CHAPTER 17 Perspective
Hermione was not having a good night. With all the actions and revelations that occurred during the day, she was having a rather fitful sleep, tossing and turning a lot in her bed. Her dreams were filled mostly with Ron and power books that ended up exploding and causing an impending doom. Even while she was sleeping, Hermione felt completely exhausted, her mind not able to take much more of this, but when she did wake up, she felt she had slept for a hundred years, so tired she was. Hermione opened her eyes and lay in silence for a few seconds wondering what had woken her up, when she heard the shrill noise, that could only be her doorbell. Hermione, very puzzled, sat up and got out of bed, putting on her bathrobe and making her way to the front door. When she opened it a little, she saw Ron and it took her a few secondds, before she realised who it was and looked rather surprised and confused at him.
"Ron", she asked tired, "What are you doing here?" Hermione's mind was reeling, even though she was tired to her very bones. Why was Ron at her doorstep?
"I need to talk to you, can I come in?" Ron asked. Hermione looked him in the eyes for a second to see if he was sincere. He had confusion in his eyes and he looked tired and stressed.
"Sure Ron, but couldn't it have waited until morning?" Hermione asked yawning, "Its coming onto three in the morning".
"No it can't", Ron said rather urgently, and sensing the tone of his voice, Hermione opened the door wider and stepped inside. She didn't know why she was letting Ron into her apartment, after all he done to her, but she was tired and she herself had some questions.
"Is there something the matter Ron?" Hermione asked worried. Why did she suddenly care about Ron's feelings? He never cared about hers, but maybe it was the sleep talking, or lack of thereof.
"No, well actually yes, a bit", Ron replied and Hermione indicated to the sofas as she sat down in one of them. Inside she chuckled to herself, for this seemed more like something out of one of her dreams, rather than real life. She had wished and dreamt that Ron would come back to her so often, ask to talk to her and profess his undying love for her, but she knew that would never really happen. This was real life and that was her fantasy. He probably wanted some help on Harry or something along the lines of that.
"Well then you had better sit down", she said fixing her bathrobe and tying it tighter around her. Ron nodded and sat down on one couch, sitting opposite Hermione.
"Well where can I start?" Ron mused as he twiddled with his fingers and looked up at Hermione, was looking at him expectantly.
"Well start from the beginning then", Hermione replied and Ron smiled. "Tell me what the matter is!"
"Krista and I had a big fight earlier", Ron sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands. He sighed once more and looked up into Hermione's expecting eyes. "It was just after Harry and I had rescued you from the dark wizards or whatever. Krista was jealous and couldn't understand why I had gone to rescue my ex-girlfriend but I mean its you! No matter what happened between us I would still help you if you were in trouble, but Krista couldn't see that. Then she called me a commoner and that I wasn't an Auror and basically just a Quidditch player. As if to say what does he know!" Ron stopped once again and sighed, looking down on his hands. "It made me so angry that she had said I was a commoner, and you know how I am when someone implies that I'm not as good as someone else. I mean so I'm not an Auror and never done the Auror training, but hell you me and Harry have experienced more than most of the experienced Aurors ever could. We were there at the final battle when Harry defeated Voldemort, Harry sacrificed everything to save us all, and though I was not the one to kill him in the end, I still experienced a lot. I had to watch as my friends and teachers got killed right in front of me, I watched as the girl I loved get hit over and over with curses until she was but an inch from death and clinging onto life with only a thread. I was subjected to the Crucatius curse more times than I can remember. I was one of the few who saw Dumbledore die and realise our last strong chance of surviving had gone out with him. I didn't see at the time that the only real chance we had lay in my best friend, the skinny boy with the glasses lightning fork scar and terrible secret on his soul. I saw so much...", Ron sighed as he closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. "It felt so terrible and hurtful when Krista told me to leave it to people who knew what to do. She is so innocent and naive in all of this it made me so angry. So I left as soon as possible and who should confront me but Ginny! How many times she has brought me to the brink of losing my temper completely and brought me back over the edge. You could say she talked some sense into me, though not much because I'm as confused as ever. But I realised something and this something put things into a bit more of a perspective".
