GUILTY AS CHARGED
"Have you made the test over turning a, uh, what was it….oh yes! Turning a cat into a…."
"Wrong. The test over turning a mouse into a cat, and yes, I have, Nick. Please, I'm very tired and sort of cranky. I wish you would let me be. Alright?" she turned to face him.
"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry to have bothered you at all." Nearly Headless Nick hung his head.
"It's fine," Hermione said gently, "It's not you. I've just a very trying day, that's all. I'm sorry."
Nick looked up and smiled, "Thank you, Professor. See you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, then." Hermione said and quietly shut the door. He really could be difficult sometimes. Just like Ron used to be. She shook her head, remembering their school days. Now she was a professor at Hogwarts, for Transfiguration. She had brought a TV from home and settled it in her room. She didn't watch it much, but it helped her not to be homesick.
She hadn't seen Ron or Harry since three years ago, when they had helped her move into this room. Harry sent letters, but it seemed Ron had just disappeared.
"Probably found him a wife and kids, is what." Hermione mumbled as she settled into bed. She went to sleep thinking about Ron and Harry, but in the morning, she didn't remember thinking about it at all.
"I'll get it!" Ginny raced to the front door, which had just been rung by some caller.
"Alright!" Harry cried cheerfully from up the stairs. They had been living together for about a year.
Ginny opened the door, "Ron?"
"Hey Ginny! Where's Harry?"
"I- he's upstairs. Is something wrong?"
"No, I just came to see you two."
"Oh." Ginny watched as Harry came downstairs.
"Ron?" Harry's eyes brightened up, "I haven't seen you in ages!"
Ron and Harry greeted each other and shook hands.
Ginny reappeared in the doorway from the kitchen with a tray, "Tea?"
Harry and Ron both looked her way.
"Love some, lovely." Harry answered.
Ron smiled, "So when's the wedding?"
Harry and Ginny laughed hollowly and avoided each other's eyes.
"Oh, sorry. Wrong subject." Ron said, laughing.
"Excuse me, but I promised to meet Colin at the office." Ginny got up, put on her coat and closed the door.
Harry smiled as she went, "She's really something, Ron."
Ron nodded, but turned serious, "You know how I said I came just to visit you guys?"
"Yeah?"
"That was a lie."
"What is it, Ron?" Harry sipped his tea.
"It's this: the other day, at the Three Broomsticks, I saw Hermione."
"Really, how is she?"
"I don't know!"
"Well, didn't you talk to her?"
"No." Rom conceded.
"Why not?" Harry said.
"Because," Ron hesitated but went on, "She looked so important, Harry, sitting there with Dumbledore and Neville and," he shuddered, "Snape. I didn't have the courage to go over."
"It's just Hermione, Ron."
"Have you seen her lately, Harry."?
"No, but…"
"She beautiful, really she is. I was almost knocked off me feet when I saw her."
"So, you were spying on her?"
"No! No, I wasn't spying in her!"
"Sure sounds like it…"
"It wasn't spying! And besides, that isn't the point! The point is, ever since then, I can't stop thinking about her, Harry."
Harry sipped his tea.
"Well, what do I do? I can't live like this!" Ron jumped up.
Harry swallowed his tea and answered, "Talk to her. Owl her. Get in contact with her somehow."
"See, that's where you come in."
"Me?" Harry said, not the least bit surprised.
"Yes. I have a plan. But you have to do it."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Ron…"
"No, really! I'll make it up to you! Really!"
"Really?"
"Well…"
"A joke, Ron, that was a joke. What's the plan?"
"Well, it's just this…"
"Hold on one bloody minute! Goodness to- Neville?" Hermione had just opened her door, and in an annoyed tone, she added, "Neville, it's very late. I don't have time for…"
"But it's important!" he pushed.
"Whatever is it?" she added weakly.
"Well," Neville twisted his robes, "It's that…it's that…"
"Spit it out!"
"I saw Harry Potter come in her and I thought he and Ginny were with each other and I wanted to know what was going on!" He said extremely fast.
But Hermione, who never missed a beat, caught everything he said, "What do you mean 'what's going on'?"
"Are you and Harry…"
"No, Neville! I haven't even seen Harry in three years! Are you sure you saw him?"
"Positive."
"Hmm, well, I don't know what he was doing here. Thank you, Neville."
Neville nodded, "Will you be alright?"
"I'll be fine, Neville, fine. Goodnight."
"Night." Neville turned from the door and started down the hall.
"Hmm," Hermione said to herself, "I'm starting to wonder if Neville needs professonial help. I don't know what I'm going to do about that man, he to…" but she trailed off when she noticed a tape laying on her coffoe/tea table. She bent down and picked it up.
She studied it and finally, popped it into her VCR. She sat down.
At first, it was Harry, scratching his head, not knowing that the camera was on. Then he looked at it and said:
"Oh, oops. Why didn't you tell me it was on? Yeah well, anyway. Hey Hermione. This is Harry. You knew that. Okay, listen, this is the thing. It's stupid, but, this is the thing. Okay, you need to close your eyes, and turn around. Hopefully the person you most likely want to be there will be. That's about it. Go on, turn around." He smiled at her and Hermione smiled back. She stopped the VCR.
She giggled, closed her eyes and turned around. Before opening her eyes, she cried, "HARRY!" and opened them.
There stood Ron, who was looking at his feet in an embarrasses way.