Vonne: Thank you all for all the interest in this story. I keep getting notifications about how many of you put this as a favorite already or on alert. However, I would truly love hearing feedback from each and every one of you. I would be so excited to hear any sort of response from you. Something simple is even appreciated. That way I am motivated to update more. I do have a requirement of reviews for each chapter. Yes, I've already had complaints on this. And I'm sorry if any of you are annoyed by it. Please don't hesitate to consider that this requirement helps me in a lot of ways. That way I am also given time to write each chapter, and it also makes me feel like writing it at all is worth while. Don't worry, I am currently satisfied with the reviews that I currently have. I appreciate all of your feedback, and I can not wait to continue hearing from you.

So, sorry it took me so long to update. The reviews wasn't exactly the reason why it took me so long. I started school and I've been rather busy. So, it may be smart to consider updates to occur on the weekends from now on. Even though, there will of course be instances where I will submit a chapter even sooner than that.

Anyways, that being said, here is the over-prolonged chapter four.

Chapter Four:
News Worthy

Something about Hermone Jean Granger seemed to sparkle; there was brightness in her great smile, captivity in her stare, and radiance in her glowing posture. Sure it had been five straight years since the battle at Hogwarts, but she had undoubtedly still got it. In fact, her brilliance wasn't the only thing she had remained in touch with since the end of the entire ordeal. With a solid book in one hand and her wand levitating a pot of steaming hot tea in the other, she proved unquestionably to be still capable of multitasking. Ever so gently, she lowered the hovering pot over the table from the marble counter and let the tea pour fountain-like into the little delicate tea cup on the table's smooth surface. Then, finally looking away from the pages of her book, she tilted her head proudly and considered her work; the precious tea cup sat awaiting her patiently, not a visible drop in sight had spilt anywhere around it.

"Gracious," said a voice behind her admirably, "you know, Hermione, I always did admire your work." The clipping sound of footsteps came from back around her and Ron strode slowly into her sight, putting a familiar face to the voice. He lifted his own wand and once again the pot rose up from the table top and flew back off towards the kitchen. "But you're in a public diner. You could have just asked the waitress to get you some more tea if you wanted some." However, Ron then only shrugged, teasing, "then again, I know you too well. You would never pass up a chance to show off."

Hermione looked bewildered, clearly not expecting Ron as a visitor. She opened her mouth and then closed it, the book now floppy between her loose fingers. However, she let her eyes narrow as Ron lowered himself to the seat directly across from her, smirking. Shaking her head meekly, she said with a happy confusion, "of course, Ronald. How did you know?"

"How could I not know?" Ron said, not letting go of his goofy smile. He joked, but he could not seem to let his gaze drop off of her, "I've learned over the years what a pompous little witch you can really be. You're always trying to stand me up, you know that?"

"Oh?" Hermione leaned backward and raised a thick eyebrow. She placed the book right beside her on the cushioned bench and squared her shoulders. With a tilt of her own head she asked him playfully, "and how am I currently doing?"

Ron's facial expression did not fade. Rather, it seemed to intensify as he brought himself forward, whispering coltishly, "exceptional, as always."

Ron Weasley looked as if he was in the middle of something important. He had on a brown suit, and a rather nice one at that. And although his hair was messy, it was done in such a way that it had looked presentable for the time being. He carried his own brown briefcase in one hand and a paper bag in the other. Under the crook of his arm was a large copy of the morning paper. Of course, Ron's visit was not something that she'd been expecting. In fact, she hadn't been expecting him for several more days; he and George had just gone out of the country to conduct more research for the shop. In fact, George himself had said that their business out of the country was absolutely necessary and far too important to miss. Hermione tilted her head and looked Ron over inquisitively, however when she couldn't find the answer to his early arrival back in his face, she asked aloud, "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"We finished early, George and I," he said and he dove underneath the table to where he'd placed his paper bag. When he'd emerged to once again meet Hermione, he presented the bag in front of her on the table and withdrew a tiny black box. When he'd had the thing open, his freckled hands went instantly for one of the many tiny viles inside. "Lust potion," he exclaimed excitedly with a glistening wink, "it is a lot more useful than a love potion. Mind you, no matter what someone looks like, the poor bastard who they trick into downing even a drop of this won't be able to keep his hands off of them." Hermione only raised her brow up further and Ron chuckled, "I knew you wouldn't be a fan."

Hermione stared back at him, questionably unsure of what to respond with next. Ever since he had ended their three year relationship, she had been constantly undecided on how exactly to respond back to him, an annoying habit which she couldn't quite seem to break. Though it wasn't due to the fact that she was entirely over him, because she was, but rather that she dwelled mainly on the notion that she'd tried to make their interactions less awkward. Hermione chewed her bottom lip and, finally, she said back, "you know me so well."

