Disclaimer: JK… chika, I love you!
1 Ch. 3 Preparations
A loud whistle rang through the room when Hermione opened the blinds, letting the sun fill her bedroom with the brightness of spring.
"MMM honey… I want a piece of THAT! C'mon baby… don't leave my hangin here…" the cat-calls were followed by a low chuckle. Hermione spun around, staring at the large, elaborately decorated mirror mounted above her vanity and narrowed her eyes at it.
"No baby, really… you are TOO sexy for your own good." It growled silkily.
A wide grin crawled across her face. "Oh yeah?" She really did love her mirror; Harry had gotten it for her in New York City as a gag gift. It was supposed to make crude, degrading comments, but Hermione's mirror also tried very hard to make her feel sexy. And since there was no man in her life to do this, she promptly hung the mirror in her bedroom. Harry often brought it up, but she insisted that it was shoved in the back of her closet.
"Really baby… what's the occasion?" a scarlet blush crept up her neck.
"Nothing, just some shopping." The mirror smirked. (A/N I know I know…mirrors don't smirk, well her mirror does!)
"Innocent shopping doesn't make a good girl blush like that."
Hermione sighed, deeply irritated by her obviousness "Well, if you MUST know, I am shopping for the reunion. It's in two weeks and I am wardrobe- less." She quickly turned and stomped out of the room to avoid the mirrors reply, which echoed down the hall after her anyway.
"Honey! Don't buy nothin' your momma wouldn't approve of!" Damn! He got the last word again! She really would have to stuff that useless chunk of glass into her closet one of these days!
* * *
She was never late! Harry looked at his watch nervously, what on earth was keeping her?! He pushed his empty glass to the bartender.
"'Nother one sir?" Harry shook his head slightly.
"No, I expect her to arrive any moment."
The weathered man nodded as if he pitied Harry. "Yeah, they always do… just holler if you want another." Harry smiled, he could just imagine how many broken hearts came to this place to drown their pain with drinks. How ironic, that such a sad, broken place could be the doorway to such a wonderful world. Maybe that was why it held its allure. The hope that this rickety old bar provided, through the worn bricks of the back wall, was more than enough to get most back onto their feet.
"Harry!" Hermione panted, finally spotting him in his current place at the bar. "I am so sorry. A woman in my apartment building had fallen down some stairs and there were medi-witches everywhere."
"Yeah," he smiled, "likely story." He gazed down at his watch with a disapproving glare, "I have been waiting for FIFTEEN minutes. Do you know how important my time is?!"
She grinned and threw her arms around her friend's shoulders. "It's been too long. We can't wait every three months to visit, but I am so glad we could do our reunion shopping together." She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "I'll confess, I'm not very… um… up to date with fashion." Harry gasped, feigning shock.
"The great Hermione Granger? Not knowing something?!" he grasped his chest over his heart, "Oh, it burns! It burns!!!"
"Bugger off! Are we going to shop or not?" She snapped hastily. Harry just nodded his head as he followed her out the back door, turning to give one last smile to the bartender. The kindly man gave a single weary nod, but the gleam in his eye made it apparent that he was pleased to see someone who found what they were waiting for.
* * *
Ron vigorously brushed the soot from his navy blue robes and stepped swiftly out of the undersized fireplace. Once in front of the marble mantel, he straitened his body to it's full six feet two inches and stared around the delicate merchandise around him.
A smile spread across his face as his eyes landed upon rememberalls, pewter cauldrons, shiny copper scales, and the newest, fastest broom on the market. Jars of glimmering stones and precious potions set importantly on high shelves where small hands could not reach them. Men and Woman wandered listlessly, mumbling to each other about each product they stopped to prod with their wands.
Ron breathed in the aroma deeply, closing his eyes. Sweet cinnamon blended deliciously with wood shavings, incense, and saccharine tealeaves.
Whirring and buzzing followed by the laughter of small children filled the air around him. How he loved this place. Diagon Alley had been one of his favorite places as a child and it had been so long since he had seen it. Under normal circumstances, he avoided this place for fear that he would run into old faces, but it was still the best place in the world for shopping.
The reunion was fast approaching and there was no way he would be showing up in anything but the newest, most fashionable robes money could buy.
He pushed his way out of the shop and squinted into the bright sun outside. Instinctively, he positioned his sunglasses over his azure eyes, and gazed around the cobblestone street.
