AN: My favourite part
Disclaimer: I am an alien from Sedna and therefore cannot own HP. That is unless JK is also an alien- hmmm... there's an idea.
Chapter 8- Thank God For That
Overhead the sun was setting casting its oranges and reds upon the sky. But the vivid colours were muted by the clouds above. Hermione got out of the carriage, which had been graciously lent to her by the Prince, and made her way towards the boat that would take her away from her mistakes of the past. She would be able to stop feeling guilty about how she'd treated Lavender and maybe try to move on from Ron.
Krum had kept trying to persuade her to say goodbye properly, right up to the end, but she'd resisted. If she saw Ron she'd get upset, if he could see her distressed he'd ask what was wrong and if he did that well... then she'd tell him how she felt. He'd laugh at her- or worse, pity her and say that he loved her but only as a friend. No. Better to have her last memories of him as ones that made her smile.
So, with a heavy heart, her foot rested on the end of the gangplank as she paused to cast one last look around her old home. Sighing she made her way onto the boat.
............................................................................................................
"Faster! Faster!" Ron yelled at the horse he'd borrowed, "You'd think that even a stupid animal like you would understand that THIS IS IMPORTANT!" The horse seemed to hear him and increased the speed of its gallop, "Thank you," he breathed.
Eventually the port just came into sight. "Hermione! HERMIONE!" he yelled again and again at the silhouetted figure treading up the walkway of the moored ship.
............................................................................................................
This was it. Hermione stood on the boat and watched as the sailors started to remove the boarding ramp.
"Stop!"
She thought she heard a shout but dismissed it as the wind. Luckily the crew didn't, instead they looked towards the road. Hermione turned to see what they were staring at and gasped in surprise at what- or who- lay before her.
Ron stared at her, winded as he tried to slide off his faithful steed in style. Instead he fell unceremoniously and landed in a heap on the ground. Laughter brought Hermione back to her senses. "What the hell do you think your doing?" she half sniggered half cried as he brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life," he said gallantly. It had the tone of being rehearsed, like he'd been working out what to say for a while, and immediately the evening air filled with tension.
"What?" she questioned while Ron got his breath back and silently prayed that Lavender had been telling the truth. If she hadn't then he was about to look like a prize idiot.
"Okay I could be making a huge mistake here," he told the ground nervously, "but as you're leaving anyway I figure that things can't get any worse."
"What are you going on about Ron?" Hermione asked incredulously, not daring to hope that he was here for her.
"I found out that that you weren't marrying Vicky... tor," he corrected after a glare, "and I suppose I just had to find out... why that was?"
So far this whole conversation had taken place at either end of the gangplank, which was surrounded by curious sailors watching quite a good show. However they soon disappeared after a look from Ron, leaving the couple alone, standing in silence and not quite making eye contact.
Finally Hermione broke the silence. "Why do you care?" she whispered.
"Maybe because one minute you're happy with Krum, next you're leaving the country." Not knowing what to do he fell to the tried and tested (if not successfully) method of conveniently forgetting the truth and instead, relying on what he knew, "It was Krum wasn't it? Did that git do something to you because if he did I'll-"
"Ron!" she admonished, "No he didn't hurt me and you know full well that I can take care of myself."
Ron felt his heart beat faster, "Why then?" he asked. After a pause of heavy silence he stepped on to the gangplank and took a couple of cautious steps towards, her waiting for an answer.
"The reason I left..." she spoke brokenly, "the reason I left was because... because... I realised that I was in love with someone else."
Ron moved slightly closer, "And is he waiting where this boat docks?"
She looked up at him finally meeting his eyes, they were the epitome of nervousness and perfectly mirrored her own. "No," she whispered, "he's right here."
"Then why are you running away?" All Ron could think was please be talking about me, please be talking about me.
"Because he doesn't feel the same way." Now she was starting to get a little angry, any minute now she'd slip and tell him everything.
Ron edged closer until they were only a step apart, "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes," she almost squeaked.
"Did you tell him how you felt?"
"No," she admitted grudgingly.
Ron kept pushing, "Then how can you know?"
"Because he wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for his best friend!" she finally snapped.
It was the sign he needed and with it he reached towards her nervous face and gently stroked her hair. "I don't know about that. I know I can be pretty stupid sometimes," he whispered in her ear. Hermione gasped quietly at his touch but didn't back away. Seeing this as a good sign he closed the gap between them completely. As their lips met softly both gave themselves to each other wholly and let the world around them fade away.
............................................................................................................
After Ron had left ungainly by horse Harry had done his best to follow, but you can't get far when you have tiny legs and your head is a few millimetres off the floor. Luckily a mail cart was going in the right direction and he managed to catch a ride. The journey was anything but fun as he hazardously clung on to the wheel axel. Nonetheless it was part of the job and he wasn't going to miss this ending for anything in the world.
Finally the cart slowed before it took a wrong turning and he managed to jump off without breaking any bones. But the painful clamber to the shore was worth it when he saw two familiar figures become one under the setting sun of a clear sky.
"Thank god for that," he muttered before collapsing with fatigue.
AN: I hope that lived up to any expectations you had. It has been really difficult to keep the characters in well... character. Anyway just the epilogue left and it's finished.
Thank you to all of those lovely reviewers after the last chapter and those who have stuck with the story. The last part will be out hopefully by the end of the week.
