Disclaimer: It's still not mine, much as I want it. But, what would happen, I wonder, if I claimed that it was mine? Hmmm. Also, several songs here. The first one belongs to hellogoodbye (who can also be attributed to the title of this fic. Go them) and it is called "Say that you're into me". Also, mention is made of a song in the end, it is Paper Tiger by Spoon. Yay.
Warnings: Language. Sexual innuendo. The usual suspects.
Author's Notes: Holy Jesus this chapter took a long time. And I don't even like it. Crap. Anywayz, a cookie to anyone who can identify the Mall Rats quote imbedded in the chapter. And Review. And, hopefully, next chapter won't take as long. Ble.
Sincerely, me.
Chapter 8:
Good as Gold.
Ron woke with a smile on his face the next morning. It took him a moment to remember why he was so happy, but when he did, his smile grew wider. Today would be his first real date with Hermione.
He took more time than he was used to in preparing for the day. He found himself, for the first time, worrying about what he should wear. It took Harry threatening to go and ask Hermione what she thought would he should pick before Ron reached a decision. He was quite proud of himself to, picking a worn pair of jeans and a blue jumper he seemed to recall Hermione saying she liked before. Looking one last time in the mirror, he headed down to the common room.
There she was. Dressed in a cottony white skirt and a light pink and blue stripped top that fell deliciously off her shoulders. When Ron noticed a pink cloth flower in her hair that he could have sworn belonged to Lavender, he realized she had taken the same effort as he in dressing. He caught her eye from across the room and they smiled. She walked over to him, which was good because his legs seemed to have stopped working.
"Hi," she said when she reached him, smiling again.
"Hey," he replied, suddenly feeling dumb. They stood there for a moment more, neither quite sure how to proceed. "So, uh, when does this date thing start?" he asked.
"Whenever you want it to," she said, waving her hand. Ron chuckled.
"How about six years ago?" he teased, but gave her a look that showed he really meant it.
"Well, I guess the best we can do is to start now," she replied with a blush.
Ron smiled and offered his hand to her, which she took graciously. Together they walked out of their Common Room and down to breakfast. Their mutual best friend watched them exit with a wistful grin, then walked down to the Great Hall by himself.
True to Halloween tradition, the Great Hall was spectacularly decorated. The cloud of live bats hummed around the ceiling and the jack-o-lanterns grinned sinisterly out at them. Ron steered his date to the Gryffindor table, sitting with Ginny, Parvati (and her date from Ravenclaw) Lavender and Seamus (who were still an item after four years) and Luna, who was visiting from the Ravenclaw table where she had very few friends. Parvati looked at the arriving pair shrewdly.
"What's this pleasant new development?" she asked sweetly.
"Ron and I are going into Hogsmead together," Hermione explained with a smile. The table looked at her expectantly. "On a date," she finished. The group broke out into chatter.
"Oh, wow! That's so great!"
"Finally!"
"So that's what took you so long this morning."
"I always knew something would happen between you."
"Congrats, you two!"
"Wait," Ginny said, trying to quiet them. "Wait a minute." Everyone settled down and watched her. Her eyes settled on Hermione. "Is this just one date or are you two going out?" Ron paused, wanting Hermione to answer this one- he wasn't sure of the answer himself.
"It's just one date," she said. Ron's chest tightened, but he ignored it.
"What does it matter, though?" he asked. "Harry asked me that last night when I told him. Why do you all care?"
Ginny, who had worn a look of supreme disappointment when Hermione answered, plastered an innocent smile to her face. "What do you mean, dear brother?" she cooed sweetly. "I mean, it's not like people are betting on your love life or anything." Several people at the table sniggered at this but before Ron could respond, Harry sat down.
"You guys looking forward to today?" he asked, spurring more enthusiastic conversation. A while later, Ginny looked at Lavender with a smile.
"Well," she said coyly, "What's the scoop?" Parvati, who had been immersed in conversation with her new beau, perked up.
"Oh, I've got a good one!" she said. "Hannah told me the traumatizing story she had promised." Everyone shifted to hear her better. "Well, she was going to have a relaxing soak in the Prefect's bath. Only, when she got there, it was already occupied and the occupant was stepping out of the tub. So, Hannah got a full frontal view of… Malfoy."
"Oh, God!"
"Poor girl."
"That's not it! Parvati went on. "Now, like I've said before, Hannah likes to exaggerate, so I don't know how reliable this is… but she said that Malfoy was rather… well endowed."
"OH! I didn't want to know that!"
"I don't even want to think about that."
More exclamations of disgust were heard all around the table. In fact, the only one who didn't say anything during this was Ginny. She just grinned, picking up a roll and began to spread margarine on it slowly, as if judging the right time to begin. "I can confirm that for you," she said finally in a calculated tone. "He is."
"One, I still really don't want to know that," Hermione said, cringing. "Two, how can you be so sure?" She gave Ginny the same shrewd look she had at dinner the day before.
Ginny shrugged, looking intently at her roll. "Well, that is the kind of thing you notice when you're sleeping with someone."
Ron spat the pumpkin juice he was drinking across the table, spraying Harry in a sticky orange mist. More juice dripped unattractively down his face as he stared at his sister, eyes wide in shock. "What?!" he exclaimed. Ginny took a bite of her bread, thoroughly ignoring him. Ron, however, wasn't the only shocked face at Ginny's confession. The whole table within earshot was watching her in stunned silence. Parvati was the first to speak.
"You… and Malfoy… are you serious?" she stammered. Ginny nodded, still keeping her eyes on her food. "When?"
"About a month ago," she stated then took a bite of a muffin. Everyone considered this as she chewed, swallowed, then finished her statement. "The first time."
"The first time?!" Ron shouted, his anger returning. "You mean there were other times?!" Ginny ignored him again, taking another bite of her muffin.
"Gin? How many other… times… did this happen?" Lavender asked, knowing Ginny wasn't going to answer her brother. She shrugged.
"Lost track after a while," she said.
"You… lost.." Ron stammered, looking lost himself. He shook his head and looked away from his baby sister.
"What.. How? Ginny, how did this happen?" Harry asked, looking dumbfounded. "I thought you hated him, I though we all hated him."
"I did," she said, shrugging. "Then it.. It just happened." Her audience stared, silent. "Alright, you want the whole story? About a month ago I was feeling tense so I decided to go for a bath. I chose the Prefect's bath-"
"You're not a Prefect," Ron said quietly, still not looking gat her.
"Well, it's your fault for telling me the password," Ginny said. "When I got there, I wasn't the only one who had thought of a bath. Draco was there. We had words, he called me a slut, I called him a bastard. Then we took to insulting each other's sex drives. We both wanted to prove the other wrong and there seemed only one way. And we did prove each other wrong, indeed. After, neither of us was willing to let it go at one encounter, which was understandable. So we met other times.. And things just evolved naturally, somehow. So, now I suppose I would consider him my boyfriend."
