Runaway Fox

Chapter Six: Two to Tango

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and all the characters from the books written by J.K. Rowling.  I do own Simon and this story.

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            Percy decided to look for Ron on behalf his parents.  He couldn't stand how much stress this placed on his parents.  Arthur Weasley was now one of the top members of the Ministry and it was predicted that he would become Minister.  Percy didn't want his father to worry about Ron so much.  He went to the Aurors to see if Hermione had made any progress, but he was met with Seamus Finnegan who told him that she had taken the day off.  They chatted a little bit about Ron being the most eligible bachelor of the wizarding world, but Percy quickly left after that.

            It sound suspicious that Hermione would take time off so suddenly.  It didn't sound like Hermione at all.  She wasn't the type to take the middle of the week off.  Percy didn't like the sounds of it at all.  He had to find Hermione.  She was the one who said that she would look for Ron and she's mysteriously disappeared.  Percy was now off to find Hermione.  Where could she be?

~*~

            Hermione took time off from work to meet Ron.  He had never really been around Muggle London except for some places.  So, she decided to show him around.  There was the large Ferris wheel that London had.  She decided to take him to the amusement park.  She didn't know how he would take it.  Hermione also marveled at how well Ron knew about Muggles.  He could easily passed as one.  He had taken many classes on how Muggle society worked.  But, it was obvious that he spent a lot of time with Muggles as a whole.

            "I hear that it's one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world, Ron," said Hermione.

            "I've been on one.  I don't mind high places," said Ron with a smile.

            "I do," murmured Hermione.  Ron looked at her strangely for a moment, and with a victorious smile, he said, "You're afraid of heights, aren't you, Hermione?"

            "Um…yeah.  I don't like high places.  That's why I've never really been into broomsticks.  No offense," said Hermione with a nervous laugh. 

            "Then why are you taking me to it, if you're scared?" asked Ron.

            "I just thought you'd enjoy it.  I'll wait for you on the ground," answered Hermione.  Ron started laughing at her.  Her ears were red at the tips.  "It's not funny.  I didn't laugh when you said you were afraid of spiders."

            "No, but you did snigger at me.  Don't lie.  I know you did," said Ron with a fake hurt look on his face. 

            "Shut up, Ron," said Hermione with a smile on her face.  Ron laughed out loud.  It has been a while since he had been this comfortable.  "You know what, Ron?"

            "What?"

            "You have a slight American accent on your voice."

            "I do?"

            "Yes, but I supposed it comes from staying there for so long.  And being around so many of them."

            "In America, everyone thinks there's something fantastic about my accent.  I didn't even know I had an accent until I moved to California.  They say it's charming.  When I'm here, I sound like everyone else.  Or so I thought.  Simon loves to make fun me about it."

            "Speaking of Simon.  Why is he a prat?"

            "What?  No, Simon's not a prat, Hermione.  He's my best friend," said Ron in surprise.  "Well, one of my three best friends," he added hastily because of the look on Hermione's face.

            "But, why is he like that?"

            "He's only protecting my interests," said Ron with a hint of finality on the topic.  Hermione could tell that Simon was doing something else.  There was more to what Simon and Ron were up to.  Something deeper, but Hermione chose not to pry any further.

            "There it is," said Ron as he pointed to it.  "That's it isn't it?"

            Hermione gulped, "Yep."  Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her along until they were on the Ferris Wheel.  She refused to look out either side.  Ron looked outside and was in awe of the view.  It must have taken a lot for the Muggles to build something like that for the purpose of pure entertainment.  He remembered when he visited Paris, and Simon took him to the Eiffel Tower, but Ron like the Ferris wheel better.  He wondered how it would look at night.  "Hermione, it's alright.  Your knuckles are turning white.  Come on now, are you an Auror or aren't you?" he said mildly to her.

            "I'm fine.  Are we almost done with this ride yet?" asked Hermione.

            "Hermione, we've only been here for less than two minutes.  Relax," said Ron in a soothing voice.  Hermione never thought that he was capable of being really gently, but it was blatant in his voice.  He moved over to her side of the little car.  He sat next to her without moving it too much and took her hand.  "And I thought my fear of spiders was bad."

