Prologue
Hermione's POV
It is now ten years after that fireworks show when I, Hermione Granger, discovered that to the world I was invisible and to Ron I was just a friend. I was just a friend that he was oblivious to the true feelings of, and now with Lavander Brown as his wife, nothing could change that.
While going through my life being alone I learned to adapt to it; At now the age of 27 I never really dated much for I guess to the whole world I was just another being. I remember Ron's wedding...just sitting watching the wedding that crushed me inside and that was the official end to my thoughts of ever being with Ron. I now look back and realized how much of Ron's life that I'd been apart of. The birth of his 4 kids, all the birthdays, babysitting, being the designated apparator for when him and harry went out drinking. I guess I just realized how much of a background to Ron's life I was. Maybe that's why I decided to move on and just live my life. Maybe that's why I decided to take that editor's job in Berlin.
Chapter 1
Ron's POV
Ugh what a busy a day. I have to go to the office, pick up Lavander's dry cleaning and get the kids from quidditch practice and that wizard chess tournament...
After finishing a quick lunch at the little cafe by the ministry I walked back to the office and took the elavator up to my office. While walking back to my cubicle, I noticed a little barn owl sitting on the top of it. Hmm..that one looked like Weera, Hermione's owl. It had a neatly addressed envelope tied to it's foot, and the handwriting looked of Hermione's too. I untied the letter and pulled an owl treat from a bag in the inside of my desk and gave it to her. The owl hooted a sign of thanks and flew out the open window down the hall. I set Hermione's letter aside in my breifcase, deciding I would get to it later after I finished all my paperwork. Damn bludger reports seemed a little bit more important right now anyway.
After finishing up my hours I picked up the drycleaning and the kids I flooed home and set my breifcase down in my study.
"Hey beautiful" I told Lavander handing her her clothes and giving her a peck on the lips.
"Thanks hun." she said smiling. God I loved her.
It was then at that moment that I remembered Hermione's letter. "I'll be right back hun, I have to quickly read some letters from the office." I told Lavander.
"Okay, alright, but dinner will be ready soon okay? And we can put the kids to bed early tonight if you want..." she said with a suggestive smile.
I shivered inside with delight. "Alright"
I pulled the letter out of the breifcase and walked over to my study. I then ripped it open and pulled out the parchment inside. Hermione's neat scrawl filled up the page and I started to read:
Dear Ron,
How've you been? Haven't talked to you since yesterday when I dropped some cookies off at your house for you and kids. I myself am fine I just wanted to let you know that I got a job offer for an editor position in Berlin! Isn't that great? I probably won't be able to visit much because I'll be swamped with work all the time, but you understand right? You'll be too busy with the kids and work to even notice that I'm gone! Well, I send everyone my love, hope to hear from you soon. I have to go pack!
Love,
Hermione
My stomach gave a lurch at her sickeningly sweet tone. She sounded so happy, more than I'd ever seen her as in years.
"Hey Lav, I'm gonna go out for a little bit okay? I have to go pick somethin' up at the office. I promise I won't be long!" I called to her.
"Alright, just don't be long okay?" she replied.
"Uh huh!" I said, and with that I apparated with a pop outside of Hermione's flat. I slowly knocked at the door but no one answered. I knocked again a few more times and then decided that Hermione wouldnt care if I just went right in. I apparated inside and looked around. Her usual warm inviting flat was bare and everything was gone. I continued to look around, horrified as I realized that she was already gone. I went down the hall to her bedroom and found everything there too was gone...all except a tiny notebook in the middle of the floor.
I caustiously sat down and opened it, when I discovered that it was Hermione's diary. I flipped through noticing her neat composition when I got to the last entry titled from today.
Dear Diary,
Well...I decided to take the offer in Berlin...I'm leaving tonight at 7. I finally decided it was time to move on with my own life, and by taking this job it would finally give me closure from Ron. I will always love him, but he will never love me back...I mean he's married now with kids and I don't really have a place to be apart of it. Harry and Ginny are married too, but they too are busy with their 5 kids, ha, can you believe it? Our own Harry Potter with no family to speak of now has 5 beautiful kids and a wife. I used to want those things too...a husband and kids...but after the fireworks back in 7th year...when Ron proposed to Lavander...that was the end to that dream. I thank you for being here with me...not letting me believe that I'm completly invisible even though the whole world did, especially Ron. But what do you expect from a guy that didn't realize you're a girl until your fourth year? I'm going to leave you here diary because this is the ultimate sign of closure: moving away from my past and these memories. Who knows if I will ever see you ,or Ron, again...or if he will ever see me for me
Hermione
I finished reading the page when I found tears well up in my eyes with the final realazation that Hermione had wanted me to see all these years. She was in love with me for seventeen years I didn't do a damn thing about it. I admitt, I was in love with her too...but then I gave up on the thought of her loving me too and found Lavander. But now, what made me even more mad is that I only missed her by ten minutes as I watched the clock turn it's hand to 7:10. I guess it made up for the ten years to late that I already was..
But why? Why did she say I never saw her?! I saw her every time she came over...but maybe...maybe I never actually saw her for who...who she was..
I realized that Hermione was there my whole life and I only saw her for a fixture that would always be there...like a mother or father a child never expects to die...but now Hermione left and it was as though I was that child realizing how much they had done for me and how I never thanked them for it. Realizing that I never told her I loved her and how much she meant to me.
I never thought it was true that you never see the good things until their gone...and with Hermione...no one saw her for the good things she was. I felt as weakened as a child...no matter how much I prayed...my actions have been made and Hermione would never be back fully...no matter how many times I saw her. She had moved on...just like the parents of a little child who thought they'd live forever. She was gone.
