A/N: WOOHOO! 100 reviews!!! I've been working on Journalism articles, which
I guess would explain the long wait between chapters. Sorry, I know it
sucks to wait for a new chapter to pop up. BTW, to all of you who browse
the FictionAlley boards, there's a small reference to the H/H ship here; I
had to lampoon it somehow…and no, I DIDN'T mean that figuratively.
A/N #2: This story's been archived at the Sugar Quill! Chapter one, anyway. The story will probably be revised as I go on, so check out the other chapters in the coming weeks to see if anything's changed.
Disclaimer: Too lazy...JK Rowling…comprende?
"Is that your final answer?" The blue light emitted by the television illuminated Ron's room, casting a strange, artificial glow onto everything. Ron leaned back in his chair, glaring at the television.
"No, it's Robbie Williams, you daft idiot." The host's face filled the screen, causing Ron to snort in disgust and change the channel.
"The number one rental movie in 2002 was 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as his friend Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint as his other best friend Ron Weasley. Here's a clip." He watched the scene disinterestedly.
"UP! UP! UP-"
"Hey!" He started indignantly. 'Ron' felt his nose gingerly, telling 'Harry' to shut up. "They swear I'm the village idiot or something. No more telly for me." He stood up so abruptly he knocked over the chair he'd been sitting in, crossing the room in a few short strides. He walked down the hallway, pausing briefly at Hermione's door. No sound could be heard.
He sighed and moved on, arriving at last to his kitchen. Nothing in the fridge except for a cold slice of pumpkin pie. "Disgusting." He shut it again, and ended up just sitting at the table with some crisps. His mind drifted back to the row they'd had earlier. Did she really think that his interest stemmed only from the fact that she was his best female friend? He frowned at the thought. He crunched his way though another few crisps, but swallowed hastily as he heard footsteps fast approaching. Coughing and pounding lightly on his chest, he found himself staring. "Hermione?" His voice was tenative.
"Oh, hello Ron." She didn't meet his eyes, toying with the frayed edge of the much-too-large maroon sweater she was wearing. He recalled dimly that he had dumped all of his old clothes into the guest room closet. She caught him looking and said, "I hope you don't mind…I was cold."
'Don't gape, Ron, don't gape.'
"It's no problem." The strange formality was suddenly very stifling to him. He felt the urge to go and shake her, but firmly resisted the temptation. "What are you doing up so late? I thought you had went to bed."
She shrugged. "I'm not very sleepy…Had too much on my mind."
"Really? I thought you had made it very clear that you wanted to go to bed." She scanned his face quickly, but he kept his expression neutral. "I remember at Hogwarts you always stormed into the girls' dormitories after we had a row."
"People change."
"I guess they do." To his great surprise, she sat down across the table from him. The sweater slipped over her shoulder, exposing a bit of bare skin. He hastily averted his eyes from even that very safe spot and ended up staring at the framed set of his Chocolate Frog cards hanging from the wall. "I'd better go; have to get an early start tomorrow."
As Ron left, he caught a glimpse of Hermione staring out the window. Her face was cupped in her hands, and she was staring thoughtfully out of the window.
********
The first thing that Ron saw the next morning was a gigantic owl hovering above his bed, a copy of the Prophet firmly in its grasp. He groaned, rolling over and covering his head with the comforter. He got a sharp nip on his ankle for his trouble. "Bloody company owls..."
"If you'd wake up earlier, they wouldn't bother you as much." Kate's soft voice startled Ron; he sat straight up in bed, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"What are you doing here?"
One of her finely-shaped eyebrows shot up. "We have an interview with the American foreign ambassador. Their Minister was killed yesterday, in case you didn't know."
"I was at the US-UK Apparition point last afternoon and they told me what had happened...Hermione was really angry."
Kate just managed to hide a roll of the eyes. "That woman you brought into the office yesterday? How did she get home?"
"She's here, asleep."
This time she shot him a derisive look. "Are you still clinging to the past?"
"That's not it," he shot back hastily. "You don't know anything about what happened between us."
