Chapter Fourteen:
Walls
***
Ron nudged the closet door closed as he pulled on his cloak.
"Ron."
Ron turned to see Hermione standing in the hall doorway.
"Thought you were sleeping," he muttered, averting his eyes.
"I -- I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?" Ron said, tugging at his cloak where it was bunching at the shoulder. "Oh, for feeding Jaime? That was -- "
"No. For everything. Ron, I -- I don't know what I'd have done this past year without you. I don't think I could've -- "
She leaped forward, wrapped her arms around him, her face pressed to his chest. Without a thought he hugged her against him, burying his face in her hair.
"Hermi -- I -- I've got to go -- "
Her response was to cling even more tightly to him.
"Please, " he said, his voice a tremulous whisper, "don't do this -- I can't -- "
"I love you, Ron."
Her voice was muffled by Ron's robes, but the words sent an electric charge through him that turned his knees to rubber.
"No -- " he rasped, " -- no -- it's -- today -- everything -- you're not -- thinking -- " He wanted so desperately to believe. But he dared not! "You're -- missing Harry -- but -- I'm not -- Harry -- "
"No, " she said, her tears dampening his robes. "You're not. You're Ron. Ron Weasley. The kindest -- most wonderful -- most loving man God ever placed on this Earth. And I love you."
Ron's quivering knees buckled, and they collapsed to the floor, still holding each other.
"I've loved you for so long," he sobbed, his tears wetting her hair. "B-but I n-never wanted H-Harry -- I l-loved him -- "
"I know," Hermione said, her own voice quavering slightly. "And he loved you."
"B-but how can I -- I mean -- wh-what would he say -- "
"I think -- " Hermione said slowly, " -- I think he'd say, 'Thank God Ron's there to love Hermi and Jaime for me.' I -- I think he knew when he left that he -- that he might not be back. And -- I don't think he could have gone if he didn't know you'd be here for me -- for us -- if -- if the worst happened.
"I think he even knew that I'd -- that I'd fall in love with you."
"Marry me, Hermi!" Ron gasped sobbingly. "I -- I promise I'll try to be the best husband and father I can -- I promise -- "
"I know you will, Ron."
"Is -- is that a 'yes'?"
"Yes! Oh, yes!"
They sat together on the hallway floor, Ron's back against the closet door, rocking gently in each other's arms. Neither saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley slip quietly back into the kitchen.
"God does answer prayers, Molly," Arthur said, his vision blurring slightly.
"I never doubted it," Molly said, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her apron.
Not the end...
***
Author's Note: This story could end right here. In fact, when I wrote it months ago, this was the last chapter. But it felt incomplete somehow. Something was missing. And I quickly realized what it was: Harry.
Yes, Harry is gone. But those we love never truly leave us. Much as I like Ron, I felt the need to end things with the emphasis firmly on Harry. So tune in next time for the first of two epilogue chapters which will (I hope) set things to rights.
And to all who are still reading after all this time: Thanks.
Note From Fae: This chapter is always so difficult for me to read. (And I've read it a hundred and one different times). Ron and Hermione are so wrong together, and I've told Stoneheart as much a thousand times, and he agrees with me. But he keeps insisting that Hermione would only choose Ron over the loss of Harry. He has a lot more guts than I do. I could never write anything that resulted in a Ron and Hermione ship. But I know I'm just going in circles here. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
Walls
Ron nudged the closet door closed as he pulled on his cloak.
"Ron."
Ron turned to see Hermione standing in the hall doorway.
"Thought you were sleeping," he muttered, averting his eyes.
"I -- I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?" Ron said, tugging at his cloak where it was bunching at the shoulder. "Oh, for feeding Jaime? That was -- "
"No. For everything. Ron, I -- I don't know what I'd have done this past year without you. I don't think I could've -- "
She leaped forward, wrapped her arms around him, her face pressed to his chest. Without a thought he hugged her against him, burying his face in her hair.
"Hermi -- I -- I've got to go -- "
Her response was to cling even more tightly to him.
"Please, " he said, his voice a tremulous whisper, "don't do this -- I can't -- "
"I love you, Ron."
Her voice was muffled by Ron's robes, but the words sent an electric charge through him that turned his knees to rubber.
"No -- " he rasped, " -- no -- it's -- today -- everything -- you're not -- thinking -- " He wanted so desperately to believe. But he dared not! "You're -- missing Harry -- but -- I'm not -- Harry -- "
"No, " she said, her tears dampening his robes. "You're not. You're Ron. Ron Weasley. The kindest -- most wonderful -- most loving man God ever placed on this Earth. And I love you."
Ron's quivering knees buckled, and they collapsed to the floor, still holding each other.
"I've loved you for so long," he sobbed, his tears wetting her hair. "B-but I n-never wanted H-Harry -- I l-loved him -- "
"I know," Hermione said, her own voice quavering slightly. "And he loved you."
"B-but how can I -- I mean -- wh-what would he say -- "
"I think -- " Hermione said slowly, " -- I think he'd say, 'Thank God Ron's there to love Hermi and Jaime for me.' I -- I think he knew when he left that he -- that he might not be back. And -- I don't think he could have gone if he didn't know you'd be here for me -- for us -- if -- if the worst happened.
"I think he even knew that I'd -- that I'd fall in love with you."
"Marry me, Hermi!" Ron gasped sobbingly. "I -- I promise I'll try to be the best husband and father I can -- I promise -- "
"I know you will, Ron."
"Is -- is that a 'yes'?"
"Yes! Oh, yes!"
They sat together on the hallway floor, Ron's back against the closet door, rocking gently in each other's arms. Neither saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley slip quietly back into the kitchen.
"God does answer prayers, Molly," Arthur said, his vision blurring slightly.
"I never doubted it," Molly said, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her apron.
Not the end...
Author's Note: This story could end right here. In fact, when I wrote it months ago, this was the last chapter. But it felt incomplete somehow. Something was missing. And I quickly realized what it was: Harry.
Yes, Harry is gone. But those we love never truly leave us. Much as I like Ron, I felt the need to end things with the emphasis firmly on Harry. So tune in next time for the first of two epilogue chapters which will (I hope) set things to rights.
And to all who are still reading after all this time: Thanks.
Note From Fae: This chapter is always so difficult for me to read. (And I've read it a hundred and one different times). Ron and Hermione are so wrong together, and I've told Stoneheart as much a thousand times, and he agrees with me. But he keeps insisting that Hermione would only choose Ron over the loss of Harry. He has a lot more guts than I do. I could never write anything that resulted in a Ron and Hermione ship. But I know I'm just going in circles here. Stay tuned for the next chapter!