There was a silence following her words in which everyone tried to grasp what she had said. Parvati voiced all of their confusion. "So.. You just went from fighting to.. you know.." She trailed off, but everyone was able to fill in the blank. Ginny just shrugged again.
"He challenged my libido," she justified. "I felt the need to defend myself." The silence continued. "Look, I know this comes as a shock. I know it seems strange, and maybe it is, but it's what happened. And now things have changed; he's changed, we've all seen it, you have to admit that much. So… you are the first to know.. We're going to Hogsmead together today, our first date, I guess. If no one has anything to say…" She paused, waiting for some interjection. None came. "I'm going to go talk to him now." She stood and walked to the Slytherin table. No one spoke as they watched her approach Malfoy, tap his shoulder. He stood, too, to the shock of his friends. One sixth year made some comment and Malfoy's gray eyes flashed at him. He sent a remark his way and the younger student shut up. A hundred pairs of eyes followed the unlikely pair out of the Great Hall.
After a moment, the dull rabble of breakfast started back up.
"Ginny and Malfoy?"
"What could she see in him?"
"It's a strange match."
"No, it isn't really. I always thought Gin would go for a bad-boy"
"Well, they don't get much worse than Malfoy!"
Ron heard all of this as though in a dream. Suddenly, the magic of the morning seemed very far away. An awful lump fell into the pit of his stomach and stole away his appetite. Staring at his plate, he listened to the chatter.
"I think they're kinda cute together."
"You're right."
"Maybe this'll end the Gryffindor/Slytherin feud."
"The merging of two houses!"
How could they just talk about it? He stood abruptly, causing his friends to stare at him.
"Ron?" Hermione asked with concern. "What's wrong?"
What could possibly be wrong? His mouth felt dry and his face burned with embarrassment. He shook his head. "Let's get going," he murmured. Hermione nodded, sending a meek smile to their friends before standing.
-------
An awkward silence had fallen over the pair since leaving the Great Hall. Hermione had tried to break it before, but to no avail. Presently they were walking down the wooded path to Hogsmead, all the anxiety of the morning seeming a very long time before. Ron looked at her out of the corner of his eye; saw the dejected look on her face. It was too much. He sighed, stopping.
"I'm sorry for being such a drag right now," he said. Hermione turned and looked back at him.
"It's understandable," she said with a smile. Ron sighed again, leaning against a tree.
"I just can't believe her," he said quietly. Hermione walked over and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I know you don't like Malfoy, but you've got to admit, he has gotten better," she said in a soft comforting tone. "I mean, you saw the other day, he wouldn't even mention your family. I think that was Ginny's doing. So, just try to understand. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes these things just happen. People, sometimes the people you would least expect, will come together. And.. Well.." she trailed off as Ron shook his head.
"That's only part of it," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm not happy about her dating Malfoy, but.. I suppose I could get used to it."
"Then what's the problem?" Hermione asked. Ron looked up at her with hurt-filled eyes.
"I defended her," he stated simply. "Whenever someone made those accusations, I defended her. Called them fools, said they didn't know her. Well, it looks like I was the one who was fooled. This is the confirmation. My little sister has been sleeping around."
Hermione watched him in silence for a moment. "Oh" she said after a moment. "I guess I forgot for a moment that you're a big brother." Ron shrugged. Hermione leaned on the tree next to him. "I don't know what I'd do if Rosa didn't anything like that." The silence fell over them again as the both wrestled with thoughts of little sisters. After a moment, Ron looked over at her.
"I really am a horrible date, aren't I?" he said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Not at all. You've just had some things to deal with this morning," she said in the same soothing voice she had offered before.
"Well, let's forget about that for now," Ron suggested, standing. "Let's get back to the important matter of today."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Hermione teased.
"Us," he stated frankly, sliding a hand around her waist and heading towards Hogsmead.
------
"I have to stop by and see Cosette," Hermione said as they passed the Three Broomsticks. "You know, make sure everything's okay and that she'll be up to the school by five."
"But of course," Ron said, guiding her into the pub. "She's staying here, right?" Hermione nodded. "Well, you go find her, I'll get the drinks." Hermione didn't have to look far to find the DJ.
She was sitting at a table full of boisterous twenty-somethings, all of which would have fit into the Muggle rock scene. Their ringleader was a woman of about 23 with dirty blonde hair, wearing an old white tee-shirt advertising some band and low rider jeans with patches sewn on. She was telling some amusing story that involved wild gesticulations and the other guests at the table were laughing noisily.
"That's her," Hermione said in an undertone to Ron, who had returned with two butterbeers. "Cosette Duponce."
"A rocker and French," Ron mused. "Bill would have liked her." Ron reminisced over his late brother for a moment as they walked to the loud table.
"'Mione!" the ringleader said "How are you today?"
"I'm just fine," she replied with a smile. "Just wanted to make sure everything was alright here and that you arrived in one piece." Cosette smiled.
"Yup, I'm all here," she said, brandishing her arms as if to prove it. "Kevin checked for me this morning, didn't you Kev? The last bit was directed to the man on her right whose hair was so shaggy it hid his eyes. He mumbled something incoherently, causing the table to laugh. Cosette leaned over.
"Don't worry, none of us can understand a word he says," she said with a wink. "So are you going to introduce your friend?"
"Yes, of course," Hermione said, "This is Ron Weasley. He's Head Boy at Hogwarts-"
"We won't hold that against him," a girl with strawberry ringlets said with a grin.
"You better not," Ron returned.
"-and we've been working on this fair together," Hermione continued, ignoring the exchange. "He's also my date for the day." Cosette eyes them wryly, grinning.
"Is he the one you were-" Cosette started, but Hermione cut her off.
"So, you should be getting to Hogwarts at about five, the music needs to start at six," Hermione said quickly. Cosette raised an eyebrow.
"Right," she said, nodding. "Right, my girl." She smiled and motioned to two chairs. "Join us!" The pair smiled and obliged. "These two have been single handedly arranging a fair for their school. I'm providing the music." she said with a dramatic wave of her arms. "God, I love spinning for wizard parties! You know why?"
"Why's that, Cosy?" someone asked.
"Glad you asked," she said, smiling at the man who had said it. "You see, at a Muggle party, they are expecting certain songs. And that's all they want to hear! I can't play any little-knows, no unheard-ofs at all. But at a wizard party, all they really care is that it sounds good. I mean, I play a little Weird Sisters, a few things from the WWN and they're fine. I'm left to fill in the spaces with whatever I want. And I've got a few little known, very good bands up my sleeves."
They sat and drank with the group for another fifteen minutes before Cosette's eyes fell on them again.
