A/N: Thanks to the reviewers: Satar,Dannie7, deamos-daughter, Luna Writer. Thanks guys for sticking with me, and please…if you know anyone who might like to read my story, please refer them. It seems kind of pointless right now to keep writing if only 5 people are reading it each time I update. Y'all might hate me for doing this to my story, but this has been planned for ages, and no matter how much you beg, I'm not going to change it. I'm a pumpkin at heart, and I can't go one much longer doing the plot I've been "sailing" on.
Chapter XIV- Shut Up
"you nag, you brag, and I gag/there was so much beauty in what we had/you must have better things that you can do/or does your life revolve around me too/you want what I need/oh please/I think you get off hearing yourself speak/round and round in the conversation/always ends where it begins/round and round and I need a vacation…shut up/don't want to be polite/it's messed up/how you always think you're right/there's nothing you can say to me to change the way I feel…."
Shut Up, Kelly Osborne
"Ron, where do you want all your old Quidditch shirts put?" Hermione said, calling down the stairs of the Burrow, where Ron was stuffing his trunks full of his most important possessions to take with him to Hogwarts.
"Leave them here! I won't need them!" Ron said struggling with the latch of his over stuffed trunk.
"Okay!" Hermione said, placing the shirts back into the drawer. She shut it, then examined Ron's bedroom, which hadn't changed much over the years. He still had Pig, which even Ron had grown quite fond of, even in Pig's old senile age. The small owl sat wearily on the perch, his small head folded under his wing, sleeping. The walls still boasted Chudly Cannon team member poster, the subjects flying expertly in and out of the frame, waving and smiling brightly at Hermione. His chest of drawers was half empty, leaving most of his causal clothes behind, opting for a more formal set of robes had a just purchased.
"Is there anything else you want from up here?" Hermione called
"There's a drawer full of extra parchment and quills in my desk, will you please bring it down with you?"
"Sure!" Hermione called back, then reentered the room. She took to the desk, opening drawers looking for the contents. She opened one of the last drawers which was full of papers and grubby looking quills. She pulled out the parchment, some falling on the floor. She cursed her clumsiness then began picking up the papers. She set them up on the desk, coming across a piece with a pretty cursive writing that she didn't recognize:
Dearest Ron,
I'm sitting her all alone, missing you greatly. When are you coming back for me? I hope soon, because I don't think I can stand another night with out you with me. I wake up every morning, looking at the empty space next to me in bed, imagining your face smiling at me. Please send me back a letter soon, I am dying to even read about what you are doing in England. Have you gotten a job yet? I hope not, so then you can have an excuse to come back to live with me! Hope to see you soon-
With all my love,
Millie
Hermione just stared at the writing, the words not fully sinking in to her thoughts.
"Ron?" Hermione yelled down frightfully, holding back tears.
"Yes? What's wrong?" He called from the bottom of the stairs, picking up the panic in her voice.
"Will you come here please?" She said, just loud enough for him to hear her and start to ascend to the room.
"What's wrong, 'Mione?" He said, going over, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She admeaditly shook it off, thrusting the letter in his hand.
"What's this?" She asked. Ron stared at it, reading the words. His face contorted into worry.
"Hermione, it's not what it sounds like-"
"No Ronald Michael Weasley, I think it's exactly what it sounds like! I knew you lied to me when you said you stayed faithful! I should have known. You always were starving for any kind of attention. I knew you couldn't keep your promise very long. But I swallowed you story, even though I didn't want to. How could you, Ron?" She said, her back turned to him, to angry to even look at his face.
"Hermione, look at me. I didn't mean anything, I swear. I was drunk, and lonely, and when I woke up the next morning, I knew it was a big mistake. That's when I came home, because I didn't want to stay in America with Millie. Millie couldn't replace you, she can't even come close to you."
"I bet she's tall, and blonde and has big breasts, and a beautiful face. I bet I'm not even fit enough to stand next to her."
"Hermione, you are the only one I ever wanted-" Ron said reaching out to her, grapping her arm.
