A/N: The title of this story is a pun; a play on the term "seven year itch" (meaning a time when married couples become bored and dissatified with the rut their marriage has become, usually occurring around the seventh year of marriage) and the fact that Ron and Hermione will be returning for their seventh year of schooling at Hogwarts. It takes place after the war but prior to the Epilogue in DEATHLY HALLOWS, so all of the books serve as canon, and this story only becomes AU during the 19 years prior to the Epilogue.
Originally, this was to be the first story I posted under this penname, but a friend of mine was depressed and I had to cheer her up with some slash smut. Taken to Task, which featured the unusual (I would hope) pairing of Harry Potter and Seamus Finnegan.
Speaking of smut, though it may take a while to actually appear, this story will feature sexual situations and adult language...hence the M-rating. This is a multi-chpater fic and as of yet, the ending is not in sight, so I can't say for certain how long it will be. But, if you're so inclined, strap in, settle down, and we'll take the trip together.
DISCLAIMER: Obviously, the characters and such belong to J.K. Rowling.
The Seventh Year Itch
Chapter 1
"August Beginnings"
***!!A Daily Prophet Exclusive!!***
"GOLDEN TRIO NO MORE..."
by Ganymede Sprok
Whether you call them "the Golden Trio" or simply "those meddling kids", chances are if you think of one, you think of all three: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
For the last seven years, the Hogwarts Three has been inseparable, but this fall…for the first time since they were impressionable First Years walking through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…Harry Potter and his friends will be going their separate ways.
On the First of September, Harry Potter's sidekicks, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, will be going back to Hogwarts for their Seventh Year; to finish their education and sit their NEWTs after a year-long sabbatical brought about by the war. And while Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger continue their education Mr. Potter will have his hands full.
The savior of the wizarding world, Harry Potter will be off seeing the world that he just saved. Wizarding governments from across the globe have requested Mr. Potter's presence at various celebrations in his honor, and he has seen fit to honor their requests.
Countries around the world, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, are clamoring to get a close up look at the Boy-Who-Lived, and thanks to some coaxing from our own acting Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mr. Potter will be spending the next year on a goodwill tour, seeing each and every one of those countries as they honor him for his role as the man who destroyed You-Know-Who once and for all.
Ron Weasley was frustrated. He and Hermione Granger had been inseparable since the war ended three months ago, and yet, during those three months, they had spent almost no alone time together.
That wouldn't have been so bad if the two of them were still just best friends, but Hermione was his girlfriend now…she had been since shortly after the final battle of the war…and except for some rather mild kissing and an interrupted snog or two, Ron had had absolutely no chance of getting Hermione alone for some quality time.
As soon as the final battle at Hogwarts was over, there were survivors to search for and bodies to recover, wounded to tend to and dead to bury; that included a small, private funeral service in the garden of the Burrow for Fred.
Once the last of the dead were laid to rest, it was time to travel to Australia and help Hermione search for her parents. While this seemed the perfect opportunity for them to be alone and to progress into a more physical relationship (they shared a bed the entire time, after all), Hermione was under too much stress and Ron agreed to wait until her parents were back home before they tried to take their relationship any further. Of course, he never imagined it would take two months to find the Grangers, undue Hermione's memory charm, and bring them back home.
When they returned to England and Hermione went about getting her parents settled back into their old life, Ron found his brother George attempting to drink himself into oblivion over the loss of Fred, his mother beset by such despair that she did little more than cry and sleep all day, and Harry Potter blaming himself for all of it and spending each and every day brooding down by the pond in the Burrow's back garden.
An awards ceremony to honor those who fought and died in the war came and went, and the pride felt from the receipt of Orders of Merlin was tainted by the Malfoys who had somehow managed to avoid imprisonment on a technicality. Harry continued to brood.
By the time the end of July was in sight, with the first annual Harry Potter Day celebration, Ron had managed to get George off the bottle and back to work at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. His mum was almost back to her old self, cooking and cleaning and fretting over her "babies". Harry, of course, continued to brood.
August was upon them, and still Ron and Hermione hadn't found much time to be together, with Ron helping out in George's shop and Hermione making up for lost time with her parents. And then today, just this very morning, Hogwarts letters came, and for the first time all summer, instead of fretting over the fact that he and Hermione had yet to get much past kissing in their relationship, Ron was worried about breaking her heart.
