Holy cow you guys I got home from a crappie night at work only to find I got a ton more reviews! I love you guys! Seriously! You totally made my night! I felt sooo much better. So I wrote the next chapter just because you were all so wonderful! I'd like to thank the academy…. Damn! Wrong speech! 

Chapter 11

Hermione and Ron stepped off the bus and looked around the busy city. Ron was in awe at everything around him: Tall buildings, people on roller blades, people wearing headphones, cars honking, lights on the street flickering. Hermione watched him for a second before she spoke up, "Where would you like to go first?"

"I don't have a clue."

"Well since you don't know," Hermione said smiling slightly, "How about I take you shopping for some muggle clothes. You can't go around wearing jeans and a t-shirt the entire week."

"But I don't have any muggle money."

Hermione held up the credit card, "But I do."

"That's muggle money?"

"Well… in a way. It's called charging. The clerk takes the numbers on this card when you buy something and then it takes the money directly out of the bank account."

"Oh. That's handy."

"Yes and no. When you use a credit card, you tend to spend as if you had an unlimited amount. If you keep doing that you could go bankrupt and could get put in jail."

Ron cringed, "Maybe credit cards aren't the greatest idea."

"You just have to know how to use them."

"I see."

Hermione looked down at her hand to make sure Ron was still holding it, she smiled when she saw that he was. So she wasn't just feeling things. She began to walk toward a men's store when she realized that they probably only sold things for older guys. She looked at Ron, "See some of the stuff other guys are wearing?"

"Yeah."

"Do you see anything you like?"

Ron shrugged, "I like those sleeveless shirts-"

"Wife beaters."

"Weird name."

"I know."

"I like some of those shirts." Ron pointed at a guy walking by, "Some of them are dumb."

Hermione nodded, "Yeah those sweaters are 'in' I guess. You'll find the kind of screen print you like."

"What?"

"Never mind." Hermione thought of what he chose. She was thinking maybe a shirt and a new pair of pants. However, if Ron wanted some of the 'cooler' looking clothes it was fine by her, "Alright, Ron Let's go to a department store. Oh! Maybe I can find you some cologne that you can wear at the Yule Ball this year. I hear it's back on again." Hermione mentally slapped herself for saying such a girlish thing aloud, and without thinking first. Cologne of all things…

Ron laughed, "You sounded like Lavender just now."

Hermione was about to speak but a voice cut her off, "Did I hear my name?"

Ron's shoulders literally went slack, Hermione looked at the sky before the two both put on their brightest fake smiles and turned around, "Lavender, hi!" Hermione said.

"Hey, Parvati." Ron said, "How are you?"

The two girls smiled, "We're great."

"What are you two doing here?"

"Well we're here with Dean and Seamus. And I guess Seamus' dad's a muggle so we're here." Parvati said.

"Isn't Seamus from Ireland?" Hermione wondered.

"Yes."

"Okay…" Hermione muttered, "I won't ask."

"So what are you doing here?" Lavender wondered.

"I'm staying at her house for a week and she wanted to take me into a muggle town."

"Oh…" Lavender said, nudging Parvati and giggling.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "So where are Dean and Seamus anyway?"

"They're buying us some muggle candy." Parvati said.

"Of course. Well if you excuse us, we're going to the department store."

"Shopping?!" Lavender and Parvati shrieked in glee.

"You had do say it, didn't you." Ron grumbled.

"It slipped."

"You know we were going to take Seamus and Dean shopping. All of us couples should go together, like a triple date!" Lavender beamed.

"Oh, Lav -" Hermione began.

"So how long have you two been together? We always suspected that you two fancied each other. We always thought you were both too stubborn to admit it." Parvati said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and blushed, "You see-"

"We heard that Harry and Ginny are together, too!" Parvati squealed.

"EEK! I know! It's marvelous!" Lavender agreed.

"Where do they hear this from?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Trust me, Ron, you don't want to know."

"Divination maybe?"

"Don't even start that."

"I'm predicting that you are going to find a way to get rid of them. And I also predict that Harry will die a painful death. Oops! Bloody hell! Somehow that one always creeps into perditions, eh 'Mione?"

"Oh, Ron, you're insufferable."

Lavender and Parvati stopped giggling when Dean and Seamus came back. Seamus clapped Ron on the back, "Hey, great to see you, mate! So, is the woman dragging you into shops?"

Ron's eyebrows shot up. He looked at Hermione out of the corner of his eyes to see her fold her arms and glare at Seamus, "Excuse me? 'Woman?' A little disrespectful don't you think?"