"And what's that Ron?" Hermione sighed, hoping against hope it would not complicate things even more for her. Her life was complicated and bad enough as it was.
"The reason everything is so bad and complicated with Krista is because of you".
"Excuse me!?" Hermione asked looking him hard in the eyes. "How has the fight with Krista and, if its true, your break-up of your relationship got to do with me?"
"Because when that article came out and those photos of you and Harry I realised that you were still part of me. When I first thought you were going out with Harry I felt like crap and then when you told me you weren't an item I felt so relieved and happy. And I've realised I still have old feelings for you. Its probably because we as a couple never had closure and now everything is getting so confusing. I need you in my life Hermione, I can't do without you. And I think my relationship with Krista is breaking up, slowly but surely", Ron sighed. He hid his face in his hands, sighing, and then looked up to see Hermione thinking hard, a frown forming on her face.
"Why are you here Ron?" she asked.
"I told you, my head is all messed up and I was hoping you could help me get some answers", Ron replied.
"So let me understand this Ron", Hermione started getting up from the couch and tying the bathrobe tighter around her. "You start having problems with Krista for some reason or another and decide, oh yeah by the way I'm not really over Hermione, so I'll just go to her and tell her I want her in my life again?" Hermione asked frowning more now. "Do you see the problem here Ron?"
"No, what are you on about?"
"Well I see the problem. Just because things are going bad for you and Krista, doesn't mean you can waltz back in my life and expect me to take you back into my life again. I've spent the last three years picking the pieces up of my life and getting things back on track again. You can't just come in here and destroy it all again. I'm not a push-over!" Hermione said her voice rising steadily.
"What?! No its not like that at all!"
"So how is it? Next you'll be telling me your relationship is going bad, because of me. You can't blame that on me, I had nothing to do with it!" Hermione asked shrilly.
"Its not that way Hermione, Krista and I breaking apart has nothing to do with you, but as its happening I realise I want you in my life. I need you Hermione", Ron sighed as he looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her senses.
Hermione shook her head, as if to banish all thoughts of rationality and drew herself up to her full height. From his angle on the couch, Hermione looked quite terrifying towering above him, her hands on her hips and the frown that had formed on her face, had deepened into a scowl. She was certainly angry and Ron felt a terrible surge of power radiating from her and he was quite unnerved. "You come barging into my house at three o clock in the morning, feeling bad because you and your girlfriend don't seem to be doing very well, blame the slow break-up of your relationship on me and have the audacity of telling me you want me back in your life", Hermione cried and Ron cowered under her fierce gaze. "Well you know what Ronald Weasley", Hermione said shouting at him her barely controlled anger breaking through the hold she was having on it. "You can just stuff your peace offering and your desire for us to be friends again for I want nothing to do with a person who can't even be responsible for his own actions. You got yourself in this mess now you can sure as hell get yourself out of it! NOW GET OUT OF MY FLAT!" Hermione screamed at him. Ron glumly nodded his head and quickly rose to his feet, for fear of her raging temper. He had a bad temper but it was nothing like Hermione's when it broke out. He looked at the floor as he made his way to the door and once he had crossed the threshold, he looked up into Hermione's flaring eyes.
"Sort your life out first before you even think of talking to me again!" Hermione said angrily, keeping her temper under control, as she slammed the door shut in his face.
