Secret Mission was the first fanfic I posted, but The Pureblood Knight is actually the first I wrote. I've completed it, but just want to tweak/edit the final chapters.
Summer 2020 was hard for me and discovering fanfiction, namely Romione fanfiction, is what kept me sane. After spending weeks losing myself in the wizarding world with my two favorite characters as they were portrayed by so many amazing writers (and thus ignoring the mayhem in my own world), one work moved me to do something I had not done since my childhood - pick up a pen and write a story. TMBlue's "With Me" ( s/5150242/1/With-Me) sent my mind into overdrive and I started to think "what if?"...And this is the result of my what if moments. So thanks TMBlue for the inspiration! (Read With Me...it's so worth it.)
(Later chapters are explicit - I'll post a warning on those chapters)
"I'm starving," Ronald Weasley groaned as he and Hermione Granger made their way back from the village of Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. "Think we can go straight to the Great Hall for lunch?"
"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione quipped back. "Are you ever not hungry?" She looked at him for an answer.
He scratched the back of his neck. "No, I...s'pose not." One side of his mouth turned up in a sheepish lopsided grin.
Hermione smiled back but cocked an eyebrow as if to say "my point exactly" as they continued their walk to the castle. She tried to hide how giddy she was at having passed her Apparition test, so as not to rub it into Ron's face. Brilliant as he was, he failed by half an eyebrow. Half a sodding eyebrow, as he put it so eloquently (though Hermione quite agreed with that sentiment). She knew this was a huge blow to him.
She also tried desperately to hide how flushed she was by simple things like his grin. The way one side of his full lips turned up and his blue eyes sparkled always did her in.
As they walked, she couldn't help but think back to the beginning of the school year. She told herself two things were top priority that year, aside from classes of course: Helping Harry, their other best friend and "the Chosen One"; and letting Ron know of her feelings for him. While the former was going as planned (despite Harry's obsession with the Potions Book he acquired as well as a certain Slytherin bully "turned death eater") the latter had gone completely and utterly off course.
She had it all worked out, starting with finally asking him to Slughorn's Christmas party, but then something changed. Next thing she knew, she was watching her best friend, who she was so in love with, snogging another girl. Not just any girl, her roommate at that. Lavender Brown.
She couldn't believe it. Couldn't stand it. Hated the very thought of it all, let alone witnessing it and then hearing about it in her own dormitory. Her days were soon filled with avoiding Ron at every turn, and her nights with casting silencing charms in her four-poster bed so she would not have to listen to the blonde beauty gush about her snogging sessions with Ron.
I wouldn't even have to hear about them, would I, she thought bitterly to herself. I could very well sit in the common room and witness them for myself.
Hermione stopped halted her thoughts...this is exactly what she decided she would change. The months that they spent apart form one another were torture, she'll be the first to admit. She missed him so much, as a friend more than anything. Then, she almost lost him for real.
Poisoned. On his birthday, at that!
Hermione had sat at his bedside that first night and made a promise. That no matter what happened, she would never again allow her feelings to interfere with her relationship with her best friend. She wanted him to be with her, but more than anything she wanted him in her life. Even if that meant there was someone else in the picture.
Hermione peeked over at him and took in the sight of her tall, pale, freckled best friend. He had grown quite fit over the last year, thanks to Quidditch training. Hermione completely understood the appeal to other girls - even if he didn't see it...which he often didn't. Honestly, that was one of the many things she loved about her Ronald.
My Ronald, she sighed. She wondered if she would ever get over him, or if she would always see him as hers.
She's loved him since at least third year...perhaps even longer. And while she hated the thought of him being with anyone else, she had not made any attempts at letting him know her true feelings. So while she had started to think that maybe he possibly reciprocated those feelings, there was nothing standing in the way of him being with someone else.
Hermione smirked, however, at the way things were unfolding since his poisoning. She couldn't help but notice that Ron had been avoiding his girlfriend, and that when Lavender was around, he even seemed quite annoyed. Hermione knew she shouldn't take joy in the fact that he was obviously unhappy with Lav-Lav, but she couldn't help it.
But the best part was, she had her best friend back. She smiled and bumped him lightly with her shoulder as they walked in comfortable silence.
Ron chuckled and lightly bumped Hermione back as they walked, then allowed his eyes to linger a bit to take in the sight beside him. As hungry as he was for a bacon sandwich, he was pretty sure he would give up food to have her.
Hermione Granger. His best friend since he was 11. The smartest, brightest...and most naturally beautiful witch he knew.
Was he biased? Yeah, a bit. He'd only been in love with her for who knows how long. He often tried to pinpoint exactly when he fell arse over cauldron for one of his two best friends, but if he was completely honest, he possibly always loved her. Just as he always saw Harry as a brother, he pretty much always saw Hermione as...so much more.
He secretly admired her soft brown curls as they blew wild in the wind, imagining what it would be like to absentmindedly run his hands through them, twirl them around his fingers. He smiled as he thought about all the times he was able to catch a whiff of her hair. If he closed his eyes and stayed down wind from her right now, he could just catch a hint of vanilla and jasmine. Hermione's scent. He could pick her out anywhere even if he was blind.
Bloody hell, I've got it bad for this girl.
He needed to stop, he reminded himself shaking his head and looking straight as they continued to walk in comfortable silence. He did still have a girlfriend.
God, what was he thinking? Kissing Lavender, becoming her boyfriend...losing so many months with Hermione. For what? Being wanted?
What if Hermione actually did want him? She did ask him to Slughorn's party. She was extremely enraged while Ron and Lavender started dating...jealous even?
