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A/N: Sorry for the slight delay for this chapter. My beta couldn't get on the computer, and when I tried to post it this morning it wouldn't work. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This chapter gave me trouble and I went in a different direction then I had originally planned. So I hope it's okay.

Thanks to my beta, fanficionsissy!


Chapter 4: Make Yourself at Home

Hermione examined her new room in awe. While it wasn't very big, it did have everything she might need. A comfortable enough looking bed, a small desk and a chair, and various pegs and stands where she could hang clothes and such.

She had only been at the cavern for just over 36 hours, but already she felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Cavern 34 was even bigger than Hermione had expected; there was many different corridors and wings, and already she had gotten lost several times.

She had only seen Ron the one time as her, the children, and Bill where checked and then double checked to make sure they weren't really Death Eaters in disguise. It was rather odd for Hermione to see Ron in such an important position; it didn't really shock her but instead she felt proud. Hermione hadn't really gotten to talk to Ron but they had exchanged greetings, long time no sees, and one quick hug. She was hoping today that they would be able to catch up. Her hopes were realized when she had gotten a short and brisk note telling her to be at Conference Room B; signed in Ron's name. It had greatly astounded her when an envelope suddenly came flying out of the wall and onto her desk. Later when she inspected the part of the wall, she found a small slot where it had come flying out earlier.

Hermione had absolutely no clue what they could possibly want say to her. In fact she was a bit nervous; Hermione knew that the worry was unfounded but she was worried that they were going to tell her to leave. The letter had sounded very important.

"No that doesn't make sense, there would be no reason for them to kick me out," Hermione thought with a shake of her head.

Taking a deep breath Hermione looked once more at the note that she had received and read through it. It was strictly told her to be in the conference room at one o'clock on the dot. Glancing at her watch, Hermione saw that she only had an hour before she was supposed to be there; which meant that she had plenty of time to have a look around. She hadn't really explored her new home yet and she desperately wanted to do so. Yes, she had plenty of time to look around a bit and then find her to the conference room.

Making up her mind, Hermione grabbed her cloak, which was becoming quite threadbare in some places, and threw it around herself.

A few hours before Hermione began her exploration, Ron was sitting with one other man and a woman. The man, Jabir Hassan, was from the Middle Eastern country of Jordan. He had a strict but fair reputation. He was one of Ron's superiors and was the founder of an education movement. The woman was named Andrea Gibbers. She was what they called a traveler; a person who may be gone months at a time rounding up Death Eaters. Andrea was one of the few women who held the job, the position was usually held by men and it was deeply frowned upon for a woman to do a man's job. Andrea though, could do her rough and tumble job better than most men. She stood just over five feet and eight inches, she was determined and bullheaded, and was a muscular woman who could easily take care of herself. Andrea was traveling with Jabir as a bodyguard, even though Ron had a suspicion that there was a little bit more to it.

"So Weasley you requested a conversation with me?" Jabir spoke in his soft, rolling voice.

"Yes, I did Mr. Hassan," Ron answered properly.

"There is no need for this formality Weasley, I think we have known each other long enough that seniority should not matter," Jabir chuckled.

"Thank you, Jabir," Ron laughed as well; "I know your time is limited so I will get strait to the point. I heard recently that you were planning to open an education program here as soon as possible."

"That is correct Ronald," he confirmed.

"I also heard that you were having problems getting a suitable person to fill the position, " Ron continued.

"That too is correct."

"Well, I believe that I know of a person who might be willing to fill the position," declared Ron.

"And this person is fully qualified? After all this is not a thing to be taken lightly, future generations depend on it," Jabir said raising an eyebrow.

"She has all the qualifications someone might need. She is the smartest witch I have ever had the pleasure of knowing," Ron proclaimed.

"Smartest witch? I have never heard of someone who held such distinction with you Weasley," Andrea spoke up, looking curiously at the redhead.

"We were best friends together at Hogwarts. Since first year, I know her well."

"Really, best friends aye?" she purred, smirking at him.

"I trust you Ronald in what you say about this woman. How does this sound? I will meet with this woman in-," he glanced at his pocket watch, "one hour. "

"That would be fine Jabir, thank you," Ron said, standing up as the other man stood up to leave.

"It is no trouble. By the way, what is this woman's name?"

"Hermione Granger," Ron answered.

