"Right… books sorted according to subject matter, clothes… school and recreational, ink and parchment….God I love the smell of new parchment…." I pointed to each thing in my trunk making sure I hadn't forgotten a thing.
"Hermione where did you put your cauldron?" said Ginny rummaging under her bed, I had agreed to let Ginny have my cauldron because I wasn't continuing with potions and she was. This allowed her to sell her old cauldron in Diagon Alley, and with the extra money she was able to trade in her Cleansweep Twelve at Quality Quidditch Supplies for a Nimbus Two Thousand and Two. It was not: as she and Harry had informed me, near as good as Harry's Firebolt, but it was only one year out of date and still a top of the line model.
"Somewhere in your closet…" I said.
"Oh lord…." Ginny groaned, she opened the door to her closet which was so packed there was no space to move inside. It held mountains of clothes too small for her, old toys and school books, knick knacks, and now also many things I had discarded from my small beaded purse.
"This is the problem…with being the youngest and the only girl" Ginny grunted as she tugged on the handle of my cauldron which was wedged under her Pigmypuff Arnold's old cage in between a battered paperback copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, and a worn doll house. "No one to give your old stuff to so it piles up!"
Ginny finally dislodged the cauldron and the colossal pile of junk shifted. There was a tell tale clattering towards the back that indicated something had fallen apart or spilled. Ginny looked into the cauldron and scooped out a few brightly colored barrettes and a Holyhead Harpies pin.
"Have you ever thought about cleaning that out… maybe giving a most of it to that second hand store in Diagon Alley?" I said to her.
"Are you kidding?" she said tossing the barrettes and the pin back into the mess, "Do you have any idea how long that would take?" she pushed the door of the closet closed having to give a it a slight shove to make it latch properly, then she tossed the cauldron into her haphazard trunk and snapped it shut, she had to sit on the lid to make it close.
"All done!" she said happily.
"I'll take that for you beautiful." Said Harry, who had just entered the room, he waived his wand and Ginny's trunk levitated out the door.
"Just brought mine down, your Dad is loading it into the car." He explained.
"I would like to inform you all…" announced Ron as he sauntered into the room, "you are setting a new Weasley record. For the first time in my almost nineteen years of existence, the car is being packed up and Mum has not started shouting once."
"Well that not all that surprising… we finally got rid of the one who was always holding things up!" said Ginny sticking her tongue out at him.
"Excuse me miss… oh I forgot my broom, oh I forgot my lucky jumper, oh I forgot my potions book…" said Ron putting on a ridiculous girly voice and mocking his sister.
"Oh yeah Mr. Smart arse, then you tell me how I managed to pack up all my things in half the time it usually took you, and Mum isn't yelling." Said Ginny with a hand on her hip.
"Well that's easy…" said Ron as he walked across the room and slipped his arms around my waist, "Hermione helped you."
Ginny glared at him, but had no come back, because it was very true, I had helped her find all her things, and made her list the contents of her trunk back to me so we knew she hadn't forgotten anything. Ron grinned at her smugly knowing he'd won.
"Oh shut up!" snapped Ginny as she grabbed her wand off the bed and stormed out of the room after Harry who was chuckling.
"Don't be angry because I'm right!" Ron called after her, I turned around and swatted his shoulder.
"Don't gloat…" I said sternly.
"Aww come on she deserved it…." He put his arms around me again and leaned down to brush his lips gently over mine. He then turned his attention to my trunk.
"I've got to say I have never seen a neater trunk in my life… I bet you have everything sorted according to use, subject, and alphabetical order."
"That's not true!" I defended, "They're not alphabetical!" Ron threw his head back and laughed.
"'Mione your freakish organizational skills are one of the reasons I love you.." he teased.
"Good because they're not going away…" I said with a smile, and I stood on my tip toes to give him another peck on the lips.
"I gotta be honest though… I have no idea how you'll ever live with me… I'll probably drive you crazy." He said offhandedly as he waived his wand and flipped the top of my trunk closed easily.
