Chapter 9:
RonÕs Decision
Hermione
had never actually let go of the habit of checking and rechecking luggage even
after leaving Hogwarts. It was nearly time for their bus to leave as the driver
was getting ready to start the bus. Matthew was still upset at her for shouting
at him, and Hermione felt guilty for shouting at him too.
She said to
Matthew, ÒSweetie. IÕll be right back.Ó
Hermione
rushed out of her bus to the sweet shop in the station.
ÒOne box of
Mars bars please.Ó
ÒThat wonÕt
be necessary. I have some already,Ó a voice from behind Hermione said. It was
Ron.
ÒRon, leave
us alone. Go away.Ó
ÒWell
excuse me, I came here for Matt, not for you.Ó
ÒOh yeah?
Not for me? Then, will you please tell me Ron, what is this?Ó, Hermione was
holding RonÕs letter in front of him. For once, Ron was stumped. Not only,
because he was aware that now Hermione had come to know of his feelings in the
most unceremonious manner possible, but also because he had no idea how it had
reached her without his knowledge.
Ron
stuttered, ÒHer-Hermione! H-How did th-that reach you?Ó
ÒThat is
not what bothers me now. What bothers me isÉÉhow could you, Ron? How could you
think something like this about me, Ron? Are you trying to make fun of me? Is
this some kind of a joke?Ó
ÒNo, No!
Hermione. This is no joke. I meant every word I wrote in that letter. I still
do. The only thing is that when I wrote this letter, I did not know anything
about Matt or your past and I-Ó
Hermione
held up her hand and said in a very steely voice, ÒThatÕs enough, Ron. I donÕt
want to hear anything from you anymore. Just donÕt interfere in my life, and
leave us alone. Do I make myself clear?Ó
She tore
the letter into bits, threw them on RonÕs face, and alighted the bus. Ron stood
dumbfounded at the unexpected turn of events, as he watched the shape of the
bus become smaller and smaller.
~*~
ÒLook at
that. The freak is backÉÓ
ÒOh, where
is your father, freakie boy?Ó
Matt was
used to his schoolmates tease him this way, yet it still reduced him to tears.
He had only one best friend, Kevin who was his motherÕs old friend LavenderÕs
son. Since Kevin was also a wizard, he too faced the occasional bursts of magic
within him. But this time, as he sat and chatted with Kevin about their
holidays, he did not feel very bad about all the teasing. On the contrary, he
had a gut feeeling that this was not going to happen anymore. Why, he didnÕt
know.
Matt was
just showing Kevin the gift he got from his Aunt Ginny, when it was snatched
from him by Rich, the school bully.
ÒOh, what
is this? A new present for Mattie boy? Is it unbreakable? I hope not.Ó
ÒGive it
back to me, Rich. ItÕs mine.Ó
ÒYours? Who
gave it to you? Your Dad? Oh, I remembered . You donÕt have one!Ó Rich mocked
as he and his friends burst into raucous laughter, and before Matt could say
anything, his present was hurled into the air. Matt closed his eyes, waiting
for a crash or a thump. But none of it came. Matt squinted his eyes open only
to find a tall, red-headed man holding his gift in his hand and examining it
closely.
ÒYES!Ó Matt
exclaimed. Looking at the shocked faces of his opponents, he said, ÒI have a
Dad and he is mine.Ó He pointed towards Ron.
Matt ran
into RonÕs arms and whispered into his ears, ÒThanks Ron! Thanks for coming! Thanks
for being my Dad!Ó
ÒAnytime
son, anytime.Ó
Apparently,
Hermione was completely unaware of the racket that had taken place in the
playground because she was basking in the praises showered about her son. She
was very proud of him, and would have stayed in that trance if she wouldnÕt
have heard shouts and cheers coming from the playground.
Somehow,
she found out that Matt had placed bets with some child named Rich that his
father can jump from the roof of the school buildiing. MattÕs father? She thought.
