Disclaimer:Are you really going to make me say it? Don't belong to me, but my heart belongs to Ron (ugggh, I know).
Bloody Cat
A little more than a year ago, when Harry first told Hermione the way Slughorn used to break into Muggle's house when they were on vacation and stay there like it was his own, she thought of it as an absurd lack of respect. She even named it according to the Muggle Law and told both Harry and Ron, with an infuriated tone of voice, that he could go to jail. Ironically, now she was the one executing this kind of behavior.
Hermione, along with her two best friends, were living in a former granary in the middle of a huge farm, in the South of Germany. But she had also called home a stolen white boat, a small castle in France and a family house that was considered cursed by the local priest, after the appearance of a strange phenomenon. She felt awful about it, but they all had imagined they were in Paraguay, like the guy in the bakery had told her by accident. How was she supposed to know he was a compulsive liar?
The place, although it was abandoned a few years ago, wasn't so bad. It was at least clean and thanks to the Holy Wand of hers, beds and blankets were arranged. Harry managed to fix a hose and they took showers behind a curtain made of wood. Their lives had been changed dramatically, one day they were sharing the comfort and warmth of Hogwart's castle and in the other, were living a rustic location. Truth been told, any person from the Wizard World would gladly have them as guests, whether to help the ones that were trying to save them or just to give them to the Dark Lord. But Harry wanted to be discrete, destroy the Horcruxes and get ready for the final confrontation, what was not possible with the emphasis Daily Prophet had given to the so called Golden Trio, even though the Minister insisted on treating them as a minor fact.
To protect themselves, they traveled as Muggles, trying to catch the least of attentions, stopping to send a letter or a postal to Hermione's parents whenever it was possible and communicating the Weasleys that everything was okay every now and then, usufructing of the most unimagined ways, such as announcements on gossip papers. Harry had become a security freak and was always quoting one of Moody's phrases.
Ron snorted as he shaked the box full of cereals that he was eating, getting frustrated with the fact that the bird in its cover wasn't moving.
"Muggles have no fun. This all tastes the same!" he proclaimed as he put a lot of round and colorful food on his mouth.
"What were you expecting? Flavored cereal like the Bertie's beans? At least you don't have to worry about eating vomit." Harry said without taking his eyes off the book he was reading. That, Hermione pondered, was one of the biggest changes. Harry was actually reading and Ron got interested in things that weren't Quiddicth and pranks.
"No Harry, listen to me. They have no taste at all. It's like bloody air. I just don't believe people pay for them! Bloody stupid."
Hermione studied the redheaded horrified expression. Some things don't change.
"Well Ron, don't get so sensible about it. That was not your case now, was it? I saw you putting that box under the Invisible Cloak, not a soft move. Besides, it's pure plastic; it's not supposed to taste like anything!" Hermione added wearing a knowing expression. Ron straighten up in his chair and replied.
"They should have given me much more! I mean, look at what we are doing…"
"Oh, I tell you what you are doing. It's called stealing.
Harry sensed as the words became to get harsh. Ron's ears were turning read and Hermione had her hands on her hips.
"Don't you nag me about things! And you know what I meant; we are fucking saving their ass!"
"Don't swear Ronald! Can we just act like civilized people? It's not like you are helping anything with these unreasonable acts!"
"So now I am the one who is getting on the way? What about your stupid cat? All he ever does is eat my food!"
Hermione was about to give him a really effective answer, containing all the facts that growing boys were supposed to be hungry, but Ron had gone to famine a long time ago when she realized something.
"Crookshanks?"
"Really? I thought it was Gertrudes!" Ron replied sarcastically.
"Where are you?
"Right in front of you! Are you blind?"
Ron looked at Hermione's confused expression, feeling guilty. She looked like someone in the urge of tears.
"No! Of course not! Where's Crookshanks? I haven't seen him all day! How could I forget about his lunch?
Ron rolled his eyes, directing his glance to meet Harry's. The messy black haired boy managed to look absently into his knees, not wanting to take a side on one of his friend's famous rows. Ron came closer to Hermione, who was now unreasonably opening boxes in the search for her kitten. He had to bite his tongue not to comment in the scene, and when he spoke, his voice was a mist of tenderness and exasperation.
"Look, he is a cat. They do well on their own. He is probably just wondering around, getting to know the neighborhood. Come on…" Ron's face lighted up as he added. "Let's play a game of chess!"
Hermione moved away from Ron in the same instant. Harry watched them, thinking about how their performance had become a lot more tragic now that they were using moves as a way to strengthen the discussion. The good thing about it is they are shouting less.
"I'm going to look for Crookshanks" Hermione announced, grabbing her coat.
Ron stiffed. He almost ran to the crumbling wooden door, putting his body in front of Hermione's. Harry was mentally pronouncing his two best friends queen and king of Drama.
"Mione, why don't you look for him tomorrow morning? I reckon he'd be already here by that time…" Harry suggested.
"Yeah Harry, tell her! It's night, it's dark, it's dangerous. You will get lost, and you have no idea what's life out there…" Ron's arms were moving like blind snakes, as he tried to prove his point. His expression got darker as he said the last sentence.
"Ronald Weasley! You know perfectly well that I can defend myself!" Hermione put a hand is her chest, like she was holding her own heart. " But Crookshanks is not used to it! He had always had me to look for him…He must be scared!".
Hermione's body was contorting from pain and, as Ron let the guard down to path her shoulder, she escaped. Ron didn't seem to enjoy much the realization that she was outside at that very moment.
