a/n: ANOTHER CHAPTER!
One and Only
Chapter Forty-three
Ron and Hermione didn't end up getting sick from the rain and they kept their mouths shut to Harry and Ginny remembering how much they teased them when it did happen.
The Friday before N.E.W.T.s was the last meeting for the Herald office. Walking into the Herald office for the last time, it was kind of sad. There was an aura of sadness over the whole place, since this would be the last meeting for the seventh years. There were no new topics to discuss but they all pulled their chairs into a circle anyways. Ron had something he wanted to say.
"This year seems like it just flew by. It seems like only yesterday we were pulling our chairs into this circle for the first meeting.
"Since the begging of the year this paper has grown from 8 members to the 14 that we have now.
"The Hogwarts Herald could have gone no where without any of you help and I'm hoping that we're all going to bring that to the Gazette whether you'll be there this coming year or the year after that." Ron paused to see that everyone was listening intently.
"So I guess what I'm trying to say here is thank you to everyone and good luck to the sixth years for next year." Ron finished. Slowly they all started clapping. Colin stood up and walked toward Ron with a wrapped package.
"Ron, we all chipped in for this because we wanted you to have something to remember the Herald by since you founded it and all." Colin said, handing him the package. Ron smiled and opened it to discover a framed copy of the first issue of the Herald. Around the frame it had the whole staffs names on it and Ron's at the top followed by editor. Ron was speechless; he thought that leaving the Herald would be easier than this.
"Thanks." He managed to get out. "I'm gunna hang this on my office wall at the Gazette." He smiled at them all as everyone started clapping. All of the articles were done so this meeting of the Herald consisted of mingling and talking.
Ron started talking about the new staff of the Gazette with Ernie, Hannah, and Zacharis.
"Well I have a few people who left the Prophet to come work and then I've got a couple other people from other houses who weren't on the Herald but their going to be working on the spell columns and Neville will have his own Herbology column –" Ron was cut off by Smith.
"And Susan Bones is going to be the secretary. She's really organized, Ron couldn't have made a smarter decision…" He went on about it until Ernie and Hannah made an excuse to leave.
"You seem pretty crazy about her." Ron pointed out.
"Well…yeah." Zacharis said. "I think I love her."
"That's great." Ron said, in a forced friendly voice.
"Don't say anything though. I kind of just figured it out." Zacharis said.
"Sure." Ron nodded. They looked at each other before going off to find someone else to talk to, seeing as how the conversation was getting a bit weird between them. Ron started talking with Justin and Padma about how they could get advertisements for businesses in their paper.
"I already know one business we've got." Ron said with a smile, thinking of the bookshop.
"Well even the ones that are advertised in the Prophet would want more notice so by also putting an ad in the Gazette." Justin said. Ron nodded in agreement. Just then he saw Hermione slip in the door, say something to Ginny and the both of them rushed out. He wondered what it was about but continued on his conversation with Justin and Padma, forgetting about it. Around lunch Harry and Hermione came to get them and the rest of the paper office went off to lunch. Hermione came in with a book in her hand and a gigantic smile on her face. Ron noticed that it was an extremely long book.
"Look they've read it over and it's got a cover and all!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's just a sample but they're going to print up more in two weeks." She handed the book to Ron. "McGonagall just got it back and they said that they're going to give me a bunch of free copies to put in the bookstore!" She threw her arms around Ron's neck before he even had a chance to look at the book. He hugged her back and passed the book along for Harry and Ginny to look at. He congratulated Hermione again and kissed her before they decided to go to lunch.
"So what was that about before when you two went off?" Ron asked before they started to leave.
"Oh, our dresses for the ball came." Hermione said.
"Yeah we just went to take a look at them and try them on. Your dress robes came too." Ginny said.
"Can we see them?" Harry asked. Hermione and Ginny shook their heads.
"Nope." Ginny answered.
"Why not?" Ron asked.
"Because it's a surprise." Hermione said.
"A surprise?" Harry asked, disbelievingly. Again Hermione and Ginny nodded. "It's a surprise how our dress robes are going to look?" They nodded again.
"What if we don't like them?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged.
"You should. All of the lace could bring back some memories for you." Hermione said. Ron looked horrorstricken but he saw the smile on Hermione's face and saw she was only joking.
"Fine but if we happen to catch a glimpse of them while we're looking it's not our fault." Ron said. Hermione and Ginny laughed before linking arms and walking out of the paper office.
"Think we'll be able to find them?" Harry asked Ron.
"Not a chance in hell." Ron said. "Knowing them they probably hid them good."
"Yeah." Harry agreed. "Well let's hope they picked out something decent for us."
"I'm hoping." Ron said as the two walked out and to lunch.
After lunch everyone in the paper office was cleaning out their desks. It was a sadder experience than everyone thought it was going to be. Everyone was reminiscing about times at the Herald office. Ron was finding it too difficult to listen to all of it so he shut his door as he started to clear his office out. He lifted up the small stand from the top of his desk that said Ron Weasley and Editor. He smiled, remembered when Hermione gave it to him and the whole office. He placed it in a box and started to un-tack all of the Herald issues down from the wall. When he got to the pictures of him and Hermione or him and Harry or him and Ginny or the four of them he realized that it wasn't just the Herald he would be leaving forever, it was Hogwarts. There were so many memories that he had with Hermione and Harry but as he thought about it he realized that there would be new ones to come and he was with Hermione now. They had a whole future together now but he was still a bit sad as he took down the rest of their pictures with memories from all of their years. He then started emptying out file cabinets. It never occurred to him that he could use magic but it was better to do it by hand and remember things. He looked at the clock and saw that classes were over and everyone was leaving but he stayed to finish packing his things. As he was putting his editing book into the box Hermione came to the door and knocked on the doorframe.