I froze, wand still in my hand and looked at him. I was the first time he had mentioned anything vaguely concrete about our future. Of course it wasn't that much of a surprise to me, I had known for quite awhile now, years if I was being honest, that the only person I wanted to spend my life with was him. I also couldn't deny that I had let my mind wander on more than one occasion to whether I would want to be Hermione Weasley, or Hermione Granger Weasley, or perhaps hyphenate it. Yet hearing Ron so casually mention it… it made me realize how natural it was to him as well. Ron looked up and met my eye and I could tell that he knew what I was thinking, and what I was reacting to. I saw a slight flush appear in his cheeks, he opened his mouth to speak when all of a sudden.
"Hermione are you packed? Harry and Ginny are already in the car, and for once we are actually on schedule and I would like to keep it that way!" snapped Mrs. Weasley, who had poked her head in the door breaking the trance Ron and I were in.
"All set Mrs. Weasley! We're on our way down now!" I said brightly, avoiding Ron's eye. She huffed away from the door and I turned back to Ron.
"Better not push our luck…" he said quickly grabbing the handle of my trunk, "She just slightly annoyed now, don't want her to start yelling."
The ride to King's Cross was enjoyable, but also different than usual. Mr. Weasley, who was once again in the Ministry's good graces, got us a car to take us. Ginny, Harry, Ron, and I sat comfortably in the back, the whole way there Ron never let go of my hand. I was a jumble of emotions. I was happy and excited, because I was finally going back to Hogwarts, something I had dreamed of doing the entire previous year without even knowing if it was a possibility. Hogwarts was like a piece of me, I knew I would feel whole again as soon as I stepped through the doors. Yet I was also reluctant, scared even, because as soon as I stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, I would be separated from Ron. I knew he would be close, and that I'd seem him almost everyday as soon as he got settled in Hogsmeade, but the idea of Hogwarts without Harry, Ron, and I together…felt strange, unbalanced.
Mr. Weasley parked the car at King's Cross and we all got out and loaded our things onto trolley's. Ginny was the first through the platform followed by Harry, then it was my turn. I walked briskly towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten, and felt the familiar whooshing feeling, but when I got to the other side I received a shock. Bright flashing lights assaulted me and a clamor of voices.
"Miss Granger how does it feel to be returning to Hogwarts?"
"Is it true that you Confunded your Muggle parents when you disappeared with Harry Potter last year?"
"Are the rumors about you and Ron Weasley true?"
The reporters pressed in on me from either side, I heard another whoosh behind me just as a hand grabbed my forearm from the right, Ginny pulled me out of the frenzy and a few seconds later Ron pushed through to join us, we kept our heads down and walked briskly towards the train, but the reporters followed throwing questions at us relentlessly.
"Mr Weasley why have you chosen not to return to school with the others?"
"Is it true Miss Granger that you were tortured by a Death Eater?"
"What about your relationship with Mr. Weasley? Is it true you are a couple? Some say you're only dating him because Harry Potter has reunited with Ginny Weasley, any comment?"
"WHAT?" I whirled on the spot my face flushing with heat looking for the speaker of the last comment.
"Nope, no you don't…. keep walking…" Ron said softly into my hair as he put an arm on my waist and directed me back toward the train almost picking me up in my unwillingness to withdraw from our defense.
"You make a scene you're just giving them what they want 'luv." Said Ron, he squeezed my hand as we kept walking and I felt a flare of annoyance as I heard the camera's start clicking madly.
"But… of all the fowl, evil, twisted things to say… it's disgusting and disrespectful, to all of us!" I vented.
"And everyone who matters knows what a load of rubbish it is." Said Ginny putting her arm around my waist, "Come on now we're almost there."
"Almost where?" I said, looking around, we had almost reached the last car on the train, then suddenly two things happened at once, Harry mysteriously appeared as if out of thin air standing next to the train, and the hoard of rabid reporters stopped about five feet from us looking disappointed and then began to putter around talking amongst themselves as if… we were invisible.
"A shield charm?" I said.
"Set up by Hogwarts around this last car. Only students and parents can get through. They had a feeling we'd have a bit of an issue with the press today." Harry explained walking over.
