A/N- Thanx to my reviewers!! Adnap Nottap- You will find out what Ron said to herjust not quiet yetin the next to or three chapters! J Be patient with me! And thank you for pointing out my typo Weasley does have another e'! Haley J. The Bat- yeah I know some of the things seem a little OOC, but I figured that they have grown up and gone though a lot, their perspectives would change a bit. Something else Grindylow, I believe that is how it is spelled, but I couldn't find my book to check. I also won't usually post this often, but I am taking the GEPA's (really annoying standardized state test) this week in school, and the teachers have decided to be cool and not give us homeworkso I have nothing better to do.
Disclaimer: (I noticed I neglected to put this one the previous chapter) standard stuff, I don't own Harry Potter and all that.
Chapter Two- The Invitation
Hermione returned to her apartment, and not surprisingly, Kristi wasn't home yet. She has probably found some cute guy, other than Ron, to run off with for a couple hours. Either that or she was dead drunk, in which case Hermione would get a telephone call from Celeste at one in the morning asking if she could drive over and get her friend.
As she pulled off her club clothes, and replaced them with her flannel pants and t-shirt, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Ron.
"You ran away," he had said. "What I said made you think." Had it? Had it indeed affected her choice to come to Connecticut. Had what he'd said that night made her realize that she had made a mistake? She wasn't sure, but she knew if she dwelled on the subject, she would never get to sleep. Instead she focused her mind on different things, like what Ron now looked like, instead of what he had said. He had changed since she had left. Not so much he was unrecognizable, but enough to make him go form goofy and lanky to drop dead gorgeous.
It was with these wonderful thoughts, that Hermione drifted off into an untroubled sleep.
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Hermione woke to hear the shower running, so Kristi had gotten home, and sunlight streaming through the curtains onto her face. She rolled over placing her feet on the thick forest green carpet. The walls of her bedroom were white, and had some flower pictures scattered across them. The desk in the corner was piled high with papers, books, pens, pencils, quills, inkbottles, and various erasers. The desk chair had her jacket thrown over the back from when she had gotten home last night with too much on her mind to put it away properly. The chest of drawers was against the wall opposite her bad, with more books, perfume, and some make-up lying on top. She also had a full-length mirror on the back of her door.
Pulling on her comfy, fluffy bathrobe, she walked into the kitchen for tea. There was already some brewing, signaling that Kristi had been up long enough to make herself a cup. How does that woman do it? Hermione asked herself. Spending the whole night at The Club and then she goes and wakes up at 7:00 in the morning! Hermione didn't want to ponder this question, she knew that she would never find the answer.
As she was finishing her tea Kristi came walking into the kitchen, dressed in black jeans and a bright red shirt, with a pink towel wrapped like a turban around her head. "Good morning, Herm! Have a nice sleep?" She is way too perky in the morning, Hermione mused.
"Yeah I guess. Are you done with the bathroom? I have to go into school today." Kristi didn't even ask why, Hermione was always going in to use the library, or a special reference or piece of equipment that was only available to the school. She merely nodded and Hermione got slowly to her feet, staggering only half awake to the bathroom.
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Walking onto the Hartford University of Magic grounds, Ron could smell the early blooming crocuses, and feel the spring sun on his face and back. Today would be a wonderful day to take pictures for the Bertie Bott's ads. He was supposed to meet some student by the front doors of the Administrative Office.
He walked into, what he thought were the front doors of the school, only to find that it led him into a courtyard. There were trees planted around the edges, and a few dotted the middle with little benches sitting under them. Budding spring time flowers were blooming in the small gardens under the trees, and there were winding white gravel paths leading off in every direction, then meeting in the middle, giving the effect of a sun. The walls were high, and made out of red brick, and the doors he had come through were in an 1800's Victorian style, with lacy flowers winding their was across.
He walked up the path that led from the front door to the middle, where they all ended up anyway, to see if he could get a good enough view and see if there was any kind of sign pointing the way to the office. When he got there, which took no time at all as the path wasn't very long to begin with and he was looking at the scenery, he finally noticed that the courtyard was deserted. Deserted, that is, except for one person he saw leaning against the building opposite him. She was wearing blue jeans, and a black short sleeved shirt with a red dragon printed across the front. She also had bushy brown hair, and he knew right away that Hermione had been his appointed guide for the day. She must have realized who he was as well, for when she started to walked forward, she stopped for a second, strengthening her resolve, before moving forward again.
