DISCLAIMER: Ms JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and most of the characters and places in this fanfic.
Ginny 1946 --- don't worry…Colin has a bigger (ahem) role in the next chapters. It seems like it's easier for Harry to face Voldemort rather than tell Ginny his feelings. Typical guy. Hehehe.
Old soul --- nice to hear from you again… I love Harry and Ginny too. But this isn't just about them.
Arwen --- hope you'll like the next chapters
To all--- thanks. Please r/r!
Chapter 7: Hermione's Valentine
"You're impossible, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled at him. They had another argument about Hermione's demanding work schedule. "If you can't accept that this is my job then maybe… maybe we should put an end at this dratted relationship for good!" She stormed out of his room with a bang.
He sighed. It's not that he can't take Hermione's busy schedule but the thought of her and Dean Thomas together kept on giving him nightmares. Like Hermione, Dean was Muggle-born and they had more things in common than him and her. Though he, Hermione and Harry have been friends since their first year in Hogwarts, Ron can't help but feel this insecurity because other than Victor Krum, it was Dean who first took notice of Hermione. But he was still lucky enough that they ended up together at the end of their sixth year. But now, looks like he really blew things up with Hermione.
He went out of his bedroom to fix himself a quick snack when Harry appeared in the fireplace. "Hey, Ron. You look like you and Hermione broke up." He joked when he saw Ron's grim face.
"We did." He shook his head. "I don't what came over me."
"Let me guess. This is about Dean." Harry sat down beside him. Ron nodded. "But that's nonsense Ron!" He exclaimed. Not believing how stupid Ron could be.
He just sighed. The next thing he wants is to have Harry sermon him about how unreasonable he is. He got up, walked to the kitchen and showed up again with a glass of brandy.
Harry looked at him earnestly as he gulped it all down and placed the glass on the counter. "This is getting out of hand, you two. You've been together for a long time. And I know you've loved her even before that. You can't just throw it all away because of your past with Dean and Seamus!" Harry shook his head.
"I don't know Harry. Maybe because I still haven't gotten over how Dean and Seamus plotted on stealing Hermione from me last year." Ron said helplessly and flanked down beside Harry again. "Oh… what am I going to do?"
Harry sat there, thinking of an advice he could offer to Ron. But his head went blank. Ron could be pretty stubborn most of the times and Hermione could be just as hardheaded.
Ron stood up and headed towards the door. "I'm going out. Walk around here. Maybe go to Diagon Alley. I don't know." And he stepped out of the apartment.
He bumped into Neville and Lavender as he was walking along the corridor. He greeted them with a wan smile.
"Hello, Ron." Neville greeted back. He was carrying bags of groceries.
"Hey Ron, how are you?" Lavender shifted the bags she was carrying.
He just shrugged. He wasn't in the mood for chitchat right now.
"And Hermione?" Lavender pushed. She was in the same year and house as the three in Hogwarts, together with Neville, Dean and Seamus.
"Fine." He answered curtly.
The couple smiled at him and went along. He climbed down the stairs and into the alley. There's still quite a thin layer of snow but he reckons spring will be just around the corner.
He walked along the alley and stopped across Hermione's apartment. Her lights were all dim and her curtains down. He tried to look for any sign of her but after a few minutes, he just turned away and continued walking.
He turned to walk along Diagon, not knowing where to go, he went in the new café. With steaming brew in front of him, he started sorting out his thoughts. About him and Hermione. Hermione and Dean and Seamus. Ginny and Colin. Ginny and Harry. Thoughts started flowing in, some good while others make him more insecure about himself.
When he finally finished his brew, hastily stood up and headed towards the twin's joke shop. Since night has started to engulf the alley, only a few people were inside which made it easier for him to talk to the twins.
"You're the most unreasonable Weasley, you know that?" George said shaking his head as he wrapped up the purchases of a customer. "Thank you, come again." He said to the middle-aged witch.
"I'm sorry Ron but I would have to agree." Fred came up to the counter. "I mean, you're such a stupid, stupid person to let go of someone as great as Hermione. Just because you're insecure with Dean."
"Yeah, you should know better, Ron." George continued. "And besides, you lived with Dean and Seamus in the tower, not mention in the same room for seven years! Why can't you trust them?"
Ron shook her head. "You know what happened to us last year. It's just not that easy to trust them again."
"Okay, but don't you trust Hermione?" Fred asked. "If you love her, you have to trust her. If she loves you, she won't hook up with other guys. Even with Dean and Seamus."
Ron sighed. "I guess you're right. I better go and try to patch things up with her." And he walked out of the shop.
