CHAPTER TEN
Ron stayed as far away from Hermione at the Great Hall as they were eating dinner. He stayed at the end of the Gryffindor table, alone and isolated, as he saw Hermione surrounded by their fellow Gryffindors. Parvati Patil was at her right; Alicia Spinnet was at her left; and in front of her were Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson.
Ron watched as Hermione swallowed her last bite of fried chicken, took one last gulp of pumpkin juice, and headed towards the entrance hall. He saw her get out.
'It's time,' he decided, taking a deep breath. He took a last drink of pumpkin juice and stood up.
'I'd better get my sweater,' thought Ron as the wind howled ferociously outside. It was extremely cold inside the castle – what more outside?
He climbed the marble staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower, walked along long corridors, until he finally saw the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Pig snout," he said, and the portrait swung open, revealing a large hole in the wall. Ron climbed inside and scrambled up the staircase. He swung open his trunk and started throwing his stuff around, searching for his sweater.
"Got it!" he declared. He grabbed his maroon sweater (the one knitted by Mrs. Weasley), scrambled down the staircase, and went out the portrait hole. He passed by the corridors once more, then went out of the entrance gate and into the grassy field. The wind was blowing strongly. Ron shivered.
"Hermione must be really cold by now," he muttered under his breath as he made his way towards the lake. He spotted Hermione, arms around herself, shaking from head to toe because of the strong wind.
"Take this," he said suddenly, handing the sweater to Hermione. She flashed him a small smile of gratitude before pulling the sweater over her head. Ron shivered again.
"Why don't YOU use this?" offered Hermione. "It's yours, after all."
Ron shook his head. "I brought that for you," he said. "I figured you were freezing out here."
Hermione's cheeks turned a shade of pink. "Thanks," she said softly. "Anyway, what was that you wanted to tell me? You said it was important."
"It is."
"Well? What is it then?"
Ron took a deep breath. He had not prepared on how he was going to tell Hermione.
Ron looked desperately around the grounds. He spotted some flower bushes growing a few feet away from where he and Hermione were standing.
"Close your eyes for a minute," he instructed Hermione.
"What?"
"I said close your eyes," Ron repeated.
Hermione sighed, then closed her eyes slowly. Ron ran towards the bushes, picked some red roses, and ran back to where Hermione was standing, eyes closed and arms folded.
'She's simply BEAUTIFUL,' Ron told himself.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"A few more seconds," said Ron as he nervously smoothed out his clothes and his hair.
"OK, you can open them now."
Hermione gasped as she saw Ron kneel down before her, looking into her brown eyes, holding out a bunch of red roses. She didn't know whether Ron knew that her favorite flowers were roses, whatever color they may be. Ron's eyes were blazing with a soft fire – the fire of love Hermione had only seen once before – in Harry's emerald-green eyes. But now, as she stared deeper into those shining blue eyes, she realized that Ron loved her more than Harry ever did.
"I love you, Hermione," said Ron, still on his knees. "I'm sorry – I was too scared to let you know. I've been in love with you ever since, Hermione. And I'm sorry I let you get into Harry's arms. But I'm telling you now, Hermione, Harry never cared for you as much as I do. He never missed you as much as I do. And he never loved you as much as I do, and he never will. And I promise you, Hermione, I will be the one Harry never was. I will be true to you. I will never make you cry. I will love till my last breath, Hermione. I promise you that."
Silent tears were falling from Hermione's eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. She kneeled before Ron as well.
"I love you too, Ron," she said softly. "And you don't have to promise me anything. Because at this moment, all I know is that I love you, and you love me. Nothing can ever come between the two of us, Ron. They will never be able to separate us."
Neither of them was able to figure out who moved first towards whom, but in a matter of seconds, Ron and Hermione were locked in a heated, passionate kiss. Hermione had wrapped her arms around Ron's neck while Ron had his fingers in Hermione's bushy brown hair. Their lips were united and both of them didn't seem to want the moment to end. The kiss seemed endless until Ron finally pulled away and stood up. He helped Hermione to her feet, then placed his arms around her waist.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"What for?"
"For accepting me, considering how much a fool I've been."
"You're not a fool," Hermione countered, a bright smile upon her face. "You're an angel. An angel I love."
"No, YOU'RE the angel who loves the fool. I'M the fool who's desperately in love with the angel."
The two of them smiled. Ron placed a small kiss on Hermione's lips.
Hermione smiled. She picked up the bunch of roses from Ron, and, hand in hand, they walked towards the entrance hall and headed up the Gryffindor common room.
'They're simply perfect for each other,' thought Harry as he watched his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, kissing by the lake. He was amazed at how the two had managed to be outside while it was definitely freezing out there.
Seeing Hermione kiss Ron didn't make him hurt. In fact, he felt happy for the two.
'Maybe it means I've finally gotten over Hermione,' he figured. 'Maybe it means that I love Hermione only as a FRIEND, but definitely not as a GIRLFRIEND!
'Well, Hermione deserved better. I didn't treat her right. It's good that she and Ron got together finally.'
A/N: OH MY GOD!!! I'm telling you guys, I'm getting positive goosebumps here! While I'm writing this... it's like... I dunno... I don't even know what inspired me to write this kind of chapter. Well, to those who're wondering what'll happen to the Harry/Hermione tandem, you'll find out in the next chapter! Don't worry, Harry'll be happy even without Hermione. You can figure it out from the last part of the chapter. ;)
Ron stayed as far away from Hermione at the Great Hall as they were eating dinner. He stayed at the end of the Gryffindor table, alone and isolated, as he saw Hermione surrounded by their fellow Gryffindors. Parvati Patil was at her right; Alicia Spinnet was at her left; and in front of her were Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson.
