Prophecy 472

15- I Love You

Ron craned his neck over his shoulder, trying to get a good look at his back. There had been several gasps in the room after he had turned around, and now Ron wanted to know what all the fuss was about. He couldn't see what they were all staring at, but he could feel it...it was like some sort of cut slashed down his back, it's shape jagged like...

"It's a scar," Harry answered for his friend. "And it looks just like mine."

Harry fingered his own scar on his forehead as Ron whipped back around, astonished at the news. Understanding flooded his senses, he instantly knew what had happen. Still, he couldn't believe it. That would mean that she...that Hermione still... that maybe they could...

"What is that?" Lavender asked quietly, looking about the room to see if the others were as confused as she was. Not a one of them was; they all looked like they knew perfectly well why Ron had a near identical scar to Harry Potter's.

"How did you get that Ron? How were you able to survive that curse...did you do a shield charm?"

Lavender chewed worriedly on her lip. Ron sighed and pulled his shirt back on, quickly buttoning it back up.

"No, I didn't do a shield charm."

Ron seemed almost unable to go on, begging Lavender with his eyes to understand, to make the connection.

"I was willing to die for him," Hermione said then, uttering her first words since returning to the house. "It protected him. Just like Harry's mother was able to protect him with her love."

"Love?" Lavender said, as if not understanding the word. "You...you love him?"

All eyes were on Hermione then, but she didn't see any of them. She stared at Ron, in a way she hadn't allowed herself to look at him since he had first walked across the threshold of her cottage.

"Yes."

Her response was simple. She'd said the word plainly, it needing no embellishment. Yes, she loved Ron Weasley. It was the most obvious thing on Earth.

At her declaration, Ron let out the breath he had been holding and took a step toward Hermione. He was halted by Lavender, who put a hand on his arm to pause him. Ron looked back at her as if he had forgotten she was standing there.

"Ron?" Lavender searched him with her eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Listen," Hermione interrupted. Both Lavender and Ron whipped their heads to look at her at the sound of her voice. Hermione's tone was steady and she was using that matter of fact voice she brought out whenever she was trying to put her foot down. "Everyone is safe now and we can all go on just as we were...I realize I've sort of turned everybody's world upside down the last few days, but that was never my intention. And I don't have any expectations." She looked down as she said that last word. "Our choices are our own," Hermione finished. "Nobody's life has to change because of this."

Hermione nodded to herself, almost like she was trying to convince herself of what she had just said. Ron looked at her like she had sprouted a second head. All they had gone through and she was still trying to pull this. Nobody's life has to change? Didn't she realize it already had?

"But you said you love him," Lavender said, her bottom lip trembling. She turned accusingly to Ron. "Is this...do you love her too, Ron?"

A collective silence hung in the air at the question. Lavender was looking up at him imploringly and Ron looked back at her, wishing there was some way to spare her this. Lavender was an innocent bystander in all of it, once again swept into the storyline of his and Hermione's tumultuous relationship. Ron shut his eyes for just a moment before opening them up again.