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Hermione stood shaking as she leant against the door and tried to control her erratic breathing. Her anger soon died down and was replaced by trembling and tears, as she took a deep breath and sighed. She stood there for a moment as she gathered her wits and tightened the bathrobe around her. Hermione rubbed her eyes of the last of the stray tears as she looked at her watch. It read twenty to four. Hermione sighed once more, it was too late to go to bed again, plus her mind was reeling and she didn't think she could sleep anyway. Hermione slowly made her way to the bathroom, a shower was sure to help her think. Hermione turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat as she grabbed some towels from the cupboard and took off her bathrobe. The water by this time had become sufficiently hot enough and steam was beginning engulf the bathroom. Hermione took of her pyjamas and slipped into the showering, using the hot water to calm her nerves. She had no idea why she was shaking, she was always very strong and independent when she was younger, but the sight of one redhead's pleas always made her walls and guards crumble. She hated the way she was reduced to shaking and tears whenever she had to deal with Ron. Half an hour later she stepped out of the shower and dried herself, as she made her way to the kitchen with the towel wrapped firmly around her. She kettle was soon filled up with water as she made her way to her bedroom and got dressed. Ten minutes later she re-appeared in the kitchen, made herself a cup of strong tea and sat facing the window, and watching the sun slowly rise in the east.
Hermione didn't know how long she sat there just watching the sun rise, her mind shut off from those words she had heard only hours ago. When she finally came to her senses again she made herself some breakfast, a small stack of toast and a cup of coffee, while she tidied herself up, grabbed her books and left for work. Maybe ancient books and a very curious assistant might distract her from Ron's words that were still tormenting her mind. "I need you Hermione!" Hermione shook her head, banishing these thoughts and composed herself before Apparating to the Ministry.
She made her way to the Atrium as the first few people started coming in and Hermione stood in the small queue waiting to check her wand in. When Eric had registered her wand, she made her way through the golden gates and on towards the elevators and the golden grilles. Hermione stepped inside and was about to jab button nine, when Harry held the gates open and joined Hermione in the elevator.
"You seem impatient today", Hermione chuckled as Harry jabbed button two.
"Its pandemonium up in the Auror headquarters. They called me in at five in the morning and I've been trying to reach you for ages", Harry replied.
"Why what's up, is there a new development?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You bet!" Harry replied tired, "We've caught the first group!"
PS; First of all I want to say I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting with this chapter, I know you've been waiting far too long. All I can say is I hope the next one won't take too long! I want to thank all of you for reviewing, especially starshines1988 for sending me that email, it was very sweet of you! Well I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and the next one should be there soon enough! Jessica ;-)
Hermione was not having a good night. With all the actions and revelations that occurred during the day, she was having a rather fitful sleep, tossing and turning a lot in her bed. Her dreams were filled mostly with Ron and power books that ended up exploding and causing an impending doom. Even while she was sleeping, Hermione felt completely exhausted, her mind not able to take much more of this, but when she did wake up, she felt she had slept for a hundred years, so tired she was. Hermione opened her eyes and lay in silence for a few seconds wondering what had woken her up, when she heard the shrill noise, that could only be her doorbell. Hermione, very puzzled, sat up and got out of bed, putting on her bathrobe and making her way to the front door. When she opened it a little, she saw Ron and it took her a few secondds, before she realised who it was and looked rather surprised and confused at him.
"Ron", she asked tired, "What are you doing here?" Hermione's mind was reeling, even though she was tired to her very bones. Why was Ron at her doorstep?
"I need to talk to you, can I come in?" Ron asked. Hermione looked him in the eyes for a second to see if he was sincere. He had confusion in his eyes and he looked tired and stressed.
"Sure Ron, but couldn't it have waited until morning?" Hermione asked yawning, "Its coming onto three in the morning".
"No it can't", Ron said rather urgently, and sensing the tone of his voice, Hermione opened the door wider and stepped inside. She didn't know why she was letting Ron into her apartment, after all he done to her, but she was tired and she herself had some questions.
"Is there something the matter Ron?" Hermione asked worried. Why did she suddenly care about Ron's feelings? He never cared about hers, but maybe it was the sleep talking, or lack of thereof.
"No, well actually yes, a bit", Ron replied and Hermione indicated to the sofas as she sat down in one of them. Inside she chuckled to herself, for this seemed more like something out of one of her dreams, rather than real life. She had wished and dreamt that Ron would come back to her so often, ask to talk to her and profess his undying love for her, but she knew that would never really happen. This was real life and that was her fantasy. He probably wanted some help on Harry or something along the lines of that.