He knocked several times on Hermione's door but she didn't answer. After his tenth futile attempt, he finally gave up and walked slowly up their apartment building where he found Harry cleaning his broomsticks.
"Hey have you heard from Hermione? She's not home." He dropped on the blue lounge chair.
Harry put his Firebolt down and looked at him. "She was just here a while ago. She filed a leave at the Ministry. She went off to spend some time with her family."
"She left?" Ron couldn't believe his ears. "Did she leave a note or whatever for me?"
Harry shook his head and continued with polishing the Firebolt. "You shouldn't have treated her that way. Owl her. But use Pig. I'll be using Hedwig later."
He went in his room and got a piece of parchment and started what was to be his apology letter to Hermione.
He finished writing his letter to Hermione at half past two the next morning. He woke Pig up from his deep slumber in his cage. "Come on Pig, wake up!" He said. "You gotta take this to Hermione."
Pig bounced up and down in his cage, very eager to do the errand Ron is giving him.
Ron felt a sudden gush of sleepiness as he closed the door after Pig went off into the dark sky. He laid his tired body on his bed and drifted off to deep slumber.
Ron woke up late the following morning. He dragged himself out of bed and into the kitchen. He saw Harry there drinking hot chocolate and reading the Daily Prophet.
"Hey," Harry looked up from the newspaper. "You're up late today."
Ron sleepily got himself a mug of hot chocolate and sat across Harry in the table. "Yeah and I missed work. Why are you still here?"
"Ministry called. No session today." He answered.
"Why?" Ron asked
"Beats me." He just shrugged.
"Isn't there any job vacant in the Ministry? I hate my damn job." Rom grumbled.
"I'll ask Dumbledore. We'll meet him tomorrow. Just hang in there okay?" Harry said tapping him at the shoulder. He stood up. "I'm going out to Diagon Alley to buy some stuff. And you?"
He shook his head. "I'll stay here. And think, think, think about my stupidity."
Harry nodded and walked out of the apartment.
Ron heard tapping on the kitchen window. He saw Pig there with an envelope in this beak. He quickly let the owl in and got the letter. Pig hurriedly flew towards Ron's room to get some more sleep.
He opened the envelope quickly and read Hermione's reply.
Ron,
You know sometimes you're impossible to be with but I'm still willing to give you another chance. Meet me at Three Brommsticks tomorrow 2pm.
Hermione
He quickly stood up and got dressed. He was going to Diagon Alley and find Harry. He needs to find an appropriate gift for Hermione.
Hermione looked out of the window of Three Broomsticks. She glanced at her wristwatch. It's thirty minutes past two. She shouldn't have trusted Ron with the time. She can't believe it. Between the three of them, only Ron was given the license to Apparate. He had no real reason to be late.
Just as she was about to order her second bottle of butterbeer, she saw Ron Apparate outside Three Broomsticks with a huge sea green box with a gold ribbon.
"Hey Hermione, sorry I'm late. Angela insisted on putting a gold ribbon on this box." He handed it to her.
"Well if it isn't the latest Hogwarts Marauders!" They heard Madam Rosmerta shout. She walked towards them and sat down with them. "So where's the third Marauder?"
"He's at work." Ron smiled at the old lady. "Quite busy in the Ministry."
"And Hermione, I heard you're in the Ministry, too." She turned to her.
"I'm on leave. Got to have a vacation sometimes." She smiled.
"So how are the three of you?" She asked.
"We're fine. Harry and I live in an apartment in Phyn. Hermione lives across." Ron smiled. "We miss Hogwarts a lot, though."
Madam Rosmerta nodded and her assistant called her from the counter. "I'll leave you two here. Enjoy." She winked and walked away.
"Here. I'm sorry I'm late. And I'm sorry I'm so dim-witted." Said Ron as he gave the gift to Hermione. "Hope you'll like it."
She looked at him with doubting eyes. Ron almost never gave her a decent present. She carefully tore the foil and opened the box. Out came a huge doll in Gryffindor robes, brown bushy hair like Hermione's when they were in Hogwarts and a wand.
"Where did you get this?" Hermione asked, her smile spread from ear to ear.
"Angela helped me conjure it up." He said as he fastened the ribbon on the doll's hair. "Hope you like it."
"Well do I!" She exclaimed and got up to give Ron a hug. "Thank you…it reminds me of the good ol' days."
Her eyes started clouding and before she knew it, tears were flowing down her cheeks. Ron moved his seat to wrap his arms around her. "Shhh…"
"I just miss Hogwarts." She said.
