Title: Pride
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rated: PG
Type: Drabble/Ficlet (350 words)
Warnings: Atypical character interpretation. Not happy.
oOoOo
Because the question of "Just why HAVEN'T they gotten together yet?" keeps rolling around in my head.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE MUGGLEBORN!" Ron shouted, breathing heavily.
The room seemed to grind to a halt, as everyone who hadn't been paying attention to Hermione and Ron's usual arguments, turned to stare. Ron flushed, his head dipping down to hide his expression, the tips of his ears still visibly tinted red.
"Because you're Muggleborn, Hermione. I won't be the Weasley son who goes down in our history as the one who made our family something other witches and wizards wouldn't want to marry into. I just.. I just can't."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed a few times, starring at Ron. "That's not true, Ron," she said, voice wavering as she tried to convince herself. "You've never had anything against Muggleborns-- against me-- before this. You're not like Malfoy. So why would you-- I just don't believe it."
"I don't have anything against you, Hermione. You're-- you're the smartest one in our year, you're a great mate who I'd never replace. But if I was with you-- dated you, married you-- it would be a mark against this family. And we have enough working against us as it is."
"But why didn't you TELL me," Hermione asked, her voice quiet and tense with the effort not to shake. "We've-- for years, we've--"
"It's not that I don't WANT to, Hermione," said Ron, head straightening to face her head on. "It's just-- We're purebloods. We're poor, but we're purebloods. And even if we lose everything else... we'll still have that."
Hermione turned, looking for support. Fred and George looked upset, muttering to each other quietly as they watched the exchange. Ginny was sitting with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, refusing to meet Hermione's eyes, while Neville still sat at the table, fiddling with a rook from the abandoned game of Wizard's Chess. When none of them would meet her eyes, she took a deep breath. "Harry would be ashamed of you all," she said. Grabbing a handful of Floo power, she stepped into the fire. In a rush of green flames, she was gone.
No one tried to stop her.
oOoOo
C&C welcome.