Forever x Always

Ron and Harry made their way down to breakfast. Hermione and Ginny were already at the table, eating and talking.

Good morning to my two favorite ladies," Harry joked, sitting next to Ginny as Ron sat next to Hermione. "Ginny, would you like to accompany me to the ball this Saturday?"

"Oh, of course," Ginny excited answered back, smiling.

"Great," Harry said, smiling back. "Ron..."

"Um, later...maybe," Ron quietly said. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron had noticed that Hermione had some dark circles under her eyes and she looked sort of sad.

"Nothing," snapped Hermione. "I gotta go." She didn't notice Ron slip something in her bag. She got up from the table and made her way to her Arithmancy class.

"I put it in her bag," Ron said to Harry after Ginny had excused herself from the table to fix her hair.

"Good, you coward," joked Harry. "Maybe it will cheer her up."

"Doubt it. It will probably piss her off somehow," frowned Ron.

The boys had the same schedule, so they made their way to Professor Trelawney's class.

Harry and Ron didn't have any morning classes with Hermione, so they had to wait until lunch to see her. They waited at the table in the Great Hall, but she never came.

"Library," they both said together.

But Hermione wasn't in the library. She was in her room getting a head start on her Arithmancy homework. She went into her bag to pull out her book, but her hand felt something else. She pulled it out to find a folded up piece of parchment with her name on the outside. She opened it up and she saw that a familiar scrawl had written the note.

Hermione,

Will you go to the ball with me? I didn't wait until the last minute this time.

Hermione almost broke down into tears. How could Ron be this mean and play a cruel joke on her like this? She looked at her watch and saw that she only had fifteen minutes until her next class, Care of Magical Creatures, which she had with Ron. Hermione packed her things and decided she would talk to Ron then.

Hermione waited by Hagrid's cabin until Harry and Ron arrived. She was about to pull Ron aside, but Hagrid started to talk.

"Right, so I 'aven't got the flobberworm droids yet, so I guess yeh can have a free period, but jus' stay close...Don' wan' none of yeh gettin' in trouble..."

Hermione was thankful for that. She went up to Ron and said, "Ron, can I talk to you alone for a minute."

"Of course. For you, I have a lifetime," Ron replied, sounding cheesy. He followed Hermione behind a large oak tree.

Hermione started, "So, I found this note in your handwriting. What kind of sick joke is that? Are you just asking me so you for sure have a date? Or, do you just feel sorry for me? Or..."

Ron pulled her into a tight hug and cut her off.

"I'm serious. I really want to go with you," he admitted to her.

Hermione buried her face in his shoulder and started to cry. She wasn't crying out of happiness, but because she had a feeling that this was a joke. She felt she needed to cut herself. A lot. She also felt that it was so right to be in Ron's arms, no matter what the circumstances were.

He would never admit this one, but he felt exactly the same way.

Noticing Hermione crying, he broke away and cupped her face in his hands.

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

"Yes, I'll go with you, but I need to talk to Harry," replied Hermione.

Ron stayed by the tree as Hermione walked over to Harry.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Ron asked me to the ball, but..." Hermione couldn't finish.

"He did? Finally!" exclaimed Harry.

"Harry, I have to tell you something. Well, show you something," said Hermione. With her back facing Ron, she pulled up her left robe sleeve, revealing her scars.

"Hermione..." started a shocked Harry.

Hermione broke into tears and leaned against the nearby maple tree and fell to the ground. "Please, don't tell Ron. He'll hate me."

"I won't tell Ron, but promise me you'll stop!" said Harry.

Just then, Ron came over after seeing Hermione cry and drop down.

"What's wrong?" he asked falling to his knees next to Hermione.

The bell rang. Hermione grabbed her bag and rushed to Ancient Runes.