:Are we alone, do you feel it, so lost and disillusioned:
Part IWhere are you my sweetness? I thought as I finally sat on the very peak of Stoatshead Hill, a place where many memories flit back to my memory. The smell of lilac meets my senses and I know you are near. I straighten my clothes out; try to flatten my hair as much as possible. I curse my unruly hair as it goes back to its original place. I see your dark silhouette in the moonlight.
Realizing this is the first time I will see you since our last encounter my heart beats wildly against my chest. I clutch my bag so tightly I can feel my pulse through my gloves protecting my fingers from the harsh winter. When you start to near, I stand and a weak smile comes to my face. I'm scared of what your reaction to the new, but old Harry Potter, and the once proud friend and lover you once had.
"Welcome back Potter." Your voice rings out in my head. It feels good to hear it. I feel your strong hands pull me into an embracing hug; it lasts awhile before we part again. We walk the long walk back to the Burrow. We reminisce about the past on the way there.
Ronald and Hermione had been together for a long number of years. Something went wrong, I'm not sure what. Ronald never talks about it; I don't blame the poor man. I talk of him as if I barely know him. Ronald was a great father, and an even better husband. Hermione however was always busy, although an amazingly talented woman. She was smart she had a great job. She was great with the baby, a sweet and loving mother. She just lost all interest in Ronald though. It was as if their marriage and love never happened. Ronald loved her like the sun, the moon and the stars. She didn't seem to even wish to share that anymore. When Hermione ordered the divorce, seeing Ronald drop to his knees and beg her not to while he cried his beautiful heart out, it made to no avail. She inevitably turned up her nose. She took their child and divorced him. He had nowhere to go, his job fired him, his little girl was taken away from him, the love of his life was long gone, and he was in the middle of nowhere, not sure where to turn. He couldn't bear to break the news to his family, they would be crushed and they would blame Ronald for something he wasn't sure of what he had done. Therefore, Ronald turned to me. He showed up at my door, 4:00 AM on June 7, 2013. He was drenched to the bone, cold and shivering. I wondered why he was there, Hermione usually forbade him to come near me. However, without her consent, Ronald and I met every other week for lunch or coffee, she couldn't keep us apart. Hermione and I had such a powerful bond back then. I've always wondered what came over her for her to change her mind so drastically…
As we approached the Burrow in a very familiar laughter, I saw the house, stopped and stared. The same as always, so many memories buried in it: around every corner, in every canny and nook, under every piece of furniture, everywhere. Even behind every bush, blade of grass, every inch of sky. Our first realization of love was in that house, where I finally found my real family.
Heart in hand Ronald and I walked nervously into the Burrow. Ronald picked up my bag as he opened the door to let me inside. I walked in and wondered why it was dark; it had never been dark inside… After I hear the door close behind me, I felt Ronald's breath on my neck. I heard the words he whispered in my ear.
"Happy birthday, my love."
After smiling, a sudden burst of light that hurt my eyes, and a small crowd all with streamers and a cake yelled "SURPRISE!" and "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" together. I laughed as tears started to form in my tired green eyes. Everyone was there. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George, Ginny, Oren (Ginny's husband), but Hermione was nowhere in sight. It did not surprise me one bit. Fred and George's wives were there also; Ophelia and Defice carrying the cake, their little children banged on their highchairs wailing in happiness and excitement. Ginny, who was pregnant her sweet face smiling at me as Oren came forward and welcomed me back as he gave me a hearty handshake. There was one person I had not expected to see there. Especially in the Weasley's household at least. Draco Malfoy sat in the corner, a sly smile on his face.
I smiled politely in his direction and leaned back towards Ronald: to ask him why he was there. He didn't want to explain right then. I knew exactly why Malfoy gave me that odd expression. Malfoy had my baby, he had Ronald. That bastard… I thought violently.
