The Queen of Middle-Earth | Aragorn & Hermione

Chapter 22

Sometimes two people need to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together. - Colleen Hoover
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"Come on Mione, let's take a walk." Ron had visited the witch a few times in the past weeks. He tried to cheer her up every single second of the time he was with her. Sometimes he made her laugh, but most of the time she couldn't just be as cheerful as the wizard had wished for. She tried to live her life on earth the same as she did before, but this time she couldn't suppress what had happened. She didn't know why though, it hadn't been that hard the first time she did it. Why now?

So another day had come when Ron had entered her room and disturbed her, while she tried to read a book about other worlds. She sighed and shelved the reading material, she couldn't concentrate anyways. "Walk? It's freezing." She looked outside, seeing the grey sky. The summer was over and autumn had made its way to England.

"I want to talk to you and I don't want to do it here." The redhead replied.

"Fine." She groaned as she stood up, since she was not feeling like walking at all.

Minutes had past, yet no words were spoken. They walked next to each other toward the little forest around the corner. When they were younger Harry, Ron and her had played here quite often. Hide and seek, football and climbing the trees. Later on they passed time there talking or she was reading, while the boys were practicing spells, she had learned out of a book and had taught them. Now this park was a symbol of her second childhood on earth. She and Ron were there, but Harry wasn't. It was wrong and Hermione had been avoiding the location, since it reminded her too much of the 'good old days', nevertheless now she was forced to go there with her best friend. Ron came to a stand in the middle of the area, where they had been spending most of the time and looked at her worried.

"What is wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing." Ron answered quickly. "With me there's nothing wrong at least." He added.

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione." He started slowly and carefully. "I can't take this anymore."

"What?" She was getting impatient now. "You can't take what anymore?" What was he talking about? The young woman crossed her arms as she clenched her teeth and watched him taking a few breaths before starting to talk.

"Since the day we left, you are like a walking dead." The wizard took a break to see how she reacted, but she neither moved nor showed any other emotion than fret.

"You are my best friend." He continued. "And you will always be with me." He signed at his breast, under which his heart lay with his hand. "Right here. No matter what you will decide in future."

Hermione felt her throat tighten up. She didn't want to cry again. She had been crying enough these past weeks. However the sad face of his friend didn't stop Ron from going on with his speech. "I miss them too you know. But my family needs me, like Middle-Earth needs you." He breathed in sharply and looked at her. The witch didn't react. She just stood there in the middle of the small forest. She knew he was right, but she didn't want to accept it.

"I think you should leave your foster parents and go home." Ron smiled at her sincerely. "As long as you leave a little door open, so I can find you."

That snapped her out of her state. The tears were rolling over her cheekbones and she couldn't do anything about it. "But this is my home." She sobbed.

"It isn't anymore." Ron shook his head. "You will always be a part of earth and this neighborhood and your parents and you should never forget the past we had here, but you should live your future now and your future isn't here. It is in Middle-Earth."