Remain Nameless

Chapter 29

The awful pronouncement was posed some time later as a question by Ron. As they swayed lightly on the dance floor together, their gaze drifted over to the happy newlyweds. Harry and Ginny only had blissful eyes for one another, faces shining with unreserved ardor.

"Do you think that will ever be us?" Ron asked quietly.

No.

"Ron I—"

But she might as well have screamed her initial thought.

"Shh, Hermione. It's all right."

He gathered her closer to his chest so she could hide her face as her tears fell. She loved Ron so much and felt loved by him in return. She felt beautiful in his eyes, and in the early days of their relationship, the compliment fell off his tongue at least once a day.

But the thought of standing at an altar and consenting to a life-bond and really, truly meaning it with all her being? She couldn't picture it. They weren't Harry and Ginny and they never would be. They could not be the all-consuming, driven to the brink of madness with passion, type of love that each deserved to find.

Ron and Hermione's romantic relationship bloomed in war time, borne in fire and blood. When the dust from the Battle of Hogwarts had settled, there'd been no question of them going their separate ways. They were a unit now. Hermione witnessed with pride as Ron became the paragon of steadfast strength that his family so desperately needed in the trying months of grieving following the war.

When Arthur threw himself into helping rebuild the Ministry, Ron spent time with Molly to make sure she didn't collapse in on herself from losing Fred. When Ginny needed to exorcise her rage and pain, he went flying with her and organized pick-up quidditch with Harry and their siblings. When Percy still felt awkward and guilty around the family, Ron invited him into every conversation, made his new girlfriend feel welcome, and hugged him every chance he got. When George relied too much on firewhisky and Dreamless Sleep Potion, Ron took over the joke shop and solicited the help of Lee Jordan and Angelina to keep both the business and his brother afloat. When Charlie returned to Romania and Bill and Fleur returned their focus to their growing family at Shell Cottage, Ron stepped up his help around the Burrow so his parents never felt alone. When Hermione needed to travel to Australia to restore her parents' memories and bring them home, he supported her the entire trip and didn't complain once. He held her hand when her parents became angry and distraught when they finally remembered what their only daughter had done to them.

For someone whom Hermione once accused of having the emotional range of a teaspoon, Ron Weasley had certainly proved her wrong and then some.

But when you've given so much of yourself to everyone around you, what's left for you? When Harry announced he would be entering the Auror program, she saw the brief glint of regret in Ron's eyes. It had always been him, Harry, and Hermione, side by side, defeating darkness. But Ron just couldn't do it anymore. George needed him. His family needed him. Ron threw himself into Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and never looked back.

Before Hermione and Ron knew it, a few years had gone by. If anyone asked, they were happy together. Young and in love. Would they be getting married soon? What was the hold up? Harry and Ginny were engaged, so shouldn't you two not be far behind?

We have time, Ron and Hermione told each other. We have all the time in the world. For now, let's take care of each other, yeah?

But soon, that's all it became. Grief and recovery. Holding one another just to get through another sleepless night. Fights that used to end in passionate makeup sex now ended with sighs and long silences. The question of an engagement and marriage always punted to some other time in the future. Perhaps that blasé attitude about commitment should have clued at least one of them in, but it became easier to stay in the comfort of the familiar and expected. It was slowly killing them both.