Ron stood in the kitchen at Burrow gripping his beer firmly. He was anxious, no anxious was an understatement. Every inch of his body was inching with nerves; his stomach was twisted up in knots. Today he would see Hermione for the first time in a couple months, and he had absolutely no idea how to act around her. He still loved her; he always had but after the war things fell apart between them. Sure he kissed her during battle, mostly because he was afraid he was going to lose her or she lose him and it just seemed that even if one of them didn't make it they would both share that moment. It was still one of the best moments in his life but unfortunately it seemed to be forgotten between them. The door opened and Ron head jerked up his heart pounding to see who would enter.
"Someone doesn't look happy to see me!" George exclaimed as he made his way through the door. Ron's body relaxed,
"Thought you were someone else" Ron muttered taking a swig of his beer George smirked at him.
"Oh yeah? Waiting for Miss Granger I amuse" George said eyeing his little brother. Ron rolled his eyes trying not to show his emotion.
"Shut up" Ron said not wanting to be teased by his brother anymore, but George didn't seem to care. He got himself a beer, leaning on the counter across from Ron.
"Ya know I just say you do it" George said, Ron looked at him as if he had four heads.
"Do what exactly?" Ron asked
"You know…it" George said emphasizing the last word. Ron shook his head,
"No George it doesn't work like that" Ron said
"Hey yea never know" George said with a shrug, Ron simply shook his head leaving the kitchen not wanting to talk to his brother about his relationship problems anymore. He went out into the garden where it was decorated for Hermione and Ginny's graduation party. Since Hermione lost year searching for the horcruxs that put her and Ginny in the same year. As Ron pushed open the door not paying attention to what he was doing he felt a thud,
"Ow!" he heard someone say on the other side of the door.
"I'm sorry!" Ron said stepping outside to see who he hit with the door, and their stood Hermione. She was dressed in red a dress sundress, the hugged every single one of her curves brilliantly. She held her heard her curly hair falling into her face. She hadn't noticed Ron had been standing right in front of her, once she looked up her stomach dropped.
"It's-" she stopped mid-sentence as they locked eyes for a moment, her stomach did a flip flop.
"Sorry!" Ron muttered again rubbing the back of his neck letting out a nervous laugh. Hermione smiled at him.
"It's alright. Sure you didn't do it on purpose" Hermione joked smoothing down her hair. Ron became red in embarrassment.
"No I really didn't I didn't know you were on that side of the door really" Ron said nervously, Hermione laughed.
"Ron I'm kidding" she said sweetly, Ron nodded suddenly feeling stupid for not picking up on that.
"How are you" Ron blurted out
"I'm good happy to be done with school" Hermione said
"Never thought I'd hear you say that" Ron joked
"Yeah well I'm ready to be in the real world now, like you and Harry I feel like I'm so behind" Hermione said Ron laughed.
"Trust me you're not missing much" Ron said, and then someone called Hermione from inside.
"Oh I should probably go, I'll see you later" Hermione said pushing past Ron awkwardly.
"Yeah later" Ron called out. Ron knew that if they encounters were going to get any less awkward he would need more drinks and fast.
Hermione went inside where Ginny was calling her.
"There you are did you just get here?" Ginny asked
"Yeah" Hermione said Ginny eyed her
"What happened to your head?" Ginny asked giving her a funny looked, Hermione rushed over to the nearest mirror seeing the red splotch where Ron had accidently hit her with the door.
"Oh god!" Hermione said looking in the mirror.
"What happened?" Ginny said coming up behind her.
"Uh your brother he accidently hit me in the head with the door while I was walking in, and he was coming out" Hermione explained quickly, Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Ron I would assume?" Ginny said Hermione nodded.
"First time you see the bloke in like what six months and he hits you in the face, classic Ron" Ginny mused, Hermione shrugged cast a spell on her redden skin to make it go away.
"Yeah tell me about it" Hermione said giving Ginny a look.
"So you gonna do something tonight?" Ginny asked eyeing Hermione who instantly blushed.
"Erm, I don't know. Maybe…hopefully" Hermione said looking back into the mirror fixing her hair.
"Just go out there and kiss him. You know if you don't do anything you two will be stuck in this weird limbo forever" Ginny said giving Hermione a look. But she refused to listen as she pretend to piece her hair back together; Ginny raised an eyebrow at her.
"Unless…you're not interested anymore….I mean I did notice Chase was the only person you invited today…"Ginny said trying to push Hermione's buttons, which seemed to work. Hermione snapped her head back in Ginny's direction shooting her a glare,
"Oh stop it, you know me and Chase are just friends!" Hermione hissed
"Yeah cause just friends make out all the time" Ginny said smirking at Hermione, who was already regretting telling her about kissing Chase.
"That was a mistake. A big mistake, it meant nothing" Hermione stated giving Ginny a stern look.
"Alright well then go snog my brother will yea" Ginny pushed
"Ginny I can't just walk up to him and snog him, that's not how it works" Hermione explained Ginny shrugged at her.
"If I recall that's exactly what he did a year ago" Ginny retorted
"Yeah and look how well that worked out" Hermione growled before making her way back outside. Mostly it was Ginny's friends and the Weasley family which Hermione was fine with. She had invited Chase to come since they had made it past their awkward kiss she figured he'd be the only one she'd want her. Hermione scanned the yard looking for where the drinks were, until someone called her name distracting her.
"Aye Hermione!" Chase called from across the lawn, Hermione spun around to find him. Chase stood dressed in khaki shorts and a green button down shirt.
"Hey Chase! Glad you made it" Hermione said bringing him into a hug. Chase looked over Hermione,
"Well don't you just look ravishing" Chase said, Hermione smiled at him.
