A/N Welcome to my second story here of this is the sequel to my original story featuring Ron and Hermione titled "You're me everything" if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do, but if you don't you probably won't get too lost! Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, the author J.K Rowling does.
Chapter 1- When the past comes a 'knockin
A single ray of sunshine pierced through the delicate fabric of the curtains, it danced around the room and illuminated the objects occupying the space. The sun landed almost pleasingly on top of a large bed in the center of the room, causing a large lump to stir and awake form sleep.
Hermione Granger fluttered her eyes open slowly, momentarily being blinded by the sun's rays. She sat up in her cozy bed and rubbed hey eyes, looking over at her bedside table to check the time.
"Blimey! 8:30 already!" She said slightly started, hurrying out of bed. She rounded the corner of her flat and then slowed her pace, remembering that today was Saturday. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and continued towards her kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water from the tap and drank it down. She smiled widely looking out of her window, watching some of the neighbor's children play a game of catch. She set down her glass on the counter and opened her front door bending down to retrieve the daily paper.
Just as Hermione had made herself some coffee, and settled in to read the muggle news, a large brown owl came swooping into her home, hooting loudly. Hermione gave a frightened yelp at the sudden interruption, but then realizing it was her good friend Ginny Potter's owl she sprang form her seat and greeted the bird, carefully removing the letter attached to it's leg.
"Thank you Henry." Hermione said patting the owl gently on the head. Hermione chuckled as she remembered the Weasley family owl Pig, then after Ginny married Harry, they moved in together and Ginny had bought her own owl.
She unfurled the tightly wrapped note and sat back down at the table, sipping her coffee before beginning to read.
Hermione,
I just thought I'd write you so as you could prepare yourself (you'll understand in a moment.) Do you remember how you were to attend luncheon at the Burrow with me Harry, mum, and dad? Well, as you know this was when Harry and I were planning to tell them our news, but last night we received word from Ron, saying that he's coming home again for a visit! So he too will be attending. Just so you know, be there at promptly 11:30, I'll need your opinion on something urgent.
Hugs and kisses,
Ginny.
Hermione crinkled her nose in disgust, crumpling the letter within her fists.
"You can go! I haven't a response!" She snarled at the happily twittering owl, shooing him back outside.
She absolutely burned with rage and anger. The last thing she wanted to happen was to have this perfect autumn day spoiled by the mention of a Ronald Weasley. Least of all, attend lunch with him that afternoon. Hermione snorted again, stepping up from the table and thrusting her cup angrily down into the sink so it cracked down the middle. All the memories came fleeting back to Hermione as she remembered the events of three years prior to this.
Of course, three years earlier Hermione had finally been convinced she had found that one person to complete her life, Ron. She recalled that she had just completed school and was out of Hogwarts when he came to stay with her over summer Holiday, both of them still unsure what they would do now that they were out of school. Back then all she wanted was to have Ron to herself, she dreamed of him every night, and found it alarmingly hard to breathe in his presence. He had saved her from near death, which made her attraction stronger; he had been her best friend. Finally one late summer evening her dreams came true and her and Ron confessed their love for one another. She had given herself completely to Ron, as far as she was concerned he owned her!
But that would all change, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, Hermione and Ron grew closer still more in love each day, she seemed almost blinded with love for him. But one day, Ron had left her, muttering only that he couldn't he just couldn't, it was too much. And he left Hermione alone, with no explanation what so ever. She had only seen him on one account after that at Ginny and Harry's wedding, in which she pleaded with him desperately to tell her what was going wrong so suddenly. She remembered standing in the reception hall on that cool spring day, silver tears gushing from her eyes, and the painful memory of Ron thrusting the door open angrily, and walking out of her life for good.