"Well then you had better sit down", she said fixing her bathrobe and tying it tighter around her. Ron nodded and sat down on one couch, sitting opposite Hermione.
"Well where can I start?" Ron mused as he twiddled with his fingers and looked up at Hermione, was looking at him expectantly.
"Well start from the beginning then", Hermione replied and Ron smiled. "Tell me what the matter is!"
"Krista and I had a big fight earlier", Ron sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands. He sighed once more and looked up into Hermione's expecting eyes. "It was just after Harry and I had rescued you from the dark wizards or whatever. Krista was jealous and couldn't understand why I had gone to rescue my ex-girlfriend but I mean its you! No matter what happened between us I would still help you if you were in trouble, but Krista couldn't see that. Then she called me a commoner and that I wasn't an Auror and basically just a Quidditch player. As if to say what does he know!" Ron stopped once again and sighed, looking down on his hands. "It made me so angry that she had said I was a commoner, and you know how I am when someone implies that I'm not as good as someone else. I mean so I'm not an Auror and never done the Auror training, but hell you me and Harry have experienced more than most of the experienced Aurors ever could. We were there at the final battle when Harry defeated Voldemort, Harry sacrificed everything to save us all, and though I was not the one to kill him in the end, I still experienced a lot. I had to watch as my friends and teachers got killed right in front of me, I watched as the girl I loved get hit over and over with curses until she was but an inch from death and clinging onto life with only a thread. I was subjected to the Crucatius curse more times than I can remember. I was one of the few who saw Dumbledore die and realise our last strong chance of surviving had gone out with him. I didn't see at the time that the only real chance we had lay in my best friend, the skinny boy with the glasses lightning fork scar and terrible secret on his soul. I saw so much...", Ron sighed as he closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. "It felt so terrible and hurtful when Krista told me to leave it to people who knew what to do. She is so innocent and naive in all of this it made me so angry. So I left as soon as possible and who should confront me but Ginny! How many times she has brought me to the brink of losing my temper completely and brought me back over the edge. You could say she talked some sense into me, though not much because I'm as confused as ever. But I realised something and this something put things into a bit more of a perspective".
"And what's that Ron?" Hermione sighed, hoping against hope it would not complicate things even more for her. Her life was complicated and bad enough as it was.
"The reason everything is so bad and complicated with Krista is because of you".
"Excuse me!?" Hermione asked looking him hard in the eyes. "How has the fight with Krista and, if its true, your break-up of your relationship got to do with me?"
"Because when that article came out and those photos of you and Harry I realised that you were still part of me. When I first thought you were going out with Harry I felt like crap and then when you told me you weren't an item I felt so relieved and happy. And I've realised I still have old feelings for you. Its probably because we as a couple never had closure and now everything is getting so confusing. I need you in my life Hermione, I can't do without you. And I think my relationship with Krista is breaking up, slowly but surely", Ron sighed. He hid his face in his hands, sighing, and then looked up to see Hermione thinking hard, a frown forming on her face.
"Why are you here Ron?" she asked.
"I told you, my head is all messed up and I was hoping you could help me get some answers", Ron replied.
"So let me understand this Ron", Hermione started getting up from the couch and tying the bathrobe tighter around her. "You start having problems with Krista for some reason or another and decide, oh yeah by the way I'm not really over Hermione, so I'll just go to her and tell her I want her in my life again?" Hermione asked frowning more now. "Do you see the problem here Ron?"
"No, what are you on about?"
"Well I see the problem. Just because things are going bad for you and Krista, doesn't mean you can waltz back in my life and expect me to take you back into my life again. I've spent the last three years picking the pieces up of my life and getting things back on track again. You can't just come in here and destroy it all again. I'm not a push-over!" Hermione said her voice rising steadily.
"What?! No its not like that at all!"
"So how is it? Next you'll be telling me your relationship is going bad, because of me. You can't blame that on me, I had nothing to do with it!" Hermione asked shrilly.
"Its not that way Hermione, Krista and I breaking apart has nothing to do with you, but as its happening I realise I want you in my life. I need you Hermione", Ron sighed as he looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her senses.