Still, it wasn't that she was angry about his appearance back so soon, in fact she had been long awaiting to see him again. It had been rather lonely in the house with just Harry, not that Hermione didn't consider him to be good company. However, she'd rather grown attached to it being the three of them together. On that note, she had quite missed Ron during his time away and, even after all that they had been through, she would always feel herself strongly attached with him, because they would always remain inseparably close.

The two stared back at each other as if trying to put back the pieces of a puzzle until Ron, who glanced down suddenly at the paper, broke their gaze. "Did you hear the news?" he asked her, and when she shook her head no, he appeared to be truly surprised. With a baffled expression, he plucked the paper from under his arm and held it up eagerly, "don't you read the paper?"

Hermione made a disgusted face, "I don't read anything but The Quibbler, Ron, you know that."

A new and thrilled look overtook Ron's face. He flipped the newspaper over to the front page and slid it across the table towards Hermione's chest. However, she didn't look down at it. Instead she waited for Ron to tell her to go on before she let her eyes drop. The headline read in big bold letters:

FINALLY OUT OF HIDING?
THE MALFOYS' FIRST VISIT TO HOGESMEADE AFTER FIVE YEARS

Hermione's hair fell down slightly from behind her ear. Reaching to bring it back, she said timidly, "what is this?"

Across from her, Ron's face utterly fell. As excited as he'd been before, his glee had noticeably vanished. Ron's shoulders sunk and with an oddly disappointed tone of voice, he said back to her, "what do you mean 'what is this'?" When Hermione remained utterly silent, he added, "you were here, were you not? I mean, I get back home and I happen to miss something like this? Hermione, tell me you know something-- anything-- about this."

In all honesty, Hermione wished she had heard of the Malfoys' family outing earlier. She wondered why she had wanted to know more about the subject so badly, however, she hid her actual interest from the redhead across from her. Her visage took on a blank cover and, once again, Hermione only lifted her shoulders. Flatly, she replied, "what's there to know?"

"What's there to know? Hermione, this is Draco Malfoy we're talking about!" At once he only just seemed to realize that they were in a public place. He leaned forward and lowered his voice as his eyes scanned the diner cautiously, "Draco Malfoy and Mummy and Daddy Death Eater!"

"So?" Hermione said, taking her focus to her steaming cup of tea. She lifted the little teacup and sipped it quietly. "It's been five years, Ron. Maybe they should get out some." Hermione shifted slightly on her bench. Her fingers reached back to her own little book and she tilted her head to one side. Sighing, she said back to her friend, "Ron, what is this all about?"

Ron's eyes flickered back to his paper. Draco Malfoy's family moved solemnly on the cover. Narcissa and Lucius strode through Hogsmeade in the front, their arms linked through one another. Their son trailed off slightly distant at their backs. However, his attention wasn't on the staring crowd around them, but rather buried in a book, his face pale and ghost-like. At Hermione seemingly uninterested tone, Ron stiffened, "I thought you would have liked to read about something like this, that's all."

Hermione sighed once again and she let her chest sink back down miserably, turning her head to Ron's paper that still sat on the table in front of her. The picture of the Malfoy's moved like a motion picture and then started itself over again. They were as captivating as they'd always been, but something seemed amiss. Hermione pushed her tea aside slowly and neared the moving photograph. Narcissa and Lucius' son looked absolutely oblivious to the cameras and faces closing in all around him. Draco Malfoy's face was almost completely hidden behind the thick hood of his dark coat.

"What bothers me is that you are interested in it. This is tabloid stuff, Ron. Don't you think it's about time the Malfoy's left their house anyway? There's a reason why they escaped imprisonment in Azkaban; the Ministry knows that." Hermione watched Ron's face flicker with an odd little let down; he'd truly thought Hermione would be as fascinated with the breaking news as he had been. She shook her head, hoping instantly to somewhat lighten his spirits. "It's not that I'm not intrigued, Ron." And she extended a hand out towards his own limp one, "I'm just trying to put this all behind me, you know? If I were the Malfoys', I'd want to do the exact same thing." Ron's saddened mask did not fade. He instead nodded solemnly and reached out for the paper once more. However, Hermione kept her hand tight on top of his. With a sincere expression, Hermione cooed, "Maybe you should leave the paper with me."

Eyebrows raised, Ron froze. Underneath Hermione's palm, his own fingers retracted. "Why?"

"Ron," Hermione said, rubbing her thumb back and forth on top of Ron's own hand, "we all need to let go, too."

