Author's Notes - Sorry it has been so long between chapters – I am working with a beta now and hope to get the glitches out of these stories.  There will be a bit of a pause between chapters as I go back to those already posted and correct any grammatical atrocities I have committed.

I would like to thank Diana, and her Purple Pen of Death, for her help in not only fleshing out my errors, but making this and my other stories, better through her questions and insight.

Fellytones And Fuzzy Slippers

CHAPTER TEN – Well That Was Quite Unexpected

"I'll go upstairs and talk to Hermione.  You get Ron the hell out of the kitchen and find out what in Hades is going on."  Harry nearly saluted.  He knew an order when he heard one.  He entered the kitchen to find Marie Elena tossing a salad and babbling while Ron looked out the window, more interested in the view outside than inside.

"Mind if I borrow Ron for a moment?" Harry said.  "I ….I need some help with the fireplace."

"Of course, but don't be gone long."  She gave Ron a kiss. "You may leave now."

Ron, who had still not said a word, followed Harry into the living room.

"What is she doing here?" he demanded.

"It was a surprise," Ron replied almost listlessly.

"No kidding. Well, you don't seem too happy about it."

"It was just bad timing."

"Meaning?" 

"Meaning she came at a bad time." 

"Thanks for clearing that up.  I was temperately blinded by your remarkable use of syntax.  Why was it a bad time?  I would think you would be pleased to see your girlfriend." Harry crossed his arms over his body in his best 'out with it' stance.

"I had other things on my mind."  He sounded drained.

Harry was getting the impression that nailing pudding to a tree would have been easier than getting a clear answer from Ron at that moment. "Such as?"

"Hermione."

"You were thinking of Hermione?"

"So to speak."

"Mind elaborating, mate?" Yes, pudding…tree….easier. 

"I was kissing Hermione when Marie Elena came in."

Well that was quite unexpected.  "Sounds like you had Hermione on more than just your mind." He smiled out of the corner of his mouth.

"I'm glad you are so amused."

Harry fought to hide his elation at the news that something finally happened.  What he couldn't understand was Ron's reaction to it. "What's going on Ron, really?"

"I don't know, really.  Hermione and I were making dinner and fighting and in an instant, I realized how right it all felt, how right everything has felt since I've been here.  And it felt right because she was here …with me. So I kissed her because it seemed like what I was supposed to do, what I should have been doing all along."

"So this is a good thing then, isn't it?"

"I don't know."

If you weren't my best friend I'd…"You just said it felt right then.  What makes it not feel right now?"

Ron looked down and kicked at the leg of the sofa.  "Hermione just shut me off.  Marie Elena showed up and I left the room and waited for Hermione upstairs so we could talk.  When she came up, she told me to let it go.  She told me to leave."

Oh…"She was probably just really thrown off.  First, you guys are getting intimate, and then Marie Elena shows up out of nowhere.  It's a lot for a person to handle.  Don't give up on her."

"What am I not supposed to give up Harry……She said it didn't matter."

"Did it matter to you?"

"More than I could ever explain."

"Then that's it, isn't it?" Ron did not seem convinced. "Ron, things are not as bleak as you are making them out.  You have to ask yourself what it is you really want.  If it's Marie Elena, fine.  Talk things over with Hermione and let her know.  She's your best friend and you two will work things out.  But if it is Hermione that you really want…"

"What if I don't know what I want?" he spoke softly.

"I think you do," Harry responded just as softly.

"What do you know about anything?" Ron began to walk away.

"I know about missed opportunities and wasted time.  I know about broken hearts and stupidity…I know a lot about stupidity.  Stop trying to make every girl into Hermione when you have the real thing upstairs."

He gave Ron a sympathetic smile and went to the fireplace to begin the blasted romantic fire.  Ron just looked after him and wondered when he lost control and why the humming that was coming out of the kitchen suddenly sounded like piercing screech of a mandrake.

