Winds of Desire

Goodbyes and Hellos

Hermione knocks on Ginny and Harry's door and waits, hoping that they haven't already heard anything. With them all being so well known, it is very possible.

Ginny opens it and to Hermione's surprise she stops her in her tracks. "Ron's here, he wants to talk, and I think you should give him a chance to speak," boasts Ginny, her brown eyes begging.

"No, I told you that I am not doing this Ginny!" Booms Hermione as her heart skips a beat in sudden anxiety.

She just can't face Ron right now, no matter how much he wants to talk to her. So she steps back and starts walking the other way, practically having a panic attack because this is all so new to her, hating Ron.

Perfect timing Ronald, always ruining a good mood, she thinks sourly.

Ron notices her walking away from the kitchen table through the entryway and comes immediately after her.

Hermione keeps walking... faster and faster until she breaks into a full sprint. Finally, she gets to the corn field behind the Potter's property, and Ron, who is running too, grabs her arm out of nowhere and Hermione throws it off of her angrily saying, "Don't you dare touch me!"

"Bloody hell Hermione, just hear me out damnit!" Ron cries out in distress, his breathing shallow from the intense running out to where they are.

Hermione shakes her head in denial and turns away. She sits on the ground like a child and grabs her knees in anger while refusing to look at him, not knowing what else to do.

"Please just hear me out!" He screams desperately.

Hermione jumps to her feet and faces him, her heart racing and face flushing with anger. "HEAR YOU OUT?! HEAR YOU OUT, RONALD?! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS, I HEARD YOU OUT! I READ THE OWL!" Hermione bellows. He tries reaching for her but she once again throws his arm away, this time even harder.

"Ronald Weasley if you try touching me even one more time I am going to use the Cruciatus Curse and I'm NOT JOKING!" She grabs her wand from her jean pocket and points it at him, digging it straight into the area of his neck where his jugular is.

"You broke my heart, Ron! If you still love me then how COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU, RON?!" Hermione is then lost for words and her eyes start to fill with hot, angry tears.

Ginny and Harry watch in awe at their porch. "What do we do?" Ginny whispers to Harry.

"We can't do anything, Gin-" answers Harry. "Just wait for things to fizzle out I suppose."

"I loved you, I really loved you!" Hermione cries to him into her hands, resting them and her head on her knees and sitting in the grass again away from Ron, losing control.

Ron is lost for words, how did she get ahold of his mail? How could she have found out? He hates himself and wants to die at this moment. Seeing the girl he loves so upset, falling apart, is almost as bad as seeing Fred dead. He is the worst man alive right now because he did this to her after he promised himself to her with a ring.

"Hermione, please listen... I am so, so sorry I cheated, it will never ever happen again. Blimey, it only happened twice! I hate myself for this Hermione. I hope you know that!"

"Only twice huh? Once is enough! I sure hope you do Ron because you are never getting me back," sneers Hermione through gritted teeth. Her tears were gone and anger now fully takes its place. "You have Lavender and I hope that makes it okay!" She then gets up, dusts herself off, slaps Ron with all her might, and walks silently toward the house where Ginny and Harry are still standing with their mouths open.

"Hermione... please don't." Ron begs weakly, rubbing his right cheek where she hit him.

"No Ronald, we are done and I have no reason to speak with you any longer!" Hermione screams behind her as she walks into the house.

Ginny then takes this queue to run after Hermione and Harry runs after Ron.

"Ron, I'm sorry mate, but you shouldn't have done this you know." Harry said, approaching his best friend in the corn fields.

"My life is over-" moans Ron sadly, his eyes finally filling with tears as realization hits him.

"No, it isn't Ron, maybe she will take you back. It may take months or years but if you love that woman it's worth it fighting for her." Harry says, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Harry, I have loved her since I laid my eyes on her in our first year. How... just how could I have done this to her?"

"You shouldn't have Ron, but we are all human and make dodgy decisions at times in our lives that we regret." Harry answers wisely, remembering his break up with Ginny in sixth year.

Meanwhile, Ginny follows Hermione upstairs and opens up the door that Hermione had just finished slamming in her face.

