Chapter Twelve: The Discussion
Now that Potter Manor was practically empty Harry felt a little lonely. Sure he had Ginny, Ron and Hermione for company most of the time. Dudley was busy trying to find somewhere to take his A-Level Examinations while still studying for them. Harry was somewhat surprised when he found out what Dudley was studying, it was English Literature. Before this, Harry did not think that Dudley had ever picked up a book let alone read one. Harry was aware of some of the authors and works Dudley was studying but not as much as Hermione, who even took the time to help him when he was unsure of something. This was because Harry told Dudley he wanted him to go to University and that he would not only pay for his education but only of completion of his degree would Dudley get number four, Privet Drive, as a reward.
However, Hermione was busy with her schedule. This schedule consisted of studying for her seventh year at Hogwarts, visiting her parents on a Saturday and going with Ron to the Burrow for Sunday lunch even though Ron had not allowed his mother to greet him with her usual bear-hug. He was still upset with her for the way she had treated Hermione when he broke the news of their elopement to the rest of family.
Harry's schedule was similar to Hermione's. His differed from hers because on Saturdays he visited Sirius, Amelia and Susan at Black Cottage.
The next things that had arrived at the Manor were the invitations to the Order of Merlin Ceremony which was to take place on Friday the third of July. Harry and Ron had each new dress robes, while Ginny and Hermione bought new dresses too.
The Ceremony was to include a formal Ball at the end but the best part was that Hermione could bring her parents to the Ministry of Magic with her so they could be there when she received her award. However, it was not all wonderful in the suite she shared with Ron. They had still not discussed their plans for the coming year but with Hermione already studying, it appeared that she had made up her mind already. Ron had not said anything, there was just an odd atmosphere when they were together, and not just when they alone either. Harry and Ginny had picked up on it and could not help discussing it when they were alone together.
The second significant change at the Manor was that Ginny was now sharing a bed with Harry. This had come about after both of them suffered a bad nightmare each and they had shared a bed ever since.
The day of the award ceremony arrived and after a shower each Ron and Hermione got ready for the Ball.
'Ron, can you zip me up?' asked Hermione.
'Sure,' said Ron before turning around do up her zip without a second glance as he finished getting ready.
Once they were done they met Harry and Ginny in the foyer of the Manor before to Disapparate to Hermione's Parent's house to collect Richard and Helen. The fact that Ron and Hermione weren't talking to each other had also been picked up by her parents and the rest of the Weasleys. In fact the tension between them was unbearable as Harry had to take Hermione's mother instead of Ron as he took Ginny by side-along Apparition. They were greeted warmly by Kingsley and Amelia before they were shown to their seats.
The Ceremony itself was long and very dull. Ron sat there as he watched and listened as people received various awards. Surviving members of the D.A. had received the Order of Merlin, Third Class, while the families of the deceased members of the D.A. received the Order of Merlin, Second Class. Next had been the members of the Order of the Phoenix who survived, they were each the Order of Merlin, Second Class, while, once again, the families of the deceased members received the Order of Merlin, First Class.
Ron felt for the families who had lost loved ones. He felt that the awards though justified, were hollow, and would serve as a reminder of who had been lost.
It was now the turn of the Trio as Kingsley began to describe Hermione to those in attendance before she was invited to collect her award. The cameras flashed as she smiled with her award. Next was his turn. He barely listened as Kingsley gave him his introduction and just went on auto-pilot as he walked to collect his award. He stood next to Hermione as the cameras flashed while he gave his best smile and wrapped his arm around his wife. They were eventually joined on stage by Harry after a long-winded introduction before being given his award. Soon the cameras were flashing again as Harry stood between Ron and Hermione, with them switching places once so Hermione was in the middle before Kingsley stopped the photographers once and for all and all the members of the press were kicked out of the Ceremony so the Ball could begin.
After ten minutes, Ron fed up and wanted to go home. He had a dance with his sister and one with Hermione before he drank a few shots of Firewhiskey before finally sneaking out of the Ball and Disapparating back to Potter Manor. When he got there he stripped out of his robes to have along shower before going to bed in the other room. Within moments of his head touching his pillow he fell asleep.
When he awoke the next morning he went into the bedroom he shared with Hermione and saw that the bed had not been slept in before getting dressed and going downstairs to the kitchen where he found Harry already up and eating.
