Chapter 14

In all the years Ron had known Hermione, he'd never seen her more frightened than when the memories of what had happened to her resurfaced. And resurface they did, mostly at night when she was trying to sleep.

Ever since the first time, she'd refused to stay anywhere unless Ron was with her. His presence didn't stop the nightmares, but she said that waking up and knowing he was there helped her recover faster.

Ron didn't mind, not one bit, but he also didn't know how to help her other than holding her, running his fingers through her hair and offering comforting words. Seeing her so vulnerable upset him more than he thought it ever could. She'd always been so strong, so tough, that to see her needing him so much didn't make him feel good at all. He'd always admired her strength. He loved that about her.

And he couldn't help but worry what would happen when September came around and he couldn't be there with her anymore.

The next month passed by in a blur, Ron splitting his time between training, Grimmauld Place and the Granger house, as well as his frequent visits back to the Burrow. It felt like he never stopped, and he was completely exhausted, but somehow he still managed to pass every test with flying colours. Well, all except the theory aspects. He wasn't the best at that.

Before he knew it, August thirty-first was upon them, and that meant (once again) his last day with Hermione before she went back to Hogwarts. It had been drawing nearer and nearer, but to Ron, it had never quite hit him that she would be going away again — for even longer this time, too. Hermione had promised to tell him when the Hogsmeade visits were so he and Harry could come and spend time with her and Ginny, but apart from them and the Christmas holidays, it wouldn't be until next June that he'd really see her again.

Ginny had suggested all four of them do something together on the final day, but Hermione had convinced Ron to agree to a dinner with her parents instead. He loved Hermione, and over that last month, he'd come to get along alright with her parents too. But... a dinner felt far too formal and much too intimidating for his liking. As he sat on her bed, watching as she finished getting herself ready (they were going out) he couldn't help but long for the comfort of the Burrow and his large family and the celebration Harry and Ginny must have been having with his parents and siblings.

He really did like Hermione's parents, and to his utter bewilderment, they had accepted him and welcomed him without any questions, but they were very different people to what he was used to.

He didn't understand Muggle money well, but he knew enough to know they had a lot of it and preferred to live a fairly comfortable life, which included fancy restaurants that Ron really didn't feel he had good enough clothes for — even the new ones he had bought with the money he'd earned as a trainee Auror.

"You know," Ron said, grinning from where he still sat on her bed, "I really like it when you dress up. You look… amazing."

Hermione flushed, her usual response to any compliment he gave her. "Thank you."

Ron stood up, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her towards him. Her own arms snaked around his neck and he couldn't help but notice she looked even more beautiful when she was so close to him.

He kissed her, and she responded enthusiastically, pressing herself into him. He liked it when she responded to his touch like this, with her whole body excited about this kind of intimacy.

Pulling away, her arms still around his neck, she said, "You've surprised me, you know?"

"Surprised?" Ron asked, not sure whether he liked that term. He certainly hadn't been trying to surprise her in any way — he was trying to be as open as he possibly could with her, his new policy.

Hermione nodded, grinning. "You're attentive, affectionate, and you say all the right things. You're really good at this whole relationship business."

"Er… thanks?" Ron said, feeling slightly put out by what Hermione seemed to think was a compliment. "What, you didn't think I would be?"

Hermione hesitated, appearing as if she wasn't sure if she should elaborate, and the moment she started speaking, Ron realised that was exactly the thought that had been going through her head. She went slightly pink. "Well, it's just… I shared a room with Lavender while you and she were… you don't seem to be the same Ron that she got."

"It's because I'm not," Ron said shortly, pulling away from her. The last thing he wanted was to start talking to her about Lavender — especially knowing that Lavender had only just been released from hospital due to her injuries in the war. It didn't seem right talking about her in a way that could only be negative.

"Ron, I didn't mean —"

"It's alright, Hermione," Ron said, looking at her again apologetically. "I'd just rather not go down that road, you know? I didn't handle it… all that well. But I am different with you, because I love you, and the last thing I ever want is to lose you. All very, very different to… Lavender."

Hermione gave a half smile, one that Ron returned. He watched her for a few moments, noticing that she seemed puzzled. He sighed. "Er, did Harry ever tell you what happened when we destroyed the locket?"

