Happy?
Ron turned around as fast as he could which almost made him lose his balance. "Hermione?!"
"Why do you sound so surprised? You knew I was coming."
"No I didn't"
At this moment Harry joined them to explain. "Oh sorry mate, I forgot to tell you. members of the order are bringing Hermione back with them this evening". Hermione smiled at this but Ron didn't think it was that funny. His day would have been much better if he knew he had Hermione to look forward to. Plus he wouldn't have worn these scruffy looking clothes. Sometimes Harry could be so selfish. When he looked around he noticed Harry and Hermione had both say down as well as everyone else who were now all looking at him. He sat down quietly and started putting mashed potatoes on his plate. He didn't understand why Hermione's sudden arrival confused him this much. He'd been looking forward to it for weeks and now it seems weird, like they don't know what to say to each other.
After dinner the members of the order went of into a closed room leaving the others to do the dishes. All six of them pitched in so it didn't take that long. Afterwards Ginny took Hermione to get settled in while Fred and George went to play quidditch with Harry. Ron went to his room because he wanted to be alone. He sat on the edge of his bed playing with on of Pig's toys when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in" Ron said.
"Hi" Hermione's tanned face came round the edge of the door. Her smile looks even better now that her face is so tanned Ron thought. She sat down on the bed right beside him and looked him right in the eyes.
"I thought I'd come up and say Hello properly. So there it is: Hello Ron".
Just as Ron was about to respond he felt her lips on his cheek. It was the weirdest feeling. She'd done it before and every time she took him off guard and left him confused. He looked at her but she was now looking at the Cudley Cannon posters all over his wall. Then she turned to look at him and this little voice in his head kept screaming "say something, say something".
"So when did you come back from Italy?"
"Yesterday afternoon. I send an owl to your mum asking if I could come over"
"You didn't have to. I already asked you to come over"
"I know but I wanted to be polite so I asked. She said 'of course, of course," with this she smiled at him again. What was that weird feeling in his stomach? "and then she arranged for me to come back with them and here I am"
They sat next to each other in silence for a moment. Then Hermione placed her hand on Ron's and looked him right in the eyes. She looked rather sad.
"You're happy I'm here, aren't you? You said you wanted me to come over in your letter today. Pig dropped it off right before I left."
"Of course I am, of course. I'm just surprised that's all" he took hold of her hand more firmly. "I am very happy you're here, now tell me everything that you did this summer"
And she did. They talked on his bed for hours until Harry and Ginny came to announce they were going to bed. Hermione and Ron did the same. In bed Ron couldn't help but think of how great it was to have a friend like Hermione.