Thanks to those who have stopped by! Sorry it's been a while...as to what follows, nobody panic, this is still a Dramione, it just didn't seem realistic to ignore Hermione and Ron's relationship. Well, none of it's realistic, but you know what I mean.
Saturday came quickly enough, and Hermione found herself making the trek to Hogsmeade to meet up with Ron. They'd been in a tentative relationship since the war was over, but Hermione wasn't sure what exactly to call them. Ron just didn't seem to have the capacity for a real relationship. She wondered if it would've been that way if things had been different, it they hadn't lost so much before the end, but she'd never know now.
She found in The Three Broomsticks with a firewhiskey in hand. The way his shoulders slumped and his eyes seemed to look forever past the toothpick he twirled between his fingers sent a wave of sorrow through her chest.
"Hello, Ron," she said, trying to make her smile look friendly rather than pitying. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She breathed in his scent, which she noticed still gave her a sense of calm and security even after everything that hadn't happened between them lately.
"'Mione. I'm glad you could come. Feels like ages since I've seen you." She smiled weakly at that because really, it had been ages.
"How's the shop? George?"
He grunted in response. "We're about to start promoting a new product. It's like a...a...er...what d'you call those lizards that disappear?"
"A cha-"
"A chameleon, that's right. You suck on it and it makes you sort of blend in with everything around you. Course, it's got nothing on Harry's cloak, but it's better than a lot of similar products out there."
"That's exciting, Ron!" she gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure it wasn't easy coming up with the charms for that."
Ron shrugged in response and took a swig of his whiskey. "It was Fred's idea, mostly. He'd almost finished it before...well." Ron trailed off and his eyes took on that blank look again.
Hermione turned away and tried to regroup. It seemed like they couldn't have a conversation anymore where Fred or Lupin or Tonks or any number of other friends they lost didn't come up. She waved down Madam Rosmerta and asked for a butterbeer to help fill the awkward silence that had come between them.
"You know what," she called Madam Rosmerta back, "I'll have a firewhiskey instead." Ron glanced at her with a flash of surprise in his eyes but said nothing.
They sat there together for a few minutes, sipping their firewhiskey, lost in their own thoughts.
"There you are." A voice behind her startled her from her reverie, and she turned to face it. She hardly had time to process who it was before Ron was on his feet with his wand in his hand.
"Back off, ferret. Nobody here wants your company." Draco eyed Ron's wand warily but either decided he thought Ron was bluffing or that he wasn't particularly threatening because he took a step forward into Ron's space and said, "actually, Weasel, I'd imagine anyone would prefer my company to yours."
Ron's wand clattered on the floor as he launched himself at Draco. The two boys (well, men really, but Hermione didn't they deserved that distinction at the moment) fell to the floor in a flurry of arms and legs. Hermione jumped back as Draco's foot shot out towards her knee.
"Wanker...son of...bloody..." Their insults flew between them, cut-off by one another's punches and their breathless fury.
Hermione noticed a small crowd of students gathering to watch the fight. She looked back at the boys again and decided she'd had enough.
A burst of wandless magic later, Ron flew back against the bar while Draco went careening off towards the crowd. Draco seemed to come to his sense almost immediately as he looked toward her with shame entering his eyes, but Ron's temper still had control of him.
"You stay away from Mione. I don't care what Harry says, one thing doesn't make up for being a prick your whole life. You probably didn't even want to do the right thing anyway, you're a bloody coward, you just saw that we were winning and you were afraid you'd end up in Azkaban like dear old dad."
The fire returned to Draco's eyes as he launched himself towards Ron again.
"What is the meaning of this?" They would know the sound of that shrill voice anywhere. Students scattered as Headmistress McGonagall approached. Ron and Draco reluctantly pulled away from one another as she drew up next to them.
"Well? Have you nothing to say for yourselves? Brawling in front of children! Mr. Malfoy, detention, and you'll return to the castle at once. You, Mr. Weasley, should count yourself quite lucky that you are no longer under my purview."
Ron smirked at Draco, but immediately wished he hadn't as McGonagall continued, "though you might prefer detention to what you mother will say when she hears of this."
Ron's smile fell from his face, and he started to bite out a protest before withering under McGonagall's gaze.
"I believe I told you to return to the castle, Mr. Malfoy." With those final words, McGonagall turned and swept out the shop.
Draco glared daggers at Ron for a moment more before turning to follow McGonagall.
Ron turned to her with an expression of disbelief.
"A project?! Why the bloody hell would you want to work with that sod?"
"Language, Ronald," Hermione huffed. "As it happens, he and I are the only students taking an accelerated study with Professor McGonagall. We literally have no choice but to work together sometimes."
"I don't like it," Ron returned, slumping back into his stool. He drained the rest of his firewhiskey and turned to look at her.
His face softened as his eyes met hers. "You're beautiful, Mione. I wish you'd come back. We could try, really try. I love you, you know."
Tears pricked Hermione's eyes as she reached out to take his hand. "I love you, too, Ron. I do." He covered her hand with his and smiled softly at her.
"Let's make a go of it then. I know I've been...well, I don't know what I've been. Wallowing, I guess. But I don't want to. Fred, he...he was always on about making people laugh, getting them to smile, you know? I feel terrible the way I've been ignoring you, it's just..."
Hermione cut him of by pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "It's alright, Ron. I'd never ask you to stop feeling your grief. But if you'd let me, I'd like to be there for you, and I'd like to think that someday, the pain won't be so deep, and maybe then we'll have chance."
Ron gave her a genuine smile and pulled her into his chest. She returned his embrace eagerly, savoring that feeling of comfort and security once again.
Outside, Draco scowled through the window as he watched the Weasel kiss Hermione. Why should he care? They were barely friends, they tolerated each other and had similar interests, that was it.
All the same, he trudged back up towards the castle thinking how nice it must be to feel wanted.