Hermione shook her head, her curiosity now piquing. "He said it was your story to tell when you were ready. Ron… what did happen?"

Ron sat back down on her bed, her beside him. He watched her for a moment before speaking. "Did the locket ever… speak to you? When you were wearing it, I mean?"

Hermione nodded. "It tried to tell me all these awful things. Things that weren't true, but it could be pretty convincing at times. It was quite —" She stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. "It spoke to you, too, didn't it? Told you the same horrible things?"

"I dunno about the same, but you saw how it got to me," Ron said. "I think it more so looked into what scared us the most and tried to find every way possible to convince us that those doubts were true. The reason it affected me more than you or Harry was because I already kind of believed those things. After a while, I couldn't really tell if it was coming from the locket or me."

Hermione was watching him as if this was completely new information for her, which Ron didn't understand. Surely, she must have had at least an inkling as to what had happened.

"But it had a memory, too, just like the diary, and when Harry opened it, it sensed me there. It knew I was the most vulnerable to it, so it targeted me."

"Targeted you?" Hermione asked with keen interest.

"It showed me and Harry everything that I had been thinking when wearing it, everything that it had tried to — and succeeded at — convince me of being true. It was one thing thinking it, but another actually seeing it. And even worse that Harry had to see it too."

"See what?" Hermione asked, breathless.

At this part, Ron hesitated. He averted her gaze, instead focusing his attention on her patterned floor. "My, um, worst fears coming to life."

Hermione watched him, waiting in silence for him to continue.

Ron shook his head. "You and… him." Hermione's eyes widened. "Among other things!" he added quickly. "Things… that sucked. Things that I don't really believe anymore."

"It… it showed you me and… Harry?" Hermione asked, seeming utterly shocked by such a revelation. "But Ron —"

"It was all in my head, I know that. But it was what resolved me, really. What prompted me to get up and destroy it. What made me determined to have you forgive me, to make more of an effort with you, and to stop feeling like second best — to Harry and my family. It was a blessing in disguise in the end. That is why you're getting this Ron, and not the one you saw a year ago. A year ago, I was ridiculously in love with you, but had no idea how to tell you that, and the locket convinced me it wasn't worth my time to feel that way anyway. So I decided to change that. Prove it wrong."

There was a moment of silence in her room. Hermione looked at him with such deep affection that Ron had to look away, his ears burning red. There was a reason he'd never told her, until now, what had occurred during that time, and he was glad Harry hadn't said anything either.

After a moment, he said, "So, what did it say to you?"

But Hermione shook her head, blushing. "I… I guess its memory stretched as far as knowing who we were exactly." And without elaborating any further, she jumped to her feet. "Come on. It's almost six. Mum and Dad said we'd be leaving now."

"Well, that's just completely unfair," Ron complained as she pulled him up from the bed and led him from her room by the hand. "I tell you that my deepest fear was being rejected by you, and you think you can get away with just saying it had a really good memory?"

"Yes," Hermione said, amused. "I do."

"What did it say?" Ron tried again as they descended the stairs.

But Hermione was spared from answering with the appearance of her parents at the bottom of the landing.

"Not fair," he muttered into her ear, to which she smiled. And that, he determined, meant it wasn't nearly as horrible for her as it had been for him.

...

Dinner was in a fancy Muggle restaurant in the centre of London. Ron hadn't seen anything quite like it — wizarding or Muggle. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and other diners were dressed rather eloquently, making Ron feel inadequate.

Then, the menu had him gaping, but not for the food; even he could understand that the price of each item was expensive.

"Hermione," he muttered, wishing more than ever that he was at the Burrow enjoying one of his mother's home cooked meals.

Seeming to understand what he was looking at, Hermione covered his hand with hers and whispered, "It's okay. Mum and Dad have it covered."

Ron balked at her for a moment before returning his eyes to the menu, reading every item and ensuring that he would pick the least expensive there, whatever it was.

This dinner really was the most uncomfortable, and he couldn't quite believe the double life Hermione's parents seemed to live. At home, they were friendly and welcoming and Jane, Hermione's mother, reminded Ron in many ways of his own mother. But then there was this life, willing to pay exuberant amounts for a single meal. Though, if there was one consolation, the Grangers were by far the most casual out of the lot.

