Disclaimer: Nope, we still don't own them. We just have our Legolas and Frodo clones^^
Notes: Nothing this time...actually, we have written some answers to your reviews! You can see them at the bottom!! If we have forgotten to mention you....then we are sorry! Tell us in your review and we will do it next time! Ah yes, and if you have questions, you can always ask them. We will answer them in the next chapter then!!!!*sweet smile* - This chapter was fun to write! I enjoyed it - and I hope you like it, too. ~Kaeera

Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings

by Kaeera & Latrisha

Chapter 5: Fast Food

Hermione sighed relieved. It was over, finally! She hadn't expected it to be that bad...Ron who had been so embarrassing! And all the people who cheered loudly about a stupid goal - honestly! She could have spent these 90 minutes with something far more interesting. Boys! You can never understand them.
The three Hogwarts students left the stadium and the ride home was uneventful. They sat in the car in a satisfied, relieved and - in Ron's case - embarrassed silence. Just her father was bubbling about the game, and Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"What shall we do now?", she asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, then Harry suggested: "Maybe we could eat something?"
Hermione leaned back in her seat. "That'll be good. I am a little bit hungry. Do you have something in your mind?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Ehm, actually I was thinking of this certain...restaurant..ehm...McDonalds'?", he said very fast and smiled a bit.

"Why McDonald's?", the girl asked curiously.

"What is McDonald's?", Ron wanted to know.

"Because I have never been there - the Dursley's didn't take me. And I always wanted to try the food there..."

"Hey, what is McDonald's?", Ron asked again.

"I don't like the food there, but if you want, we can go.", Hermione told Harry and announced to her father that he should drive them to a place in the city centre where they could easily walk to the next fast-food restaurant.

"I was ASKING something!!", Ron repeated annoyed. "You like it to ignore me?"

"I will drop you there on the corner, is that okay?", Mr Granger spoke, and Hermione answered: "Yes, it's okay. When I remember it right, there's a McDonald's only five hundred meters away - we can walk that."

"HEY!!", Ron shouted.

"That's cool!", Harry pointed out happily.

"WHAT IS THIS MC DONALD'S THINGENS NOW??? CAN YOU TELL ME??? AM I INVISIBLE OR WHAT????", Ron screamed finally with all the power he had. He was fuming.

"Calm down, Ronald Weasley.", Hermione ordered firmly. "McDonald's is a fast food restaurant. Ron glared at her. "And what exactly is a fast food restaurant???"

"A place where you get your food very quickly." Harry explained and looked out of the window when the car stopped. "Guess we are there. Let's get out!"
They opened the door and scrambled out of the car. "Thanks for driving, dad.", Hermione shouted back and closed the door. Her father winked and left.

"Is the food there good?", Ron questioned when they were heading into the direction Hermione had showed them.

Harry smiled and answered: "I've never tried it. It's just that every typical muggle teenagers goes to the McDonald's, so I wanted to try it, too.", he felt very excited. Before his time at Hogwarts, he had heard kids talking about McDonald's, and often his classmates would meet there after school. As the outsider he had been, Harry was never invited to such events, but the Dursleys wouldn't have let him go anyway, so it hadn't been that bad. He had just been curious how the food there was...

"The food in Hogwarts is much better!", Hermione insisted. "Hamburger and Cheeseburger...they taste all the same, are expensive, and you become fat after eating them!"

The two boys sighed in unison. "Do all girls think the same?", Ron threw his hands in the air, "You become fat...", he imitated Hermione. "Honestly, if something tastes good, I eat it, never mind if it makes me fat or whatever! Why do girls always think of their figure??"

"Maybe that's the fault of boys like you!", Hermione said coldly, "After all, I remember a certain Ronald Weasley who said that didn't want to go to the Yule Ball with a girl because she was ugly in his eyes. And he would have preferred it to go with a girl who looks beautiful but has nothing in her brain!!!", she had shouted the last few words, and Ron backed away. "That has nothing to do with that!", he tried to defend himself, but he didn't have much success. Hermione just snorted. "Oh yes, really!" She glared at him and Ron gulped.

"Hey hey!", Harry interfered, "Why do you always have to fight?"

"She/He started it!", they both shouted and pointed at each other. Then they continued to glare.

"Ooookay...", Harry sighed, "You can continue your personal war - but I will eat something now. Stay here forever if you want!", he left them and entered the fast food restaurant.
It took them some minutes after they had cooled off enough to follow him.

* * *

HERMIONE'S POV

I snorted one last time and then I entered the restaurant. It was full of young people at my age, all who were eating junk-food, talking and shouting (pervert) things. I really didn't like the food here that much. It was fat, it was expensive, and you could eat masses of it without being satiated. But when I had seen the look in Harry's eyes, when he had suggested this, I couldn't say no. As much as I hated this, I could understand why he wanted to do this. It was normal. Every teenager did it.

