The Joker and The Queen

The Joker and The Queen - Ed Sheeran, ft. Taylor Swift

How was I to know? It’s a crazy thing
I showed you my hand and you still let me win
And who was I to say that this was meant to be?
The road that was broken brought us together

And I know you could fall for a thousand kings
And hearts that would give you a diamond ring
When I fold, you see the best in me
The joker and the queen

Growing up Ron has always felt secure around Hermione. Though he never was able to understand just quite why that was. He always played it off as being best friends with her best friend and them just being friends for the sake of Harry. He felt comfortable around her cause he knew Harry did. It wasn’t until they were 14 that he realised it might be something more than that. He finally saw her as a friend when they spent time together, just the two of them. He realised that they actually clicked a lot better than he thought they would. She wasn’t just that ‘nerdy’ girl who couldn’t stop talking about whatever she had read in the library the previous day. She was much more than that. A good listener, a great companion and actually, quite funny and sweet. 

At 16 he definitely knew what she was like as a friend. He knew who she was and had learned about a few of her quirks. And still, he couldn’t quite understand what it was. She made him feel safe, in an odd way really. He thought they might just be really good friends, but when she always blushed as soon as they held eye contact for just a second longer than appropriate for friends, he got confused. He didn’t act on it of course. He thought about it, but he never did, too afraid of losing what they had as friends. 

At 18 they had survived a war. And he knew she meant more to him than a friend. Way more. He felt awful about leaving her. It was at that moment that he knew that he would never want to make her feel that way again. They had talked about the moment quite a lot. She told him that she wasn’t mad at him anymore and that she had forgiven him. He didn’t know how or why, but he was glad he did. It felt good to be so vulnerable with her. It felt strangely natural. As if they have always been that close before. And they had been, to an extent, but just as friends. He never dared to take it a step farther, even if he wanted to. But the war, as weird as it sounds, made them face things that brought them together. He knew she was the reason he kept fighting. 

At 20 they had been through a little bit of life together. He saw her at her best and at her worst. He had been mad at her, when she focussed a little too much on work, neglecting him. He knew she didn’t do it on purpose. He knew that’s who she was, but yet he still didn’t like it. He had told her, had been open with her. And despite being scared of losing her, he had been honest with her. To his surprise, she didn't leave him. She took his concerns seriously and tried her best to fix them. He saw her grow up with him. He saw her learn from her mistakes, and his. There were moments where he felt undeserving of her. Whenever he looked at her, taking in her beauty, he felt like she could have anyone. He had thought about her just being with him because it seemed easy for her to do. He hated those thoughts. He hated that he could even think of her like that. So he had once again been open with her and she had kissed him, making sure he knew exactly that those thoughts were without reason. She hadn’t gotten mad at him. She just made sure he knew he was the only one for her.

Now, at 22, they were dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Their friends and family around them. His arms around her waist. His forehead against hers. Smiling at each other. ‘Who would have thought?’ he thought to himself. Marrying the girl he had met 11 years ago on a train. The girl that had called him out for having dirt on his nose. The girl that took his breath away the second she pressed her lips against his for the first time. He never thought they would make it this far together. But he was happy. He married the love of his life, his best friend. 

I’ve been played before if you hadn’t guessed
So I kept my cards close to my foolproof vest
But you called my bluff (But you called my bluff)
And saw through all my tells (And saw through all my tells)
And then you went all-in
And we left together

And I know you think that what makes a king
Is gold, a palace and diamond rings
When I fold, you see the best in me
The joker and the queen

Ron has always been special to Hermione. She adored his cluelessness more than she would have liked to admit. Though she always thought they were just friends as a convenience to Harry. That was until they were 14. She didn't know how to feel about spending time with just Ron at first. This quickly changed as she saw just how good they could get along. He hadn’t just been that goofy kid who always had to make a joke in every situation as she thought he was. He was much more than that. He was a good storyteller, a rather acceptable potions partner and he laughed at her jokes. She knew back then, that they were friends.

At 16 she knew that their friendship was something special, at least to her. She had difficulty trying to figure out if he felt the same way or if he might have felt something less or more. She had seen how he looked at other blokes trying to ask her out. And after one of them broke her heart, he was there to listen. She felt herself blush at every eye contact they made, but she never acted on her potential feelings for him. She was too afraid to lose her friend. 

At 18 she was sure about her feelings for him and in an act of overcoming bravery, she had kissed him. To her surprise, he didn’t back away. From there on she knew he was someone very special to her. She hadn’t forgotten about how he hurt her though, but she was ready to forgive him eventually. They had talked about it and his vulnerability opened the shell she had built around her heart. He had kissed her scars. He was the reason her healing process was much more bearable. She knew he was the reason there was something to keep going for. A future.

At 20 she had started living life with him. It wasn’t always easy. He had a temper and he would sometimes get too caught up in his angry thoughts saying stuff she knew he didn’t mean. She knew him, but yet never wanted to let herself get buried beneath his anger. She had told him that and he had understood. She was surprised at how well he had taken her honesty. She had never thought she would find someone who knew how to handle her. She saw him grow up with her, fixing their issues together, no matter how uncomfortable bringing up issues was. She knew he was insecure and she tried her best to assure him there was no reason to. She struggled with being completely open with him. She was too afraid of scaring him away. To her surprise, she didn't. Instead, he made sure to never overstep her boundaries and to slowly break down the walls around her. He somehow knew how to make her feel safe. She knew then, he was the only one she ever wanted. 

Now, at 22, she feels his arms around her waist and gets lost in his blue eyes while they were dancing at their wedding. Her arms resting around his neck, gently playing with his hair. ‘I would have never thought,’ she thought to herself. Marrying the boy she had met 11 years ago on a train. The boy who tried to cast a spell that was the most utter nonsense she had ever heard of. The boy who took her breath away the second he didn’t pull away from their very first kiss. She would have never thought that he was gonna be the one for her. But she was happy. Marrying her best friend, the love of her life. 

And I know you could fall for a thousand kings

And hearts that would give you a diamond ring

When I folded, you saw the best in me

The joker and the queen

The joker and the queen