Of course she was crushed, her world tumbled down on top of her, in front of her eyes. Her emotion, her very soul was shattered to bits and pieces. She spent endless nights lying awake crying out 'What did I do?' for weeks she did not speak to anyone, she did not go to work; she did not feel anything but numb. From that day forward Hermione closed her heart off from the male species, telling herself that nothing would ever match him, since then she had never gone on a date with another man (even though Ginny tried several times to set her up.) She never kissed another man, because whenever she finally thought she might be able to, she swore she could taste Ron's breath on her lips from the very last kiss they had ever shared.
Hermione shook with rage remembering the tragedy, yet here she stood three years later, reliving the scene again. She knew she could not go to that lunch in a few hours she just couldn't face the utter humiliation that would be bestowed on her if she did. Though she knew dealing with an angry, and pregnant Ginny would not be a pretty sight.
It was true, a year and a half after their marriage Harry and Ginny potter were expecting their first child, this lunch was when the happy couple planned to reveal it to the Weasley's and Hermione had been asked to come as witness of the event (as Ginny suspected her mother would faint with surprise.)
Hermione looked at the clock on the wall, she had wasted nearly forty-five minutes of her day thinking about Ron when she could be out and about. She then dressed in a hurry, pulled her hair into a tight bun and waltzed out the door.
She wasn't exactly sure where she was going, for she didn't want to go to work. All she knew was that she was bound and determined to enjoy herself that wonderful fall day. Hermione wandered farther into town, she spent a lot of time in some small shops but didn't buy anything. Next, she ogled over some beautiful gowns inside of a fashion boutique, and finally she went to see a movie. Satisfied with her day, Hermione looked around searching for a place to eat as her stomach gave an odd twinge. At last she settled on a small café just a few blocks from her flat. She came her often when she wanted a quick snack to drive away her hunger. So she took a seat at one of the tables and ordered a small salad and tea.
After finishing her meal, the satisfied Hermione got up from her seat, being sure to leave a rather generous tip for her waiter, and exited the café. She pranced down the sidewalk on her way back to her small apartment, her purse swinging over her shoulder.
"Well that's shot the day down a bit." She exclaimed entering the flat and looking at the clock once more discovering that it was now half past five that evening. All thoughts of Ginny's lunch were pushed from her mind as she nestled herself contently by the warm glow of the fire to read her newest book. She hadn't gotten far when there was a sharp wrapping on her door.
"Just a moment!" Hermione yelled placing a bookmark to mark her place. She hustled to the door hurriedly and swung it open a few seconds later; revealing a red-faced Ginny.
"Ohh, h-hi Ginny!" Hermione stammered, not expecting Ginny to come and see her.
"Save it Hermione!" Ginny said shoving her way into her flat. "You didn't show for lunch!" she bellowed turning to face her friend.
"Oh, uh, yes about that Ginny I am sorry but it slipped my mind, you see I had plans and—"
"Don't you even waste your breath with those lies Hermione Granger!" Ginny hissed. "You know how important that was to Harry and I that you were there! You've known about this a week in advance and you didn't show. WHY?"
Hermione looked at her, she knew that Ginny would be upset but she didn't think to such a degree, "Ginny please, I just—…" Her voice was interrupted.
"Didn't you get my owl?" Snarled Ginny.
"Well yeah I got it first thing this morning."
"That!" Ginny said cattily, "Was you reminder!"
"Ginny, you know that I couldn't bare to stay there with him, you know it."
"That's why you didn't show? Hermione it's been three years! You told me you were over him!"
"Well I lied." Hermione said shooting her a look of anger. "You don't just get over something like that."
"You're going to have to face him you know! If it's the last thing I do you'll talk to me brother, I will not listen to you carry on about him the rest of my life!" Ginny ranted, "What's more, I didn't even tell Mum or dad, so we've rescheduled for tomorrow evening, and you're going to be there this time! And I don't care if Ron is there, you're coming and that's final!"
"Ginny I…"
"No Hermione, you've got to face this once and for all!" And with a loud crack, Ginny vanished.
Hermione knew that she was right, she was going to have to talk to him some day, but why now, why when things had just begun to fall into place. She let her mind wander briefly thinking how much her life had changed. Her best friends were married, expecting their fist child. Hermione lived alone in an empty flat, doing work that she never thought herself doing. And most of all, no Ron Weasley to stay by her side during the nights.
