Author's Note: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I honestly thought no one would like it. I am glad you are enjoying it so far. It is going to pick up soon and I hope you like it then as well. lol No, I have only seen bits and pieces of Fiddler on the Roof, I think I shall have to see it now. Thank you all again. :) ~Lady
Harry Potter and the Matchmaker
Chapter Eight:
Ron walked around the school. It was rather late in the afternoon and he and the rest of his class, who did not now teach at Hogwarts, had just finished a game of Quidditch. It was hilarious watching all the old players go at it, especially Malfoy, who almost fell off his broom twice.
He was walking up to the dorm room when he heard a familiar voice coming from a classroom. He couldn't resist peeking in. He was a bit shocked by what he saw.
Hermione was standing in front of a bunch of what, Ron guessed, was third years, lecturing them on Arithmancy. He didn't know what possessed him, but he just couldn't resist sliding into an empty sit near the door and listen to her. She hadn't seemed to notice him there.
~*~
Hermione continued speaking while her magic chalk wrote the notes she had charmed into it on the blackboard behind her.
When she was done, she looked up at her students. "Now, I want you all to have problems 16-35 done by tomorrow and on my desk at the beginning of class," Hermione smiled even as they groaned. "Now, come on. They are easy problems and shouldn't take you long." She then looked at her witch-watch and then back up to her class. "You are dismissed. I'll see you all tomorrow."
The students then headed toward the door. A few stopping to say something like, "Goodbye, Professor," "Bye, Professor Granger," "See ya later, Prof. G." Hermione just smiled at them and said, "Goodbye." as she shuffled through the papers on her desk.
She did not notice the handsome red head stand up and walk to her desk until his shadows blocked the light shining on her papers.
She looked up, rather startled. "Ron," she said, jerkily. "Is there something I can do for you? Surely you haven't gotten lost alright." She forced a smile and ignored the quickening of her heart. It is only because he scared me. she told herself.
Ron smiled back at her as well, though it didn't fully reach his eyes. "No, umm..." What could he say? That he had just came in here to listen to her lecture about something he found boring when he was in school and that he found annoying now? That just sounded stupid. "I was wondering why you weren't at the game today."
"I had class," Hermione said simply, her papers now gathered in her arms and she was walking to the door. "If you'll excuse me, Ron."
"Wait, I'll walk with you," Ron said, taking three long steps to catch up with her.
"That's not necessary," Hermione assured him. Ron would have none of it however and even talked her into handing over some of her papers and books she was carrying.
They walked in silence for a little while and when Ron couldn't take it any longer, he asked the first thing that came to his mind. "So, do you know what we are going to be doing tomorrow?" he asked, feeling like he was a student again and not the Auror he was.
"Oh, well, all the third years and up are all going to Hogsmeade and we thought it would be a good idea if everyone from our year did as well," Hermione told him with a slight smile. She still enjoyed venturing into Hogsmeade and she really didn't get to all that often, most of the time, least then the students did.
"Wow, I haven't been to Hogsmeade in ages," Ron said, a dreamy look coming to his face as he remembered everything Harry, Hermione and he had done there. He missed the old times very much.
Hermione merely smiled. She figured he hadn't. If he had, she would have thought he might have at least visited her. Of course, that might have been why he stayed away from Hogsmeade. This made her heart feel very heavy indeed.
~*~
Loui looked at herself in the mirror. She bit on her nail, which was a nervous habit of hers. She was ready to call this whole thing off.
She closed her eyes and took three deep breaths and then looked at herself again.
Her hair was down, which was very rare, and flowed around her face. She wore a very little bit of makeup, very little indeed, yet it seemed like so much to her. It was only a lightly tented lip gloss, some blush, and a bit of eye shadow. Barely noticeable, but she noticed, and so would Monti and Hermione.
She took a beep breath again and talked to her reflection, which she was also known for doing. "Now, it is too late to back out now and you know it. Your best friend's happiness is resting on your shoulders. You don't want to let her down do you?" Loui asked herself in a strong and confident voice. "No," she told herself, her voice sounding much weaker.
She stood straight, head high, as she walked out of her room and into the teacher's common room.
She glanced around. She saw very few people. She was about to go out the door, when a voice call to her, "Loui, where are you going like that?" The voice sounded more amused than anything.
Loui turned around slowly, forcing a smile. She hadn't one of the best Drama students in Drydolf Magic Academy for nothing. She made herself look extremely happy and rather secretively sultry as well. She would laugh at this later, she told herself while aloud she said, "I'm going to meet someone." She tried to make her voice sound offhanded but excitingly secretive as well.
It must have worked because Hermione put her book down and sat up straighter. "Oh?" she asked, a playful smile of a teenage girl sharing gossip with a girl friend came to her face. "Do tell."
"Well," Loui said, trying to put on the same smile. "I am going to meet Ronald in the gardens. He is such a sweetheart and tells such great stories about his schooling here, not to mention the mischief you all got into." This wasn't all the way a lie. She had seen Ron go outside and was walking in the direction of Hagrid's old hut. As everyone knew, that was where Loui kept her creatures for class at. She would accidentally run into him on the way to check them. The effect should still be the same for Hermione. She would still think it had all be planed.
Hermione's face turned vague and bored as she picked her book up to read again. "Oh, well," Hermione said, skimming the page she was on. "have fun."
"I intend to," Loui said, making her voice high and little girl like as she skipped out of the common room.
When she was out of the room, she breathed a sigh of relief. Loui might have been worried when Hermione didn't look the lest bit concerned about the fact Loui was going to meet Ron, if it hadn't been for the face that Hermione was now reading her book up-side down.
Loui laughed as she headed down to the hut.
