Author's note: Sorry if I made Ron a bit short in the last chapter. I
suppose it's because I'm short. In my eyes, anyone who's over 5'5" is tall.
:)
Hermione woke with a start to find her head resting on Ron's shoulder, a bit of drool escaping from her mouth. Oh, no. She had forgotten she did that sometimes while she slept. Giving a quick wipe at her mouth with her sleeve, she sat upright and looked around.
Mrs. Weasley had obviously left the kitchen. Worn, but clean, dishes had been set on the table. A small pot of noodles sat half-cooked on the stove. Hermione could hear a faint whistling from the back yard. The woman must be outside, hanging laundry.
Hermione turned her gaze to her friends. Ginny was still stretched out, though not as much. She was hanging over the edge of the couch. Her arms were drooped, and her tongue lolled out dramatically. Though she lay in an odd position, Ginny looked quite comfortable and sound asleep.
Ron was on her other side. Hermione could feel his feathery hair on her arm. She turned to look at him. His eyes were half open, and his mouth had curved into a slight smile.
She gasped softly.
"I was seeing how long it took you to realize I was awake." He smiled. "Over thirty seconds, at least."
"How long were you awake?" Hermione asked, unconsciously wiping at her mouth to check for remaining drool.
"Oh, about fifteen minutes or so." Ron looked down at his sleeve, which was dribbled with saliva. "By the way, 'Mione, you slobber in your sleep."
Hermione said nothing, though she crossed her arms. She frowned, then headed into the kitchen. Circling the table once, she looked over what Mrs. Weasley had made for them before.
"Your mother made lunch," Hermione told Ron, setting down four bowls. "It's noodles with cheese sauce." She laid some napkins down. "Get forks, will you?"
"Sure." He got the forks and silently set them down in their places, next to the bowls. After a while he sighed and said, "Hermione, you're not mad about the drolling thing, are you?"
Hermione raised her chin a bit higher and closed her eyes. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Ron said gently. "You know what I mean."
Hermione dropped her gaze to the floor. "Drop it. It's a very personal matter. All Grangers have a problem with it."
"Okay, 'Mione. I promise, I won't say anything about it." Ron walked over to Ginny, who by now had taken over the whole couch. "Gin, wake up. Mum made lunch."
"Lunch," Ginny repeated, as if not fully awake.
"Yes, lunch. Noodles with cheese sauce."
"Oh. Noodles." Ginny blinked groggily a few times, then sat up. "Ugh, I hate it when Mum makes noodles with cheese sauce."
"Everyone does," Ron said. He glanced over at Hermione, who was now rearranging the forks Ron had laid down before so they would look nicer. He lowered his voice a bit. "But you know we can't afford fancy dinners, Gin."
"It's getting cold!" Hermione called.
With great difficulty, the two siblings tried not the look disappointed as they neared the noodles. They knew they were facing yet another meal of soggy noodles drenched in some sort of cheesy concoction, a sign both of them knew that meant money was too sparse to buy good meals. Now Hermione would be eating that horrible food, probably knowing exactly how poor the family was. What a horrible time this was going to be.
Hermione woke with a start to find her head resting on Ron's shoulder, a bit of drool escaping from her mouth. Oh, no. She had forgotten she did that sometimes while she slept. Giving a quick wipe at her mouth with her sleeve, she sat upright and looked around.
Mrs. Weasley had obviously left the kitchen. Worn, but clean, dishes had been set on the table. A small pot of noodles sat half-cooked on the stove. Hermione could hear a faint whistling from the back yard. The woman must be outside, hanging laundry.
Hermione turned her gaze to her friends. Ginny was still stretched out, though not as much. She was hanging over the edge of the couch. Her arms were drooped, and her tongue lolled out dramatically. Though she lay in an odd position, Ginny looked quite comfortable and sound asleep.
Ron was on her other side. Hermione could feel his feathery hair on her arm. She turned to look at him. His eyes were half open, and his mouth had curved into a slight smile.
She gasped softly.
"I was seeing how long it took you to realize I was awake." He smiled. "Over thirty seconds, at least."
"How long were you awake?" Hermione asked, unconsciously wiping at her mouth to check for remaining drool.
"Oh, about fifteen minutes or so." Ron looked down at his sleeve, which was dribbled with saliva. "By the way, 'Mione, you slobber in your sleep."
Hermione said nothing, though she crossed her arms. She frowned, then headed into the kitchen. Circling the table once, she looked over what Mrs. Weasley had made for them before.
"Your mother made lunch," Hermione told Ron, setting down four bowls. "It's noodles with cheese sauce." She laid some napkins down. "Get forks, will you?"
"Sure." He got the forks and silently set them down in their places, next to the bowls. After a while he sighed and said, "Hermione, you're not mad about the drolling thing, are you?"
Hermione raised her chin a bit higher and closed her eyes. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Ron said gently. "You know what I mean."
Hermione dropped her gaze to the floor. "Drop it. It's a very personal matter. All Grangers have a problem with it."
"Okay, 'Mione. I promise, I won't say anything about it." Ron walked over to Ginny, who by now had taken over the whole couch. "Gin, wake up. Mum made lunch."
"Lunch," Ginny repeated, as if not fully awake.
"Yes, lunch. Noodles with cheese sauce."
"Oh. Noodles." Ginny blinked groggily a few times, then sat up. "Ugh, I hate it when Mum makes noodles with cheese sauce."
"Everyone does," Ron said. He glanced over at Hermione, who was now rearranging the forks Ron had laid down before so they would look nicer. He lowered his voice a bit. "But you know we can't afford fancy dinners, Gin."
"It's getting cold!" Hermione called.
With great difficulty, the two siblings tried not the look disappointed as they neared the noodles. They knew they were facing yet another meal of soggy noodles drenched in some sort of cheesy concoction, a sign both of them knew that meant money was too sparse to buy good meals. Now Hermione would be eating that horrible food, probably knowing exactly how poor the family was. What a horrible time this was going to be.