"'Mione?" she said sweetly. "Didn't you say you two were on a date?"
"Yes, we are," Hermione said with a slight blush.
"Well, then why the bloody hell are you sitting here?!" she exclaimed, waving an arm animatedly. "Get out, enjoy your youth. Go snog in an alleyway or something." She stood and pushed the pair towards the door.
"Remember," Hermione said quickly on the way out," Be up at-"
"Five o'clock," Cosette finished. "Don't worry about me. You just go enjoy this fine day."
The day was rather fine. The autumn air bit at their cheeks but the sun shown above and warmed them.
"So, what do you want to do?" Ron asked at length. His hand settled on her back as they walked down the busy street. "Honeyduke's?"
"Maybe later," Hermione said. "I don't know. A candy shop doesn't hold the same appeal that it used to for me."
"You must be getting old," Ron teased. "Soon you'll be yelling at young hooligans. Oh wait, don't you already yell at young hooligans?"
"Ha, ha, Ron," Hermione said back. "I'm not that much older than you, you know."
"Please, you're over half a year older!" Ron contradicted.
"Am I?" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes. "When's my birthday?"
"September 19," Ron said without hesitation. Hermione stopped in her tracks. Ron looked back at her. "What, you thought I wouldn't know my own best friend's birthday?" She narrowed her eyes further.
"When's Harry's?" she asked.
"July… 29, was it?" Ron said.
"The 31, actually," she corrected. "And I know you knew that. Don't play like I'm special." Ron smirked at her, pulling her into a hug, his breath right on her ear.
"But you are special, Hermione," he murmured. Before she could make a move to respond, he released her like nothing had happened. "How about Zonko's?"
"What?" Hermione said breathily.
"Do you want to go to Zonko's?" he asked again.
"Do I ever want to go to Zonko's?" she responded, rolling her eyes.
"Point taken," Ron conceded.
"Oh, I know where we haven't been I a while!" she exclaimed. "The Shrieking Shack!" Ron stopped.
"You're right we haven't been there in a while," he said. "I haven't been back there since third year."
"Oh," she said. "Too many memories?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "But it's high time I faced it, eh?" Hermione smiled and took his hand and they walked towards the edge of town.
------
The Shrieking Shack still stood after years of abuse and desolation. It had survived the rampages of werewolves and young animagi. It had sat solemnly while tourists gawked at its torn down shingles and speculated on the so-called spirits within. It had born witness to the redeeming of a murderer and the reunion of three old friends. It had carried in its ancient walls scars and secrets and memories. Now, two sets of eyes settled on its rusted pipes and broken shutters, wrestling with scars and secrets and memories of their own.
"It's really not that frightening," Hermione said, sending a weary eye up the derelict walls. "It's just a house."
"Not frightening?" Ron repeated. "You only say that now that you know there really aren't any restless spirits. I remember the first time we came here you were scared out of your mind."
"Was not," she defended indignantly.
"You were," he insisted. "You were clinging to my arm in fear."
"It was cold."
"You squeezed so tightly my hand went numb."
"I wasn't frightened," she said. Ron raised an eyebrow as a final protest. "All right, maybe I was a little frightened." He crossed his arms at her. "Fine, fine! I admit it! I was scared senseless. But you can't blame me, I had just read The Enchanted Village Hogsmeade and it claimed that there were restless spirits there. Books don't lie!"
"Oh, but they do!" Ron said "You just said. "You just said, 'I read in a book that there were restless spirits' when we both know that it was really just Lupin."
"We knew it, but I should hope that the people who wrote that book didn't know about three unregistered animagi at Hogwarts," Hermione defended. "So it was a reasonable conclusion that they came to."
"It was still a lie," Ron said. "No matter how reasonable it was."
"Well, you're being unreasonable," she said, crossing her arms. "You can't expect the writer of a book to be able to publish a fact known only by a cherished few."
"I'm just pointing out that you seem to think that any published word is an irrefutable fact," Ron said.
"Irrefutable? I've been rubbing off on you!" Hermione said with a grin. "And I never claimed that. If more evidence pointed to something else being true, I'd believe that. Always believe the most reliable source. The first time we came here, the most reliable source was a book written by someone who had studied this town. Now, the most reliable source is someone who spent time in the Shack, and was the source of all those noises" Hermione concluded with a look that said 'so there!' and Ron stuck out his tongue.
"You know, I think we're the only two people who could go out a date" Ron laughed "and end up fighting about something so insignificant."
"I like it when we do this," Hermione said. "There's nothing wrong with a little debate between friends."
The final word hung in the air for a moment and Ron caught her eye. "Friends?" he repeated, letting the question linger. She sent him an unsure look but said no more on the subject. They turned back to the Shack.
"I used to blame myself for what happened," Ron confessed after a moment. Hermione looked over at him questioningly. "I'd think 'He was my rat, I should have noticed something was wrong'., Or maybe if I had listened to them earlier, instead of refusing to believe them, we'd've gotten out before the moon came out and he'd not have had the chance to escape. That way Sirius would be free and alive and You-Know-Who wouldn't have come back. I used to blame myself for all of that."
"That's absurd!" Hermione exclaimed. "You couldn't have stopped any of that. None of us could."
"I know that now," Ron agreed. "But for the longest time.. I couldn't face this place. It reminded me of what I had done."
"That's why you had to come here today?" Hermione finished. Ron nodded. They both stared at the house for another moment before Hermione smiled. "You remember the first time we came up here?"
"Yeah," Ron said.
"That was when I started having… feelings for you," Hermione admitted, blushing slightly. "Because I could tell you were scared, too, but you kept making like you'd protect me from the house. And I know I was cutting off your circulation, but you didn't say a single thing. That whole day I just found myself looking at you and thinking 'Wow, this is nice. Just the two of us. I could get used to this.' But... I'm a bloody coward who couldn't do anything about it. I still am…"
"How so?" Ron asked. Hermione look up like she hadn't though he had heard the last part.
"I'm just.." she started. "This day… I just.." She paused, gathering the right words. "Over the years, I convinced myself that I'd rather have you as a friend, where it was far less likely that anything would come between us."
There it was. There was his answer. She didn't want this "relationship" to last any longer than just this one day. Well, better make the best of it, Ron thought, bringing his cold fingertips to her face. Some understanding passed between them and she leaned into him, warming her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and she tangled her fingers in his hair. He lost himself in the oblivion of her kiss.
-----
The sun was a good bit closer to the western horizon when the pair walked back into town, faces flushed and hands laced together.
"Honeyduke's!" Hermione said happily. "Chocolate is the only thing that could make this day any better." Ron grinned at her and headed for the candy shop. They walked around the barrels and buckets and displays of sweets in a giddy daze, looking at the magical candies like two kids exploring the wonder for the first time.