"Harry!" he screamed.
"What? Ron she will be back soon, he is probably chasing a rat or something…"
"Weren't you the one who thought about safety? What about Death Eaters?" Ron looked to Harry desafiantly. " And the city is dangerous! You know, messed up Muggle guys who hang out on the street, waiting for a girl on her own and then…bang!"
While Ron was getting pale, Harry was trying hard not to laugh.
"This city is really dangerous. You're right, mate. In its five habitants, who three are pretty much us, two must be criminals. Hermione's gone mental."
Ron looked helpless.
"Fine! I will scour her then."
That said, he left the room and the door slammed shut. Harry wouldn't mind helping Hermione, but with the years, he became a lot wise when it came to handle his friend's ways. And he had one rule established: stay out of it!
"You crazy girl!" Ron screamed as he finally caught up her, breathing heavy.
"I told you I would be fine on my own! I won't ever find him with you by my side; you are always so mean to him!"
Ron looked offended. He was about to snap something at her when he noticed Hermione was crying. That meant trouble. He didn't know if he was responsible for her sobbing or what he should say to comfort her. He couldn't even put his finger on the reason of the sudden breakdown. Ron patted her shoulder lightly.
"Don't worry. We'll find him."
Hermione didn't even bother to look at him. She fell into her knees and wrapped her yellow coat closer to her body.
"Look." Ron said. "He couldn't have gone too far. Besides, may be he found himself a girlfriend. Can you imagine that? Little Crookshanks running around…" Although he intended it to sound nice, Ron was praying for it not to happen. " May be we could name one Gertrudes."
Hermione sighed. What was it with Ron making stupid jokes at the worst moments?
"He's terribly smart, you're right. But listen to me, Ronald," Hermione said with a serious expression, and Ron felt relieved when he realized that the tears had gone weary. "I would never, ever, let you put such a name in one of my best friend's babies."
Hermione's cheeks were shining silver because of the moon. Ron liked the way she was smiling but something on her words really bothered him.
"Blimey! That cat is your best friend?"
The brunette girl shot the red haired boy a cold look. Ron admired his progress: Hermione was not only sad and worried, but angry. At him.
"Well Ronald. As matter of fact he is. And a really good friend. He's really sensitive! And a good listener!"
"Oh really?" Ron standed up on his feet and Hermione fallowed him. "He listens to you because he has no choice! He doesn't tell you how mental you are because he can't speak!"
Hermione didn't know what has gotten into her. She was so emotional these days! The war, the lack of real baths, Crookshank's missing and Ron's yells sommatized and she started to cry. Again.
"Well, at least he doesn't lie to me!"
Ron's hard look melted. Instead, he began to feel sick. At any moment, vomit was going to fly around the place. He just knew it. But his suicide's instincts got the better of him.
"When did I ever lie to you?" He asked.
"You always lie to me!"
"Give me an example. Just one!"
"You told me you would go that stupid party with me!"
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"Well, I did you a bloody favor, didn't I? That way you could go to bloody McLaggen!"
Usually, Hermione liked to think of her as a rational person. She did things with calm, thinking about them, analyzing all aspects. When this kind of thought crossed her mind, she cautiously abdicated the hysterical girl that was now shooting exclamations at Ron.
"You kissed Lavender Brown! You snogged Lavender Brown!"
"You kissed Krum!"
"You were in love with Fleur!"
"No, I weren't!"
"You acted like an elf house around her!"
"You were in love with Lockhart!"
"What? Of course I weren't! He was a teacher…"
"I saw that bloody hearts with his name on in your notebook!"
"You called me a nightmare!"
"Well, you are!"
Right now, Ron was sure that he was the one making Hermione cry. She stared at him blankly and he was able to read the hurt in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I don't mean it." He shoved his hands into his pockets and faced the floor. Hermione didn't move.
"You are more of a dream. A good one, I mean. The best one, really." He mumbled.
Hermione softened her expression. Ron expected her to stop crying. He was hoping she would shout, run away, laugh at him. She was such a smart girl; she probably understood what he meant! Now, he would politely excuse himself and jump out of the nearest cliff. What was his problem?
But against all expectations, Hermione was still crying. She was sobbing, and smiling in a sweet way. Ron looked confused, but as she raised her hands to catch his, Harry's shouts were heard.
"I found him!"
He came running towards them, without any coat. Hermione bitted her lip as a sign of worry. But when an orange flame jumped against her body she couldn't think about anything else. She just held him close.
"Oh Crookshanks! I was so preoccupied!" She threw herself at Harry and they shared an awkward hug, with a complaining cat in the middle of them.
"Where was he?" Hermione asked.
"Under Ron's pillow!" Harry answered grinning. Then, he added to a quiet Ron. "He sure has a thing for you mate…"
Ron didn't answer. He was still getting aware of the idea the he had just told Hermione that he dreamed about her. Could it be worse? But, apparently, she had liked it because he had the feeling that she tried to reach for his hand.
As the trio headed what for now was home, Hermione was doing a weird dance with her kitten, which wasn't really happy about the spins. One could think that she was just showing her relief about seeing Crookshanks again. But deep down, she knew that it was not about it. At all. Too bad Ron couldn't read her mind.
"Bloody cat," He muttered under his breath.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading this far! And just for the record, today is my dad's birthday. And you what would be the best present ever? To see his daughter smiling…You know you can do it! Don't make me plea! REVIEWS MEAN A LOT!