Ginny wasted no time and practically flew upstairs.  She knocked on Hermione's door before entering.  Though she had no intention of waiting for permission to enter, she would not be rude about it.

Hermione sat quietly on the bed staring at herself in the mirror.  Ginny bit her lip.

"Hermione?……Hermione are you all right?"

"I'm fine," replied a voice completely devoid of emotion.

"You don't sound fine." Ginny could not hide her concern.

"I was just thinking."

The look on her face was one Ginny was not used to seeing.  She looked defeated. "Thinking of…"

"Who am I, Ginny?"

Ginny did not like the tone Hermione's voice had taken on.  It was harsh and rough but only just above a whisper, as if she was trying desperately to keep herself together and was losing the battle.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean, who am I?"

"You are Hermione Granger."

"Is that all?" She gave a small laugh.

"That's enough."

"Enough for who, Ginny?"

"Enough for anyone who knows what's good for them."

Hermione said no more but continued to look in the mirror. Ginny waited for her to speak but nothing came out, so she pressed further.  "What happened?"

"He kissed me," she stated, still not showing any emotions.

Well that was quite unexpected.  "What!?!"

"Ron kissed me and just as things started getting….interesting that banshee came in."

"He really kissed you?" She sat down next to Hermione, stunned at the news.  It was what she had wanted but somehow, somewhere things went horribly, horribly wrong. 

"It was more than a kiss, Ginny.  He was ready to eat me alive and I was quite happy about it."

Though afraid to ask she really couldn't help herself.  "Then what?"

"Then she came in, and I was cast aside."

"What do you mean?" Images of thrashing her brother instantly popped into her head.  She quickly wondered if Snape had a rack buried somewhere in his dungeon.

Hermione continued speaking, unaware of Ginny's thoughts of torturing her brother.  "I mean, suddenly, I didn't matter." 

Ginny tried to comfort her.  "Hermione, somehow I don't think that's true." 'Yes, definitely.  Slow, agonizing torture.  Ron would suffer.'

"It is.  You weren't here Ginny."  Hermione voice broke here, and Ginny's heart with it.

'Drawn and quartered. That's it.  Where could she get some large, ill-tempered horses?' Ginny put her anger aside, as best she could, and concentrated on her despondent friend. "What happened next?"

Hermione gave a small, mirthless smile. "Well after I cried my eyes out, I sat here and started to stare at myself in the mirror. You know, if you stare long enough the image distorts.  Slowly at first without you even realizing it.  But before you know it you are looking at the face of a stranger.  That stranger was looking back at me when I realized something."

"What?" Ginny was about to snap from the tension in the room.

"I realized that with everything I have accomplished in my lifetime, I don't have the one thing I wanted more that anything else.  You see, I had myself convinced that I would have to change who I was to get it and I was unwilling to do that.  But today, I realized by not doing anything about it, I had already changed who I was. I was never someone who waited for others to choose my life's path for me.  I was never someone to let something go because it seemed too hard to get.  I never thought I was not deserving of something, especially something I really wanted.  No, I am not the person I thought I was.  What I am is a coward."

Ginny wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that she was being too hard on herself.  But it felt too hypocritical.

Then suddenly the tone changed.  Ginny watched as Hermione sat up and squared her shoulders.  She took a deep breath before speaking.  "But today, Ginny, today I got a taste of something I want and I'll be damned if I let it go.  Ron Weasley belongs to me whether he knows it or not and I plan on taking back what's mine." She nearly snarled.

Ginny smiled and looked at her friend.  The color was back on her face and her eyes held a spark and a fury that spoke volumes.  "Well it's about time."

Then, Hermione finally turned to face her friend and smiled. It was a smile that held the promise of some unpleasantness heading for one Marie Elena.  And for a brief second, Ginny almost felt bad for her. 

Almost.

Author's notes – I know this story got a bit heavy but I promise to revert back to the juvenile, fluffy, fun that was it's original purpose.

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