Chapter 20

A month later, Ron once again found himself at Hogwarts; however, this time for a good reason. It was a moment he'd been looking forward to since last September, since the moment he'd said goodbye to Hermione on Platform 9 ¾.

After today, in just a few short hours, she would be done with Hogwarts. She would leave, and she would be coming home.

For good.

"I'm glad you're so supportive of my education, Ron," Hermione said after he'd expressed his enthusiasm of her finally being finished that morning. He and Harry had arrived early, around breakfast, to see the girls before the small ceremony began. Now, they stood in the Entrance Hall, half an hour to go, with the graduating seventh years.

"You know I care, Hermione," Ron said, smoothing down her robes. "But, I'm still thrilled that you'll be finished soon. I can go back to seeing you every day."

Hermione smiled despite herself. "I must admit, it will be good. Though, I can't stop wondering about the NEWT results. I keep thinking about the exams and all the things I might have missed. It may affect any job —"

Ron silenced her with a kiss, to which she hastily pushed him away, very red and looking around at the snickering faces.

"Not here, Ron," she hissed.

"What?" Ron asked, also looking around at the other students. "Embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"No, but, this is a formal ceremony, and you'll mess up — Ron, where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere more private, if you're all awkward about it." Ron dragged her to the side of the Entrance Hall and pushed open an empty classroom. It appeared to have not been used all year, instead storing extra furniture.

"Ron —"

"Shoosh," Ron said, and he stepped forward, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her deeply.

"Ron, I appreciate —"

"This is the last time I get to kiss you as a student," Ron said. "Let me have my moment."

"Your moment?"

"Shut up and just kiss me, would you?"

Hermione stared up at him for a moment, looking torn between bewilderment and amusement. But eventually, a devious smile formed on her lips, and she stepped forward and engulfed him in such a passionate kiss that it took Ron by surprise. But he hesitated only for a second before drawing her tightly towards him and responding with just as much enthusiasm as she suddenly had.

This was, Ron realised, a complete fantasy of his he may or may not have possessed for a few years now. Trapped inside an empty classroom, alone with her. There was an appeal to it, a romantic side that he was very surprised to find Hermione seemed to be enjoying as much as he was.

He moved his hands from her face, sliding them down her arms, creasing up her robes, but he didn't care, and it seemed, nor did she.

Very un-Hermione-like. I like it.

His hands continued to trail down her robes, testing just how far she'd let him push it (she didn't seem to be asking him to stop anytime soon). He had just slipped underneath the hem when a blinding light had them springing apart.

"Sorry, Professor, perhaps I should have warned you —" Ginny's voice trailed into the newly opened room, clearly trying to stop herself from laughing.

Ron and Hermione looked up to find a stunned Professor McGonagall staring between them, and behind her, a highly amused Ginny who was covering her mouth with silent giggles.

"Well, I never…" McGonagall said. "Miss Granger! Of all the people, of all the times… not once did I ever expect such indignity from you."

Despite her harsh tone, Ron could tell that McGonagall was far more amused than she was upset or angry.

Hermione, however, was very red in the face. One look at her, and Ron had to stifle his own laughter. Her hair was frizzier than usual, her robes all creased and ruffled, not to mention her flustered face that had very little to do with embarrassment at being caught.

"S-sorry, Professor," Hermione said, taking out her wand and casting a spell to flatten her robes again. Then, regaining some of her dignity, she added, "Is it time?"

This time, McGonagall's amusement was in plain sight. Her lips curved up as she said, "Yes, Miss Granger, it is time. I'll see you in a moment." Her eyes fell on Ron. "As for you, Weasley, I strongly encourage you to join Potter across the lake when Miss Granger and Miss Weasley are no longer students. That way, you're both free to… do as you please." Giving another small smile, she turned and walked away.

The moment she was gone, Ginny roared with laughter. "Oh, come on, Hermione," she said, "don't go all embarrassed on me. That was funny."

