DISCLAIMER: JKR own HP. Please see chapter 1 for proper disclaimer.


Chapter 13: Betrayal

Part I: What Might Have Been

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been."
Whittier, Maud Muller


Ron and Hermione had been seeing each other everyday for the past three days. It seemed like they had a non-verbal understanding not to talk about their present situation (Hermione being married to Viktor Krum). Everyday, Ron would bring Hermione to different places which are mostly grasslands. She didn't mind. She loved the smell of grass. She especially just loved being with him—seeing him smile, hearing him laugh. If Ron was not making her practice, he'd run around and chase, and both would end up toppling on the ground. Everyday was fun. And fun was something both hadn't had for the past years.

That day, when Ron had dismissed the lesson, he invited Hermione to sit with him and watch the sun set. "This is where I think." He told her softly.

"Of what?" she asked, though her eyes didn't leave the orange sky.

"Of who, you mean. You of course."

She leaned on his strong arm and whispered, "Ron."

The man, however, felt the apprehension on her voice. "There's no one to blame, 'Mione." Somehow, he knew where the conversation would lead to.

She sat up straight again, despite the comfort she felt while resting on his arms. "I want you to hear me." Hermione felt that it's time for him to know what really happened, why she married the least person he wanted to see her with.

But Ron was not ready for this, or perhaps, he never will be. He felt he didn't need to. What for? Nothing mattered anymore. What's done was done and they're both together now, after all. "I don't need to hear anything. I love you and you know that."

"I love you and you know that." She echoed, savoring his words, at the same time, making it sound as sincere.

He turned to look at her and smiled, "Yeah, that's everything that matters. I don't care where Viktor came from, I'm fairly sure he was never really anywhere in the first place."

She shook her head weakly and forced a smile back at him, although regret still obvious from her voice. "Never."

Ron looked back at the red orange, the sun has almost set. He spoke softly with a trace of sadness. "Still, I can't help hurting when at night I think of how it could've been, or should've been, me lying beside you, hugging you, kissing you...making love to you."

Hermione returned her head to rest against his shoulder, and hooked her arms on his. "They never meant anything to me. They were more like…a responsibility...being a wife, you know."

"I know." He planted a soft peck on her forehead and smelled her hair. "I'd often think that we might've been parents by now…and instead of watching the sky or the sun, we'd be looking at our children wrestling each other on that field…three boys—two of whom are twins, and then one girl who would be sitting over there (he pointed on one side, few feet away between where the boys were supposed to be and their own position), reading."

Hermione smiled inwardly, picturing how the kids would look like… "Do you know what you just did? You just made me feel sorry for my life." She said teasingly.

"Really? I'm sorry. You shouldn't add the negative feelings. Being married to Vicky must already be a living hell." He said mockingly.

Hermione took Ron's hand and entwined her fingers with his. "He's very patient, actually. Can't quite think of how to be colder to make him drive me away."

"Then again, he'd be a total git if he does that. Not that he isn't one yet. He'll just prove it more." They were quiet for a while when Ron called her name. "Hermione?"

She shifted her head to look at him without having to part with his shoulder. "Hm?"

Without thinking, Ron suddenly asked. "Do you feel bad that we're together and, you know, you're married and all."

The sky has now turned to gray. The breeze was cooler and the sound of crickets started to fill the field. Hermione was thoughtful for a moment. "A bit guilty," she said honestly and quickly added, "but it's nothing. An inch of guilt is nothing compared to a thousand miles of how happy I am." She once again looked up to him to discover that he was gazing at her intently. She game him a sweet and contented smile, "Are you happy that we're together?" Of course she knew the answer, still she wanted to hear him say.

Ron returned the smile. "I've haven't had a real smile for years." He said, and this was made very obvious by his glistening blue eyes.

"What about the Memo?" truth be told, Hermione didn't care who the girl was. Ron had mentioned her a few times but she's confident that she's the only girl Ron loves, that's why she never really bothered asking about that other girl until now, and this was just because she wanted to talk to him, hear his voice. After all, it's been three years and so that she didn't hear his voice.

"Memo?" repeated Ron. "She was the one who saved my life." he stated simply.

"I see." Hermione said and waited for him to speak more.

Ron continued, "I'm living with her, but not like that...you know...I just don't have a place to go and she doesn't have families or friends left that's why she's living alone."

"Is she nice?"

"She is. But you know I love you."

"I know."

Ron moved that Hermione had to untangle herself from him. Having freed himself from her clutch, he stood up and held his long arms towards her. "Let's take another round?"

"I thought you just said you love me?" she pouted exhaustedly.

"C'mon, you've got to practice well."

"You were taking so much twists and turns, I can't keep up with your speed." She complained but took his hand and let him pull her body to him.

Ron tugged her closer and touched her soft pinkish cheek, "Ah, but I kinda enjoy hearing you scream my name."

She rolled her eyes, "Very funny." But giggled when he tried to kiss her little nose.

