**Alright, so this is the chapter that I'm gonna start getting back to my original story in. I have made a few edits to it though, so this will be slightly different than the first Romione story I posted. And the chapters will probably be longer and maybe more often. But, as I have said, I don't have a beta, so it would be AMAZING if y'all can maybe help me out by reviewing the story:) Thanks guys, hope you like it!**
That was the last time she saw Ron. The last time she saw anyone from her old life. The night she returned from Ron's was the night that the abuse got even worse. She could no longer sleep. Every night, she woke up screaming with the nightmares that haunted her mind. She couldn't escape the abuse, even in her sleep.
Years went by with her staying with Michael, even though he was rarely sober and almost always angry. She still had hope for him. She saw that little glimmer of the old Michael in those few times he wasn't drunk. She did everything she could to keep him away from the alcohol, but it didn't help. The bruises got worse, the cuts deeper, scarring her mentally and physically. They never married. Couldn't save up the money to even get a marriage liscense. All the money went towards little food and lots of whiskey. She hated it. But she loved him, even though she knew Ron was right that he didn't love her. She loved the man who had stayed with her all those years. And she couldn't leave. This was her life now. She couldn't tear herself from it.
Five years later...
Hermione walked through the door into the pouring rain. She'd finally done it. Finally left the horrible life she'd been living. Her entire life had fallen apart in those five years since the battle. Her parents, killed by Death Eaters. Her friends turned away from her because she'd gone into depression after watching her parents die and being abused by her alcoholic fiance. She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and wondered how she had gotten to this point. How her life had turned into the Hell. She flung the ring off her finger into the yard. Tears fell down her face and she barely made it to the car before she completely broke down. She sat there, sobbing, until she finally gathered enough strength to turn on the car and leave.
She didn't even know where she was going until she pulled into the driveway. It had been so long since she'd been there. The rain was still coming as she ran from the car up to the door and rang the doorbell before she could convince herself not to. A few seconds later, a familiar face surrounded by flaming red hair opened the door. They stared at eachother for a moment. His hair had gotten longer, just barely covering his eyes. He had grown taller, standing almost a full foot over her. The rain raged around her, soaking right through her clothes and chilling her to the bone.
Ron looked into her eyes, the brown eyes he hadn't seen in over five years. His heart clenched as he took her in. Her eyes were red, and surrounded in dark circles. There were bruises covering nearly every visible inch of her body. Her hair was drenched, as was the rest of her. She looked so tired and helpless. She looked terrible. And then she was crying again. She flung herself into his arms and fell apart. He brought her to his couch and held her as she cried. As she finally admitted to what he'd known for years. The abuse. The depression. The alcohol. She told him how she hated her life, how she'd thought of suicide everyday for years. And how he was the only reason she hadn't done it. The whole time, he just sat and listened, not saying anything. She talked until she couldn't any longer, and she just layed in his arms and cried herself to sleep.
Ron watched her as she slept, hundreds of emotions racing through him. His heart had nearly stopped when she had shown up at his door. She looked so helpless, so lost. He had been so angry at her for leaving him. The day she left was still scarred into the back of his mind...
"Hermione, would you just talk to me? I'm trying to bloody help you!"
"Well stop it, Ronald, you're not helping at all!" They glared at eachother, two faces only inches from eachother, both filled with anger. She was obviously trying not to cry.
"I know he's abusing you, Hemione, why can't you admit that? I don't want him to hurt you." Tears were now freely streaming down her face.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Michael is a perfect gentleman, he wouldn't even think of-"
"Oh, come on, Hemione! You and I both know that's not true. Look at you! You're covered in bruises. I don't know why you stay with him, Hemione, you've only known him two months and it's not like that bloody bastard is even capable of love." That made her snap.
"Ronald Weasley! The people I keep in my life have nothing to do with you! The fact that you have the audacity to even say-" But the rest of her sentence was lost when Ron pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled away, there was nothing but shock in her eyes.
"I.. I should go." Then she walked out of his life.
That was the last time he'd seen her. Months later Harry had told him that she had disappeared alltogether. Completely stopped talking to any of her old friends, absorbed in her "new life" with Michael, the bloody git. As angry as Ron was at Hemione for leaving, that anger would always be covered by his love for her. When Ron had heard of the engagement his heart broke. And now, there they were. Two souls who had been separated for so many years, each secretly knowing they should be together, neither willing to be the first to admit it. She finally awoke and looked at him. Her voice was shaky.
"Ron, I.. I'm so sorry. For everything. I should've listened to you. You were right, I should've left him years ago. I shouldn't have left you."
"Then why did you? Why would you stay with him, 'Mione?"
"He helped me so much. When I was in Australia he had willingly volunteered to help me find my parents. It was too late, of course. I sat there and watched my parents be killed. I was torn apart, and he was there to comfort me. I just couldn't leave him, it was like I attached myself to him when I lost my parents. I became depressed and he turned alcoholic and abusive and I still couldn't leave. The last time I saw you, when you called him out on abusing me, I knew you were right, but I wasn't willing to admit it. I just couldn't. And then when you opened the door earlier I was so scared you would take one look at me and tell me to get lost. I thought you would hate me for everything..." She tried to look away, but before she could, Ron had grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. He tilted her head and looked her in the eye when he said, "Hermione, no matter what you do, I could never hate you." And then he kissed her.
Three days had passed and Hermione would rarely talk. She flinched everytime Ron raised a hand around her. The impact of the last five years was still obviously torturing her. Often, Ron would hear her screaming in the middle of the night, but when he went to comfort her, he found her door locked. This happened many times every night, but she refused to talk about it in the morning. And then one day Ron came downstairs and found Hermione missing. He looked all over the house and when he got to her room, he saw a note.
Dear Ron,
I know I've been a pain these past few days. I've been like this ever since the night I saw you last. I hoped it would stop when I left him, but if anything, it's getting worse. I think I know what I need to do, but it's extremely dangerous. Hopefully, when I return, if I return, you'll still feel the way you did when I first came to you the other day. Please don't look for me, I don't want you to get hurt. And before I leave I need you to know something. I love you Ron. I always have and I'm just sorry it took me so long to finally admit it.
Love always,
Hermione
The note fell from his hand. He grabbed his wand and was out the door before the note even hit the ground.