FAGE 8: Soul Mates
Title: Long Between the Words We Spoke
Written for: Razztaztic
Written By: 4CullensandaBlack
Rating: T
Prompt used:
Harry's Bachelor Party (HP/Canon)
Summary:
Inspired by and words from the song Long & Lost by Florence and the Machine. After being away from the wizarding world and magic Hermione comes to realize that she can't just hide from her past or her problems. She has finally decided to acknowledge all that has happened while trying to reconnect with her friends; but, is it too late? Has everyone moved on?
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community/FAGE-8-Soul-Mates/93625/
'Lost in the fog, these hollow hills
Blood running hot, night chills'
I'm as far away as I could apparate without being seen by them; being back here after so long feels extremely nostalgic. I remember the first time Mr. Weasley brought me to the Burrow before we went to the Quidditch World Cup with Ginny and the boys. I always feel so at home here. Standing along the outskirts of the rolling hills in the fertile meadows I see the tents rise into the area as the family begins setting up for this evening's event.
The chimneys are smoking and the flavors of steak kidney pie and bouillabaisse overpower my senses and my phone beeps; it's a notification from the Skeet Report Insider Blog:
It doesn't seem like five years have passed since Hermione Granger left for Muggle London but it has been. Insiders spotted "the brightest witch of her age" discreetly looking at Flats. One insider claimed that Ms. Granger seemed upset about the selections shown to her as well as a little preoccupied. Perhaps she was checking for a new post from the Skeet Report, wink wink, about a certain red-headed auror. This reporter can only hope that this won't detour the possible reunite of the Dynamic Trio, which as you know the Daily Prophet dubbed them after their victory over 'he who shall not be named.' Is the Wizarding World ready to reembrace the Muggle Witch or is it too late? Only time will tell.
This is Rita Skeeter signing off, saying fly another day.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," effectively shutting off my phone and closing the blog before the comments start pouring in.
I knew I wouldn't go unnoticed long once I had decided to move back. And, of course Rita Skeeter and her unpaid minions would ruin my plans. At least the photos that were taken didn't look bad and my hair wasn't doing it typical bird nest routine. However, I had hoped to surprise Harry, Ginny, and everyone tonight at the combined Bachelor-Bachelorette party.
I think that it is so cute that they are doing a combined party but I am a little nervous. I haven't really spoken to any of my friends since leaving magic and the wizarding world behind. Taking a deep breath I think of the quiet soft waters of the lake by my house in Muggle England.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. My heart begins to beat faster as I continue to breathe through my nose and out of my mouth, "I can do this" I say out loud to myself.
"Well, it's now or never," the wind kicks up the skirt of my cherry red dress so I tighten my cropped coat around my shoulder.
'I need the clouds to cover me
Pulling them down, surround me'
Over the years I have talked to Harry loads through random back and forth emails; he has kept me abreast with the latest comings and goings of our friends.
So I really shouldn't have been surprised to get a wedding invitation. However, I was surprised that they both thought enough about me to ask that I take part in their wedding.
I guess I just thought that with everyone being more upset than understanding of my need to move back to the Muggle world after returning to Hogwarts to complete my final year; maybe they wouldn't think of me being in the big milestones in their lives.
I couldn't tell them that I was staying up night after night because every time I closed my eyes all I could see was darkness and hear my screams. I was lucky that when I returned to Hogwarts I was able to secure my own room.
Since I was eleven magic has consumed my life and yes there have been good times but at that time all I could do was relive the bad. I would wake with my wand in my hand fighting for air or I would scream at the top of my lungs. After the first night back in the dorms I had to soundproof my room just so no one would run in to check on me again.
But you can't say that to your friends or your boyfriend or his family; or your family for that matter.
However, that was over five years ago. I am doing much better now. I am feeling more relaxed and sure of myself. I am totally ready to reconnect with my friends.
Walking down the steep hill, I reach the edge of the quarry that leads to the Burrow. But before I can take another step, I am met by the voice of my former flame, "Hello Hermione."
I turn around to face the one I really didn't want to see until after everyone knew that I was back. I didn't want my return to be so much of a surprise for him. He's the one that I hurt the most by leaving. He wanted to understand why but I couldn't tell him. I was scared and I thought that I could handle everything on my own but when I left in the guise of visiting my parents; it just got harder and harder to tell him the truth. So, I sent an owl instead; the classic Dear John letter.
'It's been so long between the words we spoke
Will you be there up on the shore, I hope
"Hi Ron, you are looking well." I say as we are now face to face with each other. He's older, with a beard. His shoulders sit strong like he seems surer of himself; more mature. I guess that'll happen when you haven't seen someone in five years.
