Disclaimer: Rather obviously, I do not own any of this.
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It is over, and they have triumphed, but there is still a task for him to do, something that should have been done so long ago. But he didn't do it all those years ago when he should have, so now it is his duty to perform it now.
He sees her sitting at one of the tables, and he resists the urge to back away, to save this talk for later, because it cannot wait for later. This is their chance and he must take it now. If this fails there is no going back, and with every rapid beat of his heart that knowledge sinks into him deeper and deeper. This is the turning point for them; this is their climax.
Before, they rushed into this, and then she kissed him, and now both are confused. Kissing was one thing back when they thought they were quite possibly going to be dead hours later, but now they have their whole lives ahead of them, spanning decades into the future, and with all that openness there is now some sort of awkwardness in their conversation.
So he looks at her appealingly, hoping that she will read the unspoken request in his eyes that he would like to talk to her, and because she is so perceptive (especially considering that he is not) she nods and turns to walk next to him.
He is conscious of her body close to his, but not touching, though her hand twitches once as if she wants to grab hold of his.
Once they are on the grounds, they walk together, not saying anything, and he does reach for her hand.
He breaks the silence first. "So…this is it."
She nods, her grip tightening on his hand as if she wants to make clear that she will not let this go, never. It gives him a rush of reassurance. She too understands that this is their chance, this is the furthest they have ever gone together and if they were to fall, they would never survive it.
Well, they will just have to make certain that they will not fall.
And it all starts with an apology, something he has always had trouble with, but he feels is necessary now.
"Hermione, I'm sorry, for everything I've said…everything I've done. I've been an arse, I really have."
She smiles a little at that. "Well, I've always known that," she says. "I told you that, when you came back after destroying the Horcrux."
"I think I tried to repress that memory," he jokes.
She laughs. "You deserved every word of that."
He nods, for she is right, and it is still something that utterly embarrasses him, and shames him. Sometimes in the night he will remember that he did not act like a Gryffindor, when he is at his most insecure, but he tries to tell himself that he came back, that he returned to the side of the hero. It is enough usually, but he cannot ever completely discard the shame of that. He and Harry never fully discussed how miserable he and Hermione had been, but he knows it instinctively, an unexplainable piece of knowledge that is just there.
"Well, do you forgive me?" he asks quietly. "Not for that, for everything?" He thinks of the times he has made her cry and he feels an even greater feeling of shame.
She looks solemn now, the mirth fading from her face, the laughs dying away. "I think so. It was a long time ago, and we were young, and we didn't really know what we wanted…I forgive you for that."
It is a weight lifted off his shoulders and he smiles, then places his arm around her shoulder. Usually he has done it only to comfort her, but now it is a sign of reassurance, of love, of companionship, everything that they are to each other and more. She relaxes against him as they walk around some more.
"I'm glad you've forgiven me and all, but if you think I'm going to read Hogwarts, A History…"
"Ron, you should!"
"Never."
"You're unbelievable."
They walk back to the castle, resting against each other, ready to have a future together. It is no longer foggy, it is bright, and clear to them that they want a future with each other in it.