This has got to be my longest story yet, both word and chapter wise. This is My World has one chapter more, and it's still going, but the chapters for this one are way longer! I feel kinda proud of myself, not gonna lie. ^^
...
"Hey, Ron?" Harry called, knocking lightly on the door. "Open up, mate, I need to get my Quidditch Through the Ages copy to prove something to Sirius."
The door creaked open a notch. It was just enough to see Ron was decent and they could burst through the door without having too much guilt.
"Ronald, please, will you listen to me?" Hermione said quietly, pushing past Harry.
He turned away and sat down on the window bench, presumably where he'd been before they interupted, tossing a small ball at the wall and catching it when it came back. "Listen to what? You're married and pregnant, I'm pretty sure any other explaining is pointless."
"It wasn't my fault, Ronald!" Hermione cried. "Please, you have to believe that I did not want to marry him! I hated him the whole first half of our marriage! All I wanted was to marry you!" Hermione didn't know if that was true, but if it convinced Ron, then by now, she'd say anything.
He glanced at her a moment before looking away. "Well, it's too late now."
Hermione had dropped to her knees. "I know."
"You love him?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Like you loved me."
A tear trailed down her cheek and she didn't answer.
Ron sighed, a painfilled sound, and let the ball drop, not bothering to catch it. He stood up and put his hands in his pockets.
Hermione started coughing from the effort of crying and apologising. Ron was alarmed at the sight of blood on her teeth. Something seemed to crack and he was suddenly crying and on his knees, too, holding Hermione and kissing her hair.
"I love you so much, Hermione," he whispered.
"I know, Ron," she whispered back. "I love you, too."
"But not like you love Sirius?"
Hermione cried harder at that because she knew he was right and she couldn't help it.
"Are you alright?" he asked, holding her face. He took one hand out of her hair to touch her lips and looked at the blood now on his fingers.
Hermione nodded, wheezing. She managed to catch her breath. "I'm fine," she said, nodding.
"Here, let me get you a towel." He stood up and moved to go get one from the wash-room, but Harry was standing in the doorway, already holding one. "Thanks, mate," Ron said, moving to take it.
Harry shook his head and handed it to Hermione. Ron gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything, Harry choosing to give Ron a proper talking to later.
"I'm going to go get some water," Hermione said, standing.
Harry nodded. "Want me to go with you?"
Hermione shook her head. "Only if you want to." She left, then, leaving Ron and Harry behind.
Ron moved to follow her, but Harry blocked his way.
"What's up, mate?" Ron asked, confused.
"Don't do it, Ron."
Ron looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do," Harry said vehemently. "Ron, don't try to win Hermione over from Sirius. You'll only confuse her, and Sirius and Hermione are so good for each other. She's not like how she was with you when she's with him."
"What are you even talking about?" Ron crossed his arms and returned to his window bench.
"You know what I'm talking about!" Harry exclaimed, trying his hardest not to yell. "When you left us searching for Horcruxes, Ron! She was crushed and never the same after that! She never learned to trust anyone but me after that! She never trusted you after that, which why she wasn't as sad as she should have been when you were cursed. You saw it, too, how she refused to get close to you."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron hissed.
"She trusts Sirius," Harry stated. "She trusts that he won't leave her, she trusts that he won't give up on her, and she trusts that he loves her."
"But I would never do any of those things!" Ron exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter," Harry replied. "Because you broke her trust once and she was still trying to find reasons to trust you again."
Ron looked away from Harry completely, out the window. He didn't say anything. Harry knew he knew he was right.
"So please, Ron," Harry said. "Don't try and win her from Sirius, because you'll confuse her and hurt her."
"With the way you're talking, you'd think you loved her," Ron retorted.
"Maybe I used to love her!" Harry asserted. "Maybe I did have feelings for her, but she chose you. Maybe I realised that she needed a protective and loving brother figure, and that was me. Maybe that's how I feel now. I'm her brother, Ron, and I won't let you hurt her."
Ron looked at Harry, jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, mate. I never knew."
"It doesn't matter, Ron, because I love her like my sister," Harry replied, turning away. "Besides, I've got Ginny."
Ron groaned. "I forgot you guys are getting married."
Harry smirked. "Bye, Ron."
...
Harry found Hermione in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water with Sirius wrapping his arms around her waist. He smiled, glad he'd told Ron what he had.
...
Hermione lay curled up on the bed, thinking about her and Ron's conversation. She sighed-he had been so hurt.
"Hermione?" Sirius called.
"Yes?"
"Can you come and show Ren how to brush her teeth? I have to set up her bed."
Hermione smiled and got off of her bed. Ren was sitting on the toilet, staring at the tooth brush in her one hand and the toothpaste in the other. She showed Ren how to put the toothpaste on the toothbrush, and then how to work it into her very sharp teeth. Taking care of Ren would be fun, Hermione decided. And it would be good practice for the little boy or girl growing inside of her.
"You are sad?"
Hermione looked up at Ren and dabbed a towel at Ren's mouth, where she had missed with the toothbrush. She shook her head. "No, not sad. I'm happy."
"Happy?"
Hermione nodded.
"But crying?"
Hermione smiled. "They're happy tears," she replied. "I'm just so happy right now..."
"Ron was not happy."
Hermione paused in helping Ren clean up. "No, he wasn't."
"He sad about you with Sirius?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes. Ron and I used to date before he got...sick."
"Date?"
Hermione smiled and explained everything. She found it comforting to have someone to talk to and explain things to. She could always talk to Ginny or Harry or her journal about Sirius and Ron, but it felt nice to be able to explain things to someone who would believe every word she said.
Hermione picked up her hair brush and took Ren out to the living room and brushed her hair, all the while explaining things about her life.
She took a deep breath when she'd finished. "So, how has your life been?"
Ren seemed startled that Hermione would ask such a question.
"I am Princess Ren of Sirena," she began. Hermione rose her eyebrows, but allowed her to go on. "I live with Mother Pearl who trains in the ways of the Siren."
Hermione listened, fascinated by Ren's life story. She had tried running away from Mother Pearl numerous times after seeing how the other Siren's treated men, which ultimately resulted in the death of the men. She listened how Ren was always injured and forced to return home, how she once fell in love with a man but knew that if she were to sing to him, he would die.
"Hermione, Ren?"
"Yeah, Sirius?" Hermione called.
"Ren's bed is done."
"Good!" Hermione stood up and she and Ren walked to the closet, which Sirius had magically enlarged. After Ren was tucked in, Hermione and Sirius retreated to their bedroom and talked late into the night. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she'd talked so much about herself, but it was comforting, and soon, she fell into a deep sleep.
...
Meh, I liked how it started out, but as it went on I didn't like it much...
Your thoughts?