The boy-who-lived had always wanted to be normal. Being normal, that meant having both parents, and not a crazy muggle family and a godfather who had been prisoner in Azkaban. It would have been cruel to say no.

And then there was another reason: I wanted to see Ron's reaction. Of course I would never tell him, but it was just incredible cute when he got these big eyes every time he saw something new (like, oh, let me say, every two minutes^__^). And how he tried not to show his obvious curiosity and...fear. He looked like a little child. Frustrated I noticed that my anger had already vanished. I just couldn't stay mad at him...I could prevent that I did, but actually I was hurting me more with this than him (numerous fights had taught me this).

Really, having a crush on somebody wasn't that easy....what! Hermione! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??? I don't have a crush...on NOBODY! Honestly, nobody would fall in love with Ronald Weasley, this clumsy, annoying, thick-headed, hot-tempered, sweet redhead!!!
NONONONO!! I wasn't...never! I have heard things which happen to people who are in love...they just the one person and forget everything! I can't afford it to forget everything! I have to study....I have to concentrate on my books.
Hermione, girl, you are stupid! You would never fall in love with Weasley, would you? He's always fighting with you! He probably hates you....and how often did he hurt you?

No. I didn't have a crush. Never. Forget about it.

I shook my head and followed Harry to a table in the near of the window. Ron sat down and stared at his surroundings.

"So, what do you want?", I asked, taking out my purse.
Both boys made faces. "Ehm...we can choose?", Harry asked perplex, and I sighed. "Of course you can choose, silly. This is a fast-food restaurant, after all! You can get hamburger and cheeseburger and all the unhealthy stuff..."

Ron gaped. "What is a hamburger?", he wanted to know.

"Something to eat?", Harry offered helpfully.

"Yeah, but what?"

"Ehm...Dudley always liked that, but I never got one...Isn't it with bread and...ketchup???"
I felt the sudden urge to hammer my head against the next wall.

Soccer Match was okay.

Visiting McDonald's was okay, too.

But one followed by the other? NO! Definitive NO!

"Okay, guys.", I ordered finally. "You two stay here and I will look for something. Just don't complain, is that clear?", they both nodded, and I left the table. A last glance back over my shoulder told me that they were allright, and then I was there. McDonald's. I could see the hamburgers packed in the papers and I once again remembered what a waste it was and how bad for the environment. Carefully I scanned the list, but all the names were confusing the heck outta me...this was food? It sounded like some invented words...I decided that taking three menus would probably be the best, so I ordered them. Three different ones, of course, so that we could exchange if we didn't like them. The young girl behind the desk had some difficulties to understand me, and I had to repeat my orders. Impatiently I waited for the food and looked around. The place was crowded, but not as crowded as usual....probably because of the football match.

I had always wondered why all the teenagers loved it to come here. I mean, it's really nothing special, is it? You just sit there and talk with your friends while you are eating....exactly the same thing I was doing right now, I mentally sighed. Well....little Hermione had never been the usual girl. Always an outsider, huh? Have always been, until I came to Hogwarts. Strange things happened to me, especially with books involved. And the girls in my class never wanted to be friends with me because I was uncool. And the boys ignored me - out of the same reason. You can't imagine how happy I had been when I got this letter from Hogwarts. But then people there tended to ignore me, too....or even worse, making fun of me. It was terrible...I felt so lonely...

But one day...one day everything changed. And I got some wonderful friends. I started to realise that there are more things in life than books...
And then I stopped the musing, because the meals came. I looked down on the three big burgers or whatever...the coke and the chips (A/N: pommes frites? Frites? How do you call them? In British English, it's usually 'chips', isn't it? But I don't know the American word for it). I could smell the fat and frowned. Oh well. Better get over with it soon, so I walked back to the table.

They waited impatiently when I slowly made my way back. "FOOD!", Ron shouted loudly and took the tray out of my hands. "What took you so long?"
I glared at him. "The fact that there are many people here who wanna have food, too, and the fact that we are in the muggle world, meaning that the people CAN'T witch the meals!"

Ron frowned. "Actually, a simple 'Because' would have been enough."

"What?", he continued, when he noticed the piercing stare of Harry. "I didn't do anything!!"

"Oh, yeah, whatever.", Harry muttered and looked down on the food. "So, what did you bring us, Hermione?", he wanted to know and examined one of the burgers.

"I forgot the names.", I told them, "But this one is with chicken, this with beef and this one...ehm", I scanned it, trying to find out what it was, "Can't tell you. Have never seen something like that." I shrugged. Ron's eyes became big. "WHAT!", he nearly screamed. "Hermione doesn't know anything?" he started grinning. "That's a feast today, people....the first day Hermione doesn't know an answer...I'm flabbergasted...I am stunned...", he started to pretend sobbing, "I waited so long for this...so long...I never thought it would come*sniff*!", and he took out a tissue and blew his nose.

