I worked really hard on this one. I would be honoured if you leave a review. I do not own anything except for the storyline and I agree with everybody who says the genius J.K.R. could have paid Ron and Hermione a bit more… :-)
Morning
Morning has broken without any hesitation. Sunlight breaks through the cloudy sky, promising something I cannot understand at the moment.
I wonder why the world keeps turning while our life seemed to have stopped yesterday.
Yesterday…
Fragments of screaming, throwing spells, hurting and dying are crossing my mind and even if there is just a night between these events and now it seems like eternity to me.
The dead bodies of Tonks, Fred and Lupin appear in front of my eyes and I feel the tears fill them together with the memory.
And at the same time my heart seems to be torn into pieces I feel the greatest relief I have ever felt. I know the world is freed and whatever will happen it will never be that dark again. And I feel happy for Harry. He was just brave as always and after I have realized that he was ready to die for the world I love him even more if that is possible.
Yes, I love him, but I love Ginny, too. And Neville. And my parents. Well, maybe it is not love, but it is as strong as love…
I know it is love with Ron.
I have always been in love with him.
Hermione sat at the lake watching the sunrise and seemed to be in deep thoughts.
Ron walked his way towards her, stopped a few steps next to her and started watching her.
Her face looked as hard as stone and he remembered what it had looked like when she had stormed towards him, dropping everything she had in her hands, planning to kiss him. Her expression had been the complete opposite of what it was now, soft not stony, passionate not resigned, loving not…
She noticed his presence and looked up straight in his eyes and he recognized that she had not stopped to have a loving expression.
Ron tried to smile which did not quite work out, but she smiled back nevertheless.
Ron felt so tired. He had stayed up the whole night. First he had been at his brother's side, helping him through Fred's death watch, but he could not bear the situation for very long, so he decided to go to the common room. He had found a sleeping Hermione and stayed. He could not face the thought of being separated from her again.
As she started to wake up, he left.
Now he sat next to the girl he fell in love with when he came to Hogwarts the first time and looked at the lake together with her.
Suddenly he noticed the closeness of their hands, which lied in the small gap between them.
Against all better judgement, against all the sorrow he had felt, love and longing overbalanced and he placed his palm on her small hand.
Adrenaline flooded his body as she turned her hand and entwined their fingers without looking at him.
"Hermione... I…"
Ron stopped as abrupt as he had started to talk.
"Yes, Ron?"
"Everything will be fine again!"
The sudden outburst surprised her, but she did not show any sign of her astonishment.
"I know. After all that happened I am sure again, that our life could continue the way I have always planned."
He grinned at this characteristic answer and squeezed her hand. Hope has always kept him alive like it did now. He collected all his will and tried to sound honest.
He was so tired of dancing around each other, ignoring every chance of a happy end. After all what happened yesterday, the deaths, the kiss, the thought of Ginny losing Harry, he just wanted to sort out their relationship.
"And would you mind to let me in your plans?"
Hermione looked up. Her eyes found his and she surveyed him properly. Was he serious?
"What do you mean?"
"Well, after I kissed you back yesterday you are supposed to know what I mean…"
She looked down. Ron loved to see her blush, knowing that he had caused it.
"I am not sure if I can let you in…" Hermione whispered, stood up and left quickly, leaving a disappointed and heartbroken Ron.
Hermione sat at the fireplace in the Griffindor's common room, watching the flames dancing to a melody in her head which she remembered from former times. She could not remember, where she knew this song from, but she was sure it had something to do with Ron.
Well, that was not difficult. Everything she remembered had something to do with him.
When she watched birds flying at the sky, they reminded her of watching him playing Quidditch, flying on his broom, having fun and laughing, being proud.
When she saw red flowers they reminded her of his hair or his lips.
His lips…
She felt her face flush as she remembered their first kiss. It had felt right and she no idea why she ran away from him earlier. Maybe the idea of being happy was just new and scary after all.
"Umm… Mind if I join you?"
She looked up and she suddenly remembered where she knew the song from.
Flashback
"Umm… Mind if I join you?"
Hermione nodded at Ron's question and a made a bit more room for him.
They sat together on the bench and watched the wedding from the distance.
"They look happy." Ron stated.
"They are happy…" the girl next to him corrected him softly.
It had only been a few hours since Bill and Fleur had promised each other their life.
The melody of a slow song reached the couple on the bench and Ron held out his hand.
"Would you like to dance with me, my lady?"
She chuckled.
"I'd love to, Mister."
End of Flashback
Life had been so easy, so carefree in those days. They had danced to the song slowly, which has crossed her mind sitting at the fireplace now.
Taking her silence as a "no", he turned and was about to leave when he heard her whisper.
"Please, Ron. Stay!"
He turned around again and smiled at her.
"Sure…"
He sat down next to her on the sofa and was absolutely surprised, when she took his hand in hers like he had done a few hours ago.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed or put you under pressure." he started.
"I know. I am sorry, too." She answered.
"There is no reason for you to be sorry. Everything I want is you to be happy and have the life YOU have planned."
"But life with you has always been my plan."
He stopped. His heart started beating like crazy and his hands started shaking. He had always known that this kind of situation would reach him, too. But now it was there and he had never been that nervous.
"Good, our plans are so bloody compatible."
And then Hermione started to laugh. She laughed so hard that tears streamed over her face. Then she stopped laughing but continued crying and Ron closed his arms around her and hugged her and soothed her with his gentle voice.
"Don't cry… Well, cry if you want to… It's been rough times... I am here… I am never going to leave you… Thank God, nothing happened to you… I am so into you…"
He lifted her head gently, cupped her red and wet face lovingly and then he just kissed her, putting every inch of his love into this kiss, trying to calm her. She kissed him back.
This kiss was so different to their first kiss full of despair and fear, this one was a promise.
She snuggled deeper into his arms and yawned.
"I am so tired." She stated and closed her eyes.
"Then sleep." Ron suggested and felt her nod. He kissed the top of her head and after he was sure that she had fallen asleep he whispered quietly.
"I love you so much."
Ron woke up very early the next morning and looked down at Hermione. It had not been a dream.
Softly he stroked a strand of the bushy hair he had fallen in love with firstly out of her face and smiled at her as her eyes fluttered and she opened them.
"…morning, love."
She smiled back at him.
"I love you, too." She said.
Morning has broken without any hesitation. Sunlight breaks through the cloudy sky, promising something I now understand.
I do not wonder why the world keeps turning because my life turned out to continue the way I always wished secretly it would but did not hope for.
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