*A/N* Last chapter!!!
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I remember when I first met Ronald Weasley. It surprises me when I think about it now, but somehow I knew from the moment I saw that eleven year-old's agrivated little face on the Hogwarts Express the day I was first introduced to the world of magic, I knew I loved him.
I remember how I used to hide it from him and Harry. And how I even tried to convince myself that it wasn't true. I even remember how everytime my stomach did that somersault whenever I saw him, I'd rationalize it. I thought nothing of it and told myself that it was because the sight of him made me sick.
The greatest years of my life were spent at Hogwarts with Ron and Harry. All three of us were so close. Many nights a week we could be spotted in the common room at three A.M. studying, talking, and sometimes doing nothing at all except listening to the rain pattering against the window. I never wanted that to change. Everything was already perfect, so why let my feelings about Ron interfere?
It wasn't until late one night in front of the common room fire after an exciting game of Exploding Snap did I find out that Ron felt the same way about me. I was intrigued at first. That's why I nearly kissed him. Nearly. At the last second I had turned away. It had crushed me when I saw his face afterwards, but it had to be done. It was the only way. Me and Ron fought all the time. If we had followed through with that kiss and had actually started to date, there would've been a very high chance of a falling out. And if that had happened, I knew we would start drifting apart.
That night, after I had run out on Ron, I could barely get any rest. I kept tossing and turning to the point where my roomates started cursing me in their sleep. Around five-thirty I gave up totally on sleep and decided to go down to the library and maybe avoid a confrontation with Ron in the morning, but on my way down I spotted him still on the couch in a quiet slumber under the faint light of the smoldering embers of the fire place. He looked so small and innocent curled into a ball under the heavy quilt, I felt I had to touch him. Even if it was the tinniest connection, I had to touch him.
As quietly as I could, I leaned down and ever so gently caressed his cheek. He stirred in his sleep under my touch and I yanked my hand away in surprise. I barely heard him mutter "Hermione" sleepily as I turned and left for the library.
I sat in there for near about seven hours, switching from reading, to crying, to sometimes both at the same time. I was almost finished with my tear shed when Seamus Finnigan found me. I was embarrassed at first, but as he started to talk and console me, I warmed up to him and started to feel comfortable. I was so upset about Ron and Seamus' sensitivity really touched me. I guess I was caught up in the moment, or maybe I was on the rebound, but well, I kissed him.
Somehow Ron had found out about me and Seamus. We bickered everytime we saw eachother which, mind you, wasn't that much considering Ron was always off somewhere doing something all the time.
One night Dean Thomas had found me up late waiting for Ron and he confessed that Ron had found a girlfriend named Annabelle. It really depressed me to hear that he had moved on, but I knew it was for the best.
It was about four weeks after I had kissed Seamus before me and Ron actually made up. We were in the middle of a particularly loud quarrel when Harry, who had been in the middle of it all, started yelling at both of us, saying how we were both being really immature and needed to grow up. He didn't know the whole story, but he was right, nonetheless.
Later on, when Harry wasn't around, Ron and I talked out our differences. It took a while to convince Ron, but in the end we both agreed that it was best that we hadn't gone out, and that we should just stay friends. And we did. For awhile that is.
After we graduated, we kept in touch for some time. Sending owls with exciting news, special occasions, birthday wishes, and Christmas cards. The last letter I recieved from Ron told me that him and Annabelle were still going strong and they had recently bought a new house.
Slowly, though, the letters came less and less until, finally, they stopped altogether.
As for me and Seamus, we stayed together for about three years after our days at Hogwarts. We never married, and secretly, we both knew why. Seamus loved me. He really did, I felt it. I loved him back, too, but not in the same way.
Seamus always believed that you could love a multiple number of people, but there was one kind of love inside each person, and that love was destined for one other person in the world. He sat me down one night in the living room of our flat and told me this. He told me that once you found that person you're destined to be with, and once you give that special kind of love to that person, you can't give it away again to someone else. He said I had already given my love away, and that I should find that person who I had given it to.
I wept that night. Seamus held me. I thought that was really sweet of him to do that when he must've been going through his own grief. I mean, he just found out his girlfriend since fifth year didn't love him in the way she should.
The next day Seamus insisted that he move out, but I refused. He had already done enough for me over the years, this was the least I could do. I didn't have much money, so I got a job here at Hogwarts as the new Transfigurations teacher after McGonagall had retired. I still don't have enough money for a home while school is out, so Dumbledore allowed me to stay here during the summer months as well as the regular school year.
