A/N: Thank you all for those wonderful reviews. I am keeping my author notes to a bare minimum nowadays so that you get to the story faster. Thank you all for keeping me motivated.

Well only the plot here is mine, rest is all JKR's


Chapter 28: A Snippet of Your Time

"What did you do that for?"

The question was out of his lips before Ron could have stopped himself. The twins, Harry and Ginny turned away sharply from the partially open door to face him.

"Ronniekins, are you talking to us?" commented Fred surprised. Harry noted Ron fumble for a minute. It wasn't very usual for the youngest Weasley male to prompt his brothers for any of their pranks.

"Y-Yes. Look, she has gone through pretty much already," He replied in what Harry decided to be a very brave tone. "Just let her get used to this whole thing first."

The twins shared, what could only be described as a wicked grin, and Harry wondered when it would be a good time to intervene without putting Ron into more trouble.

"Do we smell something, Forge?" asked Fred, turning together to stare at their youngest brother, every feature of the two telling how much they were enjoying this.

"Yes, I think we do, Gred."

"I don't care. Why don't you experiment on someone who knows what you are up to?" Ron's ears had turned a brilliant shade of red and somehow Harry was amazed that he hadn't backed down yet.

"Because this is turning out to be more fun that we thought it would be." grinned George in reply.

"Do you have any confessions, dear little brother?" inquired Fred and Ron looked shocked, embarrassed and defiant all at once. Pushing back the chair, he huffed and left the room just as Hermione had done a while ago while his brothers broke into raucous laughter.

"This was the best demo we've had in a while." declared George when they had finally settled down.

"I agree." Managed Fred, hiccupping himself back to normalcy and Harry realized that it was high time for him to put a stopper on any further plans the twins might churn out. Merlin knew, the two were already waist deep in the mess they had created for themselves, without further help for the mischief masters themselves.

"Guys, just let it pass, will you?" he asked.

"Do you know something..." asked Fred.

"... that we don't?" finished George.

"Look, they had a really messy start, and now after months, things have settled down slightly. Please, if you don't wish to see me go insane, just forget what happened, okay?" He wasn't sure how good a job he was doing.

"That's unfair! How can we deny a request from the Chosen One himself, Fred?"

"That too when it questions the sanity of his already insane mind!"

"But, because we have hearts of gold," they said in unison, "We promise not to say anything to Ron regarding this." stated Fred as the two of them put up their hands in surrender.

"Thanks, guys." replied Harry looking from one to the other, wondering what they might come up with next. No matter what they said, it was highly unlikely that they would let this golden opportunity go waste. He turned towards Ginny noticing that she was watching the whole scene in silence, lost in her own calculations perhaps.

...

Hermione dried her face with the towel, noticing that many of her toiletries were still here on the third floor attached bath. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. A few shorter curls had come loose from her braid while she had run upstairs, having forgotten that she now occupied the room on the lower level. Her face still glowed in embarrassment which she realised, had more to do with her dream, than having been fooled by the twins. The thought of facing Ron was mortifying. She closed her eyes, and the events of her dream materialised again in front of them.

"No!" she groaned.

She couldn't decide whether to be happy or upset. It was a fantastic piece of magic that made the whole experience seem more real than she would perhaps ever have. But at the same time, it was a stark reminder of what was in front of her, what she craved but was still far beyond her reach.

Leaving the bathroom, she walked out and crashed on the bed, holding a cushion close to her chest, rolling on her tummy and burying her face in the mattress. She could live without the physical intimacy no matter how much she desired it, if only, Ron would look at her with as much love as he did in her dreams... She closed her eyes to see that face again, just once, she told herself...

...

It was minutes later that she coaxed herself to go downstairs. Her flight must have looked extremely odd, and she really wanted to make this work. For a fleeting minute, she hoped that the twins would have left, and Harry and Ron would just disappear in some part of the house as they had done earlier. Hermione didn't really fancy answering Ginny either, but somehow, that would be difficult to avoid. She could only hope that the younger girl would have pity on her and not probe.