Hermione shook her head; ridding her mind of these thoughts telling herself that thing's do not work as we plan. After another brief moment she decided to take a long, hot, relaxing shower to calm her nerves.
She entered her bathroom, and flicked on the light. Then she dropped her clothes, and turned on the tap of the shower, letting the warm water wash over her. Hermione lathered her hair with her shampoo, thinking of how lonely she was, how pathetic she was for not being able to face something as silly as an ex-boyfriend. She rinsed the bubbles from her hair and smoothed it. Hermione began to vaguely recall one of the painful memories that still lived inside her, making her heart ache with grief every time she remembered.
They had been in this very shower, they had just purchased the flat and moved out of Hermione's parents house. She had just stepped into the shower, when Ron had come up behind her, together they playfully washed each other in the warm waters, and snogged one another in turn.
The memory was too painful for Hermione to recall fully. She stuck her face into the water and let it pelt her closed eyes. She wrapped her arms around her back and shoulders, as if it were someone else and breathed deeply. She flung her head back so that the water hit her neck, Hermione let out a small moan, imagining that she was back in Ron's arms and he was gently kissing her neck. She pulled her head up to the flowing waters, opened her mouth and mimicked a kiss that she wanted so desperately to give to someone. When the water entered her mouth she jolted back to reality, letting her arms fall from her body.
She exited the shower, and put a foot cautiously onto the ground beneath wrapping herself in a cozy towel. With another towel she wringed her hair dry, still in too much of a remembering haze to realize that she could just dry it with her wand. She turned around in her steamy bathroom resting her had next to a nearby wall. Another picture of the redheaded beauty flashed before her, and she shoved her body angrily away from the wall.
Finally she jerked herself back into her right mind, and approached her sink. She peered into the person staring back at her in the large mirror, that pathetic helpless person. Hermione turned away from it feeling disgusted at her image. Slowly she opened a drawer and pulled out a hairbrush and detangle spray, resting it gently upon the counter. Her hands danced through the contents of the drawer searching for her comb; instead they fell upon something rough and tiny. Hermione closed her eyes, whimpering at yet another painful memory taking place in her mind.
She pulled her hand out, grasping the small item. It was a brilliant shade of blue, that always reminded her so much of his eyes, the small butterfly shaped hair clip he had given her that same morning as the alluring shower that they shared.
Hermione had been bent low against the sink brushing her teeth, but her hair kept falling into the water, each time she thrust it aggressively out of her face. Ron out of nowhere came up behind her and help one arm over her eyes, then he removed it revealing the delicate hairpiece. She remembered how she ogled over its beauty, as Ron gathered her thick hair back and so caringly placed the pin in her hair.
Hermione threw it angrily back into the drawer before slamming it shut. Then she dressed herself in her nightclothes. She made her way into her bedroom and sat down on the foot of her bed, brushing her tangled mane of a hair, immersed in thought once more.
Knock, knock, knock.
She abandoned her brush and started for the door, hoping that it would be Ginny so that Hermione could tell her how sorry she was and promise her she would not miss the next dinner. Hermione grabbed the door handle and flung it open quickly.
"Oh Ginny I…." She began but her voice suddenly quit on her.
There he was, Hermione's emotional crash of three years earlier standing before her very eyes, on her doorstep. Ron Weasley peered down at her, his red hair falling delicately in front of his eyes, his beautiful, gorgeous eyes that now appeared to be swimming through Hermione's very soul.
Hermione stood there awe struck, her wet hair dripping water droplets onto the floor giving her a look that closely resembled a drowned cat. Her eyes widened, and filled with anger seeing him there, seeing him for the first time in three whole years.
"Hey 'Mione." He said simply, reaching forward to caress Hermione's soaking locks of deep brown hair.
A/N: Okay well here we are, what's gonna happen? I do! REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. And the second chapter will come a 'knockin.