Hi! If you have read this fic before, or are reading it for the first time- Welcome!
It is a personal favorite of mine so thank you for reading!
I have decided to go over it again, polishing it up some since I feel it deserves some TLC. Don't worry, not much will change and the story will remain the same of course.
So far I have done this first chapter, and will do the others as I have time.
Another thing I'd like to add. This fic won first place in the September 2021 HP Awards in the Hermione-Centric category on tumblr! I am so flattered by that!
oOo
Hermione Granger was responsible, intelligent, and polite. Her room was always immaculate, and she dusted and vacuumed it regularly. Her clothes were always folded, and her socks were always matched before they were put away in her dresser drawers. All of her tops were hung neatly in her closet in order by color on a neat white hanger.
On the wall opposite from her bedroom door, she had shelves full of books that were sorted in alphabetical order and were her most treasured belongings. Any time she had a moment to spare, she would read, her mind escaping to another place as she read her stories.
She was usually very busy and took her schooling seriously, always wanting to get further ahead in her studies so she could graduate as soon as possible. At sixteen years old, she was a self-taught student who had been doing homeschooling since the young age of nine. Hermione had asked her parents to be taken out of school to be homeschooled both so she wouldn't have to be around kids that didn't understand her and so she could work at her own pace- one that she found was over twice as fast as the normal student.
Despite her young age, she was set to graduate at the end of the semester and was planning to move on to attend a nearby university where she would earn her bachelor's in science before eventually moving on to earn more degrees.
She wanted it all .
She was an only child and preferred the peace and quiet that came along with that so she could get her work done. A perfectionist and slightly OCD, she was always straightening things and going over her work several times, looking for any mistakes that she might have missed.
She had a great relationship with both of her parents who adored her, and every adult that had ever met her complimented her on how mature, put together, and bright she was for her age. She tended to feel more comfortable around adults rather than with kids her own age and had always been that way, unable to relate to those who didn't take things seriously, especially their futures.
oOo
Ronald Weasley was irresponsible, lazy, and impolite. His room was always a mess. He wasn't even sure how to use a vacuum and didn't even know what a duster was. His wall was littered with over thirty posters of sports teams, rock bands, and beautiful women in bikinis.
He went to school and managed to scrape by with straight C's, unwilling to put forth his full effort into schoolwork, preferring to socialize instead. He was sixteen years old, and the youngest boy out of seven children, all boys with the exception of one younger sister. His house was loud, with all of his siblings always trying to get words in all at once, making the house quite hostile. Obnoxious as it was, his home was still full of love most of the time.
He was a slob who left his clothes and his candy wrappers everywhere and would rather throw his banana peels under his bed than get up and walk out to the trash can that his mum kept in the hallway for such occasions. His clothes were never put away as he preferred to get his clothes from the basket of clean laundry that his mum put into his room three times a week. While he had a closet, it was full of rubbish that he had collected throughout the years, the few hangers hanging on the rack void of clothes.
Although his parents loved him very much, he always exasperated them by not taking anything seriously. He was always getting in trouble at school with his teachers for his 'couldn't care less' attitude and his very crude sense of humor that caused him to make loud jokes that often sent him straight to the principal's office.
Being the class clown of sorts caused him to be immensely popular, with everyone wanting to be his friend. Because of this, when he wasn't grounded he often found himself at parties on the weekends and partook in a lot of underage drinking and the occasional joint.
oOo
The fact that Hermione and Ron were different in every possible way made it extremely odd that the two of them had been the best of friends since they were eleven years old.
oOo
Hermione had lived in her family's two story home since she had been born. When she had started her homeschooling, she had thrown everything into learning as much as possible. Studying was something she was good at, and her finished work had always made her feel good about herself. Her favorite place to sit was at her large white desk that was sitting right in front of her window, so when she worked, the sunlight could be her light.