Everything was here just as he remembered it. Honeydukes with it's sticky sugary sweets, and Wizzy Wigs with it's exploding… well everything. Mr. Olivander's shop was still operating as strongly as ever, and Flourish and Blotts was sporting a long queue as Mrs. Collingstone was signing her new book, Mystic Mayhem.
Each step he took flooded his mind with memories of a time when his biggest worry was that his grubby rat would die. Thoughts of his old friends, Quidditch, scarlet and gold, great feasts, and obnoxious poltergeists plagued him as he began to doubt his ability to stay in this place. His courage failed him and he turned around, intent on going home and forgetting the whole idea of this bloody reunion. He spun around quickly smacking into someone much smaller than him, someone that was now teetering out of balance and heading for the solid stone ground.
He threw his arms around his ill-fated victim to avoid certain injury, only succeeding in making them stumble forward into his arms instead.
The chaotic ordeal lasted no more than seconds, and when all was calm again, Ron began to take in the scene around him. He glanced to his left to see a very familiar face staring at him in wonder. Where had he seen those eyes, those glasses, that hair? That… scar? Panic swept through his body as he forced himself to look at the person in his arms. The bushy chestnut hair swung back as she looked up at her obstacle, and rescuer. He would recognize her anywhere. His stomach had known who it was before his brain had and it was now doing flip-flops double-time.
Ron looked directly into the eyes of the one he had been trying to avoid for years. Ron looked directly into the eyes of Hermione Granger.
A/N: well, there it is. Finally, I updated the story. I'm really sorry I am so slow. Senior year is such a bitch!!! But at least I'm trying.
Well, I wasn't really expecting this to happen. They weren't supposed to meet until the reunion… but what can I say? I got a burst of inspiration. My beta-reader/ best friend almost crapped her pants. Her exact words: "THEY WEREN"T SUPPOSED TO MEET YET!!!" My response?: "Yeah, I know."
Big shout out to Marauder's map for their great review! I love you guys. Everyone out there has to understand, reviews are like cocaine. Once you've had one, you need them, to survive! They give you a big high and you can be all carefree for hours. One difference. Cocaine: bad, Reviews: good!!
So, in conclusion, sorry 'bout the wait, LadyPC's great. Marauder's map gets hugs, stay away from drugs! (Read it out loud. It rhymes.)
Much love~ Squidditch
1 Ch. 3 Preparations
A loud whistle rang through the room when Hermione opened the blinds, letting the sun fill her bedroom with the brightness of spring.
"MMM honey… I want a piece of THAT! C'mon baby… don't leave my hangin here…" the cat-calls were followed by a low chuckle. Hermione spun around, staring at the large, elaborately decorated mirror mounted above her vanity and narrowed her eyes at it.
"No baby, really… you are TOO sexy for your own good." It growled silkily.
A wide grin crawled across her face. "Oh yeah?" She really did love her mirror; Harry had gotten it for her in New York City as a gag gift. It was supposed to make crude, degrading comments, but Hermione's mirror also tried very hard to make her feel sexy. And since there was no man in her life to do this, she promptly hung the mirror in her bedroom. Harry often brought it up, but she insisted that it was shoved in the back of her closet.
"Really baby… what's the occasion?" a scarlet blush crept up her neck.
"Nothing, just some shopping." The mirror smirked. (A/N I know I know…mirrors don't smirk, well her mirror does!)
"Innocent shopping doesn't make a good girl blush like that."
Hermione sighed, deeply irritated by her obviousness "Well, if you MUST know, I am shopping for the reunion. It's in two weeks and I am wardrobe- less." She quickly turned and stomped out of the room to avoid the mirrors reply, which echoed down the hall after her anyway.
"Honey! Don't buy nothin' your momma wouldn't approve of!" Damn! He got the last word again! She really would have to stuff that useless chunk of glass into her closet one of these days!
* * *
She was never late! Harry looked at his watch nervously, what on earth was keeping her?! He pushed his empty glass to the bartender.
"'Nother one sir?" Harry shook his head slightly.
"No, I expect her to arrive any moment."
The weathered man nodded as if he pitied Harry. "Yeah, they always do… just holler if you want another." Harry smiled, he could just imagine how many broken hearts came to this place to drown their pain with drinks. How ironic, that such a sad, broken place could be the doorway to such a wonderful world. Maybe that was why it held its allure. The hope that this rickety old bar provided, through the worn bricks of the back wall, was more than enough to get most back onto their feet.