But Hermione didn't seem to agree. She marched from the room, leaving Ron to follow in her wake. They got halfway to the Entrance Hall when he couldn't help himself either. He chuckled.

"Ron, it's not funny!" Hermione said, still very red.

"Yes it is," he said. "Hermione Granger, the perfect student, will no longer be remembered for her record-breaking Outstandings she receives at NEWT level, but for being caught in a compromising position with her school droput boyfriend inside an abandoned classroom by the Headmistress." He chuckled again. So did Ginny.

"Oh, McGonagall is going to be so disappointed!" Hermione sighed.

"She was laughing!" Ron assured her as they reached the Hall. He placed a kiss on top of her head and then said, "Besides, what can she do? I'll see you on the other side, alright?"

Still grinning, Ron walked past the other students, some he recognised and waved to along the way.

That, he decided, had been one of the most exhilarating moments of his life. He walked down the steps and onto the grounds, where he spotted Harry waiting for him. Ahead, McGonagall was directing students towards the lake where boats were waiting to escort everyone across for the very last time. She cast a very wary, very amused look Ron's way.

Once upon a time, Ron might have felt humiliated by it, but not being a student anymore, knowing that this would probably be the last time he'd ever set foot in these halls, he could only grin back at her.

"What's got you looking so gleeful?" Harry asked when Ron joined him by the lake a moment later.

"Nothing," Ron said, holding back another laugh. "Though I'm sure Ginny will tell you later anyway."

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow, but Ron only shook his head and said, "Come on. Otherwise we'll miss them."

Ron had never attended this small ceremony before — not even when his brothers had completed their seventh years. It wasn't too exciting, but Ron had insisted on coming to see Hermione and Ginny make their last journey from the school, across the lake in the same boats in which they had first arrived. Then, he and Harry would ride the train back to King's Cross for the very last time.

They walked across the grounds, all the way to Hogsmeade station. There were only a few others there — a few sets of parents, some siblings and perhaps some other boyfriends and girlfriends.

They sat down on a bench in front of the steaming, scarlet train that was currently empty.

"I'm looking forward to riding it again," Ron said, nodding towards the Hogwarts Express. "For old time's sake, you know? It's a little weird to think we're done with that part of our lives. For real, I mean. You spend so long desperately waiting for your letter —"

"Well, not for me," Harry said. "Or Hermione."

"Yeah, well, it was painful," Ron continued. "Especially when you have five older brothers who all get to go before you. You think your time will never come — especially when Fred and George keep telling you you're a Squib — and then you do get to go, and it's over in a blink of an eye…"

"It did go very fast," Harry admitted. "Now we're in the real world… adults…"

"Yeah," Ron said. "How weird."

Steam filled the station as they sat in silence. It wasn't broken until a parent nearby gasped and pointed.

Ron and Harry looked up just as the seventh year students emerged onto the station, all laughing, cheering and whooping over the fact that they were done.

Ron beamed, waving Hermione and Ginny over through the crowd. They hurried to them, Hermione throwing her arms around Ron's neck.

"Finally," he said. "I can have my girlfriend back."

"Is that all you care about?" Hermione asked lightly.

"Absolutely," Ron said. "I've missed you."

"Yes, but unfortunately on this side of Hogwarts, there's no more classrooms," Ginny said slyly.

"No, but there's plenty of empty rooms at Grimmauld Place," Ron replied quickly.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, punching him in the arm. "Stop."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Ginny and Hermione said together, Hermione not meeting Harry's eye. She shot Ron an appalled look, to which he shrugged and grinned at her.

Many people around them were hugging family members, and soon, the rest of the school would be arriving, ready to go home for another school year.

"Come on," Ginny said. "Before all the compartments fill up." She led the way through one of the open doors on the train. Their trunks and everything would be sent down later, so they were free to wander through the carriages, searching for the perfect compartment.

"This one will do," Ginny said after a while, sliding open the door. She sat down, the others following, and sighed. "I can't believe it's over. So many years of wishing to go, begging your parents to let you go early, and then… it's over."

