Chapter III:
Ron came home exhausted. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Harry and him had celebrated the engagement with some firewhiskey until 2 at night.
It was an eventful day. Not only was his best friend going to marry his sister, but Hermione had also come back.
"Hermione, huh?" He said shaking his head. He didn't bother to undress, as he took his shoes and jacket off before jumping straight into bed.
Many emotions and thoughts were flowing through his head, as he was laying there staring at the ceiling.
What if he didn't go after the Death Eater that very day, five years ago? Would that have kept them together? Or was this fate?
He remembered when he came back to Hermione after killing the Death Eater. He saw Harry sitting there and holding her. Something startled Harry, as he started to look around and saw Ron.
"RON!" he screamed "She's alive! She's breathing! HELP ME!"
Ron was there in an instant. He picked her up. "StMungos" he said as he started turning to apparate.
"NO!" Harry interrupted "You can't apparate in this state. You won't be able to focus."
Ron ran with her for what felt like an hour, to the nearest fireplace to floo.
It was later at StMungos that he remembered; she wore the soul gem that Nicholas Flamel had given her on his deathbed. They had been summoned by Flamel after Voldemort's fall. He had told them that he had not completely destroyed the Philosophers Stone, but turned it into the soul gem, a gem that recovers a person's soul, if it's taken by force. Back then Ron found it very strange that he gave it to Hermione, and not Harry. But today he was astounded by the insight of the old wizard; was he also a seer?
He was standing next to her bed and looking at her. The gem had shattered, sacrificed itself to bring her soul back. Her skin had the bluish tint of the dead, and her lips were dried and split. If it wasn't for the shallow rise and fall of her chest, he would never have thought that she was alive.
The healers said she was going to recover fully physically, but the mental trauma would need some time to heal. She was in a coma, and all they could do was to wait for her to wake up.
Ron and Harry spent every day in there with her, while Ron also spent the nights.
On the third day he took Harry outside the room and told him about the execution of the Death Eater. He had to get that off his chest.
"What? He was unarmed, asking for mercy and..." Harry couldn't believe what he heard "You used an unspeakable curse before you threw him off the cliff! Ron..."
"I know... I regret it, Harry. I lost control... he...he killed her..." Ron quickly corrected himself "I... I thought he had killed her!" he was a wreck. The guilt of a being a murderer was tearing him apart.
"That still gives us no right to torture and... and kill unarmed men. Ron, the things you did... it's what dark wizards do." Harry couldn't believe what Ron had done. It came as a shock that he didn't know how to deal with.
"I... I..." That was it. Ron couldn't stop the tears any longer. He fell on his knees and burst out crying.
Harry was quick to comfort him. "Ron. I know you aren't evil. You lost control... S'pose I would lose it too, if I had been there. We all make mistakes, Ron. We need to learn from them... and I know you have."
It felt good to cry out. He had to release all those feelings he had bottled up and accumulated through their hard time.
Later he had gone back into the room. He sat there and looked at her. She was so innocent, so pure, while he had become a murderer. "A bloody murderer" he thought. Ron was not worthy of her.
His guilty conscience was tearing him apart. He did what they were fighting against. He could never taint her by being with her anymore, she deserved better. With these thoughts swirling in his head, he dozed off on the chair next to Hermione.
He had a vivid dream about a teary Hermione asking him to forgive her. He opened his eyes to see Hermione looking straight back at him, holding his hand. What he failed to see was the tears in her eyes as he jumped up from the chair.
"Hermione! You all right?" She nodded. "I'll get the healers." He said as he rushed out to get the healers.
Hermione told him not to, but he didn't want any of that. In the corridors he ran into Harry, who had brought him some food. He told Harry about her and to get the healers, while he ran back to Hermione.
Back in her room he sat next to her bed and held her hand. "They are coming now." He smiled at her. "Harry is here too."
"Ron..." she paused for a long time, before she opened her mouth to say something.
Just then Harry barged in with a healer behind him. "Hermione!" He grinned, and got a weak smile back from her.
The healer checked her and said everything was in order. She would have to stay there a little while for a couple of tests, before she could be discharged.
She was sent home not long after that, and had to be in bed for some weeks. Ron never visited her there, as he was too ashamed to face her parents. How could he face them, when he was the one that let that happen to her?