            "It's not funny, Ron," she whispered as she looked into his eyes.  His eyes were twinkling with unspoken humor.  And smiled despite herself.  "Just take one look out there for me.  You got me here," he said.  She turned her head to look outside to see London in its glory from a bird's eye view.  "Don't look down.  Just look around you," he instructed.

            "It's beautiful," she whispered with a smile.  As she turned back to face Ron.  He was only a few inches from her face.  She could feel her heartbeat in her ears as he stared at her for a moment and then pulled back away from her. 

            They didn't say another word to each other until they were back down on the ground.

~*~

            "No, Percy.  I haven't seen my daughter today.  We haven't heard from her since last week," said Mrs. Granger.  Percy was at her doorstep.  "Is there something wrong?"

            "No, not really, Mrs. Granger.  I just wanted to ask her something.  She was doing something about looking for my brother," said Percy.

            "You mean, Ron?" asked Mrs. Granger.  She knew the Weasleys well enough to know about Ron being gone.  He was one her daughter's best friends. 

            "Yes," answered Percy.  Most people thought that Percy was a snobby, know-it-all who was so self-centered that they never thought he'd ever get married.  On the contrary, he cared a great deal for his younger siblings, and not just because his mother told him to look after them.  Percy was always so annoyed with the twins and as much as he liked being around Bill and Charlie, his favorite brother was Ron.  Percy was worried about Ron because of Harry.  Being Harry's best friend made Ron an easy target for Voldemort.  One of the scariest moments in Percy's life was during the Triwizard Tournament when Ron was chosen to be one of the hostages, specifically Harry's.  When Harry went passed the time limit, Percy thought that Ron was dead.  Before Harry got to rescuing Ron, he showed up late for the task.  Percy thought of killing him for letting Ron stay underwater for so long.  Then when Harry got Ron out along with Fleur's sister, Percy pulled him out of the water and without caring how he looked.  Ron's absence left a hole in the family.  Percy thought that he wouldn't care if one of his younger siblings would up and leave without a trace, but he was wrong.  Well, maybe if it were Fred and George.  

            "I see.  I'll tell you if I hear from her, Percy.  I promise," said Mrs. Granger softly.

            "Thank you, Mrs. Granger," said Percy as he left.  He walked back to his car.  He had to find Ron. 

~*~

            Hermione and Ron continued their day through Muggle London.  The took a boat across the Thames.  And explored the old theaters where William Shakespeare's plays were shown.  Ron learned all about Shakespeare when he was in college because of the English classes he had to take.  So, it was worth seeing the Globe.

            Hermione kept telling him about the different places they were going to, acting as a tour guide.  Ron knew about the Globe and Shakespeare, but he let Hermione talk.  He knew that she liked telling people about things. And it was nice to hear her voice.  Ron knew that Hermione's name was in a Shakespearean play called "A Winter's Tale."  Of course, Ron kept any knowledge he knew to himself.  He liked the sound of her voice and the way her eyes lit up as she displayed Muggle London to him.  Ron realized that Hermione bounced between both worlds as a Muggle born, and that she was very proud of her heritage. 

            "In London, during Shakespeare's time, female actors were not allowed to be on stage, so they had to have young male actors to do the girls' roles," said Hermione.

            "That's strange," said Ron with a smile, but he already knew that.  He wasn't bored; he was far from it.  

            "How long are you staying in England?" asked Hermione suddenly in a soft voice.  She was always thinking about it.

            "Just a few more days.  I can leave at anytime, but my hotel bill is racking up and I really don't like spending that much.  Probably three days," replied Ron.  He didn't say anything about own part of the hotel he was staying in.  No, he needed a good excuse.

            "I supposed I'm keeping you from some important business," said Hermione without looking at him. For some strange reason, his mentioning of leaving in three days was making her chest hurt. 

            "No.  Simon's taking care of it," said Ron.

            "You really trust him, don't you?" asked Hermione.  You used to trust me, she thought to herself.

            "Yes.  I trust him with my life," answered Ron solemnly.  He's proven that already.  He's proven that I can trust him with my life, he thought.

            There were many periods of silence between the two of them.  They weren't uncomfortable, rather they used to be times when arguments broke out between the two of them.  They hadn't been fighting at all.  The conversation wasn't as lively as it used to be, but now it was sort of a mental game of chess for both of them.  Hermione kept finding herself confounded by Ron. 

