Disclaimer: This is a major chapter of this story! I would like to thank all my people in choir who helped come up with the brightest ideas! Thank you Kelsey, Anne, Sarah and Aimee!!

A Note to a Reviewer:
Shell: I have no idea how many chapters are going to be in this story. Right now it's just writing it self, and however long it takes me to get it down on paper, that's how long it will be. I've even just recently come up with an idea starting their relationship in Hogwarts leading up to the proposal (the prologue). Thank you for reviewing!


This Time Around

Chapter 6

Hermione's Story

Hermione heard the clock tower chime once for quarter after six. She looked around by Harry's apartment steps looking for Ron.

'Just like him, always late.' Hermione turned back around, and sat down on the stone steps, and there he was walking slowly to his destination. She took a deep breath to cool her nerves, stood up, and straightened her clothes, prepared.

Ron on the other hand got about 20 feet from the steps when he noticed Hermione. He walked quicker to her. When he saw her walking towards him, he just couldn't hold it in.

"You! What are you doing here?" he thrust a pointed finger at her.

"Ron, please, just –"

"Harry set this up, didn't he?" Ron looked up at one of the window that could have been Harry's. "Very funny Harry!"

Hermione held out her hands, trying to make him calm down. "Ron, please no! He didn't send you the note . . . I did."

Ron rolled his eyes, and exhaled heavily.

She knew he wasn't going to believe her if she didn't explain. "I had to sign his name Ron. You wouldn't be here now if I didn't, you know that too. And I also know that you're mad at me."

Ron gave Hermione a long, hard look, "You bloody well know I'm bloody mad! Being the only Weasley –"

"Ron, please, not now. I have reservations at the Leaky Cauldron, just –" Hermione pulled out a piece of paper and pen and began to write something down. Out of spite, Ron reached for the pen to take the distraction from her, so he could yell at her. Just then, his world spun around him and everything came blurred together. He was jolted and came to an abrupt stop in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

"What the bloody hell was that? A port key?" He said stunned, looking at the pen held in Hermione's hands.

"Yes."

She grabbed for his arm, and dragged him into a crowded Cauldron. Right when they found a table near a window, and sat down, Ron blew.

"Hermione, not only did you hurt me, but you embarrassed me! I am the only, only Weasley that has had their spouse-to-be disapperate on them."

"Ron, I'm sorry!"

"Why?" Ron slammed his fist on the table, "Why did you do that?"

Hermione looked away, "Because I was scared. I didn't know what to do. With Harry having to fight Voldemort, what was the relationship going to be like? With you becoming an Aura, standing by Harry's side, I was scared Ron. I mean, I was top of our class, and I guess I still wanted to see where that would get me."

"Well, Hermione," Ron said, "I was scared too, but you didn't see me run away. No, Harry talked me out of it, you . . . you just think of yourself and disapperate."

"Ron, I'm sorry!" Tears were welling in her eyes.

"Is that all you can say? 'I'm sorry'!?" Ron looked off into a shadowed corner. Calmly and bluntly, he said, "Where did you go?"

Hermione sighed, "I went to Bulgaria . . . to talk to Viktor."

"Viktor Krum! You left me for Viktor Krum!?" Ron stood up from his chair and furiously walked towards the window to lean on and rub his forehead.

"Ron, no! I went because I knew I could talk to him and make sense out of my life."

Ron looked back into her tear shined eyes, "So I caused a problem in your life that you had to go run to Viktor? Did you have fun with him then?"

Hermione's mouth dropped, and couldn't believe what she heard. "No! After I moved to Bulgaria, I looked for Viktor. I told him I needed to talk to him, because he was a good listener our fourth year. I told him what happened and he invited me to stay at his place for a while. That's when I heard the war started and he didn't want me to leave. So, I stayed there for a few years and started working on my Arithmancy books." She shifted in her chair, waiting for him to say something – anything.

He crossed his arms, his back leaning against the wall. "Why did you come back?"

Hermione went quiet, trying to think of her answer. She couldn't decide whether he could handle the truth or to tell him something he could.

"I don't know." She said, thinking contently on what exactly her motives for leaving had been. For now, they seemed so ridiculously miniscule and not to mention, somewhat of a mistake now that she was looking back at it, for the hindsight she had now. 'It felt like the right thing to do.'

Ron just kept staring at her, think about her response, "I don't know." "Hermione, how can you just sit there and say, 'I don't know'!" For the first time during their conversation, the Leaky Cauldron grew quiet to face a heated Ron and tear stained Hermione. "I would have given my life for you! You were all I had! But now, I'm not so sure, Hermione, if I ever did love you!" A gasp came over the witnesses, as Ron stormed through the crowd and out the door, leaving Hermione alone.