She must got a jolt of shock when she saw the red-headed man standing on the
roof. With Matthew?
ÒMatthew
Granger! Come down here right now!Ó, she screamed. Adding an afterthought she
said, ÒBy the stairs please.Ó
Up on the
roof, Ron had no idea what he was doing. All he knew, was that he did not want
to let Matthew down. But he made it a point to tell Matt after he heard
HermioneÕs screams, ÒMatt, buddy. Make sure that next time, you place easier
— and safer - bets with your friends the next time. Especially, when they
concern me. Please!Ó
ÒSure Dad!
I am sorry.Ó
ÒItÕs okay.
Now go back to your Mum carefully. Because, from what I see from up here, you
are already in serious trouble.Ó
When Matt
reached his mother, Hermione first hugged him tightly and then shot a glare at
him which clearly meant ÒWhat on earth is happening here?Ó
Matt
grinned sheepishly and said, ÒActually, I justÉkind ofÉtold Rich that my Dad
can jump from anywhere and land without scratch.Ó
ÒMatt, you
didnÕt,Ó Hermione groaned, feeling sorry for Ron for having become a scapegoat
here. She was completely oblivious to Ron jumping from that fateful place and
landing unscathed.
ÒActually,
he did,Ó Ron said from behind, making an obvious show of dusting his clothes as
he had landed firmly on his feet. Throwing a wink at Matt, he continued, Òand I
am glad he did. ItÕs not everyday that you can brag about your Dad. Right,
Matt?Ó
Matt winked
back and sprinted off to play with Kevin.
Hermione
turned her attention from Matt to Ron, who was already looking at her. She
thought she saw his expression change to harsh fromÉÉwas that admiration?
ÒIf you are
wondering why IÕm here, then let me tell you that I am not following you, or
stalking you. IÕm here because I promised Matthew. And I intend to keep my
promise,Ó saying this, Ron walked away towards Matt and away from Hermione. He
missed the speechless look on her face, which gave way to a hint of smile.
Meanwhile,
Ron half regretted his harsh behaviour with Hermione. But he could not just let
go of the anger he felt when she tore his letter at the station, without even
listening to his side of the story. It was such an ironic situation that, while
Hermione was claiming that Ron was making fun of her feelings, she was actually
the one who was making a joke out of RonÕs feelings.
The day
just passed by with Ron doing everything that suited MattÕs crazy whims;
literally everything and literally crazy. As Hermione was keeping a check on
Matt as well as dealing with the praises of his teachers about his smartness to
complaints about his mischiefs, she managed to steal a look or two at Ron. To
her chagrin, she even met his eyes once or twice. She could not quite decipher
what she saw in his eyes then.
Soon,
ParentsÕ Day was over and Ron stealthily distanced himself away from the school
towards his car to allow mother and son some moments to themselves. He could
not hear them speak, but he could see that Hermione looked truly sad as she was
parting from her son. He remembered what his father said about her, that this
was surely one of the moments when the otherwise strong Hermione looked the
most vulnerable. He actually saw how true that was.
Hermione,
as usual, could not hold back her tears. She managed to deliver the same old
lectures of eating well, writing regularly, and not being shy to report any
problem to the authorities. Finally, she broke down, ÒMatt, be safe, my baby.
DonÕt cry!Ó It seemed that the last sentence was more directed to herself than
to her son.
Matt looked
at his mother and lifted her face with his small hands. Wiping her tears, he
said, ÒHonestly Mum! I am fine. YouÕre telling me not to cry, and look at
yourself. Mum, you are crying!Ó
ÒOh yeah.
Silly me!Ó
Matt
understood his mother. He realised how hard she worked to keep him happy and
comfortable. He knew that she loved him and he loved her too. He had heard from
his Aunt Ginny how intelligent and brave his mother had been in her school
days, and still is, and he wanted to be like her. So he worked hard and was a good
child at school, to make his mother happy and proud for him.
