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Secrets

A week later, Ron was still having a bit of a conundrum. On one hand he was furious at Harry for swooping in and taking charge but on the other he was almost grateful he was put in this position. Now he had to tell her.

The ministry had been very accommodating in giving Ron the time off he had asked for and then some. "You work too hard and it's about time you used some of your vacation time," his superior had told him with a chuckle. Ron had feebly argued he didn't need an entire week off, just one day for the wedding but to no avail.

If you ask me they're all in on it, he thought to himself sourly.

So there he was, four days until the wedding and standing helplessly in the middle of his bedroom trying to figure out what to pack. A half empty trunk with a broken lock was ajar in the center of the room which he looked at in faint amusement, he hadn't used it since his days at Hogwarts.

The way he saw it he needed to pack enough for three days since Harry had basically coerced him in coming earlier. Harry was expecting him in Diagon Alley tomorrow morning to buy wedding gifts before Ron could settle into the guestroom at Harry's flat. Ron decided only a few more trifles needed packed and flicked his wand to conjure extra socks and his dark blue dress robes to settle neatly into the trunk. When he was done packing he decided to take a break and fell comfortably into his bed hoping to partake in a well deserved nap.

Despite his extreme comfort he found himself unable to sleep and replaying the events of the week in his head. He thought about how he had snapped at Harry earlier and felt slightly guilty. It was just that he didn't feel like hearing 'I told you so', especially since Harry did tell him during their seventh year to quit holding back. Ron felt a touch unsettled recalling his missed opportunity to get it out in the open. It was the night before graduation and the flurry and bustle of excited seventh years had finally died down. Ron closed his eyes and tried to repress the memory but it refused to die…….

The common room was empty save for Ron and Hermione lazing contentedly on the overstuffed sofa facing the fire. Neither spoke but reflected in their own quiet thoughts and looked around the familiar common room attempting to engrave it to memory.

"We should be happy you know," said Hermione in a low voice.

Ron looked up at her and admired the way the fire flickered on her pale skin and glistened off her curls before responding a bit stupidly, "Happy?"

"Yes, happy. We have all worked so hard for the past seven years….and with Voldemort finally gone, we'll get to have a peaceful graduation…though I must admit I will miss this place," Hermione said as her eyes swept the room wistfully.

"Yeah…this place," echoed Ron in a strangled voice as he continued to stare at her. She opened a book thoughtfully before noticing his unwavering gaze.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione said curiously.

How much I'll miss you, he screamed inside his head.

"Er, you know….what we'll be doing now that school is almost behind us." Ron said while breaking the gaze.

"Well, we all know what you'll be doing," Hermione said brightly, "With the top marks you managed to make, you'll be an auror for sure." Ron only nodded in agreement halfheartedly.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, noticing his feeble response.

"We-ll, um…" TELL HER coaxed the voice inside his mind, "no, nothing's the matter," he finally said, refusing to meet her eye. Hermione ignored this display and went back to her book. For a brief moment there was nothing but the sound of pages turning and the fire sputtering when Hermione suddenly stopped reading and turned to Ron.

"Do you know what I just realized? Tomorrow will be the last day of our childhood, bit depressing don't you think?"

Ron nodded in concurrence as she continued, "It seems that with adulthood lurking around the corner it's about time for childish things to come out into the open, would you agree?" and it was with this she gave Ron a sharp look that nearly knocked him out of his seat.

Shifting uncomfortably, Ron sputtered wordlessly as his mind raced, Did she just read my mind?

"What? Do you want to tell me something?" Hermione gave him a peculiar look and scooted in towards him, "Tell me," she whispered.

Why was she so close? Ron found it near impossible to say anything and instead found himself backing away as his heart pounded uncontrollably.

"Ron, if you have something to say, say it," Hermione urged leaning into him.

He gulped, "N-nothing to say."

Hermione sat straight up looking disappointed, "Oh. Okay."

Ron gave her a curious look, was that hurt in her eyes?

"Hermione, I-" but he was cut off by Hermione standing to her feet, book clamped to her chest.

"It's getting late. I'm going to get to bed. See you in the morning," and with that she quickly departed to the girl's dormitory while Ron sat stunned, his mouth moving wordlessly.

Ron frowned to himself as he thought about what a fool he had been. Graduation Day had been so busy and eventful he never found a chance to explain himself. Then they had all gone their separate ways. Sure he still saw her from time to time but the past was something that wasn't dwelled on. Picking at a loose thread on his quilt he wondered what she was doing right now…..

As expected, Hermione Granger had found great success since graduation from Hogwarts. Her expansive abilities in ancient runes enabled her to acquire the elite position of runes translator for the Ministry of Magic. The flexible hours and out of home work allowed time to pursue her research on house elves for a book she was hoping to publish through Independent Magical Publishing. She had always hoped to take S.P.E.W. further, and with this book she figured she could do so.

Every Wednesday found Hermione in the warm and cozy tearoom down the road from her flat. Madame Marigolde's was an excellent place to cloister oneself due to the numerous floating armchairs that allowed maximum privacy. Sometimes when Hermione was feeling social she would order tea and a croissant and join the energetic circle of witches and wizards who hovered close to the center of the room and would debate and discuss the latest news.

Today she wasn't feeling so societal...she had too much work and too much on her mind right now. She ordered a pot of spiced tea and conjured up an squashy armchair and took a peek around the room looking for a spot with some privacy. Hermione sank comfortably into the inviting confines of her armchair and floated up into a insolated corner of the room. The pot of tea bobbed in the air by her arm and she poured a spot but didn't drink, instead she pulled out her half-finished manuscript from her case and decided to proofread it for the umpteenth time.

Despite her mind whirring with facts and figures, she found herself thinking about him again. Bit stupid really, she mumbled to herself, I need to quit getting off task, what with my work…and my…erm...wedding. Feeling completely rattled, she tried to concentrate on her tea but her thoughts kept drifting. Could she really go through with it? Hermione shook her head and focused on her manuscript.

She found herself getting along pretty well until she reached her short biography. "Hermione Granger is a graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and an expert in the field of Ancient Runes…." she felt too bored to read the rest, what had she been thinking? If her biography was making her fall asleep wouldn't her entire analysis cause an epidemic of narcolepsy? Crossing out the entire paragraph, she sighed deeply and tried to think of something witty to write.

Ron Weasley popped into her mind. Hermione had to admit she was rather befuddled by his recent correspondence. First he can't attend the wedding, then he can attend the wedding, and now he needs to talk to her about something? She felt a little uneasy, what did he want to talk about? Was he on to her? Out of sheer nervousness she began to transfigure her empty teacup into various random items until she turned it into a sparrow and it flew up the chimney.

"I'm getting worried over nothing, I have covered all bases, I am too clever to be caught," Hermione chanted to herself. The mantra was soothing until she remembered that Ron was an auror who specialized in deception and could usually see through plots and manipulations as if he were looking through water.

A surge of fresh guilt seared through her stomach so she attempted to push aside her moral dilemma and began to refurbish her bio. "Hermione Granger is…." her hands shook as she finished the sentence: Hermione Granger is….a liar.