Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Ron, Hermione and Harry do not belong to me. Neither does anyone else in this story for that matter.(sob,sob)
Chapter Seven: At last...Hermione
Harry gaped at Mrs. Figg, who smiled kindly at him. "How are you, Harry?" she asked.
"You're a witch?" he asked incredulously. "I thought Ron was joking!"Ron smirked at Harry, whose mouth was open and who was gasping like a fish out of water.
"Yes, Harry, I am. I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long. Dumbledore wanted me close by, and well-disguised so that you would be as safe as possible."
Harry still looked a little dazed, but accepted the explanation. He looked around. "Sirius was saying something about how you had a car for us. Do you actually know how to drive, Sirius?"
"I've learned a trick or two in my time, Harry," Sirius replied, grinning somewhat maniacally. "Now, let's eat!"
Harry suddenly looked very nervous indeed."Oh, did you make us something?"he asked Mrs. Figg perhaps not so casually, probably (or so Ron figured) recalling years of stale cakes.
Mrs. Figg rose from her seat. "Of course I did, boys. You don't think I'd let you go on your trip without feeding you, do you?" She entered the kitchen and returned carrying a large casserole dish which she set upon the table with gusto. "Dig in!"
Ron looked at Harry, whose face was a cross between tolerance and nervousness.
"Eat up, boys, eat up! Plenty here for everyone!" And I have a wonderful cake for dessert!" Ron tried very hard not to laugh at the expression on Harry's face, and was not fully successful. A snort escaped him, which he hastily covered up with a cough. Mrs. Figg looked at him oddly, but said nothing. He ate his dinner, which was actually not bad, and rose to his feet,brushing off his pants as he did so. "Er...shall we go, then?" he asked, ever conscious of Hermione in the back of his mind. He would see her at last. He hoped that they would be able to make her feel better. He hoped he would be able to talk to her. He hoped that once he did he would realize that it was only Hermione, after all, and that they were just friends.
The car drove quickly along the gravel road, and Harry and Ron were in equal states of panic in the back seat. "Sirius, you have driven before, haven't you?" Ron asked as the tires squealed and he could smell burning rubber.
"Well, I haven't actually driven before, but I read a wonderful book on the subject called, "Think like a Muggle-Drive like a Muggle. You boys should read it some time."
Ron gritted his teeth as the car began swerving sideways. "Are we nearly there, anyway? How close can we actually get to Hogwarts?"
"We should be able to dirve right up to it. Hogwarts is only enchanted against magical things, after all. It will still be awhile before we get there. Maybe you and Harry should take a nap."
Harry and Ron glanced at each other. Ron was fairly certain they where thinking the same thing-how on earth could they go to sleep when Sirius was driving?
Finally...much to the relief of both Ron and Harry, who had been feigning sleep, perhaps not very believably as they had jumped at every bump and turn in the road, Hogwarts loomed into view. Ron looked at it with mixed feelings, one of them being apprehension. It was only a matter of minutes now before he would see Hermione, and he had absolutely no idea what he should say.
"Harry?"Ron asked.
Harry, who had also been looking at Hogwarts pensively, replied with a distracted, "Hmmm?"
"What do you reckon we should say to Hermione?"
Harry looked at him. "I think the best thing we could do for her is just to be there, and make her realise we're her friends, and how much we care about her. It's what you guys did for me last year..."his voice trailed off.
Ron felt awkward. He patted Harry on the shoulder, and mumbled,"Well, if you ever want to talk, you know..about anything, I'm here."
Harry smiled. Was it Ron's imagination or did his smile lack something now? Something called humor? "Thanks, Ron," he said. "Time to see Hermione, then?"
Ron felt his heart jump. "Yes," he agreed quietly. "It is."
A few minutes later, they were in the great Hall. It was empty save for Dumbledore, who smiled at them. He looked older as well, Ron noted, and some of the twinkle was gone from his eyes. Ron suddenly wanted to pound someone, or something. Why did everything have to change? Why was everything so different? Ron would have given anything to be eleven years old again, looking at the Hall in awe, with his new friend Harry Potter by his side. Everything had been so simple the time, Voldemort had been banished, and the idea of liking a girl made him feel sick. Ron knew that some change was an inevitable part of getting older, but...he wished it wasn't happening this way. None of them were old enough for this, not really.
"Hello Harry, Ron, Sirius," Dumbledore said, coming forward. "I expect you're tired and hungry after your long journey, so let's not waste time. Let's all adjourn to the dining room. Hermione is waiting."
