Ok. I should start with apologies. Our computer was attacked by a nasty virus, so I couldn't update when this was first finished -(but I know that's no excuse because I should have updating earlier anyway.) I'm sorry!!!!

And I present, what is to be the chapter: *sobs*

Chapter 14

Hermione was not one for public displays of emotion, and desperately tried to stifle her sobs.

"It's just…." She sniffed. "It's no good, I can't Ron, I can't."

Ron simply looked at her, astonished. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he wished he could take away any pain she was feeling.

Hermione looked at all of the alarmed faces in front of her, and realised that she needed to explain, to try and make them understand.

"The thing is," she began, through her tears. "Ron and I," she at looked at him, "We're not a couple. We've been pretending this whole time. Our "relationship", it's nothing more than a charade."

 At these words, a sudden hush spread throughout the room.

"You see, Harry, Ginny, Molly, when you came to see us that day, you got carried away with the idea of Ron and I being a couple, but you see, we weren't. We never have been. Ever."

With these words, Hermione felt a new surge of tears threaten to rise up. She took a deep breath and forced herself to carry on.

"We couldn't bear to tell any of the truth, because you were all so delighted for us, for yourselves. So we thought we'd just play along with it for a little while, just so as not to hurt you when there is so little to celebrate these days."

A desolate air came upon the room with these words.

"I'm so sorry all of you. But I just can't carry on, not any more. It hurts too much."

Ron felt a hollow ness inside of him. He felt like something was ending, but it was something that he had never had, despite how real it had felt. He looked at the tearful Hermione, and all he wanted to do was reach out to her. But he couldn't. It was useless.

Ginny forced herself to voice what everyone else was thinking. "So you're not in love with Ron?"

Hermione looked at him, the man who knew her better than anyone else. The man she had known her whole life. The man she would do anything for. The man who could set butterflies fluttering around in her stomach with one lopsided smile. 

"I'm sorry" she sobbed, and ran out of the room.

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Ron watched her go, before turning to Molly.

"If it's any consolation, I wasn't pretending. I mean, I was, in that we weren't really a couple." He spluttered, "But I wasn't faking the way I felt about her. The way I feel. I mean……….."

"Ron." Molly silenced him with a word. "Go."

But he was already gone.

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Purposefully, Ron walked across his garden, to the very bottom. He could see Hermione's silhouette against the darkening sky.

"Hey." He stood in front of her.

"Hey." Hermione sniffed and dried her eyes as best she could. "Sorry for making such a scene."

"Hermione…………."

"No really, Ron, I mean. I shouldn't have said anything. I just couldn't help it, it was all getting a bit too much."

"It doesn't matter. But can I ask you something?" Ron stepped slightly closer towards her.

"Anything."

"Why was it getting too much?"

"Ask anything but that!" Hermione laughed despite herself.

Ron leant against the fence. "Please?"

Hermione let out a long sigh. "I don't know it was just everything. This. Us. I sometimes think that…………" she looked at Ron, at his anxious face.

"That what?" Ron pressed, his heartbeat quickening slightly.

Hermione broke the gaze, and turned to the house, purposefully avoiding his eyes. "Oh nothing really. It doesn't matter. Shall we go back inside? They'll be worrying about us."

"No." Ron said simply.

"Sorry?" Hermione asked, confused.

"No, let's not go inside. For once in our lives let's actually sort this out."

"Sort what out?" Hermione snapped, still not looking at him.

Ron stood his ground, folding his arms in front of him. "Us!" He shouted.

"I wasn't aware there was anything to sort out." Hermione said to the floor.

"You know that's not true."

Hermione was silent; not trusting herself to speak in case everything she felt came tumbling out before she could stop it.

Ron felt a stab of pain, but persevered. "Don't you want answers, Hermione? Because I know I do."

Slowly, Hermione turned back towards him. "I don't know if they'll be what I want to hear."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"What I mean is that when I say I can't do this any more, I mean it." Hermione steeled herself. "I can't keep feeling like I'm second best. Like this, what we do is just waiting until the right person comes along. I can't keep feeling that one day a Fleur is going to come along and you'll forget all about me."

