Warm water was splashing down her body and at that exact moment Ginny Weasly hated the thought of going shopping. The hot chocolate had cured her enormous hangover (she usually just drank some wine or a few cocktails during a party) but her body was reluctant to start the day after an insufficient amount of sleep. It wasn't as if this was the first time of course. Seeing as she and Harry practically lived together it was normal for her to have a slightly short sleeping time but they usually were asleep by at least 1 or 2 o'clock at night, never did they stay up until 4. Well, almost never. Ginny smiled again. Her thoughts, that were dancing around the subject of one Mr. Potter were hot-natured while the water had turned cold.
"Bloody hell!" Ginny hopped out of the shower and pulled her bathrobe on with relief. She padded out of the bathroom, leaving watery footprints all over the floor, only to find Hermione sitting on her bed fully clothed in a pair of jeans and a curve-hugging white T-shirt with a jean jacket she had thrown on her shoulders. Her smile was showing that she was ever so satisfied with herself, but Ginny just couldn't figure out why.
"Oh good! I thought you'd drowned but seeing your fast reaction to temperature changes I would have to admit I was wrong." She smiled sweetly at Ginny's murderous face. " I'll go clean up my nest in the living room."
She got up and started humming as she walked towards the door. The Weasly temper in Ginny struck out, seeing as she wasn't much of a morning person she had already blurted out the words before she could stop herself, "I see you've recovered from Ron's little visit pretty well."
The only indication that Hermione had heard what she said was the fact that she'd stopped humming the moment she heard the word 'Ron'. After 10 minutes when Ginny had put on a pair white linen pants, added a black top and found her jacket she found her friend sitting comfortably on the sofa, reading a magazine about medi-wizarding.
"So…shall we get going?" Ginny was feeling embarrassed about what she had said but she wasn't sure how she should apologise for it or if she should apologise for it. She hadn't meant for it to sound the way it did and it wasn't her business if Hermione didn't want to see or remember (not to mention work out problems with) her brother. But seeing the exchange of looks, not words, between them this morning… The spark from their Hogwarts-time was still there.
Hermione looked up to her and nodded. "Yeah sure. Just one more thing." 'Oh here it comes', Ginny thought.
"Do you have some trainers or shoes I could borrow? Boots would just seem weird."
Relief flooded over the read-headed witch. 'Huh. She isn't pissed off about what I said.' She almost sighed out from relief but was able to stop herself just in time.
"Yeah. Yeah sure." She went to dig in one of the drawers of the cupboard in the hall. "These okay?" She was holding up a pair of white trainers. Hermione put down her magazine and proceeded to the hall to take the trainers from her friend who probably had no idea what kind of a storm was raging in her heart.
'I can't lose my nerve every time someone says his name. I knew the risks when I came here and I have to face the consequences. I just hope Harry, Molly and Arthur will be understanding about my reluctance to discuss the subject. Maybe Ron will just forget he ever saw me this morning? No. Knowing my luck I am sure to bump into him somewhere in the Diagon Alley. Probably him and his wife and their herd of children. That would be simply delightful. Delightful in an awkward and terrible way. Ginny would start talking to him about something and then I would just have to stand there and look his wife and the bunch of little read-headed boys and girls in the eye. Knowing how active Ron used to be in that department I don't doubt he has at least 4 or 5 of them by now. Then one of them would ask their mother who the strange lady is and I would not stand it anymore. I would take out my pack of lifesavers and light one of them. Then She would nudge Ron, and tell him they should get going because She doesn't want her children to have to stand so near to a smoker. He would nod and give me the icy look I say this morning when he yanked the cigarette from between my lips. He would wrap his hand protectively around Her shoulder and walk away, promising to owl Ginny about a family gathering. And…'
"Hermione? Are you going to contribute in our conversation or not? I feel oddly mental talking to myself."
'Shit!' "Sorry. I was just lost in thought. What were you saying?" She noticed that they were already out in the middle of the bustling Diagon Alley.
"I was asking whether you are ok with the my plan."
'Shit! She wants to know how long I haven't been paying attention.' "What was the question?"
"Well, Ron's visit must have affected you more than I thought. I never thought you were still so into him."