When they parted, Ron got hold of their brooms. "Remember, keep with my pace and stay near me, all right?" he reminded an inattentive Hermione while handing her one broom.

"Professor, I've been practicing really hard. And you said I'm doing very well already."

They mounted the brooms simultaneously "Still, it's just three days..."

But Hermione's mind had a clever idea—impress Ron. "Shall we?" she said cutting Ron off in the process, and without further ado, zoomed into the air.

"'Mione!" he called and followed suit.


Part II: What Should Be, Would Be

What men call gallantry, and gods adultery,
Is much more common where the climate's sultry.
Byron, Don Juan


After hours of wandering in the air, Ron landed on a familiar spot which Hermione recognized at once. "Hang on..."

"Yes, you remember it right." A mischievous grin pasted on his face.

They were in the Shrieking Shack's entrance at Hogsmeade. "Are we going in?"

"Yeah, just stop by for a while. It's nice place in here. Creepy, but warm, and private." He winked at her on the last word.

Hermione raised her eyebrow, "And what exactly are you planning to do here?"

"Oh, what a dirty mind she has."

"What? It was an innocent question, Ronald!"

"Was it?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I have to tell you, I am downright disappointed." He laughed.

They were about to head in when it suddenly rained, and before they finally reached shelter, the two were already soaking wet.

"Seems like we'll be spending the night over." Ron mused as he took his wet shirt off.

Hermione blushed and looked away. "We could apparate back home though." She suddenly felt two arms enveloping her from behind. She stirred uneasily. She felt his breath and his lips on the back of her neck as it traveled slowly to her shoulders. "Ron." She protested, but he was too busy kissing her ears now. Hermione closed her eyes and savored his warmth. Without thinking, she turned around and his lips. For the first time, they let each other's kiss grew passionately, showing the hunger they feel for each other. And from that moment on, they forgot to think, or they refused to think.

X X X

Three, four…hours have passed and neither had cared. They were drowned by each other's touch, each other's love. Lying at the old and tattered bed, they were still awake. Both were tired but were refusing to sleep, afraid to find out the next day when they awake that everything had only been but a dream.

"Let's fly away from here, 'Mione." Ron whispered, as he stroked Hermione's bushy hair.

While her head was resting on his chest, he was not aware that she had been listening to his heartbeat, thinking. For a short time she had been trying to figure out what his heart was saying, Hermione realized that she hadn't been fair. Not only to Viktor (she didn't care about him, actually), but to Ron's family. She knew, even when he's quiet about it, that he's missing his family. "Start a new life? But Ron, what about my family? Your family? I think they deserve to know you're alive. What about Harry (he had always been considered as family to Ron)?"

Ron wasn't really aware of what he just said. His mind was wandering, too overwhelmed with the happiness he felt with her, and it was just after Hermione spoke that he took in his words—he didn't mean them as much as he was longing for it "I'm sorry, 'Mione. Forget what I said. We can't be together." He concluded.

She bolted up to face him, "Is this because I'm married? I'll take care of Viktor. I'll tell your family. I'll explain everything to my parents." Hermione's voice was suddenly frantic.

"No. It's not that." Ron said calmly.

"Then what?" Hermione cried. It's when Ron talking about how they can't be together that really frustrates her…hurts her. "You taught me how to fly, you'll teach me to play Quidditch. Weren't we supposed to do things together in the future? Now you're telling me..."

He cut her off, raising his own voice but keeping it firm. "Listen. I wasn't really thinking when I said that."

"That, what?" she was close to tears.

"The 'doing things together'. I was..." he was lying of course.

This time, Hermione was the one to cut him off, "What's going on, Ron? Am I such a lousy lover?" and tears dripped from her brown eyes.

"Hermione." He reached to touch her, his heart breaking into pieces seeing her cry.

Hermione slapped his hand away. "What? We were fine. Perfectly fine until we slept together."

"I don't think I'm safe to be with, all right?"

"What do you mean?" And here goes the threat of danger once again. She hated the thought that danger was still looming around and this was preventing Ron form coming back to the persons he love. It didn't make sense to Hermione. She has tried to explain that to Ron but he was adamant…he was convinced, to be more precise.

"Someone...someone could be out there waiting to finish me off."

"I don't get that at all."

"Someone tried to kill me two years ago, what if...what if..."

He would not let her voice her thoughts about how stupid this reasoning sounded, she knew that. "Then I'd die with you." she retorted unreasonably to her own extent.

"I need to go, Hermione." Ron stood up and put on his clothes.

"Ron, wait!" Hermione cried but was too late. With a soft 'puff', Ron had disappeared in front of her once again.

--

Though it took Hermione hours to recover, she had managed to apparate herself back to her house before daylight. She was still aching but seemed to have dried up that no more tears would fall from her eyes. She laid on her bed, staring at the space. She wasn't even thinking at all—not of Ron, not of what happened. Her mind was too confused and tired, it had blacked out. She heard a puff from outside the terrace, and instantly recognized Ron's flaming red hair. She seemed to have awoken from her trance and ran to the door and pulled it open.

