[A/N: Okay, this story starts out really sad, and I'm sorry about that, but I got a sudden burst of inspiration last night, so I decided to write this. Please don't flame, criticism is always welcome, but only when its helpful!! ...I have a delicate constitution! Lol...Enjoy!]

(I don't own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, only my own and part of the plotline.)

Beth Halliwell stepped off the Hogwarts Express, followed closely by her cousin, and best friend Hermione Granger. The two girls were stepping into their 7th and final year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Mione," Beth began, uncertain of how to bring up a delicate subject, "have you, uh, seen Ron?" Hermione looked at her cousin. Beth and Ron had broken up before the summer holidays and she had sworn all summer that she was over him.

"Why do you ask?" Hermione replied, as casually as she could manage. Beth opened her mouth to answer, but a certain raven-haired boy came up behind Hermione and kissed her. Harry Potter smiled down at his girlfriend, then turned to greet Beth. "Hello Beth, how've you been?" Harry had been much cooler to Beth ever since she'd broken up with Ron.

"I'm alright Harry, you?" Harry looked back down at Hermione, "Getting better." The couple giggled, making Beth sick. I remember when Ron and me were that sickly sweet to each other, she thought to herself, walking faster to escape the sound of reuniting couples that was slowly growing louder and louder.

Beth got into an empty 'horseless' carriage, slamming the door to block out the sounds of happy couples. She shut her eyes and leaned her head against the padded back of the cushion. She heard the door open and opened her eyes. Climbing into the carriage was the very person she wanted to see most. Ron was climbing up the steps with a disgusted look on his face, similar to the one Beth herself was still wearing.

"I hope you don't mind me joining you, this is the only carriage left that isn't filled with disgustingly sweet couples lip-locked insi-" He stopped when his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the inside of the carriage and he saw who he was talking to.

"Oh. Beth, hi." Ron blushed and had half a mind to jump back out of the carriage and cross to Hogwarts on one of the boats with the first years. But Beth smiled, and he stayed. "Hi Ron," she said softly, as if she'd been hoping to see him.

Ron and Beth hadn't seen each other all summer. When Beth broke up with Ron in the last month of school, he was shocked. Everything had been going so well. She never even told him what had happened. So instead of renting an apartment with Harry and Hermione, like the four had planned, Harry stayed with Ron over the summer and Hermione went to San Francisco with Beth.

Even though not a single Atlantic-Flight Owl had crossed between Ron and Beth over the summer, both of them still felt something for the other. In fact, both still felt A LOT for each other. But Ron still felt hurt by the abrupt method that Beth had used to dump him.

FLASHBACK

Ron ran up to the common room after Potions, and just before Transfiguration, to see Beth. He found her crying in her favorite armchair. She was looking out across Hogwart's lawn wistfully. The day was beautiful, perfect temperature, the sun was shining and Beth had no more classes until late that afternoon.

Ron sat on the edge of Beth's armchair and put his arms around her. "What's wrong luv?" he asked, kissing her cheek. She flinched as his lips touched her skin, and more tears rolled down her cheeks.

Ron brushed them away with one finger, hating every one of them for causing any blemish on his girlfriend's perfect skin. Beth took Ron's hands in hers, and kissed him lightly. Ron released his hands and slipped them around her waist. Beth broke the kiss and pulled back.

"Ron, wait." She was crying openly now, not bothering to brush away her tears.

"I- we have to stop. I can't be your girlfriend anymore. It's, I can't explain it," she paused and her hazel eyes pleaded with him, "please understand," she whispered.

Ron brushed back her hair from her face. "Why? What's wrong?" But she turned away and faced the window. She stood up and walked to the ledge of the open window. "I wish I could fly-"she whispered. Ron watched her get up, and followed her every step with his eyes. She was wearing Muggle clothes, she'd always felt more comfortable in them, having grown up in San Francisco, away from uniforms and robes. She had jeans on that hugged her hips, and a t-shirt that read "Chudley Cannon Fan" in flashing print.

Ron walked up behind her and put his chin on her shoulder. "Do you remember when you got that shirt? The game?"

Beth remembered all too well, and it was memories like that that made hurting Ron even worse.

Ron tried to slip his arms around her waist the way she loved, but she pulled back. The hurt look in Ron's eyes was unbearable. "Ron, everything, all of this, it hurts so much, but- I won't let you, I can't-"

Ron couldn't take it, he was so confused, "No. What is going on? Just tell me," Beth shook her head sadly, and Ron said the only thing that made sense to him, "But I love you." Beth choked on a lump that formed in her throat. But she walked away, towards the girl's dormitories. As she reached the stairs, she turned around and saw Ron watching her. She bit her lip and ran back to him.

Putting her arms around him she whispered in his ear, "I love you too. But- I can't." Then she slowly pulled hands away from him and kissed him. Then she ran up to her dormitory, fell on her bed and sobbed.

On the last day of school, as Ron was packing his things, he found a note tucked into the pocket of his favorite jeans:

Ron,

You have to understand, it took all that I had to walk away from you. I swear I'll explain everything...someday.

Until then, I am, and always will be,

Your Beth

END FLASHBACK

Ron never went anywhere without that note. He kept it with him all the time. During the carriage ride, sitting across from Beth was torture. Ron was aching to reach over, take her face in his hands and kiss her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so throughout the silent ride, he ran his fingers incessantly over the note in his pocket.

Beth was extremely uncomfortable. Ron looked sad, an emotion she'd only seen him experience once before, when she had been the cause of it. Dieing to break the silence, she smiled at him and said softly, "It's really good to see you again Ron." Ron felt something cut him, her voice was so different. It sounded, hollow, like she'd lost part of herself.

He looked at her, she was much thinner than she'd been before the summer holidays, and her eyes had lost the sarcastic glint that was characteristic to Beth. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her robes were wrinkled. She looked like she'd been forced to grow up too fast, like she was carrying something too heavy on her shoulders. It was same look that Harry often had, an invisible burden that slowly constricts the life-force out of a person.

The doors snapped open when the carriages reached Hogwarts. Beth and Ron climbed out of the carriage and looked around for their friends. They saw Harry and Hermione, still lip-locked a little ways off. Beth and Ron groaned loudly and each pulled their best friend off of each other. At that moment, everything seemed like it was back to normal.

But then Beth took Hermione by the arm and dragged her away. Ron pushed Harry ahead of the girls and bent his head to whisper something to his friend. Harry and Ron were soon deep in conversation, occasionally looking back at the girls. Beth threw up her hands in frustration. "Mione, he's so close-"she reached out her hand, as if to pull Ron back, but Hermione grabbed her wrist.

"I know sweetheart, it'll get better." And with that the pairs of friends entered the school and began their last year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

A/N: Thanks so much to you reviewers!! You make writing so enjoyable lol, oh crap I sound like my grandma, ok I'll shut up, thanks again tho!!