Disclaimer: If I owned any of this the music, the characters, the books; if I got royalty from the movies and children and adults alike around the world knew my name, right now I would be shopping at some super expensive trendy shop and Vera Wang would be working on a glamorous new dress for me. So since I am sitting in front of my slow little computer you can guess that I don't!

A/N: This chapter's song is "Still On My Brain" by Justin Timberlake. It is a very nice song so download it and then read the story and then review. Thanks! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Chapter 5: STILL ON MY BRAIN

'BEAUTIFUL DAYS ARE LONG GONE

I CAN'T SEEM TO BREATHE
FEELS LIKE IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG
SINCE YOU WALKED AWAY FROM ME
NOW I CAN TRY TO ACT REAL STRONG
BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW
I STILL THINK OF YOU THAT WAY
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT'

There came a knock on Hermione's door at exactly 3 o'clock. She took a deep breath and then stood up. Her breathing picked up and her heart was racing so fast, she just knew it was gonna stop any second now. As she neared the door she stopped and checked over her appearance. "Come on." She told herself. "You can do this it is only Ron. Open the door and smile, this is the easy part." Taking another deep breath she reached for the doorknob and tried to put on her best smile.

'BEAUTIFUL LIGHTS, STAR FILLED NIGHSTS
THEY DON'T MEAN A THING
CAUSE YOU WERE MY STAR
SO IT DON'T SEEM RIGHT
WITHOUT YOU HERE WITH ME
NOW I CAN TRY TO ACT REAL STRONG
BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY
YOU WERE MY SOUL'

Ron had made sure he arrived exactly on time. He didn't want to keep her waiting. He didn't want have to wait any longer to see her. He had been so ready this morning and now, he wasn't sure he could do this. His heart was beating so hard; he thought it was trying to get out of his chest. He hadn't felt this bad since before his first Quidditch match. "Remember how horrible that went." He mumbled aloud. Suddenly he felt the urge to just run away and just as he turned to do so, the door opened.

'NOW I COULD SAY, I DON'T LOVE YOU NO MORE
AND I COULD SAY I'VE CLOSED THE DOOR
ON OUR LOVE
AND I COULD TELL YOU
I FEEL IT'S TIME FOR US
TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS
BUT BABY I JUST WOULDN'T BE THE SAME
CAUSE YOU LOVE IS
STILL ON MY BRAIN'

Ron turned around quickly. And tried his hardest to smile. He hadn't seen Hermione in so long he didn't know what to do. Hermione tried just as hard to return the smile. After a few seconds of the two just standing there looking at each other, Hermione spoke up.
"Hi, Ron," was all she could manage to get out.

"Hello, Hermione. How are you?" He returned. He almost felt uncomfortable in front of her.

"I'm fine and you? Oh um you want to come in?" She felt herself rambling and turned so he wouldn't see her blush. She shut the door behind Ron and tried her hardest to remember what she should do next. "Would you like something to drink?" she decided to ask.

"Sure that'd be great," he said looking at her for the first time since he came in. Hermione went into the kitchen and decided on butterbeer, because she was in no condition to make tea and was too jumpy to try any spell. When she came back into the living room Ron had sat down on the couch.

"D'you mind if I take off my cloak," he asked when she handed him his butterbeer.

"Oh no, go ahead," she told him quickly. And then realized how eager she had sounded. Again to hide a blush she turned her head and saw the box. The reason he was here. When Ron had draped his cloak over one of her chairs and sat back down she spoke again. "Ron there is the box with your stuff, you can go through it to make sure I haven't forgotten anything." Ron glanced over at the massive sized box. Remembering why he was here.

'NOW WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE
IT TAKES TIME TO HEAL
WHEN SOMEONE'S BROKEN YOUR HEART
IT CHANGES HOW YOU FEEL
GIRL I THOUGHT THAT YOU
WOULD NEVER DO ME THAT WAY
BUT EVEN AFTER ALL I STILL
THINK OF YOU THAT WAY'

"I'm pretty sure I've gotten everything thing but you can double check just to be sure." Hermione told him. Ron went over to the box and then carried it and set it on the floor by the chair Hermione was sitting in.

"God, this is heavy." He said almost out of breath.

"Yeah, there was more stuff then I thought." She told him. Ron opened the box and immediately smiled. And for the first time in a while Hermione showed a true smile and only because she had seen Ron's. Ron began to pull things out of the box and look them over. There were awards, trophies from Quidditch, two of his maroon sweaters with a giant R, presents he had given her, cards and poems and more stuff then he ever remembered.

