I just...I would never be able to live with myself if something...if something happened to you!”

            Next thing I knew, we were mere inches apart. His eyes blazing, revealing an uncharacteristic softness. My eyes were hypnotized onto his, refusing to move at any cost, but I could feel that we were no longer near the edge, surprising me, showing that it was I who had cut the final space between us. Clearly, my legs had a mind of their own, considering that the feeling that they were composed of lead remained.

            My nerves were not agreeing with me at all as I gave into a horrible habit of mine and licked my lips. His eyes finally parted from mine to glance at the action. Pure desire radiated from his gaze, triggering a pool of heat to erupt within my stomach.

            His eyes intensified, strengthening the heat that I only ever felt in Ron’s presence. I could feel the tension between us building. We were awfully close, too close, definitely too close for my liking. 

            Oh shut up! I told my thoughts as I destroyed the remaining distance between us. That fulfilling warmth spread to my fingertips as I brought them around to the nape of his neck, entwining them within his hair. God, his hair was so soft, softer than I thought it would’ve been.

            I felt his tongue at my lips, seemingly demanding entrance which I willingly provided without so much as another thought about it.

            The feeling of his tongue exploring every cavity within my mouth was exhilarating, merely propelling my need further. I don’t know how to put that feeling into words. I felt empty inside. I needed to be filled. I needed Ron! I needed to get as close to him as humanly possible!

            My hands moved down to unbutton his shirt, trying to discard of it. I needed to remove the barrier between us, to feel his skin against mine. Our lower bodies came into sharp contact as I felt my effect on him press against my center. Oh God, that felt good! A moan resounded in my throat, the sound being swallowed within Ron’s mouth. I wanted to feel that again, minus the damn clothes! 

            Ron’s moist lips trailed down my neck, delicately nibbling at my pulse point, sending thrilling tremors down to my center. His hands captured my hips, possessively pulling me into him yet again. This time, my moan moved past my throat, filling the night sky. The sharpness of his teeth nearly punctured my skin as another wave of pleasure roamed over my body. A low, husky moan reverberated from his own throat.

            “Gorgeous.” He had to have been referring to the sky, and yet as his hands touched me like no one else ever had, I honestly felt beautiful. A shuddering breath escaped my lunges as I needed him more than ever!

            Sudden realization slammed into me at what my body wanted to do. My mind had shut off and all logic had escaped me. How did that happen? All I really knew was that it had to stop. None of this was real! Ron didn’t love me! He could have any girl he desired. What would he possibly want with me? I pushed him away before I could lose myself in the sensations his touch promised. I did my best to ignore the loss that my body felt as it screamed in agony. Not paying attention to my surroundings, I moved as far from him as I possibly could, my calves hitting the railing, almost sending me off the roof, before I caught my balance.

            “Too...fast...” I said, still not quite able to capture my breath. Ron didn’t say anything, but I could hear his deep breathing as well, knowing he must have been having as hard a time as I was, keeping control.

            Damn! It was last summer all over again, only this was about a thousand times more intense! How badly had I messed up our friendship? I didn’t see how we could ever be comfortable around each other ever again!

            “As you know,” I started, having no idea where I found the strength to talk, but still feeling the need to put a stop to this, “I’m supposed to be meeting my date Jason here, and I’m sure he’ll be arriving momentarily.”

            “He’s not coming.” His voice was oddly distant, making me feel a bit powerful, before I even realized what he was saying.

            My eyes landed directly on Ron, despite my insane protest to looking at him.

            “What?” I asked, incredulously.

            Shit! What the hell had he done?

            “Don’t look at me like that! Did you happen to notice what tower you’re in?”

            “The Divination Tow-“

            ”The North Tower!”

            I looked at him, not understanding where he was trying to lead me with this.

            “He told you to meet him in the South Tower, remember?”

            Oh God! He was right! I was on the wrong tower. Shame hazed my thoughts as an image of Jason came into view. He was just sitting there, still waiting for me, trying to hide the depression evident on his face. I had to go to him. He didn’t deserve to be humiliated like that!

            I ran toward the door, scowling when Ron stood in front of me, not letting me pass by.

            “Ron! He thinks I stood him up!”

            “Well, that’s what you should’ve done!”

            “Don’t you dare tell me what I should and should not do!” I yelled, the rage not quite covering the immense sexual attraction I was feeling toward him. “The poor guy must feel horrible...”

            “What the hell just happened between us?” he interrupted, raising his voice louder than he had all night. “Because if you felt what I felt...”

            “Nothing, Ron.” My heart filled with lead as I lied to Ron as well as to myself. There was no way that those words were true, no fucking way! I still have no idea why my mind refused to listen to my heart. “Nothing happened.”

            Ron blinked in disbelief, his eyes reddening as he averted his eyes elsewhere.

            I had hurt him.

            Standing in front of me was the man of my dreams.

            The only man I could ever love.

            No one could infuriate me as badly as he did.

            No one could rival me as stubbornly as he could.

            No one could complete me, make me feel unbelievable, as much as he did. 

            This man made me feel beautiful at times when my self-confidence was lacking tremendously. He related everything he felt for me with the mere contact of our eyes. He made me smile like no one else could. I could tell, just by looking at him, that he would defend my honor to his death.

            And here I stood, breaking his heart.

            I felt tears form in my eyes, as he nodded and moved aside to let me through.

            No more, I thought. I had denied my heart too many times. There was no way in hell I would do it again.

            I brought my lips quickly to his in a chaste kiss, just as quickly withdrawing them.

            His eyes peered at me, showing unshed tears, questioning my actions.

            “I’m not going anywhere,” I said, feeling a tear form at the edge of my eye and glide gently down my cheek.

            Our eyes met yet again as he raised his thumb to brush aside my tear. His touch on my skin spread warmth through my veins to the tips of my fingers and toes, blocking out the sudden chill that filled the night air.

            He smiled and nodded, bringing my lips back for another heartwarming kiss. 

            It was then, that I knew I could never tire of him. He was the love of my life, the only man for me. There would be times when he would get me mad as hell, but my love for him would never waver.

            Seventeen years later, I still sit by his side, never tiring of waking up to his face every day. Not many people believe in soulmates. I’ll be honest with you, I used to be one of them. However, I don’t know how else to explain the love between Ron and me. I can’t imagine my life without Ron.

            I try my hardest not to think of how my life would be different if I had gone to the right tower that fateful night, but I can’t help it. I would be miserable if it wasn’t for that illogical mistake I made in my 7th year of Hogwarts.

            So, for once in my life, I’m glad I made a mistake. Mistakes have a funny way of turning out not to be mistakes at all. That’s what’s so thrilling about life. Seeing as how I couldn’t live without Ron, I’m sure that no matter what had happened that night, he and I would still be together at this moment, at this point in time. He and I are soulmates, whether you believe in them or not. We said our vows, bonding us in this lifetime, but the power of our love bonds us forever!

Author’s Note: This is my first ever story, and it’s rather important to me to know what people think about it...so I would really appreciate it if you would review, even if you hated it.

And I would thank my good friend Lily...I love her so much!!! Plus, she helped a lot with this fic!