"You know, I've always wondered if people really get away with sugar quills," Hermione mused, picking up the spun sugar feather.
"I'm sure they do," Ron said, looking at a candy eyeball that could be used to spy on your friends.
"But the teachers surly know what to look for," Hermione said. "And how would the take notes?"
"Hermione," Ron chuckled. "Not everyone takes notes every day." He took the candy out of her hand. "Besides, you can write with this. The feathers are the only sugar part." He picked up another. "I'm buying these for you."
"Ron, I don't need that," Hermione protested as she attempted to grab the quills which Ron was holding just out of her reach.
"I want to," he said smiling. Hermione couldn't resist, smiling back.
"Alright," she said. Ron headed towards the cashier but Hermione grabbed his arm. "Look at that," she whispered, pointing out of the window. Across the street was Harry, walking with Luna.
"So?" Ron said. "They're friends." He turned again, but Hermione held him back.
"Look at how they're walking," She said. "Close enough that they'll brush against each other occasionally. And slowly, just enjoying their conversation. They keep looking at each other, and not much else. Those two are on… some sort of a date." As if to agree with her, the pair stopped, turning to look at each other. Harry leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek. Hermione beamed. "Oh! They're so cute together!"
Ron couldn't help but smile across the road at his best friend. It was about time. Once the pair walked into the Three Broomsticks and out of sight, Ron smiled at his date.
"I'm going to go pay for this," he said. "Do you want anything else?" Hermione shook her head softly and Ron went to the cashier.
When they walked out onto the street again, Hermione suggested drinks. Ron was wary of her devious look, but agreed. Ron got drinks and they settled into a table towards the back of the pub.
"So, how do-" Ron began, but Hermione raised a hand, shushing him. She put on a look of straining to hear something and after a moment, Ron realized what.
"I got a letter today," said the very distinctive voice of Harry Potter. Ron glared at Hermione.
"Spying?" he accused only to be shushed again.
"Who from?" Luna asked. Ron glowered but, realizing he couldn't win, sat back and tried not to listen.
"Tory."
"Oh? How is she doing?"
"She's good. Bored and lonely. But good."
"That's good."
There was a pause as they sipped their butterbeers. Luna spoke soon after.
"I still can't believe that a little girl is the reason you've become such a lady's man."
"I'm not a lady's man." He laughed.
"It really seems that way. You always got a crowd of girls around you."
"Because I like telling them my stories."
"Ah yes. The stories that you want to tell Tory when you see her. So the girls are just practice, then."
"Exactly." There was another pause before Harry spoke again, more softly. "You know, I never really felt like a hero until I saved her."
"So now you feel like you can act like one, right?" There was a pause where Harry must have nodded.
"You know… no one's really understood what I've been going through like you do," Harry said quietly. Ron glanced at Hermione 'Let's go' he mouthed to her. She nodded and they stood, walking out onto the street.
No sooner had the stepped into the sunlight was there the crack of an Apparator, followed by a scream. Ron spun towards the noise and saw the last person he had expected to see that day. Lucius Malfoy. He was sneering past him with an awful malicious glint in his eye.
"Hello, son," he drawled. Ron turned to the place Lucius had addressed to see Draco, glaring daggers at his father.
"Lucius," he spat. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
"Just checking up on my son," he said, walking towards him. He passed Ron, sending a horrible sneer at Hermione. Ron instinctively stepped in front of her, narrowing his eyes. "You never used to mind."
"Yes, well, I used to be a bloody fool," Draco scoffed, putting himself between Ginny and his father. "I used to not be able to think for myself. I used to think you were powerful."
"Ah, yes," he said. You used to value family." At this time Lucius seemed to notice Ginny. He quirked an eyebrow in her direction curiously. Ginny crossed her arms and glared at him, trying for some semblance of courage. "Oh, what an indignant little weasel. Are you trying to prove something?" Not a moment after the words had left his mouth was he lying face up on the ground, Draco's wand pressed dangerously into the soft flesh of his neck.
"You do not speak to her, you filth" he snarled. "You do not even look at her. You aren't even worthy of breathing the same air as her. She is ten thousand times the person you could ever even dream of being." With that, Draco lifted his wand and stood. One final look of absolute disdain thrown at his father, he turned to Ginny. "Are you alright?" he asked with a caring never before heard in his haughty voice. Ginny nodded with a grateful smile.
There was another crack behind them. Ron turned to see the new arrival, who proved to be none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. She pushed past them with such force that Hermione's purse fell off her arm, spilling its contents over the street. As Hermione stooped to gather her things, Bellatrix paused. She picked up a bag of quills with an awful sneer.
"Here you are, little mudblood," she jeered, throwing the quills to Hermione's feet. Hermione glared back at her but made no move to attack. Ron, however, had to be held back by Harry, who had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks and was sending Bellatrix a hateful stare of his own. "Lucius," Bellatrix said as she walked toward her fellow Death Eater. "Get up, we're leaving. Honestly, I can't believe you came here."
"Silence, woman!" Lucius barked.
"The Dark Lord won't be pleased," Bellatrix teased a moment before they Disapparated.
It took a moment for the people left on the street to realize what had happened.
"Great Merlin!"
"Death Eaters in Hogsmead!"
"We could have died!"
"Someone get Dumbledore!"
Ron knelt next to Hermione and helped her gather the final things into her bag. She had a worried look on her face and was sifting through her things. "Oh no," she murmured. Turning over her bag again she began to rifle through the items once again on the road. "No.. no," Whatever she was searching for wasn't there. She buried her head in her hands.
The first professor had arrived on the scene. Ross walked into the crowd looking very rushed and worried. "Is anybody hurt?" he called.
"No," Ron said, placing a comforting arm around Hermione, who had began to shake. "Lucius Malfoy came and he and Mal-uh.. Draco shouted at each other. Then Draco decked him and Bellatrix Lestrange showed up, she bumped into Hermione and then went to talk to Malfoy, told him off, then they left."
"Hermione?" Ross said with concern. He bent next to her "Are you alright?" Hermione looked up at him with worried, tearful eyes.
"I'm missing something," she said. "A little lead cylinder." Ron could see the color drain from Ross' face.
"Oh," he said, his voice almost cracking. "What is it?"
"Something important," Hermione said, looking around the street one final time for the missing item. "I think they took it."
"Are you sure?" Ross asked. She nodded. "What could they want with it?" Hermione looked him square in the eye, a fear written in her stare that Ron hadn't seen since the Death Eater came for them last year.
"I shudder to think," she said quietly. Ross sighed, looking around the street as if for some kind of aid.
"Alright," he said finally in a subdued tone. "We need to go see Dumbledore."
