"Would you just eat the freaking food?" I found myself yelling
temperamentally.
Baker looked at me with really sad eyes and a tear washed down her cheek. I could tell there were more coming.
"Look, honey. I'm sorry. Mummy's just in a really bad mood. Please eat your food like Mummy's good little girl."
She reluctantly took the pizza from which I had scraped the mushrooms off into her hand and bit into it. She spit it out onto my clean floor. "It tastes nasty!" she screeched.
"That's it, young lady. I've asked you again and again to behave and you just won't. Go to your room!"
She sobbed. "NO! I WON'T!!!"
I took her by her wrist and she cried harder. I pushed her into her room and locked the door. "When you've decided to behave, you call me, and you can eat your pizza. Understand?" I could hear her throwing the few possessions she had in her room onto the floor and at the walls. It was ok with me though, she'd pay for it later when she had to clean the mess up.
It was times like these I knew I was too young to be a mother. I didn't know how to deal with this. These were supposed to be the best years of my life, not the ones where I was constantly working and being stressed. I hadn't realized that Baker was not the only one crying. I wiped away at my eyes and pointed my wand at the mess she had made. "S-scrougrify," I muttered.
I walked slowly back into my room, not feeling like eating anymore myself. I sat down on the bed running my fingers through my hair. I needed something to take my mind off things. A book might do the trick. I searched the room and was only able to find one. I sat on the bed, shrugging, and opened it halfheartedly.
My heart sank; the title page read Pictures from Hogwarts. I opened the book anyway, but with a very ominous feeling. The first one was predictably of Harry, Ron, and me. I knew I had put the pictures in chronological order the second I had gotten home from my last day of school, crying my eyes out, I'm sure. But, it was the three of us in first year, all together, smiling away, full of childish innocence. I turned the page slowly, through some more first year pictures, right into second year, and so on. We hadn't taken too many pictures, and I had only put the good ones in the book, anyway. The older we got, the more pictures that also had Ginny in them. My tears were starting to subside when I turned to a picture that I knew was the end of an era. It had been taken during the summer between fifth and sixth year.
Ron was pushing me in that old tire swing out on the back of his house. I kept grabbing onto his hand because I was scared to death of that thing; he grinned every time he let go of me and I went swinging again. Ginny was blowing bubbles in Harry's face in the corner. We all looked like we were having a great time and would be friends forever, like everyone had always suspected. A teary smile lit my face, and I turned the page. It was Padma, Anthony, Terry, and me. The next page was Lavender, Parvati, and me. I flipped frantically through the pages of sixth and seventh year, looking for anymore signs of Ron, Harry, or Ginny. Ginny was in a couple, and Harry was even to be seen in one. I was also pleased to see I had some pictures from Quidditch matches.
Finally, I entered the last few pictures. Our last day of school: the end of the road for our year of Hogwarts students. There were at least twelve missing, who had been lost in the last battle. I saw Mandy was gone from these pictures, so was Susan and Ernie. There was Ron, looking solemn and Harry even more so. The next page was the boys of Gryffindor: Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. They had at least smiled a little in this picture. I flipped through the last couple until I found the entire class, all in their black robes. We all smiled, looking immensely proud. Most of the girls were crying, and I slammed the album closed, feeling the tears well up in my own eyes. Why had it had to happen to us? We had been the greatest friends. Where did we go wrong? *********************************************
Baker and I both got up in considerably better moods the following morning. She asked me what we were going to do today, after she had been read her share of Saturday morning comics.
"I thought we'd go visit Nanny and Papa," I told her. Her eyes lit up. Nanny and Papa always had a present for Baker. In her opinion, they were the best people to visit in the world.
I dressed her up in her regular muggle clothes and she cried because I wouldn't let her wear her pink cloak. "Honey, I argued, "you would look foolish in the muggle world with a cloak. Don't you think?"
She gave me the silent treatment as I pulled out the floo powder and tried to coax her into the fireplace. Finally, she held my hand and I could say, "14 Weber Road, Manchester."
We landed- clump, clump. Baker sneezed and hiccupped, blowing smoke all over the place. She hated floo powder; one thing she had inherited from me.
