I loved him. And I thought he loved me. When he decided to go away to Ireland for Auror training, I somehow convinced myself that it was the time he needed to get his feelings in order. When he came back the following year, I didn't expect him to have a girlfriend with him. We wrote each other constantly and he never mentioned her. Apparently, he had only told Harry about her. When I asked Harry, he let me know that it wasn't anything serious and that I shouldn't worry. I couldn't help wonder how much patience I was going to need.

Their visit was uneventful and Reyna didn't seem too bad. He was only there two weeks that summer and while they held hands, they didn't seem to have a spark or bond. With Ginny's encouragement, two days before he was supposed to leave, I asked to speak with him privately.

"Ron, I've wanted to tell you something for a while now." Trying to summon all my Gryffindor courage, I just blurted it out. "I love you. I think I always have. When you left, I thought you would realize your feelings for me, but…well…that doesn't seem to have happened." I took a deep breath and waiting for some sort of reply. His face looked shocked, yet somewhat happy.

Ron walked across the room cupped my cheek and kissed me. "I've always loved you too. I thought I didn't have a chance. I'm just me and you're this amazing woman with a great job at the ministry and, and, and…" he began to stumble over his words. He kissed me one last time and backed away. "Mione, I love you so much, but I can't just dump Reyna right now. She's been through a lot recently. Her dad just died and she lost her job. I can't just dump her right now. I'm sorry."

I looked at him confused; his feeling had flipped so suddenly. "But, you said you loved me. How can you be with her if you love me?" I was starting to feel the hurt and rejection that I had been avoiding by not telling him my feelings over the years.

"Mione, when I think she can handle it, I'll break it off."

"Ron…" I really didn't know how to respond. It was so surreal. "This isn't fair to me. I know it's crazy, but I've essentially put my life on hold waiting for you. You have to decide. If you really love me, you would leave her."

"It's more complicated than you know. When her dad died, I'd said I'd be there for her. I can't just abandon her."

"What else did you promise her?" With that question, there was guilt on his face. I knew that whatever he had done, he wouldn't go back on his word. "Well" I paused. "I love you, but I guess that is it. I can't keep putting my life on hold. You've obviously moved on and learned to live without me. I guess that's what I need to do now."

"Mione, I do love you, more than you can ever know. I never meant to hurt you."

I looked at him and gave him a little smile. "I know that. You never mean to. I guess I was just a little too late."

I left him standing there and went to see Ginny. I told her everything that happened. She talked about her stupid prat of a brother and tried to comfort me. I cried myself to sleep. I'm sure she told Harry everything. His sympathetic smile the next morning told me everything. The house was full of tension. Everyone knew something had happened, but no one dared ask. I excused myself and thanked Mrs. Weasley for having me. I went back to my small flat I had lived in since my parent's death during the war. A few months later, I received an owl that Ron was going to marry Reyna. I was naturally devastated, but held my resolve not to cry. I didn't go to his wedding, but I did see him at Harry and Ginny's nuptials only a few months after his. Ron didn't seem happy and Ginny let me know that he was miserable with her.

I had moved on though. I met a wonderful successful man that owned his own broomstick company. Daniel was smart and sensitive, well at least I thought. About a year after we were married, it all began to go down hill. His company was bought out by the Nimbus Broom Company and it made us richer than we ever could have imagined. Daniel was determined to make another success, but nothing could match his first and he started to drink pretty heavily. While I was pregnant with our son Jackson, I knew that he was having an affair with his assistant. I confronted him and it was the first time he hit me. I fell down the stairs and went into premature labor. Thank Merlin that Jackson was born healthy and Daniel apologized promising it would never happen again and that he broke it off and fired his assistant. I stupidly took him back. Only a few months later, it started again. Ginny knew something was wrong and wanted me to leave him, but for Jackson I couldn't. Harry promised that if he was hurting me, he would kill him. I just couldn't tell them the truth. After our daughter Sarah was born, my mother-in-law took me aside and begged me to leave him. We were surprising close and she knew what was going on for his father had been the same way. Daniel continued his drinking, affairs and beatings. And then one night, he didn't come home. I received an owl from St. Mungo's letting me know of an accident and that I was needed immediately. My mother-in-law stayed with the kids and when I got to the hospital, it was too late. He had been stabbed and killed in a bar fight. I was actually embarrassed because his girlfriend of the month was there, crying hysterically. I don't know why, but I gave her a hug and told her it would be ok. I did love him and I was sad, but I was also relieved.

It had been seven years since that fateful night I confessed my feeling for Ron. Here I was a widow and mother of two. As for Ron, I only saw him one other time before now, at the birth of Harry and Ginny's son James four years ago. He didn't come to my wedding or to see me in the hospital when I had my kids or even at my husband's funeral. He was always very busy and would send me letters regretting that he couldn't make it. Ginny would let me know that Reyna wouldn't let him come and loved telling about how terrible his marriage was. It had been seven years and now they are on their fourth separation. Apparently, Reyna was not what one would call faithful. Over the years it was rumored that she had dozens of affairs. Ron even caught her in bed with the last one. She also let him know that she had no plans on ever having a family, which I knew crushed Ron. But he made his bed and he must lie in it…just as I had.

It had been four months since Daniel's funeral and Ginny and Harry had invited me to the Burrow. They were going to stay there for a few weeks and wanted me to bring the kids and stay too. While we had always stayed in touch and saw each other often, it would be a chance to really be like old times. I hadn't seen them much since the funeral and my mother-in-law (who treated me like the daughter she never had) encouraged me to go. Harry let me know that Ron was going to be there. He had moved back home during his last separation with Reyna. I had a myriad of feeling about seeing him; nervous, excited, anxious… I was thrilled to see all the Weasleys again. They were like my family, I saw them on holidays, but I felt like I neglected them.

When we arrived at the Burrow, Jackson, now five, was fascinated with the chickens running around the yard. Sarah, 2, didn't like them one bit and clung to me like glue. I breathed in the familiar scent and my heart soared. I knocked on the door and saw a face I hadn't seen in four years…Ron.