Just Breathe || Ron Weasley

t w e n t y - s e v e n

Chapter: Twenty-Seven

Bad Person

Coming back to Hogwarts always felt the same. The castle was still decorated from Christmas. The weather was pretty cold, but at least it wasn't snowing really bad. Practice for DA had already begun. They were learning much more advanced magic now. Harry on the other hand had to learn occlumency from Snape.

He had told Hailey about how hard it was. He had to learn something about how to control his mind or something. And Snape was going hard on him. And of course, there was Umbridge to make their life ten times worse.

Why did that woman have to exist?

Hermione and Ron had their prefect duties. Everyone was busy. Hailey spent loads of time in the library with Hermione, Neville, Dean and Seamus for their upcoming OWLs. She rarely had time with Ron, but every once in a while they met up.

But things were going different for Hermione and Fred. Hailey had noticed them fighting a lot more than they usually did. The girl was drowning herself in studies and duties. Fred on the other hand was working for their joke shop.

And Harry had finally asked Cho out on a date, which she of course agreed to go to.

"Ron?" Hailey had asked one day when they were by the black lake. Ron was leaning against a tree doing his transfiguration essay while she was happily readings a book, as she already finished her homework (only because Hermione forced her to do so).

"Yes?" He asked keeping his quill down.

"I was thinking about it for a while... We uh... We've been dating for a while now..." She said fiddling with the hem of her Gryffindor muffler.

"Yeah..." Ron said a bit more nervously. Why was she stuttering? Was she going to break up with him? Did he do something wrong? His head started storming through all the time he had spent with her this break. He doesn't remember doing anything to upset her. Maybe he did something without thinking it would offend her but in reality, it did. And that's why she wants to break up with him. And then he would lose her forever, his and Harry's friendship would be destroyed. And Hermione would ditch him too. And his mum most probably would throw him out of the house. And-

"We uh... We never went on a date, you know..." She said as he sighed in relief. "Why are you sighing?"

"Cause I thought you were going to break up with me." He said with a smile taking her hands in his.

"Why would you think that?"

"Maybe because you were stuttering." He said with a small shrug. "Why were you so nervous to ask me that?"

"I mean... Everyone starts dating, with a date. And we are in a relationship and we never went on a date. Just us two. Nothing wrong with that... But, Harry told me he had asked Cho on a date... And it has me thinking, it's just a weird thing to ask." Hailey said looking anywhere but him.

"I don't think it's weird," Ron said he said pulling her closer to him. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"Huh?" She asked surprised by his sudden burst of confidence. Truth be told, though Hailey was confident, she was shy when it came to their relationship. Ron on the other hand had suddenly become much more confident. And she definitely didn't mind it.

"Do want to go on a date with me to Hogsmead, Hailey Potter?" He asked looking down at her to which she grinned.

"I think I would love that, Ronald Weasley." She said pressing her lips against his. Even though they've probably kissed a hundred times before, every kiss was unique and made her feel bubbly.

Later that evening Ron had prefects duties. He and Hailey were waiting outside the common room for Hermione. But surprisingly she wasn't showing up. She wasn't the type of girl to be late.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Ron asked impatiently as he walked back and forth.

"I don't know... I saw her in the library. She might be there." Hailey said as the boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe you should start patrolling without her for now. Just pass by the library to see if she's there. Mione sometimes forgets to see the time when she's in the library."

"Yeah... I think so." He said pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow love. G'night."

"Goodnight."

Hailey walked back to the common room. Harry had already gone to bed as he had lessons with Snape and he was exhausted. The twins too weren't in the common room. Neither was their friend Lee, or Neville, Seamus, Dean or Ginny so she decided to go back to the common room.

But as she walked in, she saw the last thing she was expecting to see. There was Hermione Granger, on her bed wrapped up in her blanket. Balling her eyes out. Her eyes were red and her nose and cheeks were puffy.

"Mione..." Hailey said softly as she hid her face in her pillow. "What happened?" She asked as she slowly sat down beside her. "You know you can talk to me."

"F-Fred." She said in between her sob. "He-He's leaving Hogwarts soon. A-And we had an argument. Now I feel so pathetic. I-Its his dream. To open a joke shop, and I-I was too upright. And he has been avoiding me all day. And I had prefects duty. I kept Ron waiting. He's probably mad at me. I'm such a bad person."

"Blimey Hermione. Who said you're a bad person? We all have our fair share of fights. That doesn't make us bad." She said wrapping an arm around her. "Apologize to Fred. Talk things out. He loves you, Mione. He'll understand. He probably was gutted as he wants you to support his decisions. And I get where you are coming from. But like you said, it's his dream. And you should be there for him... And as for Ron, he isn't mad."

"What if Freddie doesn't forgive me?"

"He will."

"But what if?"

"Then Ginny and I will throw that bloke from the astronomy tower." She said with a laugh as Hermione finally cracked a smile. "You're a wonderful person. And Fred knows why you said what you said."

"I love you." She said cuddling closer to Hailey's leg.

"Whose doesn't?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too."