Long live R/Hr!

Sorry, but this won't be a happy one… as much as I adore this pairing!

Anyways here is it…

Or something to that effect:

How is it, that when you really love someone, when you've loved them since you first met them, how is it, that when you finally, finally, after so many obstacles, get to be with them… it just doesn't work. And you realise that all those years of dreaming of them were for naught… and your heart breaks into a million little pieces when you say goodbye that last time.

It doesn't make much sense at all. But that's the way the story went, for you and Ron Weasley.

When you first met, people said, "Oh, you two would be perfect together!"

When you started dating, people said, "Oh, you two are just perfect together!"

When you broke up, people said, "Oh, but you two were so perfect together!"

And they were right. The two of you had been perfect. It was like the ending to a stupid romance movie… the two best friends of the Hero who defeats the Dark Lord, finally admit their undying love for each other… or something to that effect.

You loved Ron and he loved you. You were Harry Potter's faithful sidekicks, most trusted followers and closest friends. Who else should you have ended up with, but each other?

You fell for him the moment you saw him, although it took you years to admit it, but you couldn't help but wonder, did you love him for him, or did you love him because it what you were supposed to do. Then you get so incredibly confused, because you love him, you know you do, you just don't know if you're meant to be with him, because life isn't really a fairy-tale. Is it?

You'll never love anyone else like that again, you know, so maybe that makes it true love?

And then, you just get tired. You get tired of all the what-if-it-was-a-mistake-maybe-I-should-call-him, and the I-never-want-to-see-him-again-I-hate-him-so-much. And you just let it go and run its own path, or something to that effect.

Years pass, and you stay away from him and he stays away from you. You take that to mean he definitely doesn't love you and (you don't know this, though) he takes it to mean you definitely don't love him.

And then, one day, you see him again. 3 years have passed, since your Graduation from Hogwart's and that final goodbye. And you haven't once stopped thinking about him. There you are, minding your own business, grabbing a coffee from a street vendor in Muggle London, when you see him striding past. You stare at his retreating back for a moment in shock. Then you come to your senses, although that's debateable.

"Ron!" you voice comes in a high-pitched squeak, but he hears you anyway, somehow, and turns around.

His eyes widen when he sees you, but he slowly comes towards you. "Hello, Hermione… It's been a long time."

And you nod, and quite suddenly wish you hadn't called out to him. You have no idea what to say.

He stares at you questioningly for a moment, and when it becomes apparent you aren't going to say anything he asks, "How have you been?"

"Oh…alright, I suppose…"

The two of you go on to chat about everyday things, like how his Quidditch career is going, how much you love your job at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and how Harry and Ginny and their growing brood have been faring.

Ron tells an amusing story of how Sirius and James, Harry and Ginny's twin 2 ½ year old sons, had stolen Harry's broomstick and flown over the neighbours fence, only to crash land in their compost heap. You laugh, and then the inevitable uneasy silence sets in. "Well," Ron says, "I guess I should get going… I'll see you around." Before you can help yourself, you mutter, "No, you won't." He looks at you, confused. "We probably won't see each other for another 3 years, at least, and that's only if you can't help it."

He scowls at you, "That isn't fair! You've not made contact with me either!"

You turn away because you know it's true, and you hear him sigh. "Where did we go so wrong, Hermione?"

Tears swell in your eyes. "I don't know," you answer.

He nods miserably, and then murmurs, "Goodbye, Hermione"... or something to that effect.

And then he's gone and you know you won't see him again. It hurts too much, and people tend to stay away from things that hurt them.

Long ago, something had ended between the two of you, and there was nothing you could do about that. You just had to live with it, or something to that effect.

About 18 months later, you get an invitation to his wedding to Lavender Brown. And amazingly enough, you go.

The service was nice, or at least you think it was, you weren't really paying much attention. It hurt. Harry, standing next to Ron, catches you eye and smiles in pity, and you know you'll never lose Harry. Not like you lost Ron. And so, you focus solely on keeping Sirius and James under control, but that's near impossible.

You distract yourself with the kids, and with Harry and Ginny, for as long as possible, until Ron finds you.

"I didn't think you'd come," He says.

"Me neither," you reply.

He stares at you intently, then says, "Why did you?"

"I guess… I guess I just wanted to say… one last goodbye."

He smiles sadly; this is the shattering guaranteed ending, to what was perhaps the greatest love story ever told…

"Goodbye," he says. Then he turns and walks away form you, back to his new bride.

"Goodbye Ron." You whisper.

Ginny appears at your side. "Are you o.k.?" she asks.

"No. I'll never be o.k. again. This is the end of it. How could I be o.k.?" And she sighs in sympathy.

Later that night, you're lying in bed, trying to sleep. But you can't. You think of you and Ron, and of how perfect the two of you were. He couldn't ever have that with Lavender.

"I love you, Ron," you sob into your pillow, or something to that effect. You don't really know. It hurts too much to remember, and so you don't.

You just don't.

That took me about 15 minutes to figure an ending for! I know the words 'or something to that effect' don't tie in with the story in some places, but I was tired and the story was making me sad, so bear with me!

I hope you enjoyed, please R&R.

FireAtWill52 