Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K Rowling does. Only the idea is mine. No copyright infringement intended, ok?
First of all, this is my first Harry Potter fic (I'm so nervous!)… I already published this in Spanish, but for the sake of my English readers, I translated it…
I'm a firm believer in redemption for everyone, so maybe Draco will seem a bit OOC in some parts.
I don't hate Ron, and in fact this fic is very Ron-centric, but I wanted to explore his flaws, such as being impulsive, and acting before thinking clearly. In my humble opinion, Hermione forgave him way too easily in Deathly Hallows. It seems to me he made her cry many times during the series, making her feel bad about herself.
In this fic, it seems to me Ron is having a bit of PTSD, but you will be the judges of his mental state.
This is a songfic. It is a song from a Spanish singer, Pablo Alborán, I love the feeling the music and lyrics, which I translated too, provide.
I hope you like it, and I have to warn, IT IS QUITE LONG, and before you begin, be warned, this is a journey through Ron's eyes. I would have split it in two chapters, but the feeling of the song would have been lost.
IMPORTANT NOTE: FOR THOSE WHO READ MY FICS, I KNOW, I KNOW! I have several Bones' fic out there, which are not forgotten, but for those who know about my health problems, I have to let you know my health has continued to decline. This fic was an exercise to get back on the metaphorical writing horse, and musie wouldn't let me rest until I gave it a go, as this is way out of my comfort zone.
Without any further adieu…
No te atrevas a decir te quiero
No te atrevas a decir que fue todo un sueño
(Don't you dare say I love you
Don't you dare say that it was all a dream)
He knew it. Despite the fact that many considered him only barely an average wizard, and that was considering that he had been part of the famous Golden Trio, helping save the wizarding world of the claws of the Dark Lord, he had his moments of clarity.
Being with her had been a dream amidst the nightmare. Kissing her soft lips and holding her in his arms was the closest he could be to Heaven. But his wounds were far too great. Losing his beloved brother had left a hole that no one could fill. He knew his family was grieving, but that, despite that, every single one of them, one way or the other, were trying to find a new way, to overcome their grief and look towards the future.
Harry and Ginny had married a year ago, and Ginny was already in the first months of pregnancy, filling their home and family with joy, who saw the arrival of their new family member as a sign of renewed hope. Molly and Arthur were crazy with glee, something that filled him with anger because, how could they be happy when they had lost one of their children? How could they dare forget their beloved child when he still felt his absence like a stab wound in his chest?
With so much pain, the tenderness and patience Hermione bestowed upon him were not near enough to heal the bleeding wound in his heart. And it was not only because of losing Fred, it was remembering all those loved ones who had perished on that fateful day. Tonks, Lupin, Lavander… So many people who were an integral part of his Hogwarts days, so many that saw him grow up, and who had been so cruelly torn from the world…
And he saw it. Her efforts to help him, to understand his mood swings, to make life easier for him each day. But most of the times, her sweet words and actions met the impenetrable wall of his bitterness and anger.
He still remembered that day like it was yesterday, the day he now had to acknowledge had started the course of events that constituted the nightmare his life was today.
Hermione and he were in Hermione's small flat, holding each other while they listened to sot music, basking in the peaceful afternoon, a rare commodity these days.
She had her head placed on his chest, her thin arms around his waist, a soft smile on her lips.
"Ron, there is something I need to tell you", their eyes met and he saw a wave of joy overcome her, and eager to hear her news, he softly replied, "Tell me, 'Mione".
"Ron, Kingsley offered me a post as Head Assistant for the Department of International Magical Cooperation", Hermione explained excitedly, "Of course, at first I told him that I hadn't finished my internship at the Ministry, but he told me that I didn't need a diploma to acknowledge my worth", he tried to reply with a smile, but from the smile on her face, he could see he had not succeeded, seeing her smile starting to falter.
"Aren't you glad, Ron? For me?", she asked, doubt clouding her features, and he stood from the couch to pace a bit before replying.
"Hermione, you know that I have always supported your ideas of greatness, of wanting to change the world, but… what need is there for you to work? When we get married and have our children, they will need their mother", he said.
What little joy remained on her face was instantly erased, to be replaced with an expression of incredulity.