At once Ron's hand retracted from underneath Hermione's. He looked at her bewildered for a moment and then shook his own head. Hermione couldn't stand the let down look across his face but she didn't regret what she'd said. He bent down quickly and reached for his bag and suitcase and when his face emerged back up to Hermione's view, his expression had not changed. "Harry will want to hear about this," he informed her bitterly.

Once again Hermione sighed; she had no doubt that Harry would be thrilled to hear such news. "Ron," she said with a stab of obvious bluntness, "why did you stop in here?"

Ron's response was quick and rushed. He stood up from the table and tried not to look directly into her eyes. "I saw you while I was walking back to the office. Though I'd stop by and bring you the news." A shock of pain swelled through Hermione now; maybe she had been too harsh of Ron. She knew more than anyone how much the war had affected him. Suddenly her stoney face melted.

With a sorry little nod, Hermione let her focus slide back down to the table top. She said slowly in a voice that was a silent little whisper, "Thank you, Ron."

Ron's eyes did not meet her gaze. He looked back towards the door of the diner and out into the busy village streets. His knuckles tightened on the handle of his suitcase and he swallowed a rather large lump in his throat. "Don't mention it," he said back to her dryly. Without wasting another moment, he let his feet carry himself from the room. Hermione watched his figure vanish as he was consumed in the busy streets of Hogsmeade.

She sat there for several seconds, reminiscing. She was not in love with Ron like she had once, and she was full aware that her feelings were mutual. But she would always love him, always need him there with her. She could not see a world without Ron Weasley.

However, she was missing something. When they had first broken off their relationship, Harry had said to her that she would find someone that was right for her, even if it hadn't been Ron. At the time Hermione had ignored the statement, though now she found Harry's comment unquestionable. As she sat alone in the dingy little diner, Hermione let her eyes fall back to the picture of the Malfoys' and she realized, just as the Malfoy's needed redemption, she unquestionably needed something more.

-------------------------------------------------

Ron was right. Harry had been interested in Ron's news and the two spent the entire evening discussing it, despite Hermione constant need to insist they drop the subject. The three of them had been sitting on the couch around the fireplace when Ron had presented the paper to Harry, who's face brightened on cue. He laughed as he scanned the paper over and then said back to them, "why haven't I heard about this yet?"

"Search me," Ron said, now happy that at least one of his friends had taken interest in the story, "it's all I heard about during my trip back here. I'm surprised they even had enough papers left when I got to them. People were really after them."

"Who wouldn't be?" Harry smiled, his eyes still focused on the print. However, neither Ron or Hermione volunteered to him an answer. "Ron," Harry said after a while, and his suddenly surprised tone broke the silence, "have you read this?"

Ron's smile was large, and he leaned forward towards his friend, leaving Hermione feeling somewhat invisible, "of course I have, mate!" He exclaimed, "it's great isn't it?"

"'Have Lucius Malfoy and his family finally broken their silence? Just yesterday, the entire family of well-known former Death Eaters seemed to confirm such suspicion as they strolled down the streets of Hogsmeade village together, despite the utter shock their appearance caused. Of course, their appearance did not seem to settle with many of the other shoppers of the evening." Harry read the paper out loud, his face focused on the story. As he pressed on, Hermione couldn't help but listen curiously in, "Many onlookers shouted their protest back at them, however, the Malfoys' seemed to ignore the outrage their presence caused. One witness stated, 'the Mafoys' just walked right on by. It seems their arrogance has not vanished.'"

When he'd finished, Harry said up towards Ron, "brilliant!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and slunk from the room before the two had much time to notice. She climbed through the doorway and forced herself out into the cold. Pushing back her hair behind her ears once again, Hermione pressed her back up against the house and let out a long sigh. Five years and she felt as if she were still back in school. Five years and she wanted more than anything to more past it all. Of course, the boys were different; they had suffered more than she knew and, out of gratitude, she had slipped away. Still, standing in the backyard of their quant little home, she wished it could all pass just a little bit faster.

Then came the scratchy sound of static around her and Hermione whirled around. In an instant she took off towards the back of their yard and hurried towards a cluster of gray stones. With fast moving hands she pulled each one aside and finally, through a small groove in the bottom she brought out a tiny little radio. She had kept the thing for ever such occasion and, bringing up the thing to her chest, she waited for the incoming of even more static sound.

The voice on the other end was broken at first, but then it spoke clear, as soft as day.

The voice on the other end, it cleared its throat and let out a long and desperate sigh. It said in a choppy voice, though its broken edge was not because of the radio, but rather something else deep inside the speaker's chest, "testing, testing. One, two, three."

Vonne: Review, please!