'Morning, Ron,' said Harry.
'Yeah, great,' said Ron grumpily.
'All right, what's up your arse?' said Harry coolly.
'What the fuck is that supposed to mean?' asked Ron.
'It means you've had a face like a slapped arse for over a week, so what's the problem?' said Harry.
Ron looked at Harry for a moment before saying, 'What are your plans for the next year?'
'Dunno, well, Kingsley offered me a job with the Aurors, Professor McGonagall has offered me the chance to go back to Hogwarts to finish. I'm still thinking about it to be honest, but Sirius thinks I should finish school because a; I should have a normal year of school, b; some time off from Dark Wizards, and c; he reckons mum will hex him very badly in the after-life I don't get any N.E.W.T.'s. Why?' said Harry.
'Just wondered. I mean I've been made the same offers as you and I want to join the Aurors. I don't want to go back to school and be made to follow rules twenty-four fucking seven. I don't want to sit in fucking class while I could be doing something worthwhile. But the problem is that Hermione has made up her mind and it looks like she's going back to Hogwarts to finish. We haven't discussed anything yet and she's off studying already, it's like what I want to do doesn't matter. Whenever I see her with her nose in those fucking school books I want to scream and throw the fucking things out the fucking window. It seems as though we want different things …'
'The two of you need to talk that much is obvious, but as I've listened to you, I'm leaning towards joining the Aurors too, but then I think about Ginny and whether I can stand another bloody year apart from her with her locked up safe and sound at Hogwarts. The question is do you think you could handle a whole year apart from Hermione?' said Harry.
'No, there's no fucking way I could cope with Hermione being away from me, but why should I give up my ambition to satisfy her need to break every fucking academic record Hogwarts has? I'm so fucking angry and frustrated right now, Harry. Where is she, by the way?'
'She was a bit upset so she went home with her parents,' replied Harry.
Ron said nothing but ate his breakfast with a slight scowl on his face before going back to bed.
It was late in the evening when Hermione returned to Potter Manor and the suite she shared with Ron. He was not in the living area so she checked their bedroom only to find it empty. She checked the bathroom and found that empty too. She had been told that Ron was here but then she checked the second bedroom where she found him lying awake with a stony expression on his face.
Hermione saw his expression before opening the dialogue between them.
'We need to talk.'
'About what?' he asked coolly.
'Us, and where we're going, what we're going to do this year,' she said.
'Why bother?' he said, 'you've already made up your mind and couldn't give a fuck what I might want to do!'
'What do you want to do?' she asked.
'Join the Aurors, Hermione, that's what! I don't want to go back to fucking school and have to obey the stupid fucking rules, I'm eighteen, I'm fucking done with school!'
'Well I'm not! I want to finish what I started!' she shouted.
'Of course you do, you're Hermione Granger! You have to go back so you can get the highest fucking N.E.W.T. scores in history!' he shouted in return.
'No, Ron, I'm Hermione Weasley! Remember, we got married!'
'I remember and I'm beginning to think you fucking regret it! You made up your mind and decided to go back to fucking school without so much as word and probably expected me to follow your lead and forget about what I want! So why don't you take yourself and all your school crap and go!'
Hermione burst into tears and said, 'Is that what you want? Do you really believe I regret marrying you? Well I bloody don't, Ronald! I love you more than anything in this world!'
Ron felt like crap for making her cry and wanted more than anything to say sorry and hold her tight in his arms but he did neither.
'I don't want you to go! Of course I don't, it would fucking kill me! We're eighteen, Hermione; we're too old for Hogwarts and all its fucking rules! I don't want to sit in fucking class bored out of my fucking skull and being dictated to!' he shouted.
'All I want to do is earn my place in the Ministry! I don't want it on the back of helping to kill Voldemort! We've already been rewarded for that with the Order of Merlin, First Class, and over twenty million Galleons! I want to finish school and pass my N.E.W.T.'s so nobody can say I didn't earn whatever job I go for! Can't you understand that?' she said as she wiped her eyes.
Truthfully, Ron could see where she was coming from, but the thought of going back to school and being treated like a child would piss him off something chronic.
'It still feels like you're saying it's your way or the highway …' said Ron.
'I'm not saying that at all, Ron, I promise. My thinking is that if we finish school together we might get to be Head Girl and Head Boy and we would share a living space similar to the one we already do, and while we're finishing, our new house will be getting built, won't it?' said Hermione logically.
