Rufus stared at the two, completely dumbfounded and shocked. He
looked at them for a few minutes and then fled down the stairs again.
Hermione looked to Ron quickly, her mouth hung open.
"Oh no." She breathed. Ron gave her an offensive look and sighed.
"Go after him." He said quietly, looking down. He put his hands in his pockets, desperately trying to find a reason to allow her to stay yet he knew he should let her go after Rufus.
"Thank you Ron." She leaned up to kiss him lightly on the cheek and then, whispered kindly, "I'll be back." Then she fled after him. Ron looked after her and sighed.
"Rufus! Rufus! Wait up! Come on...we should talk about this!" Hermione cried out after him, running as fast as she could. Suddenly she stopped. What was she doing? She loved Ron...why would she go after Rufus? Then all of a sudden, she remembered back to just a few days ago when she told him that she loved Rufus. "But I've always loved Ron and I always will. Nothing can change that and nothing will. He makes my heart pound and there's so much connection, so much heat between us. With Rufus, it's just...there's just safety." Convinced, Hermione ran after Rufus again, this time catching up to him.
"Rufus..."
He turned around, eyes blazing with fire. "Look Hermione, I...I don't even know what happened. Was that Ron?" She nodded. "Okay then. See, now I don't see how he even came back from the dead. I...I'm so confused and then I saw you kissing him, and I know that you're always going to love him more than anything else, but," He stroked her hand, "I thought we had something, some kind of connection."
"Well, I thought we had a connection too. But I just realized that I love Ron and I always will. He makes me feel like I'm worth everything I am. I can't imagine spending my life without him, with no one else." Hermione spoke clearly. She took off the ring and thrust it into his palm. "Here. I think this is yours. Goodbye Rufus. I enjoyed the time we had together though. You're a great guy, I'm sure that you'll end up with someone who loves you more than I ever could." She gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and ran back.
Ron was waiting patiently for Hermione to return, which he knew in his heart that she was going to. He heard someone come up, and smiled. "Hermione," he whispered.
She came upstairs, dragging her feet silently. Then she saw Ron standing there and finally managed to breathe. He suddenly dropped his hands and closed the distance between them in two strides. He reached out and grasped her roughly by the upper arms. She stared up into his face. His fingers gripped her arms like vises, transmitting his trembling through her shoulders to shiver through her entire body. His blue eyes were brimming with tears which began to run down his cheeks as she watched; she was only marginally aware of the tears streaming down her own face.
"I broke up with Rufus." She said in a pronounced voice. Ron looked at her with wide, appreciated eyes.
"Really Hermione?" He asked, his voice raspy yet hopeful.
"Really. It's always been you, Ron." Ron looked absolutely touched and cupped her face in his hands, smiling.
"It's always been you too, 'Mione. You're the brightest, most wonderful girl ever." He whispered into her ear. "I love you Hermione Granger."
Hermione smiled as she touched Ron's arm, leaning against him for warmth, comfort, and protection. "You're everything to me too. I love you Ron Weasley."
"Oh no." She breathed. Ron gave her an offensive look and sighed.
"Go after him." He said quietly, looking down. He put his hands in his pockets, desperately trying to find a reason to allow her to stay yet he knew he should let her go after Rufus.
"Thank you Ron." She leaned up to kiss him lightly on the cheek and then, whispered kindly, "I'll be back." Then she fled after him. Ron looked after her and sighed.
"Rufus! Rufus! Wait up! Come on...we should talk about this!" Hermione cried out after him, running as fast as she could. Suddenly she stopped. What was she doing? She loved Ron...why would she go after Rufus? Then all of a sudden, she remembered back to just a few days ago when she told him that she loved Rufus. "But I've always loved Ron and I always will. Nothing can change that and nothing will. He makes my heart pound and there's so much connection, so much heat between us. With Rufus, it's just...there's just safety." Convinced, Hermione ran after Rufus again, this time catching up to him.
"Rufus..."
He turned around, eyes blazing with fire. "Look Hermione, I...I don't even know what happened. Was that Ron?" She nodded. "Okay then. See, now I don't see how he even came back from the dead. I...I'm so confused and then I saw you kissing him, and I know that you're always going to love him more than anything else, but," He stroked her hand, "I thought we had something, some kind of connection."
"Well, I thought we had a connection too. But I just realized that I love Ron and I always will. He makes me feel like I'm worth everything I am. I can't imagine spending my life without him, with no one else." Hermione spoke clearly. She took off the ring and thrust it into his palm. "Here. I think this is yours. Goodbye Rufus. I enjoyed the time we had together though. You're a great guy, I'm sure that you'll end up with someone who loves you more than I ever could." She gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and ran back.
Ron was waiting patiently for Hermione to return, which he knew in his heart that she was going to. He heard someone come up, and smiled. "Hermione," he whispered.
She came upstairs, dragging her feet silently. Then she saw Ron standing there and finally managed to breathe. He suddenly dropped his hands and closed the distance between them in two strides. He reached out and grasped her roughly by the upper arms. She stared up into his face. His fingers gripped her arms like vises, transmitting his trembling through her shoulders to shiver through her entire body. His blue eyes were brimming with tears which began to run down his cheeks as she watched; she was only marginally aware of the tears streaming down her own face.
"I broke up with Rufus." She said in a pronounced voice. Ron looked at her with wide, appreciated eyes.
"Really Hermione?" He asked, his voice raspy yet hopeful.
"Really. It's always been you, Ron." Ron looked absolutely touched and cupped her face in his hands, smiling.
"It's always been you too, 'Mione. You're the brightest, most wonderful girl ever." He whispered into her ear. "I love you Hermione Granger."
Hermione smiled as she touched Ron's arm, leaning against him for warmth, comfort, and protection. "You're everything to me too. I love you Ron Weasley."