I felt that my head became red and hissed: "Stop it, you idiot! It's not that I know everything, okay?"

"Maybe not everything, but everything WE don't know.", he smiled mischievously.

"That's not much to know.", I retorted, trying to ignore Harry who had started laughing and was pounding his head on the table.

"Oh, ye...what?", Ron suddenly realised that it hadn't been a compliment what I said and looked insulted.

"May I remind you that it was you who started this?", I said, "And Harry, could you please stop laughing? I don't see anything funny in this!"
He wiped the tears of laughter away and took a deep breathe. "Of course it is funny!" He recieved two threatening glares and gulped. "Or maybe it's not...ehm...that funny at all...hehe...", he put one hand behind his head: "Let's better start eating, okay?"

We agreed.


RON'S POV

Eating. Yeah okay.

I stared down on the tray and compared it with the food I knew yet. Mum's food was always great - and always served on a plate. Where was the plate, anyway? Maybe Hermione had forgotten it? I searched, but when I watched the other tables, I realised that the others hadn't plates, either.

Okay.

Slowly I took one of the so-called Burgers and packed it out of the paper. I guessed it was chicken, it certainly looked like that, but I wasn't entirely sure. Glancing over at Harry told me that he had the same thoughts in his mind.

I opened the burger and examined the wobbling bread. At least I assumed that it was bread - it didn't seem to have the consistence of it, and I briefly wondered if it had been Hagrid who had cooked. I immediately neglected this trail of thought - would it have been Hagrid, the bread would have been too hard to bite.
There was something thing under the bread . Obviously the meat, but what was that? With my fingers I grabbed for the little thing and lifted it up in the air. It was small, round and had a strange sickly green color.

"What is that?", I asked and moved the thing. It wobbled, and I had the sudden urge to throw it away. Hermione looked up from her own burger and said: "It's a gherkin."

"A gherkin??", I repeated shocked. "But gherkins are supposed to be...well, you know...not so soft...and wobbling!"
Harry opened his burger as well and sniffed at his gherkin. "I don't smell anything.", he admitted and compared his gherkin to mine. "Maybe it's made of rubber!", he suggested.

"Maybe it's a poisoned mush-room!", I continued smiling. "Ya know, I bet there's Snape standing in the kitchen and rubbing his hand because his greatest enemy will die of this..." We both imagined the picture of Snape standing in a kitchen, clothed like a chief and started laughing.

"Honestly, you two behave like kids!", Hermione groaned, but didn't manage to hide her smile.

"Yep!", we both answered unison and continued laughing. My gherkin splashed back on the burger, making a strange noise. I stuffed the bread on it and lifted the burger. "Okay...I will do it now...I will eat it!" and I opened my mouth, taking a huge bite of the strange food. Fast food...

I had to admit...it didn't taste that bad...When I forgot how disgusting the gherkin-thing had appeared, I could even enjoy it. "Mhm's Mnot Mfo Mbwad!", I mumbled.

"What?", Hermione snorted. She did never like my manners. I swallowed what I had in my mouth and repeated: "It's not so bad." I took a second bite.

"Actually, it tastes really good! What do you think, Harry?"

He didn't respond, because his mouth was full, but his nod told me all I needed to know. Ccome on, Hermione, you have to admit, it really doesn't taste that bad!"

She shrugged. "But it's still fat!"

I grinned. "Why do you fuss about such things? I don't think that you need a diet....looks perfect like that!" She stared at me, forgetting about her burger, and her cheeks became pink. I realised what I had said and could have slapped me! Now she surely thought of me as an idiot...I blushed and started eating again, hoping Harry didn't make a comment about this whole situation.

There was an akward silence, until Harry decided to break it. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the week, Hermione?"
She sighed relieved and answered: "There's this interesting museum with an exhibition about dinosaur...I thought it might interest you, you don't hear much of this creatures in the magical world.

"What are dinosaurs?", I wanted to know.

"Huge animals which have lived millions of years ago."

"Why shall I be interested in animals who are dead? We have enough gnomes and dragons in our world..."

"You haven't even looked at it, Ronald Weasley!"

"And I don't want to."

"I accompanied you to this football game, now you can go with me to the museum...that's what we call a deal!"

"This week was supposed to be fun..."

"It would be fun if you wouldn't wail all the time!!"

"I don't wail!!!"

"Oh, sure!"

"Guys!", Harry interrupted with a warning tone in his voice. "Stop it. It gets annoying with the time, believe me! We'll go to this museum - I must admit that dinosaurs interest me, too. I have never been in a museum!"
Hermione glanced at me triumphantly and I avoided her gaze. Bah, museums....muggle museums were certainly boring!!!