"I said the same thing to Harry just before," Ron said, laughing. He looked between Harry and Hermione. "But these two, of course, don't understand it. They both got a letter and then a few months later they were off."

"Lucky," Ginny said. "As a wizarding child, it's torture. You just want to see it for yourself. Especially when you have six older brothers who get to go before you. Though —" she looked at Ron, "— at least none of them tried telling me I was a Squib and wouldn't get my letter."

"Fred and George?" Hermione guessed, looking at Ron.

"Yep," Ron said. "I believed them, too, even though I had displayed accidental magic many times. Was terrible at controlling it, though."

"Yeah, I still remember the time you set fire to the kitchen, all because Mum dared ask you to help with dinner." Ginny chuckled.

"Well, at least you knew what was happening," Hermione said. "It was rather frightening when you're really upset and all the doors to your house fly open at once, then slam closed again, and then continue flapping."

"Or when you — what I now realise — accidentally Apparate yourself onto a roof to escape your cousin and his friends."

"You Apparated as a kid?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry with an incredulous expression.

Harry shrugged. "Can't think of how else I got up there."

"Woah!" Ginny said. "That's really cool. The best I managed before five was turning one of my toys into an animated object for five minutes. Terrified me rather than excited me."

"I remember that!" Ron said. "You cried for hours."

He couldn't help but smile as they all reminisced their childhoods, Harry and Hermione having a much different experience to his and Ginny's. It was funny how things worked out, how a mere eight years ago he'd been an eleven-year-old boy, simultaneously excited and terrified of going to Hogwarts, afraid he'd have everything to live up to and not be able to achieve any of it.

He'd done alright, though, he thought. He would never be Charlie at Quidditch, or Head Boy like Bill had been. He'd never be as clever as Percy, or as funny as Fred and George. But, he had helped save the wizarding world. He had destroyed a Horcrux, which led to the eventual downfall of the Darkest wizard to ever exist. And, unlike the rest of his siblings, his name would be mentioned in the history books for many years to come, right beside Harry and Hermione's. It wasn't what he'd expected, or even hoped for, when he'd boarded this very train all those years ago, but he also wouldn't change it for anything.

As the train began to move from the station, the chatter of excited students echoing down the carriages, Ron couldn't help but smile. He really had done alright in the end. And in just a few short years, he'd be a qualified Auror to boot. What more could he ask for?

…

The answer to that question came the next morning in the hallway just after he'd woken. Hermione was already out of bed, but he found her on her way back, having just finished breakfast.

"Morning," she said brightly. "How'd you sleep?"

"The best I've slept in a long time," Ron told her truthfully, grabbing her by the waist and drawing her towards him. He kissed her deeply. "It's because I know you're here to stay," he added once he'd pulled away.

"Well," Hermione said, wrapping her own arms around Ron, "I do have to go and see Mum and Dad at some point. Probably later today." She stood up on her tip toes and kissed him. "Want to come?"

"Sure," Ron said. "You know I visited them when you were away a few times? We've become quite tight."

Hermione smiled, nodding. "I do. They told me. They were rather pleased to see you. They've been a bit lonely, I think, especially because all of their friends thought they'd moved away and all moved on. They're trying to reconnect, but it's been hard. You made their days when you visited." She let go of his waist, her hands falling to her side. "Thank you for doing that."

Ron shrugged. "It was nothing, really. I like your mum and dad. I, er, did bring Dad with me one time. He begged me."

"Oh, they told me that too!" Hermione said, this time chuckling. "They thought he was funny, interested in the most simple things — well, simple to them."

"Yeah, he was a little excited…" Ron grinned at her. "I think his favourite thing was a toaster. He has many of them in his shed, but I think he liked seeing one in action."

Hermione smiled, and for a moment, they stood in silence in the middle of the hall. It wasn't uncomfortable at all — quite the opposite, actually. Pleasant, nice, like they could be in each other's presence forever and not speak and be perfectly happy.

