I need to find her. I need her to see me. I need her to understand.
Ron wrote Hermione that he would be coming over, and got the OK.
He arrived at her house and knocked at the door, which opened instantaneously. He walked in from the rain. Hermione's face was red and she kept looking around nervously.
"Hello," He said quietly.
Hermione nodded.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Hermione nodded. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"No, really."
Hermione just looked hard at him.
Ron walked back out of the house, but turned around at the corner.
"You could've said you didn't want to talk about, I can come back later."
Hermione peered around the door as Ron crossed the street and walked towards the woods.
She sank down beside the door. How would she be able to tell him of her parents? Parents worse than Malfoy, worse torture than she had ever expierenced with the Death Eaters at fifteen.
She looked back around. Ron was out of site.
Hermione sighed and got up. She walked outside and slowly closed the door, than ran all the way into the woods. She ran and ran as fast as she possibly could until she came upon the abandoned playground. She stopped as it came into view and then walked behind a tree, so as not to be heard. She looked around the tree and saw Ron slumped against a wall on the highest platform. His head was buried in his knees and they were pulled up to his chest and his shoulders were heaving and sob could be heard throughout the clearing.
Hermione gasped and ran up the stairs. She stopped right in front of him. Ron didn't look up. Hermione took a step back and sat down on the stairs with her back to the slide.
"Ron?" She asked quietly.
He sobbed harder. Hermione didn't know what to do, she just sat and let him cry.
"Ron?" She asked again.
Ron looked up. He sobbed a bit softer, well, more like he pressed his lips together and his shoulders rose and fell violently. He hiccuped.
"Ron," Hermione whipered.
Ron's shoulder calmed a bit. Tears were streaming down his face.
"Yes?" He choked.
Hermione's eyes were wide and her face was red.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
Ron just looked at her. He had stopped sobbing but tear till fell from his eyes. He hiccuped again. He couldn't speak anymore, or he would lose it.
"Ron," Hermione said. Her eyes were shiny.
Hermione couldn't help it. She blinked and tears fell from her eyes. Her shoulders started shaking. And then she put her face in her hands. She wan't sobbing, but she was nevertheless crying.
Ron gasped and shook his head and wiped his eyes. He could let her watch him cry but he couldn't watch her.
"Hermione! No, no, no, what's wrong?" Ron asked and ran over to her. Rain was pounding down over them. The clearing was empty. Hermione couldn't look up.
"Hermione, I don't want to see you crying."
Hermione looked at Ron's shoes, an inch from hers. His pant-knees were getting muddy from the dirty floor.
"Hermione, please. Stop crying."
Ron grabbed Hermione's hands and pulled them away from her face, one hand lifting her face so it was level with his own.
"Hermione. Please stop crying."
Hermione blinked and tried to stop. She tried pulling away from him but Ron wouldn't let go.
"Are you alright, Hermione?"
Hermione nodded.
"Hermione. Please tell me. What's wrong?"
"Everything is wrong. My parents hate me. A fourth of the school hates me. And now you hate me."
Her eyes were once again filled with tears. She tried not to let them fall. Hermione hung her head. Tears fell into her lap.
"Hermione, no. No, I don't hate you!" Ron was barely able to speak.
"Yes you do! I know you do! You hate me!"
Hermione looked straight into Ron's eyes.
Ron stared back but his eyes were soft.
Ron couldn't speak.
"Ron. I know you hate me. Just admit it. I made you run away earlier. I made you cry. You hate me now."
"No. Hermione. No. I don't hate you. I. . ."
"See? You can't even make up an excuse."
"I. . . I love you, Hermione."
"What?"
"I love you, Hermione."
And he let go of her hands and put his around her waist and kissed her deeply.
Hermione was momentarily shocked and then put her arms around his neck.