Chapter Ten
Lost Love
They reached a large oak tree near the edge of the cemetery and Hermione let go of his hand. Ron felt a ring on her left hand on her ring finger. He looked at her and she bit her lower lip. She was hiding something, something Ron wasn't quite sure he wanted to know.
"Who's the ring from?" he asked.
"No one," lied Hermione, her voice shaking.
"You always were an awful liar," said Ron. "Just tell me."
She looked down, then up at Ron and down again.
"Viktor proposed to me a few days after the funeral," explained Hermione. "I said yes."
Ron's heart fell and he forced a sick smile. He nodded, trying to look happy. His heart burned with anger. He wanted to scream.
"He makes me happy," she admitted.
"I'm happy for you," lied Ron, sounding less than thrilled.
He could feel himself slipping away even more.
"Let me know when the wedding is," he said.
Hermione nodded and hugged him. Ron weakly hugged her back. How could someone he loved so dearly, hurt him so badly?
"I'll send you an owl sometime," she said. "Please, keep in touch, won't you?"
Ron nodded and Hermione kissed his cheek. It almost burned on his cheek. He forced the tears back as Hermione smiled and disappeared with a small pop.
Ron slowly started to head home, he didn't even think about using magic to get home.he just wanted to walk. He tried to push her from his mind, but he kept seeing her with Viktor. He wanted to kill him, he wanted Hermione. Krum didn't deserve her, she deserved someone better, someone like him. The rain poured down harder as Ron headed home. It was a long walk, but he didn't care. He thought of Harry, his Mum, Dad and Dumbledore. He knew that if they were there they would've made it better. He kept walking, his mind wandering and his robes getting wetter, and the rain coming harder.
It was hours before he got back to the house, where Ginny was cooking dinner. Bill was still at work; Fred and George were still at their joke shop as well. Ginny frowned when he walked into the house, soaking wet.
"Where were you?" she asked, grabbing a towel and instructing him to dry off.
Ron looked at Ginny and for the first time he realized how mature she had gotten. It wasn't fair, she had to grow up fast, she never had a choice, she never wanted to grow up so fast, and she was cheated out of a childhood.
"Visiting some old friends," he said, frowning slightly.
Ginny smiled, not noticing him frowning. She took something out of the oven and zapped it with her wand and put it back in.
"Did it help any?" asked Ginny.
Ron nodded and hugged her. She smiled and he kissed her forehead.
"Yeah," he admitted, "I learn some good and bad up there."
Ron went upstairs and closed the door to his room. It had changed a lot since he joined the ministry. There was now a large desk, a large mess of papers and many quills. Ron sat down and saw Pig, his old owl, resting near the window. Ron sighed and looked at the leather book Harry had given him for graduation. He opened it and saw the front picture was the one of them at graduation. He smiled and touched it, hoping to fall right through.
He didn't want Harry to be gone, he wanted them to be together, he wanted Hermione to feel how he felt and he wanted things to be simple again. He threw the book aside and leaned back. He wanted all the pain to just leave.
Later than night he received an owl from Hermione. He just wanted to burn it. He opened it anyway and read the letter.
Dear Ron,
I'm sorry for how I sprung the news about Viktor and I on you today. I feel awful and I wish I could've brought it up better. I'm so sorry.
Before Harry died, he told me about you and how you felt about me. I'm flattered, really I am, but you've always just been my friend who I pal around with. I just can't see us dating or anything. I mean you're a sweetheart and I love you to death, but just as friends.
Our wedding will be the 2nd week of January. You're welcome to come. You are, after all, my oldest and best friend. I do hope you decide to come.
All my love, Hermione
Ron crumbled up the letter and threw it into his trash bin. There was no way he going to that wedding, he wouldn't be caught dead there. He wanted to stay friends with Hermione but he didn't see it possible, he just could bear seeing her with Krum.
They reached a large oak tree near the edge of the cemetery and Hermione let go of his hand. Ron felt a ring on her left hand on her ring finger. He looked at her and she bit her lower lip. She was hiding something, something Ron wasn't quite sure he wanted to know.
"Who's the ring from?" he asked.
"No one," lied Hermione, her voice shaking.
"You always were an awful liar," said Ron. "Just tell me."
She looked down, then up at Ron and down again.
"Viktor proposed to me a few days after the funeral," explained Hermione. "I said yes."
Ron's heart fell and he forced a sick smile. He nodded, trying to look happy. His heart burned with anger. He wanted to scream.
"He makes me happy," she admitted.
"I'm happy for you," lied Ron, sounding less than thrilled.
He could feel himself slipping away even more.
"Let me know when the wedding is," he said.
Hermione nodded and hugged him. Ron weakly hugged her back. How could someone he loved so dearly, hurt him so badly?
"I'll send you an owl sometime," she said. "Please, keep in touch, won't you?"
Ron nodded and Hermione kissed his cheek. It almost burned on his cheek. He forced the tears back as Hermione smiled and disappeared with a small pop.
Ron slowly started to head home, he didn't even think about using magic to get home.he just wanted to walk. He tried to push her from his mind, but he kept seeing her with Viktor. He wanted to kill him, he wanted Hermione. Krum didn't deserve her, she deserved someone better, someone like him. The rain poured down harder as Ron headed home. It was a long walk, but he didn't care. He thought of Harry, his Mum, Dad and Dumbledore. He knew that if they were there they would've made it better. He kept walking, his mind wandering and his robes getting wetter, and the rain coming harder.
It was hours before he got back to the house, where Ginny was cooking dinner. Bill was still at work; Fred and George were still at their joke shop as well. Ginny frowned when he walked into the house, soaking wet.
"Where were you?" she asked, grabbing a towel and instructing him to dry off.
Ron looked at Ginny and for the first time he realized how mature she had gotten. It wasn't fair, she had to grow up fast, she never had a choice, she never wanted to grow up so fast, and she was cheated out of a childhood.
"Visiting some old friends," he said, frowning slightly.
Ginny smiled, not noticing him frowning. She took something out of the oven and zapped it with her wand and put it back in.
"Did it help any?" asked Ginny.
Ron nodded and hugged her. She smiled and he kissed her forehead.
"Yeah," he admitted, "I learn some good and bad up there."
Ron went upstairs and closed the door to his room. It had changed a lot since he joined the ministry. There was now a large desk, a large mess of papers and many quills. Ron sat down and saw Pig, his old owl, resting near the window. Ron sighed and looked at the leather book Harry had given him for graduation. He opened it and saw the front picture was the one of them at graduation. He smiled and touched it, hoping to fall right through.
He didn't want Harry to be gone, he wanted them to be together, he wanted Hermione to feel how he felt and he wanted things to be simple again. He threw the book aside and leaned back. He wanted all the pain to just leave.
Later than night he received an owl from Hermione. He just wanted to burn it. He opened it anyway and read the letter.
Dear Ron,
I'm sorry for how I sprung the news about Viktor and I on you today. I feel awful and I wish I could've brought it up better. I'm so sorry.
Before Harry died, he told me about you and how you felt about me. I'm flattered, really I am, but you've always just been my friend who I pal around with. I just can't see us dating or anything. I mean you're a sweetheart and I love you to death, but just as friends.
Our wedding will be the 2nd week of January. You're welcome to come. You are, after all, my oldest and best friend. I do hope you decide to come.
All my love, Hermione
Ron crumbled up the letter and threw it into his trash bin. There was no way he going to that wedding, he wouldn't be caught dead there. He wanted to stay friends with Hermione but he didn't see it possible, he just could bear seeing her with Krum.