"Yeah well the press didn't reckon they have quite as much of an issue with us, Hermione almost got in a fist fight." Said Ron grinning mischievously.
"Oh I did not, shut up!" I grumbled, but I retold the story for Harry who laughed.
"Well I dunno Hermione…" he said with a silly grin, " All those late nights in the wild when Ron was gone, the romantic fires… when my eyes met yours…" I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"Yeah and then I said, 'Harry you've got soot on your nose, I'm going to bed.'"
We all roared with laughter. Just then the reporters perked up again.
"If you do not get out of my way I will hex you! And you can quote that in any magazine or newspaper you like." Spat Mrs. Weasley as she shoved her way through and past the shield with Mr. Weasley right on her tail chuckling.
"Honestly! Don't they have anything better to do?" she said gruffly as she walked up to us.
"Well… um… no Mum, they're reporters, that's their job." said Ron trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh be quiet Ronald you know what I mean." she snipped. But the corners of her mouth turned up. "Well here we are… last time on this platform." She turned to smile at us all I saw her eyes shining slightly but she took a deep breath and righted herself.
"Right you have all your things so off you go! Have an amazing final year!" she hugged and kissed Harry, Ginny and I, and Mr. Weasley gave both Ginny and I a kiss on the top of the head and hugged Harry. The first warning whistle sounded. Harry and Ginny hopped on the train with one last waive and Ron pulled me over by the carriage door away from his parents. Quite suddenly and out of no where in particular, panic exploded in me and I felt like someone put a vice on my insides. To my horror my eyes began to fill with tears.
"'Mione what wrong?" said Ron taking my face in his hands and looking at me in concern.
"I can't…" I gasped knowing in my head how utterly absurd this was but I couldn't help it I was terrified, "I can't go… not without you, you promised we wouldn't be apart again ever! What if something happens, you could be in an accident on the way home, the Death Eaters could attack the Burrow tonight, this could be the last time that I… that I…" I was hyperventilating now and tears were flowing, in my head I was mortified with how stupid I was being but I couldn't stop myself.
""Mione…. " Ron sighed, he pulled me tight against his chest crushing me in a hug, it felt like he was literally holding me together, keeping me from falling to pieces, I listened to his steady breathing and forced my own to follow it, and I calmed down. After a few moments, he pulled away and put his hands back on each side of my face.
"I love you so much." He said kissing each of my cheeks, "I'm going home, and looking or a room in Hogsmeade tonight." He kissed the tip of my nose, "I understand why your afraid… we've been through so much. But we're safe, and happy." He kissed the top of my head, "and I will never leave you again." He tilted my head up and kissed me slowly I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, feeling more powerful emotions than I have words to describe.
"Now go learn something my beautiful book worm." He said with a smile, as the train whistle blew again. He lifted my arm with our fingers entwined and spun me around once as if we were dancing and then gave me a soft push towards the door. As he did he also smacked my bum, and I jumped and giggled sheepishly not only at the gesture but at the admonishment from Mrs. Weasley in the background. I walked into the cabin and was pleased to see Neville and Luna there along with Ginny and Harry, and they were holding hands, I smiled. We all leaned out the window as the train slowly grinded into motion. Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all waived at us enthusiastically at the last moment, Ron made his hands into the shape of a heart, and then pointed at me with a wink. I knew what it meant, as we passed through the shield and they disappeared I knew his heart was on it's way to Hogwarts with me.
"Have a good night Neville!" I said happily.
"You too Hermione!" he responded, and then we both turned to climb our respective stair cases. It had been a long but enjoyable night. Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and I had received awards for special services to the school. Harry, Ron, and I had our faces put on a huge shield in the Great Hall which I knew was going to take some getting used to, and then Neville and I had been made Head Girl and Boy, Which is what lead me to the door in front of me, as Head girl I had my own room, something that both thrilled and terrified me. Having my own room would be wonderful for studying and just some time alone, but I worried about feeling lonely especially this first night in a strange room. I pushed open the door and walked in. It was beautiful, a perfectly round room the plush carpet was checkered in scarlet, emerald, royal blue, and yellow. There was a desk by the window, a fireplace with two overstuffed arm chairs, and directly opposite it, taking up a large amount of the room was the largest, most comfortable looking bed I'd ever seen, with lush velvet blankets and bed curtains of deep scarlet, no doubt to represent the House of this years Head Girl. Yet what really caught my attention was what was on the bed. It was a tray laden with objects, I ran over an assessed it, and I felt a lump in my throat. There was four chocolate frogs, a jar of peanut butter, a pot of apple spice tea with two sticks of cinnamon, a sugar quill, a vanilla scented candle, the blue blanket from Ron's bed, and his Chudley Cannons t shirt that I loved to sleep in. With it all was a note which I opened eagerly.
