Authors Note: I would like to thank everyone who read chapter one, you were the ones that gave me the motivation to carry on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter


Chapter Two

Ron and Hermione were sitting in a small café near the ministry. Hermione decided to take the rest of the day off since she was already ahead of the work schedule. Ron was fiddling with his napkin tearing at the ends and twisting it into different shapes. He looked over to Hermione; she was stirring her tea looking down into the tiny whirlpool she was creating.

Ron was concerned. He knew that the death of her parents had affected her in more ways he was letting on. He knew she didn't get the support she needed from her friends for that he felt horrible for. He was so caught up in his life that he forgot about the people he cared about. Something he regretted with every passing day.

Hermione looked at the mini whirlpool of tea she had created. She was reminded of how her life seemed to be, lost in a deep sea full of whirlpools without a raft to pull her to safety. She sighed as she placed the teaspoon on the table.

Ron looked up and saw that Hermione had her head resting on her small hand. She was staring at the table, with glossy eyes. Ron noticed that the sparkle in her brown eyes that was once there, had disappeared. He felt partially responsible for this, if he were there for her more then maybe she would be happier. If only her friends were all there for her then she wouldn't be in this depressed state she is in now.

Ron mentally cursed himself for letting Hermione, someone who he cared about get into that state of misery. He regretted not keeping in contact. If only he replied to her owls, taken the time to make an effort with the friendship he had then maybe he wouldn't be sitting here with a guilty conscience.

"Hermione?" Ron said softly

Hermione looked up and met Ron's gaze. She saw that his eyes were filled with guilt. She hated to see him like this; she preferred the cheerful Ron who always managed to cheer her up. She slowly moved her hand and placed it gently over Ron's, giving a comforting squeeze as she smiled lightly at him.

"Ron, I have told you before, not to feel guilty, what's done is done and you have to accept that" Hermione explained.

Ron sighed "I should be feeling guilty 'Mione, I can see how much you're hurting and you cant hide the fact. No smile will be able to hide it. Why are you so nice about it? Why are you being so kind to me after what I did?" Ron said with guilt.

"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say I hate you and Harry for abandoning me at my most time of need? That I had been there for both of you when you needed me, but both of you weren't there for me when I needed you! I was there for you Ron! I was there for you when you needed me, during the battle I helped you through! I helped you after the war but no one thought to help me when my parents were murdered! Neither you nor Harry wrote to me afterwards! It was as if I didn't exist to you anymore! Is that what you want me to say? Because I will if you want me to! I can give you are hard time about it, but I choose not to because my heart is already filled with too much heartache to hate you!" Hermione yelled. She caused half the café to a hypnotised stare.

Ron sighed, he knew deep down Hermione must be feeling that but he knew she didn't want to say it, even though she just did "I'm sorry Hermione"

Hermione sighed, calming herself from her outburst. "Ron, please stop saying sorry"

Ron smiled "Ok" He squeezed her hands to let her know that he understood and still cared.

"I won't give you a hard time about the past because it's not worth it. I can't handle hating you, even if you hadn't had come back, I still wouldn't have any hatred for you. It takes more strength to hate someone, than it is to like them. I had never, in the time that you and Harry left to do your own thing hated you. I was angry sometimes, I will tell you that, but not once did I ever hate you."

Ron had tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe how Hermione, after all this time, after all he had done, or for better words hadn't she still didn't hate him. Ron had a newly found appreciation for Hermione. He hasn't known anyone who can be civilised and kind to someone who abandoned them. He knew that he would have to make it up to her, somehow he will prove to her that he cares about her.

"You are unbelievable, you know that? I don't know anyone who can't hate the people that hurt them the most. I know you don't want me to go on about how sorry I am, I won't go into that. Sorry isn't enough, its all very well saying sorry, but I need to prove it to you 'Mione" Ron explained through small tears, he wanted to prove to Hermione that he still cared, even if she knew otherwise.