Hermione is then found with her face buried in her pillow, weeping loudly now that she thought she is alone.

Ginny picks her up by her shoulders and hugs her in her pale arms. "I'm sorry Hermione. You can stay here as long as you need to and I will make sure you get everything you need."

"Oh Ginny, I am so lucky to have you as a friend, I love you and Harry." Hermione sobs into her hands, humiliated she is being like this in front of her best friends. She hates showing her weak side because she shows it only very rarely. This was one of those times.

"Harry and I love you too Hermione. I love my brother too but he has done something I will never forgive him for. He is a heartless asshole who deserves nothing but you leaving him right now," comforts Ginny, petting Hermione's light chestnut hair as she lays her forehead on Ginny's shoulder. Hermione nods in agreement but remains silent.

After about thirty minutes, Ron is long gone and Hermione is starting to feel better, she even offers to hold the baby while Ginny takes a bath and Harry works on Auror assignments in his home office.

Little James has eyes just like Ginny's, a soft brown. His hair is dark like Harry's but has a little red tint to it as well. He also has Ginny's nose and Harry's mouth.

"You're such a precious boy. So sweet-" coos Hermione at the baby's handsome face. He smiles, two dimples showing themselves.

Hermione hears a tap on the window and turns to see a brilliant black owl perched there. She lays James on a baby blanket and walks over to the window, grabbing the letter off of the owl's tiny yellow leg. She then starts to read:

Hermione

I had a good time with you at lunch today and I was hoping we could stay somewhat civil. Maybe at some point maybe we can even become friends.

Would we be able to meet again? If so please respond.
-D. MALFOY

Without Hermione's awareness, Ginny was out of the bath and is sneakily looking over her shoulder.

"Hermione you can't be serious right now. Malfoy of all people?" Ginny asks quietly so Harry can't hear. "I know I told you to look for other men, but that did not apply to Death Eater men!"

Hermione rolls her eyes and hands Ginny James to get a better look at the letter.

"Yes Malfoy, we saw each other today in Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley," explains Hermione, blushing. "It was nothing, Ginny."

"And what did you two do in Diagon Alley might I ask?" demands Ginny.

"He wanted to go to lunch so I agreed to it. We actually had a pleasant talk and decided for now on things will be different. We agreed to try this unity thing without judging one another anymore. We had a lunch without dueling each other or cursing at each other once! I think he wants to try to be friends," explains Hermione, shrugging.

"Or maybe more than friends?" Ginny teases, laughing at the thought of innocent Hermione with Draco Malfoy.

Draco,
I agree. We should meet again at the same place, tomorrow.

–Hermione G.


Hermione folds the small piece of parchment neatly and ties it to the owl's leg as it was tied before. The black barn owl then takes off with a satisfied hoot when Ginny feeds him a treat.

"Please don't tell either Harry or Ronald I am even speaking with him," begs Hermione nervously.

Ginny promised she would not tell Harry yet without her permission and definitely not Ron. Ginny owes Hermione anyway because when Ginny first found out she was pregnant with James, she asked Hermione not to tell Ron until she was ready.
___

That evening, when Hermione finally settles into bed, her fight with Ron starts to haunt her. Ron is truly sorry and she can see it in his eyes. But he will never be fully forgiven, and she never can be with him again because she can't trust him anymore.

She realizes suddenly that she still has on the golden ring with the white diamond on her left hand, so she quickly takes it off and throws it into her night stand drawer.

"Won't need that anymore," whispers Hermione sadly to herself.

Weirdly, she isn't that sad anymore today. When she took the ring off it was almost a relieving feeling, like a weight off of her chest but she can't really explain why. Maybe Ron just wasn't meant to be her husband. Maybe someone else is.

Draco's face drifts into Hermione mind, shocking her... she can never possibly even think about being with someone on the other side.

But he saved us, he didn't point out it was us in Malfoy Manor that day, his mother is the reason Harry is still alive, he never wanted to kill Dumbledore or anyone for that matter, and he is not evil. He just did it because of his family, became a Death Eater, she found herself arguing with herself mentally. Draco isn't a bad person he had just done bad things.