Bill spilled the beans about Hogwarts having the brightest, prettiest, cleverest, sexiest Head Girl it has ever seen in it's…. what four hundred years? I dunno I'll have to ask you, you've actually read Hogwarts A History. (I giggled) But anyway he helped me out with smuggling in a package of all of your absolute favorite things to help that room feel like your home, because nobody deserves it more than you Hermione. Take care of my heart for me love, see you tomorrow. ~ Yours Always Ron
I kissed the note and held it to my chest for a moment. Then lay it down and opened the lid of my trunk, I pulled out my flannel pajama pants and the little black stone tablet Ron had given me in Diagon Alley. I changed into his Cannons shirt and my pj pants and then hopped onto the bed. It was even squishier than I had imagined. I sat crossed legged on the bed and unwrapped the first chocolate frog which made a valiant jump but I caught it and slathered it in peanut butter. I began to nibble on it as I took my wand and wrote on the tablet.
"How do you always know exactly what I need? "
I took another bite of the frog and began to pour the tea as I felt the tablet grow hot on my leg. I looked down.
"Because that's my job. To make sure you are always happy."
I grinned as I wrote back.
"I love you Ronald Weasley."
I drained the cup of tea, set the tray on my night stand and lit the candle before slipping under the warm blanket and putting out the lamps with my wand. The tablet grew warm again.
"Same to you Granger. Get some sleep."
~~~~~~~
"Harry wait up!" I called as I rushed to catch up with him and Ginny, they were pushing through the crowd towards the stairs that lead to the Great Hall for dinner.
"Hey Hermione!" he said brightly, "How was your first day?"
"Absolutely brilliant!" I gushed, "Arithmancy is so fascinating when you get into the upper levels, my Ancient Runes teacher said his seventh years get to go on a day trip to the Scottish moors to look at actual ancient artifacts; and Charms! Oh Harry I wish you hadn't given it up the N.E.W.T has some of the most fascinating charms I've ever seen! And to give that up but keep potions?"
"Well I want to be an Auror Hermione… that requires a Potions N.E.W.T." he said with a shrug.
"She's right though you know…" said Ginny on his right, her arm linked through his, "Flitwick showed us some amazing things today."
"Yeah yeah… don't rub it in…" said Harry with an eye roll. Just then a bunch of second year Ravenclaw's came running down the corridor through the crowd they were being rowdy on their way to dinner and shoving each other and one of them was shoved into a Hufflepuff first year girl who dropped all her books.
"Hey!" I shouted to them, and they all looked up in apprehension, "No, horseplay or running in the halls! Now pick up her books and apologize!" I said sternly, they all looked at me grumpily, but with my Head Girl badge pinned clearly to my robes they didn't dare defy me, so they begrudgingly picked up the books and handed them to the girl with mumbled apologies.
"Well someone is having no trouble slipping into their Head Girl role…" said Harry with a grin.
"What? I'm just enforcing the rules! It's my job now." I defended.
"And I'm just saying it's one you are very suited to." Harry replied, still smirking.
"I pity your children Hermione, if they put one toe out of line…" said Ginny with a grin.
"Yeah but they'll have Ron sneaking around with them," said Harry elbowing me, "and speak of the devil."
I looked up quickly, we were about three fourths of the way down the stair case to the entrance hall. There he was, standing just outside the Great Hall grinning from ear to ear. I momentarily forgot that I had just admonished second years for running, as I flew into his waiting arms. He hugged me close picking me up off the ground and swinging me around. Now my day was perfect, I realized that now I had my heart back as well. He set me down but leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"Here I am all safe and sound just like I promised you silly bird. I miss you so much."
