Okay! Here's chapter 16, I hope its super. Oh yeah, just for the
record, I don't own Ron, Hermione, the Weasly's, Diagon Alley, or any
of that super stuff. I do own Lucy's character, I guess.
Ron sat on the edge of his bed. Not the hotel bed in Egypt, but HIS orange, familiar bed.
The Weasly's had returned to the Burrow, and Ron couldn't be happier. He had loved the vacation and all, but he missed life at the Burrow. He missed life at Hogwarts.
It was Harry's birthday, and he hadn't quite worked out how he was going to get Harry's present to him. Errol was off, Percy having sent a "super important delivery". Fred and George reckoned it was going to Penelope.
He had just finished his card and letter. This letter was a bit more personal than all the others he had sent from Egypt. Harry probably thought that Ron was going crazy because he kept repeating himself.
'TAP TAP TAP.'
Ron jumped up and ran to the window. Hedwig and Errol fluttered into Ron's room and pecked around his desk.
"Errol! When did you get back?" he exclaimed. Errol was looking a little sickly, but Ron figured that he could make it to Harry's house.
"Don't forget to go to Hermione's!" Ron petted the snowy owl's feathers as he attached the Sneakoscope, letter, and homemade birthday card to her and Errol.
"You have to go with Hedwig, and take these to Harry." Ron explained to Errol.
When the owls left Ron's room, he went into the hallway. He would have kept going, but he heard Ginny talking to herself in her room. Very quietly, he tiptoed down the hall and stood outside the door.
"Dear Harry." She was saying.
"I hope you are having a super birthday. We just got back from Egypt. It was super interesting, but rather boring sometimes with no one my age there." At this, Ron rolled his eyes. Ginny kept going. "What have you been doing this summer? I hope it wasn't too boring. Can't wait until we meet up—"all of a sudden, Ginny stopped reading midsentence.
"RONALD WEASLY! YOU SNEAK!" Ginny screeched.
"You were listening to me!" she hollered.
"Was not!" Ron exclaimed hastily, backing up. He kept going until his back was against the banister of the stairs.
Ginny rounded on him, standing on her tiptoes to try and be face-to- face with Ron.
"I was going downstairs!" Ron protested.
"Why'd you stop, then?" Ginny demanded.
"I cant help it you were reading outloud! Shut your door next time!" Ron pushed past Ginny and headed down the stairs. Ginny slammed her door.
"Be nice to your sister, darling." Said a frowning picture frame.
"Shove it." Ron muttered, and skidded into the kitchen in his sock feet.
"Mum! Whats for dinner?" Ron asked his mother, who was digging around in a drawer.
"Whatever you want to help me make." She said sweetly.
Ron helped his mother prepare dinner, and the two talked about rather random things, like school and the weather.
"Next week we're going into Diagon Alley to shop for school things. As soon as we get your letters and lists from the school, write Hermione and Harry to plan a date, okay? Oh by the way, after dinner, you and your brothers need to de-gnome the garden after dinner." And the randomness continued.
After dinner, Ron dragged his brothers out to the garden. None of them were very happy about it.
"I've got so many things I need to be doing right now!" Percy groaned as he chased after a gnome.
"Oh Perce, your homework CAN wait." Fred sniffed as he threw a gnome over the low garden wall.
Homework... why did that sound so omnious? Then Ron realized-- it definitely couldn't wait for him! He hadn't started it yet!
"Oh... no..." Ron smacked himself on the forehead with a groan.
"What Ron, forget Hermione's birthday or something?" George asked innocently as the snatched up a gnome.
"Bite me, George. Are we done yet?" His brothers looked around the garden, which looked nice and gnome-free.
"Yes! Finally!" they hurried down the walk and back into the house just as dark settled.
Hermione, Tomorrow, do you want to meet me in Diagon Alley and help me do some homework?
Love,
Ron
Ron then realized that Errol was back, so he couldn't send it just yet. He folded his letter and then left his room.
As soon as Ron passed Ginny's room, she slammed her door. Ron stuck out his tounge and the closed door before heading down the stairs.
"Er...Dad!" Mr. Weasly was sitting at the kitchen table, idly flipping through the Daily Prophet.
"Er...Ron!" his Dad looked up at Ron, and then went back to the paper.