"How's it going?" She asked softly. She knew he was having trouble with this being the last Herald meeting and all.
"Could be better." Ron answered, taking a seat and motioning for Hermione to come sit on his lap. She took the seat. "There's just so much stuff we're leaving behind. I mean for seven years this place has been our home but now we're leaving it and going to the stupid flat we had to buy." Hermione laughed.
"You don't like the flat anymore?" Hermione asked.
"Well it's not Hogwarts." Ron said.
"But it has TV." Hermione said. Ron thought about it for a second.
"Well that's about the only good thing." Ron said in a very kid-ish voice. Hermione smiled. "There's no Quidditch pitch there or no Great Hall or even the kitchens where you could go and the house elves would give you food – after giving them a tip." Ron added after seeing the look on Hermione's face.
"Honey did you just hear yourself?" Hermione asked. Ron looked at her confused. "You sounded like an eleven year old, like you were just coming into Hogwarts and not leaving it."
"So." Ron snorted. "I really don't want to leave. What if I fail my N.E.W.T.s? Do you think they'll let me stay back?" Hermione laughed again.
"Are you really that desperate to stay?" Hermione asked. She got off his lap and knelt down in front of the chair, looking at him. He put his head in his hands.
"I've been trying to be cool about this for you so you wouldn't be so worried but I don't know if I can do this Hermione. I don't want to grow up and leave." Ron said.
"But when we were kids did we ever catch a break?" Hermione asked. "Think about it. First year, we helped Harry save the Sorcerer's Stone and then second year I was petrified while you and Harry went down to the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny. Third year, you got attacked by Sirius while Harry and I went back in time to free him, fourth year, we helped Harry get through the Triwizard Tournament, fifth year we battled Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic and last year Harry killed Voldemort while you, Ginny, and I vanquished Death Eaters and sent some to Azkaban. So if you think about it we never really caught a break."
"But don't you remember the times in the years when we weren't doing all that stuff. I remember you always telling Harry and I that we needed to study but we played chess anyways then you would sit in the common room with us at practically midnight trying to help us study. Or what about when exams were done and we just sat back and relaxed or playing Quidditch, or even those times I tried to teach you how to play chess and you tried to explain Ancient Runes to me. It'll never be the same." Ron slid out of his chair and onto the floor next to Hermione. They rested against the wall as Hermione thought about what Ron said.
"It's never going to be the same again." Hermione sniffed, holding back tears. She didn't want to accept that they would be leaving Hogwarts for good. Harry came through the door and sat across from them he had been coming in and heard them. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"How're we supposed to leave this place after all of these years?" Harry asked. "It's been my only real home." It was silent for a minute, the three of them sitting there across from each other each of them thinking the same thing. They didn't want to leave the place where they felt safe, the place they had called home for the past seven years. But they knew they had to.
"We'll be alright though, right?" Hermione asked. Harry and Ron looked at each other then at Hermione.
"It's just like embarking off on a new adventure." Ron decided. Harry and Hermione smiled.
"Yeah," Harry agreed as an afterthought. "We've had so many that this one should be a piece of cake." Ron and Hermione chuckled slightly.
"But what if we don't come out victorious in this one?" Hermione asked.
"Then we try again." Ron said, finally coming to terms with the fact that they were grown up and ready to leave. "We've just got to try and not worry about the end result of it."
"Yeah Ron's right." Harry agreed. "This place – Hogwarts – has readied us for what's to come. Everything is set for us now we just have to work to make it successful. And we're not really leaving this place because it will always be here for us." Hermione smiled at her two best friends. It was almost just like old times. A tear slipped down her cheek but she knew things would be all right because she had Ron, Harry, and Ginny with her. They all stood up and when they did Hermione pulled them both in for a hug.
Sitting there, talking about it was their way of saying goodbye to their childhood and welcoming on adulthood and more responsibilities.
Ginny watched the trio from the door, smiling. She didn't want to disrupt them because she knew that it was something that the three of them had to get through by themselves. They started Hogwarts together and now they were finishing it together.
They pulled back from the hug and looked at each other. Ron put his arm around Hermione and kissed the top of her forehead, Harry motioned for Ginny to come in the room and he wrapped his arms around her.
"The four of us we'll be fine." Harry said, assuring them all.
They spent the rest of the evening reminiscing on old memories that they had and laughing. They were ready to leave Hogwarts behind them and start of on a new life.
xxx
The last issue of the Herald came out that Sunday. Ron and Hermione walked in the Great Hall and Colin handed them each a paper.
"Thanks Colin." They said as they walked by and to their seats. They read through the paper as normal and at the end was an article for people who would be interested in going into the paper the next year. When Ron was done flipping through it he smiled and folded the paper up. It came out great for the last issue and despite the depressing atmosphere that had been in the office the past week.
"You know I think this one was the best yet." Hermione said. Ron smiled at her and hugged her, kissing her on the forehead.
"Yeah it was." Ron agreed.
Later on that afternoon all of the sixth years had to be in the Great Hall so that they could order their graduation robes and caps. It was going by faster than they thought.
a/n: Whhat did you think? Please review!
Kylie
