The Secrets Within
By Lady Lupin
A/N: I know this chapter is really short, but it did take me a while to do, if only because I had to do it loads of times before I thought it came out all right. I'm also sorry it took so long, but life gets in the way an awful lot…
Disclaimer: All that is from the Harry Potter world is JK's and I wouldn't dream of saying it was mine, Lenora, and Nyah, however, are mine, and if you would like to use them please ask permission first.
Ron walked out into the garden and looked around in the back yard. It was quiet, and peaceful, a novelty that didn't often happen in the Burrow. There was a large flower garden, which filled the air with a sweet perfume. Near the garden was a bench and Ron sat there, just thinking, and not really seeing the yard before him. He really didn't understand all of what Geoff had said, but he was sure about one thing. If what he had said was true, that fighting was a good thing, then he and Hermione must have a very good relationship. Ron smiled faintly at that. He and Hermione had a very odd relationship, if you could call it one. It was very different from the one he and Harry had, or the one she shared with Harry. Ron had yet to make sense of it. Sometimes, after particularly wild fights, he would wonder if he ever would. All the same, he didn't think he would change it a bit. Well, on second thought, he would like it if she weren't quite so bossy, and so concerned with rules and school.
A nose caught his ear, and he turned his head sharply, his heart began to race. Then he saw a familiar flash of ginger fur. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Crookshanks.
"Here you mad animal." Ron called softly, bending down towards the cat, holding out his hand. Crookshanks sauntered over and hopped up next to him on the bench. He pet the cat thoughtfully and Crookshanks began to purr, and to Ron's surprise, the large feline climbed on his lap. "What, you don't hate me now?" The cat purred louder in response.
"I told you he wasn't so bad." A voice said behind him. He jumped up, and Crookshanks when flying, scratching Ron in the process. He winced. "Are you alright?"
"Fine. Although I think that cat will hate me now." He said, sitting back on the bench. Hermione came and sat next to him. "So you are talking nicely to me now?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked guilty.
"Sorry about earlier. I was just in a bad mood I guess." She said, looking at her hands. He looked at her for a moment, ready to ask why, but thought better of it. He really wasn't in the mood to get into another disagreement.
"S'alright." He told her. They sat in silence for a moment. "It's nice out here."
She nodded. "Its my mum's favorite place. She says it has a calming effect that's nice to come home to after she's been working."
"Yes, I imagine it has." Ron said quietly. She looked thoughtful. He waved his hand in front of her face. She glanced at him and he grinned. "Thinking again are we? Don't you do anything else?"
"Stop it, Ron, you git." She said, swatting his hand away and staring up at the moon.
"So what are you thinking about then?" He asked, his voice loosing its teasing quality. She glanced at him again and sighed.
"I'm thinking about this past year, and how when we go to Hogwarts is going to be so different..." She said. She looked fairly unhappy. Ron sighed too.
"Why do you think it's going to be all that different Hermione?" He asked. She momentary looked at him as if he was joking.
"Ron, everyone's going to have to especially careful…Most of all, you, Harry and me! If you can't remember, Voldemort came back last June!" She exclaimed. Ron flinched at the name. "Can't you comprehend that our world is turning upside down? Nothing will ever, ever be the same. Sure, at the moment, Voldemort hasn't made so much as a peep, but sooner or later he will Ron. And then all hell will break loose, and I know you realize this!" Hermione ranted loudly, looking like she was read to cry. Ron stared at her for a moment, utterly stunned. He had no idea she was as worried about things as he was. He hadn't wanted to deal with it though. Now it looked as if he would have to.
"Hermione look, I know things aren't going to be good, but we have to try to look on the bright side, don't we?" He said, trying to console her. She was truly crying now, silent tears streamed down her face. Hermione looked at him, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He awkwardly held onto her, and murmured what he hoped to be soothing words. He couldn't help feeling that she fit against him quite nicely. Slowly she calmed down. Hermione let go of him and gave a watery smile.
"Sorry about that, it's just that I have been worrying a lot lately and I guess I just needed to get it all out of my system." She said, wiping off her tears and taking her arms from around him. He flashed a small smile.
"It's fine. I've been doing my own worrying. Things are tense at home." Ron told her. She looked slightly surprised.
"Really? In what ways?" She asked. Ron raked his hand through his hair.
"Percy is the biggest problem. When we got home, Mum and Dad told the whole family about what had happened, and the fact that Sirius was innocent. Dad figured we were all mature enough to accept it. Percy refused to believe it. He insisted that the Minister was right, that there was no proof supporting You-Know-Who's resurrection. He too, seemed to think that Harry was off his rocker. He also said that he didn't believe Sirius was innocent. The only reason that he didn't go to the Ministry, I think, is because Dad said that if he did, he wouldn't be considered a part of the family anymore. He and Dad haven't spoken since that night. Percy moved to London, on the excuse that he needed to be closer to work." Ron sighed. "The only ones of us he'll talk to now is Mum and Ginny. Ginny says that he's just in denial, and upset over Crouch's death, and that eventually, he will come around. I'm not so sure. He just is so different than the rest of us. What if he doesn't come around, or if he reveals to the Minister that Dad is helping Dumbledore? Or tells them about Sirius. He could cause so much trouble."
