Ron and his girlfriend, Lavender, were walking towards the barrier of
Platform 9 and 3/4. He had been going out with Lavender since the middle of
sixth year. Almost a year and a half now. But lately, things had been
feeling odd. It was as if he was a stranger in this relationship. And if
Lavender noticed at all, she didn't call attention to it. Maybe it was
because they were done with school and other couples from their class that
had been dating this long were thinking at a different level. Like
marriage. And maybe because it was just because their relationship was worn
in and comfortable, but Ron was starting to think about marriage too. He
shook the thought from his mind. Right as he was about to go through the
barrier, he turned back and looked over to the girl that had been his best
friend for almost all the past seven years of his life. She was standing
there, so close, but so far. Her back was turned to him. He sighed and
walked through the barrier.
Ron was spending the first two weeks of summer at Lavender's home, halfway between London and the Burrow. Her home was too perfect. Everything was too quiet. One would think that he would have lots of privacy in a setting like this, but it was actually the opposite. Lavender was just always around. He finally got some alone time in the shower the next morning. That's when he started thinking of Hermione. Their goodbye yesterday had been quite odd. He had gone into the compartment that she was sitting in by herself as they neared London. When he slid open the door, she stood up very fast. "Have a good time," she said, nodding her head slowly. He said his goodbye, she turned and stared out the window before he even left. His relationship with her had changed over the past year and a half. He didn't notice, maybe because he was too busy falling in love with Lavender. It hit him one day at breakfast during seventh year when he was sitting at one end of the table with Lavender and her friends and Hermione was sitting all by herself at the other end. Harry and Ginny were nowhere to be seen. That morning he realized that he hadn't been spending much time with Hermione at all. He hadn't even seen her around much. He remembered that from that morning on, he wanted to talk to Hermione, just to say anything, but she was never there. It was like she was hiding. And then he didn't know how to fix things. It was when he realized that his relationship with Hermione had fallen apart that every other thing in his life fell apart too. That's when he started doing things because it was simply routine. Talking to Harry at Quidditch because it was routine. Sending the weekly letter home to Mum "Hi Mum, how are you? I'm fine. Lavender's doing good too. Tell everybody else I said hi" because it was routine. Nothing had meaning anymore now that she was gone. It was like a part of him was dead.
That's when he had the biggest realization of his entire life. Well, his entire life so far, so only eighteen years and then some. His heart skipped a beat and then plummeted. He loved Hermione. Here he was at his girlfriend's house, who, by the way, was just sitting around waiting for him to propose and he's realizing that he loves the girl that was his best friend. He loved her, but he had lost her. He quickly dashed out of the shower and into his room. Before he toweled off and got dressed, he grabbed some parchment and quickly began scribbling -
Dear Hermione,
I miss you. Remember in second year when you were petrified? You probably don't know this, but every free moment I had, I spent sitting by your bedside, just praying that you'd wake up. And I hate to say it, but right now I'd rather have you petrified than whatever you are because back then I knew that eventually you were going to wake up and we'd be best of friends again but right now I don't know what's going to happen. You've probably heard some rumors that I was going to ask Lavender to marry me. Well, they weren't rumors. That was the truth up until about two minutes ago. That's when I realized that I love you.
He stopped the letter there. He hadn't been thinking. What a ridiculous thing to write him. Knowing Hermione, he'd probably get two howlers back, one from her and one from his mother after she wrote to Ginny to tell her. Oh and there's another. Ginny would most likely be the first to send one. He crumpled up the parchment and left it on his dresser. Later, after he'd gotten dressed, he stuffed it into his pocket. He carried it around with him all day. He had forgotten about it by the time the six o'clock news came on. It was then that Lavender snuck up behind him and whispered in his ear, "Let's sneak away for a bit while Mum's cooking." It was when he was pressing Lavender up against a tree in a park down the road from her house that he felt the letter in his pocket. He shifted so he didn't feel it anymore. The guilt. A few minutes later, an owl swooped down, dropping a letter between Ron and Lavender. All it said was "Ron" on it. But it was in Hermione's neat handwriting. Had she read his mind? Lavender thought nothing of the letter. Ron and Hermione were just friends. "Lavender, can we go back to your house now? This letter is very important," Ron said, suddenly sounding much older. "I need to read it alone." She nodded and they walked back to her house together, this time not holding hands.
