Let go

Disclaimer: Everything here belongs to JK, none of its mine, yada, yada, yada…..

Comments: My first fic! Plz review, and remember, flames keep me lovely toasty warm, so keep on flaming me peeps! Anyhoo, this is H/Hr with Ron angst, but don't get the wrong idea. I am an avid r\hr shipper, it's just that I felt Ron would be more jealous of harry than harry would of ron, if one of them got the girl…no goddess HERMIONE GRANGER!!! *sigh* Anyway, read and enjoy! Chapter 3 is da last one. I haven't received any flames even though I expressly asked for some. Come on, I'm getting cold here!

Chapitre Trois – Ron Lets go

The news of Harry and Ron's confrontation spread throughout the school like wildfire. The story being spread that Harry had insulted Ron and the Weasleys about how much (or lack thereof) money they had. The stories also told of how Ron had not resorted to violence and conducted himself properly when insulted, and done the right thing. Ron was in the right, and Harry in the wrong. However, most obscurely, Hermione seemed to be in the wrong. Any praise or adoration Harry had once received was now gone.

Harry struggled to Herbology, a crowd of Slytherins and Hufflepuffs booing and jeering him all the way. It had been this way ever since that comment he had made about Ron and the Weasleys. He hoped at least the other Gryffindors would forgive him, but unfortunately, they seemed to agree with everyone else. Harry had been way out of line. Life was a living hell for Harry and Hermione, their affair the main topic of discussion at the tables in the Great Hall. Harry hoped that at leat, over time, wounds would heal, and he would be forgiven.

He was right.

"Let go Ron. Harry's apologised so many times to you but you still won't accept it. Hermione won't be yours. Just let it go dammit!" explained Fred, vehemently gesturing at Ron. "He apologised to us and we understand he said some things in the heat of the moment. But let it go little brother. It's over."

"He's right Ron, give up. Harry got her before you did and you're gonna have to live with it."

"I agree"

"Yeah"

"Let it go"

"C'mon man, just give up"

Ron had been hearing nothing but words such as those ever since Harry had apologised to him in the common room. He sighed. He knew Harry was genuinely sorry and really did want to get back to being friends with him, but there was still a dull ache whenever he saw either of his two friends, and the dull ache quickly became a searing pain whenever he saw the two of the m together. He always forced himself to look away form their often public display of affection, and after much mulling over and silent tears, he finally forgave Harry and the threesome became a threesome again.

Or so it seemed.

Ron stormed out of the dorm and down into the common room. He was going literally insane. He would fly into a mindless rage whenever he saw Hermione or Harry and would constantly yell at both of them. He had just run away from another confrontation with Harry in the dorm, about Hermione again. Ron was complaining to Harry that Hermione constantly put him down and yelled at him, and told Harry to tell her to leave him alone. Harry, with mild annoyance, had immediately repeated what practically everyone had been iterating all month: "Let it go". Immediately after the words escaped his mouth he fervently wished he could take them back. Ron looked Harry in the eye and without another word, stormed out. Harry, sighing, resolved to go down to the common room and work things out with his friend. He instead came on to another blazing row between Ron and Hermione.

More appropriately, Ron was doing all the blazing at Hermione.

"I don't get it Ron. I want to be with Harry and I still want to be your friend. Why can't you let that be?" Hermione was pleading in a small voice.

"Which do you value more Hermione, my friendship or Harry's love. Huh? SPEAK!" he commanded in as loud a voice as Harry thought was possible. "SPEAK!"

Hermione then caught sight of Harry and slowly, deliberately, almost as if pre-meditated, walked over and took Harry's hands in her own. She turned around to face Ron, and in a strong clear voice said. "Ron. I've been your best friend forever. I know you inside out. I wish it to remain so. But I love Harry. I love him. If you can't accept that….then you I don't think we should remain friends."

Ron's wild, bloodshot eyes shot from Hermione to Harry and then down to the ground. He buried his face in his hands. "Just thought you ought to know. I'm leaving next week. I can't stand Hogwarts anymore I just can't. So before I leave I just wanted to…to...to,"

Hermione understood and the three shared a bear hug, a reaffirmation of their once strained friendship. "Sorry," Ron whispered before walking away from the two.

The day finally arrived. Ron announced that he would be leaving some time around midnight, as the next day was his birthday (A/N: dunno when it is, or even if it's during term, but there you go). He had indicated that he needed to be "set free from the crap, the bad the good, I….just need to…to go." Something in him seemed dead. He had spent the last week answering in monosyllabic verbalisations and grunts, serving only to answer yes/no questions. When asked where he was going he vaguely muttered "a better place than this", and would walk away. In fact, no one except Ron seemed to know where he was going or how he planned on getting there. No one asked. His eyes seemed grey, inwards, withdrawn. He had not cracked a joke or said a word in happiness, neither smiled nor laughed for the whole week. Even if Harry and Hermione believed Ron had let go, it was blatantly obvious to everyone else that he hadn't.

The common room was full of Gryffindors, the hour was midnight, and Ron was going to leave in a few minutes, he seemed to be enjoying himself, and when Hermione asked him how he would get where he was going, Ron just gave an odd smile, and said "a simple spell. It'll get me where I need to go." Hermione was about to launch into a furious tirade about Apparating on to Hogwarts grounds before Ron indulged in a small laugh and said "No, I'm not apparating."

Ron gave one last sad smile to Harry and Hermione and prepared to leave. Before he could though, the entire troupe of Gryffindors chanted: "Let go."

Ron whirled around. Dean and Seamus were looking at him hard and saying Don't leave because of Harry and Hermione. You still have a future here."

The other Gryffindors nodded in agreement. Harry and Hermione however, stood up and the realisation finally dawned on them. "You haven't let go have you Ron," accused Harry.

"No," Ron muttered, staring at the ground.

"I CAN"T BELIEVE IT! ALL THIS CRAP ABOUT "I'M OVER IT" AND "I DON'T WANT TO INTERFERE" WAS JUST A LIE! YOU'RE STILL NOT OVER HER! I CAN'T-"Harry's incensed bellowing fit was cut off by a small voice.

"Let go."

Ron gaped at Hermione at shock. This was the first time that she, she had said those words to him. He locked his gaze withers, and for a moment, time froze. He looked deep, deep into the eyes that had fascinated him since he was 11 years old, and into the bushy hair he longed to touch. The face he longed to touch. To kiss. A couple of feet away, they were worlds, aeons, apart. He looked at her lips and knew he could never have her, hold her, be with her. He could love her, but she could never love him. Having come to this awakening, he gave a small smile. He knew, for one brief shining moment, what he had to do. He pulled out his wand. Most of the Gryffindors thought he was going to attack Harry and pulled out their wands to disarm him. Harry blanched, and everyone looked at Ron. Hermione's mouth was open in a silent scream. He then did something which caused the mouths of the Gryffindors to open in relief, and Harry's expression to change to anger at the thought that Ron would threaten him. He started but Ron held up a hand.

"Goodbye, my friend. I will see you soon. Have a good life."

As Harry registered Ron's words and mumbled a goodbye and "see you later" Ron turned to Hermione and gave her a sorrowful, deadened, blackened smile.

"Goodbye…my love"

And before anyone could say goodbye or do anything, he shouted, "I shall be set free!"

With one last sad smile at Hermione, he uttered the two words which would set him free.

A flash of green light.

He let go.