Right Here All Along
By Sunshine
vee_sunshine@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13 right now, maybe higher later on
Category: Ron/Hermione, Romance
Disclaimer: Were not, are not and never will be mine. The characters belong to J. K. Rowling, the title to Amanda Marshall
Summary: We're getting a lot closer to the 'why' of Hermione's sleepwalking
Feedback: Well, of course I'd love to get feedback. What author doesn't?

A/N 03-12-02: I'm *very* sorry for the long delay - when I started this fic I didn't expect to have months between chapters...But real life caught up as usual, and I'm also sorry to say that I won't be able to promise a shorter interval this time. I promise I'll try, but as there is so much studying I'll have to do in the next months...Y'all wish me luck and I'll do my best!

A/N 09-05-02: Unfortunately most of what I said above is still true - I cannot promise shorter periods between chapters. I finished my studying - passed my exams and everything - a few months ago, but I seem to be struck with writer's block. Nothing I wrote was good, I deleted scenes more often than I wrote them, and I'm not sure how soon I will be able to finish this story - but I *will* finish it. I am going to be moving though - to another country no less - and I don't know how much time I'll have to write in the next months.
Since I didn't want to leave you hanging completely, I'm giving you the first part of Chapter 3 - or maybe just an Interlude, I'm not sure.

BTW: I'm sorry, but this story is unbetaed, so hopefully it doesn't suck too bad.

Dear Alessandra - I am very sorry I promised you new parts all the time and wasn't able to hold my promise. I therefore dedicate this piece to you!

And now *enjoy*!


___


Chapter 3a

Surprisingly, it was Ron who spoke first.

"Well, you see, I mean ... it's not like we did anything...you know...well, it's just that Hermione has started sleepwalking. Yes, sleepwalking. At night. When she's asleep. Guess we'll have to find out why, since it wasn't the first time...she sleepwalked!"

"Oh, it wasn't? This situation is just too good to be true...but right now, you two need to get out of each other's arms because it is after all a Monday morning and Hermione has to go back to her dorm before anybody else wakes up!"

"Of course, Harry, you are completely right. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to borrow your Invisibility Cloak to get back to the dorm unnoticed. And...thank you for not making too much of a scene..."

"You're welcome, Hermione. Here you go. But don't you - or you, Ron - believe that this conversation is over yet!"

With this Hermione entangled herself from Ron's arms - how come they had stayed around her all this time - and stood up quietly. Walking around the bed she took the proffered Cloak, slipped it onto her shoulders, and with a last shy smile to Ron she covered her head and vanished from view.

"See you at breakfast", came her voice out of thin air before the door to the boy's dorm opened and closed silently.

"Uhm...I'm going to brush my teeth right now." Ron hurriedly left his bed and started to rush to the communal bathroom, followed closely by Harry who couldn't resist teasing his best friend.

"What, so you won't have morning breath at breakfast?"

"Ha ha." He started getting his toothbrush ready, putting the paste onto it and lifting it to his mouth when he stopped halfway. "Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't make too much fun of Hermione, okay? I think it's pretty embarrassing to her."

Harry smiled. After calming Ron's thoughts by assuring him that of course he wouldn't tease her, he shook his head. Ron had matured more over the summer than he had thought, it seemed. It wasn't like the old Ron to think of other's feelings before his own, and being this considerate about them proved his maturity more than any physical changes that had also occurred during the summer.

Harry was glad. While it was certainly advantageous to have somebody like Ron around him, who always made jokes and was the stereotypical boy, it wasn't always easy to be around him when he, Harry, felt a little more grown-up. But Ron's apparent new maturity would certainly benefit from his growing attraction to Hermione. Harry was certain it would be much easier for Ron after Hogwarts if he were a little more self-confident while being more self-confident would also help him in his relationship with their smart friend...perfect!

***

After lunch with Hermione and Ron, Harry excused himself and went to the library. They had a new project in Charms that was due in two weeks, and Harry felt he should at least make the effort and check out some books early on, so that Hermione wouldn't be all too reluctant about helping him with it two days before the due date (when he knew he wouldn't have it all done). It also wasn't too suspicious in leaving Ron and Hermione alone with each other, since Hermione had promised Ron help with his Astronomy homework, something Harry had finished with effort the night before.

As he entered the library he tried to smile at Madam Pince, she always seemed suspicious when he came alone. It's not as if I do anything to the books without Hermione to supervise me.

He wandered over to the Charms section and looked for books on ...He found three books that sounded promising, and one more that he wasn't so sure about. When he turned to go though, he thought that he heard Hermione's name spoken somewhere behind the stacks.

"Yes, I know. We were lucky she's such a heavy sleeper the day before a test."

"Must be because she's studied herself silly in the week before..."

"Yes!"

Giggling could be heard. Harry figured Lavender and Parvati didn't have anything interesting to say, but they had had a Potions test on Friday - the day Hermione apparently started sleepwalking...

"Oh, she wouldn't have been happy with us, had she seen what we did!"

"I can imagine it vividly! 'What do you two think you're doing? That is *not* a spell that should be done without supervision! Don't you know how dangerous this could be?'"

"Exactly!" Giggling again. "And it didn't even work anyhow. It's been what - three days? And I haven't noticed my love life getting any more exciting. Stupid spell!"

"What about that conversation with Seamus before lunch? No excitement?"

"The stupid git just wanted to know whether I had seen his red magic marker, since I sit next to him in Transfiguration."

"Oh well, we could always try another spell from 'One Hundred Obscure Ways to Bring Excitement into Your Love Life'. See if they work any better than number 77!"

"I don't know. I think we should take it back and get 'One Hundred Fun Ways to Snag the Love of Your Life' instead."

"Okay, we can do that. I'll go and get it right now!"

Well, wasn't that interesting, Harry thought. He wasn't quite sure how exactly this was related to Hermione's mysterious sleepwalking, but if he got hold of the book he just might be able to get a little closer to it.





More *hopefully* soon!