THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
by Berde


DISCLAIMER:

Harry Potter is not mine. You all know very well who owns him and all the other characters on his series, JK Rowling! I'm not so interested on owning Harry James Potter, anyway. Can I just keep Ron and Hermione? Heheh…on second thought, Ron alone would do!

The story is not entirely mine. From Anime: Yuyu Hakusho category, Varon wrote this fic entitled Violation of the Sixth Commandment—though the author removed the story for editing so you may not find it at the moment. I just thought it would do good as R/Hr story. Oh I'm very sure!

The quotes aren't mine, of course…author names and title of the works are there…don't sue me for all of these!

Well, some of the characters are mine…had to make them since I can't think of anyone from Mrs. Rowling's novel to fit such role.

And the seventh commandment is from God. Moses did go through a lot to have it and the rest of the ten. Don't you go violating any…aight!

QUICK NOTE: Edited the chapter for some reason that I don't feel too satisfied with how I had the first one—kind of feels like…oh sod it! Can't explain! Also editing the second one and will post it as soon as possible. Please, please review!


CHAPTER 1: When We Two Parted

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold
Colder thy kiss…
Byron, When We two Parted


Mr. Ronald Bilius P. Weasley
Orange Room, The Burrow
London, England

Recent events made The Team of Aurors discover your competence being a young wizard who can fight dark magic and protect our community. Possessing a logical mind, thorough knowledge of dark arts, and well-built features, we are confident that you will become an asset to the team.

Accordingly, we are calling on you for service being on probationary until you finish a classified program training.

We hope to hear from you soon.

The Team of Aurors
Ministry of Magic
London, England

Signed, Bartholomew Spencer
Auror Training Leader

Hermione carefully flipped the letter back to Ron's desk. The laughter echoed from downstairs she knew very well belonged to the Weasley kids and Harry Potter. "Ron is fulfilling a dream." She murmured to no one in particular, and the tiny owl beside the window hooted around his cage. Hermione walked slowly towards it, "We can't be selfish. I can't be." She gave the owl some feeds that pacified the animal, and Hermione watched him absently.

Ron is fulfilling a dream. She repeated on her mind for the nth time, but this still did not seem to convince her. Ron is leaving to become an Auror, but Harry—he turned the offer down to be with Ginny. Harry will stay in London, play Quidditch, and be with the girl he loves. Did that mean Ron doesn't love her?

Hermione felt a pang of being unimportant, just as she usually suspects. She has always been the bushy-brown-head, cleverest witch of Hogwarts whom many would regard. She was Hermione Jane Granger—great, special, and has proven her worth as more than just a mudblood. But this never seemed enough for a certain red-head to care more. For him, she was just Hermione, a friend—a nagger.

The tepid summer breeze danced its way inside the orange room's window. She felt it touch her face but realized how it failed to move her heavy hair. It must by the hair, she thought. Because it was not blond, and straight, nor was it flowing smoothly like a silky fabric. She bit her lower lips, couldn't be the teeth, Hermione continued on her thoughts. No, for she had Madam Pomfrey fix it during fourth year.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" she heard his voice roar that was followed by the shriek of indignation from their mother.

Hermione snorted a laugh. "I love you just the way you are." She remembered Ron blurting out those very words that almost made her heart jump out her chest. He could be annoyingly insensitive and big-mouthed, Ronald Weasley is. But he really never knew how sometimes those features she often complains to him about comes in handy.

Just like the curses that go flying out of his mouth, he never meant to tell her that. By the horrified look on his face and the color that has crawled from his ears, she could tell how he wanted to instantly disappear in front of her. But she did not let him. No. Not after six years, not at the middle of a war that could most likely take either of their lives. There wasn't any time to waste. But Hermione didn't make it easier for him. She had her friend repeat himself which he was able to do after some long minutes of stuttering and profuse blushing. And what happened after that was the most magical moment on both their lives.

So, Ron, her boyfriend for nearly five months, loves her—always had, and will always do.

But the depth of his love wasn't, in point of fact, all her worries. Voldemort had been defeated, but not all of his allies were captured. A great number of wizards from the Dark Lord's side remain in hiding. That is what new Aurors were needed for, truth be told—to capture the underhanded Death Eaters. This actually is more bothering than not being worth sacrificing a dream for, Hermione's brilliant mind kicked in. She would rather have Ron tell her upfront he isn't really in love with her and have her cry over a short-lived relationship, than not have him at all.

"Hermione?" She looked up to see the boy of her meditation, standing right before her some few feet away. She watched as he slowly stepped inside the room and pulled the door close behind him. His hair has grown a lot longer, she noticed. Still as strikingly ginger when she first met him, clashing with the color of the walls of his own room. His face was pale and his expression somewhat scrawled. If only she could see his ears, because that's usually where Hermione would resign for hints on what he's up to. "What are you doing here?" his voice was a lot firmer as he spoke. He's not a boy anymore, but a man.

Hermione fidgeted from her place, "Nothing." She answered somewhat shyly. "I was just giving Pig some…" she didn't get to finish her sentence as she saw how his eyes landed on the re-opened letter on the desk. "I just…I…re-read." She stammered, hating every bit of feeling it gave.

Ron raised an eyebrow and beamed, "Is this competition for Hogwarts: A History?" he joked as he walked forward and re-read the letter to himself.

Hermione watched him, amused. But before she could let a smile cross her lips, the tugging anxiety suddenly hit her once more. Ron is leaving. She realized from the clock on his wall that it was time for him to go. He came to bid her goodbye. His smile also vanished for the absence of her response. It grew silent. It was so silent that Hermione felt he was already gone. She felt he had left her alone. And fresh tears started to well on her eyes, however, she willed not to cry.

