Chapter 7: While you talked of movies I've never seen, I realized that's how we used to be
Summary:
Ron gets a visit from a University rep for a full scholarship and amongst their celebrating, things get ugly.
Notes:
I took some creative liberties with the university rep and scholarship story line. I also added another chapter because I might do an epilogue of sorts.
The next few weeks drag for Hermione, a battle of emotions dancing in her head as she tries to wade through schoolwork. The assignment with Cormac is slow-going and by the end of their third week working together, Hermione is ready to scream and yell in frustration.
Cormac hands Hermione his notes on To Kill a Mockingbird after class one day. She has to physically stop herself from sighing loudly as she flips the page over to find it blank. One page of notes.
"Hey Mione." The familiar voice helps with the rising anger. She looks up to find Ron smiling at her and squeezes her lips together to stop the instinctual smile that threatens to pop up.
"Hey." She manages to mumble.
Hermione chose to ignore her anger towards Ron going to the movies with Lavender weeks ago. After her chat with Ginny, she felt that starting another argument with Ron was futile. She knows fleeing to France was stupid, she knows she did it to run away from her own feelings and didn't spare one thought to what Ron might have felt because of her actions. Even with Ginny's opinion - that Ron also liked her like she liked him - Hermione chose to ignore it. To ignore the dread she felt by missing an opportunity. She decided that nothing was worth risking her friendship with Ron. So maybe she loved him in a different way to how he loved her? She could love someone else one day, she just needed time.
"You alright?"
Hermione looks up again from Cormac's notes and frowns.
"This stupid assignment with McLaggen is driving me crazy! These are his notes! For a whole book, this is all he has to say about it!" She throws her free hand up in the air, her irritation growing the more she looks at his notes.
Ron nods as she talks but as her words get louder, he starts to smile.
"What are you smiling about?!" She stomps her foot and shoves the notes into her folder.
"You." Ron replies instantly, mirth sparkling in his light eyes.
A bubble of laughter escapes Hermione's mouth and she shakes her head in exasperation. In their early teens, Ron used to scoff at Hermione's frantic stressing, but in the last year or so Ron has decided to find her stress-filled ramblings funny.
"Let's go find Harry." Hermione bites her lip to stop another smile from surfacing and turns towards the courtyard.
"Oh, I told him to meet us at the pitch." Ron mumbles.
Hermione turns around to find Ron looking at the floor.
"Why?"
"I have someone from the University of Nottingham coming to interview me." A blush floods his cheeks and Hermione instantly beams at the news.
"Are you serious? Oh my god, Ron! Is he coming to this weekend's game too?"
Ron nods, head rising and chest puffed out proudly.
"He called me and asked to meet. He said if I kept my marks up and showed consistency in the training sessions and games, he's going to seriously consider giving me a full scholarship."
"This is amazing, Ron! I'm so proud of you!" Hermione can't help but hug him. It's such a natural thing to do that she doesn't realise the implications until she feels the soft fabric of his jumper against her cheek and the faint scent of the Weasley's laundry detergent. His arms wrap around her small frame easily and for just a second she lets herself relax. She finds herself wishing it could be like this again, natural, familiar, right.
Eventually she pulls back, letting Ron's arms drop to his sides before she looks up at him again.
"Let's go, then!" She says behind a forced smile.
She sees a flash of resistance in Ron's eyes before he nods shortly.
When they reach the pitch, Harry's waiting for them on a nearby bench. Ginny sits close by and Hermione can't help but smile at the sight. Ginny has let it slip recently that things have been improving between herself and Harry and that she's sure he's going to make a move sometime soon.
Harry claps Ron on the back to congratulate him and Ginny smiles proudly. Something feels amiss and Hermione searches the empty field skittishly. Then a blonde haired girl pops into her stubborn brain.
"Where's Lavender?"
Her friends shoot her curious looks at her sudden question but Ron steps back and awkwardly looks back towards the school.
"I haven't told her. I mean, she would just make it seem so much bigger than what it is and I don't want that pressure right now."
Hermione frowns but bites her tongue and it seems like Harry and Ginny do the same.
The University rep arrives shortly after and the group of them drift off to one side while Ron talks to him. Hermione can't help but watch as Ron talks animatedly with the tall man, his nerves shown through his fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. His eyes however, glimmer with excitement and hope and Hermione can't take her eyes off him.
"It's a good job Lav isn't here, if she saw you staring at him like that, there would definitely be a cat-fight of sorts right now." Ginny mutters in her ear.
Hermione ignores her pointed remark and instead asks a question that has been sitting uneasily with her.
"Why didn't he tell her?" She nods towards Ron and the rep now strolling towards the Coaches office.
"She's a bit full on, isn't she?
"I guess so. Actually, I haven't seen her around so much lately."
"They had an argument." Harry interrupts. He's staring at Ron as well, digging his feet into the dry grass.
"What about?" Hermione turns on her heels to face Harry, making Ginny chuckle at her eagerness.
"I think Lav said something rude about you, Hermione, and Ron had a go at her." Harry shrugs.
Hermione's eyes widen and she looks at Ginny in confusion. Ginny shrugs her shoulders and smirks.
"Knew it." Ginny mutters, making Harry raise an eyebrow. Hermione scoffs and turns back to face the field. Ron's disappeared into the coaches room now so she stares out at the expansive field, her thoughts muddling themselves in her head.