Pulling herself off the bed, she brushed the gown to smoothen the creases and buttoned up the deep navy cardigan she wore over it. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked slowly but purposefully towards the steps.

She had not even reached the second landing when a familiar sight greeted her vision causing her to grip the railing tightly just like in her dream. Immediately she removed her hand from the cold metal as if scorched.

"R-Ron?"' she whispered as the figure hunched on the stairs turned around.

"Hermione..."

She was sure she had forgotten how to breathe; a lump seemed to be stuck in her throat as well, making it very difficult for her to even gulp down her shock.

"Care to chat for a while?" he asked softly, gesturing the small space next to him on the stairs.

"S-Sure." She replied in a small voice, and walked down the remaining two steps, clutching the sides of her gown that were flailing against his legs. She lowered herself down slowly, sitting a step above him, even as her heart thudded madly in her chest. He shifted as much as the narrow space would allow, leaving a very thin film of air to keep their legs from touching.

Ron was still close, way too close...

Hermione rubbed her fingers against each other, looking intently at her lap. She could feel his eyes taking in her face, and they seem to set her skin on fire. She had never been more grateful about the natural darkness of the house. A wisp of cold air blew in from somewhere, perhaps a crack in the attic, and it played havoc on her loose curls as well as chilled her arm that was next to him. Refraining the urge to warm herself by rubbing her palm on the cold muscles or even adjusting her hair, she pulled the cardigan closer, her hands brushing ever so slightly against him.

"I am sorry for the prank they played." It wasn't the words, but the tone that made her look at him. The anguish and the shame were obvious even in the dim light floating down from the candles high above.

"Ron-" she began but he cut her off.

"They don't realise that sometimes their pranks genuinely hurt others."

Hermione couldn't decide if he was talking about her or himself.

"It's alright, they were just having fun. I didn't mind, honestly!" She stressed managing a nervous laugh. "And, it really was some great magic."

He looked at her for a minute before turning away looking offended. She wasn't sure what she had said to garner that reaction.

"Still, that's no way... I mean, it's not like... I... well, I'm sure you are finding it difficult to adjust anyway." He whispered after much effort and Hermione was sure it wasn't even close to what he actually wanted to say.

"Are you saying this because of what I said about... about your family earlier?" she asked feeling a little hurt and angry at the same time, feelings that only aggravated as he remained silent.

"Why can't you just let go, Ron!" she cried helplessly. "How many times do you want me to apologize before you start believing me? Why can't you see, I-I am trying my level best to be the person you want me to be?" she gasped as their eyes met and reiterated. "I-I mean, why can't you see I don't hold those opinions anymore?! Why can't you see that I hate the words I said, just as much as you do?" she finished, holding back angry tears of frustration. She bit her lips and lowered her eyes, too hurt to even want to look at him.

"I'm sorry..." he said in a small voice but it sounded genuine. "I am trying too... to forget, you know," He added and her heart gave a painful twist. What was he trying to forget? Was it her past deeds or the love that he had for her?

"And?" she asked meeting his eyes, somehow wanting to know the full hurtful truth. Heck, it would hurt, but she was tired of building small castles of hope and watching them get crushed every time. Wasn't it better to know once and for all that this crazy dream of hers had no future so that she could stop the unending chain of useless hope and pain?

"I am not sure what you are asking."

"Do you really believe that I am still the same girl from last year? Are you tolerating me just for the sake of the mission Dumbledore has assigned you?" she managed, trying her level best to avoid her voice from cracking.

He paused and watched her for a long time. Hermione wanted the gaze she remembered from their time in the library but all she could see was a struggle, confusion and helplessness.

"I want to believe you," He said finally running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't know why, despite everything that has happened, I still want to trust you. Perhaps I do trust you for the mission because Dumbledore does so too but... "

"... you are still apprehensive." She finished for him looking away.

