Hermione rounded the corner, trying to reign in her emotions. She grasped onto the outstretched hand offered to her. She felt tears well in her eyes, and focused her attention on her shoes until she could regain control of herself. As she looked up from the ground, she was hit by a wave of memories.
One step forward.
She sat outside in the glowing mid-afternoon sunlight letting her mind drift. She tried to clear her mind of the pain and what was quickly coming in the future. Hermione desperately grasped for any sense of normalcy while she could. In that moment, she was not a girl who was about to walk away from her schooling and a family that took her in in her time of weakness. No, Hermione was going to act like a normal, young woman today. She was going to clear her mind of the worries of constant danger, and instead hope to obtain a healthy tan for Bill and Fleur's upcoming nuptials.
Lying down, Hermione's eyes slid closed. She felt the soft grass poking against her bare arms, and the wind ruffling her already unruly hair. Hermione felt the knots of tension in her body melt away with the sun's penetrating rays. Inhaling deeply, she smelled the musky scent of woods, fresh cut grass, and a hint of spearmint. Opening her eyes, Hermione grew aware of a presence to her left. She turned her head and smiled at the sight of Ronald Weasley lying in the grass beside her.
"What exactly are you up to?" Ron asked when he felt her eyes on her.
"I'm trying to be normal," Hermione answered.
Ron nodded, accepting her vague answer, "Why?"
"I don't know when, or if, I'll have the time to later," Hermione whispered.
Ron said nothing, opting to grasp Hermione's hand in his, squeezing it lightly before releasing it. Hermione watched him as he gently closed his eyes, placing his hands behind his head for comfort. Hermione felt her heart swell with love. For as daft as Ron could be at times, when he showed his inner kindness, Hermione was reminded of why she fell for a man like Ron Weasley.
Closing her eyes once more, Hermione chuckled to herself as realization fell upon her. She yearned for normalcy, and here she had the typical problem of most teenage girls: unrequited love (or so she assumed).
Two steps forward.
Flash-forward a year later, Ron and Hermione are standing on the exact same spot with heavy hearts. The pair had snuck out of the reception following Fred's funeral so Ron could have a moment to process the events of the day. Hermione didn't think she had ever seen such a tall young man look so small. Hermione bit her lip to keep her tears at bay, for this moment was Ron's to grieve for his brother.
Ron let out a silent, ragged sigh. Hermione pulled Ron into a sitting position, wrapping her arm around his. Next, Hermione felt his shoulders shake slightly. Pulling Ron's head into the crook of her neck, Hermione desperately yearned for life to be anything but cruel. As Ron's tears saturated through her black button down shirt, Hermione wanted to be able to turn back time and save him from this pain. She ran her free hand through Ron's shaggy hair for a few minutes before she began to wipe away his tears.
"I'm sorry," Ron croaked out through tears.
Hermione felt her eyes well with tears, "Ronald, you have nothing to be sorry for."
"I'm being such a baby," Ron argued.
Hermione sighed, "Ron, you just lost your brother and many others close to you. I don't see anything wrong with taking time to grieve. It doesn't make you weak," Hermione replied, in what she hoped was a soft, reassuring voice.
"It just hurts so much, I don't know what to do. I feel like I can barely breathe half of the time," Ron confessed. "You know I still look for him at the dinner table, expecting him to provoke me with comments about how much of a right git I am."
Hermione took a deep breath to regain control of her emotions, "One day, you'll stop hurting. There will come a day where you stop searching for him."
"That's the thing, I don't want to stop searching. I don't want to lose him completely," Ron replied through a broken sob.
"You'll never lose him Ron, he will always be with you, in your heart," Hermione explained.
Ron sighed, "I suppose that's true."
"And if you're truly worried about who is going to remind you of how much of a git you are, I'm more than willing to step up to the plate," Hermione teased.
When Ron let out a small chuckle, Hermione knew that they would make it through this.
Three steps forward.
Hermione sat in her new apartment, unpacking boxes. After breaking through the tape on the box in front of her, Hermione came face to face with a scrapbook filled with Hogwarts memories. Hermione ran her fingers along the pages of the book as she reminisced.
"What are you up to roomie?"
Hermione smiled and looked up, "Just looking at old pictures," She explained.
Ron drew Hermione into his arms, "That picture was taken just after I got the keeper spot," He pointed out.
Hermione grinned, "I know, I took this picture."
"You did quite a bit for me that day," Ron commented with a chuckle.
Hermione grinned sheepishly, "I believed in you, and I just wanted you to believe in yourself as well."
Ron kissed the top of Hermione's head, "Good, because I wouldn't want you chasing after a git like McLaggen," Ron shuttered playfully.
Hermione chuckled and shoved Ron, "Way to ruin the moment, you git."
Ron grinned and kissed Hermione, "That's why you love me."
"Unfortunately so," Hermione teased.
Four steps forward.
Hermione groaned as she pulled her coat tighter against her slender frame, "Ron, why are you dragging me out here in this ghastly snow storm?"
"I have one more Christmas present to give to you," Ron vaguely answered.
"Ronald! No! You can't possibly give me anymore than you already have. I won't accept it!" Hermione exclaimed.
Ron grinned, obviously hiding something, "I really hope you won't reject this…" He trailed off.
"Ron, what are you playing at?" Hermione asked, growing impatient.
Ron grinned, proud of himself, "I know you have a secret love for muggle Christmas decorations-"
"I was only raised by them," Hermione interjected with an indignant scoff.
Ron pretended as if she hadn't spoken, "Hermione, please turn around," He asked, in a gentle voice.
Hermione turned around and felt her eyes water at the sight in front of her. On the roof of the burrow, spelled out in muggle Christmas lights, was 'Will you marry me?' Hermione felt her heart swell with love, and she turned around to face Ron, who was kneeling in the snow.
"So what do you say? Will you marry me Hermione Jean Granger?" Ron asked, with a hopeful smile.
Hermione smiled and wiped her eyes, "Of course I will you git!"
Ron chuckled, "You would say that at a moment like this."
Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron, "Someone has to remind you."
One final step forward.
Ron Weasley grinned at the beautiful bride standing before him. Even with tears in her eyes, Ron had never seen a woman as radiant or gorgeous as Hermione Granger. He wasn't quite sure how he had managed to snag a woman like her.
"Are you sure you want to marry a git like me?" Ron asked with a crooked grin.
"I wouldn't want anyone else," Hermione answered.
Ron grasped Hermione's hand in his, and together they took their first big step of many that they would make in life.