ÒMum! ItÕs
time to go.Ó
ÒOk, baby.
Take care. And Matt, I am sorry for yelling at you today.Ó
ÒItÕs okay,
Mum. I love you.Ó
Hermione
gave her son a tight hug and turned to leave.
~*~
Ron drove
in silence all the way. It was raining outside and that stormy weather exactly
potrayed his mood right now. For once, he was not in seventh heaven that
Hermione was seated next to him, silently. Hermione too, for her part, now
completely regretted her behaviour at the bus station earlier that day. She
felt that she had to explain her situation to Ron. He deserved it. So she
turned to him.
ÒRon?Ó
ÒHmmm?Ó
ÒI am sorry
about todayÉÓ
ÒOh, no,
Hermione. Not at all. You think I am angry at you. Oh no,Ó said Ron, in a tone
that sounded that was casual but was actually, very angry and hurt.
Hermione
sensed that, because she said, ÒI think I should explain.Ó
ÒExplain?
Why Hermione? CanÕt handle that you have, for once, failed miserably in
something like marriage?Ó
That was
the last straw. Now Hermione was angry. How can he say something so rude and
cruel?
In a cold
voice, Hermione said, ÒStop the car.Ó
Ron too had
realised that he had gone too far with that comment. But now, what was done was
done. There was no going back. But he didnÕt stop the car.
She
repeated, loudly, albeit in the same cold voice, ÒI said stop the car. Right.
Now.Ó
The car
stopped and Hermione got out of it immediately, walking away briskly from it.
ÒHermione!
Wait! I am sorry! Please stop! Come on, itÕs raining!Ó
ÒI donÕt
care for the rain, Ron. Why Ron?Ó
Ron did not
understand what she meant by the question and it showed on his face. However,
Hermione was too agitated to notice that as she continued, ÒWhy is it always
the womanÕs fault? Is it my fault that you left me after Hogwarts to pursue
your career? Is it my fault that Ian never loved me and left me to chase after
some bimbo and her money? Is it my fault that Ian never bothered to find out
anything about his family? Tell me Ron, is it my fault at all? Ron, I have
limits too. How long can I bear all this?Ó
Ò ÔMione,
ÔMione, I understand,Ó said Ron, slowly approaching her. But she stopped him.
ÒNo Ron,
you donÕt understand. You will never understand. I think itÕs best that we part
our ways.Ó
ÒNo,
Hermione,Ó Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her back. ÒI donÕt think we should
part our ways. We have done that for eight years. It didnÕt work for me then
and it is not going to work for me now.Ó
Hermione
opened mouth to protest, but Ron silenced her with a finger on her lips. He
continued, ÒHermione, I understand what you have been through. More than what
you think is my ability to understand. And trust me, I love you more than ever.
DonÕt be surprised, Hermione. It is true. I have loved you since the time you
told me that I have dirt on my nose. I loved you even when the day we parted on
the last day at Hogwarts.Ó
Hermione
asked, with tears in her eyes, ÒThen why did you go?Ó
ÒI am
sorry, Hermione. It just seemed the best thing to do at that time. You have no
idea how much it hurt me.Ó
ÒRon, do
you have any idea what your coming back has done to me? I had so long buried
those feelings in me and..Ó
ÒHermione,Ó
Ron said. ÒDonÕt say a thing.Ó
Ron moved
towards Hermione and kissed her softly with all the love in him. It was more
than a kiss. It was a proof of the promise that Ron made to himself and
Hermione that he would give her and Matt a better life. It was a kiss that
released Hermione from the torment of her past and gave her hope of happiness
and love in future. It was a kiss that made Ron forget all about his career
plans and Hermione, all about her situation in reality, for now they were too
deep in love to notice any problems.
