Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series. That credit goes to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Go Jo! I also do not own some of the material used. Again that belongs to Jo and Warner Brothers.
Can’t Let Go
Chapter 1 Two Long Years
They were sitting on the grass alone in the Weasleys’ yard. Ron was still in shock of what Hermione had just told him. He gave a frustrated sigh and lay down. Hermione leaned in and placed her hands on either side of him.
“You can’t go home,” Ron said, his voice pleading with her.
He turned his head to where he couldn’t see Hermione’s face. Hermione cupped his cheek and smiled. She had gone to Australia and reversed the memory charm she had on them after the final battle. After coming back to London and living with her parents for a couple of months, Hermione had convinced them that she still had one more year left at Hogwarts. She, unlike Ron and Harry, had decided to finish her schooling with Ginny and were now back.
“Think of it as a summer break,” Hermione said.
Ron turned back and touched the hand that Hermione still had around his cheek. He smiled. A summer break was bearable, right?
“In other words, expect you back before September?” Ron asked, hope in his voice.
“A bit,” Hermione laughed.
Ron then propped himself back up. How was he going to get through the summer without her? He had to though. It didn’t seem Hermione was going to change her mind about this any time soon.
“But you just got back from finishing your last term with Ginny,” Ron said, his voice starting to get whinny.
Hermione took a deep breath and kissed him. Her decision to join Ginny at Hogwarts to finish hadn’t gone over well with Ron and Harry, especially Ron. Ron and Harry could think of other things to do besides sitting in a classroom.
“All the more reason to go back home” Hermione said.
“But…” Ron began.
She shut him up with another kiss.
“Ron, if I’m going to be staying with you and your family, I need to let mine know what my plans are,” Hermione explained.
Ron sighed in defeat. There was no way he was going to convince her to stay.
“There’s no use in arguing with you. You’ve already made up your mind,” Ron said.
She took his hand and smiled.
“Yes, I have,” Hermione nodded.
He took a deep breath, trying to act like he was okay with this. The truth was that he was never going to be all right with Hermione’s decision, but he knew what her family meant to her. If telling them that she was going to be living with the Weasleys face to face was going to help in some way, then Ron wasn’t going to stop her.
“I’m going to miss you,” Ron said.
He ran a hand through her hair.
“And I’m going to miss you,” Hermione said.
Two Weeks Later…
Ron walked into Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and sighed. Had it really been nearly two weeks since Hermione had left to be with her parents? He was now helping out George with the joke shop.
“What’s with the long face, Ron?” George asked as Ron walked up to him.
Ron shook his head and looked down.
“Nothing,” he said.
Ron looked back up as George snickered. George didn’t even seem to care about the look Ron was now giving him.
“This still isn’t about Hermione, is it?” George asked.
Ron’s eyebrows leveled as he crossed his arms.
“So what if it is?” he asked.
George laughed as he began to start restocking the shop. Ron followed in the stocking.
“You suppose she found someone?” George asked, carefully avoiding to look at Ron.
Ron dropped the box that was in his was in his arms. George looked up to find that Ron’s face was scarlet. Ron took out his wand and started repairing some of the stock that had broken.
“That’s a terrible thing to say,” Ron said through gritted teeth.
George, who had always loved to irritate Ron, just went on.
“She probably wants nothing to do with you anymore,” he said.
That did it for Ron. He just put down the box, not wanting to have to repair anything again.
“How can you say that,” Ron yelled.
George, seeing that Ron had reached his limit, decided to give his younger brother something to think about.
“Think about it. It’s been two weeks since she left. How many letters has she sent you,” George asked.
Ron didn’t answer and looked down. It might have only been two weeks, but that was still enough time for a letter to be sent.
“Exactly my point,” George said after realizing Ron wasn’t going to say anything.
With that, George turned and continued with stocking.
xxx
Ron was more depressed than usual due to the fact that Ginny had moved out of the Weasleys’ house a week ago to go live with Harry, leaving him the only Weasley kid still at home. Ron would have been all ready living with Harry, but he knew Ginny would eventually go live with Harry, so he didn’t think it was the best idea.
“How’s the joke shop going, Ron?” Arthur, his father, asked.
Ron looked over at his father, surprised he had even heard him. He tried his best to back himself more cheerful.
“It’s going great,” Ron said, giving him a smile he hoped was believable.
Mrs. Weasley, however, knew her son better than that. Before she could question him on the matter, however, an owl flew threw the window and landed on the kitchen counter next to Molly.
“Ron, it’s for you,” his mother said.
This made Ron a little anxious. Was it Hermione finally writing to him? He took a deep breath as his mother approached him.
“It’s from George,” Molly said.
Ron sighed. He really didn’t want to hear any more about Hermione from George.
Ron,
I know you’re still waiting for her, but whenever you want to leave home, my door’s always opened.
George
Ron crumbled the letter and took a deep breath.
“I’m going to go visit Hermione,” he said.
It was a split second decision that surprised even him. Mr. Weasley looked up from the Daily Prophet as Ron got up from the table and shoved the letter in his pocket.
“Good for you,” Arthur smiled.
Ron walked upstairs to his bedroom, his mind going ninety to nothing. It looked like he had some packing to do.
xxx
George was fighting off the urge to laugh after Ron told him his plans for visiting Hermione.
“One letter from me and you convince yourself to go see her,” he said.
It wasn’t a question. George had never really understood Ron’s infatuation with the brushy hair bookworm, Hermione. Of course he noticed all the glancing between his brother and Hermione when she was over there, but they were always to each others throats otherwise.
“As much as I hate living at home, I don’t think living with you will do anything for my sanity,” Ron said.
Ron couldn’t help laugh at his comment. George decided to laugh too, but not from the comment.
“Then get your own place then,” George suggested.
“I’ve only been here for a month,” Ron reminded him. “Believe me, when, when I have enough money, I will.”
The two of them then burst out laughing. Ron was laughing so hard terms were streaming down his face.
“When are you leaving?” George asked after they finally stopped laughing.
“After I get through here,” Ron said as he walked away without another word.
He continued his work without any more gibes from George. George was a joker, but he knew his limits when it came towards his brother’s feelings for Hermione.
AN:
Ron’s all set and ready to go, but will he be prepared for the reaction from Hermione when he arrives? I changed three months to two weeks because I realized my timeline didn’t make sense.