SO SO SO SORRY! It's taken me ages to update! I've just been so busy with school work and everything…but I promise it will all be over soon and I'll be able to update more often. I'm in a hurry now so this has to be quick!

ENJOY!

Disclaimer: The rights to Harry Potter? NOT MINE!

You're going places, Hermione

!!!

Chapter Sixteen: The opponent

That's nice.

It had been all Hermione could say.

Ron's girlfriend had told her, "We've been together for nearly two years now."

And she had just smiled slightly and said, "Oh…that's nice."

Nice? It wasn't nice! It was…

Well, Hermione didn't exactly know what it was. She did know, however, that she didn't like it. Ron dating someone else was not something she had expected.

And if she told herself the truth - the raw, heartfelt truth - she had expected him to wait for her. But if he had done that, he would have been waiting a long time. Especially if she had decided not to return to England.

"Well I best be off," Hermione said with forced cheerfulness, "I have to get home -" she didn't have to go anywhere "- I promised my parents I'd have dinner with them - " it was a lie "-but I'll definitely be here around ten tomorrow to pick the twins up. Later!"

Still smiling, she retreated down the front steps in a hurry. This changed everything. Caddie Cameron changed everything. She couldn't even consider trying to get Ron back now, not when she knew he was taken. It wasn't her style, nor was it something she approved of.

No…she would just have to get over Ron. Act just as she had in England and not see him or talk to him or touch him.

"Hermione! Wait up!"

She stiffened as her arm was grabbed and she was spun around. Well, so much for acting as she had when she was in England.

Ron was gripping her tightly with a strange look on his face, "Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"

"I just told you Ron, really!" Hermione breathed deeply; "I promised my parents I'd have dinner with them!"

"Right…but, well, you're still coming out tomorrow night, aren't you?"

She frowned, "What?"

"Dinner with me? And Harry?" He gave her an exasperated look, "Remember!"

"Well, yes… but I don't-" There was no way she was going out to dinner with Ron!

"You can't back out of it! I've already owled Harry! You said you were available so you have to go." Ron said bluntly.

"I'm sorry about that, but-"

Again he interrupted her. "No, Hermione come on. You haven't seen Harry in years. We all haven't been out together in even longer. What could be better than catching up?"

Perhaps, Ronald, Hermione thought, you falling madly in love with me and ditching that stupid girlfriend of yours. Her heart felt a twinge and she was sickened with herself. She shouldn't think things like that.

"Ron," Hermione held her head up, "I am an adult. You cannot and will not make me do things I do not want to-"

"You don't want to come out with us?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant to say that-"

"You'd come?" He grinned, "Great! We'll go out after you bring the twins back tomorrow! See you later!"

Ron then purposely ran up the steps and ushered the others inside, before waving at Hermione briefly and slamming his front door shut.

"Well!" Hermione said angrily, "Well I'm still not going! If he wants to act like a child then I can too! I'll just drop the twins off and head straight home!"

But that wasn't the case. After she had taken the twins out for yet another enjoyable lunch, she had then found herself inside Ron's fireplace.

"Now remember, we're going to The Leaky Cauldron." Ron said cheerfully as he handed her some Floo powder.

"You pressured me into this, you know," Hermione scowled and threw her powder in the fireplace. "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Seconds later, she was tumbling out of another fireplace and onto a dirty, stone floor. Coughing, she stood up quickly and dusted herself off.

"Hermione, that you?"

She turned, "Harry?"

He was a little older and looked a little worse for wear, but there was no doubting who he was. Her old school companion and more importantly, her friend.

"Oh Harry!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her.

"When Ron told me you were back I didn't believe it!" Harry said, "And when he told me we were all going out for dinner, I didn't believe that either!"

"Oh I wasn't going to come," she said in a rush, "I didn't want to but I'm glad I did. I've missed you so much!"

And she had, although strangely she had needed to see him to realise it. Just as she had needed to see Ron to realize she still loved him.

"Missed you too," Harry mumbled, pulling away, "You look great!"

"Doesn't she just?" Ron added, stepping out of the fireplace.

Hermione turned around to give him an appraising look but instead she only managed to blush. Ron merely gazed at her unabashed and Harry casually swung his arm around her shoulder.

"So tell me, how long have you been back?"

"About six days now." Hermione estimated. She really hadn't kept track.

"And please tell me," Harry said with a frown, "when exactly were you intending to owl me saying that you were back? I mean, I heard it from both Ron and Ginny, but that doesn't matter-"

"Hey!" Ron interjected, "Gin and I are very important people and our opinions and such-"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry waved him away, and nodded at Hermione, "Well?"

