Title: Discovering Hermione Granger: Ron's Story
Rating: M (to be safe because Ronnikins has a dirty mind)
Summery:A Series Of one shots, as Ron becomes comfortable with himself...and his acceptance of his feelings for a certain bossy girl.
A/N: I had this first chapter posted before on many moons ago and I got a bit sidetracked with school. Some changes, have been made. And as reminder...this is AU after the fifth book. This beginning has been sitting on my computer for a looooong time. My muse, Delia, has returned, with profuse apologies and a dozen containers of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. We had a bit of a falling out two years ago.. she's a btch and I'm such an ice cream whore. And just like that our feud has ended.
Hermione Granger's gaze stayed trained on the spot where the young man with the unruly jet-black hair disappeared with his horrid relatives. She stood on tiptoe trying get one last glimpse of him, looking as though she was sure she wouldn't see him for a while: and she wouldn't because, it was summer and she was going to stay with her muggle parents traveling to Italy or France or some other exotic location Ron wished his parents could afford. Not that he was bitter or anything. She fell back down on her heels, because even though she tried standing on tiptoe, it would never help her see over anyone's head, Ron thought while smirking. Standing at just shy of 5'2 at 5'1 ¾ didn't exactly put her on the tall side of the fence, which he and Harry refused to allow her to forget. It was a running joke between the two of them and annoyed her to no end. She sighed in exasperation and turned to him.
"Do you see him?" She asked keeping her gaze fixed on a point just left of his shoulder. He knew she knew it was coming. And a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Aww, 'Mione. You can't see over the grown ups?" Ron patted her on top of her thick caramel curls in mock sympathy. "I'm sure a growth spurt will come soon for you, yeah?"
She pushed his hand away. And bit her lip. Her eyes moved away to find the rather large group of redheads surrounding her trunk. "I'm going to ignore that comment, Ronald. I refuse to be baited into having another argument with you when this is the last time we'll be seeing each other this summer."
She moved away toward her parents and the rest of the Weasleys. And Ron followed, a grin permanently fixed on his face. He loved when she did that. Not that he loved her cause she was his best friend Hermione, and loving her would be wrong on so many levels. And she was really annoying, and right scary when it came to studying and grades and rules. Merlin, she lived for rules and books, and proving everyone wrong. Which made her even more annoying, 'cause somehow she was always right, leaving Harry and Ron and the rest of Hogwarts student population feeling like complete idiots. Not that they would tell her that, 'cause it wouldn't do to give her an inflated ego.
"I'm sure Hermione will have a lovely time traveling. It's what the poor dear needs at a time like this." Mrs. Weasley was saying to Hermione's parents, the Drs. Granger.
Ron caught the brief look of panic that crossed Hermione's face before he spoke up. "Mum, can we get home? I'm absolutely knackered."
Hermione's relief was instant and she gave Ron a grateful smile. "Daddy," she began and Ron's snicker burst from his lips before he could stop himself ("Something in my throat." He managed to say at his mother's glare.) "Daddy," she said again shooting Ron her patented "shut your trap" look and daring him to laugh. "Ron's right. The train ride has left me extremely tired." She gazed with up at her father with adoring doe eyes. For half a moment, Ron wondered what it would be like to have just such a look turned on him. "Can we go home? I just can't wait to be in my own room."
Her father tall, bald, and built, Mr…..Dr. Granger, who looked as if he could snap Ron's own father in half with his finger, threw one large arm over Hermione's shoulder and pulled her close to his side. He gazed down at her just as adoringly. "Sure, Poppit. Whatever you want. Lets get your things and we can leave."
Hermione blushed at the nickname and ducked her head under his arm to get Crookshanks' cage. But she was always blushing when her parents were around. Ron didn't blame her really. They had a cute fluffy nickname for her for every day of the month (Poppit, Ducky, Pet, Lovey, Kitten, Princess, Sweetums, Sweety, Sweetheart) and the list went on…and on…and on…and, well you get the point. And the sad thing is if you counted up all the time that Ron actually spent with her parents since first meeting them way back when, it didn't add up to more than an hour.
If Ron was honest, he was more scared of Dr. Granger than, well, anything except You-Know-Who and spiders. Then again, with some of those looks her father gave he and Harry, Mr. Granger was well on his way to edging past the spiders in Ron's list of THINGS TO BE TERRIFIED OF. As a matter of fact, after that little kiss on the cheek Hermione decided to bestow on Harry before he left, Ron was pretty sure Harry topped Mr. Granger's list of MALES THAT ARE IN WAY-TOO-CLOSE PROXIMITY TO MY DAUGHTER, Ron being a close second.
Mr. Granger easily slipped Hermione's trunk onto a trolley and she gently placed Crookshanks' cage on top of it, before being enveloped in bone crushing, lung deflating hug from Mrs. Weasley.
"You take care of yourself, dear. If you ever need anything you know how to contact us. Owl as much as you can. It'll do my worries good." Mrs. Weasley pulled back from the embrace eyes watering and she placed a soft motherly kiss on Hermione's head.
"Molly," Ron's father began. "Let the poor girl go home. She's tired." He turned to Hermione giving her a warm smile. "We'll see you at the end of summer."
