What I Deserve

For Me

Narrarator's POV

Draco gathered everyone in the morning in the sitting area. He stood up while Hermione sat beside him, Ginny, Harry, and Ron straight across from them.  "Caleb is not missing."

Hermione looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Draco looked down at her worrisome eyes. "Last night, there was an owl perched by Hermione's window. I got it after she was asleep. It didn't address who it was toward, but I'm guessing it was for Hermione."

"Well what did it say?" Harry asked.

"Something about unfinished business. That the person would meet them at the Silent Bar, and for them to come alone. Problem is, we don't know who it's for."

"Well how do you know it's Caleb?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked at her. "It was signed with his first initial. C."

"Well, it can be anyone," Ginny suggested.

Draco threw his hands in the air. "Well who could it be?" He walked around the room. "There are not many people we know that have a C as their first name, and even fewer that Hermione knows."

"Ha!" Ron interrupted. "I knew there was something wrong about him."

Hermione glared him down. "You know nothing about him."

Ron scoffed. "Don't have to. Just looking at him, you can tell he is very suspicious."

"In what aspect are you talking about?" Hermione asked. Ron had no answer, but laid back into the couch. "That's what I thought. If you don't know what you're talking about, it'd be best to remain silent. You don't want to look even more stupid."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Well what are we going to do?" Ginny asked.

Hermione stood up. "I have to go."

Ron shifted his eyes back to Hermione. Harry and Ginny looked at each other, astonished.

Draco rushed back towards her. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," she replied. "What if someone has Caleb and wrote that letter? What if they hurt him if I don't go?"

"What if it is him?" Draco questioned. "What do we do then, how do I protect you?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't need protection!"

"Mione, it is not your responsibility," Harry said. "You can't help everyone."

Hermione sighed, her eyes flickering down. "Well then what do I do?"

Ron smirked, catching Draco's attention. "What is it, Weasel?"

"Now you want my idea?"

Harry smacked him. "Don't be an ass."

Ron looked at Harry, surprised he could even curse. "Fine," he said. He stood up and walked up to Draco. "Remember that time in second year when you saw Goyle wearing glasses?"

Draco looked at him weirdly. "Yes. I told him I didn't know he could read. What's that got to do with this?"

Harry stood up. "Ron, you're a genius!"

Draco looked at them back and forth. "What?"

"It wasn't really Crabbe and Goyle," Harry explained. "It was Ron and I." Draco's eyes burrowed. "We drank polyjuice potion to look like them."

Draco scoffed. "You're kidding!"

He looks at Hermione. "We're not." Draco slaps his hand on his forehead. "Ron, even if we obtained Polyjuice, which we don't, how are we going to use it exactly?"

"I would drink it and I could pretend to be you," he offered.

Draco put his hand up. "No, no, no, if anyone is going to pretend to be Hermione, it's going to be me."

Ron walked up face to face to Draco, thought truth to be told, Draco was much taller. "Are you sure you want to?" Draco clenched his fists. Harry held Ron and Hermione wrapped her hand around a fist.

"Stop!" Ginny yelled.

"Draco?"

Draco unclenched his fists. "No use in fighting."

Everyone sat back down, "Alright," Hermione said. "This is what we're going to do."

*****

It was now noon, and Hermione sat on the bed in her room. A knock came from the door. Hermione chuckled. "Since when do you knock?"

There was no answer.

"Draco?"

She got up and opened the door. Before Hemione could process who it was behind the door, the person pushed her in and locked the door.

"Who-"

A hand covered her mouth, and Ron shushed her. "Shhhh!"

She pushed him away. "What are you doing? You can't just barge in here!"

Ron placed his hands on his hips. "Well, were you going to let me in if you knew it was me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Of course not."

"Then I did what I had to do."

"What do you want, Ron?"

He looked at her, glancing into her eyes that used to love him. That used to be his. "So Draco..." he started, "you chose him?"

"What?" Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Of all people, you had to date Draco? My worst enemy?"

"You have a big ego if you think your thoughts and opinions of people influence my own thoughts of others."

"If you wanted my attention, you could've just said so!" Ron yelled. "You didn't have to go slutting around with others to get me back!"

Hermione laughed, almost ready to punch him. "You think I want you back? I'd rather date a troll!"

"First Caleb, now Draco, how long are you going to deny that you still love me?" Ron remarked. "In all of your life, I was your only boyfriend, and the second you leave, you find two new people!"

"You left first!" Hermione yelled. "You cheated!"

"Only because you were such a nag! You never did anything! You never had fun! You were so conservative of yourself, and let's be honest, you're not hiding much!"

"I never gave you anything? I gave you everything!" She screamed. "I did everything FOR YOU? I gave up my ENTIRE LIFE FOR YOU! I lost myself in the process of trying to save YOU!" Hermione threw her fists at his chest. "Every single breath I took everyday was FOR YOU!"

Ron caught her arms. "I'm sorry," Ron sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mione. I love you. I didn't know how important you were to me. I know it now. I love you." Ron wrapped his arms around her, grabbed her face and tried to kiss her, but Hermione pushed back.

"No," she said sternly. "It's too late."

Ron took in a long breath. "You said that every single breath you took was for me," he reasoned. "That everything was for me."

"Right," she said, pulling her arms away, turning her back to him. "Was." And then she turned to face him again. "But it's him now. He is my reason now."

Ron stepped back. "I loved you."

Hermione shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did." Hermione walked to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. "You may leave."

Ron lifelessly walked out the door, but still turned to face Hermione.

"And thank you," Hermione said.

"For what?" Ron asked.

"For teaching me not to live for anyone else but me. For not relying on another person to breathe."

And then she slammed the door.

Two chapters in a row!! I hope you enjoyed it! I made Ron such a jerk in this fan fiction, I've really got to be nicer. Anyways, don't forget to vote!! Thank you!!-Ally 💜💜