Ron looked at her for a moment and what she said made perfect sense, so he said, 'If and I mean, if, I get the letter with the Head Boy badge inside it, I'll go back with you, but only if you are Head Girl, do we have a deal?'
Hermione gave him an electric smile and said, 'Yes, Ron, we have a deal.'
'Seal it with a kiss?' he asked.
Hermione said nothing but just jumped on top of her husband and kissed him passionately.
'I love you, Hermione,' said Ron.
'I love you too, Ron,' she replied.
'Did you bring your dress home?' he asked.
'Yes, it's in our room, why?'
'Because I want you to go and put it on and I'll put on my dress robes and we'll have the dance we should have had last night,' he said softly.
'All right, then,' she said and together they walked into their bedroom and changed into their clothes from the previous night.
When they were both ready, Ron said, 'You look absolutely fucking beautiful, Hermione Jean Weasley.'
Her dress was light blue with straps over her shoulders and its hem stopped at her knees.
'You look absolutely fucking wonderful, Ronald Bilius Weasley,' she replied.
His dress robes were black with gold trim on the lapels and the sides of trousers.
Ron turned on the radio and a slow song had just started.
'May I have this dance, my Lady?' he asked.
'You may,' she said before she took his hand and he pulled her securely into his arms and they began to slow dance together.
Once the slow song ended another began to play and so they continued to dance as their lips met for another deep kiss.
'I do believe that was our first row as a couple …' said Ron.
'You're right, it was and it took us four years …' she whispered.
'Would you care for us to make up properly?' he whispered.
'What do you mean?' she asked.
'Make up sex, of course, we've never had make up sex before, have we?' he asked.
'No, we haven't, let's do it,' she said and then without another word Ron swept her off her feet and carried her into their bedroom as they kissed.
He set her back down on her feet before he was kissing her again. As they kissed they helped one another out of their clothes and once they were naked Ron scooped her up and carried her over to the bed and placed her down on upon it before getting on top of her.
He started to kiss on the lips before moving down to her neck and around to the spot under her ear lobe before taking it into his mouth. He kissed his way down her body as she whimpered his name as she was becoming more aroused. Once he was lying between her legs he began to kiss her inner thighs causing her to whimper even more as he moved to her wet pussy and began to lick her.
'Oh … Ron … yes …' she moaned as he licked her and put her legs on his shoulders.
'Mm, love you, love your legs, love your wet pussy, Hermione …'
'Love it by licking it, Ron … oh, yes, right there … oh, God … more … please, don't stop … oh … oh, God … oh, fuck …'
Ron then pushed her left leg from his shoulder so he could use his fingers.
'Oh, God, Ron … yes, use your fingers …'
As he licked and sucked her clit he began to pump her with three fingers.
'OH … GOD … YES … RON, OH, OH, OH MY GOD, OH FUCK … FUCK … I'M CUMMING, RON … YES … YES … OH, ROOOOONNN!' she screamed as her orgasm took over her whole body.
When it was over she moved to return the favour but Ron said, 'No, my Goddess, I need to be inside you when I cum …'
'Yes …' she said before Ron took her right leg and wrapped his arm around it and held it to his chest as he knelt and pushed himself inside her.
Hermione moaned in appreciation before saying, 'Fuck me, Ron, please …'
Ron began to move inside her and gave it to her hard and fast while with his fingers he rubbed her wet clit.
'OH … GOD … RON … FUCK ME … FUCK ME HARDER … YES, YES, OH, GOD, YES …!'
Ron continued to pound into her and it drove her over the edge.
'FUCK … YES … OH, RON … I'M GOING TO CUM … YES … FUCK ME, RON … YES, I'M CUMMING … OH, FUCK, ROOOONNNNN!'
'HERMIONE!' he cried out as he came hard into her but he did not fall on top of her as usually did.
Instead he gave the instep of her foot a kiss and a gentle bite before pulling her into a sitting position and they sat both sat there naked with their limbs wrapped tightly around each other as Hermione recovered from her orgasm.
'Wow… that was …'
'Yeah … I love you, my Goddess … let's never fight again …' he said.
'Yes … well, unless the make up sex is as good that was …' she said breathlessly.
Ron chuckled before they took to lying down with Hermione on top of him and the pair of them going to sleep in each other's arms.