Chapter 1: The Beginning
Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise belongs to JK Rowling (some people have it all...) anything you don't recognise belongs to me and if you wanna use it, you'll have to ask me first...
Every couple has a story, some are more interesting then others, some aren't. Anyway our story begins when I went to Hogwarts and I had two best friends, Ron and Harry. Me, Ron and Harry, Ron, Harry and me, that's the way things were, that's the way we hoped it would always be. Of course fate is a cruel thing, and our future was taken from us before we had even begun to live our lives. I still have the memories, I will never forget them, all that happened between us, and the light that they brought to the world. Ron was my best friend, along with Harry, Ron then became my boyfriend, my fiancee and then it all stopped, our chapter was over. It finished before it had even started, and this is my story…
A loud belch echoed around the great hall as I walked to my seat one lunchtime, finally returning to my friends after a late running Arithmacy lesson.
"Ronald Weasley! Honestly, I heard that from the entrance hall!"
My red-headed friend grinned at me through his freckles and spoke, his mouth full of a mixture of gravy and mashed potato.
"wha' 'o won' wi' 'at?" Disgusting, the day Ronald Weasley learns table manners will be a day of great rejoicing in the Wizarding World.
"It's disgusting, that's what's wrong with it, and you're lucky I understood that without being sprayed in mashed potato!"
Ron glared at me and swallowed.
"I am getting better though - three years ago you wouldn't have understood a word I said AND would've been covered in mashed potato!"
He grinned at me causing my heart to melt, that bloody grin, it makes it impossible for me to get mad at him for more then five minutes.
"Actually Ronald you haven't improved, I've just learnt when to duck."
Ron opened his mouth, either to reply to my comment or shovel another forkful of food into that vast cavern, but he closed it again when Harry came and sat down next to us. He looked tired, he always looked tired nowadays. I guess it's the prophesy, if knew that I was to be either murderer or victim then I would probably lose sleep over it too. Harry smiled across the table at Ginny who flushed and grinned back, they started going out last summer after Harry worked up the guts to tell her how he felt. He finally realised that he had had way too many brushes with death in his lifetime for him to go on without her knowing, so (with a small push from myself and Luna) he told her the truth when he arrived at the Burrow at the beginning of August. They were still a little awkward around each other, but they were just about used to the idea of them going out, and gradually Ron is learning to accept it. I've always hoped that Harry and Ginny would get together, Ron certainly approved of the match once, so why not know? His sister and best friend finally getting together, two perfectly nice people who more then deserve each other. I hope me and Ron find people that we're just as happy with. Oh Merlin… What am I thinking? I love Ron and everything, but he deserves someone who is as fun-loving as he is, not someone who… well not someone like me, I don't deserve him and I know it. True I'll never be as happy as I would be if I was with Ron, but so long as Rons happy, I'm happy…
"'Mione?" Ron's finished his lunch (Praise the Lord!) and was looking at me in concern "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine Ron, honest, its just…" I sighed I couldn't tell him, not today "…My mind was just wondering." he grinned at me as if someone had cast a cheering charm on him. One day I will tell him the truth, but for now, it can wait, maybe another time…
I was sitting by the dormatory window watching Ron and Harry talking by the lake when Ginny walked in.
"Hey Hermione, not like you to be daydreaming." I looked up at Ginnys honest face, she had probably worked out what was going on already, and I had the sudden urge to tell someone, even if it wasn't Ron.
"Gin, I've gotta small problem."
"What's Ron done now?"
"Its nothing like that Gin, I'm in love with your brother."
"I've got 6 of the creatures Hermione, you'll have to be specific."
"Percy." At this word Ginny sat bolt upright and started choking on her own spit
"God Gin, I'm only joking! My taste in guys isn't that bad!"
"It is Hermione," Ginny said "Can you think of any other reason why you love Ron?"
I was right, Ginny did know the truth, and she had obviously known it for a long time and had no doubt in my feelings at all. I knew that she would probably know the truth but not on this level, I thought she'd just have a sneaking suspicion. I must have been more obvious then I originally thought. Ginny must have read my expression because she grinned at me and bounced with glee.
"At last, you should know how long Harry and I have been waiting for one of you to come out of your shell. When are you going to ask him out?"