After a moment, though, Hermione said, "Do you want some breakfast? Harry and Ginny are still in the kitchen. I was just about to shower —"

"I just want you," Ron said, and he grabbed her around the waist again, pulling her against him once more, kissing her hard on the mouth.

Ron didn't know if she simply didn't have the ability to refuse him, or she didn't want to (he liked to think it the latter), but she responded to his mouth against hers and threw her arms around his neck to draw him even closer.

This was what he'd missed since last September. Just seeing her in the corridor of Grimmauld Place, or waking up and finding her next to him — or knowing that she'd spent the night there at least, considering she liked to get up earlier than him. He'd longed for this part of their lives to start, because he knew there was nothing stopping them now. Whatever happened from here on in, they wouldn't be separated anymore.

"Oh my God, is an abandoned classroom not enough for the two of you?"

Ron reluctantly pulled away from Hermione, feeling her arms unwrap from around him. They turned slowly to find a disgruntled Ginny standing on the landing, Harry behind her, still on one of the steps.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Well, you're spoiling my breakfast for one thing," Ginny said. "And secondly, I don't really want to come up and see —"

"Well, last time I checked, you don't actually live here," Ron said. "So mind your own business."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't live here either!" Ginny said, though she didn't sound angry or upset.

Ron frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that if you want to do —" she gestured wildly at them, "— that, why don't you do it in your own place?"

"This is my place," Ron reminded her.

"I don't mean this place, you idiot," Ginny said as if she were speaking to a five year old. "I mean a place for just the two of you. You know, that you have together."

Ron stared at his sister, not daring to look at Hermione. The latter didn't speak — or move at all for that matter. What was Ginny on about? Was she suggesting he and Hermione move in together? He was fairly certain that was where she was going with it, but he wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. Well, he did, but he doubted Hermione would want to consider such a thing so early into their relationship.

You've been together for over a year now, a little voice said to him.

Yeah, but most of that has been apart, he reasoned.

What does that matter? You know it's her forever.

Yes, but maybe she doesn't see it that way.

The silence grew, turning into something very uncomfortable. In fact, Ron grew rather irritated by Harry, who didn't seem to want to come to Ron's defence at all. He joined Ginny on the landing, nibbling on some toast, but saying nothing. Did that mean he agreed? Surely not! They'd had a great time living together in this place.

But that was before their girlfriends had finished school. And, to be fair, in the short time Hermione had been back, Ron had wanted nothing more than to be alone with her.

"Oh, come on, you two!" Ginny huffed. "Listen, I can't kick you out, Ron, but at least if you have your own place you can dance around naked for all I care, and Harry or I don't have to worry about seeing it, because you've made it abundantly clear you can't keep your hands off one another."

Ron tensed, finally daring to look down at Hermione. He'd expected to see her blushing furiously, maybe even struggling to meet his eye, but to his surprise, she was looking thoughtfully at Ginny, as if what his sister was saying made sense.

"Alright," Ginny said when no one said anything. "Whatever. I just thought it would help all of us. You don't see me and Harry —"

"And I don't want to!" Ron interjected before she could finish that sentence.

"And you think I want to see my brother?" Ginny asked. "I love you guys, I really do, but this is not something I think the four of us can live with. One day, someone is going to see more than kissing, and that will just be embarrassing for everyone."

Again, Hermione didn't seem phased by what Ginny was implying, which left Ron rather speechless. She wasn't actually considering Ginny's suggestion, was she? He couldn't say he liked Grimmauld Place all that much, but he'd seen himself here for a few more years before… well, he supposed living with Hermione was where he'd hoped the next step would take him.

Ginny went back into Harry's room. Harry still said nothing, but gave an apologetic shrug as he followed her.

"So, is this what it's going to be like?" Ron scowled once they'd disappeared. "Ginny calling the shots and him just going along with it? He's supposed to back us up." Why had Harry stayed silent in the matter? Harry usually had no problem speaking his mind. The only thing Ron could think of was he wanted Ron out of the house but didn't want to say it.

