Just so everyone knows before starting to read this, this is a remake of It's Too Late For Us, a previous story of mine. This one, however, will be much better and more detailed than the other, so I'm hoping you will still read. I actually haven't read this in a couple months, and when I reread it today I definitely thought it was better than any of my other writing. Anyways thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

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Her hands brushed the top of his head lightly. She watched him sleep, his stomach rising and falling steadily. He let out a great snore, but Hermione only smiled at him. She moved her hands to rest lightly on the sides of his face. He woke with a start. When he saw her, he lifted his hands to meet hers, placing his rough hands on her soft ones. A smile crept across his face. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips, pulling back reluctantly.

"I love you," she said, placing her hands on his chest. "I love you, too," he said, bringing her hands to his mouth and kissing them. He then kissed her, their chests falling against each others. Hermione could feel his heartbeat through her chest. It somehow felt soothing to her. "I have good news," said Ron. Hermione smiled at him and pulled him into a sitting position on the bed.

"What?" she asked, placing one hand on his legs. "The Cannons are going on a tour, and their Keeper dropped out," he said. "Oh no, that's horrible," said Hermione. "No, it isn't," said Ron. "Well, how are they going to play without a keeper?" she asked him, leaning closer to him. His hot breath hit her cheeks, and she felt strangely relaxed.

"Hermione, they want me, the Cannons want me!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione couldn't believe it, this had been Ron's dream, forever, to be on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, and he had finally gotten it. She wrapped her arms around him, giving him, short, gentle kisses on his neck. "That's wonderful," she said, but then she pulled away from him.

"But that means, you and me, we can't be together?" she asked, the smile fading from her face. "Of course we can, you're coming with me," he said, his grin widening. She flung her arms around him once again, kissing his cheek this time, squealing as she did so. Ron kissed her, with more force and Hermione slowly lowered his head to the bed, their lips never parting.

-----2 weeks later-----

"Well, Miss Granger, I think we can safely say this ship has sailed," said Malcolm Magen. Malcolm was the Head of Hermione's department, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was a rather large man with a surprisingly long neck and a rather small nose. He and Hermione were surrounded by a dozen other Ministry members, having just came out of a meeting. He held out his large hand and shook Hermione's small one. He then put a large hand on her shoulder, and led her into his office, which was down the hallway from the room where the meeting was.

He closed the door behind him and walked forward to sit into his chair. Hermione didn't know what he was going to say to her, but she, for some reason, felt nervous, as though bad news was coming her way. She stood in front of his desk, shifting uncomfortably as he smiled up at her.

"Do you know why you're in here?" he asked, continuing to smile up at her. Hermione tried to read his face, to see what was coming, but all he did was smile. "No," she said simply. He then opened up a drawer in his desk and pulled out a huge folder, nearly 6 inches high and slammed it down on his desk. "Do you know what this is?" he asked her. Hermione was now frustrated. He was not giving her any clues as to what was going on, and the more frustrated she became, the more he seemed to like it.

"This is all of your records since you entered the Ministry. Everything you've done," he said happily, chuckling. "Why are you showing me this?" Hermione asked nervously. She didn't like being fooled, and Malcolm was now making her to be a fool. She crossed her arms across her chest and stuck her hip out. "Because, Hermione, a copy of this was sent to the Ministry in the United States," he said. "What does that mean, though?" Hermione asked him, her patience wearing thin.

Magen stood up, walking around his desk, carrying the file with him. "They want you," he said to her, smiling. He pulled a letter out of the file and handed it to Hermione. She read it carefully, and after reading it once, she couldn't resist reading it again.

Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

After looking at your impressive résumé, and your enormous file of records, we have decided to offer you a job at the Ministry here in New York, New York. We ask you to spend seven years here, after which you may return to England with your family. We expect your reply in no less than a week. The job will start around August 24, and will end in June of 2006. You will be Head of our Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and you will be provided with Ministry housing, if need be. Thank you for your time. Any questions please ask for Patrick at 551-558-4523, or Floo Powder the Ministry and ask for the Minister of Magic, Patrick Lamont.

Sincerely, Patrick Lamont

United States Minister of Magic

Hermione found she couldn't breathe, all of her senses seemed to fail. She had wanted this since she was 15, but it somehow did not feel as she thought it would. She somehow felt disappointed, as if this had come at the wrong time.

"Wow," she simply said. "I know, isn't it great?" Magen said, putting a large arm around her shoulders. "Well, yes, but…." Hermione began. "But what?" asked Magen, sliding his arm off her shoulders. "I don't know," said Hermione. And then she finally realized why she couldn't go. It was now August 10th, and, after making love, Ron had told Hermione his tour would start around the first of September. "I just, well……" Hermione stuttered, still clutching the letter in her hand. Magen was now looking upset, and Hermione stepped away from him.