They met at one of the little benches, Hermione searching for words and Ron trying to look cool, calm and collected.
"You are the one who works for the advertising agency?" Hermione's incredulous voice broke the awkward silence between them. Her tone was not one of anger, annoyance, or regret, as Ron had expected, it was more surprise than anything.
"Yeah, yeah I am. Been working there ever since I graduated from MWU," Ron didn't appear too surprised that she had asked him.
"You went to MWU. As in the Merlin Wizarding University?" Why does she seem so surprised? Ron asked himself.
"Yes, that one, I don't know of any others. I was accepted, don't ask how because I don't know. I got a degree as an Auror, and in Advertising. What with the fall of Voldemort and all, I wasn't sure how much use there would be for an auror, so here I am."
"Oh, well then, what are we doing today?" Hermione was in her business, get everything done mode.
"Well, first I figured we could do some shots of the Hartford University grounds. Then go and do some pictures of Hartford, and have lunch somewhere in between all that." He stated it as if it were obvious, which Hermione supposed, it was.
"Alright we better get started then. What do you need pictures of?"
"Well, Bertie Bott's wanted some magical creatures and some of the grounds."
"Do you want to take pictures of the wild ones or of the captive ones in the magical biology lab?" She was speaking as though to a very small child who needed to be asked such obvious questions.
Ron picked that up, but decided to ignore it. He opted for replying like a child to a particularly dense grownup. "We could start with the captive ones, Herm."
Hermione was surprised by the old nickname, but tried her best not to show it. "Alright!" She turned around and head for the centre of the courtyard where all the paths met. She chose a longer one that ended at a pair of tutor doors. They opened when they approached, and slid back into place as they walked through. The hallway they were walking down was a long stone corridor. Every so often there would be an arched wooden doorway in the side of the hall. An occasional window would pass up near the ceiling, but other than that there was nothing.
"Looks, like a prison," Ron muttered under his breath. Unfortunately it was not quiet enough. Hermione heard him and stopped. She turned around and looked at him.
"Why, do you say that?" Her voice had once again changed, to a teacher talking to an unruly student.
"Well, we are in a damp stone hallway. There are only a few doors, and the windows, the few of them that are actually here, are small and near the ceiling." His exasperated tone did not make Hermione happy.
She answered him as though she was again a teacher, only this time her student knew nothing. "We are underground. There are not very many doors, because this is where are the protective wards are set up. These rooms hold things that are very large and need to be magically protected, therefor the rooms must be large to accommodate them. There are no decorations on the walls for fear of interfering with a delicate experiment that is going on down here. They won't tell us what it is, but that's life. We are headed to the animal cages. Follow me." Now she sounded like a tour guide, what was with Hermione?
They got nearly down to the end of the hall when Hermione stopped. She said something and the door opened, revealing a jungle habitat. They had to search, but soon they found all different animals, from magical bugs to cats and boa constrictors. Ron took picture after picture. The whole reason he had been sent was because Hartford University had one of the best living collections of magical creatures in the world.
They went through room after room of different habitat. Ron got a real shock when a door opened and in front of him was rippling blue water, completely covering the doorway.
"Go on in," Hermione instructed. When Ron hesitated, she grabbed his hand, sending a jolt of electricity up her arm, and pulled him into the water. It was the weirdest thing Ron had ever experienced. He was in what was clearly water, as there were a few Grindylows swimming past, but he could breathe just fine. When he moved it was like walking through jello, it would mould around his and Hermione's bodies, and was thick with a bit of a squishy feeling. When they left that room they both were completely dry.
When they were done with the animals they went outside to see the grounds. They were wonderful! As they strolled through looking at the different spring flowers, taking more and more pictures. They talked about the different flowers, the animals, the nice warm weather, and other things of simple conversation.
The grounds were finally done, Thank God, Ron thought, although they still had the rest of the city to do.
They walked down the street and Ron asked, "So where do you want to go for lunch?" It was nearly 12:30, and he was starving from the jetlag and still having his body used to UK time.
"Well"Hermione thought, "There is always the coffee shop."
"Alright, whatever."
They continued strolling, for once in a companionable silence. The rounded a corner and there was a little café with coffee cup shaped sign hanging out over the small street that read "The Coffee Shop." Ron and Hermione went in and took a seat.
"Ron, there is something I have to ask you."
Oh, no, Ron panicked, this can't be good.
"I want to know why you are here."
