(A/N): Hey, I'm sorry I haven't updated in over 3 months! I've had so much homework that I haven't been even able to read my favorite fan fictions! Here's Chapter 3!

Disclaimer: I wish I did own Harry Potter, but, sadly I don't. Trust me, if I did, Sirius would not be dead. But, then again, that's why I love fan fictions. I can make the story go any way I want. evil glint in eye Muahahahaha!

Chapter Three

I've Been Alone All Along

Ron awoke the next morning feeling exactly as he had the night before. Horrible. He took his sweet time getting out of bed. He was not looking forward to the upcoming day. Hermione was the most stubborn witch he had ever met, but she was also the most amazing and brilliant witch he had ever met.

Deciding it would be no use just lying around, he forced himself up and dragged himself across the room to his dresser. As he opened the top door to grab his watch and his wand, he saw a small box out of the corner of his eye. It seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he just couldn't remember where he'd last seen it.

Out of curiosity and desperation to remember, he picked it up. He opened the small box as realization flooded his thoughts. He remembered that box. Ron found himself staring at a beautiful, glittering diamond ring, the one meant for Hermione on graduation. What stopped him from popping the question, he hazily remembered was his best friend. The chemistry between them was apparent… and Ron couldn't help being jealous. He had even told Harry in their sixth year just how much he cared about Hermione. It had been a lot of years that he hoped they would some day be more than just friends.

Friends. That was one of the cruelest words that man kind would ever know. The word that broke his heart time and time again. The word that stopped him from turning Harry in when he had last seen him. Yes, both boys knew that Ron had perfect knowledge of Harry's whereabouts. Ron knew Harry too well, but there was a slight hope that Harry was innocent. Sadly, he remembered Sirius and knew just how disappointed Sirius would have been to know of Harry's reputation.

Suddenly, Ron felt sick thinking of Sirius' fate. Sirius had been innocent from day one. The Wizarding World didn't know that until his death. Would that happen to Harry? No, Ron thought firmly to himself, he's been guilty since day one. He killed Voldemort. What would stop him from killing so many other people?

He had to, a little voice in the back of his head said to him.

Ron shook the thought away and continued to get ready. He groaned as he noticed the time on the clock. The Ministry wouldn't open for another two hours, but it was no use trying to sleep.

He ate his simple breakfast of oatmeal and toast silently suddenly feeling very lonely. His thoughts wandered to Hermione, wondering if she was alright. She had been upset after his words, but then again, he couldn't really blame her. He knew the words weren't true, but he had been looking for some reassurance from her. It had only gone all wrong for him.

Halfway through a bite of his toast, he heard a small noise. A small whimpering filled the air as he stopped eating to listen. Cautiously, his wand ready, he walked towards the door. Constant vigilance, he thought to himself sarcastically and smiled inwardly as he tried not to laugh out loud.

As he grasped the doorknob, there was a noise of frantic scratching on the door. Bracing himself he opened the door. He stared out across the empty yard ahead of him, the trees of the forbidden forest not very far from the door.

He heard the whimpering again and looked down. There sat a small fox, like creature looking up at him with huge emerald green eyes. Ron looked at the small thing and noticed a wound on its chest bleeding profusely.

Without warning, less than a few seconds later, he heard a grunt. He looked towards the trees, only to see a wolf with its dark yellow eyes fixed on him. There was something about the wolf's eyes that paralyzed him. He couldn't move a muscle. It was almost as if it were hypnotizing him. Definitely a magical creature, he thought, suddenly afraid.

The smaller fox jumped onto Ron's shoulder, suddenly awaking him out of his reverie. He looked towards his shoulder, and as he did so, he could hear the pounding footsteps of the wolf running towards his home. In a fraction of a second, he slammed the door and warded it shut with his wand.

Panting heavily, he took a second to regard the small creature that had practically saved his life. Ron removed him from his shoulder and placed him on the table.

"Hermione will know how to heal you better than I can," Ron said to the creature softly. "I barely passed that part of my auror training, but I should probably stop the bleeding."

Wordlessly, Ron waved his wand at the poor creature's wound and grabbed a wet cloth. He began to clean the dried blood. He chuckled as he heard Hermione's voice in his head. You poor thing, she would say frantically, Ron, if you would have waited another second to come to me, the poor little baby might have died. Oh, aren't you so adorable?

The creature looked at him with a confused look. "What?" Ron asked. "I don't even know what you are. No doubt Hermione will."

His reply was another confused look.

"You stupid thing," Ron said softly. "You remind me –" he trailed off not finishing his sentence. "You remind me of my time at Hogwarts."

Looking into those emerald eyes, Ron thought he saw a saddened, teary expression, but dismissed the thought.

"Did you trade eyes with Harry?" Ron asked him "Because it seems Harry has plain dull eyes… and that kind of magic is only within the most powerful of creatures…" He chuckled softly. "Go figure. I barely paid attention during my seventh year and I remember all this dark magic stuff."

He saw another confused look in those eyes and rolled his own.

"Fine, come on," he said exasperated, "Let's get you over to Hermione's… she might be mad at me, but I'm sure she'll forgive me long enough to heal you."

He walked over to the sleeping owl in the cage and wrote his letter to the Ministry informing them that he was in dire need of a vacation and would not show up that Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Sighing, he picked up the creature eyeing him and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He wasn't going to risk going outside after what had happened moments ago.