"How about never?" I replied, Ginny opened her mouth to argue, I was sick of arguments I argued with Ron enough times, I didn't want to be arguing with Ginny too. "If you and Harry worked it out, Ron probably knows already."
"I don't think so, Ron couldn't be any more dense if he tried." Ginny said grinning
"Aww leave him alone, he's not that bad."
"Oh Lord, its started, you're defending him already."
I left the room, knowing that within minutes Ginny would've told Harry what I had said and then both of them would be badgering me to ask Ron out. Harry might even tell Ron, I shuddered at the thought of what might happen if Ron found out. Our friendship was on the edge of a knife already, if anything mucked it up we would be doomed, we needed to stay together for Harry's sake, breaking up as friends was not an option. I took a deep breath, this was going to be difficult…
That was when I realised the whole truth, how much I loved and cared for Ron, how I'd die for him so that he wouldn't feel any pain or grief. I knew that I'd have to tell him my feelings oneday, but I was afraid of his reaction, what if he didn't feel the same? Every day the pressure to tell him mounted (Harry and Ginnys badgering was ever increasing) as did what was at risk. Rejection wasn't the only thing that entered my mind, if he said yes, what would Harry think? If it didn't work out between us how would we support Harry if we weren't supporting each other? Hundreds of theorys entered my head to explain my own feelings in those long few weeks, each was unlikely as the next. I wanted to run away, fearing his answer, knowing that whatever he will say, something could go wrong. But I knew it was going to happen, you cannot escape your own fate, no matter how long you put it off for, one day I would succumb to the mounting tension. Then one day, it happened…
I was doing my homework on a Friday evening, eager to get it out of the way before the weekend arrived so I could be free to stay out of the way from Harry and Ginny, instead of them always finding me in the library finishing the odd essay. However Ron and Harry were playing chess in a corner of the common room, and my Sunday evening would be spent helping them get their homework done before Monday morning. I heard a snort of laughter behind me, and I smiled to myself. I could tell Ron's laugh a mile off, I liked to know that they were happy, Harry had been getting more sullen and moody this year. I liked to know when Harry and Ron were happy, laughter was getting rare for us this year, Voldemort was getting stronger, and we all needed to practise occulumncy regularly, as well as all the homework and revision we were getting.
I loaded my quill with ink and started to write the last sentence of my essay on the 'Dangers of a Beozar' for Snape. Suddenly Ron yelled, causing every one in the common room to jump about a foot and a large blue blot to appear at the end of my last sentence of my last essay for the night. I'd already had a long day, and I was tired and now pretty angry, so I began to unleash my anger on Ron, I know he didn't deserve it but I was to angry and tired to care. Ron argued back, making out that it was my fault, then he told me that I hated him. He was wrong, I corrected him…
"I don't hate you Ron," I said quietly "I've never hated you - In fact, I love you."
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the lips, he kissed me back, oh God, he kissed me back, it wasn't until we broke apart and I could see the shock in his eyes when I realised what I had done. I couldn't face being in the same room as him for a moment longer, I ran past him, not noticing when I knocked his arm on my way up to my dormitory. I sat on my bed hugging my knees, willing myself to disappear, I'd hide under my bed until Ron had left Hogwarts and I'd take my NEWTs a year late, anything but look Ron in his face again. My luck was cut short, my desperate thoughts were interupted by someone (Ginny I guess) pushing him into my room and slamming the door behind him. I should have climbed out of the window then, I probably would've if I wasn't afraid of heights.
Just what I needed, no choice in confrontation, well I was planning to try to patch things up. I tried to begin a conversation, unfortunatly Ron had attempted to do the same thing at the same time. After several failed attempts Ron cleared his throat and muttered.
"You start"
I started with the basics.
"Sorry Ron"
We were both staring at the floor, or our feet, there was an odd dark patch on the carpet, maybe blue-tack or something - I hope it wasn't chewing gum…
"What are you sorry for?"
"Earlier, everything"
"It's ok, I've been hoping for something like that to happen for years, I never thought you would though, the reality is still sinking in." I looked up then, Ron was smiling, his hair was shining in the moonlight, I stood up and stepped over the line of moonlight from the window, over a barrier of which there was no turning back. Ron took me in his arms and I put mine around his neck.
"You know I love you 'Mione" I smiled and lent forwards, catching his lips with mine, it took us half an hour to work up the guts to go downstairs and tell Harry and Ginny what had just happened.