"Come on," Hermione said, grabbing Ron's hand, her tone still thoughtful. "Let's get ready and we'll go and see Mum and Dad."

…

Harry swore loudly as the Exploding Snap cards exploded in front of him for the third time that night. Cursing the game, he threw his remaining cards into the pile.

"That's me done for tonight," he said, taking his wand out and clearing the ash and grime from his glasses. "Honestly, why am I so bad at it?"

"You're just too slow," Ginny said, patting his arm. "But I think I'll stop tonight, too." She yawned, climbing to her feet. "Night, Ron."

"Night," Ron said as Harry and Ginny left the living room where they'd been playing. Using his wand to collect the cards into a neat pile, he left them on the arm of the sofa and headed up to bed himself.

Hermione had gone up earlier than the rest of them, uninterested in the game and saying she had something to do. What, Ron had no idea, but he had noticed she'd been rather quiet since Ginny's outburst that morning.

At first, he'd thought she'd just been contemplating what his sister had said, maybe toying with the idea of whether or not she and Ron should get their own place together. But as the day had worn on, spending lunch and the afternoon with her parents, she'd gone very quiet, even asking her parents if she could look through the Muggle newspapers they collected.

Whenever he'd asked her if she was alright, she smiled, nodded, and said yes, so he'd given up asking her.

He supposed now, though, he'd have to address the matter, because he couldn't go to bed pretending that what Ginny had said hadn't affected them. Ron had been able to brush it off, laugh at the idea even, but it seemed that Hermione was more bothered by it than he was.

The old Ron might have been upset by such a reaction, but he couldn't really blame her this time. They'd been together for a little over a year, but a whole lot of that time had been apart, and then the rest of it had been filled with grief and a high dependency on one another for comfort. Really, they'd probably only had a month, maybe two, of actually being in a proper relationship, and while they had spent almost all of those two months together, it was a completely different story actually sharing a home together.

Not that that had happened yet, but if they ever felt the need to spend a night apart, they currently were able to do that.

As he walked down the hall towards his bedroom, he noticed that a light was still flickering from underneath the closed door and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. If Hermione had been asleep, then he could address it in the morning.

He'd never felt nervous opening his bedroom door knowing that she was there before. At least not since the very beginning of their relationship when he was sneaking her into his bedroom each night at the Burrow.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully, closing the book that she'd been reading while propped up against the headboard, the gas lamp in the corner flickering brightly for her.

"Hey," Ron said. "I thought you might have been asleep by now." He began to undress and change into his pyjamas.

"No, I was waiting for you to come to bed actually," Hermione said, and to Ron's surprise, her voice sounded even, controlled — unlike it had earlier.

"Right," Ron said, unable to control his voice. "I suppose you want to talk about what Ginny said earlier." He sat on the edge of the bed, only half dressed. "Listen, I don't think she actually meant it. She was probably just upset about catching us, so we'll just try to be a bit more discreet in the future. I know it's too soon for us to be officially living together or anything."

"Is it?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "I know — wait —" he looked at Hermione, who was looking at him with a controlled expression that matched her voice. He stared back at her, mouth open for a moment, before regathering himself. "I… I think it's too soon," he said, now second guessing what she'd meant by that question. "You agree, right?"

He continued watching her, waiting for her to nod and agree. But that never came, and his chest tightened ever so slightly.

"I think Ginny had a point, actually," Hermione said, and she set the book aside, picking up her wand in its place. A moment later, three Muggle newspapers and two editions of the Daily Prophet spread out on the bed in front of them.

Ron looked between Hermione and the newspapers.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Well," Hermione said, and for the first time since he'd come into the room, her cheeks had gone slightly pink, "I couldn't help but think about what your sister said this morning. I know she didn't really mean it, but she got me thinking, and as the day went on, I, um… I thought maybe we could live together." The colour in her cheeks deepened to a red. "You know… get our own place."

