CHAPTER 6 "The Only One Who Really Still Touches My Heart"

Ron awoke in the morning in a strange bed and the light shining into his eyes from a different angle. This was definitely not his bed. He opened his eyes and looked around, only to remember he had stayed at Krista's the night. He rolled over and when he spotted an empty half of the bed, he sat up and looked around the room for any sign of her. Since her robe was also missing, he concluded she had got up before him. Ron stretched and got out of bed, stretching once more before pulling on a t-shirt and walking out into her hall to see where she had gone off to. Ron found Krista in the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the Daily Prophet in the other and her foot absentmindedly kicking the breakfast bar, as she always did when she read the paper.

"Morning gorgeous", Ron smiled as he came up behind her and placed a kiss on her neck.

"Hello honey. You sleep well?" she asked turning around to kiss him on the lips. "You're hair is funny", she giggled.

"I slept great, apart from waking up alone in the bed in the morning. I thought you were going to leave me", Ron joked.

"Now why would I do that?" she replied sweetly. You want some coffee because there's still some in the pot".

"Anything in the paper?" Ron asked as he poured himself a cup and added the usual two sugar and milk.

"Nothing much, usual raids", Krista said flicking through the pages, but stopping at the gossip pages.

"Don't tell me you still read the gossip pages", Ron said casting a glance onto the two pages in full colour, full with moving photos of people who really didn't want their picture taken.

"Ah the usual, Debutante making a scene at some fancy party of other", Krista said browsing through the article. Suddenly her eyes started widening and he let out an Oh!

"What is it?" Ron asked seeing her remark on her face.

"You will never believe who's an item", Krista said, her eyes shining with delight, like she had just been told an extremely juicy secret.

"Enlighten me", Ron said nonchalantly.

"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger!"

"WHAT?"

"Harry and that ex girlfriend of yours Hermione. Oh dear pity about the bushy hair, she should really do something about it", Krista muttered to herself, trailing off.

"Rewind back to the Harry and Hermione being an item", Ron said still too shocked.

"Says in here, the couple were spotted leaving a small café after an intimate lunch, in which the couple seemed to be really close, laughing and smiling at each other. When they left the café they were met by the media and when asked about their relationship they declined to answer, insisting on 'No Comment'. Miss Granger was pulled away from the media by Mr Potter and it was noted he was holding her hand. One can only wonder if they really are only 'good' friends, or as the writer believes, they are indeed a couple. It seems our favourite bachelor, is no longer a bachelor anymore", Krista read aloud. "Now that is juicy!"

But Ron had not listened to her last comment as he walked behind Krista and read the article over her shoulder, watching the photos closely to see if there was any feelings between his best friend and his ex girlfriend and once best friend. Hermione looked nervous and shy in the photo while Harry pushed through the crowd, and in the moving photo he could distinctly see Harry holding onto her hand, or was it her wrist.

His mind whirled at the thought of those two as a couple, once he had been jealous of Harry, when in fourth year Rita Skeeter had written about the love triangle between Harry, Krum and Hermione. Though Harry firmly denied it, Ron had had his doubts and his insecurities did not help in the matter. Now years later, he found out they really were an item, it only made his insecurities worse for he began doubting whether Hermione ever loved him in the first place. Was she just with him because of pity and waiting for Harry to ask her out, or did she really love him. Ron wasn't quite sure anymore.

"Hey Ron are you ok?" Krista asked worried.

"Yeah fine, just surprised", Ron replied managing a weak smile.

"I hope you won't mind if I leave early, I have a lot of work to do and I had rather get it over and done with".

"That's ok, I got some work and house chores I have to do myself", Ron replied.

"Ok I'm going to get dressed and then leave for work. You can leave whenever you want to, but could you be out of the house by two in the afternoon, my mother is coming over to arrange some things and I'd rather if you weren't there", Krista explained. She smiled sweetly at Ron and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled as he thought of Krista, how perfect she looked in the morning, even with her un-brushed hair and only that slinky robe on, she looked so perfect and elegant, like she doesn't even try. Her hair was always right and she never looked like she had a bad day or little sleep or like she was going to shout at someone. That was Krista and he liked that about her. She disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later, dressed in elegant black robes with a purple sash and wand in hand. She kissed Ron goodbye, said farewell and Apparated to work. Ron sighed, he had better get going. He went back into the bedroom, got changed and Apparated home.

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When he arrived home all thoughts of having some time alone to think, were out of the question as his little sister, who had been sitting on his couch waiting for him, came rushing up to him, a thousand questions on her mind.

"There you are Ron!" she cried as she walked towards him. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was all over the place. She had obviously been crying.

"I was at Krista's. What is it Ginny?"

Ginny ran up to him and he hugged her tightly. Ron knew how Ginny felt about Harry, Hermione had told him many years ago and he understood how hurt she felt. She was his little sister after all and the one he was most protective of. Ron felt anger towards his best friend as he thought of the article, the image of Harry holding Hermione's hand made him even angrier. He let go of Ginny as he tried to push his anger down, this was not fair of Harry, to hurt Ginny like that. If Harry would have walked into the flat, Ron would have very likely hit Harry, hard!