Hermione laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sure it will be alright Ron. Percy may be a bit too concerned with getting ahead, but his hearts in the right place. You know that. He's your brother, and a Weasley too, and I haven't met one yet that wasn't a good person." Ron's ears flushed red at the compliment.
"Then you haven't met some of our cousins, have you?" He murmured. She laughed.
"So is anything else going on at the Burrow that's important?" She asked. Ron looked thoughtful.
"Well, Fred and George are getting quite serious with their shop, and it's just about driving mum mad. They got all this money and know one has a clue where they got it. Bill and Charlie have decided to come back to England for a while and are helping dad organize the Ministry members who support Dumbledore. And Mum is trying to not show she's nervous when Dad and Bill and Charlie come home late. She lives by our clock." He gazed at her gravely. "You're right you know, nothing's going to be the same. I just hope it doesn't get as bad as it was last time. Dad said no one trusted anyone, and that at any moment the world could come crashing down." He said. She looked worried again.
"Ron, I'm so concerned about Harry, he's vulnerable with those muggles…" Hermione fretted. Ron tensed. Then shook his head as if to clear it.
"Hermione, obviously Harry is well protected if Dumbledore trusts him to stay there with them. I'm sure he wouldn't insist Harry has to stay with those awful people if it wasn't absolutely necessary. In fact, I think the one of us who is in the greatest amount of danger is you Hermione." Ron said slowly. She looked up at him in surprise.
"Me? Whatever for?" She asked.
"Hermione, your parents are muggles. You are one of the best friends of Harry Potter. And you've made yourself an enemy of Draco Malfoy, whose father just happens to be a high-ranking Death Eater. Hasn't it occurred to you, that you could be one of the first targets? Hermione you are the smartest witch in our year, and powerful. You-Know-Who is going to want you out of the way so you couldn't help Harry. So I think that right now, you are in as much danger as, or more than, Harry." Ron told her seriously. Hermione had gone pale during his listing.
"You're right of course," She said faintly, biting her lip worriedly. "What can I do?" Ron smiled slightly.
"Nothing really." He said. She looked at him, panicked. Her usual calm demeanor and logical outlook had vanished. "Hermione, my father told me Dumbledore had a good friend of his place wards at every house of muggle borns, and half muggles. You are safe. And the protection will last so your parents are safe as well." Ron said quietly. Hermione took a few deep breaths and began to calm down. Ron smiled at her.
"Sorry for loosing it. It's just that that had never occurred to me before." She said a few minutes later. He shrugged.
"It was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have made you paranoid. You're safe enough." He said. But he had done it anyway. I just do stupid things when she talks about Harry. Talk about jealousy. He's my best friend.
They sat in silence for a while. Ron just stared up at the stars, loads of things flying through his head. Tell her. Just do it. It can't be any worse than this state of not knowing. Do it now! He turned to her and opened his mouth.
"Herm-" He began, but then stopped. She had fallen asleep. He head was being held up by one of her hands and her chest was rising and falling slowly. He shook his head, smiled and rolled his eyes. She looked so peaceful. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Hermione!" He murmured, shaking her softly. She mumbled a few words, and leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ron froze. This wasn't the best predicament to be in. He had two options. He could wake her up and embarrass them both, or he could bring her to her room and pretend it never happened. He chose the latter. He stood there for a moment to figure out how to exactly bring her to her room. After a moment he picked her up, her arms still wrapped around her neck, and him lifting her legs. She leaned forward and nuzzled down into his chest, seeming quite comfortable. Ron walked silently into the house, and up the stairs. She was fairly light, and he didn't have much trouble, until he got to her room. He tried to lay her down on the bed, but she wouldn't take her hands from around his neck. Her fingers had gotten a hold of some of the tiny hairs at the back of his neck, and it kind of hurt. Eventually he got her to let go and covered her up with her sheet. He stared at her for a moment, ran his hand lightly over her cheek, and went downstairs to shut everything off, and close the house up. It wasn't until he had reached his room, and gotten into bed that Ron realized something. He could have moved her hands from his neck down there, and then woken her up. He shrugged however, and fell into a light sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the master bedroom of the Granger's house, Mister Granger watched his daughter fall asleep next to he best friend, and then watched him bring her up to her room, and then close up the Granger's home. Once Ron was in bed, Geoff walked down the hall, and noted that both teenagers were sleeping peacefully, and had a small smile on their faces. Geoff smirked knowingly, and returned to his room, and got into bed with his wife. Charlotte woke slightly and asked where he'd been.
His only answer to her was that he had been watching their relationship all
over again. She smiled sleepily at him,
and soon they too fell off to sleep.
A/N: Well?? What do you think? Is it a good chapter, even if it is short? I rather like it. So tell me, back to Harry's or stay at Hermione's??? Review and let me know!!!!!