"Is that really what you expect of me? To be a housewife, and stay home to care for the children? You know me, Ronald, and you know how bad I wish to help! The minister trusts me, and he wants me to help clean the Ministry of Magic of any seeds of evil or prejudice that could still remain. I'm not doing it for the fame or the glory", she replied, and he stopped, and faced her.
"That all sounds very nice, Hermione, but… what about us? How long do we have to wait?", he asked angrily, and she tore her eyes from him, given that the subject of intimacy was becoming quite the thorny one: Hermione wanted to wait until her wedding night, and Ron was desperate to surrender to the passion he felt for her, but his girlfriend wasn't giving in an inch. Sweet kisses and caresses was all she allowed him, not letting go beyond the point of what was "respectable".
"Ronald, you know how I think and feel about it. You know I love you, but my parents raised me in a very special way, and it is very important to me to keep myself… for my wedding night", she told him softly, trying to make him see reason.
"Don't you love me?", Ron asked her, his voice shaking with anger and anguish, needing desperately to drown himself in the oblivion of her sweet arms so he could forget about everything he had lost.
"Of course I love you, Ron", she told him, her eyes welling with tears, "I love you so much, but I need you to understand, to comprehend and accept that I can't betray something I believe in so firmly", she replied.
"And work? Do you even see my Mum working?", Ron continued, filled with anger, "She has done nothing but taking care of our home, of making sure that we are all happy. She spends her days knitting for Harry and Ginny's baby, the same she has done it for the rest of my nephews and nieces. I don't understand why the idea of devoting yourself to our home bothers you so much", he said, frustration in his tone.
Hermione gasped audibly, and with eyes filled with pain, she answered, "Because that is HER dreams, Ronald! Molly has told us several times, that being an only child, everything she wished for was creating a big family and care for it, but her dreams are not certainly mine!", she said angrily now.
Without thinking about he was doing, Ron came to her, and clasped her by her forearms, shaking her, seeing her chocolate eyes filled with more tears, "And you course, your delusions of greatness are irreplaceable, aren't they? The know-it-all Hermione Granger has to prove she's still the best!", he shouted.
"Ron, you're hurting me!", she cried, and he shook her again, too absorbed in his pain, wanting to take it out on someone, and let go of the anguish he had been carrying since the day of the Final Battle.
"Aren't we enough for you? Are we so little to you then? Would you prefer Malfoy?!", he said, referring to the fact that a few months after the war, Draco Malfoy had looked for the three of them and had apologized profusely for his actions. The Ministry of Magic had forced him to make part of all the post-war rebuilding efforts as part of his parole, and seeing the damage done to so many had shaken him to the core, and changed his mind. Hermione and Harry, seeing his sincerity and remorse, had accepted his apologies, but Ron had clearly said that he would never trust a Death Eater. Draco was doing his best, even joining Harry in the Auror department, telling the savior of the wizarding world that for him, one of the best ways of contributing was catching the remaining Death Eaters, and making the magic world a safer place, for purebloods and muggles alike. From there, a friendship had begun to form between two thirds of the Golden Trio and the former Death Eater, something that Ron openly and bitterly criticized, thus provoking many arguments with Hermione, whose heart was unable to hold on to her hatred forever, and who had given Draco the opportunity to redeem himself.
Deep inside, Ron had to admit he was jealous, because despite his many mistakes, Malfoy was and had many things that Ron could only dream of: the looks and luck with the ladies, power, more money that anyone could ever imagine or need, magical skill… From their Hogwarts days, Ron had both hated and envied what Malfoy represented, because he was the epitome of everything Ron himself wasn´t. Ron had always been terribly insecure, but he had always hid his feelings of inadequacy behind his temper and taking advantage of the attention he gained for being the best friend of the Boy-who-lived-twice.
Ron, now blinded by anger, by pain and distress that had been building over time, finding in his brown-eyed girlfriend the target for his fury, without thinking it let go of her with cruelty, but not before punching her in the face with his closed fist, not seeing her beloved face for those few seconds, instead seeing Bellatrix, Greyback, Lestrange, and so many Death Eaters who had brought so much desolation to Hogwarts, making her stumble backwards until her small back fully hit the bookcase behind her, which shook with the force of the impact, and she, now breathless from pain, slid to the floor in a heap like a rag doll, while many books fell around her.