"You could have kept the jumpers, lord knows I've got enough of them." He told her laughing and she couldn't help but laugh in return. The two became more comfortable with each other as they went more through the box.

"You had my Head Boy badge? I thought I gave that to Mum. Oh well, I must have given her the Prefects badge." Hermione noticed at that moment that her Head Girl badge was also in the box and went to pick it up at the same time that Ron reached for his. They didn't realize that the badges had been pinned together and as a result the two ended up holding the badges as well as hands. They stared at each other from over the box, both lost in the same deep stare as their heads drifted together.

'NOW I COULD SAY, I DON'T LOVE YOU NO MORE
AND I COULD SAY I'VE CLOSED THE DOOR
ON OUR LOVE
AND I COULD TELL YOU
I FEEL ITS TIME FOR US
TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS
BUT BABY I JUST WOULDN'T BE THE SAME
CAUSE YOU LOVE IS
STILL ON MY BRAIN'

Just before their lips touched, both pulled quickly away blushing. The stare continued until Hermione glanced back down inside the box. Only looking up when she heard Ron's voice.

"What really happened?" he asked her.

"Doesn't matter because it's over." She answered him softly

"But why?" He questioned and watched as Hermione's face dropped and she started to frown.

"Ron, why these questions? Why now? Why are you asking me like you don't know?" she replied angrily. "It wasn't working out. We fought all the time. We disagreed so much. You were like a child. You were so needy. I was always helping you, always fixing what you mess up. Maybe, just maybe one time you could have been the responsible one. I walked away and you didn't try to stop me. I just want to forget all this. I just want you to be a part of my past. I just want to forget you.

'NOW LOVE IS A GAME
THAT WE BOTH LIKE TO PLAY
WILL I WIN OR LOSE
IF I GO OR IF I STAY
EVEN THOUGH I TRY TO HIDE
MY BROKEN HEART INSIDE
GIRL YOU KNOW ME INSIDE OUT
AND I CAN'T GET YOU
OFF OF MY MIND'

Ron looked right in her eyes and saw and felt their anger. With his voice calm and his face showing very little emotion he responded to her comments. "If it means anything at all I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for all the fighting, the disagreeing, for it not working out. I'm sorry that I couldn't be perfect enough for you; that you hurt now for all the horrible things I've put on you and you having put up with me.

"Ron it's not." Hermione tried to interrupt but he kept going.

"I'm sorry that I let you go that day but more than that I'm sorry I believed that we could work this out. That you could actually just love me as much as I loved you and hope that knowing that would be enough. But I'm glad I did let you go, because obviously you want and deserve something and everything that's not me and I can't be anything else.

"Ron, no listen to me." Hermione tried again as tears spilled from her eyes.

Ron wanted to hug her, kiss her, make the tears disappear from her eyes, but she didn't need him. "I'm sorry but I should go."

'NOW I COULD SAY, I DON'T LOVE YOU NO MORE
AND I COULD SAY I'VE CLOSED THE DOOR
ON OUR LOVE
AND I COULD TELL YOU
I FEEL ITS TIME FOR US
TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS
BUT BABY I JUST WOULDN'T BE THE SAME
CAUSE YOU LOVE IS
STILL ON MY BRAIN'

Hermione watched as Ron hastily put all the items back in the box and then with one last glance at her, disapparate from her flat. The sadness that had ruled Hermione's life for the past month came back just as quickly as it had left. She walked into the bathroom and dried her tears realizing that for the second time the relationship had been broken with someone walking away.

"This was supposed to make me feel better. To work things out." She told her reflection. The only thing their visit had accomplished today was for her to feel worse than before. Now she was the one who was sorry, and she would never be able to tell him that.

After washing her face, Hermione walked back into the living room and sat down staring at the picture she had left of him on her fireplace. She sighed and tore her away and noticed Ron's cloak hanging on a chair. She went over to the cloak and picked it up when she heard something hit the floor. She picked up the little blue velvet box and gasped. With her hand shaking she opened the box and her breath caught in her throat when she looked at the diamond sitting on the silver band winking at her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A/N: Whoa! Big stuff happening. Hey that chapter actually surprised me. Sorry about not updating but I've been through some big changes lately. But obviously nothing that could take me away from my faithful readers. I am leaving for school really soon so I want to finish this story this week. I hope. Look for more real soon and while your waiting please leave a review. Always yours~TReader