He looked around at the other diners, all in fancy cocktail dresses and the Muggle equivalent to wedding-esque dress robes. He looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't make fun," she said with a small smile.

"I'm not," Ron said. "It's just hard to believe that you, who camped out with us in a tent for almost a year, had this life before that. Why'd you choose to spend your summers with my family, when you had this?"

"Why do you think, Ron?"

Ron opened his mouth to say he didn't know, but then a thought occurred to him. "You stayed because of… me?"

"Well, yes, and Harry, I guess. I don't really have many friends in this world. None, actually. And it can get pretty lonely not having any siblings to talk to either. I liked the homeiness of your place. All the people. And the fact that I was with others like me."

Ron beamed at her, unable to help feeling rather flattered by her compliment. "Still," he said after a moment, "your parents clearly have a stack of money."

"Money isn't everything," Hermione said flatly.

"Yeah… right, well… that's easy for you to say…" Ron cast another glance around the restaurant. Perhaps he could consider taking up a Muggle profession just to be able to afford to eat here.

"What are you two talking about?"

Ron jumped, startled by Hermione's dad's question. He turned to face him, reddening slightly. Robert had a rather odd sense of humour, Ron had realised, where he made jokes but Ron was never sure if he was being serious or not until Hermione told him he wasn't. Ron liked him well enough, but he constantly felt like he was being scrutinised.

"Ron is just feeling rather bemused about being here," Hermione said calmly. "He's unfamiliar with… unmagical places."

"Ah, I see." Robert watched Ron for a moment, and Ron felt his whole face burn. This was exactly why he'd not wanted to do this. This was why he really wished they were all at the Burrow. If he'd thought about it sooner, his own father would have been thrilled to have Muggles around for dinner. They could have talked for hours about things that probably seemed trivial to Hermione's dad, but greatly intrigued his own.

Ron shifted uncomfortably in his chair, averting the man's gaze. Hermione seemed to notice because she said, "Dad!"

He smiled at her. "Sorry, was just curious, is all."

"Curious about what, exactly?" Hermione asked, almost sounding bored.

Robert's smile broadened. "Well, the two of you haven't actually told us if you're together or not. We've, of course, assumed, because you've spent every night together, in the same room, but you've never said anything to us…"

"Dad!" Hermione said again, going rather pink herself.

Ron shifted again. He'd been very careful to minimise his affection towards Hermione in front of her parents.

"Of… of course we are," Hermione said, turning to Ron who was intently staring at some other diners. She nudged him, and he had no choice but to look at her parents. He nodded.

Part of him expected some kind of interrogation after that — he'd regularly expected it — but her dad merely nodded and directed the conversation to other questions (quietly) about the wizarding world and what was happening now that there was no war happening (one they had only recently found out about).

Ron felt himself relax, finally able to participate in a conversation that didn't make him look or feel like an idiot.

In the end, the dinner ended up being rather enjoyable. The food was good, and the company even better. Despite making a pact with himself to keep his affection for Hermione to a minimum in front of her parents, he couldn't help but place a kiss on her temple as they stood up and her father paid for their meals.

She smiled, turning slightly pink. If her parents saw, they said nothing.

He even dared to hold her hand as they exited the restaurant and walked back to where her parents had parked their car.

When they returned to their house, Hermione bade her parents goodnight and indicated Ron should follow her upstairs. Ron surreptitiously did as she asked, collapsing onto her bed the moment it was just the two of them again.

Hermione watched him from where she was returning her shoes to her wardrobe, looking amused. "You're funny," she said.

"What? Why?" Ron asked, wondering if he'd somehow blundered the evening.

"Because you're not your usual 'say-it-how-it-is' self when you're trying to make an impression." She watched him for a moment, amusement in her eyes. "I like it… but I think I like the real you better."

"The real me?" Ron asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means you really don't have to resist kissing me when my parents are around," Hermione said. "That's not who you are whenever other people are around."

Ron smiled at her, indicating she join him on the bed. She obliged, falling into his lap. "Well, they're the only ones I need to make an impression on, right? I mean, there's my parents and siblings… and they've got to like me, no matter what I do. Then there's Harry, and he really doesn't care. He likes me well enough, and he's told me himself he thinks we're good together. But your mum and dad…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like you a lot. Now, stop worrying about it. You're driving me a bit batty."