Una sola mirada te basta
Para matarme y mandarme al infierno
(One look from your eyes is enough
To kill me and send me to Hell)
Seeing her there, with eyes filled with immeasurable pain, with tears rolling down her delicate cheeks, grimacing in pain as she tried her best to stand from the ground while she cupped her face and wiped the blood from her split lip, made him react, but when he moved to help her, she raised a hand to halt his process, and amidst her pain, he could see a wave of fury darken her amber eyes.
"Don't even think about approaching me, Ronald!", she told him with a shaky, but firm voice, the same voice he had heard the day he returned to the Dark Forest to help them find the Horcruxes, of course, after abandoning and insulting them in the worst possible way.
"'Mione, I'm…", he began to apologize, not knowing what else to do, and she raised her hand again.
"Don´t you dare say you're sorry, Ronald Weasley", she told him, her voice cold and filled with pain, anger and disappointment. "I think you just made very clear how you feel about me, my dreams and choices", she began, and her eyes flashed, "Don't think that I will allow you to make a victim out of me", she stared hard at him, her eyes sparking with anger, "I think that the best think you can do now is leave. I don't think you or I can talk about this rationally. When we are BOTH able to think clearly, we will meet, and then I will see if I can forgive you for this".
"Leave? No, no, no, no, 'Mione!", he said desperately, but when their eyes met, he felt like someone had run through his heart with a dagger, because apart from the sadness, anger and disappointment he could see there, there was also… fear, fear of him, and his blue eyes welled at the idea that the woman he loved now feared him. He, who had always considered himself a good person, had hit his best friend, the love of his life, in a moment of blindness and despair.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear", he begged, "It's just that… you don't understand me, nobody does!", he sobbed, and Hermione's expression softened a bit, but she didn't give in, too hurt by his actions, still thunderstruck by the fact that the man she loved would have hit her.
"Ronald, we have all suffered, we have all felt pain", she began, "You lost a member of your family, and I know how that feels, because I lost my parents too. They aren't dead, but I might never find me, so I'm grieving too, Ronald, and a lot, I miss them every single day that passes and I can't be with them, share my life and ideas… Besides, Fred was almost a brother to me as well, and it hurts that he isn't here anymore, but the best way to honor him is not living life this, filled with anger and hatred. Fred died because he believed in a better world, in a world without prejudice or boundaries. He loved you, and only wanted you to be happy", her eyes were awash in tears, "Even George is trying to move forward, even amidst his sorrow. That is not forgetting him, that is remembering him each day, living the way he would have wanted", Hermione finished.
"'Mione, I love you, forgive me, please, I truly didn't mean to hurt you", he sobbed, and Hermione replied,
"I love you too, but I can't… I can't be near you now, I can't even see you. The best thing is for you to leave. I'm deeply hurt, and I feel betrayed. I would have expected this from anyone, but never from you, and that is why this hurts so much. Leave, Ronald! Leave", Hermione sobbed, clearly at the end of her tether, and Ron moved miserably towards the chimney, and with a voice choked by tears, shouted, "The Burrow!".
Quién abrirá la puerta hoy
Para ver salir el sol
Sin que lo apague el dolor
que me dejo aquella obsesión
(Who will open the door today
To let the sun out
Without it being darkened by the pain
This obsession left me with)
The days passed, and there wasn't a sign from Hermione. The only thing he knew, through Harry, is that Hermione had asked for some sick leave, explaining she was sick with some contagious virus. Ron thought guiltily that she most likely didn't want anyone to see the huge bruise that most have surely formed on her face. He would have felt thankful to her for not revealing his huge mistake, but instead, he was miserable, because she didn't reply to any of his floo calls, speaking only the strictly necessary with Harry, telling him she wanted to be alone while she recovered. If Harry suspected the truth, Ron didn't know, but in fact, thought it unlikely because Harry wouldn't have hesitated in leaving him purple in the face, brothers-in-law or not.