"I do know that she rejected any chance of you being together in seventh year...I was a Ravenclaw, and we were assigned to dredge the lake for any debris the last Death Eater attack might have left."
His temperature rose. "So you were eavesdropping?"
"No, I was downwind. I couldn't help but hear it." The quality of her voice turned silky smooth as she said, "I think you should move on...you deserve much better than a woman who is obviously not interested in you."
Ron made no reply. He pushed the covers off of himself, grabbing a spare set of robes that were hanging from the back of his chair on the way. "I think I should get going...why were you sent, again?"
She smiled wryly. "To make sure you didn't forget the interview. You caused quire the scandal yesterday, bringing her in without announcement. I think you forgot that most of the employees went to Hogwarts... they're all keen on knowing what's going to happen between you two."
"It's none of their business," he said shortly, shutting the door to the bathroom. A moment later he emerged clad in his work robes, collared shirt a little rumpled.
"The news editor gave me this set of questions for you to ask the ambassador. He said to add whatever you'd like to it."
"All right."
"He also said to go over any background information you may have on the situation."
He swore under his breath. "I have some files on it, but they're back at the office. You didn't bring them, by any chance?"
She brandished the set of files. "I suggest you go over these before-"
"I go to the embassy, I know. I think you're forgetting who the writer is here." He flashed her a strained smile before gesturing for her to follow him.
In only a few minutes the coffee table in the living room was covered with papers, Ron reading through them as fast as he could, Kate struggling to resort them into managable piles. He exhaled deeply. "I hate doing research."
"I know." The two of them looked up, startled, at the third voice that had intruded into the conversation. Hermione was leaning against the doorway casually. She watched Kate's effort to clean up the table with a derisive eye. "You'd better leave those like they are. I think they're set that way for a reason."
"I appreciate it, but I think I am the secretary here."
Ron looked up from his notes. "She's right, Kate. I always make this much of a mess. I just clean it up before I give them back; I'll be fine." He threw down the pile he was reading, frustrated, and turned to his friend. "Say, what do you know about the American foreign ambassador?"
The other woman looked indignant as Hermione sat down next to him. "I know that he wanted to change foreign policies, mostly about the treatment of deportation, immigration and extradition. He wanted to make all of these changes after legions of Dark Wizards started pouring into New York and Massachusetts, trying to run from the UK's Ministry."
"And the lax security made them think they were in control of the situation."
"Exactly right, Ron. So obviously, when that power was taken away, they used drastic measures."
"I don't see what the problem is. They were never a big presence in the States, always stayed pretty much low-key."
"That's what you think. They were quite active in their own circles, more in recruiting than anything else. I think they were looking to stage a coup."
"Lucius Malfoy emigrated there recently." Ron's brow furrowed. "Do you think he left to help out with their campaign?"
"No. It was just to get his son a spot on a Quidditch team; I heard Michigan's signed him...they're last in the American league, you know."
His eyes bugged out and his lips turned upwards in a malicious grin. "They really signed him?"
"No. But it was nice to see you crack a smile." The two best friends smiled at each other, completely forgetting the third party's presence. It was only when she cleared her throat loudly that they remembered.
"Well, since you're already up I suppose I can leave."
He nodded distractedly. "Thanks for the information."
Kate gave him a smile, brusquely nodded at Hermione, then Apparated out of his flat.
"She's a good secretary," He said as she left, "and a pretty good friend. But she..."
"She what?"
Ron glanced at her. "She's gets a little strange sometimes. Like today, she was in my bedroom when I woke up."
Hermione, who was picking at another loose string in her jumper, almost cut her finger with the hard yank she gave. "Are you sure you didn't meet her for drinks first?"
"I would've known if I had." His voice was even. "Besides all she did was lecture me on how I should stop thinking that you and I will ever have a chance to be together."
"She has no right to be dispensing advice like that."
"I told her everything." Ron made quite a show of folding the parchment bearing his questions into fourths and stuffing them into a pocket of his robes. "Don't look at me like that; she's completely trustworthy if that's what you're wondering."
"I haven't told anyone about what's been happening with us, not Angela or my parents or anybody. I can't believe you did that."
