- Chapter 1 -
I need to be sure of something… When one is a normal girl who is in love with a normal guy, that one lives a normal life… Does one let one's perfect man go away? What? No, obviously, right? Believe it or not, I did it… I have let the best man go away from me, for the stupidest thing… But I have a very good reason… I am not a normal girl!
That is true, Hermione Granger is far from being a normal girl, and Ronald Weasley is not a normal boy either… And so I let him go away… I regret it every single day. Except that him, he is gone and I do not know where he went. Sorry? Tell you how it happened? Stupidly really… Let me tell you…
It was cold outside that night. It was mid-april and it was still snowing onto London. And we were arguing… Again you would be thinking and you would be right… We have always been arguing Ron and I, it is true. But it was never something big… Except this time our words went too far… And everything went mental…
"You are pissing me off! Let them live for Merlin's sake… It has only been two years since James was born and you already want them to get married, old with grey hairs… Your sister is a grown up and Harry is too… They manage everything perfectly fine without you fumbling around their business…"
"I am their friend… And brother… So I have the right to advise them if I want to. I only want to help them…"
"No you do not… It is exactly what you do not get.. You can not tell others what to do under the pretext that you are their brother or even boyfriend…"
"What? What did I do for you to blame me?"
"You do not get to dictate my life just because we are together… I do whatever I want with my life, I go out with whomever I want! You cannot force me to choose between my friends and you… YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHTS ON ME!"
"FINE! I cannot… I am leaving then, but when you will realize that this Jonathan douchebag only want to bang you, you will regret not listening to me…"
She slapped him hard, a slap that resonated in the entire apartment. Ron got up, staggering and ran up the stairs. He opened fiercely their bedroom door and grabbed a suitcase under the bed. He then put some clothes inside while Hermione was crying on the doorstep.
"How dare you say that?"
"It is the true..."
"You are jealous that is all… Jonathan is my friend… I do not want to see you again, GET OUT!"
"It is exactly what I am about to do!"
He furiously closed the suitcase, turned around and scowled her. She was looking at him with a look full of rage and hatred. He pushed her aside to get out of the room and ran down the stairs. He was quickly at the door and opened it vigorously. The cold stepped into the apartment and he disappeared, with his suitcase and coat. Hermione was staying on the doorstep completely clueless. The neighbor arrived, alarmed by the yelling. She looked at Hermione, came closer to the crying woman and took her inside her own home. She prepared her some tea while Hermione was sitting down onto the couch. The neighbor came sitting next to the young witch and tried to reassured her. Hermione was sobbing and her face was ravaged by the tears. She spoke, the voice shaking:
"He is really gone, isn't he?"
"Yes Miss Granger, he is…"
"I cannot believe it… He is gonna come back in a few seconds… Telling me he is sorry… As he always does…"
She tried to get up but her neighbor held her back.
"I doubt it Miss… He seemed really pissed… I do not think he will come back… Not like the other times…"
"You… You… You know nothing… You do not know him!"
"No it is true, I do not… But tell me one thing… Has he already reacted so violently to one of your arguments?"
Hermione collapsed on the couch. Her neighbor made a point. It was the first time Ron has reacted so violently. Hermione thanked her neighbor as she came back inside her home. She felt asleep on her couch around 3 o'clock in the morning and was woken up by hard hitting on the door at 9. She opened the door and was more than surprised to recognize Ron Weasley on the doorstep.
He did not wait for her to say a word and entered their apartment. He ran up the stairs again and was back down a few minutes later. Hermione had not made a move, still shocked… He was back! Wait… Why did he have taken all of his clothes left in their bedroom?
"What are you doing?"
"I take everything that belong to me and I disappear from your life… The apartment and furnishing is yours…"
NO! He was not back at all! He was moving out… Completely… He was disappearing from her li...
"RON!"
But it was too late, he was already gone… she closed the door and bursted into tears. He was gone for ever and he had pushed her away!
So there… Now you know why I am the stupidest witch in the world… Of course, Harry and Ginny tried to cheer me up but nothing works… And it has been a year… I still live in the same apartment. I tried to go out with other men that found me attractive and everything… But none had the romanticism, softness and enthusiasm of Ron… Of course he still sees his family and I learnt, through Ginny, that he now always called before coming to the Burrow, in order to be sure that I was not there. I know that there is another woman in his life now… a girlfriend… An handsome man as he is does not stay single very long… And as their friendship is older than mine, I do not go at the Potter's house that much… Ginny is pregnant with another boy and she is soon going to give birth… I do not want to bother them with my problems.