Ginny smiled at Hermione with no mercy showing from her eyes. She was starting to like this little game. Ginny had felt sorry for her at the beginning, because she thought Hermione would feel uncomfortable seeing everybody again, because the gossip about Ron's and Hermione's break-up had spread like wild-fire. There had been rumours of their wedding and then suddenly it was over. Since Hermione left the talk quietly died down but now that she was back, if even for a little while, it was sure to be picked up again, if not by anybody else, then for sure by Pravati and Luna. Pravati was in charge of the Daily Prophets society section and Luna had taken up her fathers work after he had retired.
'Merciless devil, that she is.' "I can't understand what you are talking about." She looked straight ahead to avoid Ginny's eyes. 'Do I really hold my heart out for everyone to see?' "So where to first?"
'Smooth Granger. Good.'
"Oh that was genuinely smooth. Well, actually that was the question in the first place. Maybe I should lead the way. You seem to be a little… well… troubled today." Ginny winked at Hermione.
"Ginerva Weasly!"
"Yeeeees?"
"Oh never mind!" Hermione shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses that she shoved on her nose a bit too forcefully and then picked up the pace. Ginny, on the other hand smiled knowingly. These are bound to be two very interesting weeks and definitely not because of her wedding.
Harry Potter had just finished training, taken a shower, dressed and talked to a few of his team-mates. He was beginning to get a little worried about Ginny because they had agreed to meet up on the pitch after he was done with the training and go to lunch but she had not yet showed up yet. Usually she was early, especially when she had a surprise for him, like she had said she had today. Ahh, finally she apparated on the other side of the pitch… with someone else. Ginny waved at him and started walking towards him, at the same time talking animatedly to the woman she was with. Harry could have sworn there was something familiar about the woman as they were getting closer, but he couldn't put his finger on it. She was young, in her twenties, very tanned and very skinny. She was wearing huge sunglasses and… Ginny's jeans, top and jacket? Maybe he was just imagining it. He dismissed the thoughts and got up from the bench, because Ginny ran the last few steps and flung herself into his arms, hugging him. His team-mates, the two beaters, Kowalski and Bates, got up too, because they had noticed a possible prey - the young woman with chocolate brown curly tresses who stood a few steps away from himself and Ginny.
"Who's your friend Ginny? She's in danger of terrible pick-up lines."
"Hey baby! Could I have your address? I've lost mine."
"Oh honey! I wish you were a door - I could bang you all night."
"Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to come again?"
"Nice legs - when are they opened?"
This was of course accompanied by some whistling and howling.
Harry saw the woman lift her eyebrows so high that they came into view from beneath the upper rim of the huge sunglasses.
"Oh I'm sorry. I'm not your style - I'm not inflatable."
The faces on Kowalski's and Blake's face were incredible, but Harry missed the fun because he had recognised the voice of his old friend.
"Hermione?"
The woman took off her shades and smiled at Harry shyly, "Hi Harry. It's been a few months."
"A few months? It's been forever! Come here Miss Know-It-All!"
The two friends hugged until Ginny decidedly pulled them apart.
"He is mine. Get your own."
"Right. Me and Harry. That would be incest. Sounds lovely. What do you think Harry?"
"Sure. Ginny don't complain, you have 6 brothers."
Kowalski and Blake shook their heads in defeat and disapparated at the sounds of the three friends laughing.
"Merlin's beard! Have you two bought everything you saw in the shops? Did they close up when you left?"
"No the didn't and we didn't buy nearly as much as we would have wanted to. So after you have taken us out to lunch, dear, we are going to start on the Diagon Alley. Besides, Hermione needs clothes. Yesterday when she came, she looked like Lara Croft."
"Ginny! No I didn't!"
"Yes you did."
"Enough. I am starving. You can continue bickering while we are having lunch. How about the Leaky Cauldron? Neville would be delighted."
Ginny sneaked a look in Hermione's direction. "You okay with that?"
"Yeah, yeah sure. Why not?"
'No I am not okay because we might run into Ron. God, I hope he likes his lunch early as opposed to late, which is now. Well, he likes lunch any time. He likes food any time. And there is one other thing he likes all the time… Stop it! You are not allowing yourself naughty thoughts about your asshole of an ex-boyfriend, are you? Well…although you have to admit…'
"Hermione? Shall we go? What's wrong with you? You were never this lost in thought back at Hogwarts. Well, except for the time you were petrified. Then you weren't a very enthusiastic conversationalist."