And knowing how upset she was, he kept it going didn't he? He didn't deserve Hermione. But yet when he was poisoned, she was there. Her face was the first face he saw when he opened his eyes. That had to mean something...didn't it? He sighed as they finally reached the entrance to the castle.
Hermione gave in to Ron's request and they headed straight to the Great Hall for an early lunch once they reached the castle. The moment they sat at the Gryffindor table, Ron began to fill his plate with sandwiches.
Hermione scoffed. "Merlin, Ron." She sat across from him and poured herself a cup of tea while shaking her head. "You are insufferable. We had a huge breakfast."
"That was hours ago!" he huffed.
Hermione picked up the Daily Prophet on the table, and despite her show of annoyance, gave him another small smile. What an idiot, she thought to herself. And yet, I'm still mad for him.
She stole glances when she could as Ron ate. As much as she would berate him for his manners or the amount he would eat, she secretly enjoyed watching him partake in any activity that involved his mouth (except snogging another girl, of course). She would become quite enthralled watching him chew on his pen, and would find herself mesmerized whenever he ran a finger across his lips in deep thought. Many of her daydreams began with her thoughts on how soft his lips would feel against her own lips. Or across her skin...She shook her head to clear the direction in which her thoughts were taking her. He still has a girlfriend Hermione. Even if she truly believed he wanted to chuck said girlfriend, she was still a thing in between them.
He's too kind to break up with her is the problem, Hermione thought as she pretended to read the paper. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. He would honestly endure being annoyed to avoid hurting someone else. This, of course, was another yet another reason to love Ron Weasley. For his so-called flaws were what made him so endearing. He was, in a sense, too good.
She stole another peek at Ron, only to find his eyes already on her. He looked away quickly just as she dropped her eyes back to the paper. Merlin, that was close.
Ron's hunger was finally being satisfied, which meant he was already feeling somewhat better about having failed his Apparition test. Bloody examiner had to notice half my sodding eyebrow d'in't he? He felt worthless...but at least he was full and worthless.
Of course he expected nothing less of Hermione than to pass her test without any problems, brilliant as she was.
As he watched her, her eyebrows, just barely visible over the top of her paper, were furrowed in a clear sign of concentration...or annoyance. He couldn't see her lips, but somehow imagined that her bottom lip was pulled in as she bit it gently (he quickly shook away the thought of biting that bottom lip himself). Her small ink-stained fingers held the paper delicately, every once in a while tucking a rogue curl behind her ear or stirring the tea in front of her.
Ron looked back up at Hermione's face for a moment, and a second later she looked up too. Bloody hell, he thought averting his eyes back to his plate quickly. He knew she saw her though. God, how awkward. Say something, you git.
Ron cleared his throat and looked back at Hermione. "So...anyone we know dead?" he asked nodding to the paper and reverting to his usual line.
Hermione lowered the paper slightly and he saw the hint of a smile. A tiny smile, but it was something. And it was bloody gorgeous. He had missed that smile so much.
She shook her head, her curls, frizzy from the windy walk, catching bits of sunlight and seeming to dance around her head. "No, thankfully," she sighed. "Just reading about some new laws that are being passed and reinstated quietly. The Ministry is very busy."
Ron couldn't help but notice how concerned she looked. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. "Like what?" he asked.
She rattled off a few different laws and statutes that no one seemed to vote on - they were just in effect and now law. "What I don't like," she continued, "is that so many of them most definitely negatively effect Muggleborns in some way. Either through control, stripping us of choices, or just..." she sighed putting down the paper. "I don't like it Ron," she whispered to him. He could definitely hear the slight tremor in her usually strong voice. She looked away.
Ron stared at his Muggleborn best friend for a moment, feeling a pull in his heart. He knew he would do anything for her and that she deserved so much more than to fear for her choices or livelihood or...life just because of her blood status. It wasn't fair.
"Oi, Hermione," he called to her softly. She looked at him expectantly. "Just...stay close to me, yeah?"
"Ron, I can take care of myself," she huffed. He could see the telltale signs that she was getting rattled. And he had to focus because a rattled Hermione was a bloody gorgeous Hermione.
"I know you can, believe me." He dropped his head, rubbing the back of his neck which he knew by the burning sensation he felt, was likely as red as his hair. He tried to get out what he wanted to say without sounding like a complete tosser. "I know you can take care of yourself. Harry, too. But we have to look out for him don't we? And you being...I would just feel better if...I mean, I know the last few months I've been...and I'm sorry...just...stay close to me? No one is more important to me than you...a-and Harry," he added on quickly. "You and Harry." He looked back up at her gently, pleading with his eyes for her to concede for once. "Please?"
Ron felt like he just told Hermione so much more than he meant to in that one exchange.
For a moment she looked like she would argue. Then, thankfully, she nodded. "I will Ron."
Hermione studied Ron for a moment, prepared to argue. But then she stopped. "I will Ron," she said softly. He nodded and went back to eating.
She had to remind herself frequently that Ron was more than just some bloke she fancied. He was her best friend. He invited her to spend extended periods of time in his home. She'd been in his room, sat on his bed, been loved on by his mother. Which is much more than I can say about Lav-Lav, she thought with a smirk.
He cares about me, he's made that clear on many occasions. She thought about the way he fought a mountain troll alongside Harry when they'd only known each other a few weeks. How he vomited slugs to defend her name. How he stood on a broken leg to protect her. Time and time again he showed her how much he cared. But could he possibly care about me as more than a friend? Or is it just his innate need to protect us? His two best friends who grew up in the muggle world?
"Stay close to me," he said to her. A chill ran down her spine as she went over the intense look in his brilliant blue eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what he means by that. Obviously he felt that protecting her - them - was of topmost importance. But, was there more to it? "No one's more important to me than you...and Harry." His voice echoed in her head.