I do not own Harry Potter.
Life After the Last Battle
Chapter 9, Unexpected
After a while, Ron dipped down, and landed on a tree in the yard of a little blue house with a nice garden. Harry and Ginny grinned and landed behind him. They stood about for a few seconds. Then Ginny walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Harry and Ron stood behind her. The door swung open. Hermione stood there, and her eyes grew very wide when she saw them.
"Ginny!" she cried, as Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione. Hermione grinned and hugged her back. Harry stood there, smiling. Ron just looked at the doormat. He had been hoping that Hermione would jump into his arms, but knew he didn't deserve it after the way he had treated her. Hermione hugged Harry after Ginny and ushered everyone into the house. She didn't even say Ron's name. They all stood in the hallway.
"My mum was just making dinner," she said. "How did you find me?" she asked, grinning.
"Well, we looked in Australia for a few days—"
"You went to Australia?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.
"And then we found out from your parents old dentist secretary that they'd moved back, so we had Ron use the Deluminator and bring us to you," Ginny said. Hermione just stared at them. Ginny gave Harry a look.
"Well, I think we'll go freshen up," Harry said as Ginny pulled him to the kitchen.
"I—hello Hermione," Ron looked down.
"Why are you here?" Hermione asked. She hadn't meant it to sound rude, but it did. Ron was glaring at her when he looked up.
"To yell at you for being a prat!" he said, his instincts taking over. Hermione's
eye brows shot up.
"You did not just say that I was being a prat! You're the one that wouldn't talk to me!"
"My brother had just died!" Hermione shrank back, tears in her eyes now.
"Y-you didn't ignore Harry!" She said in a much smaller, though still indignant voice.
"Well, he hadn't just—never mind." Ron turned around.
"Hadn't just what?" Hermione asked tersely.
"Nothing. Forget it," Ron said, still turned away from her.
"Fine," she said, and left the room with a huff. Harry and Ginny came in.
"What happened?" Ginny asked.
"Nothing. Hermione's being stubborn, as usual," he mumbled.
"You mean you didn't tell her?"
"There's nothing to tell," Ron lied. Ginny gave an exasperated sigh and left the room, dragging Harry along. Ron closed his eyes for a moment and then followed them. Hermione was sitting next to her father at the dinner table. Ginny sat down next to her, and Harry next to Ginny. Ron sat across from Harry. Her mother brought the food out and he ate silently while everyone talked amongst themselves. His eyes darted to Hermione throughout dinner often.
"This is Harry," Hermione said to her parents and grandmother.
"Ah, so this is the great Harry Potter," her father said. Harry smiled and shook his hand.
"And this is Ginny Weasley. And Ron," Hermione said Ron's name as an after thought. Ginny smiled and Ron just nodded at them.
"Hermione told us about where the three of you were," her mother said.
"She did? They haven't told me anything yet!" Ginny said.
"We'll tell you tonight," Harry said to her. They all put their plates up after dinner and went into the little living room. Harry sat on the loveseat with Ginny and Ron sat in one of the arm chairs. Hermione sat on the couch and said goodnight to her parents.
It took most of the night to tell Ginny about their hunt. She kept making little outbursts here and there, but she was quiet for the most part.
"I just don't understand," she said when they'd finished.
"Don't understand what?" Harry asked.
"I don't understand why we couldn't come. Me and Neville and Luna. All of the D.A. All of the Order."
"It had to be the three of us."
"But--,"
"Enough, Ginny," Ron said and stood up. He left the room. Talking about the Horcruxes had given him a headache. Ron went out to the backyard and sat on the porch. He looked at the horizon, turning pink and orange as the sun crept out slowly. He heard the door open and close softly.
"Harry, I don't want to—"
"It's not Harry," said a voice behind him. Hermione walked over and sat next to him. Ron longed to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. "I just wanted to apologize," she said, her face turning pink.
"About what?" Ron asked, knowing exactly where this was going. His ears turned red.
"About…"
"About the snog?" He said, tired of beating around the bush.
"It wasn't really a snog…" Hermione said after a few seconds.
"Whatever it was."
"I just… I just wanted to say…"
"Say what? That it was a mistake? Is that why you're apologizing?"
"N-no… I was just going to say that…I...I had poor timing. Why? Do you think it was a mistake? Was it not…good?" Hermione felt the tears well up.
"W—what? Was it bad for you?" Ron mumbled to his shoes.
"I… I don't know…"
"As in it wasn't good? Because if you think it was bad then… then so do I."
"S-so you didn't like it?" Hermione felt her heart crash.
"No. I didn't," Ron lied, thinking that Hermione hadn't liked it.
"W-well… If that's how you feel… then I think it was a mistake. And I shouldn't have done it. And.... and you're a bad kisser!" she scrambled up.
"Lavender didn't seem to think so!" he shot back standing up, too.
"Yes, well Lavender wasn't what we would call bright, now was she?" Hermione seethed. "But then, that only means that you two are perfect for each other!"
Ron's face contorted with rage. "I'd rather be a good kisser then a know-it-all!"
"Well unfortunately, you're neither! Th-that was the worst kiss of my life!" Hermione lied.
"Why did you do it, Hermione?" Ron's voice had dropped, and he was asking as if he would die if he didn't know.
"I—I-I was caught up in the moment! I thought we were about to die!" Hermione invented. Ron looked down.
"Well… fine," he said lamely, and walked back into the house. Hermione sat back down and put her head in her hands. Ron came back out with his broomstick and backpack.
"You're leaving?" Hermione asked.
"Why should I stay?" he asked. Hermione looked away.
"You don't have to go," she mumbled.
"Yeah, I do," and he lifted up into the air. He flew straight home. This had not turned out the way he'd thought it would. He banged into his house, making his mother jump.
"Ron! What are you doing back? Where are Harry and Ginny and Hermione?" she asked.
"I don't know," Ron grumbled and stomped up to his room, yanked his filthy shirt off, and promptly fell asleep on his bed.
(I'm making this up as I go. Please tell me what ya think.)