"Ooooookay...", I agreed gloomily. "But first let's finish this, okay?

"Don't worry.", she reassured me, "We will go tomorrow, that means today we have much time for relaxing and eating. Maybe we can go for an ice-cream somewhere in the city later."

"Ice-cream?" I started grinning. I loved ice-cream! At least this day was a success!!!!

But museums...old stinky places filled with old memories nobody wanted to see. It was enough to have History Class in schoo, but doing something like that in your free-time? Nope...I never could understand Hermione. She should makem ore sports, be more relaxed...And maybe she should just try to understand that I didn't like books, had never did and would never will. Wasn't this tolerance? honestly, it was my own fault when I failed the exams...so why did she always worry about it? I sighed one last time and stared on my burger. Strange, wobbling, fat muggle food, somewhat good tasting. Definitely one of their better inventions...although I didn't want to know what this gherkin REALLY was....

Taking another bite, I realised that I didn't want to know either what for a meat it was...but since I had never cared about banal things like that, I forgot about this immediately. Images of the museum wandered around in my mind and I shuddered.

I would definitely need this ice-cream!


To be continued...



Hey folks, thanks for all the reviews, you're really great! We were so happy about them that we just HAD to write some answers! Uhm...here they are!

- Delekhan Silversword: uhm, why are we calling it soccer? You're right, normally it is football, like in German, but we thought you might change that with the other football (you know, the game with that odd egg-ball). Soccer is too much American, isn't it? And in English class, we have to use the word soccer...so it really isn't our fault*snicker*. But besides, the chapter is over now, and if there's anything else to come which has to do with football, we'll certainly use the right word now *lol*
Thanx for reviewing^.^

- Allison M Potter: Please, please, of course we're mailing them who wanna read this. (the few..)
Waah, we wrote "Griffindor" instead of "Gryffindor", didn't we (Kaeera: "Actually, Latrisha did. I wasn't involved...*gets hit by Latrisha*)? Iaay, how embarrassing really, in German it is written Griffindor (and Hermione is Hermine, try to pronounce that in German, it sounds awfully!) Will never happen again! Please review again, and thanx^.^

- Wolf of Solitude: Hmm, let us see what is the punishment for forgetting to read our story? *fetch the hammers from the cellar* Mwahahahaha, try to escape, you won't succeed!!! Only kidding, we would try to forgive you for, let's say,hmm, about 100$ everyone, is that OK? Think about it. Otherwise *look at the two hammers* Hehehe No, just review every following chapter, that would do. And thanx for reviewing this one^.^

- Caylen Ryder: Oh yes, another football fan! Latrisha is completely on your opinion, football rules! (Kaeera likes her saxophone more than everything else, try to understand. Kaeera: "There's nothing to understand! Football is boring! " - Latrisha: "Hey! I am a football fan!!"*takes the hammer*) Thanx and keep
reviewing. Olé!

- MamaLaz: Like mentioned before, football (for you NOT soccer, we gave the explanation before^.^) rules! "Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor!" Oh no, Germany is playing miserably in the last time *snif* And damned England (sorry for that, all you fans) did really let us look old last year (just say 5-1!!!) Beckham, he looks good, but*grmmpf* (Kaeera sweatdrops and walks away, muttering something like "If this girl starts about football....")
And Latrishas favourite team is about to descend into the second league, argh! Where is the fairness?! Thanx for reviewing, keep reading! *Latrisha searches for Kaeera who has huddled in a corner and is pouting*

- Zombie-miho:
Latrisha: "Yaay, I wanna have Fred 'n George!!!"
Kaeera: "Wonder where she got them all from"*thinks hardly*
Latrisha: "Don't be that curious! Just be happy"*smiles sweetly at Fred*
Kaeera: "Please, tell us your source!" *grabs for Ron*
Latrisha: "Yeah, we need many other clones...Marco from Animorphs, Lucas Wolenczak from Seaquest(for Kaeera), P-Chan from Ranma ½ (for me^^), Zorro from One Piece....nyark! "
Kaeera: Mwahahaha*munches some waffles* By the way, I want to have Fred and George. too!!!
Latrisha: *dangerous glare* Oh, really?
Kaeera: *puts down the waffles and glares back* "Yeah..."
And if they're alive yet, they are still fighting for the clones (Thanx for all ur reviews^.^)

- Xoni Newcomer: Thanx for the praise *blush* Nice to hear that you had to laugh! Ah, how we love longer reviews like yours! Hmm, what is our plan for Harry *evil grins* He really muses much, sorry for
that, but we already have a plan, you'll see. *glance at each other hoping the other one really HAS a plan*
We also thought of "Lateera", but, er, that's awful, you're right. You're learning German? Wow, we're flabbergasted (what an idiotic word, don't you think?) Then, thanx for reviewing, vielen Dank!

Next chapter will be out as soon as possible^^