"Nanny! Papa!" she shrieked delightedly.
She ran up and gave them both hugs, and then, they gave me a hug apiece in turn. "I still feel too young to be a nanny," Mum whispered in my ear as she released me, clearly delighted at our unexpected visit.
"Well, I know I'm too young to be a mum," I answered back. Mum brushed a piece of my hair from my face and smiled at me tenderly.
"What you got me, Nanny?!" Baker called running through the kitchen, searching for cookies.
"Nothing, sweetie," Mum said. I pulled out a sickle from my pocket and handed it to Mum. She winked and gave it to Dad.
"Baker," Dad called. "I have something for you."
"It's so pwetty!" Baker said, twirling around. She thrust it into her pocket, not even realizing what it was. "Papa, come play with me," Baker yelled, taking off up the stairs. Dad followed her, shaking his head.
"Should I make some tea?" Mum asked, indicating for me to sit on the loveseat.
"Don't bother," I yawned, pulling out my wand and giving it a complicated wave. We heard the gentle chink of glasses moving around in the kitchen.
"How are you, darling?" Mum asked, sitting down next to me.
"Stressed," I answered truthfully. "I need a break."
"I know you do," Mum answered, looking concerned. "You work like a maniac. What you need to do is find you a nice man, settle down, and quit work to raise a family."
"All right, let me make my to do list," I answered sarcastically.
"No need to take a tone."
"I've seriously been considering taking some time off, but I just don't know if Baker and I can afford it. We're kind of low on money."
No I didn't. I said the m word. Mum's eyes were humungous. "Sweetie, please, please, if you're low on money, please let me help you."
"Mum, we're fine," I protested.
"Your father and I-"
"Have your own problems," I interrupted.
"You and Baker would never be a problem, and you know that. Are you staying for dinner?" Mum asked as Baker and Dad came traipsing down the stairs.
"We can't stay long," I said quickly. "Just thought we'd drop by. I've got loads of errands to run."
"Well, why don't you leave Baker here?" Mum asked eagerly. I could see the pleading in her eyes, which made me give in. I nodded, not sure if it really was the best idea.
"Then, I guess I'd better be going," I said, getting up and summoning the tea. I gave Baker and my parents a quick goodbye, making Baker promise to be on her very best behavior.
"Just a bit of 'you' time will make you feel all better. Don't worry about Baker," Mum told me.
I rolled my eyes and said ok. I loved my parents, but we had disagreements on raising children and working mothers. My mum took a very traditional view on mothers and pregnancy. She actually once went to a support group for mothers of teenage mothers which caused quite a row between us.
I apparated into Hogsmeade, right in front of the Three Broomsticks. I needed a drink. I hadn't had a drink in four years. Just a little something; something light.
"What'll I do you for?" Madam Rosmerta asked, wiping away at the counter but I wasn't paying her a bit of attention. There was a boy sitting at the table next to the bar all alone, and he looked really familiar. If he didn't have that spiked hair, he would have to be—
He walked up to the bar to get his drink. I had to be sure, though. I sidled up next to him and heard him thank her in that deep, heavenly voice. There was no mistaking him now. I scooted a little closer. "Hello, Anthony," I whispered, grinning.
You'd have thought I had screamed it. He jumped around, spilling half of the contents of his glass on the floor. "Merlin, you scared me..." He looked tragically at his shirt then back up at me. "Hermione!"
He looked like he considered pulling me into his infamous bear hug but looked down at his shirt again which he had slopped his drink all over. "Uh, well-" He settled on a one arm hug instead, grinning all the while. "Madam," he told the bartender, "could you get me another drink please? And one for Hermione as well."
"Certainly," Madam Rosmerta said enthusiastically. She gave me a quick wink when Anthony wasn't looking.
"I'll wait for the drinks," Anthony told me, after fishing some coins from his pocket. He pointed toward the first table I'd seen him at. "You can sit over there and wait if you'd like."
"Ok." I went over to the table and sat down, twiddling my thumbs. I watched Anthony carefully. The reason I hadn't recognized him at first was his odd hairstyle. He had all his deep brown hair spiking up at least an inch. He was still definitely, as Ginny had put it, mighty fine. He had deep chocolate eyes and perfectly toned skin. His smile just lit the room up. I'm not some infatuated teenager though. I have a kid.
