A/N: Here we go again, I've decided to include Hermione's point of view,
and someone else's. Who? Well read on and find out!
~*~
Hermione flung her arms around Ron's shaking body, overcome with pride. He had finally said the name! He had finally freed himself from that trap! Without thinking she had just thrown herself at him, but he was hugging her back, quite tightly too. As she whispered how proud she was of him into his ear she felt him shiver slightly. She was shocked - she was having this effect on him - it was strange.
Then Ron let her go and Hermione felt - she didn't really know what it was. It was a swift pang of - loss perhaps? She didn't know what to say, what was there to say? To avoid talking she sat back on her knees and faked a yawn. Ron had stood up right after releasing her, promptly facing the other way, but at the sound of the yawn he turned back around, "Tired?" he asked her grinning.
She raised her face to meet his, and found herself grinning too. That was part of Ron's charm, his grin was just infectious, and he had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, "Yeah I am, a little bit."
"Let's go in then, how long were we out here anyways?"
She got to her feet and stood beside him, "I don't know, when did everyone else go in?"
"Beats me." He said and began the walk inside. He held the door open for her; shutting it quietly after they had both come in, "Whoa," he said, "Everyone's asleep!" he laughed as he began the ascent upstairs.
"Well, they're the smart ones, they won't be sleeping on the train tomorrow will they?" Hermione said as she walked up beside him.
"Guess not, but, that's the less we have to look at Malfoy's ugly face isn't it - I mean considering we ALL have to patrol the compartments this year?"
She giggled loudly, then clamped a hand to her mouth since she was right outside Ginny's room and whispered, "True, but those are the trials of being a Prefect."
He grinned again, his eyes sparkling a bit in the dim light - Hermione couldn't take her eyes from them, why hadn't she ever noticed them before? Really, she thought, everyone makes such a big deal over Harry's eyes when Ron are just as gorgeous - she shook her head, thinking, "It must be the time", why else would she be having such crazy thoughts?
"Well-'' Ron was saying, "Night then Hermione."
"Oh, good night Ron." She said, and silently opening Ginny's door she slipped inside, but she peeked her head back out a moment later, just in time to see the last of Ron's retreating back as he continued upstairs to his room.
~*~
This morning was far less hectic than the previous mornings of September the first and Molly felt it keenly. With only two of her own children left, the noise level was dramatically lower. Harry and Hermione had never made much noise - it was Fred and George that had caused the most ruckus. Thinking about them made Molly smile, she was so proud of them, making it on their own like that. Their joke shop had been doing extremely well - so well in fact, that the boys had paid for a deluxe paint job on the Burrow - it looked like new.
"RON!" A yell from Ginny broke into Molly's thoughts, "RON YOU PRAT -GIVE ME MY LETTER!"
Ron's reading Ginny's letter out loud followed her yell. In a deeper tone Ron read, "Ginny - I can't wait to see you. I've thought about you a lot this summer. I wish I could've seen you. I'll be waiting for you on the train. Love Dean." At the ending, Ron's voice faltered, he read it, but paused before exploding, " LOVE DEAN! WHAT'S HE PLAYING AT? WHAT DOES HE MEAN? HE HASN'T SAID -GINNY! WHAT DOES HE MEAN?"
Molly listened only partially mad as Ron shouted himself hoarse. He was right actually, what was that young man playing at? He had just began dating Ginny, thus love was a bit strong. Still, Ron had no right to scream at Ginny like that - and with the Grangers downstairs, she could only imagine their impressions of him.
Yet, as she moved to step in, Hermione's voice floated down to her, very calmly she was saying, "Ron don't be a prat. Give Ginny back the letter will you? And if you must you can talk to Dean on the train, but I'm certain there will be no need to kill him - honestly Ron!" She spat out at his last comment of killing Dean.
Molly nodded in approval at Hermione's speech. She noticed with a smile that Ron had become silent instantly, although she heard him say very quietly, "I may still kill him."
As Hermione came down the stairs Molly beamed at her and she grinned back. Molly really loved Hermione, there was no other person, as far as Molly knew, that could calm and control Ron like that. Ron had an unusual dynamic with Hermione as well - one that was different from every other dynamic in his life. Molly had noticed that throughout the years they had been friends that their relationship ran deeper than any other relationship Ron had - including his relationship with Harry. Yes, he and Hermione fought to no end, but Molly knew in her heart that their bickering was their way of releasing their feelings towards one another. It was a simple way of "letting the sparks fly" - yet keeping them concealed from others eyes at the same time. Actually, Molly realized as she mulled all this over, Hermione and Ron were very similar to herself and Arthur when they were that age. They had always fought too, bantering back and forth until Molly thought she would go crazy!