            There were a few things that were bothering Hermione.  First, there were the different women staring after him as if they never saw a man before in their lives.  Both kinds, Muggle women and witches.  Second, was the way he kept to himself.  He didn't show his humor that often now.  He was serious about a lot of things, but at the same time he looked cool.  He was a combination of Bill and Percy, except with something extra.  Before, he was more like Charlie, Fred, and George.  However, Ron became a man of his own.  She didn't even think of telling the Weasleys yet about finding Ron or Harry.  She just wanted to keep Ron to herself for a little bit.  She wish she knew why.

            "Are you going to tell my parents?" asked Ron after the long silence.

            Hermione looked at him in surprise.  Did he become a mind reader when he went off to America?  "Do you want me to?" she asked.

            "It's up to you.  It doesn't matter to me," answered Ron as the wind whipped around his hair a little bit.  Hermione clutched her hands into fists to prevent herself from running her hands through his hair. 

            "I think they'd be happy to hear from you.  Your parents were surprised about that article in the magazine," said Hermione with a smile as the wind played with her hair delicately.  She had her hair half up and half down.  Ron thought it was very fetching on her.

            "Does anyone else know?" asked Ron with a slight smirk.

            "Um…Percy, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry were there when the magazine arrived along with their children," answered Hermione.

            "So…the world knows then.  Fred and George must have been having fun with it," remarked Ron.

            "They did.  And they were wondering if there was such as thing as family discounts at Warp Speed," said Hermione as she took his arm. 

            "I don't like it when people stare after me.  That's why I've learned to ignore it.  By the way, what did Harry have to say about his new broomstick?" asked Ron.

            "He was very happy with it.  He's been practicing with it.  He's really impressed, Ron," said Hermione.  We both are.

            "Good.  I hope that the specs are working for him.  It took a while to get just the right combination for Harry," said Ron with a sigh of relief.

            "What do you mean it took a while?  You were the one who designed the specifications for Harry's broomstick?" asked Hermione in surprise.  Her mouth was slightly open in surprise.

            "Of course.  I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it right for Harry.  He is one of my best friends after all," said Ron with a smile.  "By the way, you may want to close your mouth before something flies into it."  Hermione shut her mouth and playful punched Ron's arm as he laughed at her.

~*~

            Bill and Charlie came home to England after reading the article.  "I'm surprised.  I mean Ron's got to have a couple of vaults in Gringotts.  Even if some of his money is in Muggle money," said Bill. 

            "You're a Curse Breaker, not a teller, Bill," said Charlie with a chuckle. 

            "Where's Percy?" asked Bill to Fred and George.

            "I don't know.  He wasn't at the Ministry," said George.

            "Percy's played hooky.  Wow.  I'd never thought I'd see the day.  I mean first Ron, then Percy.  I swear this isn't the family I grew up in," said Fred with a laugh.

            "Who would have thought our Ron would grow up to be this?" asked Charlie with the article in front of him.

            "I can't say I couldn't be prouder," said Bill.  "I knew that he'd turn out all right."

            "You two sound like Mum and Dad," commented George.

            "But, it's true.  We've had to wait twenty-three years for Ron to be this cool," said Fred. 

            Ginny walked by the kitchen at the Burrow just in time to hear what her brothers were talking about.  She smiled to herself.  "What he wasn't cool before?" asked Ginny.

            Her brothers looked up at her in surprise.  They all smiled at each other.

~*~

            It was now nightfall in London.  Ron said that they should have dinner at a restaurant.  Ron's secretary in New York called a restaurant in London to make reservations.  (AN: Yes, he's so rich that he can get his secretary to make a long distance phone call just to make dinner reservations.)  It was a Spanish style restaurant with some South American flair in its ambiance.   The waiter showed them to their table.  It was semi-formal, but Hermione felt a little out of place.  Ron pulled the chair for her, even if the waiter was going to do it.

            Ron ordered something with seafood in it with some paella.  Hermione ordered something called a fajita.  The waiter came back with some thing grilling on a hot iron skillet and put it on a small flame on the table.  She smiled at Ron as he ordered some wine to go with their meal. 

            "This is a very nice restaurant, Ron," said Hermione.

