Title: Seventh Year Moments
Chapter Title: 1/1
Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Genres: Romance, General
Rating: PG
Warnings:
Summary: A few drabbles about Ron, Hermione and Harry during their seventh year.

As the three friends trudged along a dirt road, surrounded by nothing but open fields and grazing sheep, the sky grew darker and darker. Suddenly a clap of thunder overhead caused them all to jump slightly. As the wind picked up, Hermione glanced back over her shoulder and saw the dark clouds overhead coming closer. "Maybe we should look for shelter," she commented to her companions. Neither of them looked too concerned.

"Scared of a little rain, Hermione?" Ron joked. Nevertheless, he jumped again when a loud burst of thunder seemed to erupt right over their heads.

The wind started to pick up and the trio felt as though they were being pushed forward by some unseen force. "Maybe, we should look for shelter," Harry grudging admitted. Before either of his friends could answer him, however, the rain started to pour. It was like buckets of cold water were being thrown down on them from the sky.

Hermione groaned loudly as her clothes were immediately soaked. "Where are we going to go?" she yelled to Ron and Harry over the storm. There was not any kind of shelter in the vicinity.

Ron pointed to the field to the left of road. "There are some trees over there."

Both Harry and Hermione shook their heads. "Too dangerous because of the lightening," Hermione told him.

Harry pointed to small outcropping of rocks near the road. It really didn't provide much shelter, but it was at least a bit of wind break. The three teens reached the rocks, they squatted down behind them, feeling utterly miserable. Eventually Harry turned toward Hermione and asked, "Isn't there anything you've read about that could help in this situation?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Transfigure the rocks into a cave or something."

"Even if I knew the spell to do that," Hermione replied, "I doubt I could make the cave big enough to hold all three of us."

Ron sneezed.

"But maybe there is some magic that would work," she said cautiously, biting her lip a bit, she spoke firmly, "Protego Totalus!" Immediately, the small group was surrounded overhead and on three sides by some type of transparent shield that kept the wind and the rain off of them.

"What is this?" Ron asked, reaching a hand up to touch the protective field.

"Modified shield spell. Mostly used to contain things rather than keep things out, but I thought it was worth a try."

"Your brilliant, Hermione," Harry sighed, feeling a little less wretched. "Now if we could only get out of the mud, things would be perfect."

Hermione crooked her eyebrows at the boys, "Well, cast a levitation charm. That should keep our feet dry."

Ron cast the charm, but the consequences were not what any of them had expected. Instead of rising up a few inches off the ground, the three friends levitated up until they were smashed into the top of the shield. The pressure of being squashed being the magic barrier and her two friends caused Hermione to lose concentration and the shield broke. As the rain once again began to pound into the group, Ron's levitation spell faltered, spilling the trio into the mud.

Trapped underneath Harry, but on top of Ron, Hermione began to giggle. Harry and Ron soon joined in her mirth and before long they all had stitches in their sides from laughing so hard. As they began to catch their breaths, Ron lifted his head out of the muck and turned to his friends. "I bet Voldemort would really be shaking with fear if he could see us now," he grinned lopsidedly. His comment set both Harry and Hermione howling again. Their laughter kept them from noticing how uncomfortable they were and wondering about whether or not their quest would end in success.

0-0-0

After locating and destroying one Horcrux, Hermione had insisted that all three of them return to Hogwarts to do research on where the other pieces of Voldemort's soul were located. Trying to do research, while also attending classes and keeping up with homework, however, was too much for Ron and Harry. They had slowly stopped worrying about their marks and concentrated on research. Hermione, however, had picked up their slack, warning that if they got detention for not doing their school work, they would have any less time for hunt for clues. Their refusal to change ended up sending her into a towering rage one afternoon.

"Look," she told them in an annoyed voice. "I am not going to keep doing your homework. I don't care if you are searching for Horcuxes; you need to keep up with your studies too."

"Hermi--" Ron tried to break in, but she just kept talking.

"Furthermore, I have no sympathy for you not getting enough rest. I go to bed at the same time you do and am up far earlier. I am able to get all my work down and still spend time in the library doing research on what Ravenclaw might have left behind," she continued, barely pausing to breathe. "If you two think everything is just magically going to fall in place and get done by me, you have another thing coming."

"Hermione," Ron tried again to get her to stop talking, but it was no use. She continued to lecture him and Harry. Unable to stand it any longer, he stepped closer to her, put his hands on either side of her faced and kissed her. When he finally let her go several seconds later, she stumbled back a step and he had to grab her elbow to steady her. She looked at him in confusion, her lips parted, unable to say a word. Ron just gave her a big grin. Hermione blinked a couple of times, closed her mouth, turned and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory in silence.

"What in Merlin's name was that about?" Harry asked Ron, almost as shocked by his best friend's actions as Hermione had been.

"Well," Ron shrugged, "I couldn't think of any other way to get her to stop talking." His eyes lit up, "Do you suppose that will work next time, too?"