Seamus shoved his hands into his pockets, "Sorry, Hermione."

"Yeah, Hermione is showing me muggle shops."

"So where's Harry?" Dean wondered.

"At his aunt and uncles house I presume." Ron said.

"So it's just the two of you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, so you really are tied down." Seamus said with a laugh.

Lavender giggled.

Hermione blushed. Ron sighed, "Let's not talk about what's going on with me and Hermione. I'm here to get some new clothes."

~*~

Hermione sifted through the racks of clothing, "Ron, do you know what size pants you wear?"

"Size? Uh, I'm not sure…"

"Oh, of course. Um… how about we try these." She held the pants up to Ron, "they're a little short." She pulled out a different pair and held them up, "That's better, eh?"

"I suppose-"

Hermione pulled him to the next rack and sifted through it, looking for a pair of khaki pants, "Ooh! These are great, Ron. See how they have zippers on the legs? Well the bottom of the pant leg comes off so you have shorts."

"Why would you want that?"

"In case it's cold in the morning then gets hot at the end of the day? I don't know I didn't invent them but they look good on guys."

Ron shook his head but couldn't help smiling. Once again Hermione had proven she was a girl. She handed him the two pairs of pants and took his hand confidently, dragging him to a rack of t-shirts, "I'll let you pick one out, make sure it's large."

Ron sighed, "What color?"

"Navy – oh – Ron! Don't trick me like that!"

"Navy, huh?

"No…. it slipped, pick what you want."

"But navy would look good?"

"Yes, but-"

"Okay." Ron pulled out a shirt that read: That's what your girlfriend said at first, too. Ron looked at it in amusement, "People wear this?"

"Sadly."

Ron laughed out loud, "That's hilarious!"

"Get it if you want," Hermione huffed.

Ron snickered and put the shirt back, pulling out a navy one with a solid yellow stripe across, "Conventional and cool?"

Hermione smiled, "Definitely."

They purchased the clothing and wandered to the next level of the department store. Lavender and Parvati were sitting at a counter getting a makeover. Hermione sighed, remembering when her mother made her get makeup. She had made such a fuss the night before when her mother had bought her new foundation and lipstick. Hermione pulled Ron over into the cologne and perfume area to hide from the other girls.

Ron wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air, "I kind of like that smell…. What is it?"

Hermione picked up the bottle of perfume that he was closest to and sprayed a little on her wrist. She sniffed it the held her arm close to Ron's face, "This one?"

Ron nodded, "Yeah that one."

"It says it's 'Midnight in the Lagoon' what a strange name."

"I like it."

Hermione quickly filed that away in her memory for later use.

"Well, did we get what we came for?" Ron wondered.

"Are you saying you want to leave?"

"I guess."

Hermione laughed, "Good, let's get out of here."

~*~

Hermione watched as Ron exited the bathroom where he changed into his new muggle clothing. He noticed her looking and held up his arms, holding the department store bad in one of his hands, "Well?"

"I like them, they're very becoming."

Ron groaned, "You sound like my mum."

Hermione smiled as Ron sat across from her, she pushed a hot fudge sundae towards him, "I can't finish this, do you want it?"

"When have I ever said no to food?"

"Miracles do happen."

Ron rolled his eyes and took a bit of the ice cream. Hermione watched him for a second before clearing her throat, "Ron?"

"Yeah?" Ron wondered, scooping another spoonful of the treat into his mouth.

"Why do you always stick up for me? Even though we always fight?"

Ron put the spoon down and looked at her intently,  "We haven't fought this week."

"I know, but at school we do, and then Malfoy always calls me a mud-"

"Don't say it."

Hermione blushed, "-and you're always the first one to stick up for me."

Ron shrugged, "I'm not sure, I guess I just feel protective of you or something."

Hermione tried to suppress a smile, "Well thank you, Ron. And thank you again for yelling at Lawrence. Maybe someday I can return the favor."

"You do everyday," Ron mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," Ron said quickly, "You know we should finish that game of basketball sometime. The game ended right when it got interesting. I know you know I'm going to win, that's why we never finished."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Yeah it is."

"Let's finish it then."

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Sorry this took a little while to get up and sorry it's short, I didn't make up for the last chapter! Sorry! Anyhow it's not great, but I'm building to something, really, it's just taking a little while to get there. Oh! Guess what? I got accepted into college! ^_^ Just thought you'd all like to know. If I can do it anyone can! I have like a 2.7 gpa…. er…… yeah, I'm no Hermione LoL! READ and REVIEW everyone! Sooooooooooo tired. Lyl!

~*~Lenny~*~