Before Hermione could say a word, Ginny piped in, "She and Ron crossed paths today at my place and I should imagine she is still all hot and bothered about it." The little devil inside Ginny didn't forget to add a knowing smile in Hermiones direction.
"Hot and bothered? Excuse me! I hardly think so!" Hermione first crossed her arms on her chest, but then realised she was taking a defensive pose and quickly put her hands on her hips.
Harry chuckled quietly and answered Ginny's knowing smile with his own.
"Now that is the Hermione I know - hands on her hips and bossing us around."
"Excuse me? I am defiantly not bossy. You cold ask anyone and they would tell you that…"
"Oh but me and Ron have discussed it on several occasions and realised that we quite agree in that part. He, by the way, I believe quite likes that quality of yours. He told me that he especially likes to …. Mphmmh… while you are mpmmphh. Hermione! It's not nice to violently try and silence me! It was important."
"I knew you would have seen the spell coming. Now could we please stop talking about him and go have lunch?" She straightened out her clothes because Harry had tried to struggle out of her silencing bear hug.
"This is a free country you know. I can speak of whomever I please."
"I'd rather talk about Snape's armpits than Ron."
"Well, I imagine he never shaved his armpits so therefore they must have been hairy…black hairs? Or what do you think Hermione?… Since his hair was all greasy then I think his armpits were probably all stinky from the sweat…"
"Harry!"
The three friends disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron.
They had a delicious meal which Harry insisted to pay for, saying that they deserved it, because everybody had been looking at them, just for the reason that he was with two amazingly beautiful women.
"You know, I'm such a boring celebrity. I am hardly ever in danger anymore, I don't cheat on my girlfriend and I am going to marry her in two weeks." He took his fiancées hand and squeezed it lightly. "Finally Pravati and Luna can write something really dashing about me. A threesome. Breaking story that'll be."
"Pravati and Luna? Where are they?" Hermione was turning her head nervously to see if anybody besides Neville had recognised her. It seemed nobody had or at least they didn't bother to come and say hello.
"Oh you don't know yet, that's right, " Ginny exclaimed. "Neville is married to Luna now. Sometime during last year, wasn't it Harry? The Boy Who Lived nodded in answer. " I bet he already owled her and she is putting together a story as we speak. But Pravati…. Well she'll do about anything to get a story. I bet she is somewhere near, in disguise, to see how you act when you don't know you are being watched. That's her speciality these days. Sometimes I think she is pulling a Rita to get her stories."
"Oh this is just what I need - Pravati flying around. Soon everyone will know I am back for the wedding. That will be a blast. Then everyone can have a go at me."
"Oh don't worry, "Harry said and tried to catch a fly that had been zooming past but it narrowly escaped and flew out of the open window nearby. "I think that my dashing bride to be will catch the most of attention during these last weeks of freedom. Weddings are one women's favourite topics as far as I have realized and since you are marrying a celebrity such as myself…"
"Oh do shut up Harry!" Ginny punched him lightly on the arm. "You are too full of yourself."
The banter continued and Hermione loved seeing the two of them so happy together. She realised that when Harry would join them for the visit to the Burrow, then the main topic would be the upcoming wedding and that would most certainly draw the attention away from the topic of her resent past and hopefully also the reasons of her and Ron's break-up 5 years prior to present time.
"Hey lovebirds." Both turned their heads from whispering something to each other. "Ginny? Burrow? Remember?"
"Ah right! Good thing you reminded Hermione." She turned to Harry. "Honey, I am dragging 'Mione to see Mum and Dad today so she can gain a few pounds and I was hoping you are going to honour us with your presence?"
"Well, I have to think about it…" Harry burst out laughing. "Of course I am coming. What time?"
"Well, I believe around 7 o'clock? Yes, let's meet at my place and apparate together. Bring a bottle of wine, will you?"
Harry nodded. "I've got to run. I've got a meeting with this new broom maker. The broom is designed especially for Quiddich. He wants me to test ride it and if I like it then I was given instructions to order for the whole team." Harry was beaming when talking about the broom. "But at 7 then? I'll see you at Ginny's"
He waved at Hermione and gave Ginny a quick kiss. With a soft pop! he was gone.
Lindsay