His thoughts were consumed by her: remembering the wonderful moments he had spent by her side, her sweetness, the way she caressed his hair when he laid his head on her lap, her soft hands the simply dishes she cooked for him, the muggle way, but filled with love for him, guilt threatening to choke him under its weight, his obsession with her growing each day they spent apart, his heart overwhelmed by the crushing weight her absence provoked, praying to all gods he knew for her to find it in her heart to forgive him.
More than once he was tempted to confess to his mother what he had done, and even to Ginny, as long as he got some womanly advice on how to right his wrong, but he lacked the courage to face the legendary fury of the Weasley women: in fact, he was sure they wouldn't have doubted in hexing him.
But that didn't stop him from trying, in his own particular way.
Thank Merlin, the Ministry had given the three of them a small fortune, which allowed him luxuries unthinkable before for a Weasley, a fortune he started to make work for his benefit. He sent several dozen roses each week, her favorite sweets from Honeydukes, he even went to Flourish & Blotts for the last edition of Hogwarts: a History, but even so, there was no reply to any of these displays of affection, which were returned to him without being opened, making him feel like his soul was descending down a dark path, because his light was nowhere to be seen.
De tu corazón con mi corazón
De mis manos temblorosas arañando el colchón
Quién va a quererme soportar
Y entender mi mal humor
Si te digo la verdad
No quiero verme… solo
(From your heart to my heart
From my trembling hands scratching my bed
Who will want to stand me
And understand my ill moods
If I tell you the truth
I don't want to find myself… alone)
He dreamt of her each day, dreams that went from the happy moments to the most painful, and at awakening, with his hands clutching his sheets desperately, scratching at the mattress, his body sweaty and shaking, in the early hours of dawn, during the only moments of silence at the Burrow, like a movie, he went through each moment he had lived with her, and he had no choice but to admit that no other woman had understood him the way she did.
Lavender had been blinded by his newfound popularity and fame, but she had never seen the real Ron and his conflicts, while Hermione had fallen in love with him, being aware of his many flaws: his fiery temperament and outbursts, his tendency to think ill of people and judging without having all the facts at his disposal. She saw beyond his noisy family, and loved them all, fighting alongside them, defending them from danger.
Honestly, he couldn't see many women capable of forming such a deep bond with his stubborn mother and her well-intentioned, but somewhat misdirected way of doing things. He also didn't see many women being understanding towards his sometimes detestable brother Percy, the prankster George, even if Fred's absence had mellowed him quite a bit and stolen much of his joy, his sister the famous Quidditch star, showing her compassion towards Bill… No, Hermione had engraved herself in their lives in a definitive, but imperceptible manner, and in these hours of solitude, he could admit that he was afraid of being left alone, that the love of his life slipped through his fingers.
But time passed, and the shadow of loneliness was like the dark clouds of a storm he was trying to escape: he was so desperate for affection and physical closeness, he had even decided to go on a date with a Gryffindor two years his senior, not thinking about the consequences he could face.
He could now admit that not even the girl's name had remained in his conscious or unconscious mind. He simply remembered that she was pretty, with long blond hair, green eyes, porcelain skin, and very pronounced assets.
They were sitting in a table at the Leaky Cauldron, after drinking several firewhiskeys, feeling the pleasant buzz alcohol always gave him, feeling how his inhibitions and worries also evaporated when he stopped thinking, and he let his passions run free, forgetting for a night that his heart belong to only one woman. Lust was overcoming him, and he didn't even care that he was in a public place when he felt the woman's bold caresses in a dangerous and suggestive path towards his crotch while their lips devoured each other when he heard a pained gasp coming from someone standing in front of their table.
When he raised his eyes and meet whiskey-colored eyes that reflected the devastation of her soul, the cloud of lust that had blinded him receded, and he had run after her, not caring about the angry screaming of the woman he had just stood up, but she had already disappeared. He went to her flat, then to Harry and Ginny, having to explain what had happened, finally facing their anger and disappointment. Fortunately, despite that, they had helped him look for her, afraid for her and for what she could do in her current state of mind. A few hours later, a white-feathered owl, very reminiscent of Hedwig, but with some dark gray and brown feathers on his back had arrived, standing on the window of Harry and Ginny's living room.
