A/N: This is the newly updated version of Chapter One. I guess this makes it version 1.2. I made a few minor changes to the text to make the story flow a little more evenly and I fixed the problem with my tenses. I would like to dedicate this newly updated chapter to The Dark One Reborn, and to my Grandfather.
"Worlds Apart"
Chapter One
A Romance Discovered
Lying there at the burrow, Hermione slowly opens her eyes. She smiles as she again realizes how lucky she is to have such a guy by her side. There beside her lies Ron Weasley. She quietly watches him as he sleeps; his shallow breathing and peaceful look making her all the happier that he is there beside her. She doesn't know exactly how it happened but she is in love. She gave up trying to decipher the perplexities of it 2 weeks earlier as she and Ron shared their first kiss, and then, something more. Suddenly, Ron opens his eyes and grins that goofy, Weasley grin that Hermione has grown to love.
"Good Mornin'," he gasps through a yawn. "Best not let mum see us like this." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are still clueless about their son's newfound romance. They've been so caught up in the Order of the Phoenix lately that they've even abandoned lace-up shoes for flip-flops. Hermione gently leans forward and kisses Ron's forehead then silently gets up and heads out the door and down the creaky steps to Ginny's room. Stealthily, she creeps down the first few steps. She knows she must be careful, any wrong move and the whole household could hear her. Suddenly, Crookshanks curls around Hermione's left leg. "Crookshanks," Hermione whispers, "geroff." But like any cat Crookshanks refuses in her hoity-toity attitude. She continuously rubs on Hermione's leg. "Crookshanks!" Hermione says impatiently in mid step, "get-! off-!" Hermione trips and with a crash comes to a stop 12 steps below on the landing that Fred and George reside on.
She tries to escape but is too late. With a crack Fred and George annoyingly apparate, and obviously wake up the whole house, if they weren't already stirring because of Hermione's spill. "What the-," Fred says as he steps forward.
"What are you doin' up here at 5:30 in the morning, Hermione?" George says while still trying to recover from the rude awakening.
"I was going to the bathroom, if you must know," was the only reply poor Hermione could come up with.
"It's on the first floor," Fred says. "Why were you up there?" he asks pointing at the upstairs, which houses only Ron and the ghoul who howls from the attic.
"Would you believe I lost my way?" Hermione asks.
"Nope!" retort Fred and George in unison . "We know exactly why you're up there," Fred says. "You're up there with Ron."
"What makes you say that?" Hermione says denying, but she can't help blushing.
"We knew it!" George says. At that particular moment, all the rest of the Weasleys were thundering up the stairs to the landing.
"Don't you dare tell your mum and dad!" Hermione begs the twins. But she knows by the looks in their eyes they are going to tell. She gives them one final pleading look, but they still only grin.
"What on earth happened?" Mrs. Weasley says as she reaches the landing. "Is everyone okay?"
"Oh, we're fine. The twins were just experimenting with a new Weasley Wheezes project." Hermione slyly erupts, leaving the twins dumbfounded. Mrs. Weasley begins to turn red and look as though she is going to scream just as the twins cut in.
"No, mum"
"It wasn't us!"
"Hermione was in Ron's room," George blurts out just as Mrs. Weasley begins to explode. Ron could now be heard walking down the stairs.
"What?" She says, suddenly calming down a little. "George are you trying to say that Hermione and my ickle Ronniekins have-," but she loses her voice.
"He ,he," Ron gives a weak laugh as he finishes descending the stairs and puts his arm around Hermione. "Mum, dad. There's something we've been meaning to tell you. You see-," But he is cut off short.
"OH I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY!" Mrs. Weasley exclaims. "ARTHUR, DID YOU HEAR?"
"Um, yes dear?" Mr. Weasley professes confusedly.
"I just knew it would happen someday," Mrs. Weasley beams down upon the children. "Come down to breakfast everyone. Ron, Hermione I want to hear the whole story." She walks away leaving a stunned Hermione, a happy Ron, and an utterly perplexed set of twins.
"How come we can never get you in trouble," Fred finally utters after the longest silence.
"Just lucky I guess," Ron says as he looks into Hermione's eyes. She doesn't know it, but through the whole ordeal Crookshanks has been weaving through her legs. At this instant she notices and silently thanks her cat for meddling. She and Ron head down the stairs hand in hand, followed by Crookshanks and a still perplexed duo of red-haired fireballs.