"Hermione Granger… A good name for someone as smart as she," Jabir mused.

"She would appreciate that."

"Ms. Gibbers, are you coming?" Jabir asked, turning to Andrea.

"No, I think I will stay on here a bit," she replied.

Nodding goodbye to them, he walked out, shutting the door softly behind him. After he had left the two occupants that were left, turned to each other. The two were old friends from a long way back, since they worked together almost three years ago. Ron still remembered the first time he had first laid eyes on the young woman; he had just been assigned to his new position at Cavern 25 as a general worker. Ron had been having dinner in the mess hall with some of the other blokes when Andrea stumbled in. She was seriously drunk and not knowing what she was saying, began to rattle about how all men should burn in Hell and have a certain appendage, only common to males, thrown to a pack of ravenous dogs. Ron, and many of the other males that were there that night would not easily forget the gut gripping fear. So after some initial embarrassment the two became fast friends and both realized that the other made good company.

"So Weasley," Andrea cleared her throat and chuckled, "I don't think I've met this "good friend" of yours yet."

"No, I didn't think you had," Ron said nervously, he knew what was coming next. Andrea had always taken great interest in his love life, always setting up dates and encounters with women. Andrea could not understand why none of them had taken.

"Best friends with this Hermione Granger woman? A relationship with one so long, you must have been close," she grinned mischievously.

"Um… Yes-yes it was," Ron said tersely.

Andrea looked even more gleeful. "Weasley, I know about such things. I know about close friends and how close friends may become even closer. So then I will get straight to the point, did you ever… oh what is the right word I should use? There are ever so many… jump into the sack with her, bang her, screw her, shag her, love her? And all with varying degrees of bluntness. I don't know how I shall ever choose."

Ron, who looked about ready to explode, blushed an appealing shade of scarlet. Why, in all hell did she have to be so forward? It would be a miracle if he didn't suddenly burst into flames right then and there. But he couldn't help the small flicker of anger that he felt; no such words should be usedwhen talking about Hermione. Shag and love where perfectly acceptable but the rest…

"N-no of course not. We were nothing but friends," Ron stuttered, he just couldn't help thinking what it would be like to love Hermione the way he wished he could.

"I don't think you listened close enough to me Ron, I also said love, and love can in fact include sex or not," Andrea told him, winking at him as she did so. She was enjoying this far too much.

"Friends, only friends," Ron repeated firmly, hoping against all hope she would give up, because he knew this would lead to a place he didn't think he wanted to go.

"Ron," Andrea said leaning back against her chair, she was obviously in this for the long run, "you know that you can't keep anything from me. Every emotion you are feeling is always shown on your face."

But before Ron could argue some more Andrea continued.

"Let's get this strait, I have tried to find you a capable woman, but for some reason my attempts have been futile. And now I do believe I have found not only the reason but also the solution. So, I would like to get a truthful answer."

"Err… Well, it's obvious that you won't leave me in peace so… Yes, I did once have feelings for her. There are you happy now?"

"No, not quite. Tell me something Ron, if you once had feelings for her than why did you not want to tell me you once had feelings for her," Andrea laughed aloud, her face glowing with mirth. She found this highly funny, stringing it out of him. For her it was easy to read people, almost everyone could be read like a book.

"Because I knew this would happen, I knew you wouldn't take the truth for the truth," Ron lied.

"Ron," Andrea said exasperatedly, "we are going to be here all day, and we both know we have more important things to do."

"Andrea!"

"Say it."

"No."

"Damn you! Just say you like this woman."

"No!"

"Say it!"

"Fine you nag! Alright I've loved her since I was 15!" Ron barked, and then slumped against his chair, looking drained, "You are the most annoying woman I have ever met."

"I knew it! That was pathetic Weasley, I expected for you not to brake for another half-an-hour. The way you wouldn't budge I was sure I was at least going to have a bit of a challenge. Pathetic, I am seriously disappointed."

"Whatever Gibbers," Ron uttered flatly.

"That's a fine attitude. You should be paying me for therapy," Andrea said, standing up to go.

"Good-bye Gibbers."

"Good-bye Ronnie," Andrea teased, walking toward the door.

Ron grunted.

"Oh and by the way Ronnie, I must advise, if you ever do become romantically involved with this woman, you should now, if she does get this teaching job it would be completely against the rules to date her," Andrea said, turning around.