"They didn't break up, did they?" Hermione manages.
"No, I don't think so. I think he just told her to back off and that you were his best friend and that wasn't going to change." Harry says casually.
"Not going to change…" Hermione mutters more to herself than anyone else.
Harry doesn't hear her but Ginny does and she scoffs angrily.
"Bugger off Hermione, that's not what he meant."
Harry flicks his attention to Ginny and stares in shock at her choice of words.
"Wait, what?" Harry says awkwardly.
Ginny ignores Harry and instead grabs Hermione's arm.
"Him and Lavender won't work. You know that, I know that, gosh even Harry knows that. She's just someone that was there at the right time. He will realise soon, trust me."
Hermione shakes her head, gulping to stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" Harry speaks up.
Ginny chuckles at Harry's ignorance, "Hermione will explain later, babe."
"Babe?" Hermione smirks.
Ginny rolls her eyes but doesn't seem abashed. Instead she grins and loops her arm with Hermione's.
"Will you talk to him?" Ginny presses.
"He has Lavender, I shouldn't. I told you that weeks ago."
"So? He still deserves to know how you really feel and why you went to France."
Hermione doesn't get a chance to reply but in the next moment, Ron comes bounding towards them, a broad smile on his handsome face.
"He said he was impressed and that if I play a good game this weekend, I'm a shoe-in for a full scholarship!"
Hermione doesn't wait for the others to respond, she's already in his arms, squeezing him tight and saying congratulations into his chest.
Ginny's pointed cough wakes them from their embrace and Hermione looks up to find Ron looking down at her in awe. She doesn't have a chance to question the look in his eyes because their moment is ruined by a squealing blonde running towards them, a furious look on her face.
"Fuck." She hears Ron say.
Hermione steps away from Ron and chances a glance at Ginny. Ginny grimaces and takes Harry's hand before pulling him away from the commotion about to happen.
"What is this!?" Lavender squeals.
Hermione finches at the high pitch and looks down at her feet as Ron stumbles a response. When Lavender starts to cry, Hermione steps backwards and turns to leave.
"Wait! You!" Lavender shouts.
Hermione turns slowly to find Lavender red faced and teary.
"Lav, Mione has nothing to do with this." Ron says steadily, standing in front of Hermione.
"She has everything to do with this! Why didn't you tell me about meeting the rep? I had to hear from Michael that the university rep was meeting you today! Now! You obviously told her, why not me?"
Ron starts pulling on his shirt again and Hermione wants to desperate take his hands in hers to stop the nervous tugging.
"It wasn't just Hermione, Harry and Ginny were here." Ron says weakly.
"Why don't you tell me anything?" Lavender whines.
Hermione desperately wants to leave now.
"I couldn't handle it. You make things such a big deal and it's so much pressure!" Ron huffs.
"Well it is a big deal!"
"You literally screamed and cheered for the whole school to hear when I told you I got a B on an exam!"
Hermione grimaces again, she feels her cheeks heat from embarrassment. She can't walk away without Lavender seeing her and she's frightening the small blonde will call her out again.
"I'm sorry, do you not want me to be supportive?"
"I do but that's not the type of support I mean! Why can't you just say congratulations and give me a hug?" Ron yells back.
"What, like Hermione?" the blonde snaps.
Hermione tries to shrink behind Ron's tall frame, slightly frightened that Lavender's the type of girl to get her claws out.
"For fucks sake. Why is everything about Hermione with you? Why are you so threatened by my best friend?" Ron's hands are now squeezed into fists.
"Maybe because your best friend is so obviously in love with you?!" Lavender screams.
Hermione's heart drops, her mouth wide open and she stumbles back as if been shot.
Ron turns around at the movement and looks at her with wide-eyes. The two of them stare at each other in silence, before Lavender huffs and interrupts.
"See?! This is ridiculous. You have to choose, Ron."
Hermione tastes bile. Her entire body is frozen with dread.
"Hermione." He says simply.
Lavender stumbles, her cheeks now tear-stained and eyes furious.
"What?"
Hermione wants to close her eyes.
"I chose Hermione. She's my best friend." Ron says matter of factly.
Hermione doesn't know if her heart is breaking for herself or for the girl in front of her. She doesn't agree with the way Lavender has treated Ron during their short relationship but she can't help but feel for the poor girl.
"Fine." Lavender says firmly, flicking her blonde curls behind her back before turning on her heel and storming off the field.
Ron and Hermione stand silently next to each other as they watch Lavender leave. Hermione is the first to move, the first to mumble something incomprehensible.
"Huh?" Ron asks.
"What just happened?"
"I just dumped my girlfriend." Ron says flatly.
"Why?" Hermione breathes.
"Oh come on, she was being unreasonable! She's being going on about this for weeks." Ron mutters.
"Weeks?"
"It's nothing. She's just insecure, it was unattractive anyway."
Hermione's too overwhelmed to speak. Her own insecurity rises with the comment, flashbacks to Hermione running away from Ron, strawberry stains on her fingers and sunflowers in the distance.
"Ron?" She mutters.
Ron turns at this and looks at Hermione with such fondness and concern that Hermione has to bite her tongue so she doesn't burst into tears.
"I need to tell you why I left this summer."