Ron lay in bed recounting the day's events. As soon as he and Harry had
entered the back garden of the Burrow Fred and George had just about leaped
out of their bedroom window to challenge the two friends to, what they
termed 'a severe arse kicking'. It turned out that Harry's new manoeuvre
did, in fact work only in theory. So as a result the twins' words rang
true. Ron's metaphorical 'arse' was still stinging.
Engaging in various quidditch related activities had made the day pass quite quickly. Ron had almost forgotten his concern over Hermione. That is, until that evening.
They had been sitting in the Weasley's front room after dinner. Ron, sitting a little apart from everyone else in the room had been surveying everyone, an activity he greatly enjoyed. His mother was sitting in the corner knitting and humming a nonsense tune to herself. Harry, the twins, Percy and Mr Weasley were engaging in a heated argument concerning which was the most promising team to come up from the Quidditch 1st division to play in the league next season. Ginny was sitting across the room, admiring Harry's charms from afar, answering any questions directed at her with a dreamy "hmmmm." Sitting beside her was Hermione. As Ron laid eyes on her, all of his concerns from that morning came rushing back to him. Her face was very white and her lips had become very red. Her chin and mouth had become fixed in a very unnatural way. She spoke in a voice that did not seem like her own. She excused herself, saying she was exhausted from the journey that morning and was heading up to bed.
"That's certainly a good idea dear," said Mrs Weasley kindly, "Why, you're white in the face with tiredness!"
"There's something wrong, I know it" Ron thought to himself.
Suddenly, he realised that his throat was parched. It seemed to be screaming "Water! For God's sake man!" Heeding the call Ron got up tried in vain to tame his hair that was standing, literally, on end and tiptoed downstairs.
" 'hat's better" he whispered to himself after quenching his thirst. He was just about to turn and leave the kitchen when he saw a shadowy figure standing by the garden fence. Going to the back door he was sure that he could hear sobs, muffled but sobs all the same.
As if sensing his presence, Hermione swung around. In the moonlight Ron could clearly see her tearstained cheeks and eyes red from crying. At that moment he felt the uncontrollable urge to throw hi arms around her and never let go. But all he could manage was a strangled "What's wrong?"
"He doesn't want me." she whispered "What?" Ron didn't understand. "Vicktor, he-he doesn't want me-" Hermione Broke into another fit of sobs, fresh tears coming at the thought of her cruel rejection.
"Shhhh, it's okay 'Mione, it's okay shhhh." Before he knew what he was doing Ron was beside her, wiping away her tears and holding her hands tight in his.
"I-I went to visit him, you know that right?" Ron nodded. "He was so kind Ron. He was so sweet and attentive, just like last year in school. He made me feel.special, like-like I belonged.with him." Hermione's eyes ha glazed over, and even though her gaze was directed at Ron she couldn't see him, she was reliving those moments. When he touched her arm; when he held her hand; when he kissed her in that beautiful garden; when he.
"But he wanted something back for all of those things. He said he wanted.me. He said he wanted to-to 'have'.me. Those were his words. And I couldn't, Ron, I just couldn't! I wasn't able, and he didn't understand, he was meant to understand, I tried to make him understand, but I couldn't explain it and he got mad and-and-and-" Hermione began to speak faster and faster her voice rising higher and higher.
"Shhhh, 'Mione, honey it's okay I understand" Her head was resting on Ron's shoulder. He could feel her tears on his neck.
"He said it didn't mean anything if I didn't do those.things. He said what we had wasn't real if I didn't. He didn't want me to stay if I didn't."
"Did you.?"
"No.no I didn't. I should have."
"No don't say that!"
" I should have! If I had then I wouldn't feel like this! It's so terrible Ron. I feel like I've swallowed this steel ball and it's just resting in my stomach and it won't go away. It won't go! It's so cold.it's hurts. It won't go away. It won't-"
Hermione broke off and returned to sobbing uncontrollably. Ron could only hold her, hold her until she had cried until she couldn't feel that small hard lump in her throat anymore. He helped her up the stairs and put her into bed without waking Ginny. On his way out of the room he heard a weak "Thank you." which he answered with a smile and a wink. "Anytime"
----------------------------
As Hermione lay looking at the ceiling in the few moments it took her to fall asleep she noticed that the cold hard steel of misery in her stomach had been replaced by a slight melancholy in her heart. "That was so kind of him. It's almost like he knew."
