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What is Love?

Disclaimer:

Though I certainly hope to one day achieve a faniver such as Harry Potter's with my writings, I most certainly DO NOT own him and the characters in JK Rowling's novels. Onl new characters and written situations are mine. This disclaimer shall be good enough for the whole story.

Summary:

Hermione made a mistake on her 6th year and a wrong choice in her 7th so she's going back to see if she can be happy again. A love story, a past triangle taking place six years after Hogwarts Graduation. A Hermione / Harry / Ron story.

A/N: I promise chapters will grow longer as the story develops. Enjoy! And please R&R.

PROLOGUE

The Courage to Take the Chance

***

(2004 - London)

It was a cold dark night; she felt his skin against hers, and the only feeling inside her was disgust; accompanied by a deep guilt and sorrow. Thinking of him while making love to his ex- best friend. Ex, just because of her.

She had known happiness, and love, for she had had both and lost them; finding comfort in the arms of the one responsible for so much pain. Her life, once wonderful, was now a deep hole of guilty feelings; melancholy, sorrow and apathy. All because of a stupid affair on her 7th year, because of a stupid boy that made her choose, because of her stupid reaction.

She pulled back from his embrace, "I'm not feeling well Ronald, can we please go to sleep?" she kissed him uncaringly, not looking at his concerned eyes and fighting back a silent, painful tear. She turned and let it go while Ron leaned and brushed her hair away, discovering a beautiful but hardened face that aged her look.

He kissed her on the cheek and then spotted the tear running down her face. He said in a cold, rather painful voice. "Ok Hermione, don't worry. It's not that I'm not used to it already. Now, would you please tell me, once and for all, what on earth is wrong?"

Hermione moved away. "It's nothing all right?" she said coolly. "And just stop saying you're used to it!"

Ron sat and pulled her face, forcing her to look at him. "You know? I'm tired of this rubbish! What happened to you? What happened to us Hermione! Am I not good enough for you anymore?" he covered his face with his hands and shook his head, "it's like-- it's like I'm with a complete stranger! With another person that the one who chose me over that big headed, wannabe hero almost six years ago! What's your-." He was interrupted by a slap on the face.

"Don't you ever call him like that again Ronald! I don't care if you hate him now! He once was your hero. He used to be your best friend! You should be grateful to him!" she said, tears finally making their way freely down her face.

Ron flinched and stood. "What the bloody hell are you talking about! Grateful! Have you gone mad! Let me refresh your mind; he was the reason you nearly got killed that year! You were the one that said you couldn't stand it anymore. The only thing I could be grateful to him for is the fact that his enormous ego and his greatness delirium drove you away, to me. But now I'm not even sure if you are as grateful as I was-- am."

Hermione stood wordless for once. She didn't know what to answer to this, but there was a feeling deep inside, that told her he just might be right. She wasn't sure anymore, she wasn't sure if she had made the right choice back then. She thought of Harry very often, and more since he came back again; asking for the same thing. They argued, but he finished it by kissing her; a kiss she had never felt in Ron's lips. But even so, she pushed him back and walked away without a word; listening at the distance to his hurt but angry voice.

Suddenly, she made up her mind. She stood from the bed and went over to the closet as she spoke. "Ron, I'm tired of this. I think I made a mistake and have been living with the doubt if indeed, I did so. I can't take this anymore! I don't want to hurt you anymore and I don't want to keep lying to you! I'm leaving and I'll ask you not to keep me back," she said while she put some travelling robes and a cloak on. She took some other things, putting them in a small bag.

Ron hurried to her side and touched gently her now covered shoulders. "Hermione, think about this please," he said pleadingly, "are you going to throw away all we have? All we've built...? Mione, remember! We used to love each other so much, so passionately, so deeply..."

Hermione turned; and gathering all of her courage, she looked at him, holding her bag full. "You said it yourself Ron, we used to have..." She sighed with a mix of relieve and pain and repeated quietly, "we used to have..." She kissed him last on the lips; a kiss of a dying love.

She moved and strolled away, holding tears back and listening to Ron's broken words. "Hermione don't! I love you! I've loved you for so long! I've given you the best of me! Please!"

A loud sound indicated Hermione that Ron had collapsed on his knees as he said this. Tears had now won at her lover's words, but she didn't look back. She just opened the door and went out, to a now stormy night. She walked down the street; raindrops pouring on her; hitting her face as she remembered the whole story. That beautiful year, her horrible mistake and that dreadful moment...

***

A/N: Bare with me, this was only the set up of the story. It'll get better, I promise.

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