"I'm coming too," Ron said quickly. Ross looked annoyed for a moment, but agreed.
"Draco, Ginny, you two should come as well," he said, turning. Harry stood in his way. "Fine, Harry, come on." He shook his head and hurried on.
No one spoke much on the way to the castle. Draco kept a protective arm around Ginny's shoulder and scowled at anyone who so much as glanced at them. Ron tried several times to ask Hermione exactly what she was missing, but each time she would shake her head and look solemnly forward. Harry spoke in hushed tones to Luna, who had decided to come even without an invitation. Finally, they reached the school.
Professor Ross led hem wordlessly through the front hall and down to the gargoyle guarding the moving staircase to the headmaster's office.
"Canary Creams," he said. Ron almost beamed with pride at his twin brothers (who had achieved the ultimate success in candy making, being one of Dumbledore's passwords) as they clambered onto the rising stairs. The tension of the group reached a climax at the door the Dumbledore's office. Ross knocked.
"Come in," came the headmaster's voice from inside. The door opened and their group filed in. Dumbledore looked curios about this, but didn't speak. When the door closed itself again, Professor Ross began.
"There were Death Eaters in Hogsmead," he said. This seemed to interest the headmaster, who's face remained neutral but for the worried glint in his eye.
"Was anyone hurt? Anyone taken?" he asked, scanning the group as if for missing members.
"No," Ross said. Relief flooded Dumbledore's old face. "There were only two there. I didn't see it happen, though. Perhaps the story should be told by them." He waved to the students.
"Lucius Malfoy apperated onto main street," Ginny said. "He started talking to Draco."
"Then the bastard said something to Ginny," Draco interjected, not caring enough to watch his language in front of the Professors (though Dumbledore kindly ignored it.) "And I couldn't have that."
"Mal-uh, Draco knocked Lucius to the ground and shoved his wand in his neck," Ron said. "That shut him up."
"Then Bellatrix Lestrange Apparated in," Ginny continued. "She was walking over to Lucius and she knocked Hermione's purse off her arm."
"All my things spilled everywhere," Hermione said "and Bellatrix picked up some quills of mine. I should have known that something was wrong then."
"Bellatrix told Lucius that Voldemort wouldn't be happy he had come here," Harry said, contributing the bit he had seen. "Then they Disapparated."
"Then I realized I was missing something," Hermione said quietly. She sighed. "It had to do with the work I did with my uncle over the summer. Something of a souvenir. But if they have it, if they know what it's for… This could make You-Know-Who stronger then ever before."
"And you were helping to make this over the summer?" Ron asked. "Developing something that could help You-Know-Who?"
"We weren't working for him or anything," she snapped "but, if he got a hold of this information, this magic, this technology, he could use it for his purpose."
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, his fingers steepled thoughtfully. "Perhaps it would be best if you explained this in its entirety." Hermione nodded, sliding into one of the plush chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"Do you know the Theory of Parallel Universe?" she started.
"Yes, but I doubt your friends have heard of it," said Dumbledore. "So why don't you explain it anyway."
"Alright," Hermione continued. "It's a Muggle idea. It states that every decision has an infinite number of possibilities that can spring from it and every time a person is faced with a decision, these choices branch off and become alternate dimensions, or parallel universes. Now, Muggles don't have to ability to prove this theory and it's never really interested any of Wizard-kind. My uncle- a Muggle-born and my uncle by marriage, if you were wondering- happened upon the proof to it by accident. He was turning an old mirror into a Portkey and something went a little array. Through the mirror, he saw a scene that couldn't possibly be here on earth."
"What did he see?" Ginny asked.
"A city. A city filled with fanciful buildings and architecture unlike any on earth. But it was all in ruins. Completely destroyed, eroded, and obviously uninhabited for many, many years. My uncle could only see this world, he couldn't reach it. But it gave him an idea. If this world was destroyed, surely there were others like it. And, unlike this first world, perhaps the others would be inhabitable. If they were, it would completely change the way big wizarding events are put together. Things like the Quidditch World Cup would be simple to hide, without all the anti-Muggle charms. So my uncle began to study this process to see if he could reach these dead worlds."
"When I arrived this summer, my uncle was on the brink of breaking through. He had a team working under him now, four witches and wizards, and they had almost figured out how to reach the other worlds. Within two week we made it. Jamie and I were actually the first to travel through."
"Jamie?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes sparkling at Professor Ross for a moment. Hermione nodded, her cheeks tingeing pink.
"He was on my uncle's team," she elaborated. "And… he was a friend of mine." She swallowed, eager for a change of subject. "Anyway, we used these little lead cylinders to mark the worlds; otherwise the port would open to any random world in the infinite number of choices. That's what they've stolen."
"But why is that so bad?" Harry asked through the scowl that had bee deepening throughout the meeting. "So they now have a lead cylinder. I'm sure they could find something like that somewhere else."
"It wasn't just a lead cylinder," Hermione explained, rubbing her temples to stem the headache that was threatening to form there. "First, it was hollow, and filled with the exact potion needed to make an ordinary mirror into a Port. Second, it had several charms on it very similar to the charms used to make Ports. And, if they deliberately staged this like I think they did-"
"Why do you think that?" Ron asked.
"It just seemed to… coincidental to just be a coincidence. Malfoy, Lucius that is, shows up out of nowhere to talk to a son that he seemed to have pretty thoroughly disowned, then Bellatrix comes and knocks off my bag and helps me pick it up. Not to mention that they could have Disapparated before she started scolding him, but she did it before, so we would think that Lucius was here on his own. It just seemed far too practiced." She buried her face in her hands once more and Ron was quickly at her side, a comforting arm on her shoulders. Silence took the room for a moment and he took the chance to look at its occupants. Draco was listening to the explanations with an indifferent look on his face, all the while rubbing Ginny's shoulder comfortingly. Harry was staring at one silver object on Dumbledore's desk, his eyebrows knitting in thought. Luna, who seemed to have lost interest in the conversation, was staring at Harry with her normally dreamy look. As the silence deepened, a thought was pressing in the back of Ron's mind.
"How is it so dangerous?" he asked. "It isn't a weapon or anything. Not a spell for gaining power. How could it help him?" Hermione looked up at him and for a moment she didn't speak. She only stared at him, as if probing his eyes for some comfort. She sighed, her eyes leaving his for something just beyond him, then spoke.
"This, in and of itself, is not the danger," she explained quietly. "But, if he could access other worlds… Not all of them are dead. Some, most are full of functioning people, just like you and me. And, if there is a universes for every choice that has ever been made… then surely there's a world where You-Know-Who is in power, a world where he did something different and killed Harry. If the You-Know-Who from our world met one of those, he would, he could find a way to become stronger." She trailed off at that.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, leaning forward and placing his elbows his desk. "You are afraid that you have blundered, that you have placed a dangerous weapon in the hands of the enemy." She nodded. "But you have also said that they were obviously looking for it, did you not? It was a deliberate attempt to get that little trinket of yours, that's what you were implying before, right?" Hermione nodded again, a confused look crossing her face. "Which means that they obviously knew what they wanted. It wouldn't make much sense to go after a seemingly harmless object if you didn't know what it could do."