------------------------------
"How could anyone be so cruel," Ron thought to himself in the next room. He thought of Hermione's face, tears pouring down her face, miserable words escaping her lips and just before he fell asleep he remembered how wildly beautiful she had looked.
Engaging in various quidditch related activities had made the day pass quite quickly. Ron had almost forgotten his concern over Hermione. That is, until that evening.
They had been sitting in the Weasley's front room after dinner. Ron, sitting a little apart from everyone else in the room had been surveying everyone, an activity he greatly enjoyed. His mother was sitting in the corner knitting and humming a nonsense tune to herself. Harry, the twins, Percy and Mr Weasley were engaging in a heated argument concerning which was the most promising team to come up from the Quidditch 1st division to play in the league next season. Ginny was sitting across the room, admiring Harry's charms from afar, answering any questions directed at her with a dreamy "hmmmm." Sitting beside her was Hermione. As Ron laid eyes on her, all of his concerns from that morning came rushing back to him. Her face was very white and her lips had become very red. Her chin and mouth had become fixed in a very unnatural way. She spoke in a voice that did not seem like her own. She excused herself, saying she was exhausted from the journey that morning and was heading up to bed.
"That's certainly a good idea dear," said Mrs Weasley kindly, "Why, you're white in the face with tiredness!"
"There's something wrong, I know it" Ron thought to himself.
Suddenly, he realised that his throat was parched. It seemed to be screaming "Water! For God's sake man!" Heeding the call Ron got up tried in vain to tame his hair that was standing, literally, on end and tiptoed downstairs.
" 'hat's better" he whispered to himself after quenching his thirst. He was just about to turn and leave the kitchen when he saw a shadowy figure standing by the garden fence. Going to the back door he was sure that he could hear sobs, muffled but sobs all the same.
As if sensing his presence, Hermione swung around. In the moonlight Ron could clearly see her tearstained cheeks and eyes red from crying. At that moment he felt the uncontrollable urge to throw hi arms around her and never let go. But all he could manage was a strangled "What's wrong?"
"He doesn't want me." she whispered "What?" Ron didn't understand. "Vicktor, he-he doesn't want me-" Hermione Broke into another fit of sobs, fresh tears coming at the thought of her cruel rejection.
"Shhhh, it's okay 'Mione, it's okay shhhh." Before he knew what he was doing Ron was beside her, wiping away her tears and holding her hands tight in his.
"I-I went to visit him, you know that right?" Ron nodded. "He was so kind Ron. He was so sweet and attentive, just like last year in school. He made me feel.special, like-like I belonged.with him." Hermione's eyes ha glazed over, and even though her gaze was directed at Ron she couldn't see him, she was reliving those moments. When he touched her arm; when he held her hand; when he kissed her in that beautiful garden; when he.
"But he wanted something back for all of those things. He said he wanted.me. He said he wanted to-to 'have'.me. Those were his words. And I couldn't, Ron, I just couldn't! I wasn't able, and he didn't understand, he was meant to understand, I tried to make him understand, but I couldn't explain it and he got mad and-and-and-" Hermione began to speak faster and faster her voice rising higher and higher.
"Shhhh, 'Mione, honey it's okay I understand" Her head was resting on Ron's shoulder. He could feel her tears on his neck.
"He said it didn't mean anything if I didn't do those.things. He said what we had wasn't real if I didn't. He didn't want me to stay if I didn't."
"Did you.?"
"No.no I didn't. I should have."
"No don't say that!"
" I should have! If I had then I wouldn't feel like this! It's so terrible Ron. I feel like I've swallowed this steel ball and it's just resting in my stomach and it won't go away. It won't go! It's so cold.it's hurts. It won't go away. It won't-"
Hermione broke off and returned to sobbing uncontrollably. Ron could only hold her, hold her until she had cried until she couldn't feel that small hard lump in her throat anymore. He helped her up the stairs and put her into bed without waking Ginny. On his way out of the room he heard a weak "Thank you." which he answered with a smile and a wink. "Anytime"
----------------------------
As Hermione lay looking at the ceiling in the few moments it took her to fall asleep she noticed that the cold hard steel of misery in her stomach had been replaced by a slight melancholy in her heart. "That was so kind of him. It's almost like he knew."
------------------------------
"How could anyone be so cruel," Ron thought to himself in the next room. He thought of Hermione's face, tears pouring down her face, miserable words escaping her lips and just before he fell asleep he remembered how wildly beautiful she had looked.