Chapter 10

Once a playboy, always a playboy! Obviously he cannot control himself whenever a remotely tolerable female is in his presence, much less think of me!
Well, Hermione, but why should he think of you? After all, it is not as if you are together… But all those things he did must mean something?
Yes, the fact that he is still the insufferable git he has always been!
Hermione was fuming.

Much to Ron's benefit Harry and Ginny had snapped out of their romance-filled fantasy and Ginny was right back on track with her wedding frenzy.

"Well, get them on then! Susanna, which one is Hermione's," Ginny asked, although Susanna needn't answer as the red-haired vixen was already tearing open one of the garment bags, unable to wait for the answer.

It was probably a good thing too, since Susanna was too busy staring at a certain gentleman to answer. Ginny had unceremoniously yanked the dress out of the bag and was holding it out for further inspection.

"Oh, Susanna! It looks simply divine!" Ginny looked up from the garment to see why Hermione was not yet racing to try it on and was rewarded with a glimpse of the bushy haired witch looking daggers at Susanna. She brushed it off, seeing as trying on the dress trumped all other situations, however interesting they may be.

Unbelievable! How is it that women are unable to stay normal when they are within 10 feet of Ron. I thought she was a professional, but as it turns out, she is just another floozy waiting to get his attention. And by the looks of it, she does not have to wait for very long… I can't believe she is just staring at him. What is she thinking? That little blond, boney assed…

"Well Hermione? I swear, you are getting slow in your old age." Harry, who had obviously assessed the situation better, stood at the red-haired vixens' side and put his arm around his fiancées shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"Oh Weasly, I would not be throwing those words around if I were you!" Hermione grabbed the dress from Ginny's hand a bit too forcefully and pushed past the happy couple toward the door she could see in the furthest end of the room. She yanked open the door and bolted in, letting it close behind her with a soft 'thump'. It was after Hermione had rushed in, she realized she should have asked which room she should use for changing, because she was standing smack in the middle on Ronald Weasly's bedroom.

Hermione was stunned. Ron had obviously come a long way since that little stingy apartment in Diagon Alley they used to share. There had been books (hers) and dirty socks mixed with maroon sweaters (his) everywhere. When choosing the apartment, they had considered it having all the necessary rooms (bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, in that order) and that it was close to everything they needed. They could just step out and walk to work seeing friends and considering how large the Weasly clan was, maybe even an occasional family member. This bedroom, on the other hand, looked quite close to immaculate. The bedspread was made of some soft black fabric that Hermione could not identify. The bed was made of thick wood (oak probably?) but just like everything in the rest of the apartment, it was quite modern compared to the usual wizarding world décor. The floor was made of some light wood, but a huge maroon rug was covering most of the floor. The walls were dark blue, but most of the room followed the clean, sleek line of modern minimalism. The space did not really need any accessories seeing as the wall to Hermione's left was not a wall at all, but a floor length window offering a wonderful view of nighttime London. There was a simple shelf above the headboard which contained some old leather-bound books. The bookends were huge silver spheres that sent soft glimmering reflections of light from the streetlights. Hermione walked to take a closer look at the books that the shelf contained when the door opened after a short knock.

"Already snooping around. I must say, you have not changed a bit 'Mione." Ron came in carrying a garment bag and let the door close behind him as he rested the bag on the bed. "You know you really should ask before you storm into a bloke's bedroom like that. Some might get the wrong idea."

Hermione spun around, the flashes of Ron's fidgety behavior around Susanna fresh in her mind and blood rushing through her veins at the speed of light. She felt her cheeks growing hot with suppressed anger, but she didn't care.

"Well, I am not the only one that has not changed, as far as I can tell!" Hermione was so wound up at the thought of Susanna and Ron's behavior towards her that she almost hissed. The bushy haired witch felt that all her frustration and anger was melting into one huge lump in the pit of her stomach that she had been carrying around ever since she left Ron.

"What are you talking about," Ron asked, his voice still playful, as he took a few lazy steps towards her.

Is she playing with me? Has she really figured out how I love to see her all wound up and angry?

"As if you don't know," Hermione spat out as she crossed her arms over her chest to form a shield between them.

Don't give him the satisfaction to see you angry about That Girl. What kind of a name is Susanna anyway? She is so thin, I bet she uses diet potions and eats like…. An apple once a week.

Ron saw the all too familiar pulsating vein on her neck that indicated her immense annoyance with him. Hermione obviously wasn't aware of the effect she had on him as he closed the distance between them in a few lazy strides.

"Well, the only thing I do know is that you obviously cannot stay away from me as this is the second time I have seen you today," Ron smiled devilishly as he took another step toward Hermione. She, in turn, took a step back.