"Is this ok?" Anthony asked, placing a cup in front of me.
"Oh, yeah, looks good." I had been planning on getting something a bit stronger, but I didn't want to look like some pathetic drunk with a kid to anyone; least of all Anthony. I didn't handle drinks too well anyway. Anthony had to remember his birthday party in seventh year. You don't forget being covered in thrown up firewhiskey. But, why offer it to anyone? That's nasty stuff.
"I like your hair," I said, feeling the tips of his spikes. "That must have taken a bunch of gel."
"You can blame this on Lavender." He put on a high pitched squeak. "'Oh, Anthony, you will just look wonderful. You wait; you're going to be the sexiest boy in town.' Not that I want to be sexy or anything. How bad does it look?"
"She was right. It looks good," I answered. Be still my heart; I cannot have a crush.
"Oh, well, then," he said, blushing. "What about- er, I can't exactly remember her name- how is she?"
"My child? Baker Granger?"
"Oh, sorry. How is she?"
"Fine. Just turned three. You should come meet her sometime."
"That would be cool and awkward. And all at the same time!"
"Not for long. You'd love her."
"Padma told me she was great. Have you talked to Terry lately?" he said, abruptly changing the subject.
"No, how is he?"
"Depressed. Not doing too well really. I'm pretty sure he'd love to hear from you, though."
"Wow, I'd never have imagined it being Terry. I might just write to him. What are you doing in town then?" I said, not wanting to get in a depression discussion here and now. It brought back bad memories of that summer. The one after fifth year. And more horrible memories of my depressing pregnancy.
"I'm meeting a friend. Well, a business associate. A friend, you know. But, really more of a friend, we're like drinking buddies."
"Ok then," I answered, showing him my pearly whites. "You always had such a way with words."
"I know. Really, how bad does it look?" he asked, touching his hair again.
I laughed. "Not that bad."
"Oh no, you laughed. She just did it. I can't believe she did it. I'm going to go get it fixed though."
"I could do it for you," I said, pulling out my wand teasingly.
"No, dear, I think not. Remember that time you tried to do your hair with your wand in sixth year?"
"Oh yeah! I caught it on total fire. I could do every other spell on the earth, but I never could master those damn beauty spells."
"You didn't need them. If you got it flaunt it," he answered, making absolutely no sense. I laughed all the same though.
"Don't."
"What?" he asked.
"Leave it," I replied. "I love it."
He gave me that smile. I used to melt under that smile. "So, who's your girlfriend? Somebody told me you had one."
"Had," Anthony repeated. "We broke up. What was odd was that we broke up right after she met that guy I was telling you is coming to meet me here. We had a bit of a row after that, but we're ok now. We went to a Quidditch match together. Me and the guy that is. Anyway, I've been suspicious they had a thing for each other from day one. Him and the girl, you know. Who told you about Gris though?"
"Gris?" I asked leaning in closer. Surely I had heard that wrong.
"Griselda, its short for Griselda."
"Oh, it was Ginny Weasley who told me."
"Ron's sister?"
"Yeah, Ron's sister."
"Oh, now it all makes sense."
"And again," I went on, "Ok."
"Never mind. Go on."
"You really should come visit some time though," I said, sipping my not- strong-enough drink to make my worries go away.
"I do want to meet your little chap. What does she look like?"
"Want to see?" I asked enthusiastically. I never missed a chance to show off my baby.
"Yeah, definitely." I pulled out my same snapshot I had revealed to Alicia and showed it to him. He took it in his hand and studied it.
"If you don't mind me saying so, this baby looks a lot like Ginny Weasley, since we're mentioning her."
"I don't think so." I took it back, shaking my head. "Nu-uh. Not at all."
"Totally. Or maybe it's just that hair, but you could pass her off as a Weasley. Hell, she could be Ron's sister. And those eyes. Wow."
I scooted my chair back from the table to be sure Anthony couldn't hear my pounding heart. "Why do you keep mentioning Ron?" I asked curiously. Slightly paranoid too, if truth be told.