"'Happening with us'? I thought there was nothing there." He watched as an angry flush spread across her cheeks, but didn't back down. "You need to make up your mind, Hermione. We can't keep going in circles like this."
"I know," she answered, looking up from the threads. "I just...you know me, I pride myself on being logical. I made the logical choice in seventh year and I'm just trying to figure out if it was the right one."
This admission hit Ron like a bombshell. All this time he was been painstakingly analyzing what had happened between them with the idea that he had done something wrong or that...that he had been misguided in his thinking that Hermione had returned his feelings. Now all the pieces were coming together, but it didn't make him any happier. "So letting yourself fall in love with me would be illogical?" His voice was even.
"I...yes?" It came out more as a question than a statement.
"So basically you lied to me that day in seventh year?"
"Yes." She felt guilty and miserable, but also a little surprised. "You're not mad?"
His voice stayed steady. "I'm unbelievably angry...but I have an interview to do. I can get past the barriers, I'll bring you with me so you can get home."
"But...but we didn't settle anything!"
"We will." He held out a bag of Floo Powder. "This'll get us directly into the building."
"Wait, we have to talk about this."
"If we do, I'll be late. Come on." He shook the bag. "Go on ahead."
She took a small pinch, throwing it into the dying embers of the fire. It sprang up immediately. She quickly Accioed her bag from the room she'd been staying in and stepped in, calling, "US-UK Apparition Building!"
*******
The building was almost empty, but a large crowd was standing outside, arguing with the security and trying to get in.
"Business?"
"Journalist; I have to get through to Washington DC." The person asking looked at Hermione. "She's with me."
He gave her a polite nod before turning to Ron. "See last week's Puddlemere game? They flattened those Cannons you're so fond of."
"They'll make it up," Ron replied confidently. The man shot him a disbelieving look.
"Whatever you say. Okay, you're Weasley, Ron, and your lady friend is..."
"Granger, Hermione." She watched him scribble their names into a notepad.
He then took a small Sneakoscope out of his pocket. It stood motionless in his palm. "You two are cleared. Go on ahead."
In a swish of cloak and wand, they disappeared.
A/N: Not a very good chapter, I know. Bleargh. But please review anyway!
A/N #2: This story's been archived at the Sugar Quill! Chapter one, anyway. The story will probably be revised as I go on, so check out the other chapters in the coming weeks to see if anything's changed.
Disclaimer: Too lazy...JK Rowling…comprende?
"Is that your final answer?" The blue light emitted by the television illuminated Ron's room, casting a strange, artificial glow onto everything. Ron leaned back in his chair, glaring at the television.
"No, it's Robbie Williams, you daft idiot." The host's face filled the screen, causing Ron to snort in disgust and change the channel.
"The number one rental movie in 2002 was 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as his friend Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint as his other best friend Ron Weasley. Here's a clip." He watched the scene disinterestedly.
"UP! UP! UP-"
"Hey!" He started indignantly. 'Ron' felt his nose gingerly, telling 'Harry' to shut up. "They swear I'm the village idiot or something. No more telly for me." He stood up so abruptly he knocked over the chair he'd been sitting in, crossing the room in a few short strides. He walked down the hallway, pausing briefly at Hermione's door. No sound could be heard.
He sighed and moved on, arriving at last to his kitchen. Nothing in the fridge except for a cold slice of pumpkin pie. "Disgusting." He shut it again, and ended up just sitting at the table with some crisps. His mind drifted back to the row they'd had earlier. Did she really think that his interest stemmed only from the fact that she was his best female friend? He frowned at the thought. He crunched his way though another few crisps, but swallowed hastily as he heard footsteps fast approaching. Coughing and pounding lightly on his chest, he found himself staring. "Hermione?" His voice was tenative.
"Oh, hello Ron." She didn't meet his eyes, toying with the frayed edge of the much-too-large maroon sweater she was wearing. He recalled dimly that he had dumped all of his old clothes into the guest room closet. She caught him looking and said, "I hope you don't mind…I was cold."
'Don't gape, Ron, don't gape.'
