Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Harry and Hermione joined the Weasley's at the Burrow for dinner on that sad, quiet night. The Weasley clan felt the absence of Fred more intensely at mealtimes. When Fred and George left home to live above their shop in Diagon Alley, their chairs sat empty at the dining table but the twins could never be too far in a world of magic. Now, Fred was gone to a place that couldn't be reached by any spell or incantation and George was so consumed by the loss of his twin that it seemed as if he too had died.
Hermione sat at the table between Ron and Harry. She looked to her left at Ron, picking at his plate with his head down. She didn't like this new Ron. In fact, she quite missed the one who would eat so fast and so much that it made her nauseous. Hermione found that she missed more than Ron's eating habits.
In the week following the final battle, Ron and Hermione had barely spoken. She almost felt as if he had left her again, like in the forest. Hermione knew the thought was selfish, but she missed him. She missed them. Hermione looked away from Ron to survey the table. The only sounds were forks scraping against plates and feet scuffling on the floors beneath the table. The same table under which Hermione was sure Harry and Ginny slyly held hands. Mr. Weasley was paler than usual, a feat hard to accomplish for a ginger. Mrs. Weasley sipped her tea, tear tracks drying on her soft, plump cheeks. Percy sat primly and even though grieving seemed relieved to once again sit st the table with his family. Poor George was upstairs, consumed with the feeling of having lost his other half.
Harry cleared his throat suddenly. "Hermione and I both have news to share." The Weasley's all looked up from their plates in curiosity.
Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "Before June is done, I want to move to Grimmauld Place. Now that everything is over, I'd quite like to make it my home."
Hermione saw as Ginny looked at Harry and let out a small gasp.
"Harry!," she said softly.
On her left side, Hermione had felt Ron stiffen and had heard his fork clatter to his plate as he dropped it unceremoniously.
"Harry," Mrs. Weasley began, "Are you sure you must leave us so soon?"
Tears had begun to spring to Ginny's eyes.
"Mrs. Weasley, I think you've all mistook my meaning. You see, my moving to Grimmauld Place doesn't mean I won't be here everyday. You're my family. And I couldn't leave Gin could I?" As he said Ginny's name, Harry turned to face her and smirked at her. She returned a teary eyed smile. Hermione expected they'd be awake late into the night talking things over.
"Well...," Mrs. Weasley continued, "Hermione dear, what did you have to share?"
Ron was completely still as Hermione began to speak.
Hermione tried her best to keep a strong countenance and said, "I'll be going to Australia to return my parents memories. On Monday."
Before anyone could respond, Ron suddenly slammed his hands on the table, shaking the dinnerware.
"Bloody hell!," he exclaimed, before harshly pushing back his chair and stomping away from the table, and Hermione.
Ron sat on the edge of his bed, head down and hands to his knees as tears pooled in his eyes. He heard soft footfalls on the creaking steps and knew Hermione had come to him. She opened the door slowly, and quietly came to stand before him. She was bouncing on her heels as he raised his head to see her. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her jumper, stretching the knitted wool. Frizzed hair hung down over her face, escaping from the knot at the nape of her neck and she bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
"I'm sorry I'm leaving, but I need my parents."
"But Hermione, I need you!"
Hermione's expression was pained. "But how can that be fair? Must I wait for you to finish grieving before I can have my parents back? What about my grief Ron? What about my feelings Ron? What about me?"
"I've been waiting Ron, but I can't wait anymore," Hermione said, in a shaky but determined voice.
"I know you miss Fred, I know you're hurting in ways you never have before." She took a deep breath, "but I'm hurting too. I've lost too." Ron fought the urge to turn his face towards the window as the tears he'd been holding all day began to spill over.
It was so hard, he thought. He missed his brother more each day. He wasn't sure the pain would ever be easier, or leave him at all. Ron knew that in the week following the final battle, he hadn't spent much time with Hermione, but didn't she know that it meant so much just to have her in the same house? Ron often thought of the horrible hours in Malfoy Manor, hearing Hermione scream as he was trapped in a dungeon, unable to protect her from Bellatrix Lestrange. At least when she was at the Burrow, Ron knew he could protect her if he needed too. How could he protect her if she was on the other side of the world?
As Ron wrestled with his feelings internally, Hermione knew there was something she must say. "Ronald, I love you. I know you love me too. I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I've known since I saw you with—," Hermione stopped herself from saying Lavender's name. She thought of walking into the Great Hall and seeing her stiff body covered in blood, staring into nothingness. "We both know why I was so hurt when you left us in the forest. Please understand that I will still love you even in Australia, but I must do this now. Please." The pleading in Hermione's voice was almost too much for him to take, but he knew that now was the time to speak.
"'Mione," he began, "when you kissed me that night, I was happier than I'd been in months, despite being in a war. I knew I was truly forgiven — for everything."
Suddenly, Ron stood up and grabbed Hermione's forearms firmly. They were so close that she could feel his toes touching hers through their trainers, and she could smell the soap that he bathed with.
"But I didn't know Hermione, I didn't know my brother would die!", Ron's voice broke and became increasingly frazzled as tears streamed down his face, his eyes red with grief. "I didn't know I'd see dad cry, I didn't know dad could cry at all! I didn't know I'd touch Fred and he'd be cold! I didn't know that he would leave and take George with him!"
As Ron spoke, Hermione had begun to cry, her hair sticking to her face. Her chest heaved as her cries racked through her body, Ron's grip on her forearms the only thing stopping her from falling over. She silently suspected that she was keeping him upright too.
"Yes Hermione, I do love you! More than anything, I do. But its so hard to have you leave when I've lost so much. When Harry is leaving too. I know you miss your parents." Ron's voice dropped. "I heard you, you know. those nights in the tent where you would cry in bed for your parents. You felt guilty for using magic on them and you missed them."
" I know you must go," said Ron sadly, "But I'll miss you every day. Please wait for me. When you get back from Australia I promise I'll be ready for this. Ok?"
"Ok," she replied shakily with a nod of her head. Ron let her go of her arms and gently hugged her. Hermione melted into his chest, her face wetting his favorite Chudley Cannons t-shirt. They stood in a tender embrace for what was the longest five minutes in eternity before Ron awkwardly removed his hands from the small of her back and stepped backwards, hitting his thighs on the edge of the bed.
"I'll write you," Hermione said.
"I know," Ron softly smirked, tears drying on his frecked cheeks, "and I'll read every inch of parchment. Even the boring ones on Australian history and ministry shite. Give your parents my best."
Hermione's eyes dazzled as she bid Ron goodnight. When she opened the door to leave, she found Harry on the other side, fist prepared to knock. They exchanged wry expressions as Harry went to make his own case for his impending absence to his best friend. When Ron came down for breakfast the next morning, she was gone.
A/N: Well, Chapter 2 is done. What do we think? I think some could think I'm writing Ron ooc, but that's not my intention. In my head this is the kind of dialogue Ron and Hermione would have after the kiss. It's mature and they've removed a barrier which allows them to finally be open about their feelings. I also believe that experiencing the final battle would have stripped all shyness from them concerning their relationship. Being slightly distant during the first week after the battle wouldn't effect their knowledge of each other's feelings or their ability to talk freely.