Oblivious

Chapter 1: Last Day of School

~H~

It is the last day of classes for us seventh years. Almost every teacher -- excluding Snape, of course -- is allowing us to have free time to say our good-byes and enjoy each other's company before graduation, and before we leave Hogwarts. I should be excited about finally starting my life in the Wizarding world, living out on my own and beginning my career, and I am, partially. I've had so much fun and excitement here at Hogwarts, and I've made so many friends, two of whom I hold especially dear to my heart.

Harry Potter, the famous "Boy-Who-Lived," who is known by every witch and wizard in the world for defeating the Dark Wizard, Lord Voldemort, not only when he was a student here at Hogwarts, but also when he was only one-year-old.

And Ron Weasley, the fiery-headed, blue-eyed arachnophobic, the youngest son and second youngest child of his family, best friend of Harry, who stood by his side through thick and thin and all their many minor and major squabbles . . . my first and only love.

I don't know when I first realized it. It could have been in our first year on the Hogwarts Express, when Ron, with a smudge of dirt on his nose, was trying to turn his rat, Scabbers, yellow with a spell his brother George had given him.

It could have been in our second year, when he took the brunt of a curse that he had cast at Malfoy in my defense, which backfired, causing him to burp slugs for hours.

It could have been in our third year, when we put our differences aside and pulled together to try to save Buckbeak, the hippogriff.

It could have been in our fourth year at the Yule Ball, when I caught him watching Viktor Krum, the Triwizard Tournament champion from Durmstrang, and me as we danced, through saddened, jealous eyes.

It could have been in our fifth year, when I became fiercely jealous at the news that Ron was going out with Parvati Patil.

It could have been in our sixth year, during our first real kiss.

It could have been in our seventh year, when he risked his life to protect me against the Dark Wizards in the war that finally rid Lord Voldemort from the face of the earth forever.

Whenever it was, I know now that no other man, Muggle or wizard, could ever complete me like Ron does. I know that, no matter what it takes, however long I have to wait and pray, I will end up with him.

-R-

It's the last day of school! No more McGonagall getting on to Harry and I (or is it "Harry and me"? I'll ask Hermione later) for being late; no more Snape breathing down my neck as I sweat over my cauldron; no more Sprout and her nasty bugger Mandrakes; no more Trelawney and her mad death omens! No more books or reports, essays or homework!

Sure, I sound happy, but I'm not. Even with all those annoyances, plus many more, I am going to miss this place. It was here where I found my best friend, here where I grew so much closer to my little sister, and here where I matured from the freckle-faced little first year into what I am today . . . here I discovered the meaning of love.

Love is magical. It can't be summoned by a charm, concocted in a potion, or cast by a spell. At least, not true love. True love is a magic all its own; it takes the two on a roller coaster ride through bliss and sorrow, trust and suspicion, excitement and monotony. Love always conquers all. In fact, wasn't it Harry's mum's love that saved him from Quirrell and Voldemort in first year?

There are so many old adages about love, and every single one of them is true:

You do crazy things when you're in love.

You never know what love is until it breaks your heart.

You can't appreciate real love until you've been burned.

You don't know how much something means to you until it's gone.

(Deep stuff, huh? That's what I get for being around Hermione; she's rubbed off on me!)

Sure, she can infuriate and annoy me more than anyone else I know -- my family included. But with just a single glance, the softest touch, she can make the whole world disappear; she is the only source of light in the darkness in which I live.

Being friends with Harry has given me so much courage that I'm going to do something really bold.

After graduation, I'm going to ask Hermione Granger to marry me.