"Why did you forgive me, Hermione? How could you just move on after the way I treated you, after everything I said... things that I almost did?" he asked, guilt marring his handsome features and she realised that on some level, he was struggling to forgive himself just as much as he was struggling to forgive her.

"We really had a horrid start, didn't we?" she asked in a weak attempt at humour, but he didn't even smile and she continued.

"Ron, we can't hold on to the past forever. And honestly, I was equally guilty. Guarding someone like me wasn't surely a pleasant task for you, was it? And yet... you did. You saved me in the Room of Requirements, took care of me during my most vulnerable moments. And w-what I remember happened in the infirmary was that you never did a-anything to h-hurt me." Hermione knew her face would be burning by now, her toes were already curling in the memory of the night. She had looked away somewhere in between, and in no way was able to meet his gaze. Slight shuffling indicated he was feeling as conscious as she was, perhaps more.

They stayed silent for the longest time after her words but neither showed any inclination to leave.

"Forgive yourself, even if you can't forgive me, Ron" She murmured and could again feel his eyes on her face.

"I want to move on, trust you again," He said softly, a tiny ray of hope emerging in her heart at the sincerity of his words.

"I know." She replied meeting his eyes and for a flicker perhaps, somewhere among the light and the shadows, she saw a glimpse of the Ron she was searching for.

"Good to see, you've found a friend in Ginny," He stated a while later in a much more normal tone.

"Yeah," She answered with an easy smile that glinted in her eyes. "I think I love your Mum," She added before she could stop herself, and bit her lower lip consciously.

"Er... thanks... She is a little over the top at times but –"

"- she is perfect Ron, just like mothers should be." She finished for him and watched his ears redden. She found it exceptionally cute how he blushed at even the slightest hint of a compliment.

"I am sorry about the twins." She knew it was his way of changing the topic but she indulged him.

"Don't be. I think their magic is phenomenal. Even the Slytherins couldn't help appreciate their firework display last year, mind you, this was strictly within our dorm walls." They laughed candidly, perhaps the first time ever.

"You should have seen the Gryffindor common room when they tested their products on the first years."

She sounded absolutely appalled, "What?! First years? They are kids, Ron!"

He perhaps wanted to point out that she was less offended when they had tested the product on her but refrained.

"It's good for them you weren't a Gryffindor prefect then." He joked, and she looked torn between trying to look angry and a little hurt. She had never wished it more that she would have been sorted in his house in the first year.

"Did you shift your things in Ginny's room?" he asked changing the topic again.

"Yes. I think I'll pick up some more books, though. Might as well take them now." She needed to get away from him. As much as she was enjoying this alone time, she didn't trust herself not to kiss him if she stayed any longer. Her fingers were practically itching to run into his hair, and she was utilizing every bit of self-control not to inch up and place her lips on his.

She licked her lips and lowering her eyes from his face, stood up.

"I'll help you." He said and got up as well.

...

She concentrated on pulling out the books rather than looking at the tall man who stood behind her, arranging them in a neat pile which they could levitate downstairs.

"How many more do you need, Hermione? Blimey woman! We have barely two more days of holidays left!" he stated, as she pulled out yet another huge volume and handed it to him.

"Just one more, please?" she replied looking at him once and turning around to concentrate back on the shelf, pulled out another five to make a choice. She had barely picked up one which had no title when it was snatched away from her hands.

"Are you crazy?! Don't you remember what that book did to you last time?" he chided, spending not a minute to throw it unceremoniously on the table and pulling her hands, palms up, in his own larger ones.

Too stunned to react, she watched him in awe. She felt his hands turning her smaller ones around, searching for any sign of boils that had erupted the last time. Finally satisfied, he met her eyes as the realization hit them simultaneously.

"You have to be worthy!" they stated in unison and turned sharply at the tome that lay innocently on the table.

The hardcover seemed to have flipped opened when Ron had dropped it, and words were slowly materializing on its first page, in a long slanting writing, they both recognized.


A/N: Thank you for reading. Sorry for the cliffy, but that just had to be a different chapter!