Ch.3
"Hermione!" Ron yelled across the pier. She was standing atop a crate, searching the crowd for that familiar flaming-red hair. Unfortunately, she was looking in completely the wrong direction. "Hermione!" he hollered again. She finally turned around and spotted her much-missed friend. She jumped off her platform, ran toward Ron, and leapt into his arms, showering him with kisses.
"Ron, Ron, Ron! How have you been? I haven't seen you forever! How's your family? Does Ginny have a boyfriend? How's the joke shop? Are you ready? Let's go. We'll apparate to the apartment. Oh no! We can't! You don't know where it is. But I really don't want to go on the subway. Hmm...I say we spring for a cab. My treat. And then tonight—"
"Hermione! Slow down. One thing at a time. Okay, here we go...I'm fine. I know I've missed you, too! Family's fine. Ginny's dating Seamus now. Joke shop's alive and kicking. Yes I'm ready to go. And I'll spring for a cab. Ok?", counting off his replies on his fingers.
"Ok." Hermione said with a blush. They linked arms and headed for the street. Both of them grinning like idiots and continuing to chatter. When they found a cab Ron tentatively changed the subject to Harry.
"So, Hermione, who else have you been keeping in touch with?" he asked.
"You, my parents, a few muggle friends, and you know Lavender lives in Jersey now? What a coincidence! We have dinner every so often."
"But you don't write to Harry?" he interrogated further.
"Ronald, you know I haven't. Why would I? He doesn't want to talk to me, nor I him," she replied coolly.
"You don't know that, Hermione. He doesn't admit it, but he does miss you." Hermione rolled her eyes at this. "He does! He always asks me how you're doing, if you're okay over here in New York." Hermione made a disbelieving noise. "Well, he doesn't actually come out and say 'How's Hermione?', but whenever I mention your name I can almost see his ears perk up. I know it. But he turns stony whenever I mention Lionel. He misses you. And I think you miss him, you just don't know it."
Hermione was silent a few beats. "I doubt it, Ron," she said despairingly, and turned towards the window. She slipped into her own world, thinking of Harry. If she had been a romantic, she would have imagined a whimsical reunion with lots of kisses and tender touches and Harry telling his true love that he knew Lionel wasn't right for her because he was right for her. And they would live happily ever after.
But Hermione was not a romantic. Instead her mind raced with thoughts of having to apologize to Harry. Or never apologizing and dying old and bitter because of her stubbornness. Or, the worst thought, having Harry proved right. Not only would she have to face Harry again, and have to ask forgiveness for her blindness, but it would mean the past three years with Lionel have been a sham. And he doesn't really love her. And she'd be all alone again. Maybe not alone in a sense that she didn't have anyone to turn to, but she didn't have anyone that was hers and only hers. Someone she could embrace at night, someone she could have a family with, someone to spend the rest of her life with, someone to love. And if it wasn't Lionel she didn't know who it would be.
Even though she was still had at Harry and apologizing with not an option, she wanted to make up. And if Ron was telling the truth, Harry felt the same way. Hermione knew Harry too well to know that he wouldn't make the first move.
Ron, Hermione, and Lionel had a wonderful time together. Even though Lionel wasn't Ron's favorite person in the world (for the same exact reasons as Harry), he endured him. He never voiced his opinions to Hermione because he had seen what that had done. He didn't want to risk it. And he knew Hermione would be devastated to lose Ron as well as Harry. Another reason Ron never told Hermione (one he actually didn't know about), and Harry did was because Ron didn't love Hermione. well, he did, but not like Harry.
And those unthought romantic daydreams that never crossed Hermione's mind were exactly how Harry felt. Maybe Harry wasn't fully aware of it when they had had their altercation, but he certainly was now. Cutting Hermione out of his life hurt more than he thought it would. He wanted nothing more than for Hermione to realize her mistake and come back. He wouldn't even make her apologize. But Harry knew how stubborn she was; how stubborn he was. He knew things would never be the same.
Ron's stay was happy, yet uneventful. But his constant reminding of Harry had planted a seed in Hermione's head. Soon after Ron left she sat down at her desk and began to write a letter.