Throughout the night, I was having the night of my life. Despite Draco walking around speaking with everyone, he was quite polite. He didn't make one crack about 'disgrace to wizarding world' or about filthy poor Weasley's.' The Weasley family was always welcome to politeness and was willing to be polite right back, as long as he kept it up. He could be a real threat to them. I avoided him, and even worse, I avoided Ronald. It was a childish thing to do I know, but I didn't want to go off on him in front of our family.
After the festivities and I was tired out, I decided to turn in early. I went up to Ronald's room, it was still the color orange and the familiar but old charred and faded Chudley Cannon's poster still hung from the ceiling. I sighed and pushed the pain from my heart. I changed quickly into my bed things and walked to the bathroom down the hall. I yawned widely and quite noisily, like I did when I visited here in the summer. I closed my eyes and yawned again as I went to open the bathroom door. I heard a familiar and quite high-pitched scream. I yelped almost quietly and stumbled backwards. I grabbed my glasses from my pj pocket and put them on. Hermione, half dressed, was standing in front of me, arms crossed across her chest.
"Hermione!" I yelled, not sure to be outraged or happy. I realized she wasn't covered and I handed her my extra shirt.
"Hello Harry. How has your vacation been? Quinnenbalm said you would be back soon, but you never showed. Did you move on or out?" she asked in a plain manner.
"What? Oh, yes, Kingsley Shacklebolt is training me now. You remember him right. Anyway, why's Malfoy here? What's he doing, and here of all places?" I said, not thinking.
"Oh, um." She said sensing my anger while replying without missing a single beat. "He and I are together now."
I said nothing I was speechless. I felt relieved but surprised at the same time. Together now? What does that mean? I thought, utterly confused.
"You? What? Wait, you mean…Ron isn't? You are, no. No way!" I sputtered.
"Happy birthday Harry." She smiled, pecked me on the cheek and walked towards her room.
I was disgusted, but also relieved. Ronald wasn't with that scumball, Hermione was. Boy, I was horribly mistaken. I had judged by the look on Ron's and Malfoy's stupid face. You know better! It's so wrong to judge: what's wrong with you Harry? I thought, scolding myself. I went into the bathroom and idly brushed my teeth as I thought of why I had mistaken Ron being with Draco, why would I think that? I felt like prat, a selfish idiotic prat. Plus, Hermione didn't even come down to my party! What the hell was she doing upstairs? Maybe she Apparated here so the Weasley's didn't see her? No, because she wouldn't have been half dressed. I put my toothbrush back into my pocket and I walked out into the hallway, back towards the orange room with the charred, faded Chudley Cannons posters, their players whizzing by a little slower than usual, the Seeker winking at me while yelling:
"Back again are we? He misses you so! He calls out your name regularly."
I swatted at the poster with my shirt while smiling. He calls out my name, and he misses me! I thought feeling even better.
I woke up feeling refreshed and quite normal again, I almost raced out of bed after looking at the time on my watch. I had forgotten Kingsley had let me take the month off. I smiled with relief and laid back into the comfortable position I had just left. I sighed and the memory of our first kiss suddenly floated back into my mind when I had unfortunately remembered Molly had wanted us to all come down for breakfast when we awoke, unless they would have sick the Niffler on us. She was sweet but she wasn't very sweet or pleasant when she woke you (Percephone, Sephy for short).
When I had dressed and went down into the kitchen everyone was sitting at the table, drowsy looking, tousle haired and eyes red rimmed. When they saw me, they all said good morning, almost in unison. Fred's baby Rosen squawked something that sounded like something that Molly wouldn't have approved of. I laughed while Fred stifled his laugh and put a hand over the small toddler's mouth.
I sat down next to Ronald, who wasn't in his room when I awoke. He avoided my eyes but bid me a good morning, very dully. I felt my face redden as I returned the gesture, remembering what the poster had told me yesterday night. I needed to get my mind off the subject so I asked Bill, Charlie, Ronald, and the twins if they wanted to go for a ride.
The Twins had made the team for Britain, both Beaters, just like on the school team, except I chose a different route in my career. Their joke shop was doing very well, from being famous and inventing everything. We were now an official part of the Order, but didn't have much to discuss sometimes. We still took careful precaution, mind you.
