"Honey, time to work. Sun's shining outside." Came a giggling voice from behind me. I pulled my pillow over my head.
"No, I don't wanna work today. Can't we stay un bed?"I asked, half-asleep. Mel kissed my cheek.
"Nope. Now hurry up or you'll be late. Again." She pushed me. I guess I was so sleepy that I fell off the bed, fully awakening.
"Hey, that hurts!" I said standing on my feet. Mel just laughed and went to the kitchen get our breakfast ready.
Well, I suppose that's life. I got some smashed clothes from the wardrobe and went to the bathroom. Staring at the mirror, I looked just like my normal self: blue sad eyes, annoying red hair and so many freckles I couldn't count 'em. Ugh. I washed my face and changed to my auror's clothes.
The great smell of waffles hit me when I reached my small kitchen. I went straight to Mel, hugging her by the waist. She turned around and I gave her a quick kiss, grabbing my fresh-baked waffles next.
"Man, this is delicious!" I exclaimed, taking three bites at a time and heading to the door. "Hey, I'll be back by 6 o'clock, what you think if we go out to dinner?"
"Yeah! Been a while since we last have done that. I'll come from the ministry at about the same time." She said. You see, Mellany worked at the department of misteries. Not my favorite place in the world. "Have a nice day, love!" Her voice came from inside the flat.
"I'll try!" I shouted from the stairs, already appareting.
The ministry looked the same as ever. A lot of people going to different sections, always hurring. Most of them would wave their hands at me and I waved bacl. Yep, that's what fame brings and - as I looked at my watch - an possibly angry boss too. I made my way through all those people, urging to get to the auror's department on time.
At 8 sharp, I sat at my small and always filled desk. Then a dark haired guy with a kind of famous scar came running and sat in the desk in front of me. Yeah, my boss could definetely scare even the Chosen One.
"Hey mate, what's up?" Harry asked, giving me his hand to shake. "Ginny was at my place, we had somethings to discuss, but she'd to wake up so early for practice and..." I had heard enough. And just like the big brother I was, I went to protectiveness mode. Even if Harry was my best friend and had been dating my sister for 2 long years.
"WHAT? What was ginny doing at your place? She slept there? You ain't engaged for her to be doing sleep overs, right? Or is there something you haven't told me?" At each question, Harry got redder and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"No, Ron! Relax, man! We're not engaged. I mean, you know she stays over sometimes..." I must have had a pretty angry face 'cause Harry flinched. "But we really had to think 'bout something since Hermione is coming back next week and we've no clue..." He said speeding up. Hold there.
"Hermione's what?" Harry gotta be pretty pissed at me for interupting so much and all but I couldn't have heard right. I took a steading breath. "What did you say about Hermione, Harry?" I asked once again.
"Ops. Look, I didn't want you to know this way but you're so pushy and I had to explain myself and..." My get-to-the-point look must have been scary. Harry took a steading breath too. "Uh, listen, Ginny and I received a letter two days ago. I didn't want to tell you 'cause.." He shook his head. "Anyway, she said she's coming next week, you know, to Britain."
My mind had gone blank. I mean, my mind had gone only to Hermione. She is coming back. Wait, is she really? Even though I was speechless, I asked my supposed-to-be best mate - because you don't hide this kind of stuff from best friends, specially if that kind of stuff was the love of yout life who had left you to go.. - Back to Harry.
"Is she, like, coming for real? She's just on vacation, right?" Harry didn't hold the hopeful look I had.
"I don't think so, Ron. She actually made it clear she's moving back in. That's why Ginny and I met up last night. We were thinking about a way to tell you. Since, you know, 'till she doesn't have a place to live she'll be staying at the burrow."
Wow, wow, wow. Too much information at a time. Let me get things straight, maybe a list is a good idea:
1)Hermione is coming back to city
2)I've no idea what to do about it.
3)She's staying at my parents.
4)Which means my ex-home.