"Thanks. So I guess you are here for the wedding." Before I could answer he continues, "I have to say, I didn't think that you would show up. You haven't before now."
I digested what he said as I looked him over. I know I've missed a lot of his life, of Harry's, of everyone's. But I guess I just wanted to be a little…
"Selfish!" he said with venom in his voice.
I question his words, "Excuse me?" I whispered.
"I said that I am being selfish keeping you all to myself. The family is dying to see you. I owe Harry an expensive wedding gift now." He continues on about the bet that they made about me showing up or not.
I didn't want to be that person anymore. The person who didn't show, the person who ran away from their problems.
"Can we stay here for a minute and talk, Ron?" I asked hoping that he wouldn't run off like I would have.
"Sure, but first can I say that you are still as beautiful as ever Hermione?" He still sounded like the boy that I spent the summer falling in love with after the Second Wizarding War. The one that wanted nothing more than to spend our days on the beach, but he wasn't that boy anymore and I wasn't that girl anymore. In front of me stood a man, a man I did not know.
You wonder why it is that I came home
I figured out where I belong'
"Ron!" I totally bypassed his compliment "I need to tell you why I left."
Taking a deep breathe I let the words flow from my lips. "Now I know that it was a form of PTSD; post-traumatic stress disorder." I explained when it seemed that Ron didn't get the Muggle medical term.
"After Bellatrix tortured me…the things that she did…I lost myself." It was getting to be too much so I sat down in the sand and Ron joined me.
"It got harder and harder to understand why this was happening to me. I'd wake up in middle of the night and it would take a while for me to realize where I was." He grabbed my hand as I continued to try and explain what lead to me leaving.
"I started to lose track of time and I couldn't comprehend the most basic things. I am surprised I even finished at Hogwarts. I would wake in the middle of the night with my wand in hand."
"Hermione, you know could have told me what you were going through. I had no idea!" he said while rubbing circles on the back of my hand.
"Ron, I was planning on telling you. On telling everyone but the night before…" I start to get choked up.
"I almost blew up Crookshanks!" I screamed as tears started to flow from my eyes.
"I could have blown you up! I …" he interrupts me before I could finish.
"Mione, you would never hurt me and Crookshanks is fine. I hate that cat but she is resourceful." He smiled at me and apparently it can still melt my heart.
I took a breath. "It seems so surreal how things happen. Like it was another lifetime or that it happened to someone else but it didn't. It happened to me." I lowered my head staring at our conjoined hands. They fit so well together, I missed this.
"We all lost a lot because of the war" he starts to say. I can feel his eyes on me, watching me.
"But I know you Hermione the reason why you left was because you didn't think your pain measured up to what everyone else lost." I feel his eyes boring into my head like he was desperate to know what I was thinking or if I was even listening.
'But it's too late to come on home
Are all those bridges now old stone?'
"You were looking out for us and didn't want to burden me, Harry or our family with what you were going through." I shook my head because he's right. I thought that my pain and issues weren't even worth voicing.
"You were wrong. Your pain is just as important…at least to me it is."
I looked up at him surprised and wondered if it was possible that Ron still had feelings for me. If I was still in his heart?
But it's too late to come on home
Can the city forgive? I hear its sad song'
"I love you, Hermione. Always have, always will" he says looking so deep into my eyes that I am afraid that they may pop out of the sockets.
"Well, that answered that question didn't it?" I said out loud not so much for him but for me.
"Answered what question?" he asked. I decided to show him rather than tell him by grabbing his face and stealing a kiss. I had forgotten how his lips tasted. How my body would warm up from that initial connection and then travel down to my hands and reached all the way around to my heart.
Moans and sighs left our lips as we slowly parted away from each other. I leaned into him again for more kisses.
"Hey, look at the reunited love-birds!" yelled George from down below in front the tents. I broke away from Ron and buried my head in his chest.
"Shut up George!" Ron whispered. He looked at me as if I was a child trying to pull my hand away from him.
"Or you will scare her off" he looked down at me placing his hand underneath my chin; raising my face toward his.
"Don't worry, Ron" I said as closed the gap between our lips. The kiss was slow, familiar, and warmed my bones.
Breaking apart slowly, "I am not going anywhere. I'm home" and I meant it.
FIN
A/N: I would like to thank Jo-Jo for beta'ing this for me and Bee for hooking my banner up; it is so cool. I am not a canon writer so this was a little hard for me. but I love how it came out. Razztaztic, I hope you like your gift!