"I miss Hogwarts too, you know." He cupped her chin to make her look straight in his eyes. "But what's important is that we still have each other. You, me, Harry, Ginny, the twins…we never really left Hogwarts. We brought Hogwarts with us when we left."
She smiled at him. Right then she knew… Ron was right.
Harry knocked on Angela's door that evening. She asked him to come over to discuss some things at work. "Angela, are you there?" He opened the door and walked in.
"Harry is that you? Can you just wait by the living room?" He heard Angela from somewhere I the house but can't seem to locate her.
"O-okay." He sat down on her couch full of colorful pillows. He was barely settling down when the consul table full of pictures caught his attention.
He walked over to look at her pictures. The largest one has her and what seem to be her three younger brothers and a cute little sister who looks like her younger version. Another one is her picture with a group of other giggling girls in maroon robes in front of what seems to be a temple, which in Harry's guess in her old wizarding school. One is Angela in royal blue robes with a petite girl in mint green robes, laughing, in front of the Ministry of Magic in London. He guessed it was Myra. But the picture that really got his attention was a Muggle picture of Angela, in Muggle clothes, jeans and rubber shoes, with a tall thin boy with black hair and brown eyes, which reminds him of 16-year-old Tom Riddle when they met in the Chamber of Secrets. Both him and Angela are smiling at the camera. Behind them is what seems to be a small Muggle university building.
"Did I keep you waiting, Harry?" He heard Angela behind him.
He quickly stood up from looking at the pictures and faced her. "No. Not at all." He smiled.
"Well let's start then." She said and led him to her study.
To his surprise, other than the usual wizarding world things, there's a laptop on Angela's study table.
Angela caught him looking at the laptop and smiled. "Some of my friends are Muggles. I can't owl them so I send them email."
Harry nodded. "So what are we supposed to talk about?"
"Actually, Harry, I have a problem." Angela started as the two of them settled down on the chairs there. "Our Ministry of Magic owled me saying I might be needed at home for a while. I talked to Dumbledore about this and he told me you should come with me. Are you willing to? I mean…"
"Of course. Why? What's the problem?" Harry asked eagerly.
Angela sighed. "Last year, I thought we vanquished the greatest Dark Sorceress at home. But it seems we haven't. She's back. And better than before."
"Sounds very familiar." Harry commented.
Angela chuckled. "Yeah. That's why Dumbledore thinks you're best for the job."
"No problem, Angela. I'll help you." Harry assured her.
"Thank you, Harry." She said with pure gratitude.
Ron was sitting on the couch and reading Quidditch Today when Harry came bursting in the room.
"Hey what's up?" He asked.
"Thank your lucky stars today, Ron." Harry said excitingly.
Ron hastily put the magazine down. "Thank you stars. Okay, what is it?"
"I didn't anything about Dumbledore yet about you wanting to work in the Ministry but he asked about you earlier today." Harry started. "So I told him you hate your job and asked if you would want to join International Wizardy with me and Angela. I told him that you'd be ecstatic to start right away. He told me he needed you as soon as possible."
"That is good news!" Ron was overjoyed. "I'll write to that blasted office in Diagon Alley and resign right now. Can I burrow Hedwig. Pig's a big joke there."
Harry nodded but said nothing. Even he's happy that he'll be working with Ron again.
After sending the note through Hedwig, Ron called Hermione by the fireplace to as her if they could go out and celebrate.
"Ron that's great news!" Hermione shouted as he broke the news. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready."
Ron apparated in the Ministry early the next morning. He sat down in the lobby as Angela came through the door clutching her broomstick. "Hey Ron. First day today?" She asked cheerfully. "Harry told me much of your adventures in Hogwarts and he's so happy you'll get to be together more. Even Dumbledore smiled as Harry started telling me about you two."
"Oh, yeah. Dumbledore got us out of pretty nasty situations before. Although we manage just fine." Ron couldn't hide his glee. He'll finally get to work in the Ministry with Harry, and Hermione and his Dad, and well, Percy, too.
Harry walked in the lobby a few moments later, his hair askew, as always, clutching his Firebolt. "Ron! I was wondering where you were. I forgot that you're the only one who got that Apparition license. Come on, Dumbledore's waiting for us."
Harry led them towards the top floor of the Ministry where Dumbledore holds his office. "Professor Dumbledore?" Harry called as he went in the circular room Dumbledore fashioned for himself, almost like his quarters in Hogwarts.
"Oh, Harry there you are." They heard Dumbledore behind them. "And I see you've brought Mr. Weasley with you." He turned to Ron. "I believe Harry has told you about work in the Department he's in. You'll be working alongside him from now on."
