Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, big surprise
Inopportunities
Chapter 4: Do
Stupid, stupid, stupid! I can't believe I did that! Well, I'm sure he didn't think anything of it, but still… STUPID! I rolled over and punched my pillow. The flat was dark, but there was still the light from the street coming in the open window. It was much too hot in here. I tossed around restlessly for a few more minutes before deciding to get up and ask if Ron was too warm. Well, it couldn't hurt to just ask him!
When I opened the door to my room I noticed that the light was on in the living room still, and I could see the top of Ron's head on the couch.
"Ron?" I asked croakily. He sat up straighter and slammed his book shut… his book?
"Did I wake you up?" he asked, turning around to look at me. I just shook my head. Turns out he wasn't wearing a shirt. Just terrific. Finally, I regained my senses.
"Are you reading?" I asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so I just picked up one of your books. It's funny you're reading these," he said. Funny?
"How is that funny?" I asked him, still squinting my eyes against the light.
"Well, Luna has some of these at her house, and I picked up a few of them there too, this Jane Austen isn't really my style, but Dickens is fantastic." Was Ron trying to discuss Muggle literature with me in the middle of the night? I shook my head as if trying to rid it of these delusions, but there he was still, half-naked and clutching my very battered copy of Great Expectations.
"Wait, did you say Luna has these books? How would you know that?"
"Come sit down, Hermione." It took me a minute to register those words because I was in the midst of trying to accept that Ron Weasley had grown up. His long legs in their blue plaid pajamas were stretched across my little coffee table, and I couldn't help my eyes from roving along an expanse of chest I had never imagined was possible from Ron Weasley. I shivered involuntarily.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Please do," I whispered.
"I've sort of been seeing Luna on and off, since I've been staying in Ottery St. Catchpole, but not at home."
"Oh, I see. Well that's nice for you." I tried my damnedest to be sincere, I really did. What I was really thinking was how not nice it was for me to have Luna Lovegood's boyfriend displayed nearly as nature intended in my living room, seated next to my raging hormones telling me to get while the getting was good. Since when did I turn into Pamela? This was Ron, not some sexy man librarian trying to seduce me amongst the D. H. Lawrence! I sighed.
"You know, I still don't see why you couldn't have contacted me, Ron."
"But I did – I'm here!"
"I mean sooner than this. I just don't understand it! You said Harry and Ginny said it would be better if I didn't know where you were?" I thought anger might be a good way to vent all this… ugh, I wish he wouldn't move – it just makes looking at him more painful.
"Yeah, I don't know why, I kept asking when we could look for you, but they kept giving me these vague answers."
"We have to do something about this. I can't believe Harry and Ginny would say that. You have to help me, Ron."
"What can I do?" he demanded, suddenly standing up and getting pink about the ears. I watched him and my jaw dropped slightly – it was even better from this angle. Stupid Loony Luna.
"Well, we have to go ask Harry what's the matter."
"What's the point in that? He won't tell us – he's being a right git about it."
"Fine, we'll deal with it sometime tomorrow," I snapped. I got up and started to go back to my room when I realized what tomorrow was: Sasha's party. I groaned and slouched against my door frame.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked anxiously, rushing over to me. He put his hand tentatively on my shoulder not leaning against the wall and a bolt shot through me like lightning. Skin on skin could create magic in itself.
"I'm fine, I was just thinking about tomorrow night."
"What about it?" he asked, hand persistently on my shoulder.
"Sasha, next-door, is giving a party."
"Great, we'll go after we talk to Harry." My jaw dropped again, but this time in horror.
"But, Ron, they're all Muggles – what on earth are you going to talk to them about?"
"I've been doing some research these past two years – not in books, Hermione," he added seeing my eyebrows nearly disappear into my hair in surprise, "But here and there in cities around England."
"Nevertheless, just stick with me, alright? I don't want you getting into any scrapes that necessitate the obliterating of memories." With that, I took one last glance at him, but I did a double-take when I saw him dimpling up as he smirked at me from the couch.
Crawling into bed I thought, who was I kidding, I wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight.
