" coming!"
Hermione ran to the door and opened it. Assuming it was her parents she swung the door open to instead see Ron standing there.
He looked furious and clenched his jaw.
" ron i-"
" Are you fucking kidding me Mione?" He stormed into the house and dropped his coat on the rack.
" look ron i-"
" no! Let me talk! I am furious right now!"
Hermione sighed but nonetheless listened.
" you leave my apartment, no, OUR apartment while I'm at work without explanation, the only thing left of you is a note that says next to NOTHING, and then you FLEE THE COUNTRY? And i had to hear it from your GIRLFRIEND, who I didn't even know was the reason why you left me until hours after you left!"
Ron stormed into the living room and hermione followed suit.
" and i dont even get an explanation. I dont even get a reason, for all i know you could be hunted by one of harry, or blaise, or draco or PANSY'S ENEMIES! You do not just DISAPPEAR when you are affiliated with the kind of people we are surrounded by!"
Hermione reached to take rons arm but he flinched away.
" and the worst thing, the worst thing of all is that you dont even have the COURAGE to see me in person. I have to hear an apology from your girlfriend, who wasnt even the one to leave me. I have to sit there and listen to how much she loves you while all im wondering is if you are okay. YOU SHOT BULLETS TOWARDS REAL PEOPLE WITHOUT HESITATION, WE BOTH HAVE AND YET YOU DONT EVEN HAVE THE GUTS TO SEE ME IN PERSON?-"
" DONT YOU THINK I WANTED TO?" Hermione yelled back.
Ron stopped, his breathing heavy and his nostrils flared.
" dont you think i wanted to see you? Above all else YOU are my best friend! Who cares if you were my fiance, before that you were the First cadet i ever ordered, you were the first person to call me Sergeant, YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPECT ME AFTER YEARS IN THE DAMN ARMY."
Tears fell down her face as she clenched her chest.
" when we left the army and i didnt want to be around harry anymore, you pulled me aside and told me that he is our friend, and that we should support him no matter what. And that is what i did, 10 months later and i would kill for that boy and i am HOPELESSLY in love with someone so i just NEED YOU TO SUPPORT ME!"
" I DO!"
Ron sat down and placed his head in his hands. His breathing shuttered and his body shook.
He looked up with tears in his eyes and for the first time in a while, hermione saw Ron break down.
" it just hurts......." his voice crumbled. It was low and soft, like he couldn't dare go any louder.
"it hurts that everyone got an explanation except me. Harry got one, blaise got one, hell even my family got one. But i didnt. I was the only one left who didnt hear from you. I waited for days, for those couple of words. To hear your voice even if it was through a phone. I thought since you called harry and my family you would call me, maybe you needed some time. But then 2 days pass, then three, then four and then a whole week."
Hermione sat down opposite of him and looked down to the floor, her eyebrows knotted and tear streaks staining her face.
" i wanted you to be happy. I still do......but it doesn't change the fact that it hurt like hell."
His voice cracked in the end and he took in a deep breath. Hermione reached over and grabbed him in a hug.
" i-im so sorry."
She dug her face into his shoulder, something she had done too many times. Whether it was because of a nightmare, or ptsd, or even just sadness, ron was always there to lend a shoulder.
Thats why she fell in love with him. Maybe she didn't love him like she used to, but it doesn't change the fact that she would sacrifice everything for him. And it doesnt change the fact that she still loves him......shes just not IN love with him.
" im sorry." She whispered.
" why did blaise get one but i didnt. Why did harry get one.....even my mother...." ron trailed off into sobs.
" im sorry."
For the first time, she had no words. When she was 10 she finished the entire selection of her fathers personal library, when she was 14 she had memorized every word in the oxford dictionary, and when she was 22, she met a ginger who she could never stop talking to and a raven with a dangerous name.
Im sorry.
It was the only two words she could muster. It was the only two words that didnt hurt, it was the only two words she could trust to leave her mouth.
