Disclaimer: I disclaim. I don't own HP or the
song "Never Be the Same Again". Mel C sung it so I guess its hers! :P But I did
rewind the song like crazy to get the lyrics! (gryn)
Note: Last chapter! Last chapter! Wai! Wai! Wai! (Hops
around crazily) I'm so haaapeee…
And this is my first song fic-ish chapter, I usually don't
like song fics, but this song was too perfect to pass up! ^_^
~ Enchantress! ^^
Ron
entered through the portrait hole and looked around the deserted dormitory. He
knew that Hermione could have only come here. Pursing his lips, he went over to
the girls' dorm. Without knocking, he silently slid the door open and spotted
Hermione sprawled over her desk, her head resting on the smooth oak.
Watching her so miserable made Ron's heart hurt. He wished
he could do anything to make her feel better, to take away the pain.
Suddenly, a twinkling
music started playing. It was coming from a muggle thing of Hermione's, which
she kept to play music. Now, perched on the dressing table, the thing started
playing a song.
Ron
knew he wasn't very articulate, but he had to do something.
~ I call you up whenever things go wrong,
You're always there,
You are my shoulder to cry on,
I can't believe it took me quite so long,
To take the forbidden step,
Is this something that I might regret? ~
Taking courage into his hands, Ron silently entered the
room. Hermione's face was hidden from him in her mass of hair and she was
facing the window, again watching the blossoms gently float down.
"These
days I'm always finding myself in the girls dorm, huh?" said Ron quietly,
smiling gently at Hermione who had jerked upright at the sound on his voice.
Her brow winkled and she turned her face away, but not before he spotted a tear
slide down her pale skin.
Ron really wanted to brush that tear away, to tell her that
he was there for her, to make her feel better. Instead, he pulled up a chair
next to her, wondering what to say.
~ C'mon, c'mon,
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
(I'm the one)
Only heartbreak can be tamed
C'mon, C'mon!
I'm hoping that you feel the same,
This is something that I can't forget! ~
"Draco's dead meat," said Ron finally, frowning heatedly. "I
think I broke his nose though," he said, smiling bitterly and examined his
fist. It was red, swollen and was slightly bleeding.
Hermione
gasped and turned around to face him. She didn't look at his face, but looked
at his fist instead. Ron, on the other hand, watched her face intently.
It
looked as if it was made from very pale porcelain. Her eyes looked red and
bigger, but Ron thought she was lovely, but knew that her smiling would make
her look radiant.
Hermione
bit her bottom lip as she saw a trickle of blood fall on the floor from Ron's
hand. She hurriedly got up, soaked a towel from the bathroom and sat down next
to him again.
She
took his hand, a slight pink color spreading over her cheeks, and started rubbing
the towel very gently on his wound.
~ I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just a beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again!
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Never, never be the same again! ~
"How
did this happen, Ron?" she asked him so softly that he could barely hear her.
"I
kinda, well," Ron said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free
hand. "Punched Draco's lights out," he said quickly.
Hermione's
eyes grew wide and she unconsciously clutched at his hand and he yelped. Hermione
mumbled an apology and resumed her work on his hand, but this time, she looked
up and stared directly into his trusting, deep brown eyes.
"Why?"
Hermione whispered.
Ron
turned bright red, but looking at his feet, replied: "I was mad at him for
playing such a dirty joke on you. The guy deserves worse though," and saying
so, Ron's face resumed its formal furious expression.
~ Now I know that we were close before,
I'm glad I realized that I need you so much
more!
And I don't care what everyone will say,
It's between you and me,
And we'll never be the same again! ~
Hermione
looked down at his hand again, but before she could stop herself, a tear fell
onto his palm. She hastily brushed her stain away from her face and was going
to brush it off his hand when he gently caught her hand.
She
remembered him holding her arm that night of their fight, but this time his
touch was completely different. It was gentle, caring. Not daring to look at
him, she bent her head lower.
Ron
raised her chin with is hand and looking at her said: "Don't waste any tears on
me Hermione. I should be shot for all the things I've done to you," he said
huskily.
~ I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just a beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Never, never be the same again,
Never be the same again! ~
She
gently shook her head, afraid to speak.
"Ron,"
she said at last as she started cleaning his wound again. "I'm so sorry,"
Hermione's stomach hurt horribly. "I'm so very, very sorry…" she repeated.
