GIFTED TOUCH
It was two weeks before Hermione's marriage to Draco and they were both getting very excited. When they had come from Hermione's room that morning, Harry had been waiting for them downstairs with breakfast. Hermione was surprised to find that he had no reservations about Draco and her getting married. Yet there was still something nagging at the back of her mind.
~ * ~
Sitting on her bed Hermione's mind wandered automatically to Ron. Unfurling her legs from beneath her, she stood and walked to her bookshelf. Choosing a thick, leather-bound book, she sat at her desk and placed it in front of her. Opening the cover, she flipped through the pages searching for a specific picture. Every page was covered with pictures of her, Harry and Ron. Finally, towards the center of the album, she found the picture she had been looking for. It had been taken at the apartment a couple of weeks after Ron had proposed. It was one of the only pictures in the album that was of only her and Ron. They were sitting across from one another on the floor, foreheads and noses touching. They were both smiling. She didn't have a memory of the picture being taken, she could only remember when Harry had developed (he had taken a photography class as well) the picture and given it to her. She had planned to get it framed but she had kept putting it off. Now that she thought about it, she was going to get it framed before the wedding. The wedding. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh Ron, if I could only talk to you one more time." She covered her face with her hands and silently began weeping. Sensing a presence behind her, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back at the mirror to see who was standing behind her. What she saw made her gasp in surprise. Ron was standing behind her.
~ * ~
Hermione spun around, assuming that it had been a trick of the light on the mirror. She definitely wasn't imagining things. Ron was there, smiling and looking perfectly solid. "Ron. how? What?" Ron grinned. "Hello Hermione, nice to see you too." Before Ron could say anything else, Hermione had jumped up and rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ron's firm grasp encircle her. "It's true. You really are here, you aren't my imagination. How is it possible that you're here?" Ron pulled back to look at her. "Let's just say I pulled a few strings. I came back because you needed me, and I told you I would always be there for you. So, here I am." Grinning again, he almost smirked. "I hear that you're going to get married to a certain Master Malfoy." Hermione sank onto her bed. "I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean to fall in love with him, but it did and." Ron held up a hand to silence her. "I know, but why do you think you went there for a job. I sent you there because I knew he loved you and you had made yourself so miserable over my death. It was horrible to watch. I know that he'll make you happy." Hermione gaped at him. "You've been watching me? Ronald Weasley I don't believe you! Have you ever even heard of privacy, what about when I've been in the shower." Ron laughed. "First of all, it's nothing that I haven't seen before," this comment made Hermione blush furiously, "and second of all, I always stop watching whenever you're having your, er, shall we say, personal moments. You haven't changed a bit. Also, no, it didn't hurt, and no I don't mind that you have feelings for Malfoy. I'm glad you still have the necklace." Ron looked distant for a moment, tilting his head as though he were listening to something. He came back to earth (no pun intended). "My time is almost up, I should go soon. Hermione, I just wanted to let you know that I will always love you. Don't ever think that I've stopped, and if you need someone to talk to," he pointed upwards, "I'm always there to lend an ear." "Thank you Ron, I love you too." With that she rushed into his arms yet again.
~ * ~
It was like this that Draco found them a couple of minutes later. It took a moment for him to take in what he was seeing. "Weasley?" he asked. Both Hermione and Ron looked up at the same time. "You'd better take really good care of her Malfoy, just remember, I'm always watching." He looked at Hermione and gave her one more tender smile. "I love you," he said, and with that he simply vanished, leaving Draco very confused and Hermione very much at peace with herself.
It was two weeks before Hermione's marriage to Draco and they were both getting very excited. When they had come from Hermione's room that morning, Harry had been waiting for them downstairs with breakfast. Hermione was surprised to find that he had no reservations about Draco and her getting married. Yet there was still something nagging at the back of her mind.
~ * ~
Sitting on her bed Hermione's mind wandered automatically to Ron. Unfurling her legs from beneath her, she stood and walked to her bookshelf. Choosing a thick, leather-bound book, she sat at her desk and placed it in front of her. Opening the cover, she flipped through the pages searching for a specific picture. Every page was covered with pictures of her, Harry and Ron. Finally, towards the center of the album, she found the picture she had been looking for. It had been taken at the apartment a couple of weeks after Ron had proposed. It was one of the only pictures in the album that was of only her and Ron. They were sitting across from one another on the floor, foreheads and noses touching. They were both smiling. She didn't have a memory of the picture being taken, she could only remember when Harry had developed (he had taken a photography class as well) the picture and given it to her. She had planned to get it framed but she had kept putting it off. Now that she thought about it, she was going to get it framed before the wedding. The wedding. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh Ron, if I could only talk to you one more time." She covered her face with her hands and silently began weeping. Sensing a presence behind her, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back at the mirror to see who was standing behind her. What she saw made her gasp in surprise. Ron was standing behind her.
~ * ~
Hermione spun around, assuming that it had been a trick of the light on the mirror. She definitely wasn't imagining things. Ron was there, smiling and looking perfectly solid. "Ron. how? What?" Ron grinned. "Hello Hermione, nice to see you too." Before Ron could say anything else, Hermione had jumped up and rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ron's firm grasp encircle her. "It's true. You really are here, you aren't my imagination. How is it possible that you're here?" Ron pulled back to look at her. "Let's just say I pulled a few strings. I came back because you needed me, and I told you I would always be there for you. So, here I am." Grinning again, he almost smirked. "I hear that you're going to get married to a certain Master Malfoy." Hermione sank onto her bed. "I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean to fall in love with him, but it did and." Ron held up a hand to silence her. "I know, but why do you think you went there for a job. I sent you there because I knew he loved you and you had made yourself so miserable over my death. It was horrible to watch. I know that he'll make you happy." Hermione gaped at him. "You've been watching me? Ronald Weasley I don't believe you! Have you ever even heard of privacy, what about when I've been in the shower." Ron laughed. "First of all, it's nothing that I haven't seen before," this comment made Hermione blush furiously, "and second of all, I always stop watching whenever you're having your, er, shall we say, personal moments. You haven't changed a bit. Also, no, it didn't hurt, and no I don't mind that you have feelings for Malfoy. I'm glad you still have the necklace." Ron looked distant for a moment, tilting his head as though he were listening to something. He came back to earth (no pun intended). "My time is almost up, I should go soon. Hermione, I just wanted to let you know that I will always love you. Don't ever think that I've stopped, and if you need someone to talk to," he pointed upwards, "I'm always there to lend an ear." "Thank you Ron, I love you too." With that she rushed into his arms yet again.
~ * ~
It was like this that Draco found them a couple of minutes later. It took a moment for him to take in what he was seeing. "Weasley?" he asked. Both Hermione and Ron looked up at the same time. "You'd better take really good care of her Malfoy, just remember, I'm always watching." He looked at Hermione and gave her one more tender smile. "I love you," he said, and with that he simply vanished, leaving Draco very confused and Hermione very much at peace with herself.