"He's that friend I was telling you about. The one who's meeting me."
"The friend?" He nodded. "No. No, no, no."
"Where are you going?" Anthony asked as I almost knocked my chair over in my haste to stand up.
"Errands. And baby stuff. And job stuff. And tons of other stuff. And- and parents- they- uh- they have Baker. I've got to get out of here." I jumped up, but he grabbed my hand before I could leave.
"Should I maybe not mention seeing you?" Great. He was catching on.
"If you don't mind."
"No, not at all," he answered, giving me a genuine smile. "But Ron's a hell of a guy if you'll just meet him."
"I'm so sure," I answered, rolling my eyes. I knew that, dammit. And I hated him!
"Look, I know you two had differences in the past and whatever happened between you between fifth and sixth year must have sucked, but it never hurts to get to know a new person." He shrugged. "Even if he does steal your--"
"Bye, Anthony!" I gave him a quick hug and disapparated with a pop. ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~* ~~~*~~~
A/N: Well, I requested and you guys responded brilliantly. In two days, I got the eight reviews I asked for and you get to read this chapter before I move. How about more reviews next chapter? Here's a crazy request- 20 reviews (you were halfway there last chapter)! For one chapter that would be the absolute greatest. That would be the greatest house warming gift ever. But, I guess, all I can ask is for everybody to review. Ron is going to be back next chappie as well! Have a great four weeks! The second my internet is up and running again, the next chapter will be posted. I'll be writing loads so the weeks will go by much faster! Ta-ta! ~LauriAnnaMarieCharles
Mione grint: No worries, girl. I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry I'm leaving you Ron-deprived for another chapter.
Anne5: You are like my new bets friend! You like my fanfic, you like me, you really like me. *Hugs!* I'm glad you liked the last chapter too!
Tiffany-45: Tangents, me and you both. Fanfic is an excellent place to work on your writing skills. We agree then. I do think I need a better summary though. I think really good summaries attract readers. See, tangents! (they rule)
Tiggieotoo: Me and you are so on the same level. Ron is, IMHO, the best imaginary person whoever existed. Red heads too, ahhhhhh. *Dies* I got enough reviews though. Yey!
Emma-sophia: Brilliant? Really? I'm glad you thought so. Ron will be back soon!
LINY: I did, I did, I did. Ron is soon returning (everyone's so worried~ good!)
Ms. Pissy: It is up. Baker is adorable. Poor thing needs a father!
Chrissy!!!: Ron is being called. The people demand him! Soon, I promise, soon.
Draco's-icequeen: Chapter five is up, thanks in large part to your review (and everybody else's).
Mione Weasley the original: All that reviewing will luckily not be needed. I feel really bad for not giving the people what they want thins chapter. Ron WILL BE BACK! NEXT chappie. Guaranteed!
Baker looked at me with really sad eyes and a tear washed down her cheek. I could tell there were more coming.
"Look, honey. I'm sorry. Mummy's just in a really bad mood. Please eat your food like Mummy's good little girl."
She reluctantly took the pizza from which I had scraped the mushrooms off into her hand and bit into it. She spit it out onto my clean floor. "It tastes nasty!" she screeched.
"That's it, young lady. I've asked you again and again to behave and you just won't. Go to your room!"
She sobbed. "NO! I WON'T!!!"
I took her by her wrist and she cried harder. I pushed her into her room and locked the door. "When you've decided to behave, you call me, and you can eat your pizza. Understand?" I could hear her throwing the few possessions she had in her room onto the floor and at the walls. It was ok with me though, she'd pay for it later when she had to clean the mess up.
It was times like these I knew I was too young to be a mother. I didn't know how to deal with this. These were supposed to be the best years of my life, not the ones where I was constantly working and being stressed. I hadn't realized that Baker was not the only one crying. I wiped away at my eyes and pointed my wand at the mess she had made. "S-scrougrify," I muttered.
I walked slowly back into my room, not feeling like eating anymore myself. I sat down on the bed running my fingers through my hair. I needed something to take my mind off things. A book might do the trick. I searched the room and was only able to find one. I sat on the bed, shrugging, and opened it halfheartedly.
