Of Rings and Hiding
Ron notices Hermione just in time to duck and hide.
"What is she doing here?" He whispers urgently to Harry, who is crouching beside him. "I thought you said she'd be at the office all day."
"I don't know," Harry whispers back just as urgently. "That's what Ginny told me, but she must have been mistaken somehow."
All around them, in the crowded Diagon Alley, people push at them to move.
Resisting the urge to yell back and attract attention their way when a particularly nasty witch curse at them, Ron urges Harry to take a look at the crowd to see if Hermione is still there.
"Why me?" Harry whines.
"Because of the two of us, you're the most inconspicuous one. In case you hadn't notice, red hair kind of stands out in a crowd!"
"Fine, fine," Harry mutters. Quickly, he stands up, before ducking back down in less than a second.
"So, did you see her?" Ron questions when Harry remains silent.
"Oh," he startles. "Ah, yes. I mean, no."
"Is it a yes or not? Come Harry, this is serious. I need to know – Hermione can't very well see us here now, can she?"
"I mean I didn't see her. She wasn't there. We can go."
Ron sighs in relief. "I thought my heart would stop."
Harry clasps him on the shoulder good-naturedly as they stand up. "Well, think about it that way: at least you'll have a nice story to tell your children when they ask how you got their mother's ring."
"Harry!" Ron cries out, blushing to the tips of his ears.
"What?" Harry laughs. "Unless you're not planning on having children with Hermione."
"Well, yes, but you don't have to say it like that."
Harry rolls his eyes. "Well, come on then. This ring isn't going to buy itself."