As they
parted, there was no need to ask any questions aloud but Hermione felt the need
to answer the one that was in RonÕs eyes and she just said, ÒYes Ron.Ó
Ron could
have jumped in the air had it not been a serious situation, but all he could
was open his mouth to say something when Hermione silenced him by saying, ÒShh
Ron! DonÕt say a thing.Ó
~*~
All the
way, from HermioneÕs flat to the Burrow, Ron felt giddy with happiness. He felt
almost drunk with it. So when he reached home, he rushed to his room to find
Ginny busy chatting with a person. A very familiar person.
ÒHarry!Ó
Harry
turned to him and gave him a big smile, saying, ÒHey Ron! So nice to see you!Ó
ÒNice to
see you too, Ron!Ó
ÒOh yeah,
hello to you too, Ron,Ó said another voice in the room.
ÒHillary!
Hi, how are you? Glad that you could make it,Ó Ron greeted Hillary with a peck
on the cheek.
ÒGinny,
have you introduced her to the family?Ó, Ron turned to Ginny.
ÒActually
no, they just came, you know and we had just started tallking when you came,Ó
Ginny replied. ÒCÕmon Hillary, letÕs leave the blokes alone. They have some
catching up to do.Ó
Saying
this, Ginny led Hillary out of RonÕs room, but not before throwing a wink in
HarryÕs direction. Ron noticed it.
ÒWhoa,
mate, what was all that about?Ó
ÒIÕll tell
you that later. But first, tell me about your project?Ó
ÒOhÉÉerÉÉ.project?
Okay, sit down. IÕll tell you.Ó
Ron told
Harry everything about how he met Hermione, how they were put together in the
Operation Settle-Down. He even told Harry about all the funny dates, his dream,
his dream-woman, Matthew, HermioneÕs past, and how he reached the conclusion
that she was the one he was going to marry. Then he stopped.
All the
while, Harry gave all the reactions that Ron had expected him to give at the
right moment. But he was confused when Ron stopped all of a sudden.
So Harry
said, ÒIs this the part when I am supposed to ask you about your decision?
Because if you donÕt tell me on your own, I am going to hex it out of you.Ó
Ron smiled.
It was a very different smile from his usual lopsided mischievous grin. It was
a smile full of maturity, and happiness. ButÉ.there was most certainly some
trace of mischief in it.
He said,
ÒOh, IÕll tell you if you tell me all about GinnyÕs wink.Ó
Harry was
taken aback and had no choice but to blush.
ÒOh, about
the wink, erÉÉItÕs just thatÉÉHillary and I areÉumÉ engaged.Ó
Without a
warning, Harry found himself in his friendÕs embrace and hugged him back. Truly
speaking, in all his years of friendship with Ron, he had never hugged,
actually hugged him with brotherly affection. So he was surprised. Pleased, but
surprised. Nevertheless, he hugged him back, and said, ÒWhoa! Who are you and
what have you done to Ronald Weasley?Ó
ÒHuh?Ó
ÒMate, you
realise that youÕve become a softie?Ó
ÒYeah, mate.
You know how it feels and all?Ó
ÒOf course
I was just teasing. So are you going to tell or do I go on with my threat?Ó
But, before
Ron could say something, they heard a knock and then GinnyÕs voice saying,
ÒDinnerÕs ready, guys!Ó
Ron had an
idea.
ÒYou know
what, Harry, I think now that I have made a decision. I might as well tell it
to everybody. LetÕs go. Not to mention, all this emotional stuff makes me
hungry.Ó
After
dinner, when everybody had settled down, Ron decided that this was the time. So
he began, ÒErÉeverybody, I have something to share with you guys.Ó
All the
chatting stopped and everybodyÕs eyes were now at him. Feeling encouraged, he
continued, ÒMum, Dad, I know it was your plan to put me on an Operation
Settle-Down. So, I just want to say that your plan worked. In the most unusual
way, yes, but it worked. What I mean to tell is that I have found the girl I
want to marry.Ó
Now
everybodyÕs curiosity had reached its peak.
