-Punishment and the Ride Home-
"THAT'S IT?" yelled Ron across the breakfast table, spitting pieces of egg everywhere.
Hermione grabbed his elbow and pulled him back into his seat as Harry brushed the egg off of his robes.
Once Ron had sat down, Harry looked up from the day's issue of the Daily Prophet and grimaced,
"Well, what did you really expect? You know his father, he probably threatened or sweet talked half the Wizengamot."
Ron was fuming, "But he used an unforgivable curse! Malfoy should get life in Azkaban, not just ten years!"
Harry shrugged and turned to Hermione, "What do you think?"
"I'm just glad I won't have to see his face for the rest of the school year. And thank goodness there's only one week left before Christmas, I can't stand the staring." Hermione added a bit louder as she looked around the Great Hall and caught the eye of many curious students who quickly looked away.
The events of over a month ago had not left anyone's mind. Students were still recalling Hermione's attack on Draco Malfoy, of course in very hush voices, and his sudden disappearance had most of the school believing that she had in fact killed him.
But Hermione would much rather have the entire student body believe that she had murdered Malfoy rather then have the truth come out, so she, Ron and Harry had tried very hard for the last month to act as though nothing had happened.
"So, are we still going to your house for the holidays, Ron?" asked Harry, trying to change the subject to a more pleasant one.
Ron nodded and then went back to his food, trying hard to hold back his anger,
"Yeah…" he said slowly and then his voice became cheerier, "Yeah you guys are invited. My mum is absolutely thrilled actually," added Ron smiling to him self.
Hermione saw Ron's small, far off smile and asked innocently, "Oh really? Why would that be?"
Ron looked up from his plate and to Hermione, his eyes slightly wide with horror,
"Oh- ugh - you know… she just misses you two, that's all…" he quickly lied and went back to his eggs.
Hermione smirked and nodded, "Uh-huh…"
She then turned to Harry who held back a grin and shrugged his shoulders in a poor attempt to make it seem like he had no idea what was really going on.
Hermione nodded off to herself and went back to her breakfast with a light feeling in her heart.
Christmas break came quickly to the students of Hogwarts, and before they knew it, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were all seated in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express.
Ginny and Harry sat next to each other and shared a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages between them, as Ron and Hermione quietly sat across from them.
Hermione stared out of the train window to the snow swirling outside, her mind was running again and she was lost in a whirl of thoughts, so lost in fact that she hadn't notice that Ron had been staring at her for the past hour.
Ron was worried, for the past week Hermione had been quiet and shy around him and it wasn't like her, so he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Everything alright?"
Hermione stirred and turned to look at her boyfriend, "Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah… I'm fine…"
She wasn't fine, she was nervous, terrified actually as she didn't know what to expect from Ron's parents, seeing as Ginny had been hard enough to convince of her innocence.
Hermione thought now of the way Ginny had refused to speak to her after the fight her and Ron had had.
Ginny had believed of course that Hermione had in fact cheated on Ron and it had taken six whole hours and three repeats of the explanation before Ginny finally forgave Hermione and began talking to her again.
Hermione was grateful for Ginny's renewed friendship, but she was now nervous and anxious because she didn't want to have to go through the same headache with Ron's parents.
It was hard work, having to defend yourself when you know that you truly did nothing wrong, and Hermione was not looking forward to Mrs. Weasley's harsh stare when she set foot into the Burrow. But then Hermione had never actually asked Ron…
"Ron, did you tell your parents about… you know, our break up and the whole Malfoy… 'situation'?" whispered Hermione.
"No, they don't know a thing… hey," said Ron slowly as he began to smile, "Is that why you look so down? Did you think that I had told my parents, and now they would hate you or something?"
Hermione threw him a dirty look, but smiled embarrassedly now feeling relieved, "Well, you can't blame me for being a little bit worried. You remember that whole Rita-Krum incident when your mother was quite - well, um, less-than-friendly with me,"
Ron blushed and looked down, "That was only because she knew how much I liked you, but I swear Hermione, the only one who knows is Ginny and she won't tell anyone. I mean sure, they probably read that Malfoy went to Azkaban in the Daily Prophet, but they don't know why."
Hermione slowly smiled as she felt a great weight rise off of her chest, and before she knew it, all of her nervousness was gone and she, Ron, Harry and Ginny were quickly into a lively conversation about Christmas food, decorations and presents.