There was something not right about Ronald: all through breakfast he looked down at his plate and ate in silence, not speaking to anyone, not laughing at Fred and George's jokes, their wives joining in at occasional times. He didn't even look up to see what Bill had done to Oren as he slept. We never told Oren what had happened, he figured it out on his own… Ronald was quite evasive all morning, he sat alone all day; I watched him from the sky and narrowly avoided the bludger rushing violently towards my head. He would space and just stare at the sky, or the landscape behind the Burrow, he hadn't spoken to anyone, and no one and approached or spoke to him. But I did see him break from his trance to look at Hermione and Draco walk by laughing, when he got up and walked the other way in at a brisk pace, without looking back.
Then it hit me, he was angry, and possibly jealous.
He never showed up for dinner either. I was beginning to get worried, Molly looked right worried as well. After dinner, and ignoring the odd couple, Oren had come up to me while I was looking through a book Kingsley let me borrow, to study from over my break, and sat down next to me, a slight smile on his face. He was up to something I could tell.
"Hi ya Harry." He said plopping down hard on the couch, making me bounce a little. He wasn't a big guy…
"Hey Oren.' I replied, laughing a bit.
"Can I ask you a personal question? Not here though." He asked leaning closer to me.
I nodded, confused. He got up and led me through the back door. The dark night sky, the stars shining brightly. Just the time of night I love.
"It's about Ron," Oren finally said as soon as we were out of earshot of anyone else. "I wanted to know if there is or was anything between you too."
This came to a huge shock to me. It was like my breath was taken away. I had no idea Oren even knew. My first impression was that he was going to hurt me, or he thought that it was disgusting, or he was defending his brother in law and he led me far away so he could harm me. My first response was to speak defensively and to clutch my wand in my hand. I thought I could trust him!
"Why." I said crudely.
"Because," his face turned into a concerned expression, which calmed me instantly. 'I'm worried about him. He's been all upset lately and that bloody scumbag and Hermione have been rubbing their engagement all up in his face. He has no one to speak to and he feels guilty talking to you about it. He didn't tell anyone about this mind you."
My face fell. Hermione and Draco…engaged! What had the world come to!
"What? They're engaged!" I yelled in a total outburst of emotion and utmost rage. " Why, what the hell is she thinking? Is she doing it for the Order? Is she CRAZY!" I yelled, feeling bad I was taking the less important and small news instead of the news I should've.
"Yeah, but that's not what I am concerned about Harry." Oren said firmly.
"I'm sorry Oren. That just comes as a horrible shock to me. As for Ronald, I had no idea…wait a second. If he didn't tell anyone how come you know?" I said trying to prove something.
Oren blushed deeply and tried to dig a well in the dirt with his toe.
"I'm not supposed to use it, Ginny said she'd hurt me if I did." He then had a spasm of looking around to see if anyone was looking or watching.
"I know what that is! I had to take Occumelency lessons, you remember. Fifth year I believe. Sorry. Continue" I said, ashamed I had interrupted him.
"I have the Seer in my blood I guess, and I can read anyone's mind: powerful, weak, muggle, wizard, animal, everything living and breathing. I told Ginny I wouldn't trespass in other's mind s anymore but I needed to know what was happening. He's like the brother I've never had. But, Ronald he's closer to me than anyone else. He stayed with Ginny and I for almost a whole year. I'm worried about him Harry, and I think you're the only one who can help him."
My heart lightened, I never knew Oren could have this effect on me. Just two years ago I was angry at him for marrying Ginny, Ginny being my sister almost, I was very protective of her.
I nodded in understandment and Oren smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. We headed back to the house, new feelings swimming in my head. Some of my old love for Ronald, some of the new found respect for Oren, my brotherly love for Ginny, and a couple pinches of rage for Hermione and Draco.
