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Perfect Timing; Part III
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[AN]: Concluding chapter! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!
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Hermione was laying awake in bed, her cheek pressed against Harry's bare shoulder, and her eyes staring up at his sleeping face. Honestly, she still couldn't believe the past 24 hours were real. Her life had taken a complete 180, and the most exciting part was the fact that it was for the better.
Her finger was just starting to trace over Harry's eyebrow when there was a sudden, loud pounding on the front door. A frown instantly appeared on Hermione's face as she glanced back towards her open bedroom door.
The pounding persisted, and quickly Hermione lifted herself from the bed, quietly as to not disturb Harry, and grabbed the clothes she had thrown on earlier. As quickly and silently as possible, Hermione ran out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her, and made her way towards the front foyer.
The knocking was just starting up again when Hermione pulled the door open.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull, "Ron? What are you doing here?"
Ron, in his full height of 6'2, was towering over her with a solemn look in his eyes, "We have to talk, Hermione."
"Um, do we have to right now?" Hermione stammered. If Harry woke up while Ron was here… well, it wouldn't be good.
Ron sighed impatiently, something Hermione had grown accustomed to over the past year, "I'm here aren't I? Even after the stunt you pulled last night…" He pushed his way past Hermione and walked into the flat.
Hermione looked nervous as she closed the door and turned back to him. She didn't even bother getting annoyed over his little comment; she just prayed that Harry was still fast asleep and that the 'conversation' with Ron wouldn't take long, "Ron, it wasn't a stunt. It just- it was a long time coming."
The redhead rolled his eyes to himself before turning back to Hermione, "Okay, and it worked. You got my attention, and now I'm here to apologize."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hermione asked, suspicious that maybe he really was about to apologize for their disastrous relationship, and maybe hopefully ask to continue on as friends.
Ron surprised her by coming forward and grabbing her hands, "Hermione, give me a second chance. I know I might've handled our relationship wrong, but that's all in the past. We're meant for each other. I love you."
Hermione's mouth fell open as he finished. They had never said that to each other before, and Hermione couldn't believe he was actually saying it now as a ploy to get her back. Deep down, she knew that Ron didn't love her romantically. And after what she had just experienced with Harry, she had never loved him that way either.
"No."
The grin on Ron's face instantly dropped, "What?"
Hermione shook her head, "I-I can't Ron. I'm sorry."
"What?" Ron repeated in disbelief.
Hermione sighed, "We're not meant for each other Ron. We're not."
The look that appeared on Ron's face kind of shocked Hermione. He didn't look angry or defiant, like she thought, but instead he looked sort of desperate, "You don't mean that. You only broke up with me in the first place because you were mad-"
Hermione shook her head, growing more sure of herself as she spoke, "I broke up with you because I finally realized that we were trying to make something work that could never be. Ron, we're not meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend or anything more than that. You'll always only be a best friend to me."
Ron dropped her hands, "A best friend? What the hell? What is this really about Hermione?" His tone was taking a sharper edge, and his face was starting to get redder. So she had been wrong- he wasn't going to take this as well as she thought.
Hermione bit her lip, "I just told you."
Ron's eyes immediately narrowed, "Is there someone else? Is that it?"
Hermione opened her mouth, staring into Ron's angry eyes. Well, here was her golden opportunity…
"Look, I don't want to lie to you Ron, and you'll find out eventually… So yes, there is someone else."
"You se- wait, what?" Obviously, Ron had been expecting her to deny his claim, because for an instant, a relaxed expression took over his demeanor, before quickly being replaced with an incredulous glare.
Hermione took a deep breath, but didn't look away from his eyes, "There is someone else. I didn't realize it until last night, but there is."
Ron's nostrils flared, "Is it someone I know?"
Her mouth fell apart slightly. What should she say? She knew that if she lied, and said she didn't know, then her and Harry would never be able to be seen in public. They wouldn't be able to be the couple that they dearly wanted to be. But if she was honest, and told the truth, then that would crush Ron and any hopes she had for them to all be friends again.
When she weighed in her options, she knew what she had to do. She couldn't let other people dictate her life anymore, and Harry deserved her honesty.
"It's Harry."
Ron raised an eyebrow, almost as if he was expecting her to burst out laughing and say it was a joke, "What?"
"I'm sorry Ron. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, or make you feel like I did this intentionally…" Hermione rambled on, not looking into his eyes anymore.
"Harry? As in Harry Potter? The Boy-Who-Lived? The bloke that was going to marry my sister?!"
She glanced back up, "Yes."
Ron's face was blood red, and his eyes looked livid. Hermione could only guess that some brash accusations were forming in his head. She was right, "You're the reason he broke up with her, aren't you? You two shagged, and then he had a guilty conscious about it!"
Hermione shook her head hurriedly, "That's not at all what happened, and by the way you're acting, I don't feel like I have to explain anything to you."
"Like hell you don't! You fucking cheated on me!"
"I did not! We're broken up!"
Ron scoffed, "We broke up last night! You expect me to believe that Potter showed his face here after a year, just because for some reason he knew that we had a fight?"
Hermione started stammering again. Her heart nearly leapt up into her throat when he guessed that Harry was here, "No- Ron, I-"
He pointed a finger at her as he continued to scream accusations, "You've been seeing him behind my back haven't you?! I can't believe you would go and have sex with him, but not you're boyfriend of over a year!"
