Hermione had seen enough.
"I'm sorry, Ginny" she said. "I'm going home."
"Wait, what?" Ginny asked. She turned and saw what Hermione was looking at. "Oh, that."
Tears in her eyes, Hermione started for the door.
She never liked being in a bar, but Ginny suggested it.
Okay, suggested was a bit of an understatement. She almost dragged Hermione out of her room just to bring her there.
She wanted to take her mind off things from her break up with Ron.
It didn't take a genius to figure that he's doing better. Far better. The girl he was kissing can be a good proof.
She knows it's stupid to feel angry or jealous. He's not hers anymore.
Ron moved on. She should, too.
It became her mantra as she slowly opened the door. Her car was parked nearby.
She wiped her tears as she drove home, trying to forget the memories she had with him.
The problem was that everything she saw reminded her of him.
The small coffee shop where he used to work part time where they first met.
The park was where he asked her to become her boyfriend. She can still remember the dirt on his nose as he asked her. Lucky charm he said.
If only she can forget. She sighed as she took a turn to her apartment. She felt more tired than before.
As she entered her apartment, she felt even more so. She can almost hear him, almost see his face just like how he did before.
Meeting her with his smile that would cheer her up even in her worst days.
She laid down the sofa, she remembered how he held her and she was on the verge of crying again.
She blinked the tears away and soon she was asleep.
Hermione was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing. She reached for it and saw Ron's name.
She quickly sat up, all the drowsiness gone.
"So…hey, what's up Ron?"
"Oh, hey Hermione. Thought you'd never pick up?"
I thought so too, she thought.
"Well, Ginny told me you saw me uh-"
"Kissing another girl's face off. Yeah, I did." Hermione started to feel the same emotions she did as she remembered what she saw.
"It's cool, though. It's good even, you're moving on and it's cool, Ron" She said, a little disappointed with herself. How can she give up just like that?
"Look, Hermione, whatever you saw is just-"
"As I said, Ron, it's cool. No need to explain yourself."Don't make it harder for me, she thought.
"Can you just listen for a second?" Ron said, a tinge of irritation in his voice. It was enough to tick Hermione off. It was the same conversation that led to the break up.
"Oh, so I'm supposed to listen now." She said.
Ron sighed. He didn't want to have this conversation once again. He wouldn't admit it but the break up was pretty much the worst decision he had made in his life. He wanted her back, but it's these conversations that play back in his mind. It reminds him of why they broke up in the first place.
Hermione tried to calm herself but that didn't work. The more she tried, the more she remembered thus making her angrier.
"I just wanted to talk to you-"
"You're talking to me right now, Ron." Hermione cut him off again. Ron sighed.
"In person, Hermione." Hermione wanted to say no. All she want right now was to forget everything about him right now.
But her heart screamed yes. In a way, she needed the closure. But she was too afraid to answer.
"Hello? Hermione? You there?" Ron asked, worry clear in his voice. "Anyway, I'll be at the park at 7. I'll wait for you there."
Then the call ended. Hermione laid at the sofa, feeling even more tired than before.
As she was thinking, her mind drifted to dream land once again.
She woke up the next day.
Her mind was on neutral. She prepared her coffee and turned the TV on.
Then, she saw her phone. 9 from Ginny.
12 missed calls from Ron. RON!
If Hermione ever had an 'oh shit' moment before, this would totally blow that by a mile.
She hurried to her car and drove towards the park.
To her disappointment, no one was there.
Where could he be? At home, you idiot. Her mind said.
Of course, who would stay at park overnight in the middle of December?
But still, a part of her wished he did.
As she was to start her car, her phone ringed.
It was Ginny.
"Hey, Ginny. What's up?" she knew the redhead would lecture her for what she did.
"Don't 'hey, Ginny' me. Do you what you've done?" her voice sounded like Mrs. Weasely when she's lecturing the twins or Ron.
"Yep. I blew it, didn't I?" she was sobbing as she replied, tears staining her cheeks. Ginny seemed to notice this.
"Pretty much, yeah. Do you know why I wanted you to come with e yesterday?" she said in a much softer tone.
"To take my mind off your brother?"
"Nope. Wrong answer. I wanted you to talk with him before he leaves."
"Leave? Where is he going?"
"You see. Yesterday was his sendoff party. He and Harry are joining to Marines."
"What?!" Hermione was shocked to the core.
"They just left. They won't be back in three months."
Hermione wanted lived everyday normally. Except it wasn't.
She missed Ron. She doesn't know what to do sometimes. She kept having dreams of him getting hurt.
She just woke up from the worst one she ever had.
She saw Ron hang on a rope, trying to cross the distance between two poles. Then she heard a snap.
The last thing she saw was Ron's body on the floor, Harry beside him calling his name.
She stood from her bed and went to the kitchen.
Hermione took a cold glass of water and drank it. It slowly calmed her down.
Then her phone ringed. It was Ginny.
"Look, Hermione. Try to keep calm okay?" Hermione had a bad feeling.