My heart sank; the title page read Pictures from Hogwarts. I opened the book anyway, but with a very ominous feeling. The first one was predictably of Harry, Ron, and me. I knew I had put the pictures in chronological order the second I had gotten home from my last day of school, crying my eyes out, I'm sure. But, it was the three of us in first year, all together, smiling away, full of childish innocence. I turned the page slowly, through some more first year pictures, right into second year, and so on. We hadn't taken too many pictures, and I had only put the good ones in the book, anyway. The older we got, the more pictures that also had Ginny in them. My tears were starting to subside when I turned to a picture that I knew was the end of an era. It had been taken during the summer between fifth and sixth year.
Ron was pushing me in that old tire swing out on the back of his house. I kept grabbing onto his hand because I was scared to death of that thing; he grinned every time he let go of me and I went swinging again. Ginny was blowing bubbles in Harry's face in the corner. We all looked like we were having a great time and would be friends forever, like everyone had always suspected. A teary smile lit my face, and I turned the page. It was Padma, Anthony, Terry, and me. The next page was Lavender, Parvati, and me. I flipped frantically through the pages of sixth and seventh year, looking for anymore signs of Ron, Harry, or Ginny. Ginny was in a couple, and Harry was even to be seen in one. I was also pleased to see I had some pictures from Quidditch matches.
Finally, I entered the last few pictures. Our last day of school: the end of the road for our year of Hogwarts students. There were at least twelve missing, who had been lost in the last battle. I saw Mandy was gone from these pictures, so was Susan and Ernie. There was Ron, looking solemn and Harry even more so. The next page was the boys of Gryffindor: Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. They had at least smiled a little in this picture. I flipped through the last couple until I found the entire class, all in their black robes. We all smiled, looking immensely proud. Most of the girls were crying, and I slammed the album closed, feeling the tears well up in my own eyes. Why had it had to happen to us? We had been the greatest friends. Where did we go wrong? *********************************************
Baker and I both got up in considerably better moods the following morning. She asked me what we were going to do today, after she had been read her share of Saturday morning comics.
"I thought we'd go visit Nanny and Papa," I told her. Her eyes lit up. Nanny and Papa always had a present for Baker. In her opinion, they were the best people to visit in the world.
I dressed her up in her regular muggle clothes and she cried because I wouldn't let her wear her pink cloak. "Honey, I argued, "you would look foolish in the muggle world with a cloak. Don't you think?"
She gave me the silent treatment as I pulled out the floo powder and tried to coax her into the fireplace. Finally, she held my hand and I could say, "14 Weber Road, Manchester."
We landed- clump, clump. Baker sneezed and hiccupped, blowing smoke all over the place. She hated floo powder; one thing she had inherited from me.
"Nanny! Papa!" she shrieked delightedly.
She ran up and gave them both hugs, and then, they gave me a hug apiece in turn. "I still feel too young to be a nanny," Mum whispered in my ear as she released me, clearly delighted at our unexpected visit.
"Well, I know I'm too young to be a mum," I answered back. Mum brushed a piece of my hair from my face and smiled at me tenderly.
"What you got me, Nanny?!" Baker called running through the kitchen, searching for cookies.
"Nothing, sweetie," Mum said. I pulled out a sickle from my pocket and handed it to Mum. She winked and gave it to Dad.
"Baker," Dad called. "I have something for you."
"It's so pwetty!" Baker said, twirling around. She thrust it into her pocket, not even realizing what it was. "Papa, come play with me," Baker yelled, taking off up the stairs. Dad followed her, shaking his head.
"Should I make some tea?" Mum asked, indicating for me to sit on the loveseat.
"Don't bother," I yawned, pulling out my wand and giving it a complicated wave. We heard the gentle chink of glasses moving around in the kitchen.
"How are you, darling?" Mum asked, sitting down next to me.
"Stressed," I answered truthfully. "I need a break."
"I know you do," Mum answered, looking concerned. "You work like a maniac. What you need to do is find you a nice man, settle down, and quit work to raise a family."
"All right, let me make my to do list," I answered sarcastically.
"No need to take a tone."
"I've seriously been considering taking some time off, but I just don't know if Baker and I can afford it. We're kind of low on money."