"You're one to talk," Ron shot back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Andrea asked, narrowing her eyes dangerously at him.

"Well, you are the one scewin' the boss man," Ron hissed back triumphantly.

"No, no, no, you have it all wrong. I'm not the one doing the screwin', as you so eloquently put it, I'm the one being screwed, there is a difference. Bye Weasley and I will see you later, you couldn't possibly keep me away," she finished, finally leaving.

That woman is going to drive me to drink.

Great, I'm lost.

How could I be lost? I memorized the hallways I turned into and paths that I took.

Hermione was completely lost. She had no clue where she was, and she was beginning to get a bit spooked; the hallways were all dark, damp, and silent. She thought she was in the residential (where all most everybody slept) sectors. Hermione looked at her watch, she only had 15 minutes before she was supposed to be at the conference room. Turning down another corridor, she looked for any signs or marking to tell her where she was at, there was nothing.

Who designed this place, Houdini? I would have sworn Ron said all corridors lead back to the main hall. Now I'm definitely going to be late. Nothing looks familiar, where am I? Wait this looks… Yes, that's it! I'm off of the main corridor from the mess hall. Thank Merlin, at least now I know where I am.

As she emerged onto the main hallway, Hermione could just see the mess hall in the distance. Now knowing where she was Hermione realized something, the conference rooms were on the other side of cavern.

I'm cursed, that's it I'm cursed.

While Hermione lost herself further into the unforgiving maze, Ron and Jabir were waiting not so patiently for Hermione to arrive.

"The young lady is seven minutes late Ron," Jabir commented, raising one eyebrow critically.

"I'm sure she's lost, I should have thought to give her directions," Ron groaned.

Rising to his feet Ron addressed Jabir, "I'll be right back, please do not leave, she will be here any second."

Leaving the room, Ron walked briskly across the hall and knocked sharply on the door strait across from his. 'What' came the muffled answer. Taking this as a come in Ron opened the door and swiftly poked his head in. What he saw was too funny to comprehend.

"Garret, what the hell are you doing?"

"Gettin' ready to have a little rendezvous with miss Meara Davan," the man muttered, preoccupied.

"No, what are you doing to your hair?"

"Oh, it's the latest muggle fashion in France," Garret replied, pouring more of the purple solution over the baby blue curlers in his hair. "You see, it's supposed to make the hair gently curl."

Ron looked at him for a moment before he snorted. "Curl?"

"Yeah, dude, the chicks go crazy over it."

"Garret you're an odd one."

"Whatever Weasley. Look I have a tight schedule and while this chitchatting is fun, I do have much more pressing matters. You see I've been trying to land this broad for a month, she is hot, and when I mean hot I mean thigh steaming hot. I'm sure you've seen her," Garret replied, practically drooling.

"I thought she was married to a bloke back in Ireland," Ron interjected.

Garret looked up at Ron as if he was stupid, "she is, but they have an open relationship."

Ron snorted again in amazement. Deciding he had enough of this conversation Ron finally got to the point. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What?" the other man asked suspiciously.

"I need you to find someone for me, and I need you to do it now."

"That sounds like it might take awhile Weasley," Garret drawled, carefully removing the curlers from his hair.

"No, it won't take long at all to find her."

"Fine Weasley, what's her name?" he asked.

"Hermione Granger, brown hair, kind of bushy," Ron replied.

So with the last curlers removed, he ran a brush through his hair. Ron tried not to laugh as he looked at the result of the man's new hairdo; Garret looked more like a poodle than anything. Frowning at Ron one more time he opened the door to leave.

"Weasley this better not take long."

"It won't," Ron assured him.

Looking doubtful, he left. Checking his watch Ron realized he had wasted far too much time talking to Garret. Everyone agreed that the man was odd. He was the only male American on their team, and loved some kind of muggle passion called surfing. Ron believed that this surfing thing must have something to do with hair since Garret Smith was obsessed with his looks. Realizing his eyes were watering, Ron rubbed them; the heavy fumes of Garret's hair treatment was getting to him. In fact Ron realized he felt a bit dizzy.

"What is in that stuff?" Ron thought, swaying on his feet as he stumbled out the room. Once outside Ron steadied himself and sucked in the fumeless air in the corridor. "No wonder Garret acts mad half the time."