"I was wondering... could maybe I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow with Hermione and do some homework?" Ron figured that he had a better chance asking his Dad for permission rather than his Mum.
"Well, sure Ron, that sounds okay."
"Thanks Dad!" Ron turned to leave, but his father called him back.
"You be careful, okay? No talking to strangers or any nonsense like that. No dark alleys, or deserted areas. Stick to highly-populated places. And Ron—you had better just be doing your homework." Mr. Weasly ruffled the paper, and Ron took that as an invitation to leave.
"Sure thing, Dad." Ron called over his shoulder. As he reached the stairs, a picture frame called out, "Shhh! Ginny's asleep!"
"Your pushing it, Aunt Liddy." Ron warned. He went thundering up the stairs, just to spite his old great aunt.
Errol didn't come back until the next day, so Ron had to revise his letter.
Dear Hermione,
Do you want to meet me in Diagon Alley today? I figured we could do some homework together.
Love,
Ron
Ron liked this letter a lot better. Sort of nicer. It didn't make Ron sound like he wanted to take advantage of Hermione.
When Errol had departed, Ron went downstairs to get some breakfast.
Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a piece of toast. When she saw Ron, she stood up, turned her chair completely around, and then sat back down and ate her toast.
"Ron dear, your breakfast is on the table." Said Mrs. Weasly without turning around.
"But go call your brothers down first."
Ron walked to the bottom of the stairs, smiled and sweet Aunt Liddy in her frame, and then bellowed, "PERCY! FRED! GEORGE! BREAKFAST!" then went and sat down.
"I could of done that!" Mrs. Weasly said as she sat down at the table.
"Where's Dad?" asked Ron, suddenly realizing that his Dad's chair was empty.
"Got called in early." Mrs. Weasly explained. "But he told me you wanted to go to Diagon Alley with Hermione."
The twins and Percy came stomping down the stairs.
"What? I want to go!" George exclaimed.
"I was going to make you two go anyway." Mrs. Weasly sat down at the table.
"I want to go, too." Ginny said, banging her fork down.
"No way!" Ron glared.
"Of course you can go, Ginny dear!" Mrs. Weasly gave Ron a dirty look.
When Mrs. Weasly turned around to tell Fred and George what was expected of them, Ginny stuck her tounge out at Ron.
After breakfast, Ron went upstairs to get dressed. Ron was happy to see Errol sprawled out across his desk.
Ron,
Sounds good. I don't suppose Harry could make it. Ah well, we'll get it done. Meet me at 11:00 outside the Leaky Cauldron.
Love from, Hermione
At a quarter to eleven Ron sat outside the Leaky Cauldron with Fred, George, and Ginny.
"Do us a favor, Ron, and keep scheduling these little playdates with Hermione, okay?" Fred stood up.
"Fred and I have some tings to do. That means that you have to keep an eye out on Ginny, okay?" George and Fred walked off after giving them a nice little wave.
"Hear that, Ginny? You get to wander about aimlessly as long as you keep 20 feet away from Hermione and me." Ron said cheerfully. Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
"Come Ron, that's not nice!" Ron and Ginny whirled around to see Hermione and Lucy. Hermione reached over and pulled Ron to his feet.
"Let's go to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour so we can sit out on that deck of their's. You come too, Ginny.' Hermione smiled as she switched her back to her other arm. "Ron... where is your homework?"
Ron winced a little. Hermione had finally noticed that his hands were empty.
"See what had happened was..." he filled Hermione in on why he had pushed his homework assignments aside as they walked to Florean's. She didn't look happy, but she agreed to help him as long as she didn't end up doing it all for him.
Once they got to the ice-cream parlour, they walked inside and then through the back door to the deck.
"Alright, you three. How about sundaes all around, my treat?" Lucy smiled at them as Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all took a seat at a table.
"Hey Ginny, after you eat this, how about you and I go check out that new shop down by that Quidditch shop?" Lucy added before she turned to go back inside.
"Hey! Can I just get an ice-cream cone and go now?" Ginny asked excitedly. Hermione gave Ginny an encouraging smile.
"Sure! Okay, then, your ice-creams will be out in a flash, but we're going to head on. Hermione, Ron, no snogging until your at least half-way finished with your assignments, okay?" Lucy teased.
