Disclaimer: Lol.ü Who else owns Hp?

A/n: Hehe... I was actually thinking if I was still to post this or not.ü But heck, since I'm done with my hws for today, better post this now.ü Have fun then.ü

By: Aningme

Chapter 32

Dilemma

It was one heck of a party. Relina learned a few tricks with her brand new broom. Ginny couldn't help it but sentiment on everything. Ron couldn't stop brooding. And Hermione couldn't help but stare out into nothingness.

She couldn't stop thinking about him. For the whole two years.

"Baby's sleeping upstairs already." Ginny announced as everyone helped out cleaning up.

Hermione grabbed a towel and washed the dishes. "She had fun, didn't she?"

"Big time." Seamus smiled, walking towards the door to throw out the garbage.

"Thanks so much guys." Ginny smiled. "This wouldn't turn out like this if it weren't for you."

Ron and Hermione smiled. Both of them were just quiet.

Ginny smiled and followed Seamus, helping him out with the garbage.

Ron and Hermione stayed in the kitchen.

It suddenly felt weird being trapped in an ugly silence with Ron. They never had ugly silences before. Glancing a little at him, he seemed to be absent minded. He was placing the dried up dishes and cups on the wrong compartments.

He even slipped one on the floor.

"Damn it!" Ron cursed, scratching his hand with the broken glass.

Hermione just stared at him, bewildered.

"Ron." She muttered.

Ron just sat on the chair and buried his face on his uninjured hand.

She walked to him and placed a hand on his head. "Let me see."

"I'm fine."

"For Merlin's sake, Ron, I'm a doctor." Hermione insisted and grabbed his wrist. It wasn't that deep.

She grabbed a towel and pressed it on the wound, stopping the blood from gushing out. "What's wrong?" She said.

Ron just stared back at her. "Nothing."

"Stop bickering with me and just answer me." She adamantly said.

Ron scowled at her and hissed. "I'm just tired." He answered. "I'm bloody tired."

"You need a vacation." She added.

He smiled at that. "I don't know. I just don't seem to cope up with work these days." I can't cope up with that bastard Malfoy. He thought.

Hermione pulled a stool and sat beside him. "You need a break. Your empire will be just fine. You have millions of people to deal with that kind of stuff for a few days." She explained. "You really need a vacation.

He scowled again and thumped his head on the table. "I don't trust them."

Hermione smirked. "You have to. You can't run the show all by yourself." She pointed out.

He smiled. She bought it. "Maybe. Well, this is life anyway." He deduced and ran a hand across his red crop of hair.

Hermione smiled at him. "Me, I'll be having a vacation too." She muttered. She had decided. She guessed she have to tell them too.

Ron looked at her. "What?"

"I'm taking a vacation. Next week." She tried on a smile.

"Well, I guess that'll be good for you." He smiled back. "Where?"

"Well," She sighed. "Canada."

Ron stared at her blankly. She couldn't be. "You're going to find him." He said it more like a statement than a question.

Hermione's smile faded. Maybe she had to go through it the hard way. "I... It's not that simple, I know but—"

"But what?" He couldn't believe her. "He left, Hermione. He fled."

"We had a bargain, Ron." She pointed out.

"He's Malfoy, Hermione, for Pete's sake."

"He changed, Ron."

"He's a moron."

"You don't know him."

"He killed Harry."

Hermione's lips quivered. She hated hearing that. "He didn't." She amended. "Voldemort did."

Ron sighed heavily and stood up, paced. He could feel his nerves already. "He's different, Hermione. He'll just hurt you again."

"I don't care anymore." Hermione stood up too. "Ron, I'm hurting, too, waiting for him like this and waiting for the magical coincidence for us too see each other again. I'm just wasting my time."

"No. He did nothing for us but be a pain in the ass. Can't you see what he did to you!" His voice was already rising. His temper was already flickering. "Why are you even waiting for him?"

Hermione could feel it. He really hated Malfoy. "Ron, believe it or not," She started. She gulped first, feeling a lump in her throat. "Believe it or not, I love him."

"No you don't. He's playing with you."

"He's not." She uttered; her voice hardening.

Ron could see tears glimmering in her eyes. But he had to ignore it. For her sake. "Haven't you had enough of him?" He started. He felt really tired. "For all of our lives, he had done nothing to us but worsen them. He made things complicated for us. He's our enemy. Ever since."

She shook her head. "You don't know him. You haven't seen the real him."

"I saw his real self for sixteen years already!" He said; his voice thick in anger. "Hermione, don't let him trick you again."

Hermione tried to smile. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I love him, Ron." She whispered. "I really do. If I didn't, I would have forgotten about him. I would have forgotten about him for the two years that had past. But I didn't. I still remember him. I still see his face. I won't stay here any longer. I will find him. I will." She deduced, walking to the door.

But before she could walk out, Ron spoke. "Yes, you may find him."

Hermione stopped, holding on to the door knob.

Ron closed his eyes. He had to risk it. Risk hurting her. "But look around you, Herm." He muttered. He sighed, tiredly. "Look around you. He's not here." He had to do this. For her sake. "He's not looking for you."

It stabbed her deeply. Painfully. Excruciatingly.

"He's doing nothing, Herm. He doesn't care."

Hermione opened the door and slid her body outside, slamming it shut. She didn't want to hear more.

Ron just sat on the edge of the counter and pulled at his hair. He hated lying. He hated hurting her like that. But he had to. Had to protect her from him.

But then, he was not so sure of what he was doing.

Or what he did.

A/n: Now, now, don't hate Ron so much, alright?ü I just really think it's possible for them to worry about that kind of thing, you know.ü Anyways, next weekend again.ü I mean this coming weekend.ü Lol.ü

TC!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Aningme