Finally steady on his feet Ron walked back into where Jabir and the others were waiting. What was waiting for him there surprised him greatly; Andrea had showed up and was looking happier than he had ever seen her. The reason she looked so happy was made apparent by the brunette by the name, Hermione Granger, sitting next to her.

"Look at who I found wandering through the corridors," Andrea said brightly, looking up at him.

Before Ron could reply though, Jabir asserted his own ideas.

"Ms. Granger arrived just after you left. And you were right Ronald she is an absolute delight. Lovely woman, perfect for the position," Jabir declared, looking pleased.

"Oh that's great, really great," Ron replied awkwardly.

"Well, I think everything is in order so I will be departing now," Jabir said standing up and continuing, "and Ms. Granger if you have any questions please feel free to owl me."

So he shook Hermione and Ron's hands goodbye. Once he was gone, Andrea also stood to leave.

"It was great to meet you to Hermione. I hope we will seeing each other soon," Andrea said heading towards the door and giving her a wave.

"It was nice to meet you too," Hermione agreed, nodding her head in the other woman's direction.

Being the polite gentleman that Ron was he opened the door for Andrea. But she did not walk into the corridor; instead she stopped and leaned towards Ron.

"Got a plan yet Weasley?" she hissed so only the two of them could hear.

"What plan?" Ron hissed back, looking towards Hermione, self-consciously.

"The plan to get the girl. What are you daft?"

"We will never have this discussion," Ron whispered back.

"Oh I don't know about that, things do have a way of turning around," Andrea finished, and finally left with one more wave of her hand.

"Must. Not. Blow. Top." Ron thought as he refrained from slamming the door as he closed it.

Turning back to Hermione, he took in her raised eyebrow and slight smile.

"You two are friends," Hermione spoke, it was not a question.

"Uh...yeah we've known each other for awhile. Look I'm really sorry I didn't think to give you directions, I honestly didn't know what I was thinking."

"It's fine Ron," Hermione reassured, trying not to look down at her feet. She couldn't help but feel awkwardness overtake her. Why couldn't they talk? Even getting into a row like they used to would be a relief.

When Ron was at a loss for words Hermione spoke again.

"You didn't have to do that," she said.

"Do what?" Ron asked, confused.

"Ask Mr. Hassan to meet with me,' Hermione replied sheepishly.

"Well, you were the best one for the job, and the most qualified by far."

"But still, I really appreciated it," she insisted.

Once again a moment a moment of awkward silence followed. But this time it was broken by Ron.

"Lunch?" Ron blurted out, looking a bit shocked at his own words, he obviously hadn't meant to say that.

"What?"

"I mean do you want to have lunch with me tomorrow?' Ron corrected, blushing as he did so.

"Of course I'd love to," Hermione answered looking relieved.

"Great, I'll come by tomorrow around 12 o'clock; in fact I'll walk you back to your room," Ron announced, taking two coats from the peg near the door, one was his and the other was hers which he handed to her. She took it gratefully and bundled herself in it.

Ron once again opened the door for a lady and waited for her to go out before he followed suit. Once out in the corridor, Ron securely locked the door behind him with a spell. So they began the walk back to her room. The conversation that they had was light and wasn't awkward in the least. Because of this they were at Hermione's door faster than Ron had expected.

She whispered the password and with a clicking sound the door unlocked itself. Turning back to Ron, Hermione looked up at him.

"Thank you again Ron."

"Your welcome," Ron answered huskily.

Saying their goodbyes to each other, Hermione entered her room and closed the door behind her. Ron was left standing there staring at the door as his stomach did uncomfortable flip-flops. Shaking his head swiftly Ron began to walk back to his own rooms. Hermione, unknown to Ron, was also standing on the other side of the door, her own stomach swarming with butterflies.

Thanks to all who reviewed! And as before here's a short teaser.

Teaser:

She once again gathered the little courage that she had left and gave a curt knock on the wooden door. There was no answer; she was just about to knock again when Ron answered the door, in nothing but a towel. The white piece of fabric hung loosely on his hips, he was till moist, and fresh looking from the shower he must have just taken. Hermione's eyes followed the light dusting of red hair that disappeared, tantalizing under the top of the towel. Hermione suddenly snapped out of her naughty train of thought when Ron gave an odd squeaky sound and slammed the door in her face. Hermione was so shocked that she just stood there, wondering if in fact she had just seen Ron nearly naked…

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