Hermione rolled her eyes that time at his ridiculousness. It always came down to sex with him…, "Ron, there's a difference between realizing that you want someone else, and actually having a physical relationship with that person. Both you and your sister need to get that straight."
"Answer my question- have you, or have you not been seeing him?"
"Ron, I was never unfaithful to you when we were in our relationship. I bumped into him last night and… what happened after is between me and Harry," she finished, refusing to go into details with him. Obviously, he would assume the worst, which in this case was true. But by the way he was acting, Hermione wasn't going to willingly admit that she slept with Harry to Ron.
The redhead paced around the foyer in circles, cursing under his breath. His face was as red as a tomato, and Hermione could've sworn she heard the word sick, bitch, and bastard used multiple times.
"Let me get this straight- you don't want to get back with me, and the relationship we've been in for a year, because you shagged Harry and now think you have a real chance with him?" Ron spat out, glaring at her.
Hermione took a calming breath and raised her chin, "No. I'm telling you that I can't be with you because I don't love you. The man I love is out there waiting for me… along with the girl you'll eventually meet and fall in love with, too."
"Oh so you love Harry now?" he sneered.
Hermione bit her lip as she nodded, "I've loved him for a long time now, Ron. That's why we've never been able to progress in our relationship."
Ron shook his head, "Un-fucking-believable. Why did you even start up with me in the first place if you were so head over heals for him?"
"I think we both know how much people counted on us falling in love. I guess I wanted to see what other people saw," Hermione told him truthfully. Looking back now, that's probably the stupidest reason ever to get in a relationship with someone, but it was a mistake that she had made, and will never need to make again.
"That's it?" Ron asked in a scoff, "You never even had any real feelings for me?"
Hermione looked at him anxiously, "I-I… I'm sorry Ron. I'm sorry I wasted your time. But you have to know, it's always been Harry for me."
Ron rolled his eyes, "Well of course it has. He always gets bloody everything I want. It's not even really a surprise."
Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Please Ron, don't turn it into that. This has nothing to do him getting more than you."
Ron stared at her coldly, "You just don't understand anything, do you? It's a game for him. He wooed my sister into almost marrying him, and then he successfully got you from me! You're probably just another tally in his pocket book."
Hermione looked up in frustration, anger evident in her eyes, "Look Ron, I understand you're mad, but it seems that you're not understanding either. We weren't happy together! That's why I broke up with you. And Harry isn't like that at all. Just like me, he was trying to make everyone happy. Truth is, he needs me as much as I need him."
"Well I hope you two are really happy together," Ron told her sarcastically.
"Ron, I still want us to-"
"To what? To be friends?" he asked coolly before scoffing, "Quit being so bloody naïve. You can choose to be with him, but I choose to stay loyal to my sister, and the rest of my family."
It took her a few moments, but eventually Hermione nodded, "If that's what you want."
Ron continued to glare at her, "You're making a huge mistake. You think you're going to get some great, happy ending with him? He may have defeated You-Know-Who, but really, all he does is disappoint the people that love him."
Hermione's jaw went slack with his cruel words. She couldn't believe that someone who had been best mates with Harry for so long could ever say those vile things about him. Her hands clenched into fist as she stared at Ron indignantly, "We're finished here. You need to go."
Ron glared at her for an extra moment, before he scoffed and turned on his heel, heading for the door. He slammed it loudly behind her, and Hermione quickly turned to deadbolt the lock.
…
Hermione walked back to her room, where Harry was pretending to be asleep. She crawled back into bed next to him and laid her head on his chest.
An arm slithered around her waist, "I love you, Hermione."
Hermione looked up to where Harry was blatantly staring at her. She sighed, realizing he must have heard the screaming match between she and Ron.
"I love you too," she replied easily.
"It's not like you're one of many girls, you know? I'm not playing a game here-"
"Harry, I know that. Ron's just… angry. I honestly expected for him to say much more hurtful things," she told him with soft eyes.
Harry nodded, "I'm sorry. I almost came out."
"I'm glad you didn't. That definitely wouldn't have helped the situation."
"You know… he sort of did have a point," Harry started, glancing away from Hermione's staring eyes.
She frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"The Weasley's hate me because of what I did to Ginny. And Ron- well, he's not going to keep us a secret…" Harry told her uneasily.
Hermione sighed. He made a valid point, but still she didn't have any regrets, "As long as it doesn't affect the way you feel about me, then I don't care."
Harry looked at her with a hint of a smile, "I just want you to be sure."
Hermione leaned in and kissed him, "I'm sure."
"I'll try my hardest to not disappoint you," Harry murmured, kissing her back.
"I know you won't," she whispered.
They shared another kiss before Harry smirked amusedly, "You know what this means don't you?"
Hermione gave him a look, probing for more.
"We've totally ruined Mrs. Weasley's idea of a big, huge, Weasley family."
Hermione grinned at him, "I'd rather have a big Potter family, instead."
Harry smiled and pulled her in closer, "Yeah?"
"Definitely," Hermione said, butterflies erupting in her stomach from the look in his eyes.
Harry gave her a lopsided grin before kissing her on the forehead, "Well, we have plenty of time."
This time, Hermione smirked mockingly, "Really? You're not going to disappear on me again?"
Harry gave her an incredulous look, "I got you. Why would I ever want to leave?"
She stared at him quietly for a few long moments, before leaning in over his mouth, "That's a good answer."
Harry bent forward and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. As long as Hermione was by his side, he knew he'd never have trouble being happy ever again.
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Well that's all for this one! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!