Me conformo con no verte nunca
Me conformo si ya no haces parte de mi vida
Te ha bastado una noche con otro
Para echarme la arena en los ojos…
(I settle for not seeing you ever again
I settle if you no longer make part of my life
A single night with another was enough
For you to leave me waiting in the dust…)
Harry had jumped, recognizing Draco's private owl, saying, "That's Malfoy's owl".
After recovering the piece of parchment, and giving him some owl treats and fruit, they had reach the note, written in the elegant penmanship of the pureblooded wizard. "Potter, Hermione is here, with me. She's quite upset still, but far calmer than she was when she arrived here, a few hours ago. I assume Weasel went to you to ask for help, so I don't have to go into detail and explain what happened.
At the end, you will find a message from her, so you trust this message is true, and she's not hurt. As you will read, she begs for you not to seek for her until she does. Unfortunately, she forced me to reinforce the Manor's wards, and I will only be able to dismantle them when she deems it so. I can only assure you and Potterette (Draco's nickname for Ginny) that I will care for her in the best way I know how. She will be safe and protected with me.
Aquila won't wait for an answer. When Granger wishes to contact you, I will send him back with a new owl.
D.M.
In a flowing cursive, very known to them, was the short, but precise message from Hermione.
Harry and Ginny. Knowing Ron, I know he went to you to ask for help. I came to Malfoy Manor because I know he will be brutally honest, he has begun to become a friend, and I know, despite our past, he won't hurt me now, which is more than I can say for Ronald.
As Malfoy already told you, I don't want to talk to anyone. Physically, I'm fine. Emotionally, that's a whole different matter, but that's my problem, and I have to deal.
When I want to speak to you, I will send Aquila, Malfoy's owl, back, with a new message.
I love you guys, but I need to be on my own for a while, and here, as ironic as it might seem, I can find the peace I need. Besides, I'm not going to put you in a position where you have to choose between Ron and I, because, despite his mistakes, he's your brother, Ginny, and your brother-in-law, Harry, and family should always stick together, no matter what.
Love you lots.
See you soon.
Hermione
It didn't matter how many owls he sent with letters begging her forgiveness, despite her express instructions of not being contacted, letters that were sent back without being opened; it didn't matter if he had humiliated himself before his parents, Harry and Ginny, begging them to intercede before her: from that night at the Leaky Cauldron, when she was faced with yet another betrayal from him, Hermione Granger had closed all the doors, both literal and metaphorical. He had been unable to apparate there, the magical protection of the Manor too strong for him.
And weeks started to pass, weeks filled with anguish and uncertainty. Hermione had interrupted her internship at the Ministry, and taken a sabbatical.
From Ginny, who seeing his pain and regret had forgiven him, Ron found out Hermione had spent 3 weeks at the Manor before returning to her flat for a few days. Obviously, he instantly headed there, but Hermione had also reinforced the wards at her place, leaving him out, and he was no longer able to get past them.
One month before the fateful encounter at the Cauldron, he heard that Hermione had left on a trip to Italy. One day, walking through the Ministry, he ran into Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend, who looked at him with contempt and said ironically,
"So Hermione finally got her head out of her arse and realized she could do much better than you, Weasley", he said with a smirk on his lips.
Ron, filled with anger, replied with a curt, "What do you mean, Zabini? You know nothing about my 'Mione, so shut up and leave me alone". The dark-haired wizard let out a loud laugh and said, his voice filled with sarcasm.
"At this point, I know a lot more than you do", Ron scoffed, but asked, "According to you, what is it that you know?"
The following words from the Italian wizard were like a bullet fired straight to his heart.
"I know Hermione is staying in one of my villas in Italy, licking her wounds, the wound YOU gave her, in quite the good company", he replied, clearly enjoying his pain.
"In good… company?", Ron stuttered, and getting red with anger, he shouted, "You're lying!"
Blaise let out a deep laugh, and shook his head, "You're still the same Weasley, brainless and unimaginative. I have no need to lie, because at this point, the truth is much more… delicious than any lie I could come up with", he said, clearly relishing his words, and that it was he who was delivering them, which filled Ron's heart with fear.
"Don't you want to know who she's with?", Zabini taunted, "Damn, and here I thought that one prominent trait in the Weasley family was curiosity. How disappointing!, he turned on his heels, but before he could reach the door, Ron's desperate voice filled the void.