And yet, those arguments made her very aware of her feelings for Arthur, simply because no other person had ever gotten such a rise out of her; no other person had made her claim things with such passion. And with no other person had she ever felt so comfortable and so safe. Ron and Hermione mirrored her and Arthur in that way. They were always challenging the other - until it progressed to screaming matches - or they were always helping one another, as Molly had seen last night. She had watched their little display out in the yard from the living room window - she had seen the hug and the looks on their faces. She knew, even if they didn't.
~*~
Finally, after three or four minor disputes, everyone made it to King's Cross unscathed. Harry and Ginny crossed through to platform nine and three quarters after giving out a round of hugs and good-byes. Molly went through after them; it was her tradition to watch the train leave.
Hermione and Ron had hung back a bit, so Hermione could say her good-byes to her parents. They were Muggles, which meant they couldn't cross the platform. Ron stood there waiting for her, anxiously checking his watch.
"Now- take care of yourselves!" Hermione was saying, "please-"
"Umm.Hermione?" Ron said, "We've really got to get on the train."
"Oh! All right. I just- I don't want to leave you!" she said, tearfully to her parents, hugging them both.
"We'll be fine dear, really - now hurry up!" Her father said, as her mother called out, "Have a good year!" And with one last nod, Hermione slipped through the barrier as well.
Ron turned to follow, but Hermione's father held him back, "Ron? Promise me something - take care of her for me?"
Ron was stunned for a moment, surprised at the seriousness of Mr. Granger's tone; and the question in general, but then he nodded, "Of course Sir." and shook his hand.
"Good." Said Mr. Granger, as Ron disappeared as well, "Good."
Ron just made it onto the train, flinging his bag to the floor as they began to leave. Molly shook her head at him - what had taken him so long? Then he turned around to wave at her and all was forgiven. She couldn't help it; her son's grin was absolutely infectious.
Molly stood there waving them off until the train was out of sight, and then with one last little sigh, she prepared to go back over to King's Cross - where the Grangers were waiting for her. "Only ten months until I see them again." She told herself, "Only ten months."
A/N: Well, what do you all think? Should I stop there or what?
~*~
Hermione flung her arms around Ron's shaking body, overcome with pride. He had finally said the name! He had finally freed himself from that trap! Without thinking she had just thrown herself at him, but he was hugging her back, quite tightly too. As she whispered how proud she was of him into his ear she felt him shiver slightly. She was shocked - she was having this effect on him - it was strange.
Then Ron let her go and Hermione felt - she didn't really know what it was. It was a swift pang of - loss perhaps? She didn't know what to say, what was there to say? To avoid talking she sat back on her knees and faked a yawn. Ron had stood up right after releasing her, promptly facing the other way, but at the sound of the yawn he turned back around, "Tired?" he asked her grinning.
She raised her face to meet his, and found herself grinning too. That was part of Ron's charm, his grin was just infectious, and he had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, "Yeah I am, a little bit."
"Let's go in then, how long were we out here anyways?"
She got to her feet and stood beside him, "I don't know, when did everyone else go in?"
"Beats me." He said and began the walk inside. He held the door open for her; shutting it quietly after they had both come in, "Whoa," he said, "Everyone's asleep!" he laughed as he began the ascent upstairs.
"Well, they're the smart ones, they won't be sleeping on the train tomorrow will they?" Hermione said as she walked up beside him.
"Guess not, but, that's the less we have to look at Malfoy's ugly face isn't it - I mean considering we ALL have to patrol the compartments this year?"
She giggled loudly, then clamped a hand to her mouth since she was right outside Ginny's room and whispered, "True, but those are the trials of being a Prefect."
He grinned again, his eyes sparkling a bit in the dim light - Hermione couldn't take her eyes from them, why hadn't she ever noticed them before? Really, she thought, everyone makes such a big deal over Harry's eyes when Ron are just as gorgeous - she shook her head, thinking, "It must be the time", why else would she be having such crazy thoughts?
"Well-'' Ron was saying, "Night then Hermione."
"Oh, good night Ron." She said, and silently opening Ginny's door she slipped inside, but she peeked her head back out a moment later, just in time to see the last of Ron's retreating back as he continued upstairs to his room.