She is definitely mad about something, but what? Does she know? No. She couldn't know. She was not here at the time and I doubt Ginny and Harry have mentioned anything concerning the matter. Oh god, I hope she doesn't know!

"Stop doing that! Who do you think you are Weasly? Stop trying to use your… your… moves on me, because they are not working!" To emphasize her point and stop Ron advancing on her further, she tried to push him away by shoving him with all her might. Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her up against him, pinning her hands to her sides.

"Now would you care to explain what this is all about," Ron asked in a determined voice and tried to look Hermione in the eyes, who turned her head so she could avoid the read-heads intense gaze.

I am not going to look at him. If I do, I might just kill him. Who does he think he is? Messes with me in the morning and then…

Ron took a chance and unclenched one of his hands that was holding one of her hands steady and lifted her chin to force Hermione to make eye-contact. The bushy-haired witch took advantage of the situation and tried to push past Ron. Unfortunately for her he was quicker. Ron caught Hermione's hand again, but did not quite manage to keep his balance. Thankfully, although quite ungracefully, they tumbled on the bed landing on top of each other.

Ron did not say anything. He simply locked eyes with her, as he suppressed her attempts to move by entwining their fingers and pinning both of Hermione's hands above her head. She looked scared, angry and…could it be? Excited?

There was a swirl of hot fire in the pit of her stomach. A swirl that was a mixture of anger and excitement that was slowly gliding around like a huge snake and at the same time making her temples pound with something that resembled a head-ache, yet didn't hurt.

"'Mione," Ron said, his voice barely above a whisper, "would you care to explain this to me?" At that exact moment though, he had to admit that her explanation was not the first thing in his mind, seeing as her warm body was pressed against his and he could hardly think straight. Hermione had closed her eyes to avoid Ron's gaze.

Oh good lord! Her body was giving out a general alert. All her nerve endings were pulsating. Her heart was thumping loud in her chest and her vision was blurred. What is happening to me? Maybe I am having some sort of reaction to something I ate? Or a seizure? The butterflies fluttering around in her stomach however told her that it was not the case.

"Hermione?" She just lay there, unmoving.

I can't open my eyes. I can't move. That will just make it real…or make it stop. Oh please, just let me stay like this for a few more minutes.

"'Mione?" She could feel his breath on her lips now. "Please open your eyes." Ron was whispering now. She could feel all the annoyance melting away and her body reacting to his close proximity.

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Traitorous hips. Her hips had involuntarily moved against his. Oh god, please make it so he did not notice. I would most positively die of shame if he would use this to mock me.

"'Mione?" His voice was a mere whisper that brushed against her lips. Hermione could almost feel his lips upon hers. Definitely no mocking. Hermione opened her eyes. She could see Ron's eyes had darkened to a dark blue that she recognized all too well. She involuntarily licked her lips in anticipation of a kiss.

"Is either of you ready? Or are you both lying in a pool of blood," Harry stopped dead in his tracks when he stepped in and saw the two of them lying on the bed in a situation that could only be described as compromising to say the least. Ron and Hermione didn't say a word and just stared at their best friend bearing similar petrified expressions. This was definitely not the first time Harry had caught them or even the worst situation he had witnessed, but he definitely had not been expecting this.

"Harry? Are they ready? I want to see them standing side by side so I can get a better…." Ginny's voice floated in as she reached the bedroom door.

Bang.

Harry slammed the door shut before his fiancées nose and leaned against it to block her way.
"Darling, if you don't want to see your brothers' naked butt, I suggest we go wait with the gang."
"Does he need help getting dressed? He is not five anymore. How long does it take a grown man to get dressed? Hermione, I understand… she's a woman after all and wants everything to be perfect, but Ron…"

"Gin, darling?"

"Mh, yes Harry?"

"Remember when you asked me to tell you when you were turning into a bridezilla?"

"Mhmh?"

"Well, the transformation is complete."

Harry and Ginny's voices faded as they reached the table sat down with Robert and Neville. It was only then that Ron and Hermione exhaled and turned to look at each other again. They both felt uncomfortable as the magic of the moment had gone. Hermione pushed him off of her forcefully, grabbed the dress and practically ran to the adjacent bathroom. She shut the door as she leaned against it and exhaled heavily, trying to control her breathing and her nerves.

Dear Lord! What was I thinking coming back? Whatever me and Ron shared is still very much there and alive and well at that matter. Or is it just that I haven't had sex since god knows when? Yes, that must be it.