But it was always his choice, her conscience argues back. He didn't have to do those things.

As she lays in bed, she decides to listen to the rain that just started to fall again outside. She can also hear little James crying and Ginny's soothing voice attempting to comfort him. Oh how she hopes that she will have that one day too. She thought she had it, or at least part of that. But now it's gone...

_____

"Hermione, wake up!" Hermione awoke with a start to Ginny's brown eyes gazing at her.

"What Gin? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, just wanted to ask if you could watch James for a few hours? I'll pay you 50 galleons!" Begs Ginny and she adds quickly, "Sorry it's so sudden."

Hermione groans and sits up, thinking hard whether she even has the emotional capability to watch a small child for most of the day.

"Yes I can. But can I invite a friend over?" Hermione asks, remembering she told Draco they'd meet in Diagon Alley again. It felt odd asking if he can come over, but everything is unfamiliar anyway to Hermione right now in her life.

"Oh I guess so. I still can't believe this," chuckles Ginny, rolling her eyes.

Ginny starts to leave the room but then turns around. "Breakfast is ready, by the way!"

Hermione sniffs and could smell bacon, eggs, and coffee. She then gets herself up and gazes groggily at her rough appearance in the mirror.

"Oh boy, I look exceptionally beautiful." She laughs at herself as she looks at her fuzzy, bushy hair.

Ginny already has a plate all ready for her as Hermione makes her way into the kitchen and sits at the table with Harry as he is busy scarfing down eggs and he looks up at Hermione. "'Mornin', Ginny 'ooks so 'ell! Doesn't she?" Hermione laughs at him because being around Harry for so long, she actually comprehends those words.

"Mm, Ginny you do cook wonderful. This tastes amazing!" Hermione exclaims as she starts eating her own meal.

"I only learned from the best," admits Ginny as she uses her wand to levitate food to her own plate.

"So where are you going today Ginny?" asks Hermione out of curiosity.

"Oh, I am going shopping with mum because she wants a girl's day. She called me this morning and is really torn up and thinking of Fred today with his death date nearing, so she asked me if I wanted to get out of the house with her, just us I suppose," explains Ginny with an apologizing expression.

"I see, well I hope you have fun. Don't worry about me, I don't feel like going out anyway," remarks Hermione kindly to her friend.

Harry, after levitating his dirty dishes into the pouring water and soap in the sink, he hugs Hermione, kisses Ginny, and then leaves for work while commenting on how Ron is still so torn up and doesn't know if he will show up to work for a while.
Regrettably, this statement causes Hermione's thoughts to go back to Ron. But she realizes she hasn't even thought of him until someone mentioned him and she didn't really miss him. Or was she forcing herself not to think of him?

"Hermione, you okay?" Ginny asks, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Yes, just realizing I don't miss your brother."

"Well, I don't know if he was right for you anyways, even though you guys love each other and I don't completely believe you that you don't still love him. You shouldn't think of him though," asserts Ginny.

"See Gin, I think I lost my love for him when I saw that letter- I just knew that it was over for good. We started being disconnected for a while even before that, but that, that was the last straw," musters Hermione with a following sigh.

"Well, he deserves it!" Spat Ginny, disappointed at her brother.

"Anyways, I am going to go ahead and apparate to mum's. Good luck with Malfoy and please take care of my son, he gets up at about nine." Pleads Ginny, as she straightens up her blouse and gives Hermione a pat on the back before departing.

"Okay, have a good time," implied Hermione.

Then Ginny was gone and Hermione is alone again and realizes she forgot to write Malfoy to let him know to come to Harry and Ginny's place.

She owled him quickly and to her surprise he replies within an hour to say he would be there soon.

Hermione quickly runs off to her bedroom to find what clothing she should wear to hang out with him in. As she picks out a V-neck collared Chevron patterned shirt that fit her skin just right and blue jeans, she starts to question herself. Should she be doing this? Be friends with an ex-Death Eater?

Her heart was racing as time went by and she knew soon Malfoy would be arriving. She kept glancing at the clock and then at the door until...

knock, knock, knock










A/N: Hello everyone, again. What do you think of the new edits? Please let me know! :D