"Hermione, I pulled a few strings getting this job for you. You've wanted this your whole life. Tell me you aren't going to throw it away because of some guy," he said, giving her a stern look. Hermione knew Malcolm knew about Ron. Malcolm had been less than pleased when he learned Hermione was with Ron, and at times would treat her coldly. His change of mood alerted Hermione quite a bit, and she spoke confidently to him. "Look, Malcolm, I need to talk to Ron about this," she said. She turned to the door and marched out, the letter still in her hand. "Think about yourself for once, Hermione," he called out to her.

Hermione kept walking until she reached her office. She shut the door behind her and slid down it, landing in a sitting position with her back against it. Tears began to slide down her cheeks, and each time she wiped them away hurriedly. She knew she was being emotional, but she didn't care. She didn't know what to do.

She knew one thing. She loved Ron more than anything. But this was her career she was talking about. She wasn't going to throw it away for him, was she? I love Ron, but I love my career, too. I do need to think about myself, right?

She sat there, probably for an hour, just thinking, Ron and the job opportunity two of the many things swarming around in her head. "Miss Granger?" came a voice from the other side of the door. Hermione hurriedly struggled to get up. She hurried to her chair, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. A woman walked in, she was much older than Hermione, her brown hair with streaks of grey in it. She was carrying a long box in her hands. Her name was Ruth Lansky, and she was the assistant of one of Hermione's coworkers. "Yes?" Hermione asked her. "We have a parcel for you," she said. She handed over the box and left the room. Hermione read the letter that was on top.

Hermione,

I love you. Expect more when you get home.

Love, Ron

Hermione wandered what more meant, but set the letter down and opened the box. Inside were a dozen red roses. Hermione picked them up and pulled them to her face. She pulled them away from her and saw that they had changed from red to pink. Hermione smiled to herself, and set the now pink roses back in the box. She removed the roses Ron had gotten her before from a vase, and replaced them with the new ones. She decided to leave early, and quickly gathered her things together. She not only wanted to tell Ron about the offer she had gotten, but she also wanted to find out what "more" was. She quickly shut the door behind her, Malcolm's words "Think about yourself for once, Hermione" flashing in her mind.

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Ron gripped the velvet box in his hand tightly. He first set it on his bedside table, and then on the TV stand, and finally decided to keep it in his pocket, checking to make sure it was still there every 2 minutes. He hoped Hermione would say yes, and that they could get married when he had a break in his tour. He waited anxiously for her to get home, practicing his kneel several times. He finally decided to let it all happen when it happened, and tried to watch some TV as he waited for her. Finally, at around 7, he heard the door to the apartment open and close, and he was now more nervous than ever.

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Hermione got home around 7. She took the elevator to her and Ron's apartment, and not two seconds after she opened the door, she saw Ron standing in the hallway. She pulled her key out of the door. He was standing across the room, looking rather nervous, his hands shaking. "Hi," said Hermione, setting down her purse and keys on the stand next to the door. Ron didn't say anything, he just stood there. His mouth was twitching. Hermione just smiled at him, silently laughing at whatever he was nervous about. She walked forward and kissed him.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," she said when she had pulled away from his shaking body. "I wanted t-to talk to you too," he said. "You first," said Hermione. "No, go ahead," said Ron. Hermione looked up at him and squeezed his hands with hers. "So what is it?" he asked her, trying to muster up some confidence. "Well, it's about work," said Hermione, and she found she could no longer look into his face. She turned away from him and began playing with a thread that was loose on the couch.

Behind her, Ron took out the velvet box, and got down on one knee. He was going to wait until she turned around, and then propose. He hoped more than anything she would say yes.

"I got a job offer, Ron," said Hermione, not daring to turn around. The smile left Ron's face. "A-a job offer?" he asked her. "Yes," said Hermione, her head falling down slightly. "I thought we talked about this," said Ron. Ron had told Hermione she never had to work again, for the salary he would get from the Cannons would last their entire lives, and Hermione had only agreed reluctantly, but she had no idea she would have this opportunity. "I know we did, Ron," said Hermione, feeling more guilty by the second. She began to turn around and Ron jumped up and shoved the velvet box back into his pocket.

Hermione walked forward to him. "The United States Ministry wants me, they want me to be the head of their Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," said Hermione. She moved her hands forward and tried to grab his, but he pulled away from her reach. "Ron…." Hermione said. "So you made your decision?" he asked her, anger spreading throughout his body. "No, of, of course not, I wanted to--" she began. "So you're choosing the job? Over me?" he asked her. "No! I wanted to talk to you about it first!" she said defensively. She could see anger spreading across his face, and tried harder than ever to explain.

"Please, Ron," she said. "Just go, then," he said. He knew he was being rude. Maybe it was his nervousness, or the fact that he feared she would say no, but he now felt more upset than ever. He didn't want to lose her, but she had already made her decision.

"I wanted to talk to you about it first," she repeated. "No, you just came here to tell me you were leaving," he said, and he turned away from her. "Ron, just stop it," she said. A tear slid down her cheek. She didn't want to lose him. She loved him. She needed him in her life. "Hermione, I understand," he said, though his features clearly showed that he was very angry,

"No, you don't! If you just let me explain," she said defensively. He turned around to face her. The tears made it hard to look at her face. "If you don't want to be with me, then fine," he said. "I never said that, Ron I love you!" she said. She could not understand why he was acting this way, but she knew something must be wrong with him. "No, you don't. If you loved me, you would choose me over the job," he said.