"Shut up, Ron! I'm so sick of this!" Hermione said turning to face him, pulling her arm away roughly. "There are so many better things you could be doing, having sex with Millie, fighting werewolves in Mongolia, and vampires in Cambodia. But you're here, with you little book worm, homely, plain Hermione. You nag 'Make love to me Hermione, I love you Hermione. I swear I kept my promise Hermione'; then you brag to all of your friends 'I had the best sex last night, all I have to do it picture Hermione with fake blonde hair and huge boobs and it's all good.', I bet that's what you do. Ronald, I feel like gagging at the sight of you! You always tell me 'you want what I need.' Please, give me a break! The nice, polite, mannered, 'yes Ron, of course!' Hermione is gone. You'll never see her again. And don't speak, there is nothing you can possibly say right now to change the way I feel." She said, brandishing her wand, her eyes silted dangerously, her lips, as mean pink line.
"Hermione, but-"
"Don't you even think of following me Ron. Don't send me owls, don't floo over. Don't visit on weekends. This is over. It's done. I never want to see you ever again!" Hermione yelled, her voice as poison like snake venom.
"Hermione I-" Ron interjected.
Hermione brought her hand up, and slapped his face hard, the sound reverberating though the empty house. She apperated out quickly, leaving Ron in a state of shock.
"Ron, is everything alright? Did Hermione leave?" Mrs. Weasley called up the rickety stairs
"Everything's fine, mum!"
"Did Hermione leave?"
"Yes." Ron managed to croak out.
"Well, will she be back?"
"No…not for a while." Ron said, sitting down on his bed, hanging his head in shame.
Hermione apperated outside the door of Harry apartment with out knowing. She just wanted to leave, even thinking of Ron made her want to throw up. She knocked on the door weakly, tears beginning to flow down her face. She prayed he was home.
Harry opened the door, in which Hermione flung her arms around his middle, beginning to wail.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He said, surprised at her display. Hermione just continued to weep into Harry's chest, getting out all the emotion she refused to let Ron see. She couldn't let Ron have the satisfaction of seeing her in this state. Harry managed to back into her living room, getting her out of the corridor of the building.
"Harry, it-it-it was horrible!" She wailed, finally removing herself from his body.
"'Mione, what was horrible?" He asked, sitting her on the couch, taking her hands.
"I-I-I was helping Ron pack his things to-to-to move into Hogwarts today, and-and-and-and I found a letter!" Hermione was still sobbing, causing her stuttering and her dramatic wording.
"A letter? From whom?" Harry asked, knowing it must have been bad.
"This girl, no…whore from-from America, talking about wanting to see Ron again, and-and-and have sex with him…again!" She said leaning into Harry once more.
"Shhh, it's alright, cry all you need Hermione, I'm here." He said, stroking her hair.
"I should have just trusted my gut. What ever hap-hap-happened to sensible Hermione?"
"She feel in love." Harry replied simply, hugging her.
Hermione lifted her head from his chest, wiping the tears away from her face.
Harry handed her a box of tissues.
"Thanks, Harry. You're always here for me. I didn't want to go home and tell Ginny that her brother cheated on me, I didn't have the heart."
"That was probably a good idea. Do you want something to drink?" He asked her.
"Do you have any kind of juice?"
"Yeah, pumpkin juice…" He said trailing off.
"That's perfect." She smiled slightly and leaned back onto the soft cushions as he rummaged around in the kitchen.
"Ronald, what did you do?" Mrs. Weasley said stopping up the stairs.
"Mum, I don't want to talk about it…" Ron said rubbing his head, wondering how he could have been so stupid.
"Yes you will, because you must have done something really stupid for sensible little Hermione to yell like that." She said, standing in the door frame.
"Mum, I said I don't want-"
"And I said I want to know! No matter how old you are, I am still you mother." Molly said, putting her hands on his hips, walking further into the room.
"Mum, seriously, this isn't for you to know!"
"She slapped you didn't she?" Mrs. Weasley replied, inspecting Ron's red cheek closer. There was a bright crimson outline where he hand made contact with his face.
"Yes mum, please, will you leave me alone?" Ron said, his voice getting louder.
"She figured out didn't she?"
"Figured out what?" Ron said looking at his mother as if she was crazy.
"Oh, you should have known by now, that I know everything, Ron. And if I don't know, I find out. She figured out you broke your promise to her while you were in the US, didn't she?"