When she was eleven, she noticed a moving truck backing into the driveway of the house next door and the sight caused her to pause at her desk- an extremely rare occurrence. Hermione allowed herself to watch as a minivan that had followed the moving truck parked next to the curb, the doors instantly opening and a bunch of ginger headed children scrambling out all at once, as if they were fighting to be the first to go explore their new house.
She watched as two boys who looked like they were twins practically ran the smallest ginger boy over, causing him to fall flat onto the ground, his features wincing in pain as his chin made contact with the concrete. Even from where Hermione was sitting upstairs she could see the blood dripping from his chin when he stood up and followed them, his hand over his wound as blood dripped down his fingers. He was slower now, the rest of his family already in the house. All of a sudden the boy stopped and looked up directly into Hermione's open window and caught her looking down at him.
"Oi! What are you looking at?" he called up to her, his face red with anger.
Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. The nerve of this pompous little boy! She merely glared back at him before he snorted and continued on his way into his new home. Rolling her eyes, she got back to her schoolwork. What did that rude boy even matter to her? The answer was simple; he didn't, and she would do her best to stay far away from him.
oOo
A few days after the incident with the surly ginger kid, she was woken up around eleven PM with repeated little taps on her window. Bewildered, she got up to investigate and was furious when she realized it was the same boy, a large scab now on his chin as he used an airsoft gun to shoot pellets and hit her window over and over, a mischievous sideways grin on his face. She felt her anger rising. How dare he shoot his little gun at her window! How dare he wake her up in the middle of the night and smile at her as if he was playing, as if she would ever want to play with him!
Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave him her meanest glare, but that seemed only to spur him on, his finger not leaving the trigger as he kept pelting her window, his grin growing even wider. She knew he wasn't going to stop, so Hermione figured she would just wait until he ran out of his little plastic bullets.
As if reading her mind, he stopped and pulled out a large container of small neon green balls, a massive 10,000 on the front. He held it up proudly to show her he wasn't going to be running out any time soon. Despite being scared that he might actually start shooting at her if she dared open her window to tell him off, Hermione's anger won out, and that's exactly what she did. Once the window was open, it relieved her when he put the gun away. She leaned out of it a bit, her mouth open to tell him off, when he interrupted her.
"Finally!" he said, "That only took forever."
"That only took- what?!" she shrieked back at him.
"Shhhh!" he chastised her as if he had any right to do so. "What's your name?"
"That is absolutely none of your business!" she responded angrily.
"I'm Ron," he told her, as if they were in the middle of a polite conversation. "Sorry for being rude the other day. It wasn't my finest moment," he said as he shrugged.
"Yeah, well, you're being even more rude right now! What makes you think you can just wake me up like that? That you can aim your little plaything at my window? You are extremely immature, and I should march right over there tomorrow and tell your parents what you were doing."
"Oh, no! Please don't tell my parents! I'll do anything!" he said in mock seriousness before slapping the windowsill as he started giggling hysterically, only irritating her more.
"What do you want? Just go ahead and tell me so I can get back to bed," she said impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground as she crossed her arms.
"You're the nicest!" he said in a sarcastic voice as he laughed. Suddenly, his room lit up when someone behind him turned on the light, and Hermione watched his eyes widen in fear as he turned to face whoever had done it, his hand whipping his curtains closed so she couldn't see him anymore.
Ha! she thought. She hoped he would be in big trouble! As she closed her window and got back into her bed, she had a smile on her face. She snickered to herself at the thought that Ron was probably being scolded right at that very moment, and sleep came easily after that.
oOo
The next day around noon, Hermione was at her desk finishing up her math work when she heard a loud knocking sound on the outside of her house near her window. She jumped up to move her curtains aside before pulling her window open and leaning her head out to look for the source of the noise. She gasped when she realized that her head was merely inches from Ron's as he stood on a ladder, a hammer in his hand. He was knocking a large nail into the hardie board as his face scrunched up in concentration.