Later that night I saw Ronald, sitting alone in the living room staring fixedly at the fireplace, not stirring one bit, only the fire's reflection in his sad eyes. I yawned, tired from playing with Aspen and Rosen, Fred's twin boys. They were already showing traces of their father's menace, due to the four face-fulls of carrots and peas.
A pang of sadness shot through my heart at the sight in front of me. Ronald sniffed loudly, and wiped at his eyes. He had his hand in a fist under his nose, trying to cease the flow. He was crying: real tears streamed down his face. I stood there, paralyzed with fear and anguish. He was crying…
I let out a long sad sob, a quiet sob. My own eyes filled with tears and I rushed forward to Ronald, and from behind, I put my arms around his neck and my face in his shoulder. He jumped a little but put his fingers through my hair, and the other on top of my hand. After awhile I pulled myself together, and sat down on the couch next to him. We sat in silence, both of us staring down at our hands, or into the fire.
I heard him sigh heavily and get up. He stopped and looked at me.
"I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning. 'Night." he said looking down at his feet than rather than at me. He started to walk away, I stood and grabbed him by the hand. He turned and stared at me blankly. I did the first thing that came to mind, without thinking.
I pulled him closer and kissed him softly. It was in slow motion, I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself. He was shocked I could tell, he smiled softly, looked me in the eye, sort of shortly laughed and walked up the stairs slowly, leaving me there feeling foolish.
UGH! Damnit Harry what were you thinking! I thought slapping my hand to my forehead.
I then decided to follow him. I got up quickly and raced up the stairs. My heart filled with hope he wasn't asleep, maybe that I could have the love of my life back, as cliché as it sounded it was true. I finally reached the floor I was aiming for, out of breath I tried to calm myself. I knocked on his door, and when no one answered I cautiously opened the door. I peeked in, a small smile on my face.
He wasn't inside. I opened the door all the way, and on the way. I hit something hard behind the door. I looked behind the door and to find what was behind it, I was horrified.
I let out a scream and I put my hands over my mouth to try and stop myself from screaming again, I backed against the nearest wall in horror. There behind the door, lay Ronald, unconscious and bloody. His hair matted to his face, blood running from his cut wrists, blood starting to pool around him. I cried for help and I didn't want to touch him, make him worse. I screamed down the hallway for help, down the hall Oren came from the bathroom toothbrush in hand to see what had happened. He screamed as well and his toothbrush clattered to the ground. He yelled for Molly or Arthur and ran down the stairs. The whole family came to the room, I felt sick. Molly fainted at the sight of him, she uttered a soft scream but fell straight over. Arthur wrapped Ron's wrists up and apparated both of them to St. Mungo's.
I sat on the bed, staring at the spot where I had found him. Stunned, shocked and hurt. I couldn't describe what I had felt. I felt the bed sink beside me, and Ginny's arms close around me. She was crying, Fred attended to his mother, and I couldn't tell if there were tears running down my face or if there was no emotion there at all. I had only thought about my wants and I didn't think of Ronald. I felt, I don't know…responsible. Ginny and Oren told me it wasn't my fault, it was Hermione's and Draco's. I knew that, but I shouldn't have let him get out of my sight. I was devastated with pain wrenching guilt.
At about 5:30 AM the next day, Arthur came home, looking distressed and sad. Everyone was up, waiting for the news. I rocked back in forth on the verge of tears. Ginny and Oren tried their best to comfort me. Everyone else tried to help me out, but to no avail. I couldn't be helped, I was, again, devastated with guilt.
As Arthur entered everyone rounded on him asking questions, Molly hugged her husband, sobbing and muttering incoherent sentences no one understood. Arthur calmed his wife, and told us the news. Ronald would be staying in St. Mungo's for a couple of days to heal. They were all going later on that day. I didn't care, I packed up some of mine and his stuff up, told Ginny and Oren and the twins where I was going and I Disapparated to St. Mungo's as soon as possible. I knew exactly where Ronald was, Mr. Weasley had told me personally.
