Michelle

Chapter Two

Another Break-up

Ron made his way out the back door and down to the orchard, his heart pumping. He wondered what Hermione was up too - did she have a romantic afternoon planned? He could barely contain the excitement that was building in his chest. They had only kissed four times (a mere number compared to Ron and Lavender in their sixth year), and Ron was wondering if he could propose soon. As soon as he got enough money, not to mention, courage. Courage. Of course. He had none - he was the one who didn't have the guts to tell Hermione he loved her in the seventh year, so she instead had told him that she loved him. Ron shivered when he thought of that moment, two years ago, at breakfast one morning in the Great Hall. He grinned as he remembered Hermione shyly scooting closer to him and whispering, "Ron..."

"What?" he had said, watching Harry stroke Ginny's cheek out of the corner of his eye.

"I...I love you." Hermione's voice was shaking and Ron whirled around so quickly that he upset the bowl of porridge that he had been tucking into seconds before.

"Wha - what?" he stammered, his heart beating a tattoo against his chest. He loved her too, but he couldn't have told her before that moment - he would have been too scared that she wouldn't love him, too.

"I...I love you," Hermione had whispered, her chocolate brown eyes bright and her cheeks flushed.

Ron laughed, relieved, and grinned. "I...I love you too, Hermione," he said, ruffling her hair. And, without knowing what he was doing, he kissed her.

On the lips.

She was so surprised that her eyes widened in shock momentarily, but then she returned the kiss. Ron was so pleased that he pulled her closer, feeling her soft lips against his.
Suddenly he had become aware that they were in the Great Hall, and people were standing up at the Gryffindor table. Standing and...applauding. Ron broke away from Hermione, who looked pleased, and saw Harry and Ginny grinning at him.

"I knew it!" Seamus roared. The other houses were staring at the Gryffindors, but the Gryffindors were not fazed; they continued to applaud until Professor McGonagall wiped her eyes on her napkin and told the students to sit down.

"Finally!" Ginny hissed to Ron, who elbowed her in the ribs. She had grinned, muttering, "Knew it was always you and her. I can't wait for her to become my sister-in-law."

"Yeah..." Ron had replied dreamily, already lost in a fantasy involving him, Hermione, and a private room with a bed.

Presently, Ron had almost run into a tree because of all these loving thoughts. He started and walked around the tree, realizing that it was an apple tree - he could see Hermione sitting at the base of one of the largest trees, reading a book. Of course. Ron grinned and broke into a run.

When he was about five feet away from her, Hermione looked up, startled, and drew closer to the tree. Ron pounced on her (literally) and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace. He heard Hermione moan and felt invigorated; he pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, waiting for her to return it. She did not; she just tried to pull away, giving a protestant grunt.
"Not now Ron..." he heard her mutter, slightly muffled.

"Hmm...but why not, my 'Mione?" he murmured, still kissing her. Ron breathed in her scent - flowers, and shampoo. Lavender and mint shampoo. He grinned slightly without breaking the kiss.

"Ron..." Hermione said quietly, her voice very muffled, since Ron was trying to French kiss her.

"Hmmm?" Ron said casually, still trying to French kiss her.

"STOP IT!!" she burst out, shoving him away from her.

Caught by surprise, Ron's eyes widened and he fell on his back a few feet away from Hermione.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" he demanded furiously, his backside aching.

Hermione's book went flying as she stood up quickly, hitting her head on a branch. She yelled, "Good Merlin!" and swayed on the spot. She recovered within seconds, however, because she ran over to Ron and helped him up. Ron was startled to see tears in her eyes.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ron asked, concerned.

"It's...it's nothing," Hermione sniffled, wiping a tear away from her cheek. She turned away and said, "Ron...we need to talk."
About marriage? Ron thought hopefully. "'Bout what?"

"It's about...us." Hermione sat down on the ground, trying to wipe away all her tears.

"Yeah?" Ron sat down too, feeling a pleasant swooping sensation in his stomach. They were getting closer to the subject...his hands began to sweat and he hastily wiped them on his jeans.