ÒMum, Dad,
everybody, I have decided to marry Hermione.Ó
~*~
Chapter 9:
RonÕs Decision
Hermione
had never actually let go of the habit of checking and rechecking luggage even
after leaving Hogwarts. It was nearly time for their bus to leave as the driver
was getting ready to start the bus. Matthew was still upset at her for shouting
at him, and Hermione felt guilty for shouting at him too.
She said to
Matthew, ÒSweetie. IÕll be right back.Ó
Hermione
rushed out of her bus to the sweet shop in the station.
ÒOne box of
Mars bars please.Ó
ÒThat wonÕt
be necessary. I have some already,Ó a voice from behind Hermione said. It was
Ron.
ÒRon, leave
us alone. Go away.Ó
ÒWell
excuse me, I came here for Matt, not for you.Ó
ÒOh yeah?
Not for me? Then, will you please tell me Ron, what is this?Ó, Hermione was
holding RonÕs letter in front of him. For once, Ron was stumped. Not only,
because he was aware that now Hermione had come to know of his feelings in the
most unceremonious manner possible, but also because he had no idea how it had
reached her without his knowledge.
Ron
stuttered, ÒHer-Hermione! H-How did th-that reach you?Ó
ÒThat is
not what bothers me now. What bothers me isÉÉhow could you, Ron? How could you
think something like this about me, Ron? Are you trying to make fun of me? Is
this some kind of a joke?Ó
ÒNo, No!
Hermione. This is no joke. I meant every word I wrote in that letter. I still
do. The only thing is that when I wrote this letter, I did not know anything
about Matt or your past and I-Ó
Hermione
held up her hand and said in a very steely voice, ÒThatÕs enough, Ron. I donÕt
want to hear anything from you anymore. Just donÕt interfere in my life, and
leave us alone. Do I make myself clear?Ó
She tore
the letter into bits, threw them on RonÕs face, and alighted the bus. Ron stood
dumbfounded at the unexpected turn of events, as he watched the shape of the
bus become smaller and smaller.
~*~
ÒLook at
that. The freak is backÉÓ
ÒOh, where
is your father, freakie boy?Ó
Matt was
used to his schoolmates tease him this way, yet it still reduced him to tears.
He had only one best friend, Kevin who was his motherÕs old friend LavenderÕs
son. Since Kevin was also a wizard, he too faced the occasional bursts of magic
within him. But this time, as he sat and chatted with Kevin about their
holidays, he did not feel very bad about all the teasing. On the contrary, he
had a gut feeeling that this was not going to happen anymore. Why, he didnÕt
know.
Matt was
just showing Kevin the gift he got from his Aunt Ginny, when it was snatched
from him by Rich, the school bully.
ÒOh, what
is this? A new present for Mattie boy? Is it unbreakable? I hope not.Ó
ÒGive it
back to me, Rich. ItÕs mine.Ó
ÒYours? Who
gave it to you? Your Dad? Oh, I remembered . You donÕt have one!Ó Rich mocked
as he and his friends burst into raucous laughter, and before Matt could say
anything, his present was hurled into the air. Matt closed his eyes, waiting
for a crash or a thump. But none of it came. Matt squinted his eyes open only
to find a tall, red-headed man holding his gift in his hand and examining it
closely.
ÒYES!Ó Matt
exclaimed. Looking at the shocked faces of his opponents, he said, ÒI have a
Dad and he is mine.Ó He pointed towards Ron.
Matt ran
into RonÕs arms and whispered into his ears, ÒThanks Ron! Thanks for coming!
Thanks for being my Dad!Ó
ÒAnytime
son, anytime.Ó
Apparently,
Hermione was completely unaware of the racket that had taken place in the
playground because she was basking in the praises showered about her son. She
was very proud of him, and would have stayed in that trance if she wouldnÕt
have heard shouts and cheers coming from the playground.
Somehow,
she found out that Matt had placed bets with some child named Rich that his
father can jump from the roof of the school buildiing. MattÕs father? She thought.
