To my wonderful readers - Finally the Sequel to `Anything for Love' is here. Please be patient, uploads may be slow at first - it all depends on my muse and she has become temperamental, or maybe that's just MENTAL. But enough of that. This story take place one year after the end of `Anything for Love' in the summer of 2012. In this we will get to watch Ron squirm, like he should have in the original story. If you have not read `Anything for Love' read it first. You won't be disappointed. You can read it here on Portkey at http://fanfiction.portkey.org/story/1100 or on my Fanfic Homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~icoriander/id53.html , Alas, I have been banned from fanfiction.net, so if you look for me there, you will not find me. Something about being too graphic in my last story posted there. Who me? Graphic sexual scenes, no never…
As always, all characters belong to the most talented JK Rowling. I am not making any money off of this, I just love the high of getting reviews. I love you all and hoep you enjoy "What Goes Around Comes Around" as much as you enjoyed "Anything for Love."
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I sit here and nurse what's left of my firewhiskey as I watch my best friend and ex-wife dance gracefully across the floor. I can't help but feel a tad jealous at the happiness they have found in each other. I'm not jealous at the fact that she is my ex-wife, I know it wasn't working between us. I am glad that she is happy now, and I am happy that Harry finally has something good in his life.
The thing that bothers me is that I walked away from her, thinking that my happiness was in my grasp. Alas, I have been proven wrong yet again. The fact that I am sitting here alone at the celebration commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the defeat of the Dark Lord should say it all. I should be out there dancing with the woman I love. I should be having a good time, not sitting here milking my fourth drink, wallowing in self-pity.
I watch as they dance and laugh and smile. I want that. I want that with Lavender, but I don't have that. I am not sure what happened between us, but something changed in the last year. We had been together for four years before my split with Hermione. I thought we would work. I was in love with her, still am. But I'm not so sure about what Lavender feels about me.
I offered her the chance to move in with me and she declined. This wasn't just once, mind you, but quite a few times. She kept saying she didn't want to hinder my relationship with Arthur and Candace. Excuse me, I was not born yesterday you know; no matter how naïve people think I may be, I am not stupid.
I'm not sure what's going on with her, but she has seemed very distant and hesitant when it comes to our relationship lately. I went and bought a ring for her a few months ago. I wanted to propose to her, but every time I plan a romantic evening to pop the question, she always has something else come up. We haven't been on a date in months. We still see each other - sometimes at work, or she comes to the Nest, but a real date is out of the question.
Take tonight for instance. We had been planning on coming here together since we got the invitations from the Ministry. I even thought tonight might be the night I ask her. Hell, the ring is in my pocket as we speak. But is she here? No.
She had flooed me a few hours before saying she wasn't feeling well, and would have to back out. I offered to come sit with her, nurse her back to health, but she told me to go ahead and come here instead. So here I sit. Frustrated, depressed, lonely and bored as I watch everyone else have a good time.
"Ron?"
I am brought out of my pitiful state of mind by the soft voice of my first love. I look up to see her worried face and the same look mirrored on the face of my best friend standing behind her. I smile slightly as I take another sip of my firewhiskey. I don't want to talk about it.
I hear Harry offer to get her a drink before he leaves us alone. I know now that I'm not going to get out of this with a weak, `I don't want to talk about it.' Hermione would never let it go at that.
"Dance with me?"
I look up to see her brown eyes sparkling at me. She knows I don't want to talk, so she uses her wiles to get around that fact. She holds out her hand and I take it, placing my glass carefully on the table, and follow her to the dance floor.
Honestly, I have missed this. I miss the feel of her in my arms. I miss the smell of her shampoo as her hair tickles my nose. I shake my head to clear my mind. I miss holding someone, not necessarily Hermione, but I miss this kind of closeness.
We are silent throughout most of the song. I love that she knows when words don't have to be said. Well, maybe I was wrong with that statement…
"Is everything all right, Ron?"
I nod my head numbly. I deserve the hell my life feels like right now. I left a woman that would have done anything for me, for what I though was a guarantee. I feel like the biggest idiot in the world. What if Lavender doesn't love me anymore? What if I pushed her too fast? What if the kids are the issue? So many questions run through my mind as I stare silently over the top of my ex-wife's head.
Her hand on my cheek brings me back to reality. The song is over and I am just standing there holding on to Hermione, not moving, not talking, just holding her and staring. Her eyes bore into mine. She can tell something is going on. She can probably do the math and figure it out. I'm here, Lavender's not, what does that say?
I speak before I even realize what I am thinking. "I was going to propose to her tonight."
A slight smile creeps on Hermione's face as another song starts to play. She sways her body and coaxes me to continue dancing. "What happened?" she asks softly.
I stare over her head again. "She said she wasn't feeling well. So she stayed at her flat and told me to go ahead and come. I wish she were here."
Hermione smiles. I can see the smile even before I look down at her. "Well, you've been here. You made your appearance. Go see her. You can still propose to her Ron. Just because she isn't feeling well, doesn't mean she'll say no."
I shake my head at the obliviousness of my ex. Maybe its just my own paranoia, maybe she really is ill. Maybe she is as scared as I am about all of this. But maybe, just maybe Hermione could be right.
I have been imagining the worst-case scenario in all of this. I have been thinking all along that these past few months were her having second thoughts. Maybe she really has been busy. Maybe she is just scared. Maybe… hell, I don't know.
The song ends and Hermione guides me to the table where Harry is sitting waiting with a fresh drink for his wife. She leans over and kisses him on the cheek and whispers something in his ear. No doubt she told him I had planned on asking Lavender to marry me. My suspicions are confirmed when I see the giant smile appear on his face.
"That's great, mate. Where is she, by the way?"
"She wasn't feeling well, told me to come without her."
"Nonsense." I look up to see Harry's smile still shining. "You should know by now that she really wanted you to stay with her. She only said for you to come without her so you didn't feel bad or guilted into staying with her. It's the way women work, mate." I can see Hermione's expression before I even look at her. I chuckle under my breath. It looks like Harry might be sleeping on the couch tonight.
I let them talk this one out amongst themselves and I let my mind wander. Is that really what Lavender meant? What would she do if I showed up at her flat with a pot of Mum's homemade chicken soup? I formulate a plan in my head. That's what I will do. I have some leftover soup in the fridge at the Nest, what if I charmed it hot and took it over to her? She would fall into my arms in appreciation that I would think of such a gallant thing to do. We would curl up and watch the telly and then when she was feeling a little better I would ask her the question that I have wanted to ask for months.
I take a deep breath and steel my nerves. That's what I will do. What better time than the present? I stand up and wrap my cloak around my shoulders. Harry and Hermione look up suddenly, brought out of their little spat, and look at me curiously.
"You guys are right. I should go to her. Make her feel better. Show her I care and love her." I patted the box in my pocket. "Tonight, I'm going to ask."
Hermione stands up and wraps her arms around me and Harry slaps me on the shoulder. I hear a `Good Luck Ron,' but am not sure which one said it. My mind is focused on what I am about to do. I have put it off too long.
I hug my best friends goodnight and head off to the apparition point. I take yet another deep breath and apparate to Lavender's flat.
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