She flushed. "I honestly hadn't thought anything through. I want to get in touch with everyone eventually, but firstly all I could think about was getting in touch with Ron. And then of course I found out about the twins and my priorities…"

She trailed off. Harry, who no longer seemed interested in what she was saying, was talking to the innkeeper, Tom.

"Yeah, so we'll have two jugs of Butterbeer and two jugs of Firewhisky over at our table, all right?" He asked.

"Sure, Mister Potter!" Tom grinned, "And that'll be on the house."

Harry didn't seem surprised by this but he smiled. "Thanks."

The three of them made their way over to a corner table, hidden amongst some decorative plants. Hermione seated herself and was both happy and uneasy when Ron sat next to her. Harry sat opposite her, and began to converse again.

"So," he said, "I bet finding out about the twins was a big shock."

"Yes it was. I was just saying that before."

"Oh?" He was evidently disinterested.

"Yes." said Hermione, narrowing her eyes. What was the matter with him? This was not the Harry she remembered.

"I must have missed you saying that. Oh! Did you hear about me? I was offered the chance be the new Minister of Magic!"

She frowned, "I didn't hear about that."

"I didn't take the offer of course. I have more important things to do. But it was all over the papers!" Harry boasted. "You must have been living under a rock if you didn't hear about it!"

She scowled.

"So, did you have fun at lunch, Hermione?" Ron asked her, looking uneasy.

Hermione drew her piercing gaze from Harry and smiled, "Yes I did. Thank you for letting me see them. I really appreciate it. They're so…I don't know. They're great, really."

"I know," Ron grinned, "That's from my excellent parenting. Although, somewhere along the line I think their roles got reversed, gender wise."

"Meaning?"

"In case you haven't noticed-" Ron began.

"Morgan is more like a Morgana and Paige is more like a Peter," Harry finished.

Hermione glanced over at Ron worriedly, waiting for him to react angrily to Harry's undeserved insult.

"I know I should disagree," Ron sighed, "But I really can't. It's true."

"Oh, I don't think they're really-" Hermione started.

"You heard the man!" Harry declared, "It's true! Ah! The drinks have arrived. Now the party can begin!"

"What's the matter with him?" Hermione whispered to Ron out of the corner of her mouth. Ron looked from her to Harry who was dancing around the Leaky Cauldron to some old fashioned music. Thankfully, it was late and there were only about three other customers in the pub, all of which were politely ignoring The Boy Who Lived.

"He's just a little drunk, Hermione," Ron replied casually, leaning back into his chair, "we all are."

"Well, I certainly am not!" Hermione replied somewhat nastily. She had only had three Butterbeers, after all, which wasn't anywhere near as much as her friends, who had consumed more than an entire jug of Firewhisky each.

"If you say so." Ron mumbled.

"I do say so!"

"No need to get cranky," Ron cupped his hands around his mouth, "Hey Harry! Do the Cha-Cha!"

Harry saluted his friend and picked up a nearby hatstand before he began to march around with it in an impressive display of dance.

"How do you know about a Muggle thing like the Cha-Cha?" Hermione inquired curiously.

"Oh, well Cadie's really into Muggle music so she's made me listen to a few of her favourites. She likes Muggle dancing too so I've learnt a bit about that, although I still don't know much else," he replied.

Hermione's jaw tightened. She'd never been able to influence Ron with anything. How many times had she attempted to get him interested in S.P.E.W? Countless! And he'd never once caved under her pressure.

"So Cadie is…nice." She said blandly.

Ron, despite his intoxicated state, gave her an assertive look.

"Yeah, she's nice. Although, you don't seem to think so."

"How clever of you to pick that up."

"What's the matter?" Ron sighed.

"Nothing," Hermione sniffed, "I just don't feel as though she clicks with the twins."

He snorted, "Like you know who the twins do and do not click with!"

"I'm their mother!"

"A role which you've had for what? Four days?" He sat up straight. "Really, Hermione! Why don't you like her? She thought you were great."

Because you love her and not me, she wanted to say. But being Hermione, she didn't.

"I don't not like her. She's fine. It's all fine."

Ron wasn't satisfied with this answer and he opened his mouth to question her further, when Harry distracted him.

"Look!" Harry shouted, prancing up in the air and spinning, "I'm a ballerina! I'm a ballerina!"

"Merlin, Harry!" Ron said irritably, "Must you do something like this every time we go out?"

"Dance with me Ron!" Harry demanded, bowing before the redhead.

His friend looked highly affronted. "I will not!"

"Dance with me Hermione!" Harry said loudly, moving on to her

"Oh Harry, I couldn't! I don't like to-"

But she didn't have a chance to protest further as she was pulled roughly from her chair and swept away in Harry's arms.

"Ron!" Hermione squealed, "Get him away from me!"

"I'd love too, but I'm enjoying this too much." Ron answered back, chuckling.