"Why? What happened?" Hermione can feel herself panic once again.
The glass dropped from her hand as she ran to his car to the nearby hospital.
Ron laid on his bed, unconscious.
Hermione almost fainted. Thankfully, Harry caught her before she dropped flat on the hospital floor.
She sat beside Ron's bed, her eyes were tearing up once again. The doctor talked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"How's he, doctor?" Mr. Weasely asked, while holding his wife who's on the verge of fainting.
"He bumped his head hard from the fall. Thankfully, he was sent here fast so we were able to patch him up quickly. A few days of rest and he would be fine. Though, the fall might have some implications."
"Complications? What kind of complications? Is he going to have an amnesia? Tell us doctor!" Mrs. Weasley was starting get heated up and her husband is trying his best to calm her down.
"We still don't know, mam. We'll have to wait and see. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, the doctor left.
The room was silent after that. It stayed that way until Ron woke up on the third day.
Everyone was happy. Everyone crowded the hospital bed. Ron had his eyes closed, his face clearly in pain.
"Er-my-nee" he said. Hermione's heart leapt from her chest.
"Ouch, ouch. My KNEE!" he said, voice filled with pain.
"Oh sorry, my bad, little bro, terribly sorry." Fred said with an apologetic tone. It's not every day he did that.
"Ron, honey. We're glad you're awake." His mom said, tears forming on her puffy eyes.
"Mom?" Thank God. He can still remember. Hermione felt relieved.
"Yes, honey we're all here. See, the whole family with Harry and Hermione."
"Mom? Dad? Where are you? Who turned the lights off?" Everyone felt crushed. This time, Hermione fainted for real.
For days, everyone felt sad. Ron was the one devastated most of all. Hermione was not far behind.
They were left alone one day, when the Weasley's needed to get some things back at their home.
Harry was out to get some coffee. There's an awkward silence filling up the room and the tension was killing both of them.
"So…" "I just-"They both said at the same time. "You go first." Ron said.
"I just want to say sorry for standing you up that day." Her head was bowed down.
"Don't worry about that. You moved on. I should've went to your apartment if I wanted to see you. Guess I'm still in denial."
"Denial? About what?"
"About our breakup. I wanted you back. I thought if we met at that time, we'll rekindle the fire, so to speak." Ron said.
"Yeah, I missed you too. Guess I was too angry and scared."
"We were both experiencing a lot of things."
Another silent moment passed.
"I didn't mean to kiss the girl that day, you know." His voice small and apologetic.
"Yeah right."
"It's true. She kinda pushed herself on me, but I never consented."
"Uh-huh" Deep inside, Hermione was happy. Heck that could be the understatement of the century. She was basically doing front flips and back flips in his mind right now.
"You know, they're going to try to restore my sight." Ron said, suddenly trying to be serious.
"I know. It's tomorrow, right."
"Yeah, probably why my family and Harry left you and me alone." Ron said. "There's a big chance that I might lose it forever."
"I know. But even without your sight, I will still lo-…uh… you know…" Hermione can't bring herself to say it.
"It's okay. I know what you're going to say." Ron smiled. The same smile he used to cheer her up millions of times before. "Can you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Can you wait for me at the park, the day after the operation? Probably around 7 pm?" He held her hand.
"Okay."
It was the day after the operation.
Hermione stood at the middle of the park, waiting for Ron. As she looked around, she remembered what they did on their first date.
She slowly retraced the steps, dancing under the light of the stars.
There she was dancing on her own, waiting for Ron.
She took a wrong step and ended up falling face first on the ground.
After about half an hour or so, he arrived. He was in his casual clothes. With a walking cane.
Tears fell on Hermione's cheeks.
Why is life so unfair? Why did this have to happen to them?
"Hermione? Are you there?" Ron said.
"Yeah, *sob* Ron, a little to your left." Hermione frantically wiped her tears.
"Are you crying? I'm very sorry I'm late. The doctor wouldn't let me leave earlier."
"It's not that, Ron. I'm just…glad that you're fine."
"I'm sorry, Hermione-"Hermione just hugged him. He was reluctant at first but he finally hugged her back tight.
"No, don't be. I know the doctors tied their best to fix you up."
"No, it's not that. I-"
"-love you, Ron." She kissed him. "I always have." And she kissed him again. When their lips broke apart, Ron smiled.
"Me, too, Hermione. I never once let my mind think otherwise."
They hugged under the moonlight. It wasn't the perfect circumstances but at least they were together.
Ron held her face in her hand before chuckling. He leaned towards her ear.
"I know this would ruin the moment but you have something on your nose." He whispered.
"Oh, I fell a while ago, I didn't notice I had- wait what?" Ron let his walking cane drop and looked at Hermione in the eyes, a smile clearly plastered on his face.
"Surprise"
AN: How was it? It's my first time writing an HP fanfic so pls take it easy on the reviews. Thank you so much for having the time to read this humble work. See you soon :D