I giggled, my face pressed on his chest, but I realized we were creating a scene. We pulled apart and walked into the Great Hall with Harry and Ginny. I stepped back as Dean and Seamus both cheered and jumped up to slap Ron on the back. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Lavender's expression and her bright smile irked me. Ron was shaking hands and catching up with the boys as we went to take our seats, just before we sat down he froze, noticing for the first time the large decorative shield over the fireplace.
"Bloody hell….." he said slowly looking at his own head three times life size staring down at him, "Subtle is not there strong suit is it…" We all laughed as we sat down to dinner.
A few hours later we were all sitting in the common room, I was cuddled up on one of the couches with Ron. I had been silly to be worried about how different things would be, here we were the first night after classes and everything was the same, in fact, it was better. I was reading my Arithmancy homework, Professor Vector did not believe in the rule of no homework on the first day. Ron was reading as well, apparently part of his new job was doing research on various Quidditch teams. Even though we were both absorbed in our own work he had his arm flung over my shoulder, and was absentminded tracing my collarbone with his fingertips as he read. Suddenly an owl flew through the open window creating a commotion in the room. It landed on the chair next to Harry and offered him a note which he read. He the informed us that MacGonagall was offering him his own room. Bill Weasley had taken over D.A.D.A and he was living at home with Fleur instead of at the school , therefore as recognition of all the work Harry had done MacGonagall was offering the quarters to him. He barely hesitated before sending his response back. I smirked at Ginny, I knew they had been sorely missing their alone time. After a few more minutes I decided to turn in.
"Walk you to your room?" said Ron.
"You'd better!" I said back with a grin, and we left the Common Room hand in hand after a round of goodnights.
"So…. How is it that I got up here without alarms going off?" said Ron as we were standing outside the door to my room. "Your room doesn't have the same security as the girl's dormitory?"
"Oh no it does…" I replied, "but only if you try to go inside. They had to allow boys to come this far so that the Head Boy could come get the Head Girl if needed."
"So that means I can't ever go into your room?" he said looking disheartened.
"Don't be silly here stand still." I waived my wand up and down the length of him twice and said the spell. "Right your fine to come in now."
"Huh? What did you do?" he said cocking his head to the side.
"I changed your gender." I said.
"What?" he yelped, looking sharply down at himself and patting all over as if looking or differences.
I burst out laughing at him.
"Not really you goon… I changed the way that the room perceives you. It's a trick spell to get around the founders archaic rules." I pulled him into my room.
"Brilliant…" he said looking around, and I knew that was a response to what I had just explained and my room.
"So how long have you been able to pull off that little trick?" he asked, flopping across my bed like he owned the place.
"Since fifth year…" I replied as I walked over to my desk and put my Arthimancy book back on the pile there.
"Wait!" said Ron sitting up to look at me, "You've know how to do that since fifth year and you never used it on Harry and I so we could come get you in the girl's dormitory whenever we liked? That's so unfair!"
"It wasn't just my dormitory Ronald! I couldn't give you access to the personal space of all the Gryffindor girls!"
"You got free access to all the Gryffindor boys personal space… all the girls did and we didn't even get a say!" He retorted, still slightly grumpy.
"Oh don't pout…" I said walking over and joining him on the bed where I kissed him softly and all traces of his disgruntled behavior went away. "Besides I figured Lavender might have put the spell on you sixth year, a lot of girls know it. I know Ginny put it on Dean…. Come to think of it I bet Harry has it as well…"
"Ok A: if you don't stop talking about who my sister invited up to her bedroom, I will suffocate myself with your pillow! God!" he made a show of reaching for my pillow and I jumped on him to stop him and we both toppled over laughing.
"and B: While she'll never admit it, Lavender isn't the best at spells so she probably didn't want to risk it going wrong and getting caught, not to mention I tended to put all my energy into keeping her as far away from an beds or bedroom time situations as possible!" he said.