"Batty?" Ron chuckled, looking at her and grinning. "I'm driving you batty…" He laughed again, his affection for her surging as she looked at him, affronted. "And just when I thought I couldn't love you any more…"

…

"Never thought I'd be back here," Ron said, staring fondly up at the scarlet steam engine. "Well, not until I'd be sending my own kids off to Hogwarts, I mean."

Harry, who was standing beside him on the platform, raised an eyebrow. "Thinking about that, are you?"

Ron scowled. "You know what I mean!"

Harry smirked but had no chance to say anything else on the subject as Hermione and Ginny returned from putting their trunks away, tailed by Luna.

"Hi, Harry. Hi, Ron," Luna said brightly, smiling at each of them in turn.

"Oh, hi, Luna!" Harry said, stepping forward to hug her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Ron hugged Luna as well, and her smile even wider as she pulled away, she said, "Of course I will be finishing my final year. It's important, you know?" When Harry and Ron didn't respond, she added, "But I suppose it isn't for you, when you have a good job already that would usually require lots of NEWTs…"

"Er, yeah," Harry and Ron said together.

Ron glanced down at his watch. "You have three minutes, so I suppose you'll want to be getting on the train now?" He said the last part with such contempt, that Luna gave him a very abrasive look.

"Oh, don't worry about him, Luna," Ginny said, chuckling slightly. "He just doesn't want Hermione to go away for a whole year, where he'll only see her sparingly. He, of course, supports her completely in this decision for her education." She stepped forward and hugged Ron goodbye.

He begrudgingly patted her on the back, all the while thinking that of course he supported Hermione in her decision to return to Hogwarts. It didn't mean he had to like it.

Once Ginny had turned her attention to Harry, Ron took that as an opportunity to pull Hermione slightly to the side. He'd not mentioned to the others that Hermione was still experiencing memories from Malfoy Manor, but now that he wasn't going to be there to comfort her, he felt worried.

"Write to me whenever you want," he said to her. "And, if you need me, tell me. I'll… I'll find a way to sneak into the school or something, alright?"

Hermione smiled, squeezing his hands. "I'll be fine," she said quietly. "I promise. Ginny will be there, and I'll… let her know."

Ron wasn't convinced, and it must have shown, because she added, "I'll write twice a week. Promise." And then she flung herself at him, arms snaking around his neck, and kissed him so hard on the mouth that he might have felt embarrassed was he not going to miss her so much. This would be the last time he'd kiss her in who knew how long. May as well make the most of it.

The whistle from the train blew, and steam began billowing from the engine.

Hermione pulled away. "I love you," she said, smiling.

"Love you too," Ron said, forcing his own smile. "And good luck."

And then they were gone, hurrying to jump into one of the carriages as the train began pulling away from the platform.

Ron and Harry stood watching until it was out of sight. Parents were beginning to head back through the wall, some looking very concerned, which Ron couldn't blame them for. Hogwarts was safe once more, but the memories of what had happened there in May were still fresh in everyone's mind.

"Well," Harry said, turning to Ron, "I guess it's just you and me until next June. What should we do?"

Ron bit his lip, turning and following the others back through the wall and onto the Muggle side of the station. "I dunno," he said, and he meant it. He hadn't faced the prospect of not seeing Hermione for this long since he was eleven years old. "Are you going to miss her?" he suddenly asked. "Ginny, I mean."

"Every day," Harry said.

"Me too," Ron replied, and he wasn't sure if he was talking about Hermione or his sister. Perhaps both.

They stood in silence for a moment longer, before Harry said, "I guess we could go for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Despite himself, Ron smiled. "Yeah, sounds good, mate," he said. "I suppose there's one good thing about them going away."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"It means you and I can spend some weekends together, doing… guy things."

Harry snorted. "Guy things. Yeah, alright. Yeah, it will be fun, won't it?"

Ron nodded, smiling, and this time meaning it. "Yeah," he said, "it will be fun."

At least this time they can be apart but I can still write the moments they see each other, so even though Hermione's away, future chapters will consist of Romione still!

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the comments and follows and favourites and everything :D If you haven't already, please follow the Instagram account for this story (without spaces): whenihaveyou . romione