Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me
Kin to Sorrow
Ron twirled Hermione, bringing her slowly around to face him again. Smiling, both enjoyed the quiet night away from the hustle and bustle of work, and the pesky reporters that hounded them. It had been a few years since they were front page news. But their approaching weddings were putting the spotlight back on the Golden Trio. It was fine most of the time, but after a long week all they ever wanted to do was get away. So the evening picnic and enchanted atmosphere was a perfect way to relax and forget their worries for a short while. Hermione hummed happily with the jazzy vocals of Muggle artists old and new. She had been pleasantly surprised when Ron had charmed the copse of tress surrounding them, softly filling the air around them with music.
"I didn't know you knew any of these singers," Hermione smiled up into the blue eyes of one of her best friends.
"I don't," he mirrored her smile pleased that she was enjoying herself. "I've charmed it so it plays whatever you're in the mood for," he cocked his head to listen more closely to the beginning strains of another heart filled ballad, "I suppose you were in the mood for slow and deep."
Hermione let a smirk quirk her lips as she raised a brow at his statement; chuckling as the tips of his ears turned red, "Indeed."
"That wasn't supposed to sound so dirty," amusement twinkled in his blue orbs, his embarrassment fading. A crooked smile pulled his lips up making him look like the little boy Hermione had met her first year at Hogwarts, so many years ago now. Her heart clenched, a wave of sadness unexpectedly sweeping through her. The music around them dimmed as the smile faltered on Hermione's face, the atmosphere around them taking on a somber note. He deserves so much better.
A large, work calloused hand came up to cup Hermione's cheek, lifting the chin that had fallen to face him, his eyes soft when they met hers, "Hermione," he gently traced the skin under his thumb. Looking up into his tender gaze, Hermione felt the urge to cry. She closed here trying to staunch the desire.
Ron dropped a soft kiss on her forehead before wrapping strong arms around the small woman, holding her tightly. Hermione squeezed back just as tightly, burying her face in his broad chest. Desperately wrapped in each others' arms, the whole night took on a different feel, like the build up to something life changing. It felt like the year they were Horcrux hunting. The very atmosphere was charged with the expectancy of the next moment, as if all the future depended on each succeeding moment.
"Ron," her voice was muffled by his chest, but audible because the music playing around them had petered out to nothing. Silence surrounded them.
Ron pulled back from her slightly, looking at her strangely. Hermione kept quiet allowing his inspection to reach its natural end. She knew, from long experience, he would tell her what he was thinking when he was ready. His hands dropped to hold hers, the fingers on his right hand playing with the ring on her left hand.
He took Hermione's left hand in both of his own, lifting it between them. He inspected the ring she wore on her ring finger, twirling the metal band between his forefinger and thumb.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley," Hermione gasped, trying to pull her had away but he held it gently but firmly between his own, "What are you doing?"
Ron did not reply immediately as he slid his grandmother's ring off her finger, swallowing thickly at the sensation of his heart breaking. Looking down into confused brown orbs, he could not help the tears from pooling in his eyes as his throat constricted with the force of not letting them fall, "I'm setting you free."
Eyes oscillating between her ring-less hand and Ron's face, her mind was having a hard time processing what had just happened. Unsure of what to do Hermione said the first thing that popped into her mind, "What about your family? What will they think? They're all the family I have left, Ron."
"Nothing will change with them. They love you whether we are together or not," he assured, knowing he would have to explain to his family that this was completely his decision. He was certain, however, that they would not turn Hermione away.
"What about the press?" she asked, brow crinkled, mind flying to catch up.
"You don't even care about them," Ron reminded her as he lowered their hands and pocketed the ring.
Mind finally realizing what was going on, Hermione turned shocked eyes to Ron. Her hands automatically reaching for his, she desperately clung to him, her voice strained, "I don't want to lose you."
Ron licked suddenly dry lips, he was not entirely sure he was doing the right thing. His heart wanted to burst out of his chest. It jarred his ribcage, making it hard to breathe. "You won't ever lose me," he rasped through a constricted throat. "It may take a while to adjust," he said honestly, "but you won't lose me. I promise." He lifted her hands and kissed her knuckles reverently. "We've been friends too long to allow something as silly as a broken heart to get in the way of that," he tried to joke, though the lurching of his heart let him know it was a bad attempt. "We saved the world," he said seriously, "I think we can handle this."
"What if I don't want to be set free?" Panic filled Hermione's voice, her mind flashing the possible repercussions of ending things with Ron. "What if I want to be bound to you for the rest of my life? Why are you doing this?"
She could see his mental battle at her words. "Because I want you to be happy," he said slowly. "You are duty bound because you gave me your word when you accepted my proposal," he quickly continued so he could make her see his point before he lost his courage. "You will never back out of your word. I understand that." He sighed heavily, "But I also know that you have figured out a few things in recent months that have made you question whether this is a good idea after all."
"I love you, Ron," she said looking into his blue eyes in the waning light of the setting sun.
He lifted a hand to tuck a wild curl behind her ear, "I know you do, Hermione." He smiled a sad little smile that caused Hermione's heart to squeeze painfully. "But, you're not in love with me. Not really. Not the kind of love that sets your heart into overdrive. Not the kind where you see me and everything else falls away. Not the kind that makes you itch at my absence. Not the kind where I tilt your world by just stepping into a room. Not the kind of love that I feel for you."