I knocked cautiously on the door, my heart racing loudly as I opened the door, hoping the same result wouldn't happen again. I opened the door slowly when I heard Ronald's hoarse voice reply. I stuck my head in first, and Ronald looked down in shame. He knew that I had found him first.
"Hi." I said my voice trembling already.
He didn't respond for awhile.
"I'm sorry." Ronald said quietly.
"What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?" I said exploding, I was more upset and distressed than angry at him. " You could've died Ron,"
"That was my intention." He said, interrupting me.
I stopped abruptly and stared at him, my eyes boring into his. I just broke down, I started to sob uncontrollably and loudly, and I hid my face in my hands. He could tell he struck a nerve there. I slumped in the chair next to his bed, sobbing uncontrollably. I know I was saying things into my hands like 'are you that selfish' and 'didn't you think of anyone else's feelings?" I heard him getting up but I told him not to move. I could say he deserved to see me so upset, but he didn't. He didn't need all that on his shoulders when he had his own ordeal.
Of course, he didn't obey me; he got down on his knees and laid his head on mine, and his arms around my legs. I bent a bit to lay my head on his, and to put my arms around his. I kissed the top of his head gently glad he was okay. Always the same Ronald I knew and loved. Ronald sniffed and rubbed his cheek against my leg, almost as a cat or kitten would do in affection.
" I love you Harry." He said, his voice muffled.
To hear correctly I gently lifted his chin and asked him to repeat what he had said.
" I love you." He said looking straight into my eyes. I smiled, tears again forming in my eyes. I kissed him briefly and responded.
"I love you too."
A Few Months Later
Ronald and I have spent the months together, he's now fully recovered and Hermione hasn't stopped in to see how he was doing, which doesn't surprise me one bit. The Malfoy family was surprisingly on the floor, but once they caught sight of me they turned up their noses, glanced at Ronald's room where he was sound asleep, and walked straight by. Later on I found the nurse trying to find Ronald's room with the presents the Malfoy's had been carrying when I had seen them. I didn't tell Ron that the presents were from them because there was no To and From tag for him to find out on his own.
From there, Ronald moved back into his apartment. His mother was awfully proud of him for recovering so quickly, although every time she saw him she cried hysterically into his shoulder for hours.
From the months and months upon taking care and being in the company of Ronald I couldn't bear to let him live alone at his house. So I visited him as frequently as I could, between my Auror training, which I was already sick of because there was no use for me if Lord Voldemort no longer existed. Plus, the girls Kingsley was also training paid no attention to him, but all eyes were on me and Kingsley stunned them three times because they weren't concentrating. I deflected all six of his spells and three hit him when he was off-guard. I had to put him right. Anyhow, in my many visits and so called 'dates', as Oren carefully said it, Ronald and I talked about various things, not including Hermione.
One night under the bright stars, I worked up the courage to mention something about her to Ronald.
"Ron, can I ask you an odd question?" I said carefully, hoping not to make him too suspicious.
"Yeah sure…" he said eyeing me a tad bit, my efforts clearly not working.
"Would you consider doing me a favor?" I asked staring at the ground and setting my wine glass down.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing you a favor. Anyone else asked I'd say no, except Mum maybe." He joked. As I sighed nervously. He noticed.
"What? What's wrong?" he said his voice now full of panic, anxiousness, and suspicion.
"I want you to talk to Hermione." I blurted out so he'd shut his mouth.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" I exploded at me.
"Why? She hasn't said a word to any of us, and plus Draco is out of town so you won't have to put up with his big head." I yelled at him, with equal amount of shout, which shut him up instantly.
He sighed angrily, and avoided my gaze staring at the grass. He looked up into the sky, I could see in his face that he was contemplating it. After letting out a frustrated scoff, he replied.
"It's not him I'm worried about. I could care less about the prick. It's her I don't want to face, and Isabell would be entering her third year in Hogwarts by now. She's the real reason I don't want to even go see Hermione because I know she has taught my little girl to hate me. Hate me for a reason I don't even know." He said starting to sound emotional; he stared back up at the stars, which I had a feeling that they were staring back at us.