"What are you saying, Headmaster?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore grinned slightly.
"We are very aware of Voldemort's forces are up to," he said. "We know that he knows about your uncle's research, and we know how much he knows about this research. He is no better off in possession of that marker than he was before he had it." Relief played across Hermione's face for a moment, a slight smile toying with the corners of her mouth.
"Well.." she said. "I guess.. We don't have to worry then." A moments pause to allow the subject to die, and Hermione cleared her throat. "What time is it?" Dumbledore checked his odd wristwatch and smiled.
"It is four thirty, Miss Granger," he said. "You should get to that lovely fair you put together." Hermione turned to Ron with an almost panicked look.
"We were supposed to meet Susan five minutes ago to go over the final decorations, and then Cosette…" She trailed off but motioned him out of the room. "You go on, I'll meet you in a moment." Ron nodded and left the bright office but lingered outside the door as his friends stepped onto the corkscrewing staircase. He waited until he heard a voice just inside the door again. "Um, Professor, how exactly did you know about my uncle's research?"
"One of his research team told me about it," Dumbledore replied.
"Oh?" Hermione continued, her voice wavering the slightest bit. "Which one? It's only I was friends with most of them and…" She didn't finish the sentence. Dumbledore chuckled slightly.
"That one you mentioned before," He said. "Jamie. He's in the area you know." The room was filled with a thick silence.
"Yes, I was aware of that," Hermione replied, her tone threateningly flat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I really should attend to the fair."
"Of course, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. Ron heard shuffling chairs and was about to start down the stairs when he heard the headmaster's voice again. "One last thing." There was a pause. "You are one of the greatest students to pass through this school in the long years I have been here. I trust that your judgment on certain matters will be a judgment that would not put to shame the reputation you have made for yourself." This was followed by a very pregnant silence that had Ron cinching his eyebrows and wondering what the old fool was on about. It was a very long moment later before Hermione spoke, her voice smaller and more nervous than Ron had ever heard it in the years he had known her.
"Yes," she muttered. "Of course, Headmaster." There was another shuffling and Ron had only a moment to remember that he had was supposed to be down finding Susan and jump onto the moving stairs before he heard the door open.
In the silence of the stairway Ron could have sworn he heard the sniffling of some nervous child.
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The Front Lawn of Hogwarts had been transformed into an enchanted fair. There were rows of booths with vendors from Hogsmead and a few ambitious students. There were games and contests and a stage where Mr. Zonko would be doing a display of his best products. Later up there would be the contestants for the costume contest. Presently, Susan Bones was directing the Head Boy and Girl to the back of the fair, down next to the lake where the dance floor was.
"Well, what do you think?" Susan asked, the tour complete.
"It's looks amazing, Suze," Hermione beamed. "You did a great job with these decorations. Everyone will love it" Susan's face broke into a wide, exhausted smile which Hermione returned. "Now, you go get ready for the festivities. It's time to enjoy all your hard work." Susan grinned and turned with a wave, heading back to the castle. Hermione turned to Ron to find him smiling.
"I guess we should go get ready too, right?" he said. Hermione rolled her eyes, lacing her arm through his.
"Just one last thing, I need to check on Cosette," she said, turning back to the dance floor where their DJ was finishing setting up her station. Ron put one finger to Hermione's lips, silencing her before she could start berating anyone else about the details she had already checked a thousand times.
"Hey, Cosy," Ron shouted, catching the girl's attention. "You good to go?"
"Lock, stock and ready to roll!" she said with a grin, giving a thumbs-up.
"Great," Ron called back, then said softly to Hermione "Whatever that means." She rolled her eyes at him but smiled.
"We don't really have that much to get ready," Hermione said as they started across the grounds. "We don't have any costumes, I haven't had time to make anything."
"I didn't either," Ron said. "But I had the greatest idea, so I got Ginny to help me out."
"Well, that's not fair," Hermione said, putting her fists on her hips in mock anger. "Now I'll be all out of place, you in a costume and me not."
"Now, do you really think I'm that thoughtless?" Ron asked. "You have one too." As they mounted the stairs to the front doors, Hermione sent a sly look out of her eye. "What?" Ron asked, opening the door for her in a spontaneous act of chivalry.
"I only agreed to go with you yesterday," she stated. "And you already had matching costumes? Is there some mystery girl that you just dumped and is now out of a costume and a date, or were you expecting something?"
"The only one I ever even thought of asking was you," he said.
"What if I said no?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, it wouldn't have mattered about costumes because I would have thrown myself into the lake anyway," Ron said with a dramatic gesture. Hermione giggled while attempting to stop Ron from collapsing in a mock swoon.
"Well," she said once she had contained herself, "What are we going as, then?"
"It's a secret," Ron said. Hermione pouted for a moment before they stated up the staircase to Gryffindor Tower, then proceeded to badger him the rest of the way to their House. She tried all the tactics she could think of, from flattery to crying, all with a very entertaining effect so that by the time they reached the fat Lady's portrait they were clutching their sides in mirth.
"Cassiopeia," Hermione breathed and a moment later they were crawling through the portrait hole. They walked to the stairs hand in hand, still slightly taken by their giggles. She turned to him there and smiled crookedly. "What now?"
"Ginny's waiting in your dorm with your costume," he said. "She'll tell you what it is and explain everything." Hermione nodded and started up the stairs. One step up she turned back with a smile.
"I'll be back in a moment," she said.
"I'll be waiting, Guinevere," Ron said, unable to stop himself. For a moment he thought he almost saw her face fall with some shade of shock. However, the moment he could identify it as anything, it had flickered into a smile.
"Til then, Lancelot," she replied with a wink. She was the cleverest girl in their year, what could he have expected. Of course she figured it out within moments. She grinned and climbed the stair in the flutter of that gossamer skirt. He leaned against the wall and watched the spot where she had just been, relishing the lingering trace of her warmth and perfume. When the moment had passed, he went up to his dorm to don his costume.
It was rather simple for the idea that it had sprung from. Unfortunately, he doubted that he would have enjoyed wearing a full suit of armor the whole night, so Ginny had convinced him to go with his current ensemble. He wore a maroon tonic with an ornate gold cross embossed on the front, along with maroon tights. This part of the outfit he was none too happy about, but it made for a nice effect, and the cruelness of tights was counteracted by the greatness of the sheathed sword stuck in his leather belt. In his opinion he looked rather dashing but he was just going to wait for Hermione's reaction. With one last look in the full length mirror in their dorm, he headed down to the Common Room.