Ron looked up at Molly, shame filling his face. "You knew all along didn't you?"
"Yes, Ronald, I knew. I forgive you, though. And if you play your cards right, Hermione will as well." She said, taking her son's hand.
"I have a feeling I won't be talking to Hermione in a long time." Ron replied, angry at himself.
"She needs her time to cool off, and you need your time to think about what you did." Molly said seriously.
"Trust me, I think I will punish myself enough, just having to live with it." He got up and gathered the pile of parchment, along with the letter down stairs. He went to the large hearth, throwing the letter into the flames and watched it curl and burn into ashes.
"Draco? What time is it?" Ginny said, waking from her slumber, flicking her eyes open to see Draco awake, watching her sleep.
"12:30...do you need to go anywhere?" He asked
"No…well, yeah later, I'm having dinner at the Burrow, and your coming too…"
"Well thanks for asking me if I wanted to go!" Draco said, rising his eyebrows.
"There isn't a question if your going or not. Your going to have dinner at the Burrow, end of story." Ginny said stretching. Her speech distorted by her yawning.
"Not that I don't want go, but I have to go to this business party tonight." He said seriously.
"Can't you blow it off?" Ginny asked, getting peeved.
"No…not if I want to continue to be successful in my business. It's this stupid thing, this party for publishing executives. I was hoping you would come with me!" He said, getting up, walking over to her.
"Well I can't! My mother would have a fit. We're celebrating Ron getting his job…it's his last night at the Burrow." She said, ignoring him, throwing on her clothes from the day before.
"Ginny, it's not like you live there anymore, and you won't be able to see him very much. You live in Hogsmeade for Merlin's sake, he can take a carriage from Hogwarts and be at your house in fifteen minutes!"
"It's not that I'll miss Ron, it's just that I'll never hear the end of it from my mother. She takes it personally if someone can't be at a family function because of something over work, or other relationships. She has always put family first, and she expects us to as well."
Draco thought for a minute. "Wait what time does your mother want us there?" He asked.
"Oh, I don't know…5:30. We always eat at 5:30." She said, brushing her hair into a pony tail.
"Oh, this will work out. We'll have dinner there, because the party doesn't start until 8:30. There will be plenty of time."
"Wait, what kind of party is this?"
"I don't know…a cocktail party…a dancing party…?" Draco said running his hands though his hair, a habit he had picked up from Ginny.
"No, stupid, what am I supposed to wear to it?" She said rolling her eyes as if her question were obvious.
"Oh, don't worry about that! I got you something…" Draco said, kissing her cheek and hurried to his closet. He pulled out a large white box with a red satin ribbon.
Ginny's eyes grew wide. "Draco, my birthday isn't until next month…"
"Who said it was a birthday gift?" He said, holding the box out to her.
She took the box, her eyes sparkling. She carefully undid the ribbon, setting off to the side. She slowly opened the lid to the box, revealing a beautiful white dress robe. Ginny gasped. It was made of white silk that was as pure of color as milk; looking closer, Ginny saw small threads of sliver running though the white, making it look like the garment radiated light. She reached down and delicately touched the fabric, rubbing it between her fingers.
"Do you like it? I had Hermione tell me your size…I'm not good at guessing those things." He said, putting his arms around her waist, leaning over her.
She turned around, meeting his gaze. "I love it! It's so beautiful, it must have cost you a fortune!"
Draco smiled "I'm glad you like it. You can wear it tonight!"
"Can I owl my mother and tell her we'll be leaving early? She will be a bit upset, but she'll get over it."
"Harry, where's Gwen?" Hermione asked, sipping her juice.
"She left two days ago. She was only staying with me until her ex boyfriend had time to cool off after she broke up with her. She was scared he was going to come after her, which sounds like your situation." He said, straightening a pile of old daily prophets from the week on the coffee table.
"I would rather not talk about that right now. I don't want to puke up my breakfast."
"Speaking of," Harry said changing the subject, "do you want some lunch? We can go out Diagon Alley, or even somewhere else."
"Can we go to a Muggle restaurant?" Hermione asked, getting excited.
"Why?" Harry asked, wondering what would possess her to want to go and eat where Muggles were.
