Hiya! This is my first fanfic in a little while, because I've been on holiday. For those of you out there who are waiting for the next chapters of my other stories, please be patient. I'm sorry it's taking a while, but I'll do them.
Sorry if there's too mush Ron bashing for you – it get better at the end, I don't own ANY of the Harry Potter characters used here, and please review!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
He bought Hermione the bracelet the day after he told Ginny it was over, because he'd realised how close he was coming to losing her. The bracelet and its one little heart charm were meant for her wrist, the smooth silver matching her silky skin to perfection.
Then Ron asked her out, and she said yes, so the charm bracelet stayed in it's little box, along with Harry's heart and his feelings for his best friend.
When they came back to school after the summer, he'd bought her a little wand, seen in a shop in Diagon Alley, reminding him of all her effort with the DADA club. Ron asked her if she was going to come to the odd meeting again, like last year, not remembering that she was the one who'd arranged all the meetings, and researched a lot of the spells practised there.
When she came top of the class in their Christmas History of Magic quiz that went 70percent towards their end of year exams he bought a little star, because she was one. Ron merely said well done, and went back to studying. Publicly he gave her a box of Ice Mice and a little homemade certificate that she laughed at but treasured.
One Christmas day he bought her a new book about runes, one she'd been hinting about for weeks. Secretly, though, he bought her a snowflake charm, for when she stood outside in the courtyard, spinning around like a little girl, catching snowflakes on her tongue. Ron got her a new quill and a bottle of ink, then used both for his holiday homework.
New Year it was a little crystal teardrop, which she shed with a smile on her face. It was for the old year, left behind, and the smile for the new, full of new ideas. Pity none of them were Ron's. He said Happy New Year to her, with a peck on the cheek, then went back to playing Gobstones with Seamus and drinking Butterbeer. Harry saw the tear dashed away as she said Happy New Year to him and her friends, but Ron didn't even notice it was there.
Valentines Day came, along with some flowers and a card from Ron. Flowers that Hermione hated, and a tacky card, no doubt bought in between Quidditch practice and going to the joke shop in Hogsmead to see his brothers. Harry bought her some tulips, telling her that they were from Ron, that he'd realised the flowers bought the day before were no good, but she knew what he was trying to do. She smiled at him, sadly, and put his flowers in her room, while Ron's went in the vases provided by the house elves down in the common room. The charm that went onto the bracelet was a flower, edelweiss because she loved the delicate little flowers, but you couldn't buy them.
Easter, and a little egg went on to remember when he shared his with her, to make up for the tiny one Ron got her on the day, because he forgot. Shared chocolate tastes better, she'd told him, when she accepted a chunk of his instead of eating the big one he got her.
End of year exams, and this time it was a miniature champagne glass, because she came top in the year. The Gryffindors celebrated in style, and he'd always remember Hermione's first glass of champagne because it had been his, stolen out if his hand by a grinning Hermione before whirling away with her friends. Ron had gone to bed early, stressed out by the last Quidditch match of the term. Harry made excuses for him, but was told by an icily angry Hermione that he was the captain and seeker, so he had more worries, but he was up and celebrating her victory (top of the year won 80 points for their house).
After the Quidditch match he added a tiny scarf, for when Hermione gave him hers after they'd won, 300 points over Slytherin. Ron looked on, seemingly not bothered as Hermione hugged Harry and dragged him back to the common room to the celebrations herself.
When Ron approached her a few days later, telling her it wasn't working, she smiled and told him it was ok, to go and be with whoever he wanted. They parted friends, Ron once again showing her more attention as a friend than when she was his girlfriend. Hermione was happy, because she'd just made a very important discovery in Harry's room.
A simple trip up to find his normal glasses, instead of his reinforced Quidditch ones (just in case of a Bludger or a fist, you never knew with the new Gryffindor beaters, they weren't very co-ordinated) ended up a revelation. She opened a drawer and found a jewellery box containing a bracelet with nine silver charms on it, and a letter to her detailing all the reasons behind the charms. When Harry looked around at a tap on his shoulder on the Quidditch pitch she was there, holding up her wrist.
On it, looking just as perfect as he'd known it would a year ago, was the charm bracelet, and in her other hand the letter. Glasses forgotten, Harry stumbled for words. Hermione found them for him.
"Is it true? All these things, over this year?"
"Yes"
That one word was really unnecessary, because they both knew that if she hadn't known it to be true she'd never have put the bracelet on. They stood in the middle of the Quidditch pitch and kissed, cheered on by the team.
Later on a tenth charm would be added, a lightning bolt to remember Harry's scar, that faded once Voldemort was vanquished. The bracelet, with all it's little charms became a family heirloom, the stories behind each one told and retold to their children, and Ron and Luna's children, and the grandchildren, but it never lost it's meaning to Harry and Hermione. That true love isn't simple, but has many little stories to it, each one a treasure.
But for now they were happy to stand on the Quidditch pitch, the team now urging an extremely reluctant Harry to let Hermione go and get to practice. Being captain, Harry had a better idea. He cancelled practice, and flew Hermione back to the school. This caused grumbling from the team, but only smiles from Hermione and Harry.