"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." And then she was swept up in goodbyes, and teary hugs with Ginny, and then George and Fred were fighting for her attention and trying to slip some of their suspicious candy into the bag she held in her hand, then Charlie and Bill were giving her their goodbyes, and telling her they would check up on her from time to time. Then her dad was grabbing her arm and pulling her away and she turned just in time to lock gazes with Ron and mouth a brief 'bye' before she was swallowed into the crowd and her mother was standing in front of him slowly backing away after another chat with his parents.
"It was nice seeing you again, Ron." Mrs. Granger smiled and Ron wondered where Hermione got that dimple on her cheek. "Have a lovely summer. We'll see you in September." She turned and flounced off, her dark hair bouncing with each step.
And Ron never got to say a great goodbye to his best friend. Inwardly he wondered if she would have given him a kiss on the cheek like Harry or if she would have even given a hug. He turned to family to see them smirking at him knowingly, and not for the first time wished they weren't so close, or so many.
"So…," one Weasley twin said sliding up beside him and resting his hand on his shoulder.
"So?" Ron said.
"So…," said the other flanking Ron's right side. He raised his eyebrows.
"Don't start." Ron said shrugging off the hand.
"Why didn't you drag her off?" Fred, Ron guessed, began.
"Before her father did?" That meant this one was George. He volleyed back.
"Wrapped her in your arms…"
"…and showed her what it means to be charmed..."
"…by a Weasley." Fred finished with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"You disappoint us, Ronniekins."
"Especially mum. She's looking forward to calling Hermione, 'daughter'."
Ron felt his ears burn and his face flame. "W-what?"
"You heard me. Mum is expecting you to get her plenty of curly redheaded grandchildren with golden eyes." Fred said.
"And a love for books and elf rights." George finished.
Ron felt the heat from his face drain and he was pretty sure he was so pale you could see right through him. "Me and Hermione?" His eyes were wide and, this time, he was positively sure he hadn't blinked in while. His eyes were dry and burning.
"And if you don't stop acting like a great big prat, Mum's gonna expect one of us to pick up your slack."
"One of you?" Ron eyes widened even more and his stomach rolled with heat.
"One of us or Bill, or Charlie, or even Percy."
"Mum desperately wants her as part of the family…and Harry. She's already primping little Ginevra for life as Mrs. Potter."
"One of you, marry Hermione?" He said in disbelief, completing ignoring that little side-note about Ginny.
"And you're proud to call him brother?" George rolled his eyes at Fred.
Fred looked completely offended. "I never claimed him."
"Claimed who?" A soft voice came from behind them and all three brothers exchanged a look that practically screamed 'denial-denial-denial' before swinging around and giving the petite girl their full attention.
"Hermione," George gave her a full Weasley grin, "what are you doing here? We thought you left."
"I did," she said then her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she gazed up at the three towering redheads; they were grinning a little too widely and Ron's ears were red. "Claim who?" She asked again, crossing her arms over her chest.
She was small but she sure could intimidate the hell out of bloke that stood more than a foot over her.
They exchanged glances again, and Ron's voice cracked as he said, "Aren't your parents waiting for you?"
Her gaze swung from staring down Fred as he shifted uncomfortably. "What?" She finally looked at Ron after glancing at a quickly retreating George. "Oh! Yes, quite right. I'll be in Greece for the entire summer, and I'll probably just manage to catch the Hogwarts Express in time to go back to school. I was wondering if I could owl you my list of books that I'll need and you can pick them up for me when you get yours."
Silence.
"You don't have to. I can just ask Ginny to-"
"No! I mean, no." Ron said dumbly. Hermione Weasley? He tried to picture her happily married to one of his brothers and shuddered at the thought. Then he tried to picture her happily married to him and felt faint. "I'll do it!" He blurted.
Hermione jumped and took a cautious step back at his outburst. She stared at him as if scared for his mental health and nodded slowly. "Okay, well...great. I have to go. My parents are," she gestured behind her in the general direction of her parents departure. "…over there somewhere. I'll see you in September."
"September, yeah...right." Ron agreed.
Hermione stepped closer to him, threw her arms around his neck and on tip-toe attempted to give him a hug.
Her body pressed against his made his brain melt out of his ears so it took a few seconds for him to bend down and wrap his arms around her waist.
"I'm glad you're okay, Ron." She whispered in his ear. She squeezed him one more time and pulled away and his arms dropped from her warm body to fall at his sides. "I really have to go now." She said smiling and that dimple in her cheek appeared. "Bye, Ron." She turned to leave, stopped, spun and planted a kiss right on his cheek. "Be careful, yeah," And she was off disappearing in the crowd and Ron was left standing there looking like a complete git. His hand on his cheek.
A/N: In case you didn't know, I do not any of these characters. I just take them off the shelf a few times and play with them.(Does that sound dirty?) Don't sue me, I am a pathetically broke college student, my cabinets are bare, and my Yorkie, Chester, is is a chicken of a guard dog. Any-hoo Please Review. Even if its just to say I suck... I love company... So does Chester the Wonder Dog.