When she emerged from the bathroom Ron was busy buttoning his shirt. He looked up as he heard the door open. Ron let his hands fall to his sides and stared without even trying to hide the fact that he was mesmerized by the young woman standing before him.

"What?" Hermione demanded in a voice that could have very well turned Ron into ice. She looked down at her dress. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, "Ron retorted as Hermione's icy tone snapped him out of his spell most efficiently. You look amazing, is all. He left the last two buttons undone and ran his hand through his hair in an unfruitful attempt to tidy the appearance of his locks. He succeeded in just messing it up further so he just gave up and lazily hung the jacket over one of his shoulders, holding on to it with one finger.

Great. Yes, of course. Take that sexy male model pose and then look like you have no idea you look good enough to eat.

"So, shall we?" Ron offered his hand, but Hermione stormed past him and opened the bedroom door in a rush.

"Finally! Harry has been telling me I am a bridezilla! 'Mione, tell me that's not true!" Ginny got up from the table where the boys had started another game of Exploding Snap. "Oh Hermione, you look stunning! Susanna, I love this design!" Ginny was now circling around her friend as her brother lazily strolled towards them.

"And Ron! You look amazing! Come, stand here next to Hermione! Wow, this is great work." Ginny had positioned Ron to stand next to Hermione and was currently putting the jacket on her uncooperative brother. "Why didn't you put the jacket on? I want to get the full picture." She succeeded in fixing the jacket and the purple napkin that was in the pocket of the perfectly tailored black suit jacket. She stood back to get a better look. "Do you think we should also get the shirt in purple?"

"In the name of Merlin's beard Ginny! I am still a man. As much as I love you sis, I am not going to wear a purple shirt to your wedding," Ron was a bit grouchy, as always when someone was fussing with his clothes.

"Alright, alright." Ginny took a few steps back. "Something is missing…." She put her index finger to her pouty bottom lip that she was currently chewing on. Suddenly she lifted her finger in the air triumphantly. "But of course! Hermione is missing the shoes!" In a matter of seconds she had grabbed her wand and conjured a pair of sky-high stilettos on Hermione's feet, who struggled to keep her balance with the sudden change of stance. To her great dismay Ron supported her by the elbow.

"Ginny! A fair warning would have been nice, "The bushy-haired with pulled her elbow free from Ron's supporting grasp and huffed angrily, rubbing the place where Ron's hand had touched her, as if she had been burned.

Ginny furrowed her brow in their direction, as if smelling the conflict that was brewing in front of her. She motioned for Susanna to come closer and take a look at the fit of the clothes.

"Maybe we should adjust the seams on Hermione's waist a little? She is even smaller than I thought..." Susanna was now circling the pair of them. "But who knows? Maybe, it is better to leave a little room…"

Susanna circled round to Ron and examined the seams of the jacket. "This sits very well, but to be fair this is the third fitting. It should be near perfect now." She motioned for Ron to take off his jacket and examined the shirt. Susanna proceeded to circle round him one final time and bend over to take a small thread off the back of the waistband of the pants. "Maybe we should let out the seams of the shirt a bit, though…" Susanna trailed off, as she touched the back of Ron's shirt and checked the seams of the shoulders.

Hermione involuntarily let out a loud breath, but fortunately for her, only Ron and Susanna noticed it. Ron turned to look at her in utter surprise as did Susanna. Hermione took in a breath to try and compose herself but failed to add any warmth to her tone. "I think those little things can be fixed at another time."

God I hate her! Who is she to come and stare at Ron's backside! This is highly unprofessional.

"Well, actually…." Susanna started as everybody in the room had turned to look at the exchange now. Robert and Neville had stopped playing Exploding Snap. Harry looked uncomfortable and was shifting in his seat, while Ginny was furrowing her brow utterly stunned.

Hermione felt her ears get hot, as she realized she had acted like a silly little girl that is possessive of her boyfriend. All her senses shouted: Flee the scene! And that was just what she did.

"You are done with me, right?" Hermione pushed past Harry and Ginny, this time in another direction in attempts to avoid the area that she deemed dangerous – the bedroom.

Instead she had ended up in the kitchen. It too, was a true masterpiece of modern design. The cupboards had a sleek design and were complimented in colour and appearance by the countertops that were made of black marble. She rested her moist palms on the smooth surface and tried to calm her breathing. After a few moments she opened her eyes and reached for the crystal carafe on the counter. She sniffed the clear liquid and her senses confirmed it contained gin. She poured fingers worth in the glass and proceeded towards the fridge to see if Ron had any tonic. To her great relief he did and she diluted her poison with the fizzy drink, popping in a few ice cubes on the way. She exhaled and decided against rejoining the group. Instead she knocked back the first cocktail in a matter of minutes and after checking whether or not her hands were still shaking, proceeded in making another one.