"You do realize it's not completely over…the war." She couldn't help to voice her fears.

He marched closer to her, breathing down her nose. "'Mione, I'm possessing a logical mind, thorough knowledge of dark arts, and well-built features…there's really nothing to worry about." Ron fanned her with the invitation letter he received from the ministry. He pulled a grin from his lips, revealing his even teeth, and gently reached his free hand to tuck some strands of his girlfriend's twisting hair behind her ears. He nodded assuring.

Hermione pursed her lips, breathing harder every second as she fought with the conflicting emotions she has built inside her chest. "How can you manage to joke, Ronald?"

He threw the parchment back on the table and clicked his forehead with hers. "I'm just new. I'm the trainee. Do you really think they'd let me handle Voldemort's cronies?" He reasoned rather reasonably, and he slid his touch down her shoulders to her arms and held her hand.

Not taking her eyes off his, Hermione clasped his hands tight as if without a single intention of letting go. "What if…?"

"Two years." Ron cut her off. Before she could protest, he continued, gaze still locked with hers. "Two years and I'll be back. Either they throw me out or I'll quit. Just give me two years."

Hermione looked away, becoming aware of the tears that have made their way down her cheeks. She untangled a hand from Ron to wipe her face. "You love Quidditch." She said, hoping it would convince him to follow their other best friend's resolution.

"Doesn't love me." He answered shortly.

"I do." She protested, returning both her eyes and hand on him.

Ron smiled, "I know. And I love you too, 'Mione. More than you know. More than anyone knows." His brows furrowed as he searched for the right words, "It's just that…"

But Hermione had heard what she wanted to hear. Ron loves her. It didn't matter how much. He loves her and that was enough. "I know...Ron, I know, this has been a dream since fourth year…I'm sorry…I'm just scared." And she really looked anxious.

"Two years, 'Mione. Then I'll come back…and marry you." He stated coolly with the familiar ear-to-ear smirk playing on his face.

This made Hermione heave a long sigh in defeat. He would never take her seriously. And that proposal, if only he hasn't used that everytime they would fight—which was very often, if you must know, it could have sounded really romantic. Actually, it did, the first time he used it. "Don't look like that, 'Mione. I know what you're trying to say, with the war and all, but really, a game of Quidditch would help us escape from the worries even for an hour. Besides, we're playing on the field inside Hogwarts…and, you've read Hogwarts: A History, so you know Voldemort couldn't just apparate his way inside the bounds of the castle. I'm telling you, after an hour we'll be back safe, sound, and less worried. You think I'd have myself killed before I get to marry you." But now, it only sounded as good as 'sorry', 'please', or 'thank you'.

Seeing that she didn't buy his words, Ron leaned closer and continued with his speech, "I'm not the boy who cried wolf, 'Mione. Everytime I tell you I'd marry you, I mean it. We just can't be married in the middle of the war. But after two years, there's no stopping me. Even if I have to tie you up to walk with me down the aisle, do you understand that?" His eyes grew more serious that they seem to have lost its bluish color…On his eyes, Hermione could only see white…which mirrored his soul.

She started. It was like hearing him offer marriage for the first time. Did her heart just stop beating, or did it just pound louder? Oh, my god, it was more than what she asked for, but it was a lot better. It was so much better she couldn't believe it was really happening. She must be dreaming. "Ron, I…" But there was a sudden feeling that hit her—a new sensation that went against her hasty bliss. It wasn't over joy, not fear, not anger…it was pain. And Hermione couldn't understand why she was hurting all of a sudden. When she looked deeper into Ron's eyes, blue was still absent and there was white…his soul…his spirit…his ghost…Hermione could not understand. She just cried.

"'Mione…please, believe in me. I will come back." He cupped her cheeks and wiped her dry. "Don't you trust me? Don't you have faith in me?"

"Ron, leave." She ordered against the incessant snuffles. "Leave, before I think of a way to stop you." She broke away from his touch. "…before I get selfish, Ron." Her voice trailed off as it was replaced with sniffs.

Ron slowly backed away from her. Fighting with himself whether to go as he had always wanted or stay and hug Hermione as he had always wanted as well And it was Hermione's soft whisper that made him decide to walk out of the room.

"Go, Ron. I do have faith in you."

He stepped forward and placed a short and soft kiss on Hermione's lips. "Wait for me, 'Mione." He pleaded before exiting the room. He marched down without looking back up, wiping his own tears, and knowing that once he stopped, he would only run back to her and stay. But he wanted to go—to prove to himself that he is worth her love—and he couldn't tell her that because she'll think it's stupid. But it's not.

Hermione walked to the window and watched Ron's back walking away. "Keep your promise, Ron." He stopped, still with his back turned to her, and raised an arm for goodbye. He knew she would be watching him. He knew her so well. This only made Hermione cry more…until he disappeared with his baggage as he touched the portkey on the far end of The Burrow's yard.


It had been three and a half years. Hermione stood on the same corner on Ron's room; beside the same window, watching the same spot at the far end of The Burrow's yard. The portkey wasn't even there anymore. Her eyes full of tears.

"Hermione?"

She wiped her tears quickly and chanted a spell to hide her swollen eyes before turning around. "Ginny."

The girl's red head popped inside the room, as if not intending at all to enter. "Well, we're about to start. And your husband is waiting for you downstairs."

Hermione nodded, took a deep breath before following her friend's direction.


AUTHOR's NOTE:

I'm back! This wasn't supposed to be my next fic, but anyway, I still have a lot to work on the other one so I'm giving you this. Quite a serious story, but there are a lot to follow…full of secrets, this one is…flash backs on first few chapters. Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticisms are still very much welcome! Thanks a bunch!