"Step one, two, three, la, la, la-" Harry sang.

"I think you mean Cha-Cha-Cha." Hermione told him, struggling to break free.

"Oh, right. Step four, one, three, Cha, Cha, Cha!"

"Ron!"

"Just give it a minute or two," Ron said consolingly, "he'll wear himself out."

It was true. Harry's exuberant dancing eventually slowed down until he was merely standing in one place and swaying slowly from side to side. Although, the swaying could have been a result of the effects of the alcohol, and not Harry's exhausted attempt at the art of dance.

"Come on, mate," said Ron gently as he helped Harry stay on his feet, "let's get you up into a bed. Tom?"

"Yes Mister Weasley?" The bartender appeared before them, observing the situation with amusement.

"Do you have a spare bed or something to hire?" Ron asked.

"A room, Ron," Hermione corrected, "They hire out rooms here."

"Whatever." Ron turned back to Tom. "Do you have any?"

"Yes sir. I've got two spare rooms available for you all. Will you be sharing with…?" He nodded his head at Hermione.

Ron's ears turned red immediately, "No, er, no. It's just Harry that needs a room. We're both fine."

Hermione half considered saying that she thought it would be a good idea for her and Ron to share a room and recuperate, but she controlled herself. It was, after all, an inappropriate thing to think.

"Yes, all right. I'll take him up myself."

Ron passed Harry over into the innkeeper's arms thankfully before saying, "He'll pay you for the room when he wakes up in the morning, I'm positive he has enough money on him. And if he doesn't, just tell him he can owl me and I'll come by."

"Yes sir." Tom smiled.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron told her, heading for the exit.

"I'll be along in a moment," she replied.

Harry was stirring and he looked up at her, blinking sleepily.

"'Mione. What you doing? Me so tired." He murmured.

"I'll bet you are. You danced half the night away. That's bound to wear anyone out." She smiled wryly. "It was nice to see you again Harry. You're not how I remember you. If fact, you've become a bit of a self-absorbed prat. But it was still nice to see you."

"Tell the fairy I said hi," Harry said, before his head drooped and he became unconscious.

"Will do." Hermione muttered, heading out after Ron. He was standing outside, leaning against the wall near the exit with his arms wrapped around him.

"You can tell winter's coming," Ron said casually, "It's freezing. I bet you ten galleons that it starts snowing within the next three days."

"Betting is a very foolish thing to do Ron," Hermione said, before adding after a pause, "Five galleons that it snows in more than a week."

He grinned, "You're on."

They decided that it would be fun to take the Knight bus back home and so they made their way out onto the Muggle streets, where Ron promptly stuck out his wand hand.

After getting to their feet - the Knight Bus had knocked them down - and paying the driver, they made their way to the back where there were some comfortable seats.

"So do you want to do this again sometime?" Ron asked her, leaning back into the seat and closing his eyes.

Hermione paused, "I think it would be nice. But…is Harry always like that?"

"Nah," He mumbled, "Just sometimes. I told ya he was spoilt."

"Well I know but I didn't think he'd act like that! Do you think he'll be all right in the morning?"

"S'pose," Ron muttered, "But he'll have an awful headache."

"Serves him right! Do you know how much he drank?"

"Yeah, I drank about the same."

"Oh." Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's right."

"So you gonna come over for the Christmas party?" Ron muttered, yawning.

"Oh, well if you're formally inviting me I'd love too," she said with a smile.

"Have it every Christmas…fun… you should come…" He trailed off and Hermione stood up and began to make her way over to the driver, to ask if she could buy a coffee.

However, the Knight Bus lurched forward at that moment and Hermione was thrown back into her seat. Ron's eyes remained closed and it looked like his drinking was finally catching up with him. He was drifting off to sleep. Forgetting her coffee, Hermione stared at him.

Merlin, he was beautiful. She knew it wasn't right to describe a man that way, and Ron certainly wouldn't appreciate it. But to her, he was. She doubted there was anyone who wanted him more than she did.

Yet, Hermione didn't deserve him. Not after the way she had acted, running away to America and such. Ron wouldn't even consider loving her now. He did, after all, have Cadie Cameron in his life.

Cadie Cameron.

What was so great about her anyway? She wasn't exceptionally pretty, or exceptionally smart or exceptionally interesting. She was exceptionally normal, if anything.

Ron snorted in his sleep and smiled. Hermione's heart lurched and she looked down at him sadly.

"I love you with all my heart, Ron," she whispered, "But I'm going to have to get over it."

!!!

A/N: Sorry I can't give credit to those that reviewed individually! I'm in a hurry! But you all should know that it is really, really appreciated!

And don't mind how Harry is in this chapter…I'm not going to make him out to be a jerk…he'll improve!

REVIEW! Catch you all later!

AngelEyes