Yesterday was his birthday! He should have partied with his girlfriend and his family… Me, I spent my night watching a rom-com on tv… Really bad movie but very romantic… And depressing… Like every other girl I cried when the boy asked the girl to marry him after hugged her tightly in the middle of a field.. Pathetic as Ron said every time I made him watch theses movies… Right now I am still in front of the telly but it is a news flash…
"Gossip now! The big star Lavander Brown has presented her new album to the press today. A small launch-party was organized at her friend restaurant The Patils Paradize. It was the paradize for paparazzis indeed because Lavander presented her not-so-new-but-secret boyfriend… We have been told that this ginger man next to Lavander on every picture is her boyfriend for now almost a year… After some trouble they seem now ready to build a family together…"
Hermione was as close as she could be to the screen and felt back when she recognized… Ron was Lavander's boyfriend. What a bitch… he could not have fallen so low, couldn't he? He couldn't! A small voice in her head spoke:
"You are jealous again… Just as you were in 6th year at Hogwarts. You react the exact same way than back then… Last time you couldn't believe it until you saw them together kissing… You are still jealous of Lavander, Hermione…"
The doorbell rang and it put her out of her thoughts. She opened it, still thinking about what she just heard on the news. And about painful memories where a 16-years old Lavander was parading in Hogwarts' corridors with Ron at her arm…
A young brown-haired man was standing on the doorstep. It took her some time to recognize him, lost in her thoughts. Jonathan, her colleague and friend who Ron hated, was taking her to see a movie. She grabbed her coat and went out, following him. She knew that Jonathan liked her very much and she enjoyed being taken care of… He hoped every night they went out that she would invite him inside her apartment.
At the end of the movie, he accompanied her back home, as usual. In front of the door, Hermione smiled and asked him, seductively:
"Do you wanna come inside and have a drink?"
"I would love to…"
He went in and sat on the couch. She brought back two coffee mugs from the kitchen and sat next to him.
He came closer and put his hand on her lap. She got up and turned on the music. Jonathan got up too, he took Hermione's hands and abruptly put his lips onto hers. She tried to push him off but he has a strong hold on her arms. He laid her onto the couch while kissing her. Hermione started to hit him and managed to hit him between the legs making him stop his actions. He yelled hurt and she got on her feet. She slapped him very hard.
"How dare you?!"
"I like you, it is normal that I want more with you…"
"You are just a perv… You only wanted to have sex with me… Nothing more…"
"Look, you don't get it. I like being challenged and you are the biggest challenge in the office… Guys say that you are inaccessible, untouchable… The challenge has tempted me and you put a spell on me…"
"SHUT UP!"
She threw him out and disapparated in front of another door. She hit hard on the door. After a few seconds, Ginny was very surprised to see her best friend, crying on her doorstep. Without thinking twice, she took her in, holding her tight. Hermione was still crying in her best friend's arms.
"What is it Hermione?"
"It is… It's Jonathan…"
There was noises and she heard Harry speaking in the kitchen to somebody she couldn't see. Ginny, next to her, was mortified.
"Don't go… Don't go there… Don't g…"
"Gin, what is…"
"Go…"
Harry was in the room soon after…
"Ron…"
Hermione had whispered his name. As she was scared of being daydreaming and waking up having imagine all of this…
"Hermione…"
Surprisingly he had used the same tone to say her name.
Harry took his best friend's arm and made him come back to the kitchen while Ginny made Hermione go into the Potter's bedroom. They sat on the bed. Hermione was devastated.
"Ginny I am so sorry… Sorry I showed up like that but I really needed a friend…"
"Do not worry… I am sorry that Ron was there and that you had to see him after everything that happened between you two…"
"He warned me… About Jonathan, that he only wanted to have sex with me… He had told me on the day he left…"
Ginny hugged her. She whispered comforting words to her friend. Downstairs a similar situation was taking place:
"What a bastard… I'm gonna find him and make him pay for that…"
"Chill… Ron, you are not with Hermione anymore… You are with Lavander her worst nemesis and you wish to help her? Don't be ridiculous…"
"Don't talk to me about Lavander… I just broke up with her… I have been her toy boy for a year… For the paparazzis…"
"When will you admit that Lavander uses everybody for her fame? She already showed you in 6th year what she was capable of, don't you remember?"
"I do… But the day that… Mione and I we… Well, you know… She was the one that I thought of… and I went to see her…"
"Do you know why?"
Ron said no with his head.