"All you can really do is see what she has to say." I said calmly, without thinking of what I had just said.
"What?" he said slightly rounding on me.
"Uh, I mean." I stuttered.
"You've been talking with her? Why!" he said getting angry again. I mentally kicked myself.
"For God's sake Ronald I work with her, I see her in the Office!" I said rolling my eyes and throwing my arms up, a little too over-dramatically.
He didn't answer. I didn't blame him, he remembered now. I guess he thought we were secretly meeting at The Three Broomsticks having butterbeer and firewhiskey together.
"I'm sorry Harry." He said quietly after a few minutes of my fuming. "When does she want to meet?" he said even quieter.
I smiled and squeaked excitedly. I jumped to him, took his face in my hands and kissed his lips. I knew he hadn't expected this and I didn't either. I let go of him, horrified at what I had done. However, I was excited about his decision, I knew. I knew EXACTLY what Hermione was going to tell him, but I didn't tell him that. I didn't tell him whether it was going to be good news, or bad news.
On our way back to the apartment, we walked in silence; I knew he was smiling and I knew he knew I was smiling. So, in our silence, his hands were swinging closely to mine. On his last swing, I saw in his face nothing, but then I felt his hand swipe mine. I smiled and wanted to giggle. But I fought the urge. The next swing, he grabbed my hand and moved his thumb across the back of my hand exactly like he used to. I shivered slightly I couldn't believe it. I didn't protest, I only laced my fingers into his and I know he had no objection.
The week after that, Ronald and I were getting ready to leave to arrive at Hermione's. She had sent an owl to notify us that she would appreciate if we had arrived by Floo Powder. Ron had no objection, but I've always had a problem with it, I either ended up in the wrong place or I got sick when I arrived at the wrong or right place. When Ron received her owl, he glared at it and the owl seemed like it glared back. He handed the letter to me; I laughed at him and stated that the two of them weren't going to get anything out of each other if that was going to be the way they were going to act. Therefore, he took the letter back hastily and ripped it open. She just stated that she was ready for our arrival. He swore in disgust and threw the letter in the fire. He then yelled at the owl to go back home, he snapped his beak at us and took off knocking the vase I bought onto the floor. I looked at Ron and somewhat glared at him.
"Ron, sweetie. Bloody hell calm yourself. As I said, your not going to get anywhere with that attitude. Reparo!" I told him while repairing my favorite vase.
"You're right." He said, shaking himself trying to loosen up. He clapped his hands while saying: "Alright I'm ready."
"Alright, well you go first then." I said replacing my vase and picking up another with Floo Powder in it.
"No, I'd feel better if you went first." He said fidgeting with the end of his scarf.
"Oh Jesus Ronald…" I said thrusting the vase into his hands while taking some myself, trailing some of it along the floor to the fireplace.
I stepped into my enormous fireplace, made for Floo Powder reasons, and yelled:
"1416 Fireway Lane!" I yelled almost feebly. I dropped my Floo Powder quickly just wanting it to end as quickly as possible.
Just as I thought would happen, the fireplaces blazed past, making me sick. I closed my eyes and awaited my fall when my feet hit something solid. When it came, I put my hands out in front of me. I landed smack onto the carpet, where Hermione was standing. She screamed but helped me up and dusted me off.
"Sorry Harry. Are you doing well? " She asked politely. " would you like some tea?"
Before I could answer two boys appeared from nowhere running across the hallway yelling at each other. I looked at them and smiled, and replied.
"Are those the boys?" I asked politely.
"You know as well as I those are the twins. Their hair is the famous Weasley red. Duh Harry." She said rather roughly.
"Oh, I know that. Yes, I would love some tea." I said.
I started to walk forward and one of the twins ran smack into me. He looked up and smiled politely.
"S'cuse me sir." He said, also very polite.
"Oh! You're excused." I said stepping back and smiling. I looked behind him and another one, but a tad shorter came running after him. The bigger one yelled and ran the other way.