Hermione was so excited about going back to Hogwarts for her final year, and she had her heart set on Ron going with her. Harry had already dealt her a demoralizing blow earlier in the summer when he informed everyone that he absolutely refused to return to Hogwarts. Ron didn't want to go back to school either, but he knew Hermione would be crushed when he told her…especially when she learned what was included with his letter.
"So, what are you going to tell her?"
Ron looked up at the sound of the voice from across the room. Harry sat on the camp bed in Ron's attic bedroom at the Burrow, absentmindedly flipping a scarlet-and-gold badge back and forth between his fingers.
"The truth, I reckon," Ron said with a shrug. He moved towards Harry and snatched the badge out of his hand, first shooting a look at the badge and then shooting a look at Harry, "You're really not going back?"
Harry shrugged and shook his messy-haired head, "I already accepted Kingsley's offer: Auror training without NEWTs; how could I resist?"
"Was that before or after he announced the Harry Potter World Tour?" Ron asked with a chuckle, knowing just how much Harry would hate the media circus his life was about to become.
"Before," Harry grumbled, scowling at the thought of being the Ministry's poster boy for the next year.
Ron sniggered at Harry's misery, and when Harry shot him a two-finger salute, it just made Ron laugh harder. His laughter died, however, at the frantic sound of footsteps racing up the rickety stairs towards his bedroom.
The door banged open and Hermione came tearing into the room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying. Her own Hogwarts letter was in her hand.
"Did you…did you get…?" She spotted the badge in Ron's hand and let out a shriek. "I knew it!" she said, excitedly brandishing her letter, "Me too, Ron, me too!"
Ron looked down at the badge in his hand and quickly tossed it back to Harry, "No, it's Harry's…not mine."
"It…what? Harry's?" Hermione's jaw dropped and her eyes flashed briefly with disappointment, "Are you sure? I mean, you weren't even…" Hermione's voice trailed off as she looked at Ron, trying to see how he was taking the news.
"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry said, shoving the badge back inside his envelope, "I'm sending it back. Professor McGonagall will have to pick someone else to be Quidditch captain."
"Don't be silly, Harry, you're --…what? Quidditch?" Hermione stormed over to Harry and snatched the envelope out of his hand and yanked out the red-and-gold pin with the silver "C" engraved on it, "QUIDDITCH?!"
"Yeah, 'Mione, Quidditch," Ron laughed from behind her, "What did you think we were talking about?"
"You know perfectly well I thought it was a Head Boy's badge, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione railed, turning on him and smacking him repeatedly with the envelope Harry's Hogwarts letter had come in.
"Geroff! Geroff!" Ron laughed putting his hands up to cover his face, so happy that it was an envelope Hermione was attacking him with this time instead of an angry flock of birds, "Come on, Hermione…Harry's badge is Gryffindor colors; you know perfectly well the Head badges are silver."
"Yes, of course," Hermione nodded, calming down and pushing several frizzy strands of hair out of her face, "I was just hoping that…I mean, with all we did…"
"You did get Head Girl, didn't you, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking up at his disappointed friend.
"What? Well, yes, Harry, I --…"
"Of course she got Head Girl," Ron said, cutting across her. He beamed at her, confident in his girlfriend's abilities, "Didn't you hear her going on about it when she came in? Besides, old McGonagall would have to be mental to choose anybody but our Hermione."
"Yes, I made Head Girl," Hermione confirmed, blushing at Ron's heartfelt pronouncement, "I had hoped that Ron had made Head Boy, but it was just your Quidditch badge he was holding, Harry."
Harry nodded and was just about to tell her Ron's big surprise, but Hermione continued talking non-stop.
"It's alright if you're not Head Boy, Ron," Hermione said, fighting back her disappointment as she reached out and took his hand, patting it comfortingly, "You're still a prefect, and since it's the Heads' job to make up the patrol schedule for the prefects, I'm sure I can arrange for us to patrol together…just like we used to."
"Come on, Hermione, you know perfectly well that the Head Boy and Girl patrol together…you can't just go changing that," Ron said, adopting a serious tone for the first time since she arrived, "Besides, I'm not a prefect anymore…McGonagall made that perfectly clear in my letter."
"What?!" Hermione gasped, eyes widening, "She couldn't…she wouldn't…! Professor McGonagall wouldn't just strip you of your prefect's badge, Ron; what did the letter say? Let me read it!"
"You don't need to see my letter, Hermione," Ron said stubbornly, "I'm perfectly capable of reading and understanding things on my own."