When he saw Hermione, he stopped what he was doing and threw his hand over his heart. "Blimey, whatever-your-name-is! You just about gave me a heart attack! If I would have fallen just now and broken my neck, it would have been all your fault. Imagine how guilty you would have felt then!" he said as he grinned at her.
Hermione was still in shock that he was there, and couldn't yet formulate words as she stared hard at him. Her eyes turned back again to see what he was doing, and she noticed a rope attached to the nail. She followed the rope, and saw that he had hammered the other side of the rope on his house, right outside his own window.
"Pulley system," he said, pulling her attention back to him. He said it as if that was enough to explain to her what he was doing. When he got no response except a gape, he continued. "I'm going to attach this little pail to the rope." He held up a small metal pail to show her. "And add these little pulleys to both sides-" He held up little metal pieces in his hand. "And we will be able to send things back and forth to each other. Brilliant right?" His grin was wide and proud as he waited for her to say something.
After a moment of staring at him with a dumbfounded look on her face, Hermione finally found her voice. "What makes you think I will accept anything that you send me?" she asked him coolly. "What makes you think I will ever send anything back to you?!"
He shrugged. "You will," he said airily, as if he were a hundred percent confident of this.
His demeanor annoyed her, and she scoffed. "You better pull that nail from my house, or I will personally do it!" she snapped at him before slamming her window shut.
She didn't check until later that evening, but when Hermione peeked out of her window before crawling into bed, the rope was still there. When she followed it with her eyes, she saw that the little pail was now hanging from it, and it was resting near Ron's window. She sighed, deciding she would give him until tomorrow before telling her parents, and maybe even his. That little 'pulley system' would come down- and soon.
oOo
That very night, Hermione was woken up again by a tapping on her window. She knew by the noise that it wasn't the airsoft gun, and she had a strong suspicion as to what it was. Huffing, she crawled out of bed and opened her window to see her suspicion was correct. The pail was right in front of her, swinging back and forth as though it were happy to deliver a message. When she looked across to Ron's window, she saw him standing in his room, a satisfied smile on his face. She then looked down to see a folded piece of paper in the pail. Sighing, she grabbed it and read what Ron had scribbled on it.
What's up?
She went to her desk and grabbed a pen, turning the paper over and writing her own message on the back.
Leave me alone!
Going back to the window, Hermione put the paper back in the pail. She grabbed the top piece or rope and pulled on it, the pail quickly moving back towards Ron. She glared at him as he grinned and mock clapped his hands at her, as if he were proud that she had figured out how to use the 'pulley system' he had made.
When the pail reached Ron, he took out the piece of paper and looked at it. He started laughing before grabbing another piece and writing on it. Before she knew it, she was picking that piece of paper out of the pail.
Admit it, this is cool.
She scribbled her reply.
Why are you trying so hard to talk to me? I really don't like you, and I don't even think that you particularly like me. So what are you playing at?
She sent it and his reply came quick.
I honestly don't know. But if we are destined to live directly across from each other, what's the harm in at least trying to be friends? What's your name?
I don't see us ever being friends, although I applaud your dedication. If you must know, my name is Hermione Granger. Can you please let me go to sleep now?
She watched him smile as he read her message before sending one back.
Goodnight Hermione Granger.
oOo
5 years later
A light tapping on Hermione's window woke her up, but she was way too used to the noise at this point in her life to question what it could be. Wiping her eyes, she rolled out of bed and opened her window to grab the piece of paper out of the pail.
Hey.
Hey yourself. How was the party?
It was good. I snogged someone, but I don't remember her name.
Hermione tried not to roll her eyes.
That's great Ron. What a great example you are to the male species!
I know. It's a gift I'm telling you! Why don't you ever come? I would love to introduce you to my friends from school.
I've told you a million times, I have no interest in any of these parties that you attend. It's bad enough just hearing about them! What would I do? Sit around and watch you snog other girls?
...or I could snog you?