"I'm sorry." Said Ron as he touched her face.

"I was so afraid that I'll never gonna see you again. Why do you always do that to me?" her voice was shaking but she wasn't in tears.

"Shh..." Ron placed a finger before her pale lips, "I'm sorry." He said repentantly as he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, "I'm stupid, you know that. I just don't want anything to happen to you because of me...I can't stand..."

"Ron, no one wants to kill you. If there's anyone, then they should've done it a long time ago."

"Two years ago. Or so they thought. And what if someone just recently spotted me?"

"It doesn't make sense." she retorted on an assertive tone. "Whoever wants to kill you more or less would want to kill me and Harry too...but no one's ever attempted on our lives for the past years."

This made Ron pause and contemplate for a while, "Malfoy and Lestrange's body aren't recovered yet." He finally argued.

"But if they're alive, I don't think they'll come back and risk being arrested just to kill some former enemies." Hermione said logically and somewhat impatiently, "Besides, it's not like them to avenge Voldemort's death. They didn't do it the first time he was said to be killed. All his Death Eaters went in hiding or pretending, right? And they didn't dare do anything dark until their master came back."

"I've been thinking about that too." Because he really was. It's just that Memo had put on so many words in his head, said so many things that scared him…and he thought of those too. Why would Memo lie?

"Let it go." Hermione finally said, "Let's start anew. Reveal yourself to your family." She pleaded.

"I don't think I'm ready just yet." He said, referring to meeting his family again.

"But why?"

"I don't know what to tell them. Why was I gone for long when I've been alive all along?"

"Yeah. You haven't told me the reason for that." She said as if she just remembered. Hermione stared at him hard, wanting his honest answers.

"I was hurt. I was afraid. I lost faith. I dunno." Ron only said confusedly.

"When are you going to see them?"

Ron looked on the floor, "You know what I want? I want to come out one day and say, 'Hey, I'm alive everyone...and I'm free to love Hermione...and she's free to love me, so you can't judge neither of us.'" he looked up at her and Hermione could see melancholy in his eyes. "Your neighbors, it's impossible that none of them don't see me appear on your terrace. Perhaps, they don't know it's me, but they know that there's someone, a man, who visits you and doesn't knock and enter from the main door. I'd catch them whispering while staring at your window. I'd catch them gaping up when we fly out…"

"If that's true, then sooner or later, Viktor will find out there's someone else." Hermione inhaled as she gathered her thoughts, "Let's not wait for him, Ron. Let's fly away, be gone for a long time...Let him look for me until he tires, and when he gives up, then let's go back to our families."

Ron took her hands. "Will you?"

"What?" She asked gazing deep into his eyes.

"Fly with me? Let's do it tonight."

A tear escaped Hermione's eyes, "I'd love that." She whispered and threw her arms around Ron's neck.



AUTHOR's NOTE:
Squee! Another chapter done…I'm rushing things a bit since I'm hired for work once again and will be starting on Monday. I hope you'd still stick with me even when the next installments might take a while. I'll only have weekends to write and even on those days I'd have to fight with my sisters (three of them) over the PC!

Thanks for the reviews! Hikari Daeron, I sent you a PM w/ regards to my previous job..hehe…and, I'm posting a part of it which answers your queries that other readers/reviewers might also want to know..

1. about how Voldemort died…well, I'll leave JKR to explain that because honestly speaking, I'm not very good at writing action/adventure stuffs…hehe. Let's wait for book 7 to find that out…LOL

2. about the Weasley's reaction on Hermione's marriage. Well, Hermione didn't tell anyone at all. Everyone was disappointed but I chose to just have Mrs. Weasley and Ginny speak in behalf of them...besides, I don't think that the boys would show their emotions regarding how Hermione deals with Ron's supposed death…plus, they also think she's just trying to move on.

3. and I assure you that you'll know a lot about Memo in future chapters.

4. and lastly, Hermione chose not to tell anyone (especially Ron) about her bet with Viktor Krum for fear that they would not understand. She saw Viktor right after Ron left, for one; and then she made a pact with him about marriage. Even when her agreement with Viktor proves that she has so much faith in Ron's words, it's rather illogical to say "okay, if he doesn't come back in time, I'll marry you.." most probably, no one would try to make sense out of it because even Hermione herself thought (or realized) it was stupid…her faith in Ron was overwhelming, thank you very much. But it would also seem she doesn't regard their love so much that she's willing to spend her life with another man.

P.S.: I was a bit groggy while writing the A/N for last chapter… "It was fun writing each other" was meant to be—it was fun writing this chapter! LOL…and not just that! "I'm a bug fun of fluffs" was meant to be—I'm a big fan of fluffs. Thought I should clear it, some might have been weirded-out by those statements. LMAO

And oh, Reviews please!