Five minutes later she still hadn't appeared and Ron was begging to worry about getting down in time to open the fair- a duty that had been granted to them for planning it. Plus, he was burning with anticipation of seeing her. Ginny hadn't let him see the costume as she had prepared it and he was curious as to how it turned out. Not to mention how Hermione would look in it. He stood from the red sofa and turned to the girls' dorm stairs. Where was she? A shadow started down the steps at a slow pace, reminding him of the night he finished her letters. He saw first a foot, shoed in a red slipper, and the hem of a white velvet dress. Then the dress grew longer, at the hips it turned into an intricate bodice with gold stitching and red embroidery. He saw elegantly clothed arms ending in a timid hand, gripping the rail of the stairs. Then the velvet dress ended, enticing him with necklaced chest and neck until he saw her face. She looked slightly worried, but other then that, perfectly poised and beautiful. His breath caught in his chest as he took in the gold garland laced through her enchanted curled hair and the glittering gold dust over her eyes. She saw him and smiled, a gesture he tried to return, but was sure he only managed a twitch. She was walking over to him now, that grin still on her face.
"This costume is really something," she said. "Ginny's a real seamstress." Ron made some agreeing noise. "You look nice, too." She smiled again. He made another affirming noise. "Well, let's get going then?" He might have grunted in response and was really becoming annoyed with his lack of intelligent speech.
"You look good," he said suddenly. She turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. "Really. It's not just Ginny's skill as a seamstress; you really look good in that. Really like some princess. So…. Uh… there you are." She rolled her eyes but he could have sworn he noticed a blush creeping up her charmed-pale skin.
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The fair was magic in both a literal and figurative sense. The booths were filled with glowing pumpkins and sparkling candies and products of every shape and size. Everyone around had put a great effort into their costumes and the lawn was a menagerie of colors. Ron and Hermione met up with Harry about twenty minutes into the fair, finding him in a sleek black tuxedo with his hair unbelievably slicked back.
"Who're you supposed to be?" Ron asked with a laugh.
"Bond," Harry said with a suave smile. "James Bond." Ron quirked an eyebrow at him.
"And who the bloody hell is that?" he asked.
"He's a Muggle character from a movie," Harry laughed. "A secret agent. Always saves the day and gets the girl and what have you, so I thought it would be funny, you know?" Ron laughed, too.
"You look great, Harry," Hermione said, grinning. At that time, Luna walked over to them dreamily. She was clad in what appeared to be a duck suit.
"Um, Luna, I'm guessing you're some kind of poultry, then?" Ron said, once again stunned by the girl's antics. She shrugged and turned to Harry.
"Ginny and I are going to go sign up for the costume contest," she said. "Are you coming?"
"No," Harry said with a shake of his head. "This was just for fun. What about Lancelot and Guinevere?"
"We're the Head Boy and Girl," Hermione said. "It would hardly be proper to compete. We're just going to observe and watch our hard work come together. Right, Ron?"
"Uh… right," he agreed, looking over at the gathering of people by the contest registry. He had only wanted to participate a little. Hermione looked at him, realizing this, and laughed.
"Come on, let's go see the dance floor," she suggested. "Do you want to come, Harry?" He agreed and they headed to the back of the fair.
The dance floor was full of students wriggling and gyrating to the latest Weird Sister's song. Harry pointed out the Patil twins, who were dancing with their respective dates, though were quite joined at the hip, apparently having chosen to be Siamese twins for this event. Ron laughed and held a hand out to Hermione, who took it graciously. Harry looked awkward for a moment before a fifth year Ravenclaw girl dressed as a pixie asked him to dance. Ron and Hermione caught the eye of Cosette, who grinned at them as the song ended, and put on another track. This pleased Hermione, though Ron didn't recognize the tune, and she mouthed the words as they danced. After the song, she grabbed his hand and led them to Cosette.
"The New Pornographers? I love you a little more every time I see you, Cosette!" she said and they left to explore the fair a bit more. A moment later they came across Ginny and Draco, clad in what appeared to be clothes from the American West. "And who are you two?" Hermione asked.
"Bonnie and Clyde," Ginny answered. "I read about them in one of those books you lent me." Draco was frowning, but other then what he must have deemed to be embarrassing clothes he seemed to be having a good time. "We're going to Zonko's display now; do you want to come too?" Hermione agreed before Ron could protest to spending time with Malfoy. They headed in a bunch over to the stage and sat in the second bench before it.
"This is a really amazing dress, Ginny," Hermione said as they waited for the event to begin. "I can't believe you made it!"
"You made that?" Draco asked with more then a hint of admiration in his voice. "Very nice." Ginny smiled warmly at him and Ron couldn't help but feel some joy at seeing his sister so happy.
The display was as good as they had anticipated, full of fireworks and pranks on unsuspecting audience members. Ron laughed and oohed with the rest of the crowd and when the show ended, he stood and took Hermione's hand.
"So, did you enjoy the display?" asked a voice near them. Turning, they discovered Professor Ross, out of his teaching robes and in frayed jeans and a tee shirt bearing a coat of arms that said "the Shins". He grinned at them and approached. "And before you ask, I've come as myself, only the me that I am when I'm not a teacher."
"That's an interesting idea," said Ginny. "You know, you really should be allowed to teach in that." This was said with what might have passed as a leer, earning a glare from Draco and a laugh from Hermione.
"Hear, hear!" she agreed. "Well, professor, I must say I approve of your taste in music. The Shins, got to be one of my favorite bands. I even saw them in New York this summer."
"Oh?" Ross said. "When?"
"There was a concert at the end of June, at the Cotton Club," she said.
"No way," said Ross. "I was there."
"Small world," Hermione said with a grin. "We should go request that the DJ play some of them."
"Would she do that?" Ross asked as their group started toward the dance floor yet again. "I mean, they're more popular then they've been in years past, but still rather obscure. She may not know of them."
"She just played the New Pornographers, I doubt she wouldn't have heard of the Shins," said Hermione. Ron was now beginning to feel very out of place in the conversation. Draco and Ginny had already begun to talk quietly between themselves, but he was left alone. He prayed for a subject change, but none came.
"We should request some Postal Service," Ross suggested.
"We should request some Flaming Lips," Hermione put in.
"We should request some Phish," Ross said, sending the pair into giggles. Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, in hopes to remind her of his presence. This worked and she looked over at him.
"Let's dance," she said, taking his hand and leading him onto the floor with a wave to Professor Ross. And so they did, dancing for most of the night to songs Ron recognized and some he didn't, until what he estimated was about eight thirty.