She must got a jolt of shock when she saw the red-headed man standing on the
roof. With Matthew?
ÒMatthew
Granger! Come down here right now!Ó, she screamed. Adding an afterthought she
said, ÒBy the stairs please.Ó
Up on the
roof, Ron had no idea what he was doing. All he knew, was that he did not want
to let Matthew down. But he made it a point to tell Matt after he heard
HermioneÕs screams, ÒMatt, buddy. Make sure that next time, you place easier
— and safer - bets with your friends the next time. Especially, when they
concern me. Please!Ó
ÒSure Dad!
I am sorry.Ó
ÒItÕs okay.
Now go back to your Mum carefully. Because, from what I see from up here, you
are already in serious trouble.Ó
When Matt
reached his mother, Hermione first hugged him tightly and then shot a glare at
him which clearly meant ÒWhat on earth is happening here?Ó
Matt
grinned sheepishly and said, ÒActually, I justÉkind ofÉtold Rich that my Dad
can jump from anywhere and land without scratch.Ó
ÒMatt, you
didnÕt,Ó Hermione groaned, feeling sorry for Ron for having become a scapegoat
here. She was completely oblivious to Ron jumping from that fateful place and
landing unscathed.
ÒActually,
he did,Ó Ron said from behind, making an obvious show of dusting his clothes as
he had landed firmly on his feet. Throwing a wink at Matt, he continued, Òand I
am glad he did. ItÕs not everyday that you can brag about your Dad. Right,
Matt?Ó
Matt winked
back and sprinted off to play with Kevin.
Hermione
turned her attention from Matt to Ron, who was already looking at her. She
thought she saw his expression change to harsh fromÉÉwas that admiration?
ÒIf you are
wondering why IÕm here, then let me tell you that I am not following you, or
stalking you. IÕm here because I promised Matthew. And I intend to keep my
promise,Ó saying this, Ron walked away towards Matt and away from Hermione. He
missed the speechless look on her face, which gave way to a hint of smile.
Meanwhile,
Ron half regretted his harsh behaviour with Hermione. But he could not just let
go of the anger he felt when she tore his letter at the station, without even
listening to his side of the story. It was such an ironic situation that, while
Hermione was claiming that Ron was making fun of her feelings, she was actually
the one who was making a joke out of RonÕs feelings.
The day
just passed by with Ron doing everything that suited MattÕs crazy whims;
literally everything and literally crazy. As Hermione was keeping a check on
Matt as well as dealing with the praises of his teachers about his smartness to
complaints about his mischiefs, she managed to steal a look or two at Ron. To
her chagrin, she even met his eyes once or twice. She could not quite decipher
what she saw in his eyes then.
Soon,
ParentsÕ Day was over and Ron stealthily distanced himself away from the school
towards his car to allow mother and son some moments to themselves. He could
not hear them speak, but he could see that Hermione looked truly sad as she was
parting from her son. He remembered what his father said about her, that this
was surely one of the moments when the otherwise strong Hermione looked the
most vulnerable. He actually saw how true that was.
Hermione,
as usual, could not hold back her tears. She managed to deliver the same old
lectures of eating well, writing regularly, and not being shy to report any
problem to the authorities. Finally, she broke down, ÒMatt, be safe, my baby.
DonÕt cry!Ó It seemed that the last sentence was more directed to herself than
to her son.
Matt looked
at his mother and lifted her face with his small hands. Wiping her tears, he
said, ÒHonestly Mum! I am fine. YouÕre telling me not to cry, and look at
yourself. Mum, you are crying!Ó
ÒOh yeah.
Silly me!Ó
Matt
understood his mother. He realised how hard she worked to keep him happy and
comfortable. He knew that she loved him and he loved her too. He had heard from
his Aunt Ginny how intelligent and brave his mother had been in her school
days, and still is, and he wanted to be like her. So he worked hard and was a good
child at school, to make his mother happy and proud for him.