"It's no problem." The strange formality was suddenly very stifling to him. He felt the urge to go and shake her, but firmly resisted the temptation. "What are you doing up so late? I thought you had went to bed."
She shrugged. "I'm not very sleepy…Had too much on my mind."
"Really? I thought you had made it very clear that you wanted to go to bed." She scanned his face quickly, but he kept his expression neutral. "I remember at Hogwarts you always stormed into the girls' dormitories after we had a row."
"People change."
"I guess they do." To his great surprise, she sat down across the table from him. The sweater slipped over her shoulder, exposing a bit of bare skin. He hastily averted his eyes from even that very safe spot and ended up staring at the framed set of his Chocolate Frog cards hanging from the wall. "I'd better go; have to get an early start tomorrow."
As Ron left, he caught a glimpse of Hermione staring out the window. Her face was cupped in her hands, and she was staring thoughtfully out of the window.
********
The first thing that Ron saw the next morning was a gigantic owl hovering above his bed, a copy of the Prophet firmly in its grasp. He groaned, rolling over and covering his head with the comforter. He got a sharp nip on his ankle for his trouble. "Bloody company owls..."
"If you'd wake up earlier, they wouldn't bother you as much." Kate's soft voice startled Ron; he sat straight up in bed, running a hand through his tousled hair.
"What are you doing here?"
One of her finely-shaped eyebrows shot up. "We have an interview with the American foreign ambassador. Their Minister was killed yesterday, in case you didn't know."
"I was at the US-UK Apparition point last afternoon and they told me what had happened...Hermione was really angry."
Kate just managed to hide a roll of the eyes. "That woman you brought into the office yesterday? How did she get home?"
"She's here, asleep."
This time she shot him a derisive look. "Are you still clinging to the past?"
"That's not it," he shot back hastily. "You don't know anything about what happened between us."
"I do know that she rejected any chance of you being together in seventh year...I was a Ravenclaw, and we were assigned to dredge the lake for any debris the last Death Eater attack might have left."
His temperature rose. "So you were eavesdropping?"
"No, I was downwind. I couldn't help but hear it." The quality of her voice turned silky smooth as she said, "I think you should move on...you deserve much better than a woman who is obviously not interested in you."
Ron made no reply. He pushed the covers off of himself, grabbing a spare set of robes that were hanging from the back of his chair on the way. "I think I should get going...why were you sent, again?"
She smiled wryly. "To make sure you didn't forget the interview. You caused quire the scandal yesterday, bringing her in without announcement. I think you forgot that most of the employees went to Hogwarts... they're all keen on knowing what's going to happen between you two."
"It's none of their business," he said shortly, shutting the door to the bathroom. A moment later he emerged clad in his work robes, collared shirt a little rumpled.
"The news editor gave me this set of questions for you to ask the ambassador. He said to add whatever you'd like to it."
"All right."
"He also said to go over any background information you may have on the situation."
He swore under his breath. "I have some files on it, but they're back at the office. You didn't bring them, by any chance?"
She brandished the set of files. "I suggest you go over these before-"
"I go to the embassy, I know. I think you're forgetting who the writer is here." He flashed her a strained smile before gesturing for her to follow him.
In only a few minutes the coffee table in the living room was covered with papers, Ron reading through them as fast as he could, Kate struggling to resort them into managable piles. He exhaled deeply. "I hate doing research."
"I know." The two of them looked up, startled, at the third voice that had intruded into the conversation. Hermione was leaning against the doorway casually. She watched Kate's effort to clean up the table with a derisive eye. "You'd better leave those like they are. I think they're set that way for a reason."
"I appreciate it, but I think I am the secretary here."
Ron looked up from his notes. "She's right, Kate. I always make this much of a mess. I just clean it up before I give them back; I'll be fine." He threw down the pile he was reading, frustrated, and turned to his friend. "Say, what do you know about the American foreign ambassador?"
The other woman looked indignant as Hermione sat down next to him. "I know that he wanted to change foreign policies, mostly about the treatment of deportation, immigration and extradition. He wanted to make all of these changes after legions of Dark Wizards started pouring into New York and Massachusetts, trying to run from the UK's Ministry."