~*~
This morning was far less hectic than the previous mornings of September the first and Molly felt it keenly. With only two of her own children left, the noise level was dramatically lower. Harry and Hermione had never made much noise - it was Fred and George that had caused the most ruckus. Thinking about them made Molly smile, she was so proud of them, making it on their own like that. Their joke shop had been doing extremely well - so well in fact, that the boys had paid for a deluxe paint job on the Burrow - it looked like new.
"RON!" A yell from Ginny broke into Molly's thoughts, "RON YOU PRAT -GIVE ME MY LETTER!"
Ron's reading Ginny's letter out loud followed her yell. In a deeper tone Ron read, "Ginny - I can't wait to see you. I've thought about you a lot this summer. I wish I could've seen you. I'll be waiting for you on the train. Love Dean." At the ending, Ron's voice faltered, he read it, but paused before exploding, " LOVE DEAN! WHAT'S HE PLAYING AT? WHAT DOES HE MEAN? HE HASN'T SAID -GINNY! WHAT DOES HE MEAN?"
Molly listened only partially mad as Ron shouted himself hoarse. He was right actually, what was that young man playing at? He had just began dating Ginny, thus love was a bit strong. Still, Ron had no right to scream at Ginny like that - and with the Grangers downstairs, she could only imagine their impressions of him.
Yet, as she moved to step in, Hermione's voice floated down to her, very calmly she was saying, "Ron don't be a prat. Give Ginny back the letter will you? And if you must you can talk to Dean on the train, but I'm certain there will be no need to kill him - honestly Ron!" She spat out at his last comment of killing Dean.
Molly nodded in approval at Hermione's speech. She noticed with a smile that Ron had become silent instantly, although she heard him say very quietly, "I may still kill him."
As Hermione came down the stairs Molly beamed at her and she grinned back. Molly really loved Hermione, there was no other person, as far as Molly knew, that could calm and control Ron like that. Ron had an unusual dynamic with Hermione as well - one that was different from every other dynamic in his life. Molly had noticed that throughout the years they had been friends that their relationship ran deeper than any other relationship Ron had - including his relationship with Harry. Yes, he and Hermione fought to no end, but Molly knew in her heart that their bickering was their way of releasing their feelings towards one another. It was a simple way of "letting the sparks fly" - yet keeping them concealed from others eyes at the same time. Actually, Molly realized as she mulled all this over, Hermione and Ron were very similar to herself and Arthur when they were that age. They had always fought too, bantering back and forth until Molly thought she would go crazy!
And yet, those arguments made her very aware of her feelings for Arthur, simply because no other person had ever gotten such a rise out of her; no other person had made her claim things with such passion. And with no other person had she ever felt so comfortable and so safe. Ron and Hermione mirrored her and Arthur in that way. They were always challenging the other - until it progressed to screaming matches - or they were always helping one another, as Molly had seen last night. She had watched their little display out in the yard from the living room window - she had seen the hug and the looks on their faces. She knew, even if they didn't.
~*~
Finally, after three or four minor disputes, everyone made it to King's Cross unscathed. Harry and Ginny crossed through to platform nine and three quarters after giving out a round of hugs and good-byes. Molly went through after them; it was her tradition to watch the train leave.
Hermione and Ron had hung back a bit, so Hermione could say her good-byes to her parents. They were Muggles, which meant they couldn't cross the platform. Ron stood there waiting for her, anxiously checking his watch.
"Now- take care of yourselves!" Hermione was saying, "please-"
"Umm.Hermione?" Ron said, "We've really got to get on the train."
"Oh! All right. I just- I don't want to leave you!" she said, tearfully to her parents, hugging them both.
"We'll be fine dear, really - now hurry up!" Her father said, as her mother called out, "Have a good year!" And with one last nod, Hermione slipped through the barrier as well.
Ron turned to follow, but Hermione's father held him back, "Ron? Promise me something - take care of her for me?"
Ron was stunned for a moment, surprised at the seriousness of Mr. Granger's tone; and the question in general, but then he nodded, "Of course Sir." and shook his hand.
"Good." Said Mr. Granger, as Ron disappeared as well, "Good."
Ron just made it onto the train, flinging his bag to the floor as they began to leave. Molly shook her head at him - what had taken him so long? Then he turned around to wave at her and all was forgiven. She couldn't help it; her son's grin was absolutely infectious.
Molly stood there waving them off until the train was out of sight, and then with one last little sigh, she prepared to go back over to King's Cross - where the Grangers were waiting for her. "Only ten months until I see them again." She told herself, "Only ten months."
A/N: Well, what do you all think? Should I stop there or what?
