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| �Dear Hermione,
I can�t even begin to write this letter. You�re here, you�re within my reach and that�s all that matters. Can I see you? I want to see you� no, I mean I need to see you. Write me back. Monica says you�re her teacher at Hogwarts. She wrote me and said you were by far her favorite professor. I always knew you�d make a wonderful teacher. Hermione, this is important. Meet me in our room. That is, if I�m not too tall to fit in there anymore. Friday night. Please. I need to see you again. Love, Ron.� She pressed the parchment to her nose. It still smelled like paper, but it was Ron�s, and that was what counted. She had read the note over and over for almost three days now. It was Friday evening, and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. After lights had gone out, Hermione grabbed her wand and moved as quickly as her body could take her down the hall. For some reason, since she had talked to Monica, she�d felt odd pains inside of her body. It was like because she was home, she was having sympathy pains for Ron�s agony. Feeling the pain hit her harder than before, she tried to crouch low while walking to the door. She had hoped to relieve some of the pain, and within a few steps, it was gone again and she was able to walk straight. She looked around and quietly, pointing her wand at the door, and muttered, �Cratsio!� She watched as the wall burst open, revealing the small tunnel that led to the large hole in the wall. It was an unbelievably tight squeeze for her and no amount of sucking in could prevent that this time. Pulling her wand up a little higher, she muttered, �Lumos,� and let the dim light scan quickly around the small hole. Ron wasn�t there yet so she had time to set everything up. Shooting the blanket, the candles, and the Heating Charm out of her wand almost at once, she nervously set herself on the blanket, adjusting it so she wouldn�t look obvious. No matter what she did, it was still a blatant fact. And just as her heart jumped at a noise in the hallway, a searing, scorching pain ripped through her and she let out a cry, falling onto all fours. She knew now what it was. Sympathy pains� she had only been putting off the fact that she was having contractions. It was happening. But it couldn�t. She couldn�t leave. She had to see Ron again, no matter what. �AH!� She couldn�t hold it back. The pain was getting worse as time went on. One arm was now crumpled under her head as the other held her stomach. �Oh� God� Jonathon� Why�� The door to the entrance opened and Hermione looked up quickly. Even in the pure midst of pain, seeing Ron again was amazing. He hadn�t closed the door or moved, and the light from the hall made him look ethereal. He�d grown taller, if that was possible, broader, and definitely more attractive. He stood rooted in his spot, powerless. All he could do was stare at Hermione. She was in so much pain. He had been around his brothers and sister enough to know what the pain was. �Oh my� God� Hermione� why�� He still couldn�t move. She lifted her head and looked at him and with the one look she shot at him; he knew what he had to do. He rushed instinctively over to her side. �Oh, Hermione,� he whispered, rubbing her back expertly. �Just b-breathe� just� oh my� Hermione� My Hermione.� She let her hand grope for Ron�s. �Ron� I was� going to tell� you�� she sputtered. �Sh, sh, don�t talk,� he reassured her, leading her onto her feet and brushing her soft hair out of her face. It hadn�t changed at all. She looked at him desperately as the pain subsided. His face, though it looked the same at first glance, was actually more rugged and worn. He stared into her deep brown eyes, holding her up with all the strength he could muster. He had just realized how close their faces were, and how close his lips were to her own. She was trembling and sweat poured into her eyes. �I was going to tell you�� �I think I understand,� he said quietly, moving his hand up to push the hair out of her face. �He just left�?� She looked down quickly and nodded. Tears appeared in her eyes. �I just� he was gone� I thought� but Ron�� �Sh,� he said, brushing her hair away from her eyes tenderly this time and he looked into her eyes. �You don�t need to say anything.� �But I do!� she demanded. Ron�s heart leapt. Same old Hermione, even in labor she wants to fight with me. She stepped back a little, still clutching his hand for support. �Ron, I always knew it was you. You were supposed to be there. Not Jonathon. It was supposed to be you next to me and I know you never would have left me.� �Hermione,� he breathed softly in an obvious state of torment. �I did leave you.� Tears rolled out of her eyes as she clutched to Ron. �If you had never left in the first place� I needed you so much when Jonathon told me I couldn�t use my wand in public� I needed you there when he tried to burn all of my books� I needed you there when the closet was empty� Ron, I wasn�t supposed to be with him and you knew that!� Ron didn�t know what to say. �I knew it, and I had no idea how to just walk up to you and take it all back.� �I loved you too much to be proud.� �That�s a luxury of being in love. No pride.� She reached up to place a clammy hand on his face. He intuitively leaned his cheek against her hand. Closing his eyes in bliss, he let his lips graze her fingers, leaving gentle kisses wherever he could. She let her hand drift up into his hair. �I�ve waited so long to touch you,� he sighed. �So long�� �Me too,� she whispered. Ron stared at her face for a few seconds and then let his hand touch her cheek softly as well. �Oh, Hermione, if things weren�t so different�� Her heart skipped a beat. �How are they different?� She wasn�t going to lose him again. There was no way. �I can�t just walk into your life and take over, Hermione� I would feel like I was trying to replace Jonathon�� �No! No! You wouldn�t be taking over, Ron� you�d be where you belong. Can�t you see that?� Ron blinked tears back and gave her a half smile. �I�m sick of only being Uncle Ron.� Hermione smiled through her tears. �And I love you, Ronald Weasley. I always have and I always will, no matter what happens.� �I�ve dreamed of hearing those words from you for so long, Hermione Granger,� and as he turned to fish something out of his pocket, he felt her wrench from his grasp. �Oh� Hermione� we have to get you out of here.� She let out a short squeal of surprise. �I think my water just broke.� �Let�s go,� he said, holding her up with his long, sturdy arms and leading her out of the hole and down the hallway. They made their way to the hospital wing, all the while Hermione giving long shouts and howls of pain. Madam Pomfrey was indignant. �How long have you been having contractions?� �Five days,� she answered, wincing. She tutted. �You should have come straight to me. Lie down right now,� she demanded. She glanced up at Ron piercingly. �I�ll be assuming that you�re the father?� Ron�s eyes widened and he looked at Hermione, who was looking up at him with such love and affection that his heart melted. Giving her a look that meant everything in his heart, he sat beside her, not taking his eyes away. �Yes. Yes I am.� Hermione closed her eyes and let tears spill down her cheeks. Madam Pomfrey turned and raced out of the room to fetch Hermione hospital garments. Ron pushed the chair out of the way and knelt so he could be closer to Hermione�s face. �You were right, what you said earlier, Hermione,� he said quietly. �I would never leave you. If it had been me by your side for all this time, I never would have left you.� He pulled something from his pocket and Hermione�s face went pale with realization as he showed her a small black box. He opened it and she saw a beautiful ring gleaming before her, gleaming with brilliance. He pulled it out and placed it onto her hand. �I meant to give you this eleven years ago, before I realized what a mistake I was going to make. Then I found it again just recently� and I finally understood what that meant. I was going to be with you. For good.� �Yes,� she whispered, lightly touching his face. Before either of them knew it, the contractions started and stopped rapidly. Kissing her quickly, Ron ran out of the hospital wing to write a message to his family. �It�s Ron I�m at Hogwarts. Hermione�s having the baby. No time to explain, just come.� |