Author's Note: Nickzchick is back! (Backstreet's back alright! Sorry, still a little over hyper. Not only did I just finish stupid testing, I just blew like 100 bucks @ the mall). Wow, I'm so proud, so many R/H fans are waiting for this (I think, I hope). Ok, being totally an R/H fan just like most of you out there, I'm going to write a nice, mushy, R/H-oriented epilogue which is going to be the real conclusion (If you like Krum, don't read this. Just don't do it. Read until the fourth chapter and stop. We're just trying to make everyone happy here) Well, here goes.
~*Epilogue*~
Hermione was back at Hogwarts for her fifth year. It had been five months since the embarrassing episode that happened in Bulgaria. Hermione tried to keep in touch with Krum, but his career occupied all of his time. The last time he had written to her was a short letter at Thanksgiving. He hadn't even bothered to send her a Christmas present. Something that she was absolutely furious about. Though she spent her days studying for the imminent OWL's, when she did spend time with friends, it was not with Ron and Harry but with Seamus Finnigan, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown.
Every day, she passed Ron in the hallway and sat in most of his classes but she never talked to him. However, it was as if he was more real than Viktor and that she herself had also come to care about him more. She was always worried about what appearance she was putting out to Ron and wondered nervously what he thought about her.
That night, Hermione went to the owlery to send a letter to Viktor. Her anger at his neglecting had grown to such a degree that she was ready to cut things off with him. After all, she'd discovered that she could live without Viktor, because, well, that was exactly what she was doing. But without Ron to be there for her and guide her, she seemed to be missing all the fun in life.
She sank down to the floor of the owlery and considered her feelings, just as she had done five months ago. Then, she had been unable to decide, and the fact that Ron was stupid enough to pick a fight with Viktor had made her mad, which is why she chose Viktor over him. However, now that the tables had turned, she could kind of see why he chose to start a fight. She sighed heavily and climbed off the floor to write a goodbye letter to Viktor.
But just at that moment, an owl fluttered in front of her with a letter. It seemed that Viktor had beaten her to it. The note read:
Hermione,
I'm very sorry but I have just met this lovely Bulgarian girl who can be with me very often. I truly am sorry, but our relationship is just not working out.
` Love,
Viktor
"Bastard," Hermione muttered, and that was exactly what she scribbled on the back at him. The owl that had delivered the letter gave her a piercing look, as if to reprimand her and say, "you shouldn't be using language like that, young lady." But it took the letter anyway and flew off into the setting sun.
Despite herself, Hermione could not stop herself from crying. She sobbed on the floor of the owlery, alone and friendless because she had never been very close friends with anybody since Harry or Ron.
Suddenly, Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, fluttered from his perch and landed on Hermione's knee.
"Aw," she crooned. "You're so cute. Where's your master Pig? Is he still mad at me?"
Thinking of Ron made her burst in tears again, scaring Pigwidgeon off. She was so consumed in her tears that she didn't even notice that it wasn't her sudden outburst that had caused Pig to take flight, it was the arrival of another person in the room.
"Hermione?" said Ron incredulously.
She looked up at him through bloodshot eyes and pulled herself into an even tighter ball against the wall.
"Oh my god, Hermy," he said, moving closer to put a comforting arm over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, taking her into his arms. "What happened?"
Hermione sobbed into his shoulder and managed to stutter out, "Ron, it's Viktor, he-he's so involved in his career and he's also…found someone else." With that, a whole new flood of tears came pouring forth.
"That bastard," Ron said furiously. "I'll kill him." He ran his fingers through Hermione's bushy brown hair and wondered how anyone could ever choose someone over her and why anyone would make her cry. As far as he was concerned, it was the worst thing in the world. He couldn't stand to see her sad.
"I'm so sorry, Hermy," he said again as she continued to sob uncontrollably. When she finally calmed herself down, enough to stop crying she first apologized for ruining his robes and then asked if he could take her up to the Gryffindor tower, because she was exhausted and wanted to go to bed.
"Of course," was Ron's immediate reply. He supported her as she stumbled through the hallways and finally, had to carry her up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. He wasn't allowed in there, but he figured since everyone was still in the common room and the dormitory was vacant that it'd be fine. He laid Hermione's half-asleep figure on her bed and brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face.
"I love you, Hermione," he whispered softly as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I love you too, Ron," she replied before drifting off to sleep.
I can see that you've been crying
You can't hide it with a lie
What's the use in you denying
That what you have is wrong
I heard him promise you forever
But forever's come and gone
Baby, he would say whatever
It takes to keep you blind
To the truth between the lines, oh…
CHORUS
I will love you more than that
I won't say the words
Then take them back
Don't give loneliness a chance
Baby listen to me when I say
I will love you more than that
Baby, you deserve much better
What's the use in holding on
Don't you see it's now or never
'Cause I just can't be friends
Baby knowing in the end, that..
CHORUS - repeat
There's not a day that passes by
I don't wonder why we haven't tried
It's not too late to change your mind
So take my hand, don't say goodbye
CHORUS - repeat
More than that
By: The Backstreet Boys
THE REAL END
A/N: Aw, I'm such a sap, oh well. Please review, it's the very end of this story that Daydreamer and I wrote and I'm oh so very proud of it J . If we come up with another decent plot, we might write another story. Thanks to everyone that reviewed so far and more power to you if you're gonna review right now!