"Hermione!" Ron yelled across the pier. She was standing atop a crate, searching the crowd for that familiar flaming-red hair. Unfortunately, she was looking in completely the wrong direction. "Hermione!" he hollered again. She finally turned around and spotted her much-missed friend. She jumped off her platform, ran toward Ron, and leapt into his arms, showering him with kisses.
"Ron, Ron, Ron! How have you been? I haven't seen you forever! How's your family? Does Ginny have a boyfriend? How's the joke shop? Are you ready? Let's go. We'll apparate to the apartment. Oh no! We can't! You don't know where it is. But I really don't want to go on the subway. Hmm...I say we spring for a cab. My treat. And then tonight—"
"Hermione! Slow down. One thing at a time. Okay, here we go...I'm fine. I know I've missed you, too! Family's fine. Ginny's dating Seamus now. Joke shop's alive and kicking. Yes I'm ready to go. And I'll spring for a cab. Ok?", counting off his replies on his fingers.
"Ok." Hermione said with a blush. They linked arms and headed for the street. Both of them grinning like idiots and continuing to chatter. When they found a cab Ron tentatively changed the subject to Harry.
"So, Hermione, who else have you been keeping in touch with?" he asked.
"You, my parents, a few muggle friends, and you know Lavender lives in Jersey now? What a coincidence! We have dinner every so often."
"But you don't write to Harry?" he interrogated further.
"Ronald, you know I haven't. Why would I? He doesn't want to talk to me, nor I him," she replied coolly.
"You don't know that, Hermione. He doesn't admit it, but he does miss you." Hermione rolled her eyes at this. "He does! He always asks me how you're doing, if you're okay over here in New York." Hermione made a disbelieving noise. "Well, he doesn't actually come out and say 'How's Hermione?', but whenever I mention your name I can almost see his ears perk up. I know it. But he turns stony whenever I mention Lionel. He misses you. And I think you miss him, you just don't know it."
Hermione was silent a few beats. "I doubt it, Ron," she said despairingly, and turned towards the window. She slipped into her own world, thinking of Harry. If she had been a romantic, she would have imagined a whimsical reunion with lots of kisses and tender touches and Harry telling his true love that he knew Lionel wasn't right for her because he was right for her. And they would live happily ever after.
But Hermione was not a romantic. Instead her mind raced with thoughts of having to apologize to Harry. Or never apologizing and dying old and bitter because of her stubbornness. Or, the worst thought, having Harry proved right. Not only would she have to face Harry again, and have to ask forgiveness for her blindness, but it would mean the past three years with Lionel have been a sham. And he doesn't really love her. And she'd be all alone again. Maybe not alone in a sense that she didn't have anyone to turn to, but she didn't have anyone that was hers and only hers. Someone she could embrace at night, someone she could have a family with, someone to spend the rest of her life with, someone to love. And if it wasn't Lionel she didn't know who it would be.
Even though she was still had at Harry and apologizing with not an option, she wanted to make up. And if Ron was telling the truth, Harry felt the same way. Hermione knew Harry too well to know that he wouldn't make the first move.
Ron, Hermione, and Lionel had a wonderful time together. Even though Lionel wasn't Ron's favorite person in the world (for the same exact reasons as Harry), he endured him. He never voiced his opinions to Hermione because he had seen what that had done. He didn't want to risk it. And he knew Hermione would be devastated to lose Ron as well as Harry. Another reason Ron never told Hermione (one he actually didn't know about), and Harry did was because Ron didn't love Hermione. well, he did, but not like Harry.
And those unthought romantic daydreams that never crossed Hermione's mind were exactly how Harry felt. Maybe Harry wasn't fully aware of it when they had had their altercation, but he certainly was now. Cutting Hermione out of his life hurt more than he thought it would. He wanted nothing more than for Hermione to realize her mistake and come back. He wouldn't even make her apologize. But Harry knew how stubborn she was; how stubborn he was. He knew things would never be the same.
Ron's stay was happy, yet uneventful. But his constant reminding of Harry had planted a seed in Hermione's head. Soon after Ron left she sat down at her desk and began to write a letter.