I do this a lot. Reflect on my past that is. Mostly in front of the lake, like I am now, and especially on days like this. So sunny and bright to the point where everything around you seems overly happy to be alive. One of those days where even if you're in the most dreadfullest of moods and you step outside, suddenly all is right in the world. Exactly what a summer day should be like.
The summer holidays had started only three weeks ago so the only thing that was missing was the faint sound of children's voices. I've already gotten horribly lonely without anyone to talk to and without any classes to teach, I find myself out here by the lake almost everyday.
"Hermione Granger, is that really you?"
Hermione spun around and faced a tall, red-headed young man with a pack over his shoulder, his thumbs hitched in his pockets, and bouncing, jubilant eyes. She squinted against the bright sunlight and tried to place where she had seen the friendly face before.
"...Ron?"
The red-headed man gave her a familiar crooked smile.
"RON!"
Hermione jumped up and ran into Ron's muscular arms. "Oh Ron! Where have you been? Why are you here? Since when have you had muscles?" Hermione blurted out all at once. She looked up and grinned broadly at him.
Ron smiled sadly and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Oh Hermione... I've missed you so much." he said barely above a whisper.
Hermione smiled sweetly. "I've missed you too, Ron." she said in the same volume as he had.
They stood like that for a while, admiring how much the other had changed over the years. Taking in as much detail as they possibly could.
Ron was now a towering 6'6 where Hermione was a measley 5'7. His face had become more defined and his freckles had thinned out. His hair was wavier and perhaps redder, if possible, and his eyes... his eyes were darker than before.
Hermione had barely changed, though, Ron observed. She still had that 'intelligent / sexy' look about her and had gotten a little tanner, but the most drastic change was her hair.
"What's this?" Ron asked as he held up a strand of chestnut curls.
"What's what?" she asked, eyeing Ron nervously.
"This." he said, holding the hair in front of her. "What happened to the frizz? It's all... silky, I guess you girls would call it. What happened?"
Hermione smiled shyly at Ron. She didn't know what he meant by it, but she took his observation as a compliment. "Oh... Sleekeazy came up with something new. It's a shampoo, so everytime I wash my hair it comes out nice and frizz-free without me having to deal with the original product." Hermione said brightly.
Ron smiled. "It doesn't matter to me," he said as he let go of the strand of hair and watched it fall into place. "You were just as beautiful before."
Hermione blushed and turned towards the blue and white checkered blanket layed out in front of the lake she'd been sitting on moments before. "Do you-" she pointed to the small blanket. "You know- want to sit or something?" she said, flustered.
Ron grinned at how much he had ruffled Hermione's feathers and trudged over to the thin cotton cloth to sit down.
Seconds later, Hermione appeared by his side and plopped down onto the ground, at which point she decided to start her questions again.
"So why are you here Ron?"
Ron got a faraway look in his eyes as he gazed out across the shimmering lake. "Sometimes I like to come out here during the summer. You know, just to remember things about my childhood. Things that happened and-" he looked over at Hermione."Things that could've happened."
Hermione gulped. She loved the look he was giving her right now, even if it did make her mouth go dry and lose any coherent thought. It was so wonderfully sultry and made you just melt all over the floor.
They sat there doing little else besides staring at eachother before Hermione cleared her throat and looked away.
"Where's Annabelle?" Hermione asked quietly, still avoiding his eyes.
Ron sighed and looked back out at the lake. "We aren't together anymore." he brushed a stray hair from his line of vision and took a deep breath. "Things didn't work out. She accused me of not loving her."
Hermione gave him a meaningful look. "But Ron, didn't you tell her that she was wrong and that you did love her?"
Ron shook his head. "No, she was right. I didn't love her the way I should've. I'm just happy the relationship didn't go on any further. Now I have my whole life ahead of me to find the person I'm meant to be with."
Hermione smiled. "You have such a good attitude about it. I mean, when me and Seamus broke up last year I was devastated."
Ron looked over at his friend incredulously. "You and Seamus broke up? But... but why?"
Hermione frowned slightly and ran her finger along the hem of her blouse. "Just about the same reason you and Anna split. I didn't love him the way I should have after six years of being together. It wasn't fair to him so I moved out and got a job here." she motioned towards the castle.
Ron looked up at the old desolate school and grinned. "I always knew you'd become a teacher, Hermione." he said and poked her playfully. "So what do you teach?"
"Transfigurations." she replied as she mimicked Ron's childish behavior and poked him back.
Ron stopped mid-poke, smiled, and burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Hermione demanded as her good mood considerably lessened.
"N- nothing, Hermione." he managed between giggles.
