Hey, y'all. We hope you're all healthy!

Here's another chapter but before you read it, here are some notes from us.

We know… Ron clearly overreacted in the last chapter (and also in this one)... But this is an AU story and we thought that he hadn't "the chance" to overreact that much in the past…because Hermione wasn't around like in the Canon story.. You know what we're talking about? xD We just like a little drama :-P

We adapted the idea with the coins from the books and (I think, but not 100% sure) from "3 years later" written by ScarletProphecy14. Hopefully she's alright with that. If you haven't read her stories… READ THEM NOW! We highly recommend them, they're one of our favorites 3

Stay safe and stay home.

The Weasleygirls


Chapter 22

October 10th - late afternoon at the Leaky

Harry walked up to Ron but he raised his hand to stop him and Harry knew it was better to leave him alone now. On the one hand, Harry was worried because he knew Ron. In such situations, where his already hardly existing self-confidence sank even further, he tended to do stupid things. On the other hand, he was angry. Very angry even… he could forget to propose to Ginny in this situation, thank you very much!

Instead of an "Yes, I do" from Ginny, she'd probably ask him if he was cursed on his last mission to ask him THE question when everybody was focused on Ron and Hermione.

While Harry pondered angrily, Ron apparated with a 'plop'. Harry sensed that this wasn't the best sign so he sent his Patronus to Ginny, to inform her that she should come to the Burrow. He had to talk to her, Molly and Arthur about what happened.

At the Burrow

Molly, Arthur, and Ginny sat at the kitchen table and they looked quite shocked after Harry told them what had happened. Ginny was the first to find her language. "What an idiot! If I get my hands on him, I'm gonna jinx him. I was almost waiting for Ron to fuck up with Hermione!" she cursed. "Ginevra Weasley, please pull yourself together. You can assume that Ron knows that he did something very wrong and that he's ashamed! And that's exactly why he won't contact any of us." Molly admonished her daughter. "He needs time. When he comes back, please hold back with accusations!" Arthur demanded.

"Arthur is right. At first we have to help him to fix this. Afterwards you two can do whatever you want to him…" Harry nodded in agreement and silently hoped for the best.

Evening - Shell Cottage

Ron had apparated straight to Shell Cottage. As much as he hoped Hermione would be here, he knew she wasn't. He stood in the living room and could look at the spot on the beach where he had given Hermione the necklace on her birthday. Angry with himself he ran out of the house towards the roaring sea, stopped at the beach and screamed his fear, anger and hatred of himself out into the dark night. When he could no longer scream and tears were threatening to fall, he went back into the house. On his way to the kitchen he passed the mirror in the hallway. He stopped and looked at himself and into his watery, expressionless eyes. Ron reached out and smashed the mirror with his fist. It did well to feel another pain than the pain in his heart. He hated himself so much. Why couldn't he control himself and why had he overreacted so extremely? He knew he could trust Hermione!

Ron sent an owl to Hermione's old apartment. He hoped that Hermione and Parvati would be there.

Hermione

I'm so sorry! I'm a bloody twat! I want to talk to you. Please. I love you so much.

Ron

Ron guessed that everyone at the Burrow already knew, thanks to Harry. He sent his Patronus to his Mum.

Mum,

I'm sorry. I know you're probably disappointed and trust me.. I'm disappointed with myself too! I'm at Shell Cottage. Please give me time… see you in a bit.

While Ron nervously waited for his owl with the answer from Hermione, he ran through the whole house. When he arrived in the bedroom, he sat down on Hermione's side of the bed. He could perceive her smell and let himself fall backwards onto the bed…

Ron was woken by a knock on the window the next morning. The sun just came up and his owl was back. Hastily he opened the window. When Ron saw that there was his own parchment scroll at the owls claw, he let his head hang down. 'You deserve it!' Ron thought. What else could he do now? He had to write to Alice.

Dear Alice,

I'm sure you already heard what happened and I'm sorry. I love your daughter more than anything and I have made the biggest mistake of my life. I didn't use any violence against her, but I still destroyed everything because of my jealousy. I hate myself for it. Take good care of Hermione.

Ron

P. S. I'll be leaving Shell Cottage tonight.

Hermione can stay there as long as she wants, I will only return if she wishes.

Ron send the owl away and took a shower. He knew of Hermione's stubbornness and if she didn't want to be found, he couldn't find her. He could understand her. She deserved better than a guy who considered her as his property and lose it completely because of a simple embrace.

He needed to talk to Kingsley. Ron put on his uniform and apparated to the Ministry of Magic. It was still very early and luckily there was hardly anything going on. Arriving at Kingsley's office, Ron knocked on his door.

"Come in…. Ron? What are you doing here in your uniform at this hour?" Kingsley asked in surprise. Ron walked into the office, closed the door and shook Kingsley's hand.

"Good morning, Kingsley. I need to get out of here… clear my head. Hermione and I had a big fight at the Leaky Cauldron and I think… I think she'll break up with me… You remember the promise I made when you helped me with Hermione's parents back then?" Ron explained himself.

"Your mother's gonna kill me, Ron. I can't do that! Don't want to get another howler"

"Okay… Then I quit. Right here, right now! I'll leave right now" Ron blurted out.

"Ron! Please calm down. You're very selfish and clearly overreacting, you know that!? Have you ever thought about your family, Harry or Hermione? I think they won't be happy with you gone."

