This is the third and final chapter of "If You Love Him..." Thanks to all the nice people who reviewed... you all are wonderful. Now, the final chapter of

If You Love Him...

My eyes opened wide and I pulled away. Not because I wanted to, after all, this was my love interest here, but because I knew he'd regret it in the morning, along with the major hangover he was going to have. I didn't want him to regret anything having to do with me.

Harry and Neville were both stricken. 'Oh God,' Harry mouthed. Harry finished dressing Ron and soon my beloved idiot was sleeping quietly. Neville went to bed, but Harry put his hand on my shoulder and asked, "Are you all right?" I could barely nod. I'm surprised I even slept that night.

The next day, Ron had a horrible hangover, as predicted. "Ooh," he said when he awoke, "what happened?"

Harry asked carefully, "Do you remember anything?"

"Not much... I drank a lot... I remember someone's lips on mine..." He looked surprised at himself. I felt myself redden. "Oh God... don't tell Hermione, okay?" We, Harry and I, nodded. "So... was she pretty?" he asked, mildly interested.

Harry looked like he was about to explode with laughter. "It depends on your opinion," he replied in a strangled voice. I nodded vigoriously.

"Oh... she was ugly, wasn't she?"

"I stand by what I said."

I was relieved, sort of, that Ron didn't ask anymore questions. Ron would've been horribly embarrassed if he knew who he kissed, Then he would've apologized to no end when there was no reason to. After all, for the few moments it lasted, I rather enjoyed it. A part of me was disappionted though, for some stupid reason.

Harry came up to me eventually and said simply, "You should tell him."

The next school year was our last one and I knew that I had to tell him, no matter if he rejected me or not, for the sake of closure.

In our 7th year, Harry was preoccupied with his relationship with Draco Malfoy; they had started sneaking off to see each other in November. So he didn't have time to remind me to tell Ron, but I remembered anyway.

I did tell him one day in late December after plenty of internal conflict. He was schoocked, to say the least. He tried to put me down gently, but he was shunning me nonetheless. "I'm sorry," he said when I said I understood.

"No, it's all right," I replied. "I knew you'd say that. I just... wanted to hear it from your own lips."

Sure enough, he was uncomfortable with me afterwards, though less than I would've thought. We got through that school year and soon it was time to depart from the Hogwarts train for the last time. We all said our goodbyes.

I said to Ron, "Well, this id goodbye. Good luck in life, Ronald Weasley."

"Same to you." We didn't know what to say then. So I kissed him. Just once. Surprised, he didn't respond. I pulled away and asked him, "Do you recognize my lips?" I walked away and didn't look back.

About five year later, I recieved an owl bearing an invitation to the weding of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

I attended. Many of my old friends were there. Even Draco Malfoy was there. Probably only because of Harry, who was the best man. They had been together for nearly six years.

Just before the wedding, Ron took me aside and asked, "D'you still remember... what you said back then... do... do you still...?"

I looked up at him. His face was worried and dreading my answer. I put on a carefree face and said, "You? No! I got over you years ago!"

He looked relieved and he smiled and said, "Thanks." Then he hurried away.

So I watched my love give himself to Hermione Granger. I didn't say a word when the priest asked if anyone objected to their marriage. No one saw two bitter tears drop from my eyes.

They say that if you love someone, let them go. I loved him. So I let him go... so I let him go.