"Oh,
Herm, you have nothing to be sorry about," said Ron seriously, his eyes sincere
to the core. "Draco's plan was very carefully laid out. And you're such a great
person that you could very well have an admirer, thousands of them too. It's me
who should be apologizing," he said honestly and gave a false laugh. "I was
such an ape. I was so jealous, so mad at Krum and you because you liked them
and then the flowers… I couldn't help myself. I was so curious! I thought I would
die with the longing to see what was going on,"
~ I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just a beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again!
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Never, never be the same again! ~
"But,
Ron," said Hermione, putting the towel on her desk. "If you had only asked me
out-"
"I'm
sorry about that too… you were just always there for me—and Harry. We were a
team, a group, I just thought of everyone except you because I thought you'd
just… be there. I guess, I took you for granted… I know how… special you are
now, Herm, I really do," Ron said quietly.
Hermione
again had that feeling that her insides were getting tied into knots. She
couldn't believe her ears. Ron even made not asking her out into a compliment.
She felt so confused, yet so contented now. Her tears had dried and frowning,
she sat there, not knowing what to say.
Ron
had the same problem. He had said so much already… why couldn't he tell her how
he felt about her? He opened his mouth and then closed it again.
~ C'mon, c'mon!
Things will never be the same again!
Never be the same again!
C'mon, C'mon!
I'm hoping that you feel the same
This is something that I can't forget! ~
They
both sat there for ten minutes in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable
silence. More of a break to absorb all they had heard previously. Ron's hand still
rested in her lap while Hermione was looking down at it and Ron was noticing how
beautiful the tree outside the window was.
"Ron," said Hermione at last, breaking the silence. "I—I suppose
I just want to say that, well, I realized that you're always been there for me…
all these f-four years and I just want to t-thank you for all you've done for
me… and Harry too… You've always made it easier for me and stu-ck u-up for me,
I guess… so thank you," she said, so nervous that she started stuttering
between her sentences.
Ron looked at her bent head and grinned at her solemn
words. "You big dummy! You don't thank friends… they're your friends because
they're there! I-- Harry and I, I mean, we'll always be there for you, Herm.
These past days, we've all been acting goofy. We should just put it behind us…
Friends?" Ron said, smiling at Hermione and gestured his hand for her to shake
it.
~ C'mon, c'mon,
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
(I'm the one)
Only heartbreak can be tamed!
C'mon, c'mon! ~
Hermione broke into one of the smiles she herself had forgotten
she could do and grabbed his hand. It was sadly the hurt one and Ron cried out
in pain.
"Eesh, sorry, Ron, but you idiot, you shouldn't have given
me that hand! Oaf!" scolded Hermione, laughing as Ron jumped up and down.
"I get myself beaten up for you and this is what I get?"
said Ron, still hopping about and laughing with her.
Then calming down and holding his hand protectively, he sat
down next to her again and then shyly replied: "Herm, you do know how I feel—"
"Yes…" Hermione said very softly.
"Then do you—"
"Uh huh..."
"You want to go see H—"
"Yes…"
"And talk—"
"Yeah…"
"Ginny…"
"Yeah, I know, worried…"
"Shall we---"
"Yes…"
Saying so, they stood up together and Ron very gently put
her arm around her as they walked to towards the door. To his amazement,
Hermione came closer and they both walked out together.
"Wasn't that just too romantic, girls?" said a voice through
sobs.
"Oh yes! And I thought the time when Lily was proposed to was
romantic…"
"This was undoubtedly better…'
"So young too…"
"Quite!" sniffled another voice.
The mirrors had heard every word.
*
Prologue:
Harry
had left the field and went looking for his friends, only to find them together
and laughing cheerfully. Harry shook his head at Ron and Hermione acting like a
couple and then smiled, glad that finally they had both gotten what they had
wanted.
Ginny
walked by with her new friend, Ray, and waved at Harry cheerily. Clearly, she
had made a new friend. Harry remembered the times Ginny had always blushed at
the sight of him, but now it seemed as if she had finally grown up.
Harry
decided that he too should move on, and when he saw Cho and Cedric next, he
waved at them merrily and got amused by watching her get shocked.
George
became great friends with Paravati and Harry got his friends back.
Harry
knew that now everything was just as it ought to be.
~~
It's just a beginning it's not the end,
***
A/N: A final thank you to all the readers and reviewers! The story's finally ended! If you want to let me know whether I've ended it all wrong and you wanted Draco to fall in love with Ginny (Hehheh) go ahead! But note that the fic's already finished! Nyanyana! Still, thanks for being patient enough to read this whole darn thing! Have fun and go ahead and fall for your best friend! ^_^
~ Enchantress.