"Come on Pierce you piece of sh-"he said, again slamming right into me, falling onto the floor. I hadn't had time to move.
"Sorry!" he said getting up massaging his head.
"FUCK!" I heard someone yell from the living room, also a glass breaking in the kitchen. Hermione must be as nervous as Ronald. Ugh, does he have to be so loud?, I thought.
I quickly helped the kid up and shooed him off quickly before the news escaped too quickly.
"Harry? Hermione? Hey guys where are you?" Ronald said, almost in a panicked voice.
I came out from the hallway and showed that I was there. He, like the first time Hermione and he first met, had soot on his nose. I laughed lightly, wet my finger and spit it off. He rolled his eyes and swatted me away.
Hermione came out with a tray full of tea and little cakes. Ron looked down, but looked up when I elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"Hello
Ron." She said, not looking at him either. I looked at Ronald and
both Hermione and I waited for his answer.
"Good morning
Hermione." He said politely, showing a small trace of a smile.
After words had been exchanged, there was silence. I sighed.
"Jesus Hermione, now I know how you felt when Ron and I would fight." I said shaking my head.
Both laughed at my statement, but I was being serious!
Hermione invited us to sit down, and we followed orders. She went out in the hallway, probably to shoo the kids outside to play.
While she was gone, Ron rested his head on my shoulder. He was nervous I could tell. The side of his neck was starting to pink. He lifted his head to get a better look of something on the mantel. I knew what he was looking at. So, to distract him I leaned casually toward him and kissed his neck. Not the skanky kind of heated kiss, but just enough to distract. Well, who wouldn't be distracted? He closed his eyes and shook it off.
"Not now Harry, not now." He sighed staring at the carpet. I patted his leg to clam him down a little, but I also noticed his knee was bouncing as well. I held it still to get his attention.
"Harry what?" he said a little annoyed.
"Why are you so nervous?" I asked softly.
"I'm not sure. I just want to see Isabell." His gaze went back to the mantel, there was a family portrait of the children, Ron stared at it. He got up, and I knew I shouldn't follow him. I took my eyes off of him and stared out the window at the sky. Old memories and excuses coming back to me. I wanted to be outside in the air, I didn't want to hear these two yell and bicker at each other. I had had enough of that in school.
"Who is this?" I heard Ron say looking at a picture of the smaller twin I had encountered before he had arrived. He saw the red hair, but he didn't put two and two together.
He had the kid's portrait in his had, caressing the edge of it softly.
Hermione came back, looking smug and warm. She stood in the doorway watching Ron looking at the pictures, confusion and love in his eyes. He was staring at Isabell's picture of her second year at Hogwarts at the Halloween Ball. Ron ran his thumb over the moving portrait of his young daughter. Hermione returned and she was standing in the door's frame, didn't smile, she didn't sit down, she replied coldly.
"What are you looking at?"
He turned around, tears in his eyes.
"Who are these children? Who's are they?" he said, voice quivering. He held the kid's portrait up so she could see. She strode up to him, snatched the picture out of his hand and told him to sit down.
He withdrew his hand quickly and sat down next to me, staring at the ground. We indeed were doing a lot of staring at the floor.
Hermione flopped down in one of her chairs and massaged her temples.
"Alright, let's get this straight." She finally said putting her folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"When we had broken up, were divorced, I had been hiding a secret from you. And I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would lose your temper. Like Harry and I know you always do." She finished.
"Well not all the time." I replied politely.
"Shut up Harry." She said rudely.
I was taken aback! Ronald glared at her but she went on, un-phased.
"I didn't want you to be taking care of something fragile in your state of mind, things go ignored when you're in that kind of mood. I know you well Ronald."
"How could you keep this a secret!" Ronald yelled about nothing. She never revealed the whole story.
"Be patient, what are you talking about?" she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
Ronald got up, for a minute thought he was going to hit her, but he walked a slow and sad walk to the curtains, tore them open and there stood the twins, looking in on the grown-ups. They scattered when they saw Ron.
