CHAPTER SIXTEEN

After finishing lunch in record time, Ron stood and offered his hand to his new girlfriend. "Come on, let's go, we have so much to talk about."

Hermione stood as well and took Ron's hand and pulled herself into his side, wrapping both arms around him. She rested her head on his chest and quietly said, "I like when you say 'we' Ronnie. I want to be 'we' and 'us' from now on."

Ron held her tight and replied just as quietly, "oh yeah, we are definitely going to be an 'us.' Right now I just want to spend some time with you Maya, just you and me, just us."

Hermione laughed and then took his hand to lead him out of the Great Hall, "let's go then, Ronnie, come on!"

They walked silently hand in hand toward the Room of Requirement, each saving up what they wanted to say to each other. Ron was hoping to be able to use the 'L' word sometime today, and Hermione was dying to see if Ron had a soulmark somewhere. Both wanted to share how miserable they had been since the 'beak up' and how happy they were to be together. Ron also hoped to share all that had happened to him and Harry in their first four years so that Hermione was perfectly clear on what she might be getting into.

They arrived at the seventh floor and Ron walked back and forth the required three times all the while thinking I need a place for the two of us to be comfortable and have a place to talk.

When the door appeared Ron held it open for Hermione and followed her inside. They found a cozy room almost like a mash-up of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms. There was a fireplace burning nicely with a sofa in front with other chairs and tables and pillows all around. Everything was in a tasteful combination of red, blue, gold and silver and both felt extremely comfortable. They stood there for a minute and just admired the work of the room.

"Oh Ronnie it's perfect," Hermione said as she sat down on the sofa and put her feet up on the table in front of her. Patting the seat next to her she said shyly, "come sit next to me, please."

Ron turned toward his girlfriend and laughed as he said, "I loved how you said 'we've reached an understanding with each other that we both find satisfactory.' Did you see the look on Ginny's face? She looked like the world was ending. So typical of Luna to get it right away. I thought the whole thing hilarious. Who knew you had such a mischievous side?"

Hermione smiled and laughed as well. "It was kinda funny, I know, but I'm just glad to be here with you right here right now. It was awful while we were apart. I kept myself away from you because I knew I wouldn't be able to resist falling more in love with you if you were close, but that just made it hurt worse. I had to work so hard to stay away and it was killing me. I think I cried almost every night. I kept telling myself I would get used to not being with you, but it just got worse and worse. We need to thank Ginny and Luna for helping me see reason and to overcome my stupid idiotic fears."

"I agree, but what did they say?"

"What really got me was when they asked if I could imagine there being someone better for me than you and then they asked if I would be ok if you ever got with another witch that wasn't me. It made me realize that the answers to both questions were no, and that seeing you with someone else would kill me. Seeing you talking to Lavender last Wednesday was just awful. I imagined you had moved on with her and I couldn't handle it. That's one reason I ran away."

Ron pulled her in for a short kiss and stared into her eyes. "Well, you never have to worry about that, Maya, like I said before, you're it for me, there will never be another."

For the next hour Ron and Hermione looked at each other, held each other's hands and talked about their time apart. There were many tears and hugs and kisses.

After one final hug, Ron leaned back and said, "Maya, we will never go through that again. That feeling we both had of being incomplete, of missing a part of ourselves. You're a part of me now, Maya, and I'm a part of you. We really haven't talked much about our past selves, and I want to do that, so first, do you have any questions about me or my past?"

Hermione smiled and put her chin in her hand to portray someone in deep thought. "I do have one question, Ronnie, although I guess really it's probably several questions, but what did you and Harry do your first four years that has everyone regarding you two as some sort of heroes? Everyone talks like you and Harry did some amazing things, but nobody says what they were."

Ron blushed at her words, but then reached out took her hands and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "Ok, this is going to be hard, and it may take a while, so bear with me here. I guess I should start with first year when Harry and I met, and it involves good old Nicholas Flamel…"

Ron proceeded to tell Hermione all about the Sorcerer's Stone, Quirrel, and Voldemort and then rolled right into second, third and fourth years with all the times he and Harry had encountered He-Who-Must –Not-Be-Named, and finally with the events at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament that led to Voldemort be back in the flesh. Hermione gasped and shuddered as Ron told his stories and clung to him at all the right times.

