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| �HIGHER!�
�Daisy, this is as high as I�m allowed to push you!� �HIGHER!� �Daisy!� �Come on, Uncle Ron! HIGHER!� The young man�s crooked grin burst out upon his face as he watched his youngest (and by far, cutest) niece fly up into the air. Her curly red pigtails were flowing through the breeze as he guided her with his wand. They were playing on the Muggle playground set that Daisy�s father had insisted they build. �Higher, Uncle Ron! Higher!� �Daisy, if you go any higher you�ll fly off!� Ron turned around to face his best friend�s grinning face. �DADDY! DADDY!� the little girl announced wildly, waving her hand in the air. �I�m going to fly!� �Oh no you�re not, love!� Harry pulled out his own wand and pointed it at the swing set. �Finite incantatem!� The swing slowed to a halt and Daisy bounded off. She ran over to her father, jumping into his outstretched arms. �I want to go on the slide with Uncle Ron!� �Well, let�s not bother your Uncle Ron any more than we have to. He probably has some really important job to do at that Ministry place he works at.� Daisy and Harry shared an adorably identical disgusted face as Ron muttered, �Bug off, you git.� �Daddy, what�s a git?� Ron clapped his hand over his now upturned mouth. Harry stared at him, his mouth wide open. �That mouth of yours! I wonder why you�re her favorite uncle.� �Oh, maybe because I�m smart, handsome, debonair, charming, fun�� A snort of loud laughter could be heard in the kitchen. Ginny�s attractive and grown up face stuck through the window. �If you�re smart, handsome, and debonair, I�m Queen Elizabeth. Watch your damned mouth in front of my child!� Ron laughed openly. �Virginia Potter! Well� I never!� he said in a mock offended tone. He and Harry, still carrying Daisy, made their way into the house. Harry greeted his wife with a short peck on the lips and let Ron tend to his daughter. �It�s really nice of you to look after Daisy while we go out tonight,� Ginny called. Ron reappeared, his niece now on his right hip. She looked very pleased to be settled there. �You don�t have to thank me. I love it. And we have fun together, don�t we, Daisy?� Daisy answered with a nod of obvious approval. Ron bounced her a couple of times and listened as she giggled. Ginny turned around and gave him a look that reminded him so much of his mother that he backed up a couple of steps in fright. �You�re going to make her sick!� Ginny scolded, stepping forward and reaching her arms out. �NO!� Daisy yelled, throwing her arms around Ron�s neck and burying her face into his shoulder. Ginny sighed, backing up and leaning against the counter. �It�s really amazing how you do it.� Ron had gone back to bouncing Daisy and answered calmly, �Do what?� She watched in great amusement at the pair of them, and then answered wistfully, �Stay single and childless for so long.� Daisy�s bouncing suddenly got slower, much to her protest, and a blank look crossed his face. �Yeah,� he whispered. Daisy was pounding on his chest; trying to make him begin again (�Come on, Uncle Ron!�) and without warning he set her next to Ginny and dashed out the back door. Ginny watched him as he slowly sauntered over to the playground equipment and sat at the top of a very high jungle gym. She envied his long legs. He was able to swing them right over the top and sit for long moments at a time. It was his official thinking spot. She had discovered him there more than once. She recalled seven months before when Ron had first come across the set as a place to deliberate. Harry had gone downstairs in the middle of the night to grab some water for Daisy when he discovered someone on top of his child�s jungle gym. Screaming at Ginny, he had dropped the water, and ran around, distractedly grabbing his slippers, wand, and robes. Looking disheveled, he raced outside to see what was going on. Before Ron had time to break from his heavy trance, Harry sent a bolt of gold sparks toward him, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him onto the slide. Harry recognized the loud �OOF!� and knew instantly who he�d blasted. Ginny laughed at the memory. Now she watched restlessly as Ron put his head on his legs and closed his eyes. The sound of footsteps indicated Harry entering the room. He was carrying Daisy, who was pouting from being put down. She had her moping face buried in his work robes. He walked over behind his wife, slipping his free arm around her waist and kissing her hair. �What is he doing out there?� �Thinking.