She lifted her eyes to see him wiggling his eyebrows at her and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
I'm going to go ahead and decline that invitation as well, Ronald Weasley. How much did you have to drink, by the way?
A bit. But I won't be sick or anything. I know my limit now.
You shouldn't even have a limit. You shouldn't even be drinking at all.
You're no fun.
Maybe not. But I'm responsible.
Being fun is better than being responsible.
Only if you're irresponsible.
I love it when you're irritated with me. It makes me laugh.
I hate it when you don't let me sleep. It makes me not laugh.
Oh c'mon Hermione. You know you love this thing that we have. What other pair of best friends can say that they can exchange notes at any given time?
I don't know, unlucky ones?
That hurts.
I think you'll get over it soon. Your brain will take you to another thought in a few seconds.
Do you think that I'm handsome?
I told you. And no.
The pain that you are inflicting on me right now is unreal.
You aren't ugly. You are just...Ron.
Other girls think that I'm handsome. Every party that I go to there's a new one interested.
Maybe they're blind.
I'm going to ignore that. Tonight the girl that I was snogging was touching my cock (over my jeans) That's never happened before!
Ronald Weasley, I swear I will close this window and ignore you for the rest of the night!
Fine, fine! You're my best friend though, so I'm supposed to be able to tell you about new happenings in my life. Who else can I talk to about it if not for my BFF?
If talking to me about a girl fondling you earns me the title of BFF, then I will gladly give it up. And as far as who you can talk to about it, I don't know and I don't care, just not me.
I touched her tits too. They felt nice.
This is your last warning. I mean it.
She watched him laugh as he read the note.
Okay, okay. Even though I know you would never ignore me. Even if you did, I would tap the pail against your window all bloody night until you paid attention to me. You know I would.
If you did that, I would simply cut the rope with scissors, and be done with you.
You wouldn't.
I know.
Can I come over tomorrow?
I guess. Although I have an essay to complete, so if you do come you have to be quiet.
That sounds fun. Me sitting in silence while you write an essay. Whoo hoo!
It wouldn't be the first time.
I know. Why don't you ever come over here?
Because your room is disgusting. You can't even see the floor!
That's part of its appeal!
Not appealing to me.
Am I appealing to you?
I thought we addressed this earlier. What's with the questions? Do you doubt you are good looking?
No. I know that I'm good looking. I was just wondering if you thought I was.
Why? You've never asked me that before tonight.
Hmm. I don't know. Just a thought that I had while I was walking home.
Okay, well, now I'm intrigued.
I wondered what it would be like if we were to get married someday.
What would possibly possess you to think about that?
Like I said, I don't know. What do you think about that?
I think the idea is ludicrous.
Ouch.
Nothing against you, of course. It's just that we are so different and it would never work out between us in that way.
How do you know? We get along great, don't we?
Ron, we fight. Constantly.
But we still care a lot for each other.
Of course we do. But that doesn't make us compatible for marriage.
Maybe it does.
It doesn't.
Hermione?
What?
For the record, I think you are beautiful. Especially more so as you've gotten older.
Don't make this weird between us, Ron.
I'm just telling you the truth.
Fine. I'll take the compliment. Thank you Ronald, you are quite handsome yourself.
YES! I knew I would get it out of you eventually.
You are devious, you are.
That's a bad thing?
Only the way that you do it.
I'm serious Hermione, let's get married.
I'm serious as well. No.
Maybe one day I can change your mind.
Why would you want to marry me, anyway? Wouldn't you want to marry someone fun?
I think that you're fun! Just not in the 'normal' sense of the word.
I'm not even close to thinking about marriage, anyway. Career first, and then marriage- once I've found the right man, of course.
And I'm not him?
…...…
Fine, I won't make you repeat yourself. But maybe we could snog sometime? Just so we can know what it's like.
You already know what it's like.
Not with you.
Goodnight Ron.
So that's a maybe?
Goodnight Ron.
Goodnight Hermione.