Ron looked shocked. "But that would never happen!"

"But it will Ron! Because all we really have at the moment is a friendship, Ron. And I'm not saying that it's not great, it is, and I cherish it, I really do. But you need more than that!"

"Of course I do!" Ron exclaimed. "Which his why………"

Hermione carried on. "You see? And you'll find it.  You'll meet this girl that you want to spend the rest of your life with. This girl that you want to grow old with, that you can't take you're eyes off, that you can't live without.

And when you do I can't promise I'll be able to sit by and watch it all happen. I don't think I'll be able to be pleased for you Ron! Because I'll have lost you! And I don't think I could live with that!"

"I don't want you to!" Ron shouted.

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Hermione shouted. "Because Ron, I don't think this is enough for me anymore."

"What is?" Ron asked. "What is enough for you Hermione?"

"I want someone that loves me. Really loves me. I want to stop feeling like I'm waiting for something that's just never going to happen!" Hermione stamped her foot, and turned away from Ron.

Ron took a deep breath, ready to risk everything.

"Could I be that someone Hermione?"

Hermione turned back toward him slowly. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The thing is Hermione, about this girl. This girl you say I'm going to find. The girl that means everything to me. Well I've found her. I found her a long time ago"

Hermione's stomach plummeted. "Have you?"

Ron's eyes never left Hermione's. "The thing is, she's you, Hermione.  And you know what? I've always known it was you; I just didn't have the courage to admit it to myself, let alone you. I should have done. I should have told you I loved you every time I saw you, but I never did."

Hermione couldn't speak.

"And the thing is Hermione. This whole weekend, everything, it just felt so right. Like someone was giving me the opportunity to see how my life should be. How I wanted it to be. And I know it wasn't technically real, but it felt more right than anything ever has done before. And I'm willing to risk everything we have to see if you feel the same. Because I can't imagine my life without you, and I really don't want to. Because you're it, Hermione."

"Ron………"

"So I need to know Hermione, could I be that someone? Because I cannot stand to see another Viktor waltz into your life and take you away from me. So could I be?"

"Ron, you idiot!" Hermione laughed, "You already are! You always have been! Nobody loves you like I do! Everyone knows that!"

"Really? I mean, honestly? Not in a ……………"

But he didn't get any further, because Hermione closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"For once in your life Ron. Shut up!" she laughed, running her hands through his hair.

"I can definitely do that!" Ron smiled, before leaning down and kissing Hermione. As he wrapped his arms tighter around her, deepening the kiss, he wondered why he hadn't done this years before. Because kissing Hermione was definitely the best thing that he had ever done. Ever.

As Hermione pulled away, she looked up into his eyes, "I really do love you, you know."

"Really?" Ron grinned.

"Really! I mean it's not every day you find a boy who'll belch up slugs for you!"

Ron blushed slightly, "Only I could do a stupid thing like that!"

"Not stupid, selfless!" Hermione said, seriously. "All the things you've ever done for me, they're so damn special. Because you did them."

"You always know the right things to say." Ron whispered.

"Well, you always know the right things to do." Hermione whispered back.

"You're right there." Ron said, leaning down and kissing her again.

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Later, as they walked back into the house, Ron's arm tucked around Hermione's waist, Hermione thought for a moment, before saying, "Do you think they'll believe us this time?"

"How do you mean?" 

"Well, we've already pretended to be a couple once, what if they think we're doing the same again?"

"I'm sure we'll find a way to convince them!" Ron grinned, pulling Hermione closer to him.

And he did.

4 months and one sparkling engagement ring later.

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Phew. Well thankyou everyone so much for reading, and for all your reviews. I love you all *wipes eyes*

Seeing as this was the last chapter, frankly it's your moral obligation to review. It's your last chance, after all.

I would love it if you would! Thank you xxxxxxxxxxx I've had a lot of fun with this story, so thanks for being so nice!