Ron finished with "So, now that Voldies back and his number one target is Harry, and I'm Harry's best friend, like I said, I have a target on me too."

Ron stopped and turned Hermione so he could look directly in her eyes. With a serious expression, he said, "and now that you're my girlfriend and a muggleborn, you will probably also be a target so we'll need to be careful, ok?"

"I will, I promise."

"You can get out of this if you want to and then we can get together after all this is over if you want."

Hermione shook her head and smiled, "I've got you now, I'm not letting go. Besides, I can help and I've got you to go caveman and protect me."

Ron laughed along with her. "Ah, you remembered my warning about going caveman, well, it's true."

"I know Ronnie and it's ok."

Ron just stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity. How did I get so lucky as to be with the most amazing and beautiful witch? he thought. He leaned in for a kiss and whispered, "you're amazing and beautiful and I'm the luckiest bloke in the world."

Ron leaned back after the kiss and looked at her lovingly. "Remember back that night when I was talking to Harry and I thought you were asleep?"

Hermione nodded, "yes, I had never felt so wonderful while hearing you say those things, I can't believe now that I also was scared at the same time. Thank you for still being here."

Ron laughed, "there was never any question about that. I meant what I said then about forever. Anyway, one thing I talked about to Harry that you and I have not talked about yet is uh, uhm, is us being uh, soulmates. Do you remember?"

"Of course, I wasn't sure what that meant in the magical world, but last night Ginny and Luna kind of explained some things to me, they also told me about soul marks."

"Oh, ok, good. Now there's a reason I haven't talked about it with you."

"Really? I wondered why you haven't brought it up."

"I know, but see, I wanted you to chose to be with me because you wanted to, not because some soul mark that is or isn't there compelled you to. I feel in my heart that you and I are meant to be together, that there's something about us that makes me know we are to be together, and it doesn't matter if we have soul marks or not. You are my soulmate, Maya, and I'm hoping you feel the same, whether or not there are any soul marks."

"Oh Ronnie, now that Ms. Stevens helped me get my head on straight and for me to not be afraid, I know that we are meant to be together, and if that means soulmates, I believe it too."

Ron pulled her into a warm embrace and then kissed her lovingly, and then whispered to her lips, "I am so glad to hear that, Maya, so glad." He then kissed her again.

Hermione then looked up at Ron with a puzzled expression. "Aren't you at least curious if we have soul marks. Don't you want to know?"

Ron laughed, "of course I'm curious but I want to make sure you understand that it doesn't matter. I love you, Hermione Jean Granger, and I will forever, with or without a soul mark."

Hermione laid her head on Ron's chest and snuggled into him. "I can't believe I'm saying this so soon, but I love you too, Ronald Bilius Weasley, and yes, you didn't ask yet, but I think I have a soul mark, it's on my left shoulder blade."

Ron's eyes went wide open. "Really? I think I have one too; it's also on my left shoulder blade. What does yours look like?"

Hermione removed herself from the hug and then blushed slightly as she turned around so her back was toward him. "How about I just show you?"

"Uhm, ok, uh Maya, if it's ok?"

"I trust you Ronnie." Hermione unbuttoned her blouse just enough to be able to pull it down and expose her left shoulder blade to her boyfriend. Ron was mesmerized by the creamy smooth skin of her shoulder and back and tried to not get distracted by her bra strap now showing. Ron looked down and saw the clear distinct soul mark that was identical to his. Clear as day, he was looking at a three-legged potions cauldron.

Ron gasped and reached out to pull her to him, "it looks just like mine, Maya, it's the same as mine!"

Hermione readjusted her blouse and turned around to see Ron pulling up his shirt and turning around to show his soul mark to his girlfriend. "See? They're the same, I knew it!"

Ron pulled down his shirt then turned and pulled her into a passionate kiss which Hermione eagerly returned. After a moment, they pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes. For some reason they both started to laugh as Ron pulled her into another loving hug.

They both just savored the joy of the moment and slowly stopped laughing and again looked at each other.

"Well, Maya, I think you're stuck with me. Now there's no doubt about us being soulmates. I want you to know that it doesn't change anything, but it's fun to know. I really do love you, Maya and I look forward to loving you for the rest of our lives."

Hermione leaned in for one more kiss then replied softly, "and I you, my Ronnie."