Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling and her publishers. I get nothing from this (except derisive laughter). Don't sue me, please.
It was still dark when he awakened. He tried to roll over but a small shape in the bed blocked him. He opened his eyes as saw that Hermione had curled up on his bed beside him.
Had she really forgiven me, he thought. He started crying again, but he didn't realize it. He gazed at her sleeping form.
Maybe she loves me too, he thought. Maybe there still is hope.
He pulled her close and snuggled his face to her back. Ron took her paw in his hand and fell back asleep.
- - - - -
A few weeks had passed since Ron's confession. Hermione was on the floor reading Animagi Made Easy by a wizard named Namuh Lamina. Ron sat on the sofa listening to the Cannons lose on the Wizard Wireless. Hey, he thought, it was at least by less than three hundred points tonight.
Ron smiled. He had been smiling a lot lately. He had never been as happy as he was then, despite the unusual life he led. He though of Hermione as his girlfriend, despite that she was stuck in her otter form.
Hermione finished her reading and jumped on to the sofa and lay down on Ron's lap. Ron petted her idly while he relived the lowlights of that day's match on the Quidditch post game show.
"I don't think I could live without you," he said. Hermione just looked at him and turned her head slightly askew, as if amused. Ron knew she was. He said this every night. She may have grown a bit tired of hearing it, but he did not of saying it.
"It's amazing. I mean, when I first met you, I couldn't stand you. You were so bossy, self righteous, and mean. Now, well you're still bossy." Hermione gave an irritated squeak.
"But I appreciated it now. I've appreciated it a long time. I love you."
Later, Ron went to bed and Hermione joined him, as she had since the night of his confession.
- - - - -
A month later, Ron arrived home to find only Harry in the flat.
"Ron, we have to talk," Harry said.
"What about?"
"Hermione, of course."
"She's been fine. I've haven't had any rows with her."
"It's not that, Ron, it's just that it has been over a year. We have to consider the possibility that she will never recover."
"Harry, she will. She just needs more time."
"Ron, I told you from the beginning that she may not get better. We have to decide what to do if she continues to not improve."
"What would we do?"
"Not really we, but you, Ron. I know you are holding on to hope of being with her when she has recovered."
"I'm with her now. I love her."
"I know, Ron, but I'm worried about you. You never go anywhere but work and here. She wouldn't want you to not live because of her. Maybe you should move on a bit."
"She's not dead, Harry. You're the one that intervened a few months ago when I was spending all my time away." Ron's neck began to flush red. "Now you want me to pull away from her. You wanted me to spend time with her when you threw me out for a month!"
"Ron, that was when I was more confident of her recovering. Now I don't know."
Harry continued, "I don't want you to feel obligated. This is my fault. If I hadn't dragged her with me to face Voldemort…"
"She went because she wanted to. We both did."
"You've finally found each other and you can't be together because she's an otter. It's my fault my best friends can't be together."
"She's not an otter, Harry, she's Hermione. She needs her friends to stand by her. A smart bloke told me that once. It's still true today."
Harry collapsed on the chair by the fireplace. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry." He paused. "I am just losing hope."
"It's OK Harry. I know how you feel. But there is always hope. You taught me that when you kicked me out."
Harry nodded.
"Don't make me toss your sorry arse out!" Ron smiled and said.
Harry laughed. "Thanks, Ron, you made me feel a bit better. But I'm still worried. How will you two ever be able to be together?"
"We'll manage, Harry. One way or another we'll manage."
- - - - -
Harry was right about one thing, Ron thought. He did have to face the possibility that she would not recover and what needed to be done in case of that. He would be together with Hermione no matter what. Drastic action may be necessary. Ron took out a quill and wrote a letter.
- - - - -
Another month had past with seemingly no progress. He knew she was trying, but he also knew that she wasn't that close. She wouldn't admit it. When he asked her about it, she would suddenly forget that she could understand language.
The time for action had arrived. Ron had weighed the options, and knew what he had to do.
Before they went to sleep that night, Ron took Hermione's paw in his hand.
"Hermione," he said. "I am going to give this one more month, and then I believe it will be time for more drastic action."
Hermione didn't make any reaction. Perhaps, he thought, she was pretending not to hear again.
"I have been studying some of your books, as you know. What you may not know is that I have been in correspondence with Headmistress McGonagall for the last few weeks. She has agreed to help me with what I plan to do.
Hermione tilted her head as if confused.
"With Headmistress McGonagall's help I will attempt to become an animagus. Now, I know that I cannot control what type of animal I may become, or I may fail entirely. If what I become is incompatible with you or I cannot manage to do it, I will request that she transfigure me into an otter as well. I think we could be even closer like that. I cannot live without you. I will do what it takes for us to be together. Will you support me?"
He kissed Hermione on the head. As he fell asleep he thought he saw tears in her otter eyes, but otters can't cry, can they.
- - - - -
Ron awoke with a start. It was still dark. He tried to get up and check the clock, but something was holding him down.
Bloody, hell, where's my wand, he thought. It's on the dresser, damn.
He needed to see. Maybe it being somewhere else would confuse whatever was holding him down. "Lumos," he cried.
The wand sprang to light and he saw that there was an arm holding him down. The arm was attached to the sleeping form of Hermione Granger. She was dressed in the same outfit she wore on the day of the ambush.
"Hermione!"
Hermione awoke. "Ron," she said. "Oh Ron, you really do love me. You would change yourself like that for me."
"You did it. You changed back."
"I had to. Your unselfish statement of love and your plan to keep us together gave me more strength than I knew I had. It was enough to finally make myself me again."
"You were always you," Ron said. "I was the one who was someone else this year."
"I forgive you Ron. I forgave you months ago. And Ron."
"Yes?"
"I love you too. I have for…"
But she was cut off when Ron pressed his lips against hers and kissed her.
The End