I laughed, but it came to an abrupt stop when the two of them looked at me.
"I'm getting there Ronald, sit down, now." She said closing her eyes and massaging her temples again, I knew and Ron knew she was getting irritated and annoyed by the two of us.
"Who are they? Where'd they come from? Whom did they come from?" he said slowly staring at Hermione.
"I'm getting there, just let me finish." She said impatiently. She indeed gave no room for Ron to talk so I concluded that this was just a 'bitch' fess for Hermione, not some friendly get together to break my baby's heart. So she continued.
"I never told you I was pregnant when I ordered the divorce. I didn't want you to have the kids. I wanted them for myself, I thought that I'd be able to handle my pregnancy and Isabell by myself. I didn't know there were going to be three children running about my house. Pierce and Davis, the twins, are your children. I didn't want to tell you."
Ronald was already crying, he had his face in a pillow, I sat rubbing his back, a stern look on my face. Clearly stating Hermione was a fool to hide such a huge thing from Ronald.
She sat in her chair, waiting for someone to answer, but it never came. Just Ron's muffled sobs coming from inside the pillow. I myself to this day do not know why he cried. About an hour later, or so it seemed, Ronald looked up from his pillow eyes red, cheeks also red. He sat back on the couch, arms crossed.
"Hermione, I must say, you are by far the worst person I have ever met." He said sniffing.
"Oh Ron, fuck you. Where have you been all these years? You could've found this out years ago. Don't call me the inconsiderate one." She retaliated.
I exploded inside. I couldn't take anymore of it. Before Ron could answer or even yell anything rude back at her, I leapt at the chance.
"you selfish bitch. How was he supposed to know! You're the one who broke his fucking heart. Who cut him and left him there to bleed. Who had to take care of him when he had NOTHING? Me! I'm the only one he could count on, I was the only thing he had. I was responsible for everything he did. I was there to see my best friend cry, I was there to see his heart break in two. Where were you? FUCKING MALFOY! You are the worst fucking person I know!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Hermione lunged at me, knocked me down.
Before she could hurt me, Ron took her by the back of her shirt and threw her off me.
The three children looked out from behind the wall, standing in the hallway. Hermione got up, fuming her hair frizzed a little, her face red and full of anger. Ron still had the pathetic sad look on his face, but his neck was starting to redden a little.
"Mum? Is that Ron?" the littler twin said looking at him.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! GET OUT!" she screamed making the boy jump. "You go home and fuck him Harry it'd make him feel much better!"
Ronald helped me up, ignoring Hermione's rude comment, and I took one last look at the lot and looked at Ronald. He was looking at the little girl, tears in his eyes. The little girl was crying but she had an angry look about her.
"Get out right now." She said her voice quivering. I could tell, that hurt him more than the twins news. His eyes traveled to the boys, and they looked at him with interest. Ron smiled and waved. I grabbed his arm and we Apparated to London, the place closest to our house.
We didn't talk until we got home. We walked from London. It wasn't far.
I unlocked the door and he went in first. As soon as I closed the door, I turned around and Ronald stood in front of me staring into my eyes. I looked into his eyes, wanting so bad to embrace him I knew he was hurting.
"I'm sorry Ronald, I shouldn't've let you go." I said staring now at the ground, noticing how dirty my floor was.
He lifted my chin so he could look at me. He pressed his lips to mine and I stumbled backwards. Before I hit the door he caught me and held me close. I wrapped my arms around him, knowing he was bound to cry at any moment. And indeed it did come.
"What's going to happen to my children?" he asked between sobs.
"I'm not sure." I said, now actually thinking about it.
Why'd Hermione bring it up, was she hinting that she wanted Ron to take the twins? I decided to not bring it up, but he did it for me.
"What if she wants me to take them?" he said, his warm breath on my neck. I tried not to shiver.
"Then you'll take them." I said simply.
He let go of me then, smiled, kissed me once more, and Apparated home, awaiting his children.