"Zabini! Who… Who is Hermione with?", Ron asked, shaking with trepidation, and Zabini gave him a look that was both compassionate and amused.
"Hermione is with the person who has supported her the most since you broke her heart. She's with someone who appreciates her and sees her worth, and who's been trying to make amends, to erase the past and give her back the smile you erased from her lips. And if I'm honest… Not being biased here, he's doing wonderfully", seeing Ron's open mouth, "Do I have to spell it out for you, or has your thick brain already figured it out?", he finished and let the office.
Ron's knees bent, and he fell to the floor while a torrent of tears left his eyes.
Hermione was with… Draco. With fucking Draco Malfoy.
Quién abrirá la puerta hoy
Para ver salir el sol
Sin que lo apague el dolor
Que me dejó aquella obsesión.
De tu corazón con mi corazón de mis manos temblorosas arañando el colchón.
Quién va a quererme soportar
Y entender mi mal humor,
Si te digo la verdad,
No quiero verme solo.
(Who will open the door today
To let the sun out
Without it being darkened by the pain
This obsession left me with
From your heart to my heart
From my trembling hands scratching my bed
Who will want to stand me
And understand my ill moods
If I tell you the truth
I don't want to find myself… alone)
He didn't eat, he didn't sleep. His thoughts were with her, day and night. His family looked at him with worry, and Harry and Ginny had already tried contacting Hermione when he told them what Zabini had revealed, begging her to return and talk things out, but all they received were curt answers delivered by owl with a simple, "I'm fine, don't worry", or "I promise to return when I feel better"; she had simply said that their owls had to be sent to Malfoy Manor, from where they were redirected to anywhere Hermione was.
Since the conversation with Zabini, his heart had been filled with a terror that chilled him to the bone. There was no way to confirm if the implication in Zabini's words was true, but the shadow of doubt was eating at him, jealousy and despair running through his bloodstream like the most powerful poison.
And remarkable so, 5 months passed, months filled with sadness and grief. He had tried to drown his pain with several witches, discreetly of course in case she returned, not wanting to repeat his earlier mistake, thinking that by releasing the pent-up passions and desires of his body he would find solace amidst the storm brewing in his heart, but when he woke and saw the naked bodies of nameless women who would be forgotten as soon as they stepped foot in his threshold, all he felt was emptiness and a deep longing for the woman he loved. He only prayed that these days away from him allowed her to see he hadn't meant any harm, and let her take him back.
However, as Harry had wisely said one night while they shared a glass of firewhiskey in the backyard of the Burrow a warm summer night, there were mistakes which consequences had a steep price, and Hermione's heart had been deeply hurt: in her dreams, in her trust and incomparable devotion to him. As his brother-in-law, Harry promised to support him, because he could see how regretful he was, but he also said he would respect Hermione's decision, and wouldn't push her to change her mind.
Finally, 6 months from that day at her flat, Hermione returned to the Ministry. Ron found out from Ginny, who looked at him compassionately while she told him that their friend had retaken her post, and according to Harry, who had been to tea with her 2 days earlier, seemed fully recovered.
Ron, filled with hope, decided to visit her in her office, taking special care in his appearance, choosing his finest robes, spraying his neck with the cologne he knew she loved, combing and shaving immaculately.
He walked through the Ministry halls, knowing it was time for lunch, and knowing her, aware that she would rather stay in her office and have lunch there to catch up with any pending matters, now even more so that she had been away for so many months.
While he walked, he had to accept, as he had done during the length of her absence, that her commitment and devotion to her work was part of what made her so special. Hermione wouldn't be Hermione without her commitment to lost or difficult causes, without her desire to fight to make the magical world a better place for everyone, without her ability to make sacrifices, and her moral core.
Ron smiled. He had sworn to himself that he would vow to her to support her from now on in all of her dreams, that if her work made her so happy, he would be her most fervent admirer, and that he would never make her suffer. He would devoted his life to making her happy, and to give her everything she deserved. He would respect her decision to wait until she was ready to take their relationship to the next level, intimacy-wise, and he vowed to himself that he would never hurt her again with his infidelities.
These thoughts accompanied him all the way to the floor where her office was located.
