Time After Time. *Complete*

Chapter Twenty Four - Guilt? Ron?

Ron was sitting at a table at the front of the hall, next to a friend of Hannah Longbottom's that he had already forgotten the name of, although he smiled politely and even went to the bar and bought her, Hannah and Neville a drink. He was now sitting with his own empty glass, sliding it on top of the cream and gold table cloth. Fidgeting some would call it.
He had no idea where Harry or Ginny had got to. He expected them to be in the Gryffindor common room when he arrived after getting ready but was shocked to discover the room empty. He even waited for 20 minutes, thinking they were just taking their rime getting ready. Finally worrying maybe something was wrong or that they were maybe not well, he knocked on the door of the room they were staying in. And he knocked again. And again. But no one answered. It wasn't until Neville and Hannah were leaving the room opposite that he was informed that Ginny and Harry had come earlier and got their suit and dress bag and went off somewhere.

Ron was a little annoyed at not being clued in to what or where they were, but he shrugged and headed off down to the hall. Neville had introduced him to....he wanted to guess Claire...when they arrived at the table. He was a friend of Hannah's who was there for the weekend along with the other girl - whose name he couldn't even guess as he wasn't paying attention at the time. He sat at his designated seat, lifting his little name card and scoffing at the name card next to hm which simply said 'R. Weasley Partner.' Andi had already left, not before making sure she got paid for the time she was there, which was part of the reason for Ron's bad attitude. She took what little money he had left. Thank Merlin for a free bar tonight.

He gave a heavy sigh as he listened to Neville boast about his students and what it was like to teach Herbology and his recent promotion making him the Head of Gryffindor. Ron was happy for him. He never thought Neville would amount to much. He never had much confidence in himself. But from what he remembered Hermione and Harry telling him, during their repeat final year, Neville really came out of his shell. He seemed to have found his voice and was no longer afraid of his own shadow. And it seemed to be the making of him. He now had a beautiful wife, who owed a pub. Seemed like a pretty good life to Ron - free drink whenever he wanted it.

He was playing with the glass again as the hall grew suddenly very quiet. It was like everyone was holding their breath at once and even the music seemed to have stopped. Ron looked up, wondering what could be the reason for the disruption to the evening. That was when his eyes landed on her. Hermione looked stunning in a sparkling dress and her hair and makeup sitting to perfection. She looked like a goddess. Beautiful. Ron could feel his throat go dry, and he could actually feel the colour drain from his face as he watched her walk into the room with her head held high and a dazzling smile on her face.

His mood was momentarily lifted. Momentarily being the operative word as when he noticed not only Hermione holding on tightly to that Malfoy, Slytherin Bastard but walking in behind him, looking perfectly at ease with the company they were in the presence of where his sister and best friend. So that is where Harry and Ginny disappeared off to. To hang out with a bunch of snakes. What the fuck was wrong with them? How could they do this to him? Leave him on his own when he was feeling so miserable.

He watched as they stopped at the table directly opposite theirs with Malfoy the fucker pulling out Hermione's chair for her and helping push it into place before taking the seat next to her. Ron began to look around the table. Dean and Erin, Seamus and whatever his girl was called, Neville and Hannah, that Claire Blade, her friend and the empty chair for Andi. 10 seater tables and that made up 10 people. That meant that Harry and Ginny were not sitting with him. That meant that his friends were sitting somewhere else. He sucked in a breath as he watched Harry pulled out the two chairs next to Hermione, one for Ginny who was sitting next to Luna and chatting happily and one for Harry who sat next to Hermione and immediately began conversing with her and the fucker she was with.