"Bedroom time situations?" I repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh shut up you know what I mean…" he said glaring but he couldn't help but smile. He brushed his hand along my cheek and looked deep in my eyes. I smiled and stretched up to put my lips on his. He kissed me softly and after a moment he parted his lips deepening the kiss. He wound his fingers in my hair and kissed me more vigorously shifting his weight so he was over top of me.
"—no…no you don't." I said pulling my lips away and sitting up.
"What? What 's wrong?" he said, looking worried.
"Nothing is wrong dear, but I am Head Girl now, and I have class in the morning and I am dedicated to be responsible… which means none of… that…tonight." I explained.
"Awww…. Hermione…" he whimpered, looking like a child being told Christmas was cancelled. I chuckled in spite of myself.
"It won't kill you… I promise." I kissed him again, "Now it's time to go back to your apartment…"
He groaned and flopped on the bed like I had mortally wounded him. I giggled as I hopped up and grabbed his arms pulling him to an unwilling standing position and directly him towards the door. I opened it and he turned in the doorway and enveloped me in his arms.
"I'll see you tomorrow. *kiss* after work *kiss* sleep well *kiss*"
"Just go already you dork!" I laughed, and I pushed him out the door shaking my head I closed the door and leaned against it and sighed happily. A knock on the door startled me, I cracked and Ron popped his head back in. "What now?" I said in pretend annoyance.
"Forgot something." He said and he pulled me into a kiss so intense it made my head spin. "Now I can go." He said with a triumphant grin, because he knew he had made me want him very badly to stay. "Night "Mione!" he winked and pulled the door shut.
"Alright Ron…. There is something fuzzy and brown in that cupboard that I think may have been alive at some point." I said in disgusted wrinkling my nose and quickly exiting the kitchen before I gagged.
It was Friday afternoon and I had agreed to come down to Ron's flat after my classes to help him clean up. He had rented a small one bedroom place above Aberforth's pub that had apparently been used as storage for several years, I looked as though it hadn't been cleaned for several years before that.
"I shall come to your rescue and vanquish the unknown icky thing my lady!" said Ron, brandishing his wand like a sword as the stomped into the kitchen and I laughed at his antics. I plopped down on his old couch which groaned under my weight, and started organizing the papers he had strewn across the table.
"Wow… not sure what animal that was… but it was bloody disgusting." said Ron coming back into the room.
"Hey Ron…" I said looking at the letter I picked up, " Why does this note from Leigh say you declined an interview?"
"Oh…" he shifted around uneasily, "Because I did…"
"But it says it was to interview the Team that's leading the league. I don't even understand much about Quidditch but I know that's probably the biggest interview of your career to date, why would you turn that down?"
"Because I don't want to do it Hermione! And you're right you don't know anything about Quidditch so drop it!" Ron snapped angrily and he snatched the paper from my hand.
I sat there in stunned silence, my eyebrows raised at his vicious attack.
"What is your problem?" I asked angrily, "I was just asking a question."
"Well maybe I don't want to explain everything I do to you!" he said his tone still spiteful.
"Everything you do?" My voice was rising now, " well excuse me! I simply was taking an interest in my boyfriend's career! I think the real issue is that there is something about this interview you don't want me to know isn't there? Isn't there?"
I realized I had stood up and was now facing him down.
"Fine." He said flatly glaring at me, "You really wanna know? It's the Bulgarian team, and I don't want that big nosed git back around. Now go on… give me the lecture I knew I was going to get."
I was floored, my mouth dropped open and I was filled simultaneously with shock and rage.
"This is about Victor Krum? Please tell me you're joking! After everything we've been through, you are still hung up on that? I cannot believe you!" I was shouting at the top of my voice now.
"See I knew this would happen!" he shouted right back, "You always get so angry at me for not liking him!"
"This isn't about liking him or not liking him! This is about a stupid grudge from god knows how long ago. And after last year, after everything we've gone through to be together. After LAVENDER! You still hold onto this?"
"I can dislike whomever I please! I'm a grown man, and I can make my own decisions about people!" Ron shouted back.