"Harry!" Hermione panted, finally spotting him in his current place at the bar. "I am so sorry. A woman in my apartment building had fallen down some stairs and there were medi-witches everywhere."
"Yeah," he smiled, "likely story." He gazed down at his watch with a disapproving glare, "I have been waiting for FIFTEEN minutes. Do you know how important my time is?!"
She grinned and threw her arms around her friend's shoulders. "It's been too long. We can't wait every three months to visit, but I am so glad we could do our reunion shopping together." She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "I'll confess, I'm not very… um… up to date with fashion." Harry gasped, feigning shock.
"The great Hermione Granger? Not knowing something?!" he grasped his chest over his heart, "Oh, it burns! It burns!!!"
"Bugger off! Are we going to shop or not?" She snapped hastily. Harry just nodded his head as he followed her out the back door, turning to give one last smile to the bartender. The kindly man gave a single weary nod, but the gleam in his eye made it apparent that he was pleased to see someone who found what they were waiting for.
* * *
Ron vigorously brushed the soot from his navy blue robes and stepped swiftly out of the undersized fireplace. Once in front of the marble mantel, he straitened his body to it's full six feet two inches and stared around the delicate merchandise around him.
A smile spread across his face as his eyes landed upon rememberalls, pewter cauldrons, shiny copper scales, and the newest, fastest broom on the market. Jars of glimmering stones and precious potions set importantly on high shelves where small hands could not reach them. Men and Woman wandered listlessly, mumbling to each other about each product they stopped to prod with their wands.
Ron breathed in the aroma deeply, closing his eyes. Sweet cinnamon blended deliciously with wood shavings, incense, and saccharine tealeaves.
Whirring and buzzing followed by the laughter of small children filled the air around him. How he loved this place. Diagon Alley had been one of his favorite places as a child and it had been so long since he had seen it. Under normal circumstances, he avoided this place for fear that he would run into old faces, but it was still the best place in the world for shopping.
The reunion was fast approaching and there was no way he would be showing up in anything but the newest, most fashionable robes money could buy.
He pushed his way out of the shop and squinted into the bright sun outside. Instinctively, he positioned his sunglasses over his azure eyes, and gazed around the cobblestone street.
Everything was here just as he remembered it. Honeydukes with it's sticky sugary sweets, and Wizzy Wigs with it's exploding… well everything. Mr. Olivander's shop was still operating as strongly as ever, and Flourish and Blotts was sporting a long queue as Mrs. Collingstone was signing her new book, Mystic Mayhem.
Each step he took flooded his mind with memories of a time when his biggest worry was that his grubby rat would die. Thoughts of his old friends, Quidditch, scarlet and gold, great feasts, and obnoxious poltergeists plagued him as he began to doubt his ability to stay in this place. His courage failed him and he turned around, intent on going home and forgetting the whole idea of this bloody reunion. He spun around quickly smacking into someone much smaller than him, someone that was now teetering out of balance and heading for the solid stone ground.
He threw his arms around his ill-fated victim to avoid certain injury, only succeeding in making them stumble forward into his arms instead.
The chaotic ordeal lasted no more than seconds, and when all was calm again, Ron began to take in the scene around him. He glanced to his left to see a very familiar face staring at him in wonder. Where had he seen those eyes, those glasses, that hair? That… scar? Panic swept through his body as he forced himself to look at the person in his arms. The bushy chestnut hair swung back as she looked up at her obstacle, and rescuer. He would recognize her anywhere. His stomach had known who it was before his brain had and it was now doing flip-flops double-time.
Ron looked directly into the eyes of the one he had been trying to avoid for years. Ron looked directly into the eyes of Hermione Granger.
A/N: well, there it is. Finally, I updated the story. I'm really sorry I am so slow. Senior year is such a bitch!!! But at least I'm trying.
Well, I wasn't really expecting this to happen. They weren't supposed to meet until the reunion… but what can I say? I got a burst of inspiration. My beta-reader/ best friend almost crapped her pants. Her exact words: "THEY WEREN"T SUPPOSED TO MEET YET!!!" My response?: "Yeah, I know."
Big shout out to Marauder's map for their great review! I love you guys. Everyone out there has to understand, reviews are like cocaine. Once you've had one, you need them, to survive! They give you a big high and you can be all carefree for hours. One difference. Cocaine: bad, Reviews: good!!
So, in conclusion, sorry 'bout the wait, LadyPC's great. Marauder's map gets hugs, stay away from drugs! (Read it out loud. It rhymes.)
Much love~ Squidditch