Hermione shook her head, as if to banish all thoughts of rationality and drew herself up to her full height. From his angle on the couch, Hermione looked quite terrifying towering above him, her hands on her hips and the frown that had formed on her face, had deepened into a scowl. She was certainly angry and Ron felt a terrible surge of power radiating from her and he was quite unnerved. "You come barging into my house at three o clock in the morning, feeling bad because you and your girlfriend don't seem to be doing very well, blame the slow break-up of your relationship on me and have the audacity of telling me you want me back in your life", Hermione cried and Ron cowered under her fierce gaze. "Well you know what Ronald Weasley", Hermione said shouting at him her barely controlled anger breaking through the hold she was having on it. "You can just stuff your peace offering and your desire for us to be friends again for I want nothing to do with a person who can't even be responsible for his own actions. You got yourself in this mess now you can sure as hell get yourself out of it! NOW GET OUT OF MY FLAT!" Hermione screamed at him. Ron glumly nodded his head and quickly rose to his feet, for fear of her raging temper. He had a bad temper but it was nothing like Hermione's when it broke out. He looked at the floor as he made his way to the door and once he had crossed the threshold, he looked up into Hermione's flaring eyes.
"Sort your life out first before you even think of talking to me again!" Hermione said angrily, keeping her temper under control, as she slammed the door shut in his face.
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Hermione stood shaking as she leant against the door and tried to control her erratic breathing. Her anger soon died down and was replaced by trembling and tears, as she took a deep breath and sighed. She stood there for a moment as she gathered her wits and tightened the bathrobe around her. Hermione rubbed her eyes of the last of the stray tears as she looked at her watch. It read twenty to four. Hermione sighed once more, it was too late to go to bed again, plus her mind was reeling and she didn't think she could sleep anyway. Hermione slowly made her way to the bathroom, a shower was sure to help her think. Hermione turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat as she grabbed some towels from the cupboard and took off her bathrobe. The water by this time had become sufficiently hot enough and steam was beginning engulf the bathroom. Hermione took of her pyjamas and slipped into the showering, using the hot water to calm her nerves. She had no idea why she was shaking, she was always very strong and independent when she was younger, but the sight of one redhead's pleas always made her walls and guards crumble. She hated the way she was reduced to shaking and tears whenever she had to deal with Ron. Half an hour later she stepped out of the shower and dried herself, as she made her way to the kitchen with the towel wrapped firmly around her. She kettle was soon filled up with water as she made her way to her bedroom and got dressed. Ten minutes later she re-appeared in the kitchen, made herself a cup of strong tea and sat facing the window, and watching the sun slowly rise in the east.
Hermione didn't know how long she sat there just watching the sun rise, her mind shut off from those words she had heard only hours ago. When she finally came to her senses again she made herself some breakfast, a small stack of toast and a cup of coffee, while she tidied herself up, grabbed her books and left for work. Maybe ancient books and a very curious assistant might distract her from Ron's words that were still tormenting her mind. "I need you Hermione!" Hermione shook her head, banishing these thoughts and composed herself before Apparating to the Ministry.
She made her way to the Atrium as the first few people started coming in and Hermione stood in the small queue waiting to check her wand in. When Eric had registered her wand, she made her way through the golden gates and on towards the elevators and the golden grilles. Hermione stepped inside and was about to jab button nine, when Harry held the gates open and joined Hermione in the elevator.
"You seem impatient today", Hermione chuckled as Harry jabbed button two.
"Its pandemonium up in the Auror headquarters. They called me in at five in the morning and I've been trying to reach you for ages", Harry replied.
"Why what's up, is there a new development?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You bet!" Harry replied tired, "We've caught the first group!"
PS; First of all I want to say I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting with this chapter, I know you've been waiting far too long. All I can say is I hope the next one won't take too long! I want to thank all of you for reviewing, especially starshines1988 for sending me that email, it was very sweet of you! Well I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and the next one should be there soon enough! Jessica ;-)
