Just a Kiss

Chapter 22

"I can't write back to him! It'll only make everything worse!" Hermione bemoans, falling back onto the sofa with a groan. 

Ginny rolls her eyes. "You can write back and you will. You know how he is; Ronald won't stop unless he's scolded, so do what Hermione does best and scold him!" Not letting her friend settle into despair, Ginny drags Hermione up from the sofa and to the kitchen. "Grab her something to write with," she calls back to Harry. 

Dashing for the drawer in the kitchen that he knows holds what he needs, Harry pulls out a pen and a few pieces of paper. Ginny snatches them from his hands, slapping them down onto the kitchen table in front of a seated Hermione. 

"Now write," Ginny demands, leaving no room for argument. "You'll feel better once you've finished. Besides, I'm not letting you up from this table until your owl is out the window." 

"Ginny, please! I can't do this-" 

Ginny jabs her finger at the paper. "Write. Now," she growls. 

Hermione has years of experience of listening when Ginny uses that tone, so she sighs and uncaps her pen. Her hand only shakes a little when she starts writing. 

Ronald Weasley, 

You didn't think I could let your letters go without reply, did you? If you did, you are even more of a fool than I was when I fell for you. 

I figured that since you already started by calling me names, and my friends are encouraging it, I might as well return the favor. You, Ronald Billius Weasley, are a filthy, no-good, low-life, cheating scumbag who was too much of a coward to break up with me like a normal person might. Instead, you opted to letting me find you with another woman on our wedding day. Never before have I met someone as awful as you, other than Voldemort himself. Truthfully, I'd rather face him again than see you. 

Also, because you seem to have some inclination that I kept the wedding day incident a secret for you, I just wanted to inform you of the truth. I did it for my self, and myself only. You and your image played no part in my decision to keep it quiet. 

But I'm not the only one who knows now. Due to your own stupidity and your desire to send the letters, Harry and Ginny both know what you've done. Don't doubt me when I say that they despise you more now than they ever did before. How does it feel to have lost everyone who had once loved you simply because you couldn't stop being a prick? I can't imagine it feels too good. 

Do us all a favor and disappear again. You're causing more harm than good to your own family by being back here. Leave them, and me, alone and run back to whatever woman you're shagging this week.

Hermione Granger. 

It's cathartic, spitting out all those vile words that she's kept pent up inside for so long. A weight feels like it's been lifted from her chest. She hadn't intended to write all of that, but once she'd started, all her rage and pain and sadness had poured out. She's glad she did it, though, because she feels like she can breath easier for it. 

Even still, writing had brought up so much she had wanted to keep locked up. It takes a lot to keep from outwardly reacting to the emotions flooding through her, but she prays she manages it. 

"Feeling better, Hermione?" Ginny asks, folding up the letter without reading it and tying it to Hermione's owl. The owl swoops out through the open window and Harry closes it afterwards. 

Hermione nods and attempts to smile, then she sighs and shakes her head. It still doesn't feel like an adequate response, and she had promised to share with them, so she says, "I'm feeling better than I had been, but it still...hurts, I suppose." She heaves herself up from the chair and goes about busying herself with tea.