Chapter 2: Forget
Authors Note: Hello there! Long time no see. I know that I should have updated this story earlier (about five months earlier.) And I apologise that I haven't. This chapter is set a couple of weeks after chapter 1 and will have the same sort of general plot and idea around it. Anyway sorry again and here is chapter 2!
Hermione walked slowly up the tumble down stairs of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry towards the Gryffindor common room. The moving stairs were silent as she arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady who was smiling softly back at Hermione when they were face to face.
"I am sorry, I don't know the password." Hermione smiled tiredly at the Fat Lady. She could easily just stand there on the spot and fall asleep right there and then.
"Don't worry about the password, dear. Just go straight through." The Fat Lady replied warmly and the portrait swung open quickly. If there was one thing that hadn't changed or been destroyed during the battle surprisingly it was the Gryffindor Tower. The ruby red curtains were still a bold shade of red and the fire was burning quietly. The ignited flames making orange, yellow and golden shadows in the dark fire place and around the room, making a warm, hazy, soft glow.
Hermione spotted a ginger haired figure sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, there head was bowed towards the ground and she was sure that she saw a few tears fall. Nobody else was in the common room as they had either gone home, gone to bed or were in the Great Hall. His shoulders were slightly hunched as he looked at the ground sadly. Ron.
She walked over slowly and sat down next to Ron. He was silent, completely silent. She didn't know what to say to him, she didn't have any siblings so she had no idea what it would be feeling like to lose a brother or sister, no matter how much Harry was like a brother to her. Whatever she said was going to come out as meaningless, or just an empty word.
"Hermione?" Ron asked sniffing quietly. He lifted his head; his face was red and blotchy. His eyes were swimming with tears. She had never in the nearly seven years she had known Ron, seen him look so torn apart and broken.
"Ron?" Hermione said her voice cracked as she said his name.
Ron reached to wipe tears away from his eyes but Hermione reached his hand and held it, preventing from wiping his eyes. Slowly she guided his hand back to the carpet and away from his face. She looked deep into his dark blue eyes; he looked lost, broken and lonely. Distant almost, which was understandable since he had just lost one of his brothers, one of the people he had known his entire life.
He looked back into her eyes, confused as to why she had prevented him from wiping his tears away. She gave him a small and reassuring smile as a sign of a slight glimmer of hope between them.
"Hermione? I..." Ron said stammering, not knowing what to say.
"I am sorry, I just couldn't stay in there any longer, it seemed like a tonne of bricks were going to fall on me." Ron sighed.
"Sssh, it doesn't matter. I don't blame you though for leaving the Great Hall." Hermione sighed
"You don't?" Ron asked curiously.
"No I don't. And I have been thinking, we really need to forget all the bad things that have happened between us in the past year if we want this to work." Hermione smiled.
"I really want this to work, Hermione."Ron smiled
"I do too." Hermione beamed squeezing his hand.
That was exactly what they wanted and needed each other to say. They needed to hear from one another that everything was going to be ok and this new life was the start of a brilliant life. They needed to feel the warmth of an arm around the shoulders or a simple and blissful soft kiss on the lips. All that Ron and Hermione truly needed was each other, and that was it.
"Where exactly do we start on what to forget?" Ron chuckled and Hermione laughed.
He was right, there were so many things that had happened and gone wrong between Ron and Hermione in the seven years that they had known each other let alone the past 12 months. They had kissed each other for the first time a mere few hours ago and they didn't want to mess things up between one another once again.
"How about we forget all the arguments that we have had over stupid things?" Hermione suggested.
"Do you mean like the one with Crookshanks and Scabbers and the one with Viktor Krum going to the Yule Ball with you?" Ron answered
"And the great silence of 1996 and 1997 when you dated Lavender Brown." Hermione added
"And when I left you and Harry half way through the Horcrux Hunt for a few weeks?" Ron sighed miserably.
"Yeah... things like that..." Hermione's voice slowly trailed off.
Their conversation then plunged into the dark hiatus state of silence which they really didn't need in this moment, or ever again. It was as if like a dementor, a black hole had sucked all of the life and happiness out of everyone. All that remained from those happy, joyous days of the past were broken hearts, broken families, dead wizards and witches, and the aftermath of a horrifying, disturbing and chaotic battle. All that was left were the unwanted remains of the end of the second wizarding war.