Cosette began a new song and Hermione, who had previously smiled at Cosette's choices and started dancing again, suddenly looked shocked. A hand flew up to her mouth and her eyes grew wide and bright with a surprised smile. She let out a laugh and turned away, looking over the other dancers, seemingly searching for someone. She found them, though Ron couldn't see who it was. She motioned to this person, gesturing to the DJ stand and laughing. She turned back to Ron when she was finished with this and stood on tiptoe to speak into his ear.
"This is my band!" she said excitedly. "The one I was a part of in New York. "Veni Vidi", this is my band!" She laughed again. "I wrote this song!" She jumped up and wrapped her arms around him for a moment, then the pair began dancing again. Ron made care to listen to the words of this song, as he always did to her works.
"You promised me starry night skies/ They just remind me of your shining bright eyes/ I'm missing your voice at nighttime/ This sepa-separation seems seems a sad crime
But don't don't don't think think think/ I forgot you you you are are are oh so sweet and I I I
I knew if only you were here/ Things would be more magical/ If I was there/ Right now would be more radical/ You're so not near/ Wishing I could place a call / And feel closer to you. Oh
Miles of air and road and land/ That separate me from all my plans/ We're having having having/ Having fun. Then something/ Something tells me I miss someone
But I hope hope hope you didn't/ Forget me, I couldn't forget you/ The whole time I always knew, I knew
If only you were here/ Things would be more magical/ If I was there/ Right now would be more radical/ You're so not near/ Wishing I could place a call / And feel closer to you. Oh
Say that you're into me/ Let me know how it'll be,/ You don't know, just say so/ I'll wait until the prefect time,/ Think of all the prefect lines/ I'll make sure if you'll let me know."
It was unlike anything he had heard from her. A song that was very easy to dance to, with a rather happy feel to it. However, there was something about the words…
"When did you write that?" Ron asked.
"After I had been in New York for a while," she replied, taking his hand and making her way across the dance floor. "Actually, I said that I wrote it, but it was a collaboration between Jamie and me. The first song we wrote together. He's the guy singing on the track, by the way."
"Oh," Ron said, thinking. "Tell me something, if you don't mind my asking, what did you write that song about?" Hermione sent him a sly look over her shoulder.
"It's about missing people," she explained. "And who could I have been missing in New York?" Ron blushed slightly as they arrived at the DJ booth. "Cosette!" she exclaimed. "How did you get a hold of that? Veni Vidi? I thought they were extremely small time."
"They are," Cosette said, picking up a CD and looking at it. "But I have a friend in New York who saw them perform, he sent me a tape. I listened, I loved, so I got in contact with a member of the band and he gave me a supply of Veni Vidi CDs along with permission to play them. And I've sold a fair few of the CDs."
"Really?" Hermione asked, practically beaming. "Wow."
"How'd you hear of them?" Cosette asked with a wry grin. Hermione returned the gesture.
"Look at the cover of that CD a little closer, my friend," she said.
"I knew it!" Cosette laughed. "And that guy, the hot one-"
"Can I asked you a favor?" Hermione said quickly, glancing around. Ron, noticing the second time she did that this day, raised an eyebrow in question. Neither girl noticed. "Do you have a compact player I could borrow?" Cosette looked at her strangely for a moment, then nodded. "That's great. And I think we're going to say good night now." That was the first Ron had heard of this plan. She realized this and turned to him. "I've just had an idea, something I want to show you. Could I have that compact player?" Cosette smiled and retrieved what appeared to be a blue wireless with some strange knobs on it, handing the device to Hermione. "Thanks. Come on." With that, the Head Boy and Girl left the fair they had spent so much time planning, retreating up into the castle.
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They sat on the windowsill of the Gryffindor common room, the compact player between them emitting some music like the song that had been played earlier. Hermione was laughing and blushing as Ron complimented her work and even attempted to hum along to a few songs.
"I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier," she said as the second song faded. "I mean, I had the CD, I just needed a player, but I'm sure someone could have lent me one. Then you could have heard the songs as they were meant to be heard, not just an acoustic rendering!" The third song was starting now and Ron recognized it almost immediately.
"That's Photobooth!" he said. "Wow, it does sound different." They laughed together, enjoying the music, her head laying on his arm now. Soon that song faded as well, leaving another to begin. He recognized this one as well, but didn't have a chance to place from where before Hermione pressed a button and the song was skipped.
"I don't like that one," she explained. He nodded and began listening to the next song, but the thought was still tugging at him- where had he heard the skipped song?
Then it struck him.
It was one, the first one that Professor Ross had played.
But… how? He claimed to have written it himself, but if Hermione's band was playing it, then one of them must have written it. If not Hermione herself then that Jamie fellow. How could Ross have written it if it were Jamie's song? Unless.
One by one the pieces fit themselves together. Hermione's anger at the start of the term, the looks between the two of them.. Could it be that…
He'd ask her. That was the only way he'd know for sure. "Why did you really skip that song, Hermione?" he asked in a soft tone. She looked up.
"What?" she said just as softly.
"Why did you skip that song?" he repeated. "Why did you cut Cosette off when she tried to talk about another guy in your band? Why were you sad at the beginning of the term? Hermione, please, tell me. Is… he is, isn't he? Professor Ross… he's Jamie." Hermione looked out of the window and didn't answer. They sat in silence for a never ending moment. "Then it's true." Another moment passed. He sighed. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors. Some people think that a teacher and a student are having an affair. And well, I've heard them in the halls while I was patrolling… Hermione, is it you?" Her head shot up at that, a sort of fear in her eyes. For a moment, all he could her was her voice in the recording, singing a hypnotizing sounding song: "The new war will get you/ It will not protect you." Then the present Hermione smiled weakly.
"No, Ron," she said. "God no. I mean… he is. But we aren't! I couldn't risk that." She grabbed his hand. "There's nothing going on between me and Jamie. I swear it." He couldn't help but smile at her as the song took precedence in the room again: "But I will be there with you when you turn out the light."
That was it then. How could he think that it was true now? She denied it, she swore it up and down. And to him, her word was as good as gold.
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Wow. So, this chapter is quite jumpy. Covering a lot of things. All in one day. enter two side plots, one (D/G) will be dealt with a lot, the other (H/L) is basically done, unless inspiration should strike me to carry them further. Also, enter the real plot, that whole bit about Hermione's summer work, while fairly confusing I think, is also pretty important. But, it will disappear for a while now. Next chapter, things get interesting. Note, I've been looking forward to writing the end of chapter nine since I got the idea for this fic. W00T! So, thanks to reviewers, you know who you are, you rock my world and you should keep on doing what you're doing. And thank you for waiting, if you are reading this. Sorry once again for the delay. Hopefully next chap will be up sooner, I don't think it will be as long. Nearly. Anyway, review!