Disclaimer: If I own Harry Potter, Sirius would still be alive, and Ron would have already asked Hermione out!
A/N: This story is actually an inspiration from a Hindi movie, 'Kal Ho Naa Ho'. I just finished watching it for the hundredth time on VCD and got inspired by it. You guys should watch it. A very touching movie. Though my story is not a carbon-copy of it, just the basic idea is taken (though there will be certain scenes I would copy, heheh!)… Also, please bear with my grammar. I'm always terrible with them.
Forbearance
Chapter 1: Missing Hermione
It has been two long years since he had heard from his female friend, Hermione Granger. A girl he had grown up with. A woman he had grown to love with.
That's where the problem lies. He loves her. He, being the typical boy he was, hadn't understood his feelings, not knowing he had missed his chance. Now it was too late, for she had left him. He had no idea where she is right now. He tried sending owls, but all the owls he used would come back to him with his letter; letting him know that they could not locate her.
He still remembers the day he last saw her…
"Hermione, we will still get in touch. There's no need to cry so much…" Harry chuckled at his weeping friend, trying to lighten her up. He was sorely mistaken, for she cried even harder. None of her two friends understood, but they decided to give themselves a group hug.
"Yeah, Mione. Harry's right. You can't get rid of us that easily," Ron smiled cheekily.
Hermione finally stopped crying and gazed at Ron with glazed eyes, hiccupping at the same time. Ron was not sure what it was, but there was something in her eyes that clicked him. Was that, hope? Disappointment? Or hopelessness?
She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled serenely, giving her a breath-taking look Ron ever felt.
"I'm gonna miss you…" she sniffed.
Again, Ron found himself starring into her eyes.
"And you, Harry!" her voice said again, leaving Ron off his trance out of a sudden.
Harry smirked knowingly. "Don't think we won't too."
She smiled again.
"Mya!"
She shifted her gaze to see her parents waving behind her, along with her 9 year old cousin, Aaron. She waved back, and then turned to her friends again.
"I'm gonna miss you guys terribly," giving them a final hug.
"We'll see you around, Mione…" cooed Ron.
Hermione nodded and backed away from them, waving a goodbye. Watching her leave, Ron felt something inside him crumbled.
:: End of Flashback ::
He figured why his sister, Ginny and Harry frequently told him that he's a git, because he was. By the time everything was clear to him, it was too late.
He had figured out that Hermione was keeping something from them all along. That explained why she wept so horribly all through their journey back to the platform. But till this day, he could not figure it out.
He tried visiting her house, but the owner of the house told him that the Grangers moved out a long time ago.
He missed her terribly. He loves her. He needs her. His siblings had tried introducing him to a few girls, but he declined all of them. He had vowed to himself that his heart can only be filled by one person, Hermione. If only he had seen it sooner. One thing for sure, he had lost her.
"Where are you, Mione?"