"Because you knew she is Hermione's nemesis and you wanted to make her jealous after your argument. Than you got stuck in the fame stupidity, I know how it is, i have been there too… It is hard to turn your back to it… Ginny and I we did not recognize you sometimes when you visited us… "
"Yeah… But now I took my freedom back and I am going to enjoy it… could you call me to tell me how Mione is? I am gonna go, she will be more serene. "
"How did you call her?"
Ron's ears became red instantly. Harry thought back at their Horgwarts time when these two lovebirds were flirting while convincing themselves that the other was completely oblivious to their feelings.
Hermione went out of the bedroom at the exact same time that Ron got out of the kitchen. They found themselves face to face.
"Oh!"
It was the only thing they managed to say.
They simultaneously walked to the door. Harry and Ginny watched the scene, smiling widely. Ron reacted first and turned himself to the couple:
"Well… Thanks for everything… See you soon… Bye…"
He went out.
"I… Thank you… Bye…"
Hermione went out too.
They met again in front of the elevator. Destiny was in action tonight…
"I will take the stairs…"
He walked to the staircase but Hermione grabbed his shirt before he could escape.
"Wait… Stay… Please… I am scared alone in the elevator..."
"Sorry… I forgot…"
They had not looked at each other during their discussion. They were both contemplating their shoes. They did not exchange a word during the going down. Until the elevator did a strange rebound and stopped abruptly. They jumped and looked at each other. Hermione was starting to panic. Seeing that, Ron acted upon it and called the maintenance through the emergency button:
"Yes?"
"Hello, we are stuck in the elevator… Between 3rd and 4th floor…"
"What is the address Sir?"
"53th Fleet Street"
"I will send a team right away… How many are you?"
"Two…"
"Did you set the weight alarm?"
Ron laughed and Hermione smiled a bit.
"No, no… we did not…"
"Good… Don't panic. A team is gonna be there in 20 minutes."
"Thank you."
Ron turned back and saw Hermione, fully panicking.
"Hey, it is gonna be fine. They will be there in 20 minutes. Do not worry! Everything is gonna be alright!"
She smiled and breathed heavily in order to calm down.
"Otherwise… Are you… Are you ok?"
Ron has used a shy tone. As if he was scared to hurt her. She answers in the same way. Shyness was back between the two of them:
"Yes… I'm ok I guess… Well except for what happened tonight… But i'm ok and you?"
"Yeah, yeah… I'm ok… What… What did he do? Jonathan…"
"He… He… I do not want to talk about it…"
She was ashamed and did not want to share with him what Jonathan had tried to do tonight.
"I understand… Sorry, shouldn't have asked…"
"I… He… He did what you said he would do…"
He looked at her, trying to find a light of joking in her eyes but there was none. She has sincerely told him and she could not have helped it. She silently was begging him to take her into his arms, hold her tight and whisper that he will never leave again… but he did not hear her... He looked down and his ears became red once again.
"I… I am sorry…"
"This is not your fault… I should not have invited him over at my place…"
"Did you move out?"
"No…"
He looked at her subresticly and looked down. She blushed. No, she was still living in "their" flat. Where they had made plans for the future
"I… I saw you on the news today…"
"Really?"
"Yeah at the launch-party of…"
"Right… It was ridiculous…"
They were sitting on the cabin floor and Ron's head was resting on the wall.
"I don't know if they spread the world yet… Probably not as I just did it but Brown's toy boy's out… I broke up with her."
Hermione smiled hearing him say the same thing than the news anchor earlier this evening.
"They did not say a word about it… But they said you were her toy boy…"
He laughed and she smiled, happily. A big CLANG resonated. Hermione, surprised, hold Ron's arm. He took her hand and helped her get up. He got to the door and listened. Hermione was still holding his hand and stopped breathing. There was a brutal noise and a stick appeared between the two side doors of the elevator, trying to make them move aside. Ron stepped back and protectively stayed in front of Hermione. A 40 years old man managed to open the doors and smiled at them, friendly:
"Good evening lady and gentleman… i am your Friday night savior… Give me your hand I will help you get out."
Hermione gave him her hand and the man got her out in a flick second. He helped Ron aswell and left after making sure they were alright. Ron and Hermione stayed in the middle of the hall without speaking a few minutes. Hermione broke the silence:
"Thank you…"
"What for?"
"Being there…"
She kissed him on the cheek and left. Ron stayed a few seconds more without moving and then left, his ears were red because of the cold but mostly because of this first kiss with her… The love of his life… Entering his small apartment, he whispered closing the door:
"What a night!"
-TO BE CONTINUED-