5)Which means there's no way to avoid her. Well, only if a hide under a rock, but that'd look weird.
My conclusion is: I'm totally screwed.
I sinked in my chair, breathing hard. It had been a while since I imagined Hermione coming back. I thought she'd settle in the US and never come back. I thought I was fine with it, she living her life and I living my own. I'd never been so wrong. I was so not ready to meet her again.
All my memories with her passed through my mind. We growing up together, helping Harry, turning Hogwarts upside down. I remembered she telling me off, 'cause I hadn't done my homework or smiling proudly at me when I did something right. The way she looked beautiful at the Yule Ball, and the jealousy that came with it - I still hate that quiddwitch player - and then our time running from the death eaters, how I worried about her. The way I watched her being tortured and felt like being tortured myself. Then how she destroyed the cup, showing all the insecurites I held inside my chest too. Our kiss - the best kiss I had ever had - and the aftermath. We going to rescue her parents, only to find them dead and the broken way she was when we returned.
"Er, Ron, you okay there?" Harry asked, concerned. I think I had been quiet for some time.
"Yeah, just a bit shocked, you know. I didn't think she'd come back." I said and felt something wet in my cheek. I can't believe I'm crying. How weak! That's probably why Harry looked so worried.
"You really? Listen Ron, in the letter, Hermione asked about you. A lot, I might add. You never really told me what happened between you too and I trully don't wanna know. But Ginny and I were planning a dinner for when she comes. And I think it'd be great if you were there. It's obviously she misses you and I think you feel the same way about her." Huh, she missed me. Wonder why she didn't bother to write me a single letter all this time. But I was still stunned to think anything.
"In case you forgotten Harry, I have a fiancee now. Not likely she'll want to dinner at my parents." Hah, caught you Harry. I won't be facing Hermione so soon.
"And in case YOU have forgotten Ron, Hermione before anything else used to be your best friend. And don't use the fiancee talk on me, I know Mel wants to meet Hermione much more than you do." Harry said matter-of-factly. Screw Mel and her niceness.
"I'll think about it. But I think I'll have a meeting..." I couldn't make any excuse.
"You know you don't have nothing. But you will have a really bad stomachace if you don't show up. You know what Ginny can do with a wand and she will so not believe you." Harry had a point. A good one. My little sister was dangerous. And I praised my life.
"Yeah, yeah mate. I'll just... whatever." Brilliant conclusion to convice him to let me off the hook.
Harry just smiled apogetically at me and picked some papers in his desk. He started writing something on it and I figured our talk was over, which I was thankful for.
Seeing Hermione again would be hard. But even harder was faking everything was okay between she and I. She - being the grown up she is - is probably over anything that happened between us, just wanting a good chat. I wasn't over it. And Mel would meet her, which was good in a way, 'cause she'll think I'm over her, even though that's not entirely true. But the worst part was that I actually wanted to see Hermione again. That's why I hadn't been so insistent, I want to see her beautiful smile and her bushy hair and melt-chocolate eyes and I am so scared of my wish. I can't come up to her and say "Hey Mione, nice seeing you again! How was the US? I noticed you haven't talked to me in a couple years so you don't know I'm engaged now and you probably have a boyfriend by now - who I'd hate, of course - but whatever! Just let's go back to being bffs forever!" Yeah, not the best of ideas.
I was so caught up in my thoughts about the ex-best-friend-almost-girlfriend-who's-coming-back that I didn't notice the hours pass by. Only when Harry tapped my shoulder and pointed to the clock that saw it was five to 6. I had been doing my paper work too, but I think I wrote a lot of bullshit in it.
Harry waved at me and went through the door. I collected my things and readied myself to go home. I decided that maybe a short walk would be best for me, I was so stressed that I could be splinched and oh boy, that hurt! I left the ministry and headed to my small flat, that was about 30 minutes away.