"What?" he asked stupidly.
"Why are you here? Why didn't they send over a photographer? No offense or anything, but that would have been more logical."
That was Hermione, always one for logic. "I don't know exactly why. They asked me to come and I did." It was truly all the explanation he had, and she could tell, Ron was never very good at hiding what he felt.
"So any clue what you are going to do with those pictures?"
"Not a clue."
"May I make a few suggestions?"
"Go ahead."
And she was off, as she would explain something, more ideas would come, and she'd go back to ones she had described and change them, making them better and more interesting. Ron listened, picturing what she said in his mind and telling her some other things that could be done as well. Between the two of them, there were some very wacky ads that could be made.
They ordered lunch, and when it came, Hermione laughed.
"What's so funny?" Ron looked down at his bowl of bouillabaisse. Odd thing for a coffee shop to have, but they always had some kind of strange or exotic food on the menu.
"I just remembered, in our fourth year, you met Fleur Delacour, when she asked you to hand over the bouillabaisse! And then I started to think about when you asked her to the Ball!" Hermione dissolved into giggles.
"That was not funny!" Ron was trying as hard as he could to keep a straight face.
They spent the rest of their meal reminiscing over their memories from school, funny things they had done, good times, stupid mistakes, making fun of teachers, everything well, almost everything. Ron didn't mention what had happened between them, and she was very thankful to him for it.
As they left the shop, Hermione glanced at her watch, just after 1:30. "So, shall we hit the streets?"
They spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures and laughing over the weird ads that could be made from them. Some were good, some too far fetched, and some just inappropriate for this purpose.
For example Hermione wanted to take a picture of the Public Library. "We are trying to sell candy here, not a new book," Ron protested.
Or, Ron saying, "We could take one of the Quidditch Stadium!"
"And what purpose would that serve, Ron?"
"We could show how the Chudley Cannons would kick their American arses!"
"Ron, we are selling candy, not Chudley Cannon tickets!" Hermione imitated what he had said to her before.
It was a very nice day, when around 4:30 they got back to the museum, ,and called it a day. As Hermione was about to leave, Ron thought of something he wanted to ask her. "Um, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"I have a question for you now." Ron was not sure what she would say to him.
"Yes?" Hermione answered tentatively.
"Well, you did a really nice job coming up with the different advertisements, and I was wondering, if your not busy that is, if you wanted to come to England, and help me finish them up?" He could see her thinking very hard about her decision.
"I don't know Ron, I have a lot of work I have to do."
"Please Hermione. I would really like to use some of your ideas. You could see Harry and Ginny, and Mum, and everyone." He could tell that seeing everyone again was pulling her to say yes.
"How about, if I leave here Friday night around midnight. I'll get home from classes get some sleep and then apparate over. I'll get to customs at around 6 AM, British time. If you could meet me there, that would work. Then I can go home, go to sleep, and leave around midnight the next night to come back!" Hermione's face was glowing at having figured out the answer to her problem. "And then I will have time to see everyone again as well!"
"Look, Hermione, why don't you stay with me in my apartment?" He could tell she didn't really like the idea much. "Or you could stay with Mum and Dad at the Burrow! Mum would love to see you again!"
"Won't your mum be mad at me for losing contact with you for all these years?" She looked worried.
"Nope. She actually was telling me not too long ago that if you ever came back she would welcome you with open arms. She figures that you have just been so busy with schooling, and that you have a new life over there now, so you may not keep contact. I mean with all the stuff that happened to you, your parents being possessed, to try and get closer to Harry, and then dying from it–" he stopped, the look on Hermione's face telling him he had brought back some bad memories. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him for a minute, even though she stiffened for a second he held on, before speaking. "I'm sorry, Herm," he whispered to her, "my point was, that Mum would be dying to have you."
Hermione pulled away from him, and stepped back, feeling cold after the heat of Ron's body. "Thanks, Ron, can you meet me in the Diagon Alley Customs Port at 6 AM on Saturday morning?"
"Of course, then we can go up to The Burrow, drop off you stuff and take it from there. Go to the office, let you sleep, hang around a bit, whatever."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you again, Ron."
"For the last time it's no problem, I've got to get back and pack." With a last parting smile, they went their separate ways.
A/N- I seem to like ending chapters with them going back to their respective housing. Maybe because it signals the end of their time together for that day? I don't know, anyway, Review if you like, I like to know what people think, good or bad.