Eternally Yours

"Don't look down," she told herself. Oh drat! Of course she was going to look down. The wind laughed in her ears, threatening to rustle about her hair and give her the push she dared not give herself. She was imprisoned in a cage of fears she had forged herself. She tried desperately to get out, to erase the last two years and three days. But alas, she found the only key to her cell was to end everything. It had come to her ten minutes before, in her apartment, and , going against her nature, she sped out the door and now here she was. On top of the Eiffel Tower, debating over whether or not she was ready to make the jump. She looked around her. Even in such a horrible state, and in this solemn situation, she admired the view. It was breathtaking. It would be the last thing she ever saw. That mesmerizing sight. Her vision blurred as drops of sorrow accumulated in her eyes. She fought them at first, but then gave way. Tears rushed down her pallid cheeks. She faltered but caught herself in time. Another false move and she wouldn't be able to turn back. Her life would be over. It was times like these that made her wonder why she had been sorted into Gryffindor. She felt so weak. So hopeless. Where was that famed Gryffindor courage? She had left it behind. In England. With him.

Her life was meaningless, she thought to herself, she wanted to end it, to end her suffering. Ashamed, she looked down. Impossible! It couldn't be! She had caught a glimpse of a crimson speck thousands of feet bellow her. Her palms began to sweat, even in this unbearable cold. Her heart pounded against her chest so rapidly and so ferociously, she feared it might burst right out of her . She glanced down once more, but the street below her was deserted. An illusion. Created by her own mind. She should have known. It hadn't been the first one. With a pang she realized how much she longed to see that crimson speck again, to have it materialize into everything she had desired and everything she had run away from right in front of her.

The endless war that had waged inside of her for the last two years resumed. One side wanted to run, to disappear. To leave the life she had known and start a new one. One that didn't involve a scarlet haired boy with freckles and the most gorgeous eyes that pierced though you and held on to you, and mad you fell into its depths and fall in love with them. The other part wished nothing more than to be at his side. To breathe him in, to fee his warmth. To have him suck her into his soul and fill her very veins with the purest love-with just one kiss. She had debated this for what seemed like her whole life, for an eternity. She'd been weak and given in. She had neglected her heart's entreats and ran. Her mouth felt dry as the memories flashed before her mind's eye. The needed to drink some water. Where was she to get some? She was on top of the Eiffel Tower for goodness' sake! Without giving it much thought she reached into the pocket of her robe an d pulled out her wand. A second later, a glass of water hovered in mid-air in front of her. She grabbed it and took a large gulp. She choked on it as it dawned on her that she had used magic. She hadn't used it in two years. She couldn't remember why she had stopped. It reminded her of Ron I suppose. She had conjured the water more out of habit than anything else, she was too distraught to think straight. She recovered and kept drinking normally. Her thirst satisfied, she made the empty glass disappear with a flick of the wrist. She looked at the ground determinedly. She made up her mind, was going to jump. She got ready, flexing her knees, all the while telling herself this was what she must do, that this was the right choice.

Without warning there was a loud explosion in the air just beside her. It was the middle of the night and she hadn't expected it. She lost her balance and began to tip backward. All too soon a tall broad shouldered, lean but muscled man stood before her. He reached through the smoke that enveloped them and grabbed her as the was plunging to her doom. He pulled her to her feet and they just stared, not letting go of each other. Both in shock, both mesmerized by the other. Hermione held tight in Ron's hands, those big, strong hands that had so often played with her hair caressed her face as they kissed and held her own hands when she was frightened. She gazed into Ron's sapphire eyes and gasped as she drowned in their depths. She forgot all else around her. In this world there was nothing but her and Ron held in each other's arms. He was the man she loved and desired. Her greatest love and her greatest fear.

"Hermione? I can't believe-" He cut himself off. "What are you doing here?"

She couldn't bring herself to articulate everything that was going though her brain at that moment. Finally she managed to croak, "How did you find me?"

"I've been scrying for you since the day you left but nothing's ever showed up until just now. Until you used your magic," said Ron.

Rats! Now she remembered why she hadn't used magic all this time. She wondered how she could have forgotten.