"We'll try to contain ourselves, Luce." Hermione laughed a little, and then Ginny and Lucy left.
"Shall we get started, then?" Ron said brightly.
Ron sat on the edge of his bed. Not the hotel bed in Egypt, but HIS orange, familiar bed.
The Weasly's had returned to the Burrow, and Ron couldn't be happier. He had loved the vacation and all, but he missed life at the Burrow. He missed life at Hogwarts.
It was Harry's birthday, and he hadn't quite worked out how he was going to get Harry's present to him. Errol was off, Percy having sent a "super important delivery". Fred and George reckoned it was going to Penelope.
He had just finished his card and letter. This letter was a bit more personal than all the others he had sent from Egypt. Harry probably thought that Ron was going crazy because he kept repeating himself.
'TAP TAP TAP.'
Ron jumped up and ran to the window. Hedwig and Errol fluttered into Ron's room and pecked around his desk.
"Errol! When did you get back?" he exclaimed. Errol was looking a little sickly, but Ron figured that he could make it to Harry's house.
"Don't forget to go to Hermione's!" Ron petted the snowy owl's feathers as he attached the Sneakoscope, letter, and homemade birthday card to her and Errol.
"You have to go with Hedwig, and take these to Harry." Ron explained to Errol.
When the owls left Ron's room, he went into the hallway. He would have kept going, but he heard Ginny talking to herself in her room. Very quietly, he tiptoed down the hall and stood outside the door.
"Dear Harry." She was saying.
"I hope you are having a super birthday. We just got back from Egypt. It was super interesting, but rather boring sometimes with no one my age there." At this, Ron rolled his eyes. Ginny kept going. "What have you been doing this summer? I hope it wasn't too boring. Can't wait until we meet up—"all of a sudden, Ginny stopped reading midsentence.
"RONALD WEASLY! YOU SNEAK!" Ginny screeched.
"You were listening to me!" she hollered.
"Was not!" Ron exclaimed hastily, backing up. He kept going until his back was against the banister of the stairs.
Ginny rounded on him, standing on her tiptoes to try and be face-to- face with Ron.
"I was going downstairs!" Ron protested.
"Why'd you stop, then?" Ginny demanded.
"I cant help it you were reading outloud! Shut your door next time!" Ron pushed past Ginny and headed down the stairs. Ginny slammed her door.
"Be nice to your sister, darling." Said a frowning picture frame.
"Shove it." Ron muttered, and skidded into the kitchen in his sock feet.
"Mum! Whats for dinner?" Ron asked his mother, who was digging around in a drawer.
"Whatever you want to help me make." She said sweetly.
Ron helped his mother prepare dinner, and the two talked about rather random things, like school and the weather.
"Next week we're going into Diagon Alley to shop for school things. As soon as we get your letters and lists from the school, write Hermione and Harry to plan a date, okay? Oh by the way, after dinner, you and your brothers need to de-gnome the garden after dinner." And the randomness continued.
After dinner, Ron dragged his brothers out to the garden. None of them were very happy about it.
"I've got so many things I need to be doing right now!" Percy groaned as he chased after a gnome.
"Oh Perce, your homework CAN wait." Fred sniffed as he threw a gnome over the low garden wall.
Homework... why did that sound so omnious? Then Ron realized-- it definitely couldn't wait for him! He hadn't started it yet!
"Oh... no..." Ron smacked himself on the forehead with a groan.
"What Ron, forget Hermione's birthday or something?" George asked innocently as the snatched up a gnome.
"Bite me, George. Are we done yet?" His brothers looked around the garden, which looked nice and gnome-free.
"Yes! Finally!" they hurried down the walk and back into the house just as dark settled.
Hermione, Tomorrow, do you want to meet me in Diagon Alley and help me do some homework?
Love,
Ron
Ron then realized that Errol was back, so he couldn't send it just yet. He folded his letter and then left his room.
As soon as Ron passed Ginny's room, she slammed her door. Ron stuck out his tounge and the closed door before heading down the stairs.
"Er...Dad!" Mr. Weasly was sitting at the kitchen table, idly flipping through the Daily Prophet.
"Er...Ron!" his Dad looked up at Ron, and then went back to the paper.
"I was wondering... could maybe I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow with Hermione and do some homework?" Ron figured that he had a better chance asking his Dad for permission rather than his Mum.