When he arrived, he realized the secretary's desk was abandoned, obviously given that it was lunch hour and that Hermione was very respectful and considerate with her subordinates.
He smiled again. Without the interference of some intermediary, it would be easier to enter her office and talk to her, convince her to listen to him and beg her forgiveness, pledge his undying love and retake their relationship. He hoped he found the right words to convince her, and that by opening her heart she was moved enough to take him in. Besides, with all the months that had passed, she mustn't be as angry as when she left, he reasoned.
The sound of her laughter reached him through the door left ajar, maybe her secretary had forgotten to close it on her way out, and his lips curved in a smile, walking determinedly to the door, but a second voice stopped him in his tracks like he had been spelled with a Stupefy, feeling like someone had ripped his chest open in half with a sectumsempra, his eyes burning when he took in the scene through the opening:
"Draco, stop! That is the last shrimp!", Hermione screeched, her laugh like tinkling bells in the rain, soft and sweet, that laughter that never failed to light up his world.
"What are you willing to do, Granger, so I release this poor shrimp from his sad, cruel fate?", Ron saw Draco place a breaded shrimp between his front teeth, with one aristocratic eyebrow raised in challenge, his eyes on the oak desk, with his upper body leaning towards her, playfully mocking her.
"I'm very hungry, Draco!", she replied, her eyes filled with tenderness, while she pouted like a little child, "Please! You know I love my spicy shrimp!", she begged, sighing resignedly, seeing her begging was having no effect. "Wouldn't you do it? For me?", the blond shook his head, "No, pet, not until you give me what I want".
Ron was flabbergasted, he had always been Malfoy to her, and now… she called him Draco and allowed him to call her pet names like he was… the best of her friends, and even more…
"What do you want?", she replied petulantly, and his eyebrow arched even more, his lips curving in an evil, but paradoxically, tender smile, "A kiss", he said resolutely.
"Draco!", she punched his muscular shoulder, obviously exasperated.
Ron swallowed hard. If she was beating him, perhaps there was nothing to be afraid of… They were friends… nothing more…
"We agreed we would be professional at work", she contested. The blond contradicted her, "Precisely. At work. This is our lunch break, ergo, we are not working, ergo, I can ask you for not only one, but a thousand kisses. Come on, Granger! Be bold! Or are you going to tell me that you exhausted your whole arsenal with Potter and the Weasel?", he teased.
"Draco!", Hermione replied furiously, but she immediately started laughing, "Don't call me Granger!", she instructed.
"All right", Draco scoffed, but instantly got serious, "Hermione, my sun, my moon and starts, my light, would you be as kind as to grant me a kiss from your sweet lips, otherwise leaving me in peril of dying of thirst?", he begged sweetly, and she smiled lovingly at him.
"Since you're asking so nicely…", she teased, and Draco took the piece of fish from lips to allow the witch to fulfill her end of the bargain.
Ron saw, with tears in his blue eyes, how she stood from her seat and went to accommodate her petite frame between Draco's open legs, who was sitting on the edge of her desk, trapping her immediately, his muscled arms going to her tiny waist, and hers going to his neck, her delicate fingers caressing the hair that fell down the nape of his neck.
"You are impossible, Draco, a spoiled, petulant brat", Hermione said, but her voice betrayed her admonitory words, because it was laced with sweetness, moving her hands and cupping his strong jaw in them, bringing her lips, which had a soft peachy gloss Ron remembered tasted like apples and cinnamon, to the pureblood wizard's, his hands dancing through her back, joining their lips in a soft but passionate kiss, hearing how she softly moaned under the assault of the mouth of the man who once was the bane of her existence, the thorn in her side, surrendering her body to his advances, their tongues tangling delicately, taking and giving everything, pouring all the emotions they had for the other.
Ron felt like someone had nailed him to the hardwood floors, and he saw how, for countless minutes, Hermione let Malfoy kiss her breathless, his hands moving boldly through her petite frame. When they broke contact, Hermione placed her forehead against his, and smiled, clearly out of breath, her lips swollen, her cheeks stained with a pretty blush, the wizard stroking them with the back of hand tenderly while he continued to draw soft circles on her back, where Ron could see her work blouse had ridden up from the man's ministration, leaving a patch of creamy, silky skin uncovered, which now the blond stroked with his thumb.
