Release, verb. To set free.
She smiled at her friends, laughing along with them at the stories of accidents and run-ins. She'd missed this, the weekly gatherings at the local pub or someone's home, full of people she'd known her entire life, people she didn't have to explain everything to. Full of tales from her own childhood, shared experiences, and the newest gossip from their classmates or anecdotes about their children.
They had been shocked, to say the least, when she'd shown up at Harry and Ginny's, bottle of wine in one hand and notebook in the other. Off doing research for a novel, she'd said, spur of the moment decision and one that she could never regret. They'd taken one look at the new light in her eyes, and nodded. She looked good, they said. They'd missed her, they said. Ron didn't know what to do with himself, they'd said.
She hid her cringe at the last, having put Ron firmly out of her mind while she'd been with Draco. She still loved him, still in a way he didn't deserve from the woman he'd had his heart set on for the better part of ten years. Still in a way that she didn't deserve for the man she'd resigned herself to live with. That was the problem, she knew; she'd resigned herself to be with him, knowing that even her new-found life didn't present her with the thing she wanted most, needed most from magic. But Ron was a good man, and a good friend. She could, would do this.
"Hey, 'Mione, you in there?" The man occupying her mind was suddenly occupying her vision, his blue eyes kind and red hair spiked like he'd taken to doing in lieu of cutting it as his mother wished.
"Yes, sorry, was just lost in thought for a moment. What were you saying?" She offered a small smile, one which he eagerly returned.
"I was just asking if you wanted me to walk you home?"
She blinked as she realized everyone was gathering their things and saying their goodbyes. "Yes, Ron, that would be lovely. Thank you."
She tucked her notebook in her bag, fingering her wand as she did so. She was welcome to enter the magical world at any time, and she'd already spent a few afternoons browsing the selection at Flourish and Blott's, but she hadn't seen him since he'd helped her back to her own flat and taken care of her back owed rent, offered a stilted congratulations and a cold nod. She hurried to bring her hand back out, lest she dwell too much; not even in a world of magic was she going to find a man better for her than Ronald Weasley, and she simply needed to accept that.