Thump. The noise filled the quiet house, and deciding to ignore it, Hermione continued to lie in bed. She was exhausted after waiting up the night before and really didn't feel like getting up to face another pointless day.

Without Harry, she thought to herself miserably.

"Hermione!"

The call filled the room and Hermione groaned in protest. "Go away! I'm tired."

Finding her in the bedroom, he walked over the edge of the bed and kneeled beside her. "Hermione," he whispered softly, "I really need your help right now."

She grunted, apparently not wanting to get up, but gave in. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Looking at her companion she jumped. "Ron!" she shouted, "What are you doing in here?" she asked grabbing the blankets and pulling them up to her neck despite the fact that she was still dressed in yesterday's clothes.

"I had to floo here because there's a massive wolf with hypnotizing powers running around my front yard. Heck, he's probably in my backyard as we speak." Ron sighed. "But, he chased… this…" he held out the little fox to Hermione, "I did the best I could to heal it, but I think he may need your expertise."

Hermione rolled her eyes but forced herself out of bed. Very grumpy, she threw one of her pillows at him. "Okay, I'll be right there, but please at least let me change."

"Hermione," Ron groaned in a nagging voice, "You don't have to look good to heal him!"

"No, I don't," Hermione agreed, "But I do have to feel good. Now get out!" She shoved Ron out the door with an incredible amount of energy that he hadn't known she had. She slammed the door and walked over to her armoire.

She mumbled to herself deciding on a pair of simple, but attractive jeans and a simple purple top topped with black, sweater like robes she had made herself. Her hair surprisingly wasn't a mess, but she put it into a messy bun nonetheless. Satisfied that she at least looked decent, she exited the room closing the door firmly behind her. She was still a little grumpy from not seeing who she had been expecting the night before.

Ron turned as he heard the door open and stood there, open mouthed. She looked great in casual clothes, instead of her formal suit robes (which – in Ron's opinion – she also looked very good in).

She stopped and looked at her reflection in a nearby mirror to make sure she looked alright. Ron was staring her as if she had something very shocking on her face… or maybe like she was wearing extremely revealing clothes. Finding nothing wrong, she dismissed the thought and walked over to him. "This better be good… I went to bed very late last night."

"Why?" Ron asked

"No particular reason," she replied in a final-like tone.

"Well," Ron said and began to relate his story.

When he had finished Hermione was regarding him skeptically. "Are you sure that's what happened? Do you remember all your exaggerated stories at Hogwarts?"

"Well, use a pensive if you must! If you've learned legitimacy (which I'm sure you probably have in your thirst for knowledge) then by all means, please!"

"Don't get upset," Hermione said exasperated. "I was just asking."

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione… she could be so annoying at times. He handed her the small creature and watched for her expression.

"Oh, you poor baby," Hermione said as Ron resisted the urge to laugh. "What did mean ole Ronnie do to you?" That shut him up.

Okay, it didn't happen exactly as Ron had imagined it in his head. Hermione congratulating him for saving the cute little "baby"; perhaps another kiss?

"Actually, Ron," Hermione said with a smile looking at his wound, "This healing is pretty good compared to the class at Hogwarts.''

"Maybe that's because Snape was the teacher," Ron chuckled.

"I wouldn't talk about dear old Severus that way if I were you," Hermione said with a wide smile, "The five year reunion is coming up and you want to be able to resist the urge."

"Well," Ron said softly, "He'll at least be happy that Harry won't be there to …" he stopped.

"Yeah," Hermione whispered as she tended to the wound. "Will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Will you be happy Harry won't be there?" Hermione asked as the huge emerald eyes turned on Ron.

"Of course not, 'Mione," Ron replied, "Harry's still like a brother to me."

Hermione stopped and looked up at Ron.

"But no one can know that," he said sadly, "My reputation would be ruined… that everything is strictly business… and I would lose my job… the only job I could ever do."

When Hermione finished healing the wound, the little creature began to cry. Hermione smiled and knew exactly how to make him feel better:

"I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me."

"Wow," Ron said as Hermione finished singing. "You should be a singer."

"I used to sing to Harry when he was down, especially after he lost Sirius," Hermione whispered. After all, she had just been thinking of him. "I asked him not to tell anyone… he never did. He was my best friend, Ron."

Ron sat and watched as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"There were things I could never tell you. Those were the things I told Harry," Hermione said softly. "I had a big crush on you in our sixth year… he never told anyone, especially not you."

Shocked from everything, especially her last statement, he sat frozen not saying a word.

"And now he's gone." The mixed sound of Hermione's crying and the small creature's whimpering filled the room. "Now I'm all alone… but, the truth is… he left me all alone a long time ago."

Unsure of what to do, Ron cautiously approached Hermione and took her in his arms. "I miss him too," he whispered to her. She looked up at him with red, swollen eyes and a tear streaked face, still as beautiful as ever in his eyes.

Without a word, Hermione tilted her head and kissed him. After a few long (and wonderful) moments, Ron pulled away and hugged her tightly. "You're not alone any more… I promise you that."

"You don't believe me," she whispered, "I am alone."

"Believe it or not… I do believe you even if I don't want to." Ron said softly, "I'm just afraid Harry will come back and take you away from me."

Hermione chuckled, but didn't reply.

Ron didn't know how long they stayed that way, but it felt like an eternity. If it were up to him, he'd hold her there for longer than an eternity. But, much to his dismay there was a disruption to their embrace as a whimpering from between them made them aware of the soul they were crushing between them.