"Oh stop it" she said
"But I can't stop I'm overcome with desire!" Chase joked, wrapping his arms around Hermione picking her up and spinning her around.
"AH! Chase put me down! Now!" Hermione squealed. Ron watched Chase out of the corner of his eye, he didn't know who he was but all he knew is he hated him already watching him put his hands on Hermione made Ron want to break his hands.
"Let me introduce you to everyone" Hermione said leading Chase over to a group of people.
"This is Harry and George" Hermione said introducing them, Ron watched out of the corner of his eye as Chase's hand went to Hermione's lower back.
"Hello I'm Chase very good friend of Miss Hermione here" Chase said with a smile, George raised an eyebrow at the two of them.
"Oh? How good of a friend?" George bluntly asked.
"Oh don't listen to him nice to meet you Chase" Harry said elbowing George in the side.
"Very nice to meet the boy who lived" Chase said, Harry laughed.
"It's really not a big deal" Harry said being modest.
"It's really not, now back to how you know Hermione" George said as Harry shot him a dirty look, Hermione's face began to burn red but Chase didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest. One of things Hermione envied most about him, he had no shame.
"Well we are very good friends but despite my many attempts she just not into like that" Chase explained smoothly, George nodded looking over enthusiastic in the conversation.
"Ahhh I see that sounds about right" George said giving Hermione a look, Hermione simply rolled her eyes looking at Harry to help her.
"So um is that an American accent I hear" Harry chimed in hoping to steer the conversation a different direction.
"That is correct! Born and raised in the states" Chase said with a proud smile.
"Very cool. So back to your 'many attempts' how many were there exactly" George pushed, Hermione now glaring at him; Chase beaming loving every bit of it.
"Well see we were partners in charms and she simply stole my heart, I'd say I've asked her out about twenty seven times now but who's really counting" Chase joked, George let out a roar of laughter.
"You know I like you" George said pointing his finger at Chase.
"So where's this Ron bloke?" Chase asked causally causing Hermione's stomach to drop and Georges smile to grow even wider. Hermione was shooting daggers with her eyes at Chase,
"Oh so you know about Ron do ya?" George said
"Oh yeah she got piss drunk one night spilled her guts me" Chase explained, Hermione shook her head glaring at Chase.
"Oh looks like someone's in the dog house" George said picking up on Hermione's hostility. Chase smiled over at Hermione giving him his puppy dog eyes.
"Sorry! Don't be mad please!" Chase said pulling Hermione into him by the waist and giving her an over exaggerated kiss on the check. Ron saw this and he immediately felt sick but that quickly passed replacing with rage. He made his way over to where they were keeping the drinks, ripping open the bottle of fire whiskey and began to take swigs from the bottle. He couldn't believe Hermione had someone else, and she was faulting him around like this. He wanted to fight this guy, that's all he wanted to do it took every ounce of self-control for him not too. He then left walking out onto the field taking the bottle of fire whiskey with him.
"So seriously which one is Ron?" Chase asked seriously as they went over to get some drinks. Hermione looked around not being able to spot Ron.
"I actually don't know where he is" Hermione said perplexed, she looked down at the drink table and she saw a cap to a fire whiskey bottle but no bottle in sight.
"He didn't leave before I got to see him did he?" Chase asked. Hermione picked up the cap rolling it around in her hands looking around to see if anyone had the bottle but they didn't. And then it hit her,
"No…I'll be right back" Hermione said dropping the cap back on the table heading out to the lake. When Ron needed to get away he always went out there. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that he would be here, plus she remembered him saying that he had grown quite found of fire whiskey lately. She stood on the hill looking down at the lake where she saw Ron sitting there, his red hair looked as though it was on fire due to the setting sun. She took a deep breath gathering herself before heading down by him.
"Hey" Hermione said softly but Ron didn't turn around he simply stared out into the lake.
"Ron?" Hermione said a little louder this time
"What?" Ron mumbled, still not looking back but Hermione sat down next to him.
"What are you doing out here?" Hermione asked looking at Ron his face seemed cold and distant.
"Nothing" Ron said flatly still looking out onto the lake.
"Remember when we used to take walks out here at night and you pushed in the water that one time" Hermione said with a smile thinking back on their summers at the Burrow. Ron then turned to face her; his face rigid.
"What the fuck do you want" Ron said roughly, Hermione's face instantly fell.
"What? I just wondering why you were out here" Hermione said shocked at Ron's attitude towards her.
"Well it doesn't concern you" Ron snapped looking back out on the lake.
"Why are you suddenly being like this towards me? I didn't do anything to you! If anything I should be the one giving you attitude!" Hermione hissed, Ron tighten his jaw.
"Really? And why the fuck is that Hermione?" Ron growled
"Because for a whole fucking year now you have me wondering what's going on between! Ever since the war ended we never talked about the kiss! Things have been different!" Hermione explained all of her feelings coming out at once. Ron simply let out a laugh,
"Well I guess it doesn't matter" Ron said referring to Chase, Hermione looked at him confused.
"What you mean? Are you saying you don't have feelings for me anymore?" Hermione questioned, it was quiet at first Ron didn't answer but then he finally did.
"That's exactly what I'm saying" Ron spat giving Hermione a dirty look, she felt the tears welling up in her eyes but she didn't let him see.
"You are a fucking asshole." Hermione spate and with that she got up quickly walking back to the house. Ron slammed his fists into the ground cursing himself for saying what he did, he wasn't over her at all. He fucking loved her. But it was clear she was moving on, and maybe it was him time to do the same.
A/N Thanks for the reviews! The first chapter was a little slow but it's about to get better from here! I hope you enjoyed it next chapter coming soon