The walk gave me more time to think and I decided that I'd try to act normal around Hermione because just like Harry said, she was pretty normal - and asked about me. A lot - only now this had fixed in. So yep, that's what I'm gonna do. I'll go through this dinner just like a regular one. After all, it's only a dinner at the Weasleys, right?
When I opened the flat's door Mellany was in the living room, apparentely waiting for me. "Ron, where were you? You said you'd come at 6, I was beggining to get worried." Oh crap.
"I'm sorry, baby. I just decided to take a walk home. I totally forgot about our dinner." I told her truthfully. Indeed, I had. She gave me a little smile.
"Tough day? You don't seem in your best shape." Nope, I wasn't. Mel had this thing that understood me. Almost like Hermione. But Hermione's was much stronger. "What if we stay here? We'll just order a pizza and you can tell me about your horrible day." She suggested, going to the phone.
Pizza! This would definetely cheer me up. A bit at least. Mel and I had gone to this place once and they had a thing called pizza. I'd never seen it, but now I think I can't live without all that cheese and tomato sauce incide the baked disco. I even learned how to use a phone - yes, muggle device - only to order pizzas. That was definetely the second love of my life, coming only after Hermi.. I mean, Mel. I went to the bedroom and put some confortable clothes on while she called Domino's, the best pizza maker in the world.
When I went back to the living room, Mel was already seated in my small couch with two cups of pumpkin juice and some napkins - I couldn't stand eating Pizza with knife and fork. "So, what made you look so down?" She asked, motioning with her hands for me to lie on her lap. I'm so thankful I have her.
"Oh, tons of paper work. I passed through some antigue death eaters who attacked my brother, I dunno." I wasn't gonna tell her the real reason of being upset, but I hadn't lie either. I really had seen some paper from death eaters who attacked Bill in the battle.
She stroked my hair. "Oh, that must've been hard. But think about it, today's already thursday!" Which meant Hermione's arrival was approaching. Not a good thing.
I took a breath and steadied myself. I faked a smile and told her the truth: "But I have good news too. I was talking to Harry, and he said Hermione is coming back to London next week." Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, really? I'm really eager to meet the only girl from the golden trio. I'm glad this will finally happen!" Okay, so I never told Mellany about my personal past with Hermione, so what she was feeling was real. After all, she is THE Hermione Granger, not just a girl from school that I'd had a crush on.
"Yeah, Mel. I don't know exactly when, but Ginny will throw a dinner at my parents the she arrives. She'll be staying there 'till she settles down." I told her.
"Great! She'll live there? I didn't know you and her were that close!" If only she knew. "I always thought her friendship was more with Harry." She said. Yeah, that's what everybody who didn't know us thought. Big mistake again.
"No, we were pretty close too. She used to spend all our summers at the burrow." Miss that times, I thought to myself.
"Hey Weasley, I'll start getting jealous!" She said joking. I smiled at her and wondered for a minute if she really should. Then I held her in my arms and laughed.
"Nothing to worry about. Hermione is just... an old good friend." I replied.
"Well, good. 'Cause I want her to tell all the illegal things you did back at Hogwarts and you and Harry hadn't the guts to say. I'm sure I'll love her, after all, it's implossible not liking someone who's close to you. You've only good people around." That touched me and in my mind I saw Mel, Hermione and I going to dinner and while the two talked and laughed at me, I stared at them trying to choose between past and future.
Instead of saying that thought out loud, I just kissed Mellany's head. Then our phone rang, which only meant my pizza was here. I went to the kitchen answer it and the hushed past the living room, going downstairs to grab my beloved food.
As I went up again, with the unique smell of melted cheese, I worried about going to the burrow and meeting someone who had been so locked up inside my chest.
But at least Mel was excited enough for both of us. Apparentaly she couldn't wait to meet Hermione, which brought me to this conclusions:
Harry was right, and I didn't have an excuse not to go.
If Mel and Mione turned out to be great friends, what would I do?
And would she figure out I had something for my ex best friend?
These answers will only show up next week.