The Letters to No One - Romione

Chapter 18

She was there, she was stood at the station her eyebrows narrowed as she watched and waited. For him? Ron didn't know but he couldn't believe his eyes. The steam from the train filled the air around him, enough that she hadn't seen him yet. But he had seen her. A smile spread widely across his face as he walked towards her, she looked up at him and...

'Ron, Mum says you need to get up or we're all going to miss the train,' Ginny moaned as she threw a pillow at his face causing him to wake with a startle.

'Piss off Ginny,' Ron muttered throwing the pillow back at her before begrudgingly sitting up and dragging himself out of bed. His mother always worried that they would be late and they always managed to catch the train, except for their second year, Ron thought and couldn't help but laugh remembering how he and Harry had flown a car into the Womping Willow.

'Excited for another year at Hogwarts?' Harry asked, strolling into Ron's room dressed in his best muggle clothes, his hair still slightly damp from the shower.

'Not for O.W.Ls,' Ron muttered, knowing how important this year was compared to their last four. He didn't want to completely fail all of his subjects, although he probably wouldn't mind too much if he didn't pass Divination.

'Well yeah,' Harry replied, although for him sitting lots of very important exams seemed one hundred times more appealing than a summer with the Dursleys. 'You should probably get ready though if you want to make it at all. I think we're leaving in five minutes.' Harry added before grabbing his trunk and starting to haul it down the stairs.

Ron grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and quickly hurried downstairs after Harry. Thankfully his Mother had forced him to pack the night before so at least that was all done, although he knew his Mother would send him anything that he had forgotten.

'Did you ever talk to Hermione after she left?' Ginny asked as they were sat in the back of a Ministry car on the way to the station. She looked up at him hopefully, with a slight glint in her eye which gave Ron the feeling that she knew something that he didn't.

'No,' Ron sulked, his mind flashing back to his dream.

'Maybe she changed her mind,' Ginny said, remembering what Harry had told her that night when he came back from talking to her.

'I doubt it,' Ron sulked, ignoring the persistent questions from Ginny, just wanting to be alone. He was thankful when the train finally pulled up at King's Cross Station and she ran off to go and meet her friends. 'What a pain,' Ron muttered to Harry who simply shrugged. Ron took his case and walked into the station, past the other trains and straight through the brick wall. He barely even let himself think about it. Harry joined him a few seconds later, Hedwig in a large bird cage perched on top of his trolley. The clock read ten to eleven, they had plenty of time.

*

Hermione almost hadn't come that morning, she had changed her mind so many times in the space of 48 hours that she wasn't sure she would ever be fully satisfied with her decision. Her parents had practically had to drag her to the station, knowing that this was definitely the best decision that she could make.

'I'll miss you so much,' her Mother said as she pulled her into a tight hug.

'I don't have to go,' Hermione had said one more time.

'Yes you do,' her Father said. 'You've been given such an incredible opportunity.'

'But I'm scared,' she whispered, finally speaking the words that had played on her mind for days and that she hadn't been able to share with her parents.

'Of course you are,' her Mother reassured her. 'But I promise everything will be fine, you can write to us as much as you like and you'll be back for Christmas in just a few months.'

'I love you,' Hermione had said as her parents finally left, leaving her alone in the station. She stood in front of the wall separating platforms 9 and 10, still not believing that this was really happening. She took a deep breath and looked at the wall, wondering whether or not the instructions Harry had given her were a joke or not. She trusted his word but the thought of running through a brick wall terrified her. She took one more breath and ran.

The platform on the other side was clouded with smoke, but it didn't quite disguise the bright red train that was already waiting there. There were a few groups of people dotted around the platform, but the train wasn't due to leave for almost forty-five minutes. She decided to wait on the platform and wait for the Weasley's rather than boarding the train alone. She had no idea whether Ron would even want to see her after everything that had happened between them but it was worth a shot. Half an hour later and she still hadn't spotted a flash of red hair throughout the crowds, she checked the clock nervously.

'Hermione!' A voice called out and Hermione squealed at the sight of Ginny running towards her, her arms open wide. She hugged her tightly.

'Oh thank god you're here,' Hermione said breathing a sigh of relief. 'I was worried you weren't going to show up and I'd have to sit all alone, I don't think I would've gotten on the train without you.'

'Come on then,' Ginny said heading towards the train, Hermione following close behind her. They hauled their luggage into the nearest carriage.

'Does Ron know that I'm here?' Hermione asked, not able to keep her query to herself.

'No I don't think,' Ginny replied.

'I hope he's not too mad at me,' Hermione said and Ginny gave her a comforting smile.

'Do you want to go and talk to him?' She asked.

'Maybe later,' Hermione replied and she watched out of the window as the train began to speed away, the trees flying past in a blur and her home getting further and further away.