Disclaimer: I am an alien from Sedna and therefore cannot own HP. That is unless JK is also an alien- hmmm... there's an idea.
Chapter 8- Thank God For That
Overhead the sun was setting casting its oranges and reds upon the sky. But the vivid colours were muted by the clouds above. Hermione got out of the carriage, which had been graciously lent to her by the Prince, and made her way towards the boat that would take her away from her mistakes of the past. She would be able to stop feeling guilty about how she'd treated Lavender and maybe try to move on from Ron.
Krum had kept trying to persuade her to say goodbye properly, right up to the end, but she'd resisted. If she saw Ron she'd get upset, if he could see her distressed he'd ask what was wrong and if he did that well... then she'd tell him how she felt. He'd laugh at her- or worse, pity her and say that he loved her but only as a friend. No. Better to have her last memories of him as ones that made her smile.
So, with a heavy heart, her foot rested on the end of the gangplank as she paused to cast one last look around her old home. Sighing she made her way onto the boat.
............................................................................................................
"Faster! Faster!" Ron yelled at the horse he'd borrowed, "You'd think that even a stupid animal like you would understand that THIS IS IMPORTANT!" The horse seemed to hear him and increased the speed of its gallop, "Thank you," he breathed.
Eventually the port just came into sight. "Hermione! HERMIONE!" he yelled again and again at the silhouetted figure treading up the walkway of the moored ship.
............................................................................................................
This was it. Hermione stood on the boat and watched as the sailors started to remove the boarding ramp.
"Stop!"
She thought she heard a shout but dismissed it as the wind. Luckily the crew didn't, instead they looked towards the road. Hermione turned to see what they were staring at and gasped in surprise at what- or who- lay before her.
Ron stared at her, winded as he tried to slide off his faithful steed in style. Instead he fell unceremoniously and landed in a heap on the ground. Laughter brought Hermione back to her senses. "What the hell do you think your doing?" she half sniggered half cried as he brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life," he said gallantly. It had the tone of being rehearsed, like he'd been working out what to say for a while, and immediately the evening air filled with tension.
"What?" she questioned while Ron got his breath back and silently prayed that Lavender had been telling the truth. If she hadn't then he was about to look like a prize idiot.
"Okay I could be making a huge mistake here," he told the ground nervously, "but as you're leaving anyway I figure that things can't get any worse."
"What are you going on about Ron?" Hermione asked incredulously, not daring to hope that he was here for her.
"I found out that that you weren't marrying Vicky... tor," he corrected after a glare, "and I suppose I just had to find out... why that was?"
So far this whole conversation had taken place at either end of the gangplank, which was surrounded by curious sailors watching quite a good show. However they soon disappeared after a look from Ron, leaving the couple alone, standing in silence and not quite making eye contact.
Finally Hermione broke the silence. "Why do you care?" she whispered.
"Maybe because one minute you're happy with Krum, next you're leaving the country." Not knowing what to do he fell to the tried and tested (if not successfully) method of conveniently forgetting the truth and instead, relying on what he knew, "It was Krum wasn't it? Did that git do something to you because if he did I'll-"
"Ron!" she admonished, "No he didn't hurt me and you know full well that I can take care of myself."
Ron felt his heart beat faster, "Why then?" he asked. After a pause of heavy silence he stepped on to the gangplank and took a couple of cautious steps towards, her waiting for an answer.
"The reason I left..." she spoke brokenly, "the reason I left was because... because... I realised that I was in love with someone else."
Ron moved slightly closer, "And is he waiting where this boat docks?"
She looked up at him finally meeting his eyes, they were the epitome of nervousness and perfectly mirrored her own. "No," she whispered, "he's right here."
"Then why are you running away?" All Ron could think was please be talking about me, please be talking about me.
"Because he doesn't feel the same way." Now she was starting to get a little angry, any minute now she'd slip and tell him everything.
Ron edged closer until they were only a step apart, "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes," she almost squeaked.
"Did you tell him how you felt?"
"No," she admitted grudgingly.
Ron kept pushing, "Then how can you know?"
"Because he wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for his best friend!" she finally snapped.
It was the sign he needed and with it he reached towards her nervous face and gently stroked her hair. "I don't know about that. I know I can be pretty stupid sometimes," he whispered in her ear. Hermione gasped quietly at his touch but didn't back away. Seeing this as a good sign he closed the gap between them completely. As their lips met softly both gave themselves to each other wholly and let the world around them fade away.
............................................................................................................
After Ron had left ungainly by horse Harry had done his best to follow, but you can't get far when you have tiny legs and your head is a few millimetres off the floor. Luckily a mail cart was going in the right direction and he managed to catch a ride. The journey was anything but fun as he hazardously clung on to the wheel axel. Nonetheless it was part of the job and he wasn't going to miss this ending for anything in the world.
Finally the cart slowed before it took a wrong turning and he managed to jump off without breaking any bones. But the painful clamber to the shore was worth it when he saw two familiar figures become one under the setting sun of a clear sky.
"Thank god for that," he muttered before collapsing with fatigue.
AN: I hope that lived up to any expectations you had. It has been really difficult to keep the characters in well... character. Anyway just the epilogue left and it's finished.
Thank you to all of those lovely reviewers after the last chapter and those who have stuck with the story. The last part will be out hopefully by the end of the week.