The weeks after her recovery their relationship had began to fade. Ron hid himself all summer by working in Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. The relationship between them had turned awkward, as both of them seemed to be afraid of each other.
It wasn't before the school year was going to start, that they had a real talk as a couple. It was at King's Cross; she was leaving for her final year in Hogwarts. Ron was going to start Auror-training with Harry and Neville.
"We are falling apart, Ron." she said with a shaky voice.
"Hermione..." that was all he could say, before his voice cracked.
"I don't want to lose you, Ron" her eyes brimming with held-back tears.
"We can't continue like this, Hermione." he finally managed to get out, avoiding her eyes. "It's best that we... just... remain friends." It was breaking him apart to say that, but he had to, for her sake.
"Is that what you really want?" her eyes released the tears as she saw him nodding. "I... I'm..." she paused for what seemed like an eternity, before she sighed. "Maybe you are right." she wiped her tears away "We might lose our friendship as well."
"So... friends?" Ron said, still avoiding her eyes, reaching out his hand to shake hers.
"Best friends!" She said and gave him a hug and a sad smile "Goodbye, Ron." She walked away without looking back.
It was very hard for Ron to end it with her. His demeanour had changed; he had become angrier.
He continued having contact with Hermione through owl post. Though their letters were short and awkward, he still tried his best to maintain his friendship with her.
This was until November. She suddenly stopped replying his letters, even Harry didn't get replies. This made them both concerned for her, and at Christmas they consulted it with Ginny at The Burrow. She went to Hogwarths with Hermione. Ginny assured them that everything was all right, and that Hermione might be very busy with school work.
After New Year they got a letter from Ginny where she told them she had talked to Hermione about not answering any letters. Hermione did not give her any clear answer as to why, but after much questioning from Ginny, she had started to avoid Ginny as well. Ginny was furious, and said she didn't want anything more to do with Hermione.
This behaviour puzzled Ron. Why would she do such a thing?
He tried to get some time off, to visit her at Hogwarts, but he could not since they had started their field training and were on the field hunting remaining Death Eaters. Rumour reached him that she had a new boyfriend at Hogwarts. By putting two and two together, he came to the conclusion that it was over. Everything was over, even their friendship.
This made him angrier. He had become a ticking time bomb.
His rage fuelled his magic, and he was unbeatable on the battlefield. This got him the nickname "Red Fury" by the co-Aurors.
They soon found out that he had something called Ira Forti, the mighty wrath. It was a very rare ability that one of millions had. This made him feared among the Death Eaters, as few could withstand the rage induced magic. The Battle would end quickly with an angry Ron on the battlefield.
A year went by, and Ron and Harry had become fully fledged Aurors. They were well known for capturing dozens of stray death Eaters. Not long after the whole war was officially over.
The year had gone by without seeing or hearing from Hermione. She had found a job in Australia at Magical Research Department and moved straight there after school. Harry had given up on her.
After another year, Ron, at 20 years of age, was bored with his profession. He had a new tendency of getting bored rather quickly with everything. It was an uneventful year, and Ron had enough when he got The Petnapper case. He quit as an Auror.
He focused on doing things that he liked, and started playing Quidditch professionally. He had excelled at this as well, and had become the keeper for The Chuddley Cannons. His nickname "Red Fury" had followed him in Quidditch as well.
His demeanour had changed back to resemble the old Ron, as he had managed to suppress the memories of his past.
At 21 years of age he was ranked as the best keeper in The Cannons' history, and one of the best keepers in all of history. This gave him some lucrative deals with broom producers, and he got his own Quidditch-accessory line named Red Fury.
Before turning 22 he had quit Quidditch as well, thanks to his new habit of getting bored. In spite of being retired, Ron still made good money off of Quidditch, with the sales of merchandise named after him. Ron had everything, fame, money and glory. But not love.
His life soon became one big party. He was always drunk, and didn't care who he slept with. He had convinced himself to believe that he was having a great time, but in reality he had never been so miserable.
Harry made him realize what he was doing, and got all the Weasley's to help Ron out of the situation. The plan ended with Ron going with Bill to Egypt.
Now a year and a half later, he was almost content with his life. He only needed someone to share the rest of his life with; he needed someone he could love.
I hope you enjoyed the explanation for everything. Please let me know what you think and what you wish will happen. I am always open to suggestions.