"Ron, I know how much you and Harry care about me. You do not need to prove anything that I already know. It would be pointless and a waste of your time. Neither you, nor Harry needs to prove anything to me because if you do, it will only be pointless. I know both of you needed to find yourselves after the war. I accept that, I accepted that. I knew that after the war things would change. We all needed to find out what we were destined for. We may, look back on it and find that we might have gone about it the wrong way. That still doesn't change anything we felt before. I always knew one day you would come back. When you were ready. Don't ask me why, or how I knew. I just did. I knew that despite whatever paths we took it would eventually lead us back to each other. That is why I don't hate you or Harry, Ron. Because I knew that you would come back." Hermione explained heartily. She noticed Ron's composure. He was shocked, yet happy. Sad yet relieved. She didn't know what he was feeling. One thing she knew that he was happy to see that she didn't hate him, he was happy that she didn't show any remorse. She stood up and motioned Ron to do the same. As he did she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I missed you, Ron"

"I missed you too, Hermione"


"Do you think we should have gone with Ron?" Ginny asked as she walked with Harry towards the café where Ron and Hermione were currently situated.

Harry took a deep breath "They needed some time alone together. We both know that they had chemistry together. Whether that has changed or not they still need time together. Besides it might have been to overwhelming for Hermione if all three of us turned up at the same time" Harry explained.

"True" Ginny, said "But I still think that we shouldn't have left Ron to confront her by himself. We all hurt her in some way, we should be there as well"

Harry stopped, noticing that he had stopped Ginny stopped to and turned around to see Harry looking sideways at the ground.

"Harry, look at me" Ginny asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and she noticed the sad expression on his face "I know that you feel bad for hurting Hermione like that, we all do. But you can't go round feeling sorry for yourself. What happened has happened. We can't change time, so we have to deal with it." Ginny explained.

"I know you are trying to help Ginny," Harry said as he pulled away from her "But how can I face Hermione after what I done to her? She has been there for me! She risked her life for me! How do I repay her? How do I show her I care? By abandoning her at her time of need! Death Eaters killed her mum! It was a direct attack, they were helpless! Her dad died shortly after! It wasn't two deaths at a time! It was one after the other! She needed us and we weren't there for her! So how can I even look her in the eye? After all that?" Ginny could see the pain in his eyes, the regret and sorrow of hurting one of his best friends.

Ginny drew Harry into a warming hug, she rubbed his back soothingly "Harry, please don't blame yourself. The attack wasn't your fault! Hermione doesn't blame you for the attack. Maybe if we all were there for her when she needed us, then maybe it wouldn't be so painful. We are here for her now and we need to be strong" Ginny reasoned. She knew that Harry felt immensely guilty about leaving Hermione on her own at her time of need.

"Your right, we should get going, Ron's waiting for us" Harry said as he realised Ginny and walked on ahead.


Ron released Hermione and wiped a small tear that had escaped from her eye. He took a deep breath, he knew that there was no way to stop the guilt he was feeling in his heart. He missed her all these years, he didn't know why he didn't act upon it sooner. Maybe if he did, things would have been different, but then again it was different back then.

He was always under the shadow of his older brothers, being the youngest boy in the family he needed to make a name for himself. He didn't want to be known as 'Bill's little brother' or anything like that. Things changed when he went to Hogwarts, he met Harry. After that he was always under the shadow of him. Ron has never regretted meeting Harry, they are best friends and nothing can change that. After the war, Ron needed to find himself and to truly blossom away from the shadows in his life and create that spotlight he had always urged.

Unfortunately, finding yourself, who you are meant leaving a few things behind. He regretted not being there for Hermione after Death Eaters murdered her mum, he was angry with himself for leaving a day after the funeral and not spending the time he had comforting his best friend. Shortly after he left, Hermione's dad died, he regretted not being able to attend the funeral since he was in Egypt working on an important project. He didn't see how hurt and lonely she was until today. He knew that if he had been there for her in the first place, she wouldn't be in that state.

He looked at the time and realised that Harry and Ginny were on their way. They were all planning on going to see Hermione together, but Ron thought what with the time spent apart, and the emotional expense of the occasion Ron decided to go on his own to help Hermione cope with the emotional stress that the reunion would cause.

He looked at Hermione and smiled, he was relieved when she gave him a faint smile back. He knew that she was ready, she had shed most of her tears with him, and although it killed him to see her like that he was relieved that he knew that he had learnt form his mistakes. He knew that he would never leave Hermione, or any of his friends again, they are an important part in his life and he would be devastated if he lost them.

Ron moved a lock of hair away from Hermione's face and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled as his blue eyes looked into her brown eyes. She felt something special in her heart, something she hasn't felt in years.

"Are you ready to see Harry and Ginny?" Ron asked gently.

"Yes, yes I am" Hermione replied with a feeling she hadn't truly felt in years, happiness.


Authors Note: Please review and tell me what you think

cutehelenjames