"What?" Ron asked, staring at her. "Wait, you're serious?" he added when she said nothing.

Hermione nodded. "I am serious. I mean, let's be honest, Ron, did either of us have plans to spend a night apart?"

The honest answer to that question was no. Hermione must have realised that because she nodded and pointed her wand at the newspapers.

"So, we would essentially be living together anyway, just not officially. So why not make it official?"

"But —" Ron looked at the papers. "— you… you want to live with me?"

"Do you want to live with me?" Hermione asked.

"Yes!" Ron said before his brain had a chance to contemplate a more appropriate answer. "I mean… well, yeah, I do. But I thought… I didn't know if you'd —"

"And once again, you're acting as if I'm not in the same place as you are in our relationship, Ron," Hermione said, though she smiled at him.

"Sorry."

"I know we've spent a fair amount of time apart, but I love you and if we didn't do it now, we'd probably do it in a year or so anyway."

Ron contemplated her for a moment, fully aware of the smile playing at his mouth, and not caring one bit. "You always surprise me," he said after a moment.

She smiled.

"Alright, let's do it then. If that's what we both want." He finished dressing and climbed fully into bed, drawing the blankets up to his waist. "Though, will you please tell me why you've suddenly started collecting newspapers? Is this your way of trying to tell me of your bad habits or something?"

"No," Hermione said, "it's me trying to find us a place."

"Oh. In a Muggle newspaper?"

"They have sections with places to rent," Hermione explained. "I thought it would be an option…" She shook her head. "But it was all a little complicated, even for me, so I then looked at the Prophet. There's not much in there, but I found two small advertisements from yesterday's and today's editions." She tapped both Prophets with her wand and all the words disappeared save for two miniscule ads in the middle of each one. She passed them to Ron.

"One is in a little almost all wizard village, which looks alright, but I was more interested in the other one. It's in Diagon Alley, which is really convenient. It's just a little more expensive." She looked up, some apprehension on her face at those words.

"You're worried we couldn't afford it?" Ron asked. He looked at the advertisement. It would cost fifteen Galleons a week for the place in Diagon Alley. The other one was only ten.

Hermione hesitated. "Well, I know —"

"It's alright, Hermione," Ron said. "That isn't too bad. Even a trainee Auror's wage isn't too bad."

"I don't have a job yet, Ron, and I won't until after the NEWT results come in — and that's if I get decent enough marks, of course."

"Which you will," Ron said.

"Well, either way, I… it might be hard, but…"

"What are you trying to say, Hermione?" Ron asked, trying not to laugh.

She blushed.

"I feel really bad about this, Ron, but at least until I can get a job, you may have to —"

"Consider it done," Ron said, closing the paper. "I'll have us covered until then. It's alright."

"Ron, it's a lot of money. I know —"

"No, it's fine!" Ron said, grinning at her. "Honestly. I've never been able to be the one to pay for something for someone else. I've always wanted to be able to do that. And I can cover that well enough, with some gold to spare each week. Don't worry. Besides, once you get all your Outstanding NEWTs, then we'll be even again, alright?"

Hermione said nothing.

"We'll get this place," Ron said, pointing to the Prophet with the Diagon Alley advertisement. "And, we'll live together, and we'll be happy. We can even throw a housewarming party once we move in. Have everyone over."

Hermione laughed. "You've got it all planned out for someone who didn't think we were ready for that step."

Ron shrugged. "Once you get my mind on something, I discover I like it. You, for example —"

"Ron!"

"What? It's true." Ron shrugged, leaning across to kiss her, grinning. "Love you," he said.

"For some reason," Hermione said, looking at him amused, "I love you too. And I'm so excited to be living with you."

Ron drew her towards him, kissing her forehead. "Yeah," he said. "I'm excited too."

And he was. He really was.

Tbh, I really just wanted to write Romione making out in a classroom. This is the seed this chapter grew from lol. I hope you enjoyed!