Ron nodded. 'Thank you, professor for finding me fit for the job."
"Well with the experience you and Harry here have, I couldn't think of anyone else." He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Well, get to work."
The three mumbled thank you's and started for the door when Dumbledore called Angela.
"Angela, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Sure, Professor." Angela was left behind.
"Why do you think Dumbledore wants to talk to Angela?" Ron asked when they were walking in the corridor going to their office.
"There's mayhem in the Ministry of Magic in SEA. They're probably talking about it so that our Ministry can help." Harry answered.
"Oh, okay." Ron was back to his cheerful self. "Come on, let's visit Hermione and my Dad in Muggle Artifacts!"
"Hermione!" She heard that all familiar voice from the door of her office.
"Ron!" She remembered it's his first day today. "Hello, Harry."
"Where's Dad?" Ron asked.
The three went into Mr. Weasley's private office. "Dad?" Ron called.
"Ronald! What are you doing here?" The balding red head man asked.
"I work here already, Dad. Upstairs with Harry!" He said excitingly. Hermione glanced quickly outside Mr. Weasley's office to see if Seamus and Dean are already there. The last thing she wants is to someone to piss Ron off in his first day in the Ministry. But to her utter disappointment, the two are already there, laughing.
"Congratulations, son. I think it's about time Dumbledore calls you. How are the twins?" He asked.
"The joke shop's still a hit." Ron answered.
Harry tagged his robes to tell him they have to go back upstairs.
"Dad, I'll see you around, okay? Say hello to Mom for me." He waved his father goodbye. Hermione followed the two outside Mr. Weasley's office. She saw Ron's face grow stiff at the sight of Seamus and Dean.
"Hey, Ron. Nice to see you here." Dean greeted and walked towards them.
"Yeah." Seamus seconded. "I heard you'll be working upstairs."
Ron nodded stiffly but Harry nudged him to be little bit more cordial. "Y-yeah."
"Well, we see you around then." Harry led Ron outside, sensing a bad mood coming up.
"Is something wrong with Ron?" Dean asked as he sat down his desk.
Hermione shook her head. "He's just not that forgiving."
The two boys looked at her doubtfully. She shook her head. Why are boys so dense?
"The nerve of them." Ron muttered as they walked up the stairs to their office.
"Ron, that's the past. I thought we agreed to leave it in Hogwarts." Harry couldn't believe how unforgiving Ron could get sometimes. "And besides, Hermione loves you, not Seamus or Dean, okay?"
Ron's forehead creased. "I don't know Harry. I just don't think I can forget it that easily."
Ron and Harry found Angela in her desk already when they got to their office. A desk is now put alongside Harry's that said Ronald Weasley.
"Hey, Angela." Harry noticed the sudden change in Angela's mood. "You okay."
She looked up. "I'm okay, don't worry." She smiled. But a smile that barely reached her eyes.
"Where is that stupid ring?" Harry heard Ron hiss in his bedroom.
He knocked softly and peeked into the room. "Hey, anything I can do to help?"
"I misplaced Hermione's ring, again." He said, as he kept on levitating things to and from.
Harry walked into his room and reached for Ron's top shelf. "Are you looking for this?"
Ron grabbed the black velvet box from Harry and sighed. "I'm such an imbecile."
"You are." Harry said.
"I better go and get this over with, Harry. I can't lose her." Ron said.
"You won't. Hermione loves you." Harry assured him.
Ron smiled at him and headed for the door. "See you in a bit."
"I don't think that would be a good strategy, Seamus." Hermione said to Seamus' head in the fireplace. "I mean I think we should take them unprepared. We must mislead them in making them think the Ministry is lax about these matters. That way, we'll be able to catch them in the act."
Suddenly, Seamus' head disappeared from the crate and in the same instance, his body (and head) showed appeared in the fireplace. "Thought I'd rather come here personally."
"So what do you think?" Hermione asked as she went to the kitchen to fetch some butterbeer for Seamus.
"I think you're right." He agreed and smiled at her as she handed him a butterbeer. "I mean, duh, Herm. You are brilliant. Top of our class and all."
She smiled. "But there are more important things than cleverness." She said humbly. "You know that."
Seamus smiled. He inched a bit closer to her. "Humble Hermione." He said huskily. "That's why I like you so much."
"Uhh…Seamus, I think you're too close…" She slowly moved away from him just as…
"Hermione!" Ron burst into the room.
"Ron!" Hermione stood up quickly. "It's not what you think!"