"Because I suddenly have the craving for sweet and sour chicken, and I haven't found a wizarding restaurant that serves Chinese food yet." Hermione said, pulling Harry up from the sofa.
"Chinese? Do you know how long it's been since I was at a Chinese restaurant? I think I was with your family, that summer, going into our sixth year, and I refused to stay the Dursely's…"
"Speaking of them, do they ever contact you?" Hermione asked, stretching her arms above her head, causing her shirt to raise, showing her tummy button.
"Of course not! Why should they? They hate me and I hate them. Muggles get a bad rap because of people like the Dursely's." Harry said pocketing his wand and wallet, "It's been ages since I took the underground." Harry replied, opening the door for Hermione.
"Oh, me too. Oh well, we'll be just like any other tourists. Do you have Muggle money?" Hermione said, whispering the word 'Muggle', so any passerby's wouldn't hear.
"Yeah, every time I get paid I put a 50 galleons into pounds so I won't have to go into Diagon Alley just to buy a tin of green beans. The goblins hate me there, they hate dealing with the pounds." He said, pulling out his wallet, showing Hermione the bills.
"Those things hate everyone. I only deal with them when I visit mum and dad"
She said getting into the elevator with Harry when the bell dinged.
"Do you feel like your in limbo between two worlds?" Harry asked, pushing the button for the lobby.
"You know, the only time I notice how different we are is when I'm with Muggles, or my parents. Everything is just so easier in the wizarding world. When you want to go somewhere, all you have to do is disapperate. You don't have to hail a cab or find money for the underground or get into the car." Hermione said, the door opening and the pair exiting, heading for the main doors of the building.
"Good afternoon, Mr. James, Miss." The door man said tipping his hat to them, opening the door.
Once they were out of an ear shot of the man, Hermione replied "Your not under H. Potter here?" She asked.
Harry laughed. "No! Merlin knows what could happen if someone who wanted to kill me figured out where I lived, and it would just be to easy if I was under H. Potter!"
"Yeah, so your under Harry James? Much less obvious!" Hermione said rolling her eyes.
"No, I'm under Edward James." He replied, feeling smug that he proved Hermione wrong.
"Oh. Anyways, where's the nearest underground station?" She asked feeling defeated.
"Around the corner. I believe it's Belsize park, I'm not sure though. Do you even know where we are going?" Harry asked.
"Of course I do! My aunt lived here for the longest time. When I would visit during my summers, she would always take me out to dinner at this one little joint right by the Piccadilly station."
"The trick is, how do you get there from here?" Harry said, standing in front of the station.
"Oh it can't be that hard! All we have to do it well the clerk where we want. "She said, pulling him up to one of the windows.
"May I help you?" An indignant old woman replied.
"Yes, we need two 2 way tickets to Piccadilly stop." Hermione said triumphantly, almost proud of her self that she still knew how to use Muggle transportation.
"Three pounds fifty." the lady said into the microphone. Harry dug into his wallet, pulling out 3 pound pieces and a fifty pence coin, placing it in the metal slot. The lady pushed back two tickets. Hermione thanked her, and handed Harry his ticket.
"See, that was easy…" Hermione said, sticking her ticket in the hole, the turnstile opened. Harry waited for the doors to close again, then stuck his ticket in the machine. They collected their tickets on the other side, then headed towards the steps.
"Yeah, it was easy, but now we have to figure out which station to get off at or if we have to change lines."
"That's why they have these big maps on the wall!" Hermione said stopping at the bottom, and pointed at the underground map.
Harry rolled his eyes and whispered "Couldn't we have just apperated to an empty alley near by?"
Hermione said "Yeah, it has 4 years since the last time I was in regular London, and you expect me to remember where a diserted alley is where we can apperate into?" Hermione whispered back, not taking her eyes off the map. "Look, here it is. Piccadilly is the first stop on the gray line. We are on the green line right now. When we get to Lighter Square, we switch to the Piccadilly one for one stop, and then we get off." Hermione said, tracing the line with her finger.
"Fine, let's go! I'm hungry!" Harry replied as his stomach agreed with his plea for food. Hermione laughed and smack his stomach, causing Harry to double over laughing.
"Humor and ex-Muggle, eh?" She said and turned the corner to the north line.