Ron had a few frenzied moments of thought. What would he say? What would he do? He would...hug her or something, that's what he would do. Girls always liked that. He nodded to himself vehemently, earning a strange look from Harry.
"Ron?" Harry asked. "Are you alright?"
"Just fine, Harry." Ron then had a two minute daydream where Hermione rushed into his arms and declared her undying love for him, and then...he was interrupted by a rushing of feet.
They were in the dining room, and Hermione was rushing towards them. She looked different, not bad exactly, but thinner, and her hair had lost a lot of it's bushiness. He paused, anticipating the inevitable hug and (almost) looking forward to it, when, in a flash, Hermione had run past him right into Harry's arms, who initially looked shocked and then hugged her back.
"Oh, Harry!" she cried. "I'm so glad you came!"
Ron didn't know what to think. Why was it always Harry, he fumed inwardly, conveniently forgetting the fact that just a few days ago, he'd been happy that he WASN"T Harry. She was probably in love with Harry, then. Why wouldn't she be? Harry was famous, and he was just...Ron Weasley. She turned to him,and Ron caught his breath. Why had it taken him so long to notice how beautiful she was? And why, now that he realized it, did it seem like she didn't feel the same way?
"Ron," she said quietly. "Thank you for coming." And her arms were around him then, and Ron forgot about his jealously, he forgot about his shortcomings, he forgot about everything except the girl in his arms, and the terrifying feeling that he never wanted her to leave them again.
To be continued
A/N Okay, was that a little too fluffy? I couldn't help myself, it's been so long since they've seen each other. , I know that's my own fault, taking as long to get to get there, but still... I love Ron and Hermione, don't you? Warning: there will be some angst in following chapters. C'mon, they're going through a lot!
Question: why is it I've updated nearly every single day since I put the story on, and still it's like number 250 on the updated list? Does anyone know the answer? It's just that...it doesn't seem like many people are reading and it makes me sad.Oh, well, I'll keep writing it anyway. Thank you to the people who are reading it, and the wonderful people who actually put me on their favorites list. Yay! I've got a bunch of graveyard shifts coming up, so it will probably be a few days until I update again.
See you then!
Nikalee
Chapter Seven: At last...Hermione
Harry gaped at Mrs. Figg, who smiled kindly at him. "How are you, Harry?" she asked.
"You're a witch?" he asked incredulously. "I thought Ron was joking!"Ron smirked at Harry, whose mouth was open and who was gasping like a fish out of water.
"Yes, Harry, I am. I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long. Dumbledore wanted me close by, and well-disguised so that you would be as safe as possible."
Harry still looked a little dazed, but accepted the explanation. He looked around. "Sirius was saying something about how you had a car for us. Do you actually know how to drive, Sirius?"
"I've learned a trick or two in my time, Harry," Sirius replied, grinning somewhat maniacally. "Now, let's eat!"
Harry suddenly looked very nervous indeed."Oh, did you make us something?"he asked Mrs. Figg perhaps not so casually, probably (or so Ron figured) recalling years of stale cakes.
Mrs. Figg rose from her seat. "Of course I did, boys. You don't think I'd let you go on your trip without feeding you, do you?" She entered the kitchen and returned carrying a large casserole dish which she set upon the table with gusto. "Dig in!"
Ron looked at Harry, whose face was a cross between tolerance and nervousness.
"Eat up, boys, eat up! Plenty here for everyone!" And I have a wonderful cake for dessert!" Ron tried very hard not to laugh at the expression on Harry's face, and was not fully successful. A snort escaped him, which he hastily covered up with a cough. Mrs. Figg looked at him oddly, but said nothing. He ate his dinner, which was actually not bad, and rose to his feet,brushing off his pants as he did so. "Er...shall we go, then?" he asked, ever conscious of Hermione in the back of his mind. He would see her at last. He hoped that they would be able to make her feel better. He hoped he would be able to talk to her. He hoped that once he did he would realize that it was only Hermione, after all, and that they were just friends.
The car drove quickly along the gravel road, and Harry and Ron were in equal states of panic in the back seat. "Sirius, you have driven before, haven't you?" Ron asked as the tires squealed and he could smell burning rubber.
"Well, I haven't actually driven before, but I read a wonderful book on the subject called, "Think like a Muggle-Drive like a Muggle. You boys should read it some time."
