Chapter 2: Catching up
Hermione was awestruck. She stared at the two boys, or should I say men, in front of her. For the first time in her life, Hermione was speechless.
"Hey Hermione? Hello? Are you ok?" Ron asked, looking confused. He reached out and shook her gently.
At the slight touch of another human being, Hermione was zapped back into reality. She shuddered. She was still contemplating the sight she saw before her.
"Maybe she's frozen, Harry" Ron poked her on the shoulder.
"No, no, I'm, uhh, what?" She answered.
Both Ron and Harry laughed. "Nothing Hermione, we just said hello." They were smiling still. Hermione was embarrassed. She wasn't sure whether to get up and hug her two friends or to remain sitting in her seat. She didn't have to wait long to find out the answer. Ron sat down in the seat next to hers and pulled her into a tight bear-like embrace. He seemed to have and air of confidence that he was lacking before. Like he felt like he could do anything. Before she could say anything about it, she was tackled by Harry. The two boys had missed their female counterpart immensely.
Before she could even stop to think, Harry was bombarding her with questions. "Wow Hermione, I didn't think I'd miss you this much! I'm so happy to see you! How was your summer? You look great by the way!" He seemed to want to know as much about her in as little time as possible.
"I.uhh.yea, thanks Harry," was all she could get out before he started asking more questions. She continued stammering answers as she noticed that Ron's arm was resting around her shoulders. She couldn't concentrate, he was staring at her with that goofy, lopsided grin of his.
Harry stopped asking questions as he noticed he wasn't getting any answers from anyone. Ron and Hermione were just staring at each other, oblivious to their surroundings. Harry coughed and stared at Ron. Ron's arm slipped of her shoulders. Hermione was unaware of the silent connection between the two boys. Harry's face looked like he was stifling a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing." Answered Ron, almost too quickly. "Harry's just gone mental." He kicked Harry in the shin so he was forced to sit down in the chair across for Hermione.
"Wow Hermione, when you said in your last letter that you had changed a bit over the summer you made it sound like a bad thing." Harry stated. Hermione was confused.
"It is, isn't it?"
Ron snorted.
"What?" Hermione was still confused. She had developed into a young woman over the summer and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She didn't see it, but she really had changed for the better. She looked absolutely beautiful, and she didn't even need to try. She hadn't changed that much, her bushy hair was still in tact, she had just gotten tired of in her face all the time so she had taken to using muggle gel to tame it. Hair care products became part of her normal morning routine. She'd gotten a little taller, but not much, she was still the shortest of the three by a long shot. Overall it was her aura and physique that had changed. She seemed more confident on the outside, even if it was the opposite of what she felt on the inside.
"Whatever, guys are weird." She retorted.
As soon as the train left for Hogwarts Hermione put her book away. The three friends had a great time catching up on the events of the summer. They didn't even notice when Ginny came in to say hello. As it turned out, Harry had gotten to go stay at the Burrow. The Dursley's were driving him crazy and he was afraid he'd hex them if he stayed on Privet Drive much longer. Ron had tried to owl Hermione to come, but she was staying at her grandparent's house for the end of the summer. Ron's owl, Errol, had a hard time finding her, in fact he didn't at all. He kept coming back with Ron's letter all ripped up and torn. It was just as well for Hermione. Her grandparents would have had a massive heart attack had an owl shown up at their house to deliver Hermione a letter. They had no idea she was a witch, or that there was even a school that taught witchcraft and wizardry. They associated magic with folklore.
Hermione was a little jealous of the boys' chance to see each other before returning to Hogwarts. Although, she was also glad she had the last couple of weeks before school to straighten out her feelings about the events that took place at school the year before.
Before she knew it, Hogwarts was in sight and they only had a few minutes before they would be back in the Great Hall watching the new first years get sorted. Ginny came in to tell them that they would be there shortly and should get their robes on. This made Hermione smile, for it was usually her who went around telling everyone to get ready.
"Hey," Hermione replied, "what took you guys so long to get here? You almost missed the train, again!" She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know the answer to that question. She knew how good the two were at causing mischief if left alone for any period of time.
"Well Ron here."
"Stuff it Harry."
"Never mind," Hermione cut in before this grew into a full blown argument, "I'm not so sure I want to know anymore."
She thought she heard Ron mutter 'good' under his breath.
The train stopped and the three scrambled to get their robes on. Since they were fifth years they were in no hurry to get into the castle anytime soon. They collected their things and set off to catch one of the carriages that would take them up the mountain to the school.
Hermione was the last one in the carriage. She began to gaze at the familiar sights around her. She missed going to the lake on warm afternoons, and watching her friends play quidditch on the pitch. She began shifting in her seat, something was making her feel awkward. She soon realized that Ron was staring at her. He was to her left, and there was nothing else he could be staring at, for there were only rocks to her right. She looked into his eyes and that lopsided grin of his returned to his face. She looked past Ron at Harry and noticed he was looking in the opposite direction, once again stifling a laugh. Just then Ron elbowed him in the side. Hermione could tell that something weird had happened between the two while Harry was at the Burrow, something unspoken and something Harry found extremely funny. She looked at Ron and then strait ahead again. Neither of them said anything. The castle came closer into view and all three of them sat their staring at the building with mixed feelings about the year to come.