Hermione was leaning against the cupboard, ready to take a sip of her third cocktail when Ron casually strolled in. She deduced she must have hid in the kitchen for about half an hour by then. Ron had once again relieved himself of the jacket (no doubt it was carelessly thrown on the back of a chair somewhere), popped open the cufflinks and rolled up the sleeves of the shirt to his elbows. With his ruffled hair and careless appearance he looked like something out of an advertisement for some very expensive cologne for men. Hermione would have surely found it terribly irritating if she would have thought Ron was intentionally trying to look like he did at that very moment, but she knew better. Even years ago he had that way about him, but then he was utterly oblivious to it. Now his behavior was a bit more conscious and confident but to some extent he remained the same uneasy boy she used to know.

At the moment this uneasy boy put his hand in his pants pockets and directed his gaze on the floor, then chancing a glance towards the young woman standing at the counter sipping on gin and tonic. He didn't say a word, but kept looking at Hermione. She felt uneasy as her gaze shifted to him, then back to her glass. She was lazily leaning against the counter, with one of her legs bent at the knee and the base of her foot against the counter. Some of the ringlets had come out of the up-do she had conjured in the bathroom and were now gently grazing her shoulders as she swirled the liquid in her glass, shifting her gaze to look at Ron only to look back at her glass. Her shy-high stilettos were now carelessly discarded on the kitchen floor.

Ron's expression was perplexed but there was definite tension in the stares they were giving each other. He wanted answers but it was clear by Hermione's silence that she was not prepared to give them to him. Then again, he did not really need the answers. He knew, didn't he? She had been jealous of the way Susanna was fussing around him. What was it then? What did he want from Hermione? Not that Ron would ever admit it, but he wanted to hear the words spill from her lips. She still wanted him and she hated when other women were circling him. It was terribly selfish of him, considering the way they had parted ways, but he was a proud man. Stupidly proud even, but he didn't care. He looked towards Hermione again and this time their eyes met.

Usually, Hermione would have dropped her gaze, but obviously she had poured more gin into those cocktails she has so carelessly been knocking back and it had definitely gone to her head. She felt the familiar hot surges shooting around in the pit of her stomach as she turned her gaze away to look at the colorless liquid in her glass. Hermione could not bear to not look at Ron for some reason. She looked up again and this time her gaze locked with Ron's.

"Fuck it," Ron growled and took a few quick strides to close the distance between the two of them. His body pinned Hermione tightly against the kitchen counter as his hands grabbed hers as he carelessly took the almost empty glass form her hand and slid it down the counter. Hermione's eyes were dancing wildly as he let out a rugged breath and captured her hands before crushing his lips on hers.

Rather than being a soft romantic kiss, this was more of two people ravaging each other's lips. Ron's lips were soft and demanding as he forced her to open her lips further. Hermione let out a soft moan as their tongues touched in a battle of sorts. Ron's body pushed hers further against the counter further and the edge of the sleek marble cut into Hermione's lower back, but she neglected to notice as she parted her lips further to let Ron's mouth continue ravishing hers. Hermione involuntarily pulled him closer with the leg she had previously been resting against the counter. Ron growled and lifted Hermione to sit on the counter, all the while keeping his mouth on hers and pulling her up against him even further.

"Ron, do you know it is awfully rude of you to leave your guests alone when you are hosting…" Harry had walked in, obviously not expecting to find them in pretty much the same situation twice in the course of one evening. "Whoa! What is it with me today? I just can't get the timing right." Harry pulled his hand through his hair while he diverted his gaze from the obvious sight that was unraveling before his eyes. The raven-haired wizard was sure that had been five minutes late, he would have witnessed something spicier for sure.

Hermione was obviously embarrassed as she rested her forehead against Ron's shoulder that was further from Harry to avoid looking towards her raven-haired friend since the train ride to Hogwarts. Ron was panting and had torn his lips from Hermione's just long enough to address The Boy Who Lived.

"Harry? Be a mate and get everybody out of here." Ron's voice was hoarse and he dared not even look towards his friend for fear what he surely looked like.

Harry chuckled to himself as he tried to rub out some invisible stain on the floor with the nose of his shoe. "Sure." He lifted his gaze that had been nailed to the floor tiles and turned to leave. "What do you want me to tell Gin?" Harry was already half way out the door and was obviously not expecting an answer.

"I honestly don't care," Ron said and smiled devilishly as he rested his hand on Hermione's lower back and pulled her body further against his while one of his hands travelled up into her hair.