"Do you realize how selfish you're being?" said Hermione. "Me? I told you about this two weeks ago, Hermione. And now you come to me saying, what? That I should move to the United States with you? To give up everything I worked for?" he said. "And I've worked hard too!" she shrieked. "You promised me you'd go with me! You promised," said Ron. Hermione stayed silent for a moment. They were both being selfish, she realized, but she couldn't give up this job opportunity. But she loved Ron more than anything.

"Just forget it," said Ron. "Forget what?" asked Hermione. "I guess we can forget us," said Ron. Hermione mouth opened wide in surprise. "How can you say that? How can you fucking say that, Ron? We've been together for 2 years and you just want to forget everything we had?" she said, tears now flowing. "I guess it has to be done," said Ron.

He didn't want to do it, but he had to. He, once again, felt inferior. And it wasn't to someone, it was to something, a stupid job offer Hermione had gotten. He hated that feeling, and if that job was more important to Hermione than he was, then he would, reluctantly step aside, for he had to live his life too. He wasn't going to throw away Quidditch for her, just as she wasn't going to throw away her career for him.

"No, it doesn't. You're being stupid, Ron," said Hermione. "I'm always stupid, Hermione. I guess I'm not good enough for you, am I?" he said. "How the hell can you think that? Will you just stop, for one minute?" she said, trying as best she could to calm him down, to comfort him. "No, I won't," he said. And he couldn't believe what he said next, for it would haunt him for the next six years. "Just go, I want you to," he said. "Y-you want me to?" said Hermione. "Yes," he said, wanting to punch himself for being so stupid. "But--" she began. "No," he interrupted, "no but. You can't give this up. And I obviously can't give up on the Cannons. Go."

"But, us?" said Hermione. Ron could not look at her. He was glad he didn't see the tears coming from her wet eyes, or the shock and hurt on her face. He simply couldn't look at the woman he loved, not when he had just rejected her, hurt her. "When?" he asked her. "The 24th," she said. Ron chuckled. "Two weeks," he said. "It's not funny," said Hermione. "Go," said Ron. "Why? Why aren't you stopping me? Do you not love me?" she said. "Of course I do, but I think we both made our decisions," said Ron. Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "So you're pushing me away," she said. "No," said Ron. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Maybe that'll be enough time for you to get your stuff out," said Ron. "Oh, and where am I supposed to go?" asked Hermione. "I don't know, I don't care," said Ron, and he slammed the door behind him. Hermione stood there, for nearly 10 minutes, the only thing moving were her hands to wipe away the tears.

She wanted Ron more than anything. And she loved him. But if he couldn't understand that this job meant so much to her, then maybe they weren't supposed to be together. No, thought Hermione, we are.

She felt like a robot as she packed her things. As if she was on autopilot. She didn't know what she was doing, she just felt that her body, not her mind, were doing the thinking for her. It took her a few hours to get packed. She increased the size in all of her suitcases and trunks to pack everything of hers in them, and then dragged them to the door. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, dragging the suitcases with her. She took one last look at the room, and shut the door behind her.

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Ron stepped out into the cold night air, the cold stinging his cheeks and bare arms, as he had been wearing only a t-shirt and jeans before he had left. His legs felt like jelly. He didn't know where he was going. It was as if his mind wasn't working or functioning properly, and he had only his legs to carry him. His hands were cold, so he stuck them deep into his pocket. It took him a moment to realize that he did not feel the familiar, velvety feeling he had been feeling for the past couple of hours. He felt only his keys and his wallet in one pocket, but the other was empty. He turned around and began retracing his steps, in search of the little velvety box, which had cost him nearly half his life savings.

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Hermione stepped into the hallway in the apartment building, but just outside her and Ron's door, she stepped on something and fell to the ground, the suitcase and trunk flying in front of her. She, staying in a sitting position, turned her body around to see what the object was. It was a small velvet box. She picked it up and looked inside. Inside was a ring, more beautiful than ever, with a huge diamond on it. Hermione took it out of the box, and noticed engravings on the inside of it. It said, 'I'm nothing without you, Hermione'. The r, o, and n in Hermione's name had been italicized. Hermione turned the ring back around and it slipped easily onto her ring finger. Tears once again stained her cheeks, her face screwed up in pain as she realized this had been what Ron had wanted to talk about. Hermione put the ring back in the box and stuck it in her purse safely. She would keep it, until she believed she should give it back. She stepped into the cold night air, thinking of only one other home she had ever had.

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So? I think this one will be so much better than the other one. (In case you didn't know, this is a remake of It's Too Late for Us, one of my other stories.) I like the fact that Hermione, like someone said in a review, is not a coward for leaving Ron. This time they simply drift apart (for the time being). Also, if you would like me to add anything into my stories just put it in a review and I'll put it in my story. Thank you guys for reading!