� �He needs to find a better place to think,� Harry scoffed. �Just let him alone, darling. He�ll find somewhere better to be than here someday. I think that�s what�s bothering him.� �I know what�s bothering him,� Harry said. Ginny sighed. �Harry, it�s been eleven years, you don�t think�?� �I know that�s what�s going on,� he sighed, staring out at his miserable friend. �He never should have let her slip away.� All Ron could think about was the only girl he�d ever truly known and loved. Hermione Granger. How did I let her get away? Ron stared up at the deep blue sky and wondered how things could be so truly beautiful when they were dark and dismal. His Hermione� His Hermione� It was so long since he�d touched her, smelled her hair, gazed into her eyes� She had been gone for so long but her face was burned into his memory. He�d never forget her soft, curved face, her warm gentle eyes, or her kind, inviting lips. It had been eleven years since they sat together in their private hole in the wall. Hogwarts was vast, with many secret tunnels and passageways). As soon as they started dating, Hermione had found the hole a couple floors below the Gryffindor Tower. It being a door that one had to wave their wand at and say the right incantation to get open. The room was relatively small, just big enough for the two of them to lie together in one another�s arms and relax. Usually lit by a few small candles, the room was their special room. Until the night he had unintentionally cursed it. �Cratsio!� The door opened and much to his chagrin, Hermione was already there. She had spread out a blanket, lit four candles, and had cast a Heating Charm on the place inside the wall. It felt cozy and warm. He wanted some time to gather up his courage for what he needed to say. �Hi,� she whispered, walking over to him, placing her hands softly on his face and kissing his lips tenderly. �Um� Hermione� hi, I uh�� he couldn�t get the words out. Hermione looked so beautiful in her robes, her hair down and an expectant look on her face. He couldn�t do it. �What is it?� she asked soothingly. She gently put one hand on his cheek but gathering up his remaining courage, he removed it and walked past her. She frowned in confusion and then opened her mouth to speak. Her voice cracked and Ron felt his heart being torn out. �Tell me what is wrong right now, Ronald Weasley!� It was too obvious. He always took in all of her warm touches greedily. To refuse them meant the end and feared it as much as he feared saying it. �I love you, you know that?� �Just tell me what is wrong,� the new expression in her voice told him she was going to cry. Mist fogged in his eyes and he whispered, �I love you. Don�t you ever think I didn�t.� Her face came back into focus as the tears dripped from his eyes. She rushed toward him. �Are you ending this? Ending us? Ron, please tell me� what is going on?� Ron took her by the hands and led her in, kissing her suddenly with a fervor he didn�t know he had in him. Ever since he had made the decision to let her go, he had felt empty. Hermione backed up. �Why are you ending us?� �Hermione, I don�t want to lose you.� �Then WHY?� The passion she usually projected was back in her eyes. It was all he could do not to sweep her into his arms. �Hermione� I don�t want to lose you� physically or otherwise.� �What?� �I�m going to the Ministry after Hogwarts,� he stated. �You know I�ve decided to join the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. There�s a war, Hermione. And I may be in the middle of it none too soon. I can�t bear to watch you get hurt in case something happens because of me.� �But, Ron!� Her pleading look all but broke him. She walked up to him again, grabbing his face harshly and directing it to her line of vision. �Ron! You love me.� �I do.� �Then why do you have to leave? Don�t leave me. I�m a strong girl; I can handle physical bumps and bruises. I�m not strong enough to be Hermione without you.� The words broke his heart as he wrapped his arms around her waist and sobbed like a baby in her arms. �Hermione, you can�t get hurt� you can�t get hurt.� They spent the remainder of the night crying together before going separate ways the next morning. Ron wiped the tears from his eyes and realized how idiotic he had been to let someone so precious go. It had been eleven years and she was still the top priority in his mind. He had dated, he had loved, and he had been engaged. There was no woman in the entire world good enough for Ronald Weasley, except the one that got away. Placing his head in his hands, he sobbed, �Oh, Hermione� where are you now?� |