Hermione was awestruck. She stared at the two boys, or should I say men, in front of her. For the first time in her life, Hermione was speechless.
"Hey Hermione? Hello? Are you ok?" Ron asked, looking confused. He reached out and shook her gently.
At the slight touch of another human being, Hermione was zapped back into reality. She shuddered. She was still contemplating the sight she saw before her.
"Maybe she's frozen, Harry" Ron poked her on the shoulder.
"No, no, I'm, uhh, what?" She answered.
Both Ron and Harry laughed. "Nothing Hermione, we just said hello." They were smiling still. Hermione was embarrassed. She wasn't sure whether to get up and hug her two friends or to remain sitting in her seat. She didn't have to wait long to find out the answer. Ron sat down in the seat next to hers and pulled her into a tight bear-like embrace. He seemed to have and air of confidence that he was lacking before. Like he felt like he could do anything. Before she could say anything about it, she was tackled by Harry. The two boys had missed their female counterpart immensely.
Before she could even stop to think, Harry was bombarding her with questions. "Wow Hermione, I didn't think I'd miss you this much! I'm so happy to see you! How was your summer? You look great by the way!" He seemed to want to know as much about her in as little time as possible.
"I.uhh.yea, thanks Harry," was all she could get out before he started asking more questions. She continued stammering answers as she noticed that Ron's arm was resting around her shoulders. She couldn't concentrate, he was staring at her with that goofy, lopsided grin of his.
Harry stopped asking questions as he noticed he wasn't getting any answers from anyone. Ron and Hermione were just staring at each other, oblivious to their surroundings. Harry coughed and stared at Ron. Ron's arm slipped of her shoulders. Hermione was unaware of the silent connection between the two boys. Harry's face looked like he was stifling a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing." Answered Ron, almost too quickly. "Harry's just gone mental." He kicked Harry in the shin so he was forced to sit down in the chair across for Hermione.
"Wow Hermione, when you said in your last letter that you had changed a bit over the summer you made it sound like a bad thing." Harry stated. Hermione was confused.
"It is, isn't it?"
Ron snorted.
"What?" Hermione was still confused. She had developed into a young woman over the summer and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She didn't see it, but she really had changed for the better. She looked absolutely beautiful, and she didn't even need to try. She hadn't changed that much, her bushy hair was still in tact, she had just gotten tired of in her face all the time so she had taken to using muggle gel to tame it. Hair care products became part of her normal morning routine. She'd gotten a little taller, but not much, she was still the shortest of the three by a long shot. Overall it was her aura and physique that had changed. She seemed more confident on the outside, even if it was the opposite of what she felt on the inside.
"Whatever, guys are weird." She retorted.
As soon as the train left for Hogwarts Hermione put her book away. The three friends had a great time catching up on the events of the summer. They didn't even notice when Ginny came in to say hello. As it turned out, Harry had gotten to go stay at the Burrow. The Dursley's were driving him crazy and he was afraid he'd hex them if he stayed on Privet Drive much longer. Ron had tried to owl Hermione to come, but she was staying at her grandparent's house for the end of the summer. Ron's owl, Errol, had a hard time finding her, in fact he didn't at all. He kept coming back with Ron's letter all ripped up and torn. It was just as well for Hermione. Her grandparents would have had a massive heart attack had an owl shown up at their house to deliver Hermione a letter. They had no idea she was a witch, or that there was even a school that taught witchcraft and wizardry. They associated magic with folklore.
Hermione was a little jealous of the boys' chance to see each other before returning to Hogwarts. Although, she was also glad she had the last couple of weeks before school to straighten out her feelings about the events that took place at school the year before.
Before she knew it, Hogwarts was in sight and they only had a few minutes before they would be back in the Great Hall watching the new first years get sorted. Ginny came in to tell them that they would be there shortly and should get their robes on. This made Hermione smile, for it was usually her who went around telling everyone to get ready.
"Hey," Hermione replied, "what took you guys so long to get here? You almost missed the train, again!" She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know the answer to that question. She knew how good the two were at causing mischief if left alone for any period of time.
"Well Ron here."
"Stuff it Harry."
"Never mind," Hermione cut in before this grew into a full blown argument, "I'm not so sure I want to know anymore."
She thought she heard Ron mutter 'good' under his breath.
The train stopped and the three scrambled to get their robes on. Since they were fifth years they were in no hurry to get into the castle anytime soon. They collected their things and set off to catch one of the carriages that would take them up the mountain to the school.
Hermione was the last one in the carriage. She began to gaze at the familiar sights around her. She missed going to the lake on warm afternoons, and watching her friends play quidditch on the pitch. She began shifting in her seat, something was making her feel awkward. She soon realized that Ron was staring at her. He was to her left, and there was nothing else he could be staring at, for there were only rocks to her right. She looked into his eyes and that lopsided grin of his returned to his face. She looked past Ron at Harry and noticed he was looking in the opposite direction, once again stifling a laugh. Just then Ron elbowed him in the side. Hermione could tell that something weird had happened between the two while Harry was at the Burrow, something unspoken and something Harry found extremely funny. She looked at Ron and then strait ahead again. Neither of them said anything. The castle came closer into view and all three of them sat their staring at the building with mixed feelings about the year to come.