In The Good Old Summertime

Chapter Two-Alone

Disclaimer- The characters etc. are not mine they are the property of the great JK Rowling…only the plot for this story is mine and Blake grin.

Ron Weasley lay in the shade of a large Elm tree by the lake, watching as the other students at Hogwarts milled about talking excitedly about their summer plans. Summer should be his favorite time of the year, with no classes, homework, or busybody professors getting in the way of his plans. However, this was not the case. In the summer he returned to the Burrow with all of his other siblings, who were off from school or on vacation from work. In short, too much family. The worst part of this is that he was often lost in the shuffle. This last summer just such a summer.

Bill had business in London and was staying in the Burrow with his wife Megan. Bill had thought it would be a good chance for everyone to get to know her better and so that she could get used to the wizarding world, as she is a muggle. This was a very difficult transition for her, because she was not just any normal muggle, she was a pediatrician at a famous children's hospital. All the Weasleys were certain that she would adapt well because of her sense of humor and laid-back attitude.

Charlie had taken a couple weeks off from working with dragons to visit with his family. With him he brought his new girlfriend, Fleur Delacour, much to Mrs. Weasley's distaste. Though she was shockingly beautiful she had few qualities that were really important; personality and brains.

Percy was not home. Which was not all that surprising since he has not been home since he became the Minister of Magic's assistant and disowned his own family. Last they had heard, he was living in a flat in Surrey and was engaged to Penelope Clearwater, who was not happy with the fact that Percy was no longer on speaking terms with his family.

Fred and George were living in nearby Diagon Alley and stopped by periodically with new products to test on their unsuspecting family. Sometimes, you would not know that they had been by until somebody mysteriously turned into something unnatural.

Ginny, being the only daughter, got quite a bit of attention. Being a young teen, meant plenty of disagreements with their parents. The argument, at the time, had been whether or not she should be allowed to date. Which, eventually, she did win even though she has not needed to use that privilege.

Ron, being not overly intelligent, athletic, or rebellious, was often overlooked. At Hogwarts he had become an individual and had his friends who paid plenty of attention to him. It was these attentions that he missed the most during summertime. Especially, the attentions of a certain bushy haired someone.

After a month of being alone and receiving weekly letters from Harry he was fed up. Harry was a great friend and all but he wasn't Hermione, who had not written to him once this summer yet. True, he had not owled her, but that was beside the point, in his mind.

During a trip to Diagon Alley, Ron decided to go into muggle London to call Hermione, thinking that by this he could prove something to her. He did not know what he was trying to prove, but he was going to do it all by himself. He first ran to Gringotts to change what little money he had into muggle money. After this, he went through the Leaky Cauldron and out onto the bright streets of London.

He looked around frantically for a felly-tone in the busy streets of London. At last, after walking for what seemed like miles, he found one. He entered the booth and picked up the receiver. After following the instructions, he dialed Hermione's number which he had written on the back of his hand. Ron tapped impatiently on the wall as the phone rang. Suddenly, a male voice greeted him.

"Hello this is the Grangers."

"Uh…hi this is Ron. Can I talk to Hermione?"

"No need to yell. But I am afraid that you can't."

"Is this Mr. Granger?" Ron questioned

The male voice laughed. "I certainly hope not. My name is Blake and I am their neighbor. I am watching their house while they are away visiting a friend in Bulgaria. Who did you say that this is?"

"Ron. Ron Weasley, a friend of Hermione's from…school."

"Oh! I think I remember my Mione mentioning something about you…the orphan with the scar right?"

"No that's Harry! What do you mean your Mione?!" Ron asked hotly

"She's my gal don'tcha know." Blake said rather spitefully.

"She sure as hell is not! You stay the bloody hell away from her or you will have Ron Weasley to answer to!" He yelled as he slammed down the receiver and burst out of the booth.

He could feel his face growing hot with anger as he stormed down the street and back into the Leaky Cauldron. He sat down at a corner table and put his head in his hands. "Oh crap what did I just say to him, he will probably tell Hermione and then it will be all over…she will know." He moaned to himself.

Then something hit him. The Grangers were on vacation…in Bulgaria. A white hot rage burned within him once again. "Krum!" he spat as he slammed his fist on the table making the pictures on the wall shake. He strode down the street towards the nearby owlry. He gave the witch working there two bronze knuts, in exchange for red stationery. He put one end of his wand to his head and the other to the paper, thinking all that he wanted to say to her. Black ink swirled out of his wand and onto the paper forming all of the his words on it. Ron read the letter quickly before sealing it in a red envelope and giving it the owl nearest him who immediately flew out of the open window and towards Bulgaria.

The second that the owl had left, he knew that he should not have sent her that howler. His heart ached when he thought of the look on her face when the howler arrived and his words filled the air around her.

'Blast! I really screwed up this time. She will probably never speak to me again after what I just said to her.'

Ron shook his head quickly in order to clear his mind of the painful memory. At least, once she had returned from Bulgaria the following day, he apologized to her, in person, so they were on speaking terms again.

He vowed to himself, that this summer he would make it up to her and make this summer the best that either of them had ever had.