Confrontation

A/N: Welcome back to those of you who have read my previous story, for all those who are reading this but haven't read the prequel, go read it now as it will give a better insight to this story.

Also, I would like to say that technically this is my first proper story as the last one was kind of just letters, so you're gonna have to bear with me here.

I really hope you enjoy this as much as the other story; people seemed to enjoy the other one (considering how many visitors it got) quite a bit. However I hope I get more reviews in this one then the last!

Anyways, enjoy!

Ron waited in the kitchen of The Burrow, absent-mindedly looking out of the window, waiting for something. He had been stood like this for about 15 minutes before he finally moved, having spotted a witch's body forming on the spot. He quickly dropped the look of impatience and ran out into the back garden before the witch even had time to move.

In his haste to see her; he ran into her, nearly knocking them both to the ground but luckily he steadied both of them, moving her body so she was facing him.

Finally he cracked a smile. The biggest smile he had ever pulled for anybody's benefit, he was so happy to see her again, it had been so long since they had seen each other and now they were together they couldn't stop smiling or look away.

Hermione spoke first, "I've missed you." She had a look of longing in her eyes; confirming to Ron that what she just said was what she really was feeling but also there was something else in her eyes, something that Ron wasn't too sure if he had interpreted it correctly.

Ron saw the emotions in her eyes and knew that she wasn't lying, the next words that came out were partly for the other emotion he saw in her eyes and partly because he had to tell her. However he wasn't too sure that this was the right moment to tell her but before he could stop himself:

"I love you." As soon as the words were out he looked as if he had just been caught by his mother stealing some food for a midnight snack, however he did not regret the action.

What surprised him was the what Hermione did next, he had expected her to be dumbstruck or to run away, at least do something rational, but instead she leaned in and kissed him, first softly but soon the passion grew, the passion that she had been storing inside herself for the past 3 months.

Slowly but hesitantly she pulled away from him, to his displeasure.

"I love you too." The two looked at each other for a little while longer cherishing the others touch, for they were still intertwined – Ron's arms around Hermione's waist, Hermione's arms around Ron's neck, he fingers playing with his hair.

A small cough broke them out of their trance; turning to look at who had disturbed them they saw Harry and Ginny waiting patiently side by side to greet their friend.

Hermione disentangled herself from Ron and ran to her friends who she hadn't seen in months, hugging Ginny first (the girl had already started walking towards her as Hermione had started running) then turned to Harry to give him a hug too.

"It's good to see you, it's been too long." Harry said as soon as Hermione was in his arms. A long silent tear slowly ran down her cheek as she realized just how much she had missed her friends, she hadn't seen them since the end of the war, having left as soon as everything was back to normal, apart from the numerous funerals, to find her parents in Australia, it had not taken her as long as she had expected, having found them in her first week after all the research she had done looking for them. The rest of her three month stay had been used for allowing her parents to remember and understand everything that had happened, why Hermione had decided to modify their memories. Only now did she realize that she should have maybe apparated to The Burrow for at least an hour, to tell her friends that she and her parents were safe. She realized that maybe and owl a week had not been enough.

Harry disentangled himself from Hermione when he heard her sniff and slowly put a finger to her cheek to wipe away the tear.

"Come on, everyone's waiting for you inside and don't cry in front of Mrs Weasley otherwise you'll set her off too." With a soft smile he grabbed her hand and waited for Ginny to grab his other and lead them both back into the house where sure enough Mr and Mrs Weasley were both waiting for Hermione.

As soon as she saw her, Mrs Weasley ran forward and embraced the girl into a bone crushing hug. A small chuckle could be heard from Mr Weasley and Ron who had followed them into the house.

"Let the woman breathe, Molly, I'd like to give her my own hug before she passes out!" Mr Weasley's comment was not pushed away as most would have expected but Mrs Weasley let go of Hermione giving her a peck on the cheek before nudging her in the direction of Mr Weasley, who true to his word gave her a hug of his own.

Hermione cherished both hugs that she got from the Weasley parents as she had always thought of them as her second parents.

After maybe an hour of talking, Ron finally excused himself and Hermione claiming they needed some fresh air although everybody knew that Ron just wanted Hermione to himself and they all respected his quiet wish to be left alone.

Ron took Hermione by the hand and led her out of the house to the back of the garden where a willow tree stood firm, the tree was positioned so that nobody would see what was happening if you stood under its shelter.

Throughout their journey neither Ron nor Hermione spoke, both content to be in each other's company that there was no need for words to be exchanged between them. But now they saw the need to carry on their unfinished conversation that they started when Hermione first arrived. Hermione spoke first:

"It seems like I have missed much during the time that I've been away, I'm so happy for Bill and Fleur, very glad that everybody and not just Mrs Weasley are calling Percy family again, but Ron, nobody seems to have said anything about how you have been."

A silence feel between them again as Ron thought of what to say, looking down at his feet, completely missing the look of expectance that Hermione was giving him at that moment. Another painstaking moment passed only to be broken off by Hermione as she put her index finger on Ron's chin and pulled it up so he was looking in her big chocolate eyes.

"I'm sorry." At the look of confusion in Hermione's eyes he continued. "That I had to put you through that ordeal in our sixth year, it was stupid of me to think that you only thought of me as a brother. That you thought of me in the same way you thought of Harry, which is stupid because back then I thought that you had feelings for Harry." At this point he had a small smile as if trying to brush of that last sentence as a joke. Although when he had said it, there was not even a hint of humour in his voice. "I'm sorry that I was such a twat towards you at the Yule Ball, sorry for having ruined your night, because I know I did, you can't deny that! I'm sorry for having walked out on you and harry when you really needed me by your side."

It seemed that Ron was trying to apologise for everything in a few words and Hermione realized that. But what she didn't understand was why he was doing it now, what had he done, because nobody just randomly started apologizing for their past behaviours without some sort of reason. However it seemed that Ron was not stopping there, by the looks of things it seemed that he was going to carry on and apologise for every little thing that he had done or said to her throughout their time together.

Breaking off his speech in the best way she could – by kissing him – she successfully stopped his rambling. "If you carry on apologising about everything I'm going to start thinking that you've done something wrong!" She already thought that but there was no reason to tell him this. She continued: "Anyways, I wanted to know what's new with you, not what you've done before."

Utter turmoil was going through Ron's head; all he could think about were the letters that Hermione had written to him, the letters that he had read after coming back from running out on Harry and Hermione during their hunt for horcruxes. He was trying to find a way of telling her that he knew, he knew exactly why she had behaved in the way she had during their sixth year, he wanted to tell her that he understood why she had behaved that way. But for some reason he couldn't find the right words to tell her, or so he kept on telling himself, he didn't want to see himself as a coward. Finally after much deliberation he decided to just tell her, no beating around the bush anymore!

"I read your letters." A bit too forward but it would have to do, he'd told her in some way and now he would have to explain, no going back.

So? Yes, no, maybe so? Do I continue?

Let me know and thank you for reading :)

-Al