"I never said you couldn't…why are you being like…oh, just give me the letter, Ronald!" Hermione stomped her foot like a petulant child throwing a tantrum. In a fit of cheek, Ron lifted his letter high over his head, well out of reach of the much shorter girl. This caused her eyes to narrow and her nostrils flare, "Ronald!!"
Ron couldn't help laughing, "Have I ever told you you're beautiful when you're angry?"
Hermione's mouth opened and closed wordlessly several times and she blushed profusely at Ron's words. Harry's sniggers from behind her brought Hermione back to the situation at hand and she whirled on him, eyes blazing, "Quiet, Harry!"
"Yeah, shut it, you!" Ron laughed, pointing at his friend but still keeping his Hogwarts letter held well above his head. Harry once again made a vulgar hand gesture at Ron causing the redhead to laugh harder.
Hermione whirled once again, this time to return her aggravated glare at Ron. She looked from the wide smile on his face to his twinkling blue eyes to the letter mockingly held out of her reach and she fairly growled in frustration, "Ugh…boys!!"
"Hey, we're men, Hermione," Ron protested jokingly, "Get it right!"
"Well, you certainly don't act like men, Ronald Weasley," Hermione huffed, turning on her heel and storming towards the door, "So I stick by my earlier assessment…boys!"
"Witches…" Ron mocked as Hermione opened the door, "Eh, Harry?"
Before Harry could respond, however, Hermione stopped, her hand poised over the doorknob. She looked to be considering something before turning slowly towards her two best friends once more, her hand reaching behind her back.
"Thank you, Ron, for once again reminding me that I am, in fact, a witch," Hermione said, calmly, with a devilish twinkle in her chocolate brown eyes and a mischievous smile on her lips, "Accio Ron's letter!"
Hermione pulled her wand out of her back pocket and had Summoned Ron's Hogwarts letter right out of his grasp before the surprised redhead could do anything to prevent it. He started charging at her, intent on retrieving his letter, but with an excited squeal Hermione turned on the spot and Disapparated, leaving Ron to slam painfully into his bedroom door and causing Harry to roll on his bed with laughter.
Ron would have made a rude comment to Harry for laughing at him when he was so obviously in pain, but the sound of Harry laughing after spending so much time going off on his own and moping made Ron almost throw himself against the door again, just to keep Harry laughing.
Suddenly, a loud, joyous scream echoed from the back garden, letting the boys know just exactly where it was that Hermione had vanished to. Harry smirked up at his best friend, getting up off the bed and heading for the door.
"She knows now," Harry said, opening the door and making his way out of the room, "Looks like it's time for that truth thing you were going to tell her."
"Y'know, Harry," Ron grumbled as the Boy-Who-Lived grinned at his displeasure, "Sometimes I regret saving your life all those times."
Harry let out a bark of laughter reminiscent of his dead godfather and left the room. Ron wasn't alone for long, however, because seconds later Hermione appeared, Apparating back into the room, and throwing herself at Ron.
"Head Boy!!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately, "I knew it! I knew you could do it, Ron!! Your mother is going to be so proud…I'm so proud!!!"
Ron smiled bashfully at the way she gushed over him, but he wasn't about to ruin the moment…and the kissing…by telling Hermione that he didn't plan on returning to Hogwarts. He felt guilty about it, but he decided to give in to his libido and let the snogging continue.
After several minutes, Hermione pulled away from his mouth. Both of them were breathing heavily and their cheeks were equally flushed. She reached up and caressed his cheek, her deep brown eyes twinkling with passion just for him.
"Head Boy," Hermione repeated, running her fingers down his cheek and over his chin, causing Ron to tingle. "This year is going to be so much fun, Ronald. No Voldemort, no Death Eaters, no vindictive Ministry hag with her own agenda…no more hiding our feelings from each other. It's going to be wonderful."
"Yeah, about that…" Ron began, but Hermione didn't seem to be listening. She took her wand out and cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door. "Hermione, what're you…?"
She smiled playfully as she pushed him backwards until his legs bumped against the side of his bed and he dropped down into a sitting position on it. "You're so tall," Hermione said, moving her fingers through his hair, "I love how tall you are, Ron, but sometimes it makes kissing you difficult."
"I'm sorry…?" he said, looking up at her with confusion clouding his blue eyes.
"Don't be silly, Ronald," she replied, moving onto the bed to sit next to him, "You needn't apologize for your height anymore than you need apologize for your wonderful red hair or those gorgeous blue eyes or these cute freckles," she ran her finger teasingly over a line of freckles across his nose, "It's part of who you are, and I love it…just like I love you. Now…where's your Head Boy badge?"