But Ron Disapparated as soon as she was about to grab his arm.
Harry heard a loud bang in Ron's room a little while later. He thought it must be Pig going berserk in his cage again. But when he heard a loud grunt, he knew Ron was there.
What he saw was a complete shock to him. There was Ron, slouched on his bed, sobbing. "Ron, are you alright?" He asked.
"It's Seamus…"
But Hermione cut him off as she opened his door. "Ron, you've got it all wrong!"
"Wrong? Do you think my eyes would lie to me, Herrmione?" He shouted.
Harry quickly stood up and walked hurriedly outside of Ron's room, pulling the door close as he sat down the couch before the fire. In as much as he hated eavesdropping on Hermione and Ron, he can't help but do so.
"Ron, please listen to me… It's not what you think!" Hermione cried.
Harry's first instinct was to stand up and interfere with the two but his mind said that it wouldn't be wise to do so. It would be better if he'd just leave the two to solve their own problem.
"I saw you almost kissed Seamus! What, did my eyes deceive me or did my girlfriend just kissed my ex-friend." He was sobbing himself. "Just leave me alone, please…"
"But Ron…"
"Just go."
Harry pretended to read Quidditch Today when Hermione came barging out of the door.
"Hermione, are you…" he started.
"I'll be okay." Hermione said and ran out of the apartment. Harry peeked into Ron's room. There he was, sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.
The next day, Ron has gone to the Ministry when Harry went out of his room. Before going to the rooftop to take off in his Firebolt, he knocked on Angela's door.
"Harry, are you on your way to the Ministry? I'll be up in a sec." Angela said as she summoned her Nimbus 2001.
"Wait, Angela… I have a favor to ask you…" He went in her apartment and told her about Ron and Hermione.
Ron is still in a foul mood when Harry and Angela walked in the Department that morning. He can't believe what he saw in Hermione's living room the night before. But still, he can't forget the way Hermione was crying in his room in his room after. It made him want to believe her but still, he believed his eyes more.
He noticed Angela leave the Department after depositing her broom in the broom cabinet. Harry sat down on the table next to him and started looking through the papers filed on his desk. "Alright there, Ron?" He asked.
Ron just murmured and continued on his paperwork.
He didn't notice the wink Angela gave Harry when she walked back in the Department almost an hour later.
"Valentine's day is just around the corner." Harry told Ron as they ate a quiet dinner a few nights later. "Don't you and Hermione have any plans?"
"Harry…" Ron started. "You know Hermione and I are through."
Harry gave him a knowing look. The last time he heard Ron say those words were when they were in seventh year and Dean and Seamus tried to steal Hermione from him.
He just fell silent as he and Ron ate Ron's attempts at what seems to be steak. Harry got up as soon as the last morsel of steak is in his mouth. "I'm going to Angela's."
"Hey Harry!" Angela greeted him as he walked in her apartment.
"So how's our plan going?" He asked eagerly.
"Not that good. Hermione took an indefinite leave of absence from the Ministry." She said. "Just this morning. Just in case you don't know."
Harry was shocked. "She didn't tell me. And I'm supposed to be her friend."
He stood up and went back to their apartment. Ron's already charmed the dishes to clean themselves and he was staring at the fireplace, as if waiting to someone to pop up.
Harry almost ran to his room and wrote a note to Hermione. He woke Hedwig up. "Bring this to Hermione and don't leave until she sends something back." He commanded and watched as Hedwig flew into the night.
It was until three days later when he saw Hedwig flying towards his window again. Ron still in some sort of trance. He almost knocked out George Peterson went he tried to cheer him up in the office.
He quickly got the envelope from Hedwig's beak and lead her back to her cage. She eagerly read Hermione's reply:
Dear Harry,
I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. I'm here in France with my parents. I don't want to see Ron for a while. He doesn't trust me which only shows that he doesn't love me enough, and that hurts me so much. I'll owl you when I decide to come back. I'll keep you posted.
Love from,
Hermione
"Ron!" He called.
"What?" Ron still is in a foul mood.
"Hermione's in France." He informed him.
Ron sat back down. "Do I look like I care? She's nothing but a filthy little bit---"
Ron never finished his sentence as Harry stuck his fist on his nose.
"You won't speak of Hermione that way. She's our friend. Your friend. She never double-crossed you." Harry was furious.
Harry was about to plant another fist on Ron's face when Angela came bursting in the apartment.
"Harry, she took my sister Patricia!" And Angela fell unconscious.
Sorry for that boring chapter. But it has to be there. For continuity and all. Anyway, please R/R. Thanks.