“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you
disconnect yourself from what you really want, and all that is left is a
compromise,” “ Robert Fritz
As they walked back down the pier, neither of them spoke, but neither of them
needed to. Hermione knew what Ron had said was right, and Ron knew that Hermione
believed him. Wondering if this might be his opportunity to share his evening’s
revelation with Hermione, Ron tried to decide what would be best to do.
It might make everything better “ but it might make everything worse.
‘If you don’t decide now, Ronald Weasley,’ he thought to himself as they reached
the end of the pier and Hermione turned to say goodnight, ‘then you could regret
this for the rest of your life.’
“Wait here,” he said suddenly, coming to his decision abruptly. “Don’t move.”
And before Hermione had the chance to ask him any questions, he had Apparated to
his flat. Once there, he began searching desperately through the neatly piled
boxes in his closet, searching…
And then he found it. A small plastic bag with something cardboard tucked inside. Holding it tightly in his hand, he Apparated back to the
pier to find Hermione still there, looking suspicious.
“What are you up to, Ron?” she asked impatiently. “And what’s that you’ve got
there?”
“You’ll see,” he told her, grabbing her hand and dragging her back towards the
direction of the TV studios. “You’ll see.”
As they rounded a corner onto the street where the TV studios were, they saw a small café ahead of them. At a small round table outside it, sat
Harry and Ginny sitting and talking. Neither of them had noticed Ron or Hermione
come in, but were deep in discussion. Both of them looked extremely happy.
“Hi!” Hermione called, pulling Ron over to them, as he hastily stuffed the thing
he was holding back in his pocket. Harry and Ginny looked round and waved,
beaming; well, Ginny was beaming, but Harry’s face took on more of a wicked
grin.
“Hey Ron,” he called back, standing up to draw up chairs for them and doing a
mock pirouette in the process. “Nice dancing, mate.”
“Ha ha,” Ron said sourly, sitting down in one of the chairs. “What are you two
looking so happy about anyway?” Ginny opened her mouth, ready to tell all, but
Harry stopped her.
“We can’t tell you just yet, but you’ll find out on Monday night. We’re having a
party to let everybody know, just a little celebration, really.”
“Can’t we tell them now?” Ginny asked stubbornly, her bottom lip protruding ever
so slightly.
“We agreed to wait!” Harry replied, but he was grinning.
“But I want to tell everyone now!” Ginny sighed, resting her head on Harry’s
shoulder. “Fine, I’ll wait until Monday night.”
Ron and Hermione looked at them, puzzled and intrigued.
“Gin, what-“ Ron began, but Hermione cut across him.
“Ginny, are you-“
“Anyway, must be off,” Harry said loudly, cutting Hermione’s question off. “Nice
seeing the dancing Ron,” he added, doing another pirouette. Ron would dearly
have liked to punch him at that moment.
Harry helped Ginny up and the two of them walked out of the bar hand in hand,
still smiling happily. Ron turned to Hermione.
“Do you know what they’re on about?” he asked, pointedly. Hermione’s cheeks went
slightly pink.
“I don’t know for sure,” she said shiftily. “You’ll find out on Monday, but I
won’t tell you what I think, just in case I’m wrong.” Ron snorted.
“You? You’re never wrong,” he told her, putting his arm round her shoulders and
leading her towards the studios, which were luckily still open. Hermione sighed.
“Sometimes I am,” she said quietly. Ron made no reply. The ballroom was
mercifully empty, and Ron told Hermione to take off her coat, put on her mask,
and wait in the middle of the floor while he prepared something. When Hermione’s
back was turned, he quickly slipped a CD into the music player, and took the cardboard thing wrapped in plastic out of his pocket.
It was a mask. The mask that Estelle had given him to wear for the Masquerade
Ball. He slipped it on and called to Hermione, “Close your eyes!” She obliged
immediately, and Ron pressed the Play button, before hurrying over to her, and
taking her in his arms. The song ‘Lady in Red’ began softly playing.
“You can open your eyes now,” he told her quietly. She did so, and he saw her
mouth open slightly with surprise at suddenly recognising him.
“It was you?” she asked, finally. “It was you?”
“Yes,” Ron replied. “It was me.”
Neither of them spoke for a very long time, but, once again, neither of them
needed to. They simply moved slowly on the dimly-lit dance floor, while the soft
music filled their ears. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Hermione spoke.
“The music’s finished,” she whispered. Ron nodded.
“That it has,” he replied. Hermione smiled.
“You know, you always made me laugh,” she told him, still not letting go. “And
you’re right. You really do know me better than anyone.”
Ron looked down at her soft brown eyes, and saw the warmth and love in them. And
once again, he was faced with a decision.
He could walk away. He could leave it like this forever, just a happy memory.
Or…
Something in him told him that walking away would be the greatest mistake of his
life. Hermione had walked away from him once before, and he knew that he
couldn’t walk away. Not now. Not after everything.
She was still looking at him.
But what if everything went horribly wrong? This could be the moment he’d been
dreaming about for years “ but it could make everything more complicated.
She was still looking at him.
He had to decide.
And, suddenly making up his mind, he bent down and kissed her.
For a moment, he didn’t think at all. In fact, feeling only seemed to return to his body as Hermione pulled sharply away.
“Ron?” she asked. His ears were going red, he could feel them.
“I’m sorry, Hermione,” he apologised in a rush. “That was stupid of me, just… just forget it.” Hermione shook her head.
“It’s not your fault, Ron,” she sighed. “It’s just that, I can’t. Well, not while I’m still with Alex. It’s all confused and messed up, and I have to decide what to do. I’m sorry.”
And Ron watched her walk away from him once more, feeling his heart sinking to the floor.