Hermione crossed her arms in frustration and looked sternly at Ron. "Tell me."
Ron continued to laugh. "Oh it's just- I was just thinking that- that the transformation is finally complete- you've finally become McGonagall!" At the end of his explanation he toppled over, clutching his stomach in fits of laughter.
Hermione tried to frown, but her friends good nature got the best of her and she, too, fell over giggling.
Soon both were rolling around on the front lawn of
the castle, enjoying the wonderful feeling inside their stomachs as they
laughed hysterically at an old school joke.
When they had both finally calmed down they found
themselves laying spread eagled with Ron's head resting on Hermione's stomach
and both staring lazily up at the clear blue sky. "You know, Hermione,"
Ron said suddenly. "Out of all my friends, you're my favorite."
Hermione smiled and drew lazy circles on Ron's chest with the tip of her finger. "You're mine too, Ron. You always have been."
Ron got a satisfactory look upon his face as Hermione noticed Ron's bag he had been carrying before. "What's this?" she asked as she saw that something was sticking out of it.
"What's what?" asked Ron sleepily.
"This." said Hermione as she sat up and picked the object out of Ron's pack. "It's a book... oh my goodness, 'Little Women'?!?" Hermione gasped. "What's gotten into you, Ron?"
Ron quickly snapped out of his daze. "What? Hey! Give that back!" he exclaimed, reaching for it.
"No." said Hermione delightedly. "I think I'll keep it for later use if I ever want something from you." She stood up and ran about ten feet away. "Come on, Ron!" she yelled happily. "Bet you can't catch me!"
Ron jumped up and ran after Hermione. "Come here, you!" he shouted.
Hermione sprinted away, but was no match to Ron's long muscular legs. He quickly caught up with her, but hadn't judged his speed correctly and ran straight into her, sending them both into a heap on the ground.
They layed there on top of eachother, giggling for what seemed like ages before Hermione quieted and realized how astonishingly close they were.
"Umm... hey Ron?"
Ron was still laughing, but tried to answer as best as he could. "Hee hee- yeah Hermione?"
Hermione looked nervously around for anyone who could see them, but quickly reminded herself that no one was there for the summer holidays.
"Do you see how um... close we are?" she asked awkwardly.
Ron's laughter slowly died as he, too, realized the closeness. "...Do you um," he shifted slightly, causing his and Hermione's bodies to align perfectly and Hermione to inhale sharply. "Want me to get off?" he asked quietly.
Hermione subconciously began to play with a strand of her hair and averted her eyes. "No." she confessed in a whisper.
Ron smiled. "Neither do I."
Hermione looked sadly up at Ron and sighed. "Ron... I want you to know something. Please, don't say anything, just listen or I may never be able to say this again."
Ron stayed silent and simply watched from above.
Hermione took a deep breath and continued. "I want you to know that... that I've always loved you. From the first time I saw you I loved you. And the only reason I didn't kiss you that eventful night was because I was scared. I was scared of losing you and Harry. I'm not scared anymore though, Ron. I'm not. I don't have anything else to lose. I'm not afraid of you drifting away anymore. You've already drifted as far as you can drift. There's no where left to go but up."
Hermione swallowed as she finished and felt the pools of water that had been collecting in the corners of her eyes overflow and seep into her hair.
"Oh Hermione..." Ron whispered as he watched, in anguish, another tear fall. "Don't cry... not over this."
Hermione roughly dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry." she said. "But I can't help it. I'm scared."
Ron gave her a quizzical look. "I thought you said you weren't scared."
Hermione laughed. "You know what I mean."
Ron pushed away a hair that had plastered to Hermione's face. "Actually, I don't, but that doesn't matter. I know what you meant by your little speech."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's that?"
Ron smiled. "Basically, you'd like to give it a go."
Hermione giggled and looked up at Ron appreciatively for easing the tension. "Yeah, basically."
"Right," Ron said, eyeing Hermione's lips. "Well then this relationship should be started properly."
"And how's that?" Questioned Hermione.
Ron licked his lips. "Like this."
He slowly leaned forward and shared his long-awaited first kiss with Hermione.
It was firm, yet gentle. Sloppy, but professional. Simple, yet complicated. It was tender and loving and contained passion, understanding, and forgivness. Electricity flowed between them as they both melted into the kiss and Hermione lifted her right hand to gently touch the side of Ron's cheek as he carefully cupped her face.
"Ron..." she whispered when they finally pulled away for oxygen.
"Shh..." he said softly, and silenced her with another kiss.
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*A/N* YAY!!!! MY VERY FIRST FANFIC IS DONE!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!