Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor do I make any money.


Talent

When Ron woke he didn't know how long they had been asleep. The fire was almost out so it had to be late.

Propping up on his elbow, he saw that Hermione was the only person still in the common room. She evidently fell asleep again doing homework. At least that's what Ron assumed given the large, open book on her lap and in seven years of being her friend.

Looking at Hermione now, he sadly realized that this was the first time he had looked at her since that awful night in the astronomy tower. She had regretfully become a distant priority in his life as Pansy had suddenly become the most important. He couldn't explain the change. It just had happened.

And he felt powerless to fight his instincts.

He felt guilty for the way he had been treating Hermione but he just couldn't stop himself. In the past two weeks, as he pushed everyone away from him while he silently dealt with what he had seen, he couldn't honestly say he missed her: hadn't missed her nagging; the screeching tone her voice would take when she was upset; the yelling; or the fighting. He really hadn't missed her at all.

And boy did that make him feel like one talented arsehole.

He couldn't remember a time when he didn't have a crush on her. He could remember just how beautiful she was as she entered the Yule Ball and how jealous he felt – though he hadn't known what that feeling was at that time.

He couldn't put a finger on when his feelings had changed from a crush to something more. He could remember how right it felt with her in his arms at Dumbledore's funeral.

He couldn't remember his life without her in it. He could remember how he felt looking at her broken body in the parlour of Malfoy Manor and thought this may be it. She had been so limp in his arms when he Apparated to Shell Cottage; he watched her for days to come to make sure she was alive.

In those dark days, he had come to the conclusion that he loved her.

That he always had. That he always would.

Until today. Until this moment.

Right here, right now – Ron could safely say he didn't love her.

Not anymore.

He just didn't know how to tell her that. Not after everything they had been through together.

Especially since he didn't know what had changed; to change how he felt about the girl he was sure at one point he would marry.

Sighing, he looked down to the small body pressed against his that was beginning to stir; the small body that had changed his life forever.

He just wasn't sure if he actually liked the change quite yet.

He carefully and gently pulled his body up and away from her. Crawling over her, he found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her delicate features that looked so peaceful. He wanted to be in a better position to pick her up and take her to bed, because anything was better than the sofa. His feet had just touched the floor when he saw her eyes flutter open abruptly, fear running through them as she reached out to grab him.

Settling himself on the ground with her hands clutching at his shirt, he whispered as he stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her, "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

"But..." she whispered, reluctant to agree with him.

"I didn't want to wake you," he gently told her, still stroking her hair, pulling it away from her face. "But I figure the bed would be much more comfortable. You just woke up before I could move you."

"I can..." she started to say but stopped for some unknown reason.

Ron sadly wondered how long it would take before she would actually start speaking in complete sentences so he didn't have to assume what she wanted. Smiling sadly, he whispered, "Yes you can. Do you want to change out of your uniform?"

This time she didn't say anything but just nodded.

"Go on then," he said with a gentle smile. "I'll wait here for you."

He helped her to her feet; the small, genuine smile she gave him warmed his heart. Ron's eyes didn't leave her until she had entered her room up the stairs.

Sighing, he turned back around and figured he would get Hermione to go to bed too while he waited. He just didn't expect her big brown eyes to be staring at him, full of tears; eyes that were looking at him with pain and heartbreak instead of the accusations he knew he deserved.

"Hermione," he softly said moving towards her.

"Why?" her voice cracking as he knelt in front of her.

"I don't know Hermione," he whispered, pushing her hair back. "I know I'm not being fair to you and you deserve better than this, you deserve better than me. I'm not half the man you deserve."

"Ron, please tell me one thing," she whispered painfully. "What is going to happen to you when she no longer needs you and I no longer want you?"