"And the lax security made them think they were in control of the situation."
"Exactly right, Ron. So obviously, when that power was taken away, they used drastic measures."
"I don't see what the problem is. They were never a big presence in the States, always stayed pretty much low-key."
"That's what you think. They were quite active in their own circles, more in recruiting than anything else. I think they were looking to stage a coup."
"Lucius Malfoy emigrated there recently." Ron's brow furrowed. "Do you think he left to help out with their campaign?"
"No. It was just to get his son a spot on a Quidditch team; I heard Michigan's signed him...they're last in the American league, you know."
His eyes bugged out and his lips turned upwards in a malicious grin. "They really signed him?"
"No. But it was nice to see you crack a smile." The two best friends smiled at each other, completely forgetting the third party's presence. It was only when she cleared her throat loudly that they remembered.
"Well, since you're already up I suppose I can leave."
He nodded distractedly. "Thanks for the information."
Kate gave him a smile, brusquely nodded at Hermione, then Apparated out of his flat.
"She's a good secretary," He said as she left, "and a pretty good friend. But she..."
"She what?"
Ron glanced at her. "She's gets a little strange sometimes. Like today, she was in my bedroom when I woke up."
Hermione, who was picking at another loose string in her jumper, almost cut her finger with the hard yank she gave. "Are you sure you didn't meet her for drinks first?"
"I would've known if I had." His voice was even. "Besides all she did was lecture me on how I should stop thinking that you and I will ever have a chance to be together."
"She has no right to be dispensing advice like that."
"I told her everything." Ron made quite a show of folding the parchment bearing his questions into fourths and stuffing them into a pocket of his robes. "Don't look at me like that; she's completely trustworthy if that's what you're wondering."
"I haven't told anyone about what's been happening with us, not Angela or my parents or anybody. I can't believe you did that."
"'Happening with us'? I thought there was nothing there." He watched as an angry flush spread across her cheeks, but didn't back down. "You need to make up your mind, Hermione. We can't keep going in circles like this."
"I know," she answered, looking up from the threads. "I just...you know me, I pride myself on being logical. I made the logical choice in seventh year and I'm just trying to figure out if it was the right one."
This admission hit Ron like a bombshell. All this time he was been painstakingly analyzing what had happened between them with the idea that he had done something wrong or that...that he had been misguided in his thinking that Hermione had returned his feelings. Now all the pieces were coming together, but it didn't make him any happier. "So letting yourself fall in love with me would be illogical?" His voice was even.
"I...yes?" It came out more as a question than a statement.
"So basically you lied to me that day in seventh year?"
"Yes." She felt guilty and miserable, but also a little surprised. "You're not mad?"
His voice stayed steady. "I'm unbelievably angry...but I have an interview to do. I can get past the barriers, I'll bring you with me so you can get home."
"But...but we didn't settle anything!"
"We will." He held out a bag of Floo Powder. "This'll get us directly into the building."
"Wait, we have to talk about this."
"If we do, I'll be late. Come on." He shook the bag. "Go on ahead."
She took a small pinch, throwing it into the dying embers of the fire. It sprang up immediately. She quickly Accioed her bag from the room she'd been staying in and stepped in, calling, "US-UK Apparition Building!"
*******
The building was almost empty, but a large crowd was standing outside, arguing with the security and trying to get in.
"Business?"
"Journalist; I have to get through to Washington DC." The person asking looked at Hermione. "She's with me."
He gave her a polite nod before turning to Ron. "See last week's Puddlemere game? They flattened those Cannons you're so fond of."
"They'll make it up," Ron replied confidently. The man shot him a disbelieving look.
"Whatever you say. Okay, you're Weasley, Ron, and your lady friend is..."
"Granger, Hermione." She watched him scribble their names into a notepad.
He then took a small Sneakoscope out of his pocket. It stood motionless in his palm. "You two are cleared. Go on ahead."
In a swish of cloak and wand, they disappeared.
A/N: Not a very good chapter, I know. Bleargh. But please review anyway!