" for a week.....i thought you forgot me. I thought you died because someone was pissed off, i thought you were in danger..... But you were just frolicking around in Madrid with your girlfriend." Ron stood up and removed himself from Hermione's grip.
He wiped his face and folded his arms, clutching his shoulders and looking at the floor.
" of course i didnt forget. How could i?"
" i dont know. I always think of the worst scenario, you know that." He turned away and inhaled deeply.
He sniffled a bit and held in his breath. He closed his eyes and turned around to face hermione.
Hermione stood frozen, scared of what comes next. Truth be told, she didnt want him to leave her life. He was still one of her most cherished people and just because they weren't together didnt mean that she still didnt want him in her life.
" forgive me. Please ron-"
" dont beg. Its awkward to see a superior officer begging for my forgiveness, it's uncomfortable." He shifted awkwardly.
Hermione felt the tension lighten and snorted a little.
" so............do you forgive me?" Hermione asked.
Ron looked down with knotted eyebrows but didnt say a word.
Hermione waited nervously, her chest rising up and down in anticipation.
" ........of course i do. What else would i do?"
Ron flashes a small smile. His eyes were still sad but he was smiling.
Hermione exhaled and smiled wide at him.
" you do?"
" of course. Like you said, before all else, you are still my best friend." He said in a small voice.
Hermione felt tears come up again, except this time they were happy. She ran to ron and engulfed him in a deep hug.
He hugged back and kissed the top of her head, a habit they developed over the years.
" so i have your blessing?" Hermione asked looking up. He looked down and knotted his eyebrows in confusion.
" what for?"
" for........pansy and me?"
Ron exhaled sharply and hugged her again. He smiled and swayed them.
" why would you need that. If you love her, you should be with her."
Hermione smiled into his chest and chuckled.
"But....."
She froze in his arms and her shoulders tensed suddenly.
" if you must....then yes. You have my blessing."
Hermione pulled away and relaxed.
" really?"
" of course.... leave no man behind right?"
Hermione chuckled and shook her head, rolling her eyes at a stupid quote she drilled into their heads back at base.
They stood in silence for a couple minutes, until ron cleared his throat and grabbed his coat.
" um I should go-"
" you dont want to stay for tea or?"
" no. Um.....im pretty drained and i still need to apologize to harry for blowing him off for 8 days."
He smiled fondly at hermione and nodded.
" bye.......Sergeant."
Hermione smiled back and waved.
" bye........Cadet."
Hermione folded her arms and hugged herself as she watched ron walk out the door. She shivered slightly, but smiled softly.
Her phone suddenly rang, making her jump.
She picked it off the table and looked at the screen.
She smiled wider and picked up the call.
" hey honey." Hermione said.
" hey Mione.......how'd it go?" Pansy asked, nervousness in her voice.
Hermione looked to the door where ron stood before and nodded.
" you know what?....... it ended relatively well."
————————————————————
Ron parked outside a coffee shop and got out of his car.
He peeked into the window and smiled as he saw blaise and pansy sitting together at a booth, smiling and laughing.
Blaise spotted him and blushed slightly. Pansy took notice and looked to where he was looking, spotting ron and waving with a big smile on her face.
Ron smiled and waved back, earning a shy wave from blaise.
Rons heart swelled as he saw the the cute look on his face.
Pansy started to tease blaise and his blush grew more. He eventually had to put up his hands to cover his face and started poking pansy.
Ron laughed and sighed. He took out his phone and dialed the number that he had more than 40 missed calls from.
He waited for the other end to pick up while the phone line rang.
" hello? Ron?" Harry's voice said quickly and surprised.
Ron took a moment and looked down at the pavement.
" hey you have some time? Wanna get a coffee?" He asked.
Harry chuckled and you could feel the smile through the phone.
" of course. Send me the address ill see you in 10."
Ron smiled and nodded.
" okay.......see you in 10."