What If I Stayed?

~Chapter One~

Ron's POV

I woke up in a boring room, ate a boring breakfast, and went out to start another day in my boring life. Hermione never waited up for me, so I went alone.
Ever since the battle of Hogwarts, things had been different. Hermione and I started dating, and I thought she was the love of my life. She was, for a while.
Then it started to change. We fell into the same routine every day. I'd known her for so long that there was no surprise. I knew everything about her, and she knew everything about me. I kept wishing something new would happen, but it never did.
I drug my feet into my tiny office, where I would continue my endless filing of broom permits. Sighing, I sat down and looked at a picture of me and Hermione, smiling and stuff. I sighed again.
My best friend, Harry Potter, stuck his head in the doorway.
"What's up, my dude?"
I shrugged. "I could go for a firewhiskey."
"But its nine thirty in the morning."
"So?"
Harry shrugged. "Whatever, man. Hey, you and Hermione are still meeting me and Ginny for dinner, right?"
"Maybe. I'll see what Hermione thinks," I replied.

Later that day, I went up to see Hermione, who was now the Minister of Magic's secretary.
"Hey babe."
"What, Ron?"
"Do you still want to go to dinner at Harry's?"
"No."
"Oh, ok."
Then I left.
As I returned to my office, I began to tear up. Not because I was sad. I walked through a fart cloud and it smelled really bad. I couldn't really see where I was going, and I ran into someone. Blinking away my sulfurous tears, I looked up.
"Blimey!"
It was Lavender Brown, my sixth-year sweetheart.
"Oh! Hi, Ron!"
We gazed at each other in that awkward way exes look at each other.
"So you're with Hermione now?" Lavender asked.
"Yeah. And you're with...?"
"I have cats."
I nodded thoughtfully. Cats are nice. Except for Crookshanks. Hermione never needed to know I sent him in a box to someone in Utah.
Lavender and I continued to stare at each other until I sneezed. Then I said goodbye and ran away.
I was still thinking about her when I left.

Lavender's POV

As I walked away from Ron, my mind wandered back to our sixth year. It was so fun, just us. But it was all over now. Why would he choose me when he could have the brilliant Hermione?
I hurried home to my seven cats, Miffy, Truffles, Shadow, Thunder, Meghan, Willow, and Jay-Z.
"Can you believe it?" I asked Meghan. "I saw Ron Weasley. After all these years."
Meghan yowled and threw up on my rug.
That evening, I sat eating a bowl of microwave ramen and thinking about my life. I realized that, although I had my cats to comfort me, I felt truly alone. Then I realized that Meghan had died and was laying on the kitchen floor.

Three days later, and I hadn't stopped thinking about Ron. Also four more of my cats died. Miffy and Willow were all I had left.
I arrived at work two hours late. As I ran to my office, I caught sight of the vibrant red hair I had been fantasizing about.
"But Hermione, I really think that Jan and Michael could have worked it out!"
"Honestly, how thick are you, Ron?"
Ron and Hermione were having a heated argument, and I felt it was best to stay out of it. But still, I found myself staring at Ron with interest. From afar, of course, so I wouldn't be noticed.
They soon stopped talking, so I took this opportunity to casually walk up to Ron and pretend I had just arrived.
"Hi, Ron, didn't see you there!"
"Hey. How are you?"
"I guess I'm ok. Five of my cats died but it was the expired cat food I gave them so I think I can keep the last two alive."
"Oh, um, that sucks."
I nodded, my thoughts going to me and Ron, walking on the beach and...
"So I'll see you around."
"Yeah!" I said, too quickly. "I mean, yes. Of course."
And we parted.

A/N: My, my, another book. We promise we'll stay with this one. It's a pretty unpopular concept, by unpopular we mean no one really thinks about it, so we thought we'd try it out. Thanks bois and grls.