"Well that's just the point Ronald!" I yelled, "You're still acting like a child after all this time!"
"I am not acting like a child!" he bellowed back at me, "I'm perfectly allowed to interview and not interview whomever I like, and I don't want to interview him!"
"Why? Because I when to a Ball with him four years ago?" I screeched, feeling myself begin to tremble with fury.
"No! because if he comes here he'll want to see you!" shouted Ron.
"He's one of the best Seeker's of all time Ronald! It would be unprofessional to not interview him! And what does it matter if he wants to see me?" I yelled back, I wanted to slap him out of sheer frustration.
"Because!" Ron roared, "He'll try to charm his way back it! I know it, I saw the way he looked at you at Bill and Fleur's wedding and I couldn't bear it Hermione!" His voice faltered and I saw pain flash across his face as he looked at me, begging me to understand.
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, I was still furious with him for being so juvenile, but when he looked at me like that I knew he was truly upset, and how much he wanted me to understand.
He ran his hand though his hair and sighed in frustration.
"I can't stand it when other guys look at you like that because… BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU GOD DAMNIT!" Ron shouted at me.
I stared at him, I had heard him say it what felt like a million times, but in that moment looking into his desperate eyes, the reality crashed over me. He was in love with me, he felt the exact same way I felt, he would be completely lost without me, to the point where the idea of losing me terrified him so much he couldn't bear to let someone come near me that might even try to take me away. I was his whole world…
Before I knew what was happening I ran at him. I jumped into his arms causing him to lose his balance and slump against the wall. I kissed him hard putting all my pent up aggression into the kiss and he responded just as passionately, after a moment we both pulled away gasping for breath.
"You are such an idiot…" I breathed against his lips before pulling him in for another electric kiss.
Sometime later we were both lying on the couch trying to remember how to breathe correctly.
"Bloody hell….." Ron groaned in admiration and he kissed my shoulder. "Can you please promise me that we will argue more often… because that was…. Bloody hell…." I giggle.
"I guess that was our first real fight as a couple wasn't it? And what they say about making up is very true… even if I do say so myself." I grinned at him.
"Truer words were never spoke." He replied.
"But Ron…" I rolled over and put my chin on his chest so I could look him in the eye, " I need you to do something for me…"
"Anything in the universe…" he said softly running his fingers up and down my arm.
"Ron I love you. More than anything in this world, other men don't exist to me anymore… truthfully I'm not sure they ever did. Victor Krum was only ever a distraction….so you need to promise me, if something like this comes up again. You'll do it. I have no interest in seeing Victor, but you need to be able to interact with him for your career. Can you promise me you'll try, for me?"
"Yeah all right… I suppose I was being a big baby…" he said with smile.
"You think?" I leaned up to kiss him and then rolled back over putting my head against his shoulder.
"So now that we worked that out… what on earth are we going to have to fight about?" teased Ron.
"Oh I'm sure we'll find something, with how stubborn you are." I picked back.
"oh hoho… Say little miss always-has-to-have-the-last-word."
"I do not!" I said indignantly, flipping on my side to glare at him.
"Oh is that so?" he said with raised eyebrow.
"Yes it is! I am perfectly capable of letting someone else have the last word." I said.
"What is that last conversation you remember in which you let someone else have the last word?" he asked smirking now.
"I don't rememeber! But there have been plenty!" I retorted in annoyance.
"Ok fine whatever you say…" he acquiesced.
"It is what I say" I said.
"I'm agreeing with you." he said.
"Well good then" I said.
We both looked at each other for a moment trying to contain our smiles, then at the same moment we both burst into laughter. We were laughing so hard we lost our balance on the rickety old couch and toppled to the floor in a pile which just made us laugh harder.
"Ok fine…" I said gasping for breath, "Maybe I do always have to have the last word."
"It's all right… it's one of the thousands of reasons I love you." said Ron, still chuckling.
"mmmm… say that again."
"I love you… I love you… I love you…" Ron whispered, kissing down my neck as he spoke. "Always and forever, every day of forever.
"Promise?" I said putting a hand on his cheek.
"Cross my heart." He said, leaning down to kiss me.