"In the drawer," Ron said, pointing at his bedside table.
"Put it on," Hermione said, her eyes sparkling.
"Why?"
"Just do it, Ron," she urged, "For me?"
Puffing out an exasperated sigh, Ron opened his bedside table drawer and pulled out the silver Head Boy badge. He pinned it to the front of his faded old t-shirt and gave her a look. "Satisfied?"
"Almost," she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Their lips moved back-and-forth together, and when Hermione's tongue pressed against Ron's lips, he eagerly opened up for it. "Mmmm…Head Boy…" she fairly purred once she pulled away, eyes glazed with passion. She began running her hand across Ron's chest, allowing her fingers to brush teasingly over the silver badge pinned there.
Ron gazed questioningly at Hermione; she was behaving a bit strangely, and he wasn't sure what was going on. For the briefest of instants, he feared that she wasn't who she appeared to be. A cold trickle of fear, left over from the war, ran down his back as he considered the woman in front of him might not actually be his Hermione.
"Err…'Mione," he began, his voice cracking slightly from nerves, "When I came back to the tent that night during the hunt…the night Harry and I destroyed the locket…what was the first thing you did when you saw me?"
"I…what?" she looked confused, wondering why Ron would bring that up now of all times.
"Just answer me…please," he said, keeping an eye on her as he slowly inched his hand over to his bedside table where his wand sat atop a pile of The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle comic books.
"Well, I more or less called you an arse and began hitting you," she answered, searching his eyes for some sort of explanation for what was going on, "Why?"
"Just making sure it was you," Ron explained, moving his hand away from his wand.
"Just…? You didn't think it was me sitting here?" Hermione asked indignantly, "So who did you think it was?!"
"I dunno," he shrugged, looking sheepish.
"Is it so hard to believe, Ronald, that I might enjoy some alone time with my Head Boy boyfriend?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Wait…" Ron looked at her, then down at his chest where she continued to run her fingers over the silver badge there, "You're like this because of the pin!"
Hermione blushed, pulling her hand away as if burned. She quickly looked away from Ron, not wanting to let him see the embarrassment crossing her face, "Honestly, Ronald, I don't know what you're talking about!"
"The Head Boy's badge makes you…randy!" Ron laughed, a staccato guffaw that made Hermione wince.
"I most certainly do not get…randy," Hermione snapped embarrassedly, almost whispering the last word, "And if I did…which I don't…I assure you it would take more than you to get me that way, Ronald Weasley!"
"Y'know, it's okay if it does, Hermione," he said, putting an arm around her and leaning in to kiss the pulse-point on her neck…a move that had proven to make her quiver the few times he'd had a chance to kiss it in the last few months, "Thinking about you dressed up in your Head Girl robes, looking all prim and proper does the same thing for me."
"What?!" she turned around to face him so fast that their foreheads knocked together painfully. The two of them hollered in pain and pulled away from each, holding their sore noggins.
"Fuck's sake, Hermione!!" Ron growled closing his eyes as bright flashes went off in his vision.
"Sorry…owww…sorry…" Hermione whimpered. She was in too much pain to even bother correcting Ron's cursing.
It was several minutes before either one of them felt like talking again. Once their heads had ceased throbbing, however, it was Hermione who spoke up.
"Did you really mean that, Ron?" she asked, looking timidly at him, her cheeks still crimson, "About me and my Head Girl robes?"
A huge grin spread across Ron's face, and he nodded vigorously, "Absolutely. If you knew some of the things I've imagined…well…actually, I'm rather glad you don't know some of the things I've imagined. It's probably safer for me that you don't!"
Hermione's eyes widened. She didn't want to think about the sorts of things Ron might imagine about her; she was already embarrassed enough. After all, she had imagined some rather…inappropriate…scenarios involving Ron both in and out of his robes – whether they were Head Boy robes or any sort of robes, it didn't really matter.
"So, then, I suppose this year at Hogwarts is going to be rather…interesting…for the two of us," Hermione said, trying not to think about what they might do in abandoned classrooms on their late night patrols, "The Head Boy and Girl share a common room and have to spend an awful lot of time…alone…together."
Ron gulped, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat at the thought of having so much time to spend alone with Hermione. He wanted that more than anything, but the last thing he wanted was to go back to school in order to get it.
"Hermione, listen…about going back to Hogwarts…"
"Yes, Ron?" she looked up at him expectantly, her embarrassment seeming to fade a bit and her cheeks returning to their more natural hue.
"I'm not going back to Hogwarts with you."