"I...I can't...that is to say, we...can't go on like this any longer." Hermione raised her gaze to his, and their eyes locked. Ron stared into the chocolate brown eyes of the love of his life, which were still swimming with tears.

"Er..." Ron didn't really know what to say, so he said nothing else and waited anxiously.

"Ron...I guess what I'm trying to say is..." - Ron's palms were now so sweaty that he was wiping them on his jeans every other second - "...I...Ron...I'm breaking up with you."
A loud ringing silence followed her words. Ron was in shock - he wanted to say something, but his voice box wasn't working properly. He swallowed several times, swallowing his fear and anger and curiosity and sadness, and finally managed to croak, "You're...you're breaking up with me? Why?"

"Be - because...oh Ron...I think...I think I love Harry," Hermione admitted, her eyes full of tears again.

"You...what?" Ron said, caught totally unaware.

"I think I love Harry," Hermione repeated miserably, drying her eyes on her arm. "Ever since...I don't know...but when he saved my life, during the Last Battle...when he kissed me..."

Ron felt anger boiling in his stomach. Harry Potter, kiss Hermione Granger?

"When?" Ron demanded.

"After...after the Last Battle, in the library," Hermione sobbed. She caught sight of Ron's face, which was full of rage. "Please don't be angry, Ron. You know...you know that..." Her voice seemed to fail, but she continued, "You know that you're keeping things from me. You hardly tell me anything. It's like, oh I don't know...like you love someone else more than me, because...aren't people who love each other supposed to tell each other everything?"
"Are you suggesting that I cheated?" Ron asked heatedly - he did love Hermione and only Hermione, didn't he?

"No!" Hermione squeaked, apparently terrified.

"Then what are you suggesting?" Ron demanded angrily.
"That...that we break up." Hermione was positively shaking now. "Because...oh Ron...I'm saving my heart for another. For Harry. He...I know he loves me, more than Ginny...and I don't like keeping things from you. I don't know if you are still a virgin, because you never tell me these things! For all I know, you...you could have lost your virginity years ago."
Ron felt his stomach drop. It was true - he had lost his virginity in their sixth year, with Lavender...Lavender, of all people...but he had wanted to make Hermione jealous. Oh, how he had wanted to make her jealous....But he was no longer a virgin, and nor was Lavender. He remembered that day clearly...in the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor...

"Yeah. It was in our sixth year," Ron said flatly, defeated. There was no point in keeping any secrets, since they were going to break up - if Hermione loved Harry, then Ron wanted his two best friends to be happy...even if they were together...

"With Lavender?" Hermione asked sadly. Ron looked at the ground, ashamed, and said, "Yeah."

"Oh. Of course," Hermione spat bitterly.

Ron said nothing.

"Ron...I just wanted you to know about me and Harry. I want to be in an honest relationship - I don't want either one keeping secrets. And...I don't feel I can be open with you all the time. Half the time you just talk about Quidditch and snog me," Hermione admitted. "Everything's so much different since...since Voldemort's gone - shut up Ron, it's just a name and he's dead anyway. I want someone to love me for who I am, not what I am." Ron's gaze wandered from her face to her breasts. He stared at them with a hungry expression on his face, and his reverie was broken by Hermione growling, "You see what I mean? Quit looking there, I hate it when guys gape at my chest." She slapped his hand hard and Ron, shocked, decided instead to look at her -

"Not there, either!" she spat furiously, sitting down so he couldn't see what he had been looking at. "Quit looking at my arse like it's a pretty little butterfly!" Hermione's cheeks turned a bright pink.

"Sorry," Ron muttered.

There was silence, broken by Hermione's loud sob a few minutes later. She flung her arms around Ron and said, "This is the end...we're breaking up...I..." Still sobbing, she got to her feet.

"Hermione?" asked Ron weakly, hastily drying his eyes on his sleeve so Hermione wouldn't see the tears that were falling like rain.

"What?" she sniffed.

"I...I still love you," said Ron - he knew it was pointless, but he still wanted her to know.

"But I don't love you," Hermione said. Without another word, she walked away from the orchard and back to the house, leaving Ron alone with his thoughts.