Say You Love Me

{24}

Hermione blinked plainly and asked Luna to repeat herself. 

"I think I know who cursed you, Hermione. You see, I was talking to Ron-"

"Ron... what would he know about it?"

It couldn't be Ron, he struggled in Ancient Ruins let alone other languages like Chinese. That means he probably knew that someone had cast it, or somehow something else about the whole situation. 

Luna huffed and put on a serious face. "Listen to me, Hermione."

She nodded in submission, Luna was only aggressive once in a blue moon. 

"I was talking to Ron absently if he had heard anything about any recently cast ancient curses. Like really old stuff, and he kind of got upset about it, as though it wasn't something I should be inquiring into. So I told him I had a patient that was suffering from something based in old Chinese magic, to which he got really upset. It was almost unnatural, Hermione, he was so pale. I think he might have cursed you."

The air in her lungs left like someone had hit her chest directly with a stunner. It hurt, physically, to learn this information. But it made the most sense. She just couldn't understand why he would torture her like he was, what had she done to deserve being so cruelly punished with her life being cut short? Or did he simply want to move on and not let her do the same? 

What the bloody hell had he done? 

"I need to talk to him," Hermione said immediately, not caring to hear what Luna said. 

She tried to act as civil as possible when she relieved herself from Luna, going over to Ron with a vendetta yet to be cured. A million possibilities were going through her mind as she escorted him off on some nonsense excuse that was of no importance to whether or not it was believable. 

"Ronald Billius Weasley, did you curse me?" 

"So it was you that Luna was asking about-"

"Ron!" Hermione slapped his shoulder with impatience, attempting to get him to listen to her instead of talking himself dry. "Ron how dare you? If you knew you didn't love me, then why would you curse me like that? I'm dying you know? I have less than two years left to live because of you!" 

Her shrill tone of voice was no ideal for keeping things secret, but they were outside of the tent now, and she couldn't really care any longer about who did and didn't hear what was happening to her for she'd been betrayed by someone she loved. 

"What do you mean, Hermione? I thought all it did was supposed to make you cough up some flowers if you loved me back."

"I did," she said weakly, through tears now forming, Hermione reaching into her clutch to provide him a few petals from the times she coughed during this wedding ordeal. 

Ron slowly looked down to her hands, taking the fleshy orange petals with a reverance she was unaware he was capable of. 

"I thought it was supposed to be instant. That's why I left. I thought if you loved me, you have done this immediately."

Hermione felt bad now, but also furious. 

"Why didn't you just ask if I loved you? Why wouldn't that have been enough?"

"I don't know," he muttered, looking at her with red eyes, sad and disparaged over what he was learning. 

With a stark realization she looked up at him, tears fresh in her eyes. 

"Ron, if you had loved me back, they wouldn't have started growing in the first place."

He looked confused, but not for long, as he worked out the logistics of the spell he obviously did not know very well. It being Ron who cast it made a lot of sense, however, for he could easily get away with hiding spell-cast history on his wand. 

Overall, it was a horrifying to even think. 

Hermione reached up for a hug the moment the apologies came forth, and so the two held one-another for quite some time, crying and thinking through everything that had just happened. The moment played melancholy for finally knowing the answer to her problem, yet also discovering she really didn't want to know in the first place. 

"Is everything alright?"

The lilt of Severus' voice could have nearly killed her right there, however, with Severus not only finding her in Ron's arms, but also coincidentally having brought the mother of Ron's girlfriend to the wedding as date. This should bode well for them all. 

"Brilliant," Hermione said sarcastically, showing her face to find Severus was not at all concerned, but livid. "And you?"

He seemed livid at first, but seeing her tear-stained face for even a moment was enough to soften his reception. "What is the matter, Hermione?"

"I know who cursed me."

"Mione," Ron tried to save himself, but she brushed him off, continuing. 

"He didn't really know how long it took to take affect. And he didn't know that he didn't love me either. I don't blame him Severus, and neither should you. I only have so little time left, I don't want to waste it laying blame."

Ron looked horrified, which did gratify Hermione in the slightest, but she was really more worried of Severus's reaction. 

"Merlin's beard." It was all he said, then he looked over at Ron and added, "Go."

He obeyed without question. 

There was so much distance between her and Severus, and Hermione suddenly felt like she should be explaining more, but even she only knew so little about everything happening to her. 

He stared her down for an uncomfortably long amount of time, as though wanting to say something, yet not bold enough to do so. 

Still, his anger was paramount to her thoughts as he suddenly focused it on her, a hand coming up like lightening, and unsure of why, she expected a blow. Nothing came, of course, it was poor manners of her to even assume he would dare strike her, but the hand landed on her neck gently, pulling her in, encompassing her and forcing her to his mouth, their lips connecting without a thought of whoever might be watching. 

It was bliss, and for once, Hermione allowed herself to enjoy it without the weight of her dying laying on both of their shoulders. 

"You wasted my time, witch," he said as they broke the kiss, somehow still without attention upon them. 

Hermione had her eyes closed, but by the sound of it, he wasn't angry, merely disappointed. 

"And I won't continue to do so, so you don't have to worry."

She was grasping at him, their foreheads pressed together as the sand shifted below them, the party roaring about, happy for the newly bonded couple. 

"So you'll be with me once again?"

"Severus-" Hermione gasped, not entirely realizing what she'd said, "That's not what I meant- I can't waste your time by being with you! I have a timer floating over my head, just waiting to tick off my final hours. And you are already doing enough trying to find me a cure!"

"You won't let me have you for even a moment longer, will you? Brilliant and absolutely dunderhead-ed all at once," Severus said, his head shaking as their sad moment only grew more melancholy. 

"I can't, you'll only get more hurt," she whined. 

Hermione pulled his hands down from her face, holding onto them tenderly, but so very weary as things declined. She felt like the worst witch on the planet.

"I'm already going to be thrashed, why not make the beating worth it?"

Suddenly, she was getting pulled towards the house, her protests none, but her mind curious as to where this was all going and where it was to all end up. 

A/N

Not two weeks this time. Thank goodness. I think you all will like the next chapter! Sorry if there are any errors here, I am very tired and just want to publish this and go to bed! Hopefully you're still enjoying!