ÒMum! ItÕs
time to go.Ó
ÒOk, baby.
Take care. And Matt, I am sorry for yelling at you today.Ó
ÒItÕs okay,
Mum. I love you.Ó
Hermione
gave her son a tight hug and turned to leave.
~*~
Ron drove
in silence all the way. It was raining outside and that stormy weather exactly
potrayed his mood right now. For once, he was not in seventh heaven that
Hermione was seated next to him, silently. Hermione too, for her part, now
completely regretted her behaviour at the bus station earlier that day. She
felt that she had to explain her situation to Ron. He deserved it. So she
turned to him.
ÒRon?Ó
ÒHmmm?Ó
ÒI am sorry
about todayÉÓ
ÒOh, no,
Hermione. Not at all. You think I am angry at you. Oh no,Ó said Ron, in a tone
that sounded that was casual but was actually, very angry and hurt.
Hermione
sensed that, because she said, ÒI think I should explain.Ó
ÒExplain?
Why Hermione? CanÕt handle that you have, for once, failed miserably in
something like marriage?Ó
That was
the last straw. Now Hermione was angry. How can he say something so rude and
cruel?
In a cold
voice, Hermione said, ÒStop the car.Ó
Ron too had
realised that he had gone too far with that comment. But now, what was done was
done. There was no going back. But he didnÕt stop the car.
She
repeated, loudly, albeit in the same cold voice, ÒI said stop the car. Right.
Now.Ó
The car
stopped and Hermione got out of it immediately, walking away briskly from it.
ÒHermione!
Wait! I am sorry! Please stop! Come on, itÕs raining!Ó
ÒI donÕt
care for the rain, Ron. Why Ron?Ó
Ron did not
understand what she meant by the question and it showed on his face. However,
Hermione was too agitated to notice that as she continued, ÒWhy is it always
the womanÕs fault? Is it my fault that you left me after Hogwarts to pursue
your career? Is it my fault that Ian never loved me and left me to chase after
some bimbo and her money? Is it my fault that Ian never bothered to find out
anything about his family? Tell me Ron, is it my fault at all? Ron, I have
limits too. How long can I bear all this?Ó
Ò ÔMione,
ÔMione, I understand,Ó said Ron, slowly approaching her. But she stopped him.
ÒNo Ron,
you donÕt understand. You will never understand. I think itÕs best that we part
our ways.Ó
ÒNo,
Hermione,Ó Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her back. ÒI donÕt think we should
part our ways. We have done that for eight years. It didnÕt work for me then
and it is not going to work for me now.Ó
Hermione
opened mouth to protest, but Ron silenced her with a finger on her lips. He
continued, ÒHermione, I understand what you have been through. More than what
you think is my ability to understand. And trust me, I love you more than ever.
DonÕt be surprised, Hermione. It is true. I have loved you since the time you
told me that I have dirt on my nose. I loved you even when the day we parted on
the last day at Hogwarts.Ó
Hermione
asked, with tears in her eyes, ÒThen why did you go?Ó
ÒI am
sorry, Hermione. It just seemed the best thing to do at that time. You have no
idea how much it hurt me.Ó
ÒRon, do
you have any idea what your coming back has done to me? I had so long buried
those feelings in me and..Ó
ÒHermione,Ó
Ron said. ÒDonÕt say a thing.Ó
Ron moved
towards Hermione and kissed her softly with all the love in him. It was more
than a kiss. It was a proof of the promise that Ron made to himself and
Hermione that he would give her and Matt a better life. It was a kiss that
released Hermione from the torment of her past and gave her hope of happiness
and love in future. It was a kiss that made Ron forget all about his career
plans and Hermione, all about her situation in reality, for now they were too
deep in love to notice any problems.