Ron gritted his teeth as the car began swerving sideways. "Are we nearly there, anyway? How close can we actually get to Hogwarts?"
"We should be able to dirve right up to it. Hogwarts is only enchanted against magical things, after all. It will still be awhile before we get there. Maybe you and Harry should take a nap."
Harry and Ron glanced at each other. Ron was fairly certain they where thinking the same thing-how on earth could they go to sleep when Sirius was driving?
Finally...much to the relief of both Ron and Harry, who had been feigning sleep, perhaps not very believably as they had jumped at every bump and turn in the road, Hogwarts loomed into view. Ron looked at it with mixed feelings, one of them being apprehension. It was only a matter of minutes now before he would see Hermione, and he had absolutely no idea what he should say.
"Harry?"Ron asked.
Harry, who had also been looking at Hogwarts pensively, replied with a distracted, "Hmmm?"
"What do you reckon we should say to Hermione?"
Harry looked at him. "I think the best thing we could do for her is just to be there, and make her realise we're her friends, and how much we care about her. It's what you guys did for me last year..."his voice trailed off.
Ron felt awkward. He patted Harry on the shoulder, and mumbled,"Well, if you ever want to talk, you know..about anything, I'm here."
Harry smiled. Was it Ron's imagination or did his smile lack something now? Something called humor? "Thanks, Ron," he said. "Time to see Hermione, then?"
Ron felt his heart jump. "Yes," he agreed quietly. "It is."
A few minutes later, they were in the great Hall. It was empty save for Dumbledore, who smiled at them. He looked older as well, Ron noted, and some of the twinkle was gone from his eyes. Ron suddenly wanted to pound someone, or something. Why did everything have to change? Why was everything so different? Ron would have given anything to be eleven years old again, looking at the Hall in awe, with his new friend Harry Potter by his side. Everything had been so simple the time, Voldemort had been banished, and the idea of liking a girl made him feel sick. Ron knew that some change was an inevitable part of getting older, but...he wished it wasn't happening this way. None of them were old enough for this, not really.
"Hello Harry, Ron, Sirius," Dumbledore said, coming forward. "I expect you're tired and hungry after your long journey, so let's not waste time. Let's all adjourn to the dining room. Hermione is waiting."
Ron had a few frenzied moments of thought. What would he say? What would he do? He would...hug her or something, that's what he would do. Girls always liked that. He nodded to himself vehemently, earning a strange look from Harry.
"Ron?" Harry asked. "Are you alright?"
"Just fine, Harry." Ron then had a two minute daydream where Hermione rushed into his arms and declared her undying love for him, and then...he was interrupted by a rushing of feet.
They were in the dining room, and Hermione was rushing towards them. She looked different, not bad exactly, but thinner, and her hair had lost a lot of it's bushiness. He paused, anticipating the inevitable hug and (almost) looking forward to it, when, in a flash, Hermione had run past him right into Harry's arms, who initially looked shocked and then hugged her back.
"Oh, Harry!" she cried. "I'm so glad you came!"
Ron didn't know what to think. Why was it always Harry, he fumed inwardly, conveniently forgetting the fact that just a few days ago, he'd been happy that he WASN"T Harry. She was probably in love with Harry, then. Why wouldn't she be? Harry was famous, and he was just...Ron Weasley. She turned to him,and Ron caught his breath. Why had it taken him so long to notice how beautiful she was? And why, now that he realized it, did it seem like she didn't feel the same way?
"Ron," she said quietly. "Thank you for coming." And her arms were around him then, and Ron forgot about his jealously, he forgot about his shortcomings, he forgot about everything except the girl in his arms, and the terrifying feeling that he never wanted her to leave them again.
To be continued
A/N Okay, was that a little too fluffy? I couldn't help myself, it's been so long since they've seen each other. , I know that's my own fault, taking as long to get to get there, but still... I love Ron and Hermione, don't you? Warning: there will be some angst in following chapters. C'mon, they're going through a lot!
Question: why is it I've updated nearly every single day since I put the story on, and still it's like number 250 on the updated list? Does anyone know the answer? It's just that...it doesn't seem like many people are reading and it makes me sad.Oh, well, I'll keep writing it anyway. Thank you to the people who are reading it, and the wonderful people who actually put me on their favorites list. Yay! I've got a bunch of graveyard shifts coming up, so it will probably be a few days until I update again.
See you then!
Nikalee