You Had Your Chance, You Just Didn't Take It

Harry was living with the Weasleys at The Burrow. He and Ginny were together and, much to the displeasure of Ron, sharing the same room. It wasn't the thought of Harry trying anything with his sister that bothered Ron - after all, they were engaged. No. What bugged Ron was that Harry had the girl he loved, and Ron didn't. He, Ron, had messed up his chance with Hermione. He just hoped that she would give him another. I can't screw up at all when she comes here this summer, he told himself every morning. We've only got one year left at Hogwarts - I'm running out of time.

(((()))((()))

It was a morning much like any other. Harry, Ginny, Ron, George, Fred, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Molly, and Arthur were all sat around the table. There was much talking, as you would expect with such a large group of people present.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you could come," Molly was saying to Fleur.

"Since Bill and I are married now, I thought it would be right to get to know you," the former Beauxbatons student said. Her English was much better now, and she rarely made mistakes - though she still spoke with a faint accent.

"So, how's married life, Bill?" Harry asked.

"I get fed almost all the time... I have nice homecomings from work-" he smiled, "-Though she's got a raving temper," he added conspiratorially. "I wish you luck with my little sister."

"Thank you. I think we'll manage," Harry said with a smile.

The whole family was talking so loudly that they barely heard the knock at the door. Molly pushed back her chair, saying, "Who would be calling at this time?" She walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Hermione and a tall, thin man with light brown hair.

"Hermione, dear!" Molly exclaimed, giving her a hug. "We were just eating breakfast." She turned to the young man. "And who is this?"

"This is Paul, my boyfriend," Hermione told her. It was a good job that everyone had started talking again, because otherwise they would have heard the loud clatter as Ron dropped his fork and knife onto his plate.

Paul and Hermione joined the table and the chatter.

((()))((()))

"Oh, Ginny! I'm going to be a bridesmaid!" Ginny was sat with Hermione on her and Harry's bed, excitedly telling her all about the plans for the wedding.

Ginny laughed. "Yes, you are! Isn't it great?"

Hermione nodded.

"So, tell me about Paul?"

"Well, his full name is Paul Clearwater..." Hermione started, but Ginny interrupted.

"Clearwater? Any relation of Percy's old girlfriend?" Ginny asked as she got up to search the room for the sketches of the bridesmaid's dress.

Hermione stared at her hands. "Yes, her younger brother. I was a bit concerned that Ron would have a problem with it because of all the trouble with Percy. That's why I didn't tell everyone at breakfast."

Ginny found the sketches and sat back down beside Hermione. "Well, the way I see it is that you're Paul's girlfriend, and you should love him."

"But I do love Paul!" Hermione protested.

"That's what you say," Ginny said, staring at Hermione with very serious eyes. "But what you just told me about Ron," she paused. "You love Ron, Hermione. Can't you just face the facts?"

Hermione absently leafed through the sketches, but she didn't really see them; she was thinking about what Ginny had just said. "But Paul and I have been together since November! And we're really serious..." she trailed off.

"Is he your soul mate? Do you get goose bumps and butterflies every time you see him?"

Hermione waved a hand dismissively. "I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"Hermione," Ginny said, gently shaking the older girl by the shoulders, "that's not the point. The point is that you love Ron."

Hermione looked at the youngest Weasley; the sincerity of her words was evinced by the determined look in her eyes.

((()))((()))

Outside, two figures were sat on the table. "I can't believe it," Ron was saying to Harry. "How could she manage to have a boyfriend without us even noticing?! She's our best friend!"

"Not to mention you love her," Harry said.

"I do not love her. That's ancient history," Ron argued - but in his heart, he knew that this was far from the truth.

((()))((()))

Molly had decided that, as there were so many there, it would be nice to have lunch outside. The long table in the back yard bowed under the weight of all the plates of food on it. Once everyone was seated, the usual chatter began.

Molly turned to speak to Hermione. "So, when did you meet Paul?"

"I met him on the train to Hogwarts last year. He's a Prefect, just like Penny was - we've got lots in common. We weren't really in a real relationship until November," she replied.

"Oh, so you were dating through the school year?"

"Yes, we were."

Further down the table, Charlie and Harry were busy discussing girls. Ron had been listening to the conversation between Hermione and his mother. He did a double take when he heard this piece of information.

"Did you hear that?" Ron hissed at Harry.

"I didn't," Harry said. "What did you hear?"

"Hermione's boyfriend is Penny Clearwater's brother! She's been his girlfriend since November!" Ron said, fuming.

"Maybe you should talk to her about it if it bothers you," Harry suggested.

And that's exactly what Ron was planned on doing.

((()))((()))

After dinner, Hermione helped Molly to clear up. She was walking outside from the kitchen when Paul stopped her.

"Hermione," he said to her, something different to usual in his tone. She looked at him quizzically - he pulled a ring out of his pocket and dropped to one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Seeing her uncertain expression, he added, "After you graduate, of course."

Hermione's face lit up in a big smile as the question registered properly in her mind. She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you." Paul slipped the ring on her finger and she gave him a hug, overwhelmed.

((()))((()))

Ron had watched this whole scene with disbelieving eyes - he knew he had to talk to Hermione. He rushed over to where she and Ginny were admiring the new engagement ring.

"Hermione, can I talk to you?" he asked. "Alone?"

"Sure," she replied.

They walked in silence towards the little pond behind the Burrow, Hermione gazing at her new ring and Ron with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Once they had reached it, Ron started talking.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Hermione asked.

"Sneak a boyfriend around me and Harry?"

"I just didn't want you to freak out. I didn't want you to ruin anything, so I waited." She paused, surprised at herself for actually saying this. Seeing the hurt look on Ron's face, she added, "I'm sorry Ronald, it's just that you screwed up the Yule Ball and Viktor for me and I didn't want you to do the same thing here: this is important to me."

"I understand," Ron said, gnawing on his lip. "You think I tried to screw up your life? With Krum, yes, I was jealous. But with other boyfriends? I don't want to make it hard for you, Hermione. I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt." He stopped to give these words a chance to sink in.

"But I know you liked me, Ron. Why didn't you try to be more than a friend?"

"I did try - but I know now that I was just stupid using Lavender to try and make you jealous. I'm sorry about that. I really am. I just... I like you so much that it was hard to know the right thing to do around you."

"So, you're sorry about Lavender? Fair enough. But why are you concerned about my boyfriends? Why do you care?"

"I told you, Hermione. I care about you. And I'm glad that you and Paul are engaged. It's just that..." he trailed off.

"What? Tell me," Hermione insisted. If she could get an answer out of him, it might help her better understand Ron's relationship with her.

"I've loved you for a lot longer that Paul, Hermione. I thought you felt the same way, but I guess not."

"Ron..." she started, but he was walking away. "Ron!"

He stopped walking. "Why didn't you give me another chance?" he yelled to her.

"I did. I did give you another chance, Ronald! You were just too thick to spot it. You were handed a chance, but you didn't take it."

((()))((()))

The following spring, the Dark Lord was defeated by Harry Potter. And though the greatest evil the Wizarding world had known was now gone, there were others missing as well. Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley both lost their lives - and at Harry's bidding, they were buried next to each other. Because he knew that they would have wanted it. He just wished that they could have seen it themselves while they were still alive.