Harry shrugged, "Maybe. But you'll be lucky if she doesn't sock you or hex you if you try that again."

Despite the warning, Ron just grinned bigger and sat down in front of the fire to finish examining a book about the magical attributes of iron weapons.

0-0-0

Ron and Hermione were in the middle of a very loud fight about what kind of approach they should take to destroying the Horcrux located in Gryffindor's sword. Harry was sitting on a couch in front of the fire, his head resting in his hands while he listened to Hermione list for the seventh time why her approach to demolishing the sword was the right one to take. When she finished Harry looked up expecting Ron to refer to her approach as complicated and unrealistic, and then repeat his reasons for going about the task in a different way. Before Ron could get a word out, however, Hermione had grabbed the lapels of his robe and dragged his face down to hers. She gave him a big kiss on the lips before releasing him. Ron stared at her with his eyes wide open, unable to speak.

"Well then," Hermione said, clearing her throat, "I'm glad that's settled." She turned on her heel and walked out of the common room through the portrait hole.

Ron stood staring at her retreating back for a few seconds before collapsing on the couch next to Harry.

Harry and Ron sat in silence for several minutes. Ron brooded, while staring into the fire. Harry shot him concerned glances every now and then. Eventually they were joined by Ginny, who after glancing toward Ron, turned to Harry and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Harry shrugged, but Ron turned to her, "Ginny, where did Hermione go tonight?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, but replied, "To the prefects' bathroom, I think."

With that answer, Ron bolted out of his seat, walked quickly across the common room, and left Gryffindor tower. Ginny looked questioningly at Harry, but he just shrugged his shoulders once again, picked up his copy of Dueling with Death Eaters, and began to read.

Upon reaching the prefects' bathroom, Ron shouted through the door, "Hermione, let me in, we need to talk."

"Go away Ron," Hermione yell back. "I'm in the tub."

"Come on, Hermione," Ron banged loudly on the door. "This is important."

Extremely exasperated, Hermione replied through gritted teeth, "It will wait!"

All of a sudden, she saw a flash of light from underneath the door. In what seemed like slow motion the hinges fell off the heavy wooden frame and the door came crashing down onto the marble floor. A startled scream escaped from Hermione's lips.

Ron stood in the now open doorway, clutching his wand. "Ur..." he mumbled, his face turning red as his eyes flicked down to the tub. Hermione's head and shoulders were the only things above water. "So you really are in the bath?"

"Isn't that what I told you before you forced your way in here?" Hermione spat back, too mad to be embarrassed.

His eyes flicked back down to the bath, "You really need more bubbles in there, you know?"

"Ronald," Hermione growled, wishing her wand was within reach. "Either tell me what you wanted to say or get out."

He flushed a deeper shade of red and stared at a spot on the back wall just above her head. "Okay, the thing is Her- Hermione," Ron stammered slightly, "you can't go around kissing blokes just to get them to agree with you."

Hermione's lips twitched. She was oddly happy that her kiss had the same affect on Ron, as his kiss had on her. Still, that didn't excuse him barging into her bath. "First of all, Ronald," she snapped. "I don't go around kissing every bloke who disagrees with me, just specific red-headed blokes. And second, how is what I did any different than what you did to me?"

"Well," Ron squirmed, "It just is... isn't it? I mean I wasn't trying to convince you of anything. I just wanted you to stop nagging me."

"Isn't that the same difference?" Hermione asked calmly.

Ron cleared his throat, his eyes flicking down again to Hermione in the water. He was starting to feel a bit lightheaded and confused. "I am glad we have that straightened out then," he mumbled. Ron started to back out of the doorway.

"You will fix the door before you go, right?" Hermione reminded him.

"Um... I'm not sure how," Ron admitted sheepishly. He then grinned rakishly, as an idea struck him. "I could just stand here and guard it for you if you like."

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush. "Bring me my wand," she grumbled, and then added quickly, "Without looking down in the water."

Ron smiled; picked up Hermione's wand, and looking at the ceiling as much as possible he walked over to the tub and handed it to her.

Pointing at the water, Hermione spoke firmly, "Madeo aerius." Immediately, bubbles covered the top of the bath. She heard Ron chuckle softly at her modesty, but ignored it. Hermione then pointed her wand at the broken door and said, "Sarcio foris." Responding to her words, the door sprung back into its frame and the latches reattached themselves to the wood.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron gasped, amazed. It really was much easier knocking things down than setting them back up. "Where did you learn that?"

"If you ever did your homework in charms, you might be able to do it too."

"Did our homework cover any bubble popping charms?" Ron asked mischievously.

"You'll just have to go check for yourself," Hermione teased.

Ron smiled widely, blew Hermione a kiss, and then left bathroom. Maybe he would have to start doing his school work, if they were now learning such handy spells.

Notes: All characters belong and J.R. Rowlings.