Much later that night when everybody else was sleeping, Ron left the home of Lavender Brown. He had left only a short note on the bedside table. "Lavender - Sometimes people make mistakes. I can't live comfortably. - Ron." He apparated without looking back.
Ron was spending the first two weeks of summer at Lavender's home, halfway between London and the Burrow. Her home was too perfect. Everything was too quiet. One would think that he would have lots of privacy in a setting like this, but it was actually the opposite. Lavender was just always around. He finally got some alone time in the shower the next morning. That's when he started thinking of Hermione. Their goodbye yesterday had been quite odd. He had gone into the compartment that she was sitting in by herself as they neared London. When he slid open the door, she stood up very fast. "Have a good time," she said, nodding her head slowly. He said his goodbye, she turned and stared out the window before he even left. His relationship with her had changed over the past year and a half. He didn't notice, maybe because he was too busy falling in love with Lavender. It hit him one day at breakfast during seventh year when he was sitting at one end of the table with Lavender and her friends and Hermione was sitting all by herself at the other end. Harry and Ginny were nowhere to be seen. That morning he realized that he hadn't been spending much time with Hermione at all. He hadn't even seen her around much. He remembered that from that morning on, he wanted to talk to Hermione, just to say anything, but she was never there. It was like she was hiding. And then he didn't know how to fix things. It was when he realized that his relationship with Hermione had fallen apart that every other thing in his life fell apart too. That's when he started doing things because it was simply routine. Talking to Harry at Quidditch because it was routine. Sending the weekly letter home to Mum "Hi Mum, how are you? I'm fine. Lavender's doing good too. Tell everybody else I said hi" because it was routine. Nothing had meaning anymore now that she was gone. It was like a part of him was dead.
That's when he had the biggest realization of his entire life. Well, his entire life so far, so only eighteen years and then some. His heart skipped a beat and then plummeted. He loved Hermione. Here he was at his girlfriend's house, who, by the way, was just sitting around waiting for him to propose and he's realizing that he loves the girl that was his best friend. He loved her, but he had lost her. He quickly dashed out of the shower and into his room. Before he toweled off and got dressed, he grabbed some parchment and quickly began scribbling -
Dear Hermione,
I miss you. Remember in second year when you were petrified? You probably don't know this, but every free moment I had, I spent sitting by your bedside, just praying that you'd wake up. And I hate to say it, but right now I'd rather have you petrified than whatever you are because back then I knew that eventually you were going to wake up and we'd be best of friends again but right now I don't know what's going to happen. You've probably heard some rumors that I was going to ask Lavender to marry me. Well, they weren't rumors. That was the truth up until about two minutes ago. That's when I realized that I love you.
He stopped the letter there. He hadn't been thinking. What a ridiculous thing to write him. Knowing Hermione, he'd probably get two howlers back, one from her and one from his mother after she wrote to Ginny to tell her. Oh and there's another. Ginny would most likely be the first to send one. He crumpled up the parchment and left it on his dresser. Later, after he'd gotten dressed, he stuffed it into his pocket. He carried it around with him all day. He had forgotten about it by the time the six o'clock news came on. It was then that Lavender snuck up behind him and whispered in his ear, "Let's sneak away for a bit while Mum's cooking." It was when he was pressing Lavender up against a tree in a park down the road from her house that he felt the letter in his pocket. He shifted so he didn't feel it anymore. The guilt. A few minutes later, an owl swooped down, dropping a letter between Ron and Lavender. All it said was "Ron" on it. But it was in Hermione's neat handwriting. Had she read his mind? Lavender thought nothing of the letter. Ron and Hermione were just friends. "Lavender, can we go back to your house now? This letter is very important," Ron said, suddenly sounding much older. "I need to read it alone." She nodded and they walked back to her house together, this time not holding hands.
Much later that night when everybody else was sleeping, Ron left the home of Lavender Brown. He had left only a short note on the bedside table. "Lavender - Sometimes people make mistakes. I can't live comfortably. - Ron." He apparated without looking back.