The Letters to No One - Romione

Chapter 41

'For God's sake will you please stop moping around,' Ginny said with a sigh as she sat down at the table, opposite Ron. Ron had his head in his hands and was barely touching the food that was on his plate. 'I get it you're sad,' Ginny continued with no sympathy in her voice, 'but it's been almost two weeks and you're driving me crazy.'

'I can't believe that she actually left,' Ron replied and although Ginny did feel slightly sorry for him she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

'None of us can believe it,' she said, her voice slightly less agitated than before. 'But there's nothing that you can do about it so you have to pretend like it didn't happen.'

'How can I pretend that it didn't happen?' Ron replied, pushing the eggs around his plate. 'She was perfect and I completely messed everything up.'

'It wasn't your fault.' Ginny tried to reassure him. 'She was going through a hard time and didn't feel like she properly fit in here. We never had that transition, we always grew up in the wizarding world. You don't know how she felt, but whatever it was, it wasn't your fault.'

'I should never have brought her here in the first place,' Ron replied.

'Ronald Weasley I swear if I hear you say those words one more time I am going to punch you.' Ginny replied, tucking into her breakfast rather aggressively.

'I should go and see her,' Ron added and Ginny almost snapped, just managing to keep it together. She couldn't deal with Ron acting so pathetically.

'I've honestly never heard such a horrible idea,' she replied.

'Why? What's wrong with it?'

'She left Hogwarts because she wanted to escape from all of this and you showing up on her doorway is never going to help. Anyway, you can't exactly just leave in the middle of the term. McGonagall would freak and you would lose that prefect badge for good and I don't even want to think about what Mum would do if she found out.' Ginny added and Ron realised that she had a good point. His Mum would probably kill him.

'So what can I do?' Ron asked, feeling completely helpless. He hadn't been able to think about anything else since the day she left.

'All you can do is try and forget about her and move on?'

'How am I supposed to just forget about her?' Ron asked. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to forget about her and move on with his life, but that was a lot easier said than done.

'I have something that will help take your mind off it,' Harry said, sitting down on the chair next to Ron. He smiled at Ginny, but she was too pissed off at Ron to notice. Harry couldn't help but chuckle, he loved this fierce side of her and he had to admit that he was getting a bit sick of Ron too, although if their situations were reversed he was sure that he'd feel the same.

'What?' Ron asked, wanting any distraction to keep his mind occupied.

'McLaggen is in the hospital wing, so we need a keeper for the Gryffindor match today against Ravenclaw. The position is yours if you want it?'

'I can't,' Ron replied and Ginny and Harry looked at him with matching confused expressions on their faces. Ron had complained so much when he hadn't got the position at the start of the year and now he was turning down the chance to play for the house team?

'Why not?' Ginny asked. This was only adding to the frustration she felt towards Ron.

'Because I don't want to mess everything up.' He replied, still sulking. The truth was, he wanted to play for the team. Of course he wanted to play. But he couldn't risk letting everybody down. He didn't want to be responsible for them losing a Quidditch match.

'You're not going to mess up,' Harry insisted.

'I'm not going to.' Ron replied, folding his arms as if to end the conversation.

*

Ron sat on his broom in front of the three goal posts at one end of the Quidditch pitch. He was dressed in scarlet and gold and he was shaking, not wanting to let in even a single goal. He wasn't quite sure how Harry and Ginny had convinced him to do this, but it was too late to back out now and the whole of Gryffindor were depending on him to win.

Madame Hooch blew the whistle and the game began. The quaffle went straight to one of the Ravenclaw chasers who passed it to another who past it to another as they sped down the pitch towards Ron. He watched as the chaser threw the ball straight at Ron who was shaking on his broom. He watched as the quaffle soared past him and threw one of the hoops.

He heard groans from the crowd behind him and cheers from the other side of the stadium. He was almost certain that he could hear Malfoy jeering among the Slytherins.

'Come on Ron, focus!' He heard Harry shout and he focused on the chasers who were flying back towards him. He was determined not to let in another goal. One of the chasers threw the quaffle towards Ron who knocked it out of the way with a satisfying 'thud.' He felt relieved and he felt the anger that he'd felt for the past couple for weeks drop slightly.

A few minutes later the chasers were back and once again Ron wacked the ball to the other end of the pitch. He almost smiled. This was the best that he'd felt in weeks. He soared from post to post knocking back every attempt that the chasers made until finally he heard Madam Hooch blowing the final whistle.

'Harry Potter has caught the snitch. Gryffindor win!'

Ron cheered so loudly and with such enthusiasm that he almost fell of his broom and had to hold on tightly in order to steady himself. Harry soared towards him on his broom, smiling and cheering at Ron.

'We won!' He shouted. '250-10! You were incredible!'

Ron was on cloud nine. He soared round the stadium, completing a lap of honour with his teammates. He felt so alive, all of the anger and frustration that he'd felt before had almost vanished.

'Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!' The chants from the Gryffindor's rung around the pitch and Ron landed a huge grin spreading across his face. He'd shown them. He'd shown them all. No one had really believed that he could do it. But he had and it was with a happy heart that Ron celebrated that night with all his fellow house mates, the thoughts of Hermione pushed completely out of his mind.