"I always think about the people who are important to me… It's the best for them if I leave… I always cause trouble and I'm sick of it!"

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Ron could see that Kingsley was thinking about something.

"Well… okay, Ron. On one condition. We have developed something new." Kingsley took something out of his desk drawer and put two gold coins on the desk.

"What is this? " Ron asked curiously.

"This allows you to contact your partner or supervisor in an emergency during a mission. You take the golden coin with the runes between thumb and forefinger, so that the runes are covered by your fingers. When it starts to tingle, you can say something. The second coin with the dragon starts to glow and must be touched by the receiver with his wand while he says 'Draconis excitat'." Kingsley explained.

"So the coin with the runes is the transmitter and the one with the dragons is the receiver?"

"Exactly! So… I will tell you everything you need to know…"

October 10th - Padmas flat

Hermione lay crying on Parvati's lap. They had apparated to Padma's flat, since Parvati knew that nobody would disturb them there. Padma was with her boyfriend and Ron would not find her here so quickly either. Parvati tried to comfort Hermione. "Shhh. . . it'll be alright. You'll see."

Hermione sat up and looked at Parvati slightly angry. "You can't be serious, Parvati!? After what happened in the Leaky Cauldron, you can't seriously believe that anything will sort itself out. I'm not Ron's property. He can't just walk up to an old friend of mine and physically attack him!"

"Ron doesn't consider you his property, Hermione. You are his girlfriend and probably he also sees you as his future wife and mother of his children. Have you ever thought about how you would have reacted if you had seen Ron with Lavender in his arms? Wouldn't you have been angry then?" Parvati said.

Hermione looked at her feet and blushed.

"But that doesn't justify him questioning my love and loyalty for him! Telling me to go after Viktor hurt!"

"I think you should both take a breath for a day or two and then talk to each other." Parvati suggested.

Hermione rummaged in her beaded bag and pulled out a vial of orange liquid.

"What's that?" Parvati asked.

"A sleeping potion. Before I contact my parents tomorrow, I want to sleep deeply and just not feel anything."

Parvati nodded understandingly.

Hermione drank the vial in one go. Tears ran down her cheeks as she lay down and closed her eyes.

The next morning Hermione woke up and instantly felt beside her. "Ron?" she whispered but the bed was empty. Immediately tears ran down her pale cheeks again. She just wanted to see her mother.

Hermione got dressed after the shower, wrote a note to Parvati and user the Floo-Network to St. Mungo's. There she spoke to her supervisor and told him that there was a personal emergency and that she absolutely had to go to her parents in France. A little reluctantly she got the next three days off. From St. Mungo Hospital, Hermione apparated Muggle London to find a phone box so that she could call her mother.

"Granger, hello?"

"Mum, it's me." Hermione cried.

"Hermione, honey. What happened? Ron sent us an owl and we didn't know what to think of it." Alice told her and read the letter from Ron to Hermione.

Hermione told her mother what had happened. "I'd like to come home, Mum!"

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Your father and I are about to fly to Germany. I thought we told you a while ago?"

Hermione's went dry. Of course, it was her parents' anniversary and they were going away for a few days. She'd completely forgotten. "It's all right. It's not like I'm homeless. Ron actually keeps his promises and will leave me alone at Shell Cottage."

After the conversation was over, Hermione wandered aimlessly around Muggle London. She wanted to wait until evening before she went back to Diagon Alley to return to Shell Cottage.

October 11th - Noon - Shell Cottage

Ron stood in the living room in Shell Cottage. He took in the sight because he wanted to savor everything Hermione had done to make this place their home. He went up the stairs to the bedroom and opened the door of the wardrobe. He took out his old Auror equipment.

His knapsack with his spellproof vest, his boots, his mask… it was all there. Ron looked out the bedroom window. Hermione loved that view. He shook off the thought, took his equipment and went downstairs. He had promised Hermione to be away in the evening and he wanted to write her another letter. As Ron sat at the kitchen table, a thousand thoughts went through his head.

Was it right to leave just like that? But what should he be waiting for? He knew that Ginny and Molly would probably hex him. And Harry, his best friend… he had also ruined his engagement.. Harry was certainly more than angry with him. And Hermione... who he promised to protect her, no matter what…

Love,

as promised, I'm not here anymore. You can't imagine how sorry I am about all this. If only all Time Turners hadn't been destroyed...I would turn back time right now!

Stay at Shell Cottage as long as you like. My family loves you, and I think they would want the same for you. I think I won't be welcome at your place or the Burrow for a while. I'll leave you a golden coin with a dragon on each side. Kingsley gave it to me. He said I should give it to the most important person in my life. That's why I give it to you. It serves as a receiver. I have a coin with runes that acts as a transmitter. Normally in an emergency you can send a call for help, which alerts the Auror department, but I charmed it a little so that only the two of us can use it. If the coin starts to glow and you want to hear what I tell you, then please touch the coin with your wand and say 'Draconis excitat'.

I love you!

Ron

Ron walked through the backyard one last time and picked an autumn bouquet for Hermione. He charmed the flowers so that they would stay fresh and put them in a vase with the letter on the living room table. Just as he was about to leave, his parents' owl arrived. The bird had two rolls of parchment. One for Ron and the other for Hermione.