She opened her mouth to protest, but could not lie to him. She closed her mouth and averted her gaze.
"You love me comfortably. I am a safe place for you," his eyes shone wetly with unshed tears, "And I am happy to even have had that much." He cleared his throat trying to clear the roughness from in order to finish saying what he needed to say. "And as selfish as I want to be," he took in a shuddering breath, "and believe me I want to be absolutely selfish but I can't. What I feel for you just won't let me," he took another breath, unable to breathe correctly around the constriction of his chest, "I love you too deeply to shackle you to a marriage that won't make you unbelievably happy."
Tears coursed freely down Hermione's face at the words coming out of Ron's mouth. Her heart beat sluggishly and felt uncomfortably restricted in her chest.
"And as much as I want to keep you and never, ever let you go," he stretched the words trying to emphasize how much he meant what he was saying, "I want you to be happy more than I want me to be happy."
"Ron, you do make me happy," Hermione said into the space between them hating the fact that he was hurting, "you…" Ron pressed a finger to her lips, stilling her words.
"You've never lied to me, or to yourself, it would be unwise to start now," sad blue eyes regarded her evenly, "I know who draws your eyes at any function she's present. I know who stimulates your mind on a level you crave. I know who challenges your views and skill and outlook. I know who holds your heart." He made a valiant effort to smile. "I never had a chance against someone like her; not in a million years."
Hermione took in a shaky breath, unable to stop her tears. Ron continued, his voice strained with the emotion that was choking his heart, "You really need to tell her how you feel. You need to take a chance at the possibility of being truly, deeply in love with someone," he gently let his fingers skim over the mark Bellatrix had left on her arm, "You've lived through too much to not experience that type of love."
"I can't do that to you Ron," her voice barely above a whisper, "I can't hurt you like that."
"I'm not asking you to. I'm just giving you the freedom to make the choice to live fully," the tears in his eyes finally overflowing and streaking down his cheeks. He wiped at them hastily, "Bloody Hell, I swore I wouldn't cry."
The gesture was so completely Ron, Hermione could not help the chuckle that escaped her despite the tears still streaking down her cheeks, "You planned this?" She was almost incredulous.
Sniffling loudly, he wiped at his eyes again in vain, "I hadn't really planned on it being tonight." He shrugged and stopped swiping at his face, allowing himself mourn what he was letting go. "I honestly didn't think I would be brave enough to do this," he let out a mirthless laugh, "I suppose I am a Gryffindor after all."
A haunting melody filled the area surrounding them as the sun disappeared over the western horizon leaving the two figures standing in quickly waning twilight. Hermione hugged him tight, her tears wetting his shirt. Ron returned the embrace, his breath hitching, tears falling into chestnut curls as he silently grieved.
"You've always been a good man," Hermione spoke softly. Looking up at Ron, her heart broke at the pain this decision was causing him.
He cleared his throat, "Thanks for that." Piercing blue eyes caught a chocolate gaze, "Promise me I'm not doing this for nothing Hermione. Promise me you're at least going to try to talk to old McGonagall."
"She's not old," Hermione immediately defended, though a small smile caught her lips at Ron's orneriness. Shaking her head at him, she tried to explain things to him, "I can't do that Ron. It would be unlikely she even feels the same. And, even if she does, I can't imagine her just falling into anything with a former student."
"You have to at least try," he said, though the idea of her even trying to talk to the Headmistress of Hogwarts killing him. Setting aside his own desires, he tried to just be her friend. "You can't let that much too logical mind of yours make all the decisions. Let your heart make some of the choices." He looked at her, trying to imagine the girl that she was during their tenure at Hogwarts. "I know the Sorting Hat told you that you have the brain of a Raven, but there's a good reason you were sorted into Gryffindor. You are no coward, Hermione. You have the heart of a lion. Be brave and follow the lead of your heart."
"Did you just call me bird brain?" She asked, trying to inject levity into the situation. And realizing that the decision was already made: her engagement to Ron was dissolved. She felt guilty at the relief she felt mixed in with the overwhelming pain of hurting the man that stood before her.
"Caught that did you?" Smiling, he lowered his tear stained faced to Hermione's own tear streaked face. Foreheads resting against one another, noses touching lightly, azure and chocolate eyes locked. The intensity of their gazes broke the lightness of the previous moment. Pain painted blue eyes and guilt clouded brown eyes. "Be happy," echoed with finality in their shared space.
Eyes closed to block out the reality of their situation for a moment. Lips met gently, unhurriedly for it was the last time they would ever meet the other. The kiss lasted an interminable moment as the two souls inhabiting their bodies disentwined. It was a bittersweet parting. Tears fell from two tightly closed eyes as the kiss deepened in desperation, making it taste of sadness, guilt and shattered dreams.
It tasted of goodbye.
A/N: I couldn't resist writing this scene down when it popped into my head. I do plan on writing a bit more to make this more explicitly Hermione/Minerva instead of just the implied bits I gave, but that may take a little while since I really should be working on other things. Also, I know Ron is generally depicted as a bad guy (and I can respect that as another author's opinion), but I really like him so I decided to make him not the bad guy in this, but more the noble gentleman who wants more than anything for Hermione to be happy.
