Do not own. Everything belongs to JK Rowling.
Hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak, he watches them. The woman he'sbeen in love with for years with the man he has despised since his first year at Hogwarts. He's watched her for so long. Watched her reading, watched her crying, watched her laughing.
Now Ron Weasley watched as they walked to her front door. As Hermione Granger blushes, smiles shyly, and gazes longingly into dark eyes.
"I had a wonderful time tonight." She said to the man.
"As did I." Severus Snape smiled gently and brushed a stray curl behind Hermione's ear. To Ron that smile, that soft look in his eyes, looked completely out of place on the greasy git's face.
He knew he shouldn't be here. That he was only torturing himself. But when he'd heard Ginny telling Harry who Hermione was going on a date with tonight he couldn't help it. He had to see it for himself.
Ron knew he had screwed up. He waited too long to tell Hermione how he felt. He just assumed she would always be there waiting for him. By the time he had told her she didn't feel the same anymore. Now he knew it was because she had moved on to Snape.
He had abandoned her and Harry during the horcrux hunt. They had kissed after destroying the Hufflepuff cup. But Ron knew most of that kiss had been fueled by adrenaline and relief. After the battle was finally finished he had been overcome with grief due to the loss of Fred and everyone else who died. He'd gone back to the Burrow with his family and left Harry and Hermione to deal with everything. The few times he had seen her they barely spoke ten words to one another. And when they had talked a few weeks after the battle all Hermione had talked about was Snape. He should have realized then what was happening.
Some how, the bat of the dungeons, survived being attacked by Nagini. Harry and Hermione went back to the shack to retrieve Snape's body when things calmed down after Voldemort was killed. What they found was Fawkes guarding an unconscious but still breathing Potion's Master. Apparently Dumbledore's phoenix had wept over the snake bites and into Snape's open mouth, healing him. They immediately took him to Madame Pomfrey who put him in a magic induced coma until he was completely healed. While in the coma Harry and Hermione cleared Snape's name using the memories he'd given Harry and the confirmation from Dumbledore's portrait that it was all true.
When Madame Pomfrey finally woke Snape from the coma he was a free man. Free from Azkaban. Free from Voldemort. Free from Dumbledore. But he was still weak and Madame Pomfrey assigned Hermione the task of being his nurse while he recovered. According to Harry, they formed a friendship during that time that was now something more. It made Ron sick to think of it.
He focused his attention back to the couple on the porch. Snape's hand was on Hermione's cheek and had they moved closer to one another?
"Severus, please kiss me." Hermione said boldly. She was a Gryffindor after all.
Snape looked amused but smiled tenderly at her. "Bold little lioness." He murmured.
And Ron Weasley watched as Snape slowly leaned forward and gently kissed Hermione's lips. In that moment he knew that he had lost her forever. He knew that he had spent too much time watching her and not enough time taking action.