As they
parted, there was no need to ask any questions aloud but Hermione felt the need
to answer the one that was in RonÕs eyes and she just said, ÒYes Ron.Ó
Ron could
have jumped in the air had it not been a serious situation, but all he could
was open his mouth to say something when Hermione silenced him by saying, ÒShh
Ron! DonÕt say a thing.Ó
~*~
All the
way, from HermioneÕs flat to the Burrow, Ron felt giddy with happiness. He felt
almost drunk with it. So when he reached home, he rushed to his room to find
Ginny busy chatting with a person. A very familiar person.
ÒHarry!Ó
Harry
turned to him and gave him a big smile, saying, ÒHey Ron! So nice to see you!Ó
ÒNice to
see you too, Ron!Ó
ÒOh yeah,
hello to you too, Ron,Ó said another voice in the room.
ÒHillary!
Hi, how are you? Glad that you could make it,Ó Ron greeted Hillary with a peck
on the cheek.
ÒGinny,
have you introduced her to the family?Ó, Ron turned to Ginny.
ÒActually
no, they just came, you know and we had just started tallking when you came,Ó
Ginny replied. ÒCÕmon Hillary, letÕs leave the blokes alone. They have some
catching up to do.Ó
Saying
this, Ginny led Hillary out of RonÕs room, but not before throwing a wink in
HarryÕs direction. Ron noticed it.
ÒWhoa,
mate, what was all that about?Ó
ÒIÕll tell
you that later. But first, tell me about your project?Ó
ÒOhÉÉerÉÉ.project?
Okay, sit down. IÕll tell you.Ó
Ron told
Harry everything about how he met Hermione, how they were put together in the
Operation Settle-Down. He even told Harry about all the funny dates, his dream,
his dream-woman, Matthew, HermioneÕs past, and how he reached the conclusion
that she was the one he was going to marry. Then he stopped.
All the
while, Harry gave all the reactions that Ron had expected him to give at the
right moment. But he was confused when Ron stopped all of a sudden.
So Harry
said, ÒIs this the part when I am supposed to ask you about your decision?
Because if you donÕt tell me on your own, I am going to hex it out of you.Ó
Ron smiled.
It was a very different smile from his usual lopsided mischievous grin. It was
a smile full of maturity, and happiness. ButÉ.there was most certainly some
trace of mischief in it.
He said,
ÒOh, IÕll tell you if you tell me all about GinnyÕs wink.Ó
Harry was
taken aback and had no choice but to blush.
ÒOh, about
the wink, erÉÉItÕs just thatÉÉHillary and I areÉumÉ engaged.Ó
Without a
warning, Harry found himself in his friendÕs embrace and hugged him back. Truly
speaking, in all his years of friendship with Ron, he had never hugged, actually
hugged him with brotherly affection. So he was surprised. Pleased, but
surprised. Nevertheless, he hugged him back, and said, ÒWhoa! Who are you and
what have you done to Ronald Weasley?Ó
ÒHuh?Ó
ÒMate, you
realise that youÕve become a softie?Ó
ÒYeah, mate.
You know how it feels and all?Ó
ÒOf course
I was just teasing. So are you going to tell or do I go on with my threat?Ó
But, before
Ron could say something, they heard a knock and then GinnyÕs voice saying,
ÒDinnerÕs ready, guys!Ó
Ron had an
idea.
ÒYou know
what, Harry, I think now that I have made a decision. I might as well tell it
to everybody. LetÕs go. Not to mention, all this emotional stuff makes me
hungry.Ó
After
dinner, when everybody had settled down, Ron decided that this was the time. So
he began, ÒErÉeverybody, I have something to share with you guys.Ó
All the
chatting stopped and everybodyÕs eyes were now at him. Feeling encouraged, he
continued, ÒMum, Dad, I know it was your plan to put me on an Operation
Settle-Down. So, I just want to say that your plan worked. In the most unusual
way, yes, but it worked. What I mean to tell is that I have found the girl I
want to marry.Ó
Now
everybodyÕs curiosity had reached its peak.
ÒMum, Dad,
everybody, I have decided to marry Hermione.Ó
~*~