It was true they had exactly what they wanted. They had precisely what they had aimed for. At long last, they had defeated Lord Voldemort, killed numerous Death Eaters and pulled the wizarding world out of a deep dark hole of horror, depression and misery. But this isn't what they wanted. People were dead. Hearts had been broken. Lives had been blown into smithereens. They never wanted things to end on such a sad note at the same time as getting all they had ever wanted.
All they had ever wanted was victory. Nothing else.
Hermione knew full well that nothing could ever completely heal a broken heart. The more times that a heart was broken, the more "glue" that they needed to hold everything together. The glue was friends, family, love and happiness. She could clearly see happiness beyond the horizon. But right now, not as far as she could see.
"We could have done something you know? We could have done something to save all those people and Fred. I could have saved Fred if I had been paying attention to him for that extra second." Ron said and a tear fell down his face. His eyes once again filled with tears.
"We could have, but there might have been even more deaths if we had tried. No one will ever blame you, Ron." Hermione smiled reassuringly.
"Do you realise how awkward this relationship could turn out. We have been best friends for years and now we are a lot more than that. Something we have never been. But I am willing to let it get awkward because we could have died and I am finally telling you after years of keeping it to myself that I love you, Hermione Granger." Ron smiled.
"We won't let it get awkward. I promise. And just to add I love you too Ron Weasley." Hermione blushed and Ron leaned in and they softly kissed for the third time. When they broke apart they were both beaming joyfully. After years of waiting this was finally happening. They had confessed that they were in love with each other. This was how it was meant to be.
Ron reached a hand up to Hermione's face and traced over a small sized cut that looked red, bloody and sore. "Do you want me to heal it? It sort of looks painful." Ron asked quietly and reached for his wand.
"It is painful. But have you ever heard of the phrase war wounds?" Hermione questioned and Ron shook his head. "People often say when they have been in a war and have injuries and scars that they mean something to them as they are war wounds and show that they have survived a war." Hermione said informatively.
"I still don't quite understand." Ron raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Well take a look at the scar on my neck then for an example." She lifted her head slightly and traced the medium sized scar with her finger tips. Ron visibly shuddered as he remembered Hermione's painful screams and Bellatrix Lestrange's ear piercing cackles of evil laughter that rang into the dark cellar below where Hermione was being tortured. He remembered yelling her name as some reassurance to her that he was there and tears streaming down his cheeks. Hermione clearly saw him shudder and reached for his hand.
"I am sorry." Ron said softly, shaking his head. "I was terrified you were going to die."
"But I didn't." Hermione reassured him. "I didn't and we both survived and we are going to enjoy our lives." This made Ron smile.
"Back to the point though. The cut from Bellatrix's knife isn't ever going to go away. It has left a scar. But that is a war wound because that could have just as easily killed me, but it didn't and it will be something that shows I survived the second wizarding war. I mean sure, I will cover it up and I am certainly not looking forward to showing my parents if I ever find them. But there is a part of me that will always be proud of this scar because it shows I survived. As will any scars that you had. They will never make you look weaker; they will only make you look stronger." Hermione smiled
"Are you sure you don't want me to heal the cut? It will hurt your face." Ron questioned and Hermione's facial features softened.
"Yes please." Hermione pleaded and Ron chuckled before muttering a spell and the cut sealed.
"Thank you." She smiled. They then sat there for a few minutes just watching the flames majestically dance within the fire place, it was like watching tiny ballet dancer, whose golden dress had been ignited in flames dance as they tried to avoid being burnt by the centre of the fire. It really was magical.
"I wasn't the only person who wanted to see you, you know?" Hermione said and Ron turned to face her. "Your parents asked me to find you. They are taking us all back to the Burrow as soon as you and George can be found." She added
"Once we leave this building there is no turning back on the rest of our lives. We just have to jump straight in. Are you ready?" Ron asked
"I'm ready, are you?" Hermione questioned and Ron nodded.
And with that they left the Gryffindor Common Room, ready to face the rest of their lives together.
Authors Note: Hello, I think it has taken me something like six months to add a second chapter and I apologise for that as I have been incredibly focused on my big story "Hogwarts and Beyond." I can confirm that there will be two more chapters to this story before it is complete. And if anyone, anyone at all reads this story apart from the two brilliant readers Rhmac12 and Lillymay77 I really hope you like it and enjoy. This time I shall update sooner. PLEASE REVIEW!