"Well, sure Ron, that sounds okay."
"Thanks Dad!" Ron turned to leave, but his father called him back.
"You be careful, okay? No talking to strangers or any nonsense like that. No dark alleys, or deserted areas. Stick to highly-populated places. And Ron—you had better just be doing your homework." Mr. Weasly ruffled the paper, and Ron took that as an invitation to leave.
"Sure thing, Dad." Ron called over his shoulder. As he reached the stairs, a picture frame called out, "Shhh! Ginny's asleep!"
"Your pushing it, Aunt Liddy." Ron warned. He went thundering up the stairs, just to spite his old great aunt.
Errol didn't come back until the next day, so Ron had to revise his letter.
Dear Hermione,
Do you want to meet me in Diagon Alley today? I figured we could do some homework together.
Love,
Ron
Ron liked this letter a lot better. Sort of nicer. It didn't make Ron sound like he wanted to take advantage of Hermione.
When Errol had departed, Ron went downstairs to get some breakfast.
Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a piece of toast. When she saw Ron, she stood up, turned her chair completely around, and then sat back down and ate her toast.
"Ron dear, your breakfast is on the table." Said Mrs. Weasly without turning around.
"But go call your brothers down first."
Ron walked to the bottom of the stairs, smiled and sweet Aunt Liddy in her frame, and then bellowed, "PERCY! FRED! GEORGE! BREAKFAST!" then went and sat down.
"I could of done that!" Mrs. Weasly said as she sat down at the table.
"Where's Dad?" asked Ron, suddenly realizing that his Dad's chair was empty.
"Got called in early." Mrs. Weasly explained. "But he told me you wanted to go to Diagon Alley with Hermione."
The twins and Percy came stomping down the stairs.
"What? I want to go!" George exclaimed.
"I was going to make you two go anyway." Mrs. Weasly sat down at the table.
"I want to go, too." Ginny said, banging her fork down.
"No way!" Ron glared.
"Of course you can go, Ginny dear!" Mrs. Weasly gave Ron a dirty look.
When Mrs. Weasly turned around to tell Fred and George what was expected of them, Ginny stuck her tounge out at Ron.
After breakfast, Ron went upstairs to get dressed. Ron was happy to see Errol sprawled out across his desk.
Ron,
Sounds good. I don't suppose Harry could make it. Ah well, we'll get it done. Meet me at 11:00 outside the Leaky Cauldron.
Love from, Hermione
At a quarter to eleven Ron sat outside the Leaky Cauldron with Fred, George, and Ginny.
"Do us a favor, Ron, and keep scheduling these little playdates with Hermione, okay?" Fred stood up.
"Fred and I have some tings to do. That means that you have to keep an eye out on Ginny, okay?" George and Fred walked off after giving them a nice little wave.
"Hear that, Ginny? You get to wander about aimlessly as long as you keep 20 feet away from Hermione and me." Ron said cheerfully. Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
"Come Ron, that's not nice!" Ron and Ginny whirled around to see Hermione and Lucy. Hermione reached over and pulled Ron to his feet.
"Let's go to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour so we can sit out on that deck of their's. You come too, Ginny.' Hermione smiled as she switched her back to her other arm. "Ron... where is your homework?"
Ron winced a little. Hermione had finally noticed that his hands were empty.
"See what had happened was..." he filled Hermione in on why he had pushed his homework assignments aside as they walked to Florean's. She didn't look happy, but she agreed to help him as long as she didn't end up doing it all for him.
Once they got to the ice-cream parlour, they walked inside and then through the back door to the deck.
"Alright, you three. How about sundaes all around, my treat?" Lucy smiled at them as Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all took a seat at a table.
"Hey Ginny, after you eat this, how about you and I go check out that new shop down by that Quidditch shop?" Lucy added before she turned to go back inside.
"Hey! Can I just get an ice-cream cone and go now?" Ginny asked excitedly. Hermione gave Ginny an encouraging smile.
"Sure! Okay, then, your ice-creams will be out in a flash, but we're going to head on. Hermione, Ron, no snogging until your at least half-way finished with your assignments, okay?" Lucy teased.
"We'll try to contain ourselves, Luce." Hermione laughed a little, and then Ginny and Lucy left.
"Shall we get started, then?" Ron said brightly.