"See how good I am? Now you have the shrimp, AND me!", Draco teased, and Hermione smiled, much to her chagrin.
"Asshole", she replied lovingly, and again she leaned in to kiss him, though this time it was less passionate, a peck of their lips, before she leaned in and took the forgotten shrimp, moaning in satisfaction when she chewed the tasty morsel.
Draco moaned painfully, "Beautiful, unless you want me to bend you over this desk and do unspeakable things to you that would make even Casanova blush, stop making those noises", Hermione laughed at his comment.
"Draco!", she scolded again, "Don't say that", Ron felt his blood boil, thinking she had given Malfoy what she had so emphatically denied him so many times…
"I know, Beautiful. And you know that while painful, I will gladly wait until our wedding night. You know I would only submit myself to that, for you", Draco said, his voice laced with a tenderness Ron never thought possible to come from him, "I'm not going to force you to do something you're not ready to do. Besides, I know how important it is to you to save yourself for marriage, and I respect that. It is what makes you so wonderful and unique", Ron would have never imagined he would hear those words from his enemy. That the man who had personified all of Hermione's nightmares during her youth now was the man who respected her wish to remain a virgin until she was married seemed like the cruelest irony, something that he, who loved her so much, had been unwilling and unable to do.
"Draco, I love you. I love you so much", Hermione said with devotion, "You came into my life when I least expected you, but when I needed you the most. You healed my heart with your patience, your silence, your sweetness… And each day by your side, I feel… complete, at peace, whole. I know I'm not easy, Draco", Hermione placed her hands on the wizard's chest, looking into his icy blue eyes, "I'm a workaholic, I study until I drop, I'm stubborn, argumentative, too rational, I like being right…", Draco interrupted her with an understanding smile,
"You are devoted, committed to your goals, you believe in your ideals, you don't take decisions lightly, and… who doesn't like being right?, she chuckled, "You're sweet and passionate, and I don't need to take you to my bed to know that, and I will never betray or lie to you. You're it for me, and I don't doubt, that once we consummate our union, we will burn the Manor. Besides, Mother and Father are enchanted with you, my angel", Draco said softly.
"I still don't believe it!", Hermione said, clearly astonished, "Of everything that has happened, that your parents took me in with opens arms seems like a miracle, even more than you being who gave me back hope and faith in love again".
"Princess, once they looked past your blood, they realized you're a wonderful human being, strong, powerful, compassionate, forgiving, sweet… How could they not love you? Of course, not as much as I do, my little butterfly", she placed her head on his strong shoulder, surrounded by a cocoon of protection and love, "I adore you, you make my life have meaning. You have brought light to my world, and each day I will renew my promise, the one I will make at the altar, of caring for you, worshipping you, protecting you, filling you with love and care, of making you happy, every single day of our lives together", Draco vowed, and Ron heard her sigh contentedly, feeling how breath slipped away when he noticed that in her ring finger of her left hand, there was a ring with an emerald the size of a great corn, surrounded by what it seemed to be thousands of small diamonds which sparkled with the light that came in through the window, clearly a family heirloom because the design was quite ancient, but still elegant and classy, Very… Hermione, if he dared say so.
Swallowing hard, feeling the painful knot in throat steal the breath out of him, with cheeks damp with tears, he turned on his heels, knowing the chapter of his life with Hermione had been closed for good.
Quién abrirá la puerta hoy
Para ver salir el sol
Sin que lo apague el dolor
Que me dejó aquella obsesión.
(Who will open the door today
To let the sun out
Without it being darkened by the pain
This obsession left me with)
De tu corazón con mi corazón
de mis manos temblorosas arañando el colchón.
Quién va a quererme soportar
Y entender mi mal humor,
Si te digo la verdad,
No quiero verme solo.
From your heart to my heart
From my trembling hands scratching my bed
Who will want to stand me
And understand my ill moods
If I tell you the truth
I don't want to find myself… alone)
I'm breaking this up in three chapters, the following two small ones: I´m worried the blocks will make reading it difficult, even though I've tried adding more spaces, it doesn't show on the actual posted page…