Ron watched as Hermione swallowed her last bite of fried chicken, took one last gulp of pumpkin juice, and headed towards the entrance hall. He saw her get out.
'It's time,' he decided, taking a deep breath. He took a last drink of pumpkin juice and stood up.
'I'd better get my sweater,' thought Ron as the wind howled ferociously outside. It was extremely cold inside the castle – what more outside?
He climbed the marble staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower, walked along long corridors, until he finally saw the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Pig snout," he said, and the portrait swung open, revealing a large hole in the wall. Ron climbed inside and scrambled up the staircase. He swung open his trunk and started throwing his stuff around, searching for his sweater.
"Got it!" he declared. He grabbed his maroon sweater (the one knitted by Mrs. Weasley), scrambled down the staircase, and went out the portrait hole. He passed by the corridors once more, then went out of the entrance gate and into the grassy field. The wind was blowing strongly. Ron shivered.
"Hermione must be really cold by now," he muttered under his breath as he made his way towards the lake. He spotted Hermione, arms around herself, shaking from head to toe because of the strong wind.
"Take this," he said suddenly, handing the sweater to Hermione. She flashed him a small smile of gratitude before pulling the sweater over her head. Ron shivered again.
"Why don't YOU use this?" offered Hermione. "It's yours, after all."
Ron shook his head. "I brought that for you," he said. "I figured you were freezing out here."
Hermione's cheeks turned a shade of pink. "Thanks," she said softly. "Anyway, what was that you wanted to tell me? You said it was important."
"It is."
"Well? What is it then?"
Ron took a deep breath. He had not prepared on how he was going to tell Hermione.
Ron looked desperately around the grounds. He spotted some flower bushes growing a few feet away from where he and Hermione were standing.
"Close your eyes for a minute," he instructed Hermione.
"What?"
"I said close your eyes," Ron repeated.
Hermione sighed, then closed her eyes slowly. Ron ran towards the bushes, picked some red roses, and ran back to where Hermione was standing, eyes closed and arms folded.
'She's simply BEAUTIFUL,' Ron told himself.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"A few more seconds," said Ron as he nervously smoothed out his clothes and his hair.
"OK, you can open them now."
Hermione gasped as she saw Ron kneel down before her, looking into her brown eyes, holding out a bunch of red roses. She didn't know whether Ron knew that her favorite flowers were roses, whatever color they may be. Ron's eyes were blazing with a soft fire – the fire of love Hermione had only seen once before – in Harry's emerald-green eyes. But now, as she stared deeper into those shining blue eyes, she realized that Ron loved her more than Harry ever did.
"I love you, Hermione," said Ron, still on his knees. "I'm sorry – I was too scared to let you know. I've been in love with you ever since, Hermione. And I'm sorry I let you get into Harry's arms. But I'm telling you now, Hermione, Harry never cared for you as much as I do. He never missed you as much as I do. And he never loved you as much as I do, and he never will. And I promise you, Hermione, I will be the one Harry never was. I will be true to you. I will never make you cry. I will love till my last breath, Hermione. I promise you that."
Silent tears were falling from Hermione's eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. She kneeled before Ron as well.
"I love you too, Ron," she said softly. "And you don't have to promise me anything. Because at this moment, all I know is that I love you, and you love me. Nothing can ever come between the two of us, Ron. They will never be able to separate us."
Neither of them was able to figure out who moved first towards whom, but in a matter of seconds, Ron and Hermione were locked in a heated, passionate kiss. Hermione had wrapped her arms around Ron's neck while Ron had his fingers in Hermione's bushy brown hair. Their lips were united and both of them didn't seem to want the moment to end. The kiss seemed endless until Ron finally pulled away and stood up. He helped Hermione to her feet, then placed his arms around her waist.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"What for?"
"For accepting me, considering how much a fool I've been."
"You're not a fool," Hermione countered, a bright smile upon her face. "You're an angel. An angel I love."
"No, YOU'RE the angel who loves the fool. I'M the fool who's desperately in love with the angel."
The two of them smiled. Ron placed a small kiss on Hermione's lips.
Hermione smiled. She picked up the bunch of roses from Ron, and, hand in hand, they walked towards the entrance hall and headed up the Gryffindor common room.
'They're simply perfect for each other,' thought Harry as he watched his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, kissing by the lake. He was amazed at how the two had managed to be outside while it was definitely freezing out there.
Seeing Hermione kiss Ron didn't make him hurt. In fact, he felt happy for the two.
'Maybe it means I've finally gotten over Hermione,' he figured. 'Maybe it means that I love Hermione only as a FRIEND, but definitely not as a GIRLFRIEND!
'Well, Hermione deserved better. I didn't treat her right. It's good that she and Ron got together finally.'
A/N: OH MY GOD!!! I'm telling you guys, I'm getting positive goosebumps here! While I'm writing this... it's like... I dunno... I don't even know what inspired me to write this kind of chapter. Well, to those who're wondering what'll happen to the Harry/Hermione tandem, you'll find out in the next chapter! Don't worry, Harry'll be happy even without Hermione. You can figure it out from the last part of the chapter. ;)