            "My secretary must have done some research on the internet," said Ron.   They talked about other things about what kind of things to see in America.  Ron told her about San Francisco and New York.  She found it interesting and wished that she could visit both cities some time.  She also liked how his voice had a lingering effect to it.  It sent chills down her spine.  They were now waiting for dessert which was a caramel flan.  The sound of soft music was playing.  There was a dance floor in the restaurant.  And to Hermione's surprise, Ron stood up and offered her his hand.  "Would you like to dance?" asked Ron.

            "It's a tango.  I've never danced a tango before," answered Hermione with uncertainty.

            "Then you haven't danced at all, Hermione.  Don't worry.  Trust me,' said Ron softly.  She looked at his eyes and found herself standing up.  They walked out to the dance floor.  He lead her to until they were in the middle of the dance floor.  They were the only couple out on the dance floor.

            Ron placed his hand on Hermione's side and took her other hand.  She placed her hand on Ron's shoulder.  She didn't realize how small she was compared to him.  He led her, gently gliding with her on the dance floor.  The sound of the soft music was guiding him.  He really knew how to dance because his mother made sure that he knew how, but he learned how to tango in California.  He remembered the last time he tangoed with anyone.  It was with Mari.  She was the one who taught him how to tango.

            The music stopped.  It was good thing, too, because Ron was starting to feel uncomfortably close to Hermione.  He pulled away from her, still holding her hand.  He lead her back to her chair.  The flan was already waiting for them at the table.  Hermione felt cold from Ron not being close to her so suddenly.  She looked at him, but he looked like he was off somewhere else.  She started to eat her dessert without saying anything.

~*~

            Ron walked Hermione back to her apartment after that.  He didn't say much, but he did drape his jacket over Hermione's shoulders.  He looked rather thoughtful and his right hand was on his abdomen for some reason.  "Are you all right, Ron?" asked Hermione.

            "What?" he asked distractedly.

            "Your hand is on your stomach.  Did something disagree with you in dinner?" asked Hermione.  She had never known Ron to get sick from eating.  Well, maybe from consuming too much too quickly.  She looked at him with concern.

            "I'm fine.  I'm just tired," said Ron as he put his hands in his pockets. 

            "You should go back and get some sleep, Ron," said Hermione worriedly.  He looked like something was bothering him.  "What's really wrong, Ron?" she asked.

            "Nothing.  Nothing is wrong, Hermione," he said with a sigh.  It was hard to tell whether or not he was lying.  Because he looked tired, but there was something else. 

            "This is my flat," said Hermione.  "Would you like to come in for some tea?"

            "No.  I have to get back to the hotel and get some sleep.  Good night, Hermione," whispered Ron.  She slipped off his jacket and handed it back to her.  He had driven to her place earlier with a rental car the hotel was able to provide; it was a Jaguar.

            "Thank you, Ron.  Good night," said Hermione as she kissed him lightly on the cheek.  He gave her a weak smile and walked back went to the car.  She took out her keys and opened the door to her flat, but stopped to see the car drive off. 

            Percy had been waiting all afternoon for Hermione to return to find out where Ron was.  He was surprised to see Ron walking with Hermione to her flat.  Needless to say, Percy was surprised to see Ron so soon.  He looked healthy, but tired at the same time.  Percy was happy to see him, but at the same time mad at Hermione.  She found him and didn't tell any of us.  We have a right to know where he was, he thought through his teeth.  As soon as Ron was out of sight, Percy marched up to Hermione's door and pounded on it.  It opened as soon as he started pounding on it.  "Percy?  What are you doing here?" she asked with a surprised look.  Hermione turned a little pale. 

            "I see you've found Ron," said Percy coldly.

AN: Some of my personal thoughts on Percy comes in here.  I am pretty sure that Percy cares a lot for Ron.  As much as he wants to be like Bill and Charlie and the fact that Fred and George annoy him so, I think Ron would be his favorite brother.   And I think the proof is in the fourth book during the Triwizards Tournament when he thought Ron died.  Yes, there was a little romance in this part between Hermione and Ron.  However, Mari comes up again.  ^_^  Who knows I might finish this story as a Christmas gift to you guys.  Well, see, be good and review…^_~  Also, I'm going away for winter vacation at home.  There's no telling when I'll be able to post again.  If there are too many reviews, then I might put up the next part to hold you people over until I'm back next year (two weeks).  Sorry.  I really am.