"Come on Ginny, sit down", Ron said soothingly, guiding her to his sofa. She sat down beside him, her hands hiding her face. Ron walked into the bathroom, took some tissue and walked back to Ginny, handing it to her.

"Here take this", he said handing her the tissue. Ginny wiped away her tears and blew her nose, before taking a deep breath to steady her erratic breathing.

She looked up at Ron, her tear soaked eyes now red and blotchy and smiled, "Thanks Ron!"

"I'm guessing you read the article in the Prophet", Ron said jokingly, though she did not laugh and neither did he.

"Yeah, it was lying there on the kitchen table. Hannah must have read the paper already and left it on that page for me to see. She can be so nasty sometimes", Ginny sniffed, blowing her nose once more.

"I'm sure this Hannah just wanted you to see the article so you wouldn't go around all day and find out unexpectedly", Ron said soothingly.

"No!" Ginny replied adamantly. "Hannah wanted me to read it so she could laugh at me later on. She's always teasing me about the fact that I have a crush on Harry. I know I wouldn't have accepted it a few years ago, but its true, I fancy him, though I think its more", Ginny said the last bit quietly so Ron wouldn't hear. "But the point is, Harry and Hermione are an item. Or maybe that isn't even true. Oh I don't know, I just want to know the truth, this not knowing is killing me slowly and I don't know what to do. If he really is with her, how am I meant to go on?" Ginny began sobbing again and Ron looked sympathetically at her. He knew what she was going through, maybe not exactly, but he knew what it was like to have a broken heart and Ginny had one right now.

"I know", Ron sighed, "It's the worst when you don't know, all those thoughts, those pictures of Hermione, her and Harry together. They torment you".

Ginny stopped crying and looked up at her brother. He had never admitted his feelings, his true feelings about Hermione. He just didn't do that, yet here he was telling her what it was like when they split up. Or Ron walked out on her.

Its like whoever else Hermione went out with, they wouldn't matter that much, they were just people that she liked for a few weeks, but with Harry, you start to doubt yourself then. I mean this is Harry, the champion in fourth year, the boy who defeated the Dark Lord, the boy who faced him four times and survived. The boy who is now more legendary than ever. He's a superstar and he's going out with Hermione. That's what hurts, because for once Hermione has gotten herself someone really good, and its not you. The way he held her hand", Ron trailed off as he looked around his living room. Ginny was still staring at him open-mouthed, but when she realised this she quickly closed her mouth and looked away.

"I will never be good enough for him, I mean Hermione was the top witch in your year, she got fourteen OWLs, I mean not even Percy managed that! She's so smart, witty, bright and she's an unspeakable now, or that's what I hear from Harry. She's perfect for him. I don't know what to do", Ginny sighed. She looked around the living room. It was quite bare, cream walls and blinds, a plain carpet the sofa and two couches, a bookshelf filled with dusty books, in the corner there was Ron's desk with papers. His Quidditch gear was strewn across the room, broom standing in one corner and his protective gear in another. Photos hung on the wall, one of the Chudley Canons, his team, another of his whole family and one taken shortly after graduation, one with Ron and his arms around Hermione and Harry. Hermione was smiling at Ginny, but Ron was looking the other way and not at Hermione.

"We should be happy for the both of them, I mean if they were meant to be then we can't fight against that or sit here and mope about it", Ron said decisively.

"How should WE be happy for them. Ron you have never gotten over Hermione, and I, I love Harry. I know you will never get over Hermione, no matter how long you are with Krista. She will always be in your heart", Ginny replied rather stubbornly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that me and Hermione are over, we are history", Ron said getting flared up.

"And how many times do I have to tell you Ron, that you will never get over Hermione. Just accept it!"

"I have! I knew I could never be with her the day she started going out with Victor bloody Krum! Seeing those two at our favourite restaurant made me realise that", Ron said bitterly. "She told me all those times that she didn't fancy Krum and what did she do as soon as we split up? She went out with him!"

"Hermione was hurt that you left her like that, which by the way was appalling!" Ginny replied.

"I know it was and I hated myself for so long because of it. That's why I first started going out with Helena, to take that guilt away. I never meant to hurt her like that, I still don't mean to and if I could take it away I would in a second. But I can't and I have to live with it. I have to live with hurting the only one I really loved. The only one who really still touches my heart", Ron muttered.

Ginny looked at him flabbergasted, "You still love her don't you?"

"I suppose deep down inside I still do. I mean of course I love Krista, she's my girlfriend and I wouldn't change that, but yeah I guess I still love Hermione a bit. She was my first, my first love, my first girlfriend, my first everything", Ron sighed.

"Oh my god Ron!" Ginny gasped as she looked at him. Then suddenly she smiled as she burst into tears.

"What is it Ginny? What did I say?" Ron asked looking shocked with himself.

"Its ok Ron, everything will be ok", Ginny replied still smiling as she wiped away her tears. "I have to go now", and with that she got up, pulled out her wand and Disapparated.