No I didn't. I said the m word. Mum's eyes were humungous. "Sweetie, please, please, if you're low on money, please let me help you."
"Mum, we're fine," I protested.
"Your father and I-"
"Have your own problems," I interrupted.
"You and Baker would never be a problem, and you know that. Are you staying for dinner?" Mum asked as Baker and Dad came traipsing down the stairs.
"We can't stay long," I said quickly. "Just thought we'd drop by. I've got loads of errands to run."
"Well, why don't you leave Baker here?" Mum asked eagerly. I could see the pleading in her eyes, which made me give in. I nodded, not sure if it really was the best idea.
"Then, I guess I'd better be going," I said, getting up and summoning the tea. I gave Baker and my parents a quick goodbye, making Baker promise to be on her very best behavior.
"Just a bit of 'you' time will make you feel all better. Don't worry about Baker," Mum told me.
I rolled my eyes and said ok. I loved my parents, but we had disagreements on raising children and working mothers. My mum took a very traditional view on mothers and pregnancy. She actually once went to a support group for mothers of teenage mothers which caused quite a row between us.
I apparated into Hogsmeade, right in front of the Three Broomsticks. I needed a drink. I hadn't had a drink in four years. Just a little something; something light.
"What'll I do you for?" Madam Rosmerta asked, wiping away at the counter but I wasn't paying her a bit of attention. There was a boy sitting at the table next to the bar all alone, and he looked really familiar. If he didn't have that spiked hair, he would have to be—
He walked up to the bar to get his drink. I had to be sure, though. I sidled up next to him and heard him thank her in that deep, heavenly voice. There was no mistaking him now. I scooted a little closer. "Hello, Anthony," I whispered, grinning.
You'd have thought I had screamed it. He jumped around, spilling half of the contents of his glass on the floor. "Merlin, you scared me..." He looked tragically at his shirt then back up at me. "Hermione!"
He looked like he considered pulling me into his infamous bear hug but looked down at his shirt again which he had slopped his drink all over. "Uh, well-" He settled on a one arm hug instead, grinning all the while. "Madam," he told the bartender, "could you get me another drink please? And one for Hermione as well."
"Certainly," Madam Rosmerta said enthusiastically. She gave me a quick wink when Anthony wasn't looking.
"I'll wait for the drinks," Anthony told me, after fishing some coins from his pocket. He pointed toward the first table I'd seen him at. "You can sit over there and wait if you'd like."
"Ok." I went over to the table and sat down, twiddling my thumbs. I watched Anthony carefully. The reason I hadn't recognized him at first was his odd hairstyle. He had all his deep brown hair spiking up at least an inch. He was still definitely, as Ginny had put it, mighty fine. He had deep chocolate eyes and perfectly toned skin. His smile just lit the room up. I'm not some infatuated teenager though. I have a kid.
"Is this ok?" Anthony asked, placing a cup in front of me.
"Oh, yeah, looks good." I had been planning on getting something a bit stronger, but I didn't want to look like some pathetic drunk with a kid to anyone; least of all Anthony. I didn't handle drinks too well anyway. Anthony had to remember his birthday party in seventh year. You don't forget being covered in thrown up firewhiskey. But, why offer it to anyone? That's nasty stuff.
"I like your hair," I said, feeling the tips of his spikes. "That must have taken a bunch of gel."
"You can blame this on Lavender." He put on a high pitched squeak. "'Oh, Anthony, you will just look wonderful. You wait; you're going to be the sexiest boy in town.' Not that I want to be sexy or anything. How bad does it look?"
"She was right. It looks good," I answered. Be still my heart; I cannot have a crush.
"Oh, well, then," he said, blushing. "What about- er, I can't exactly remember her name- how is she?"
"My child? Baker Granger?"
"Oh, sorry. How is she?"
"Fine. Just turned three. You should come meet her sometime."
"That would be cool and awkward. And all at the same time!"
"Not for long. You'd love her."
"Padma told me she was great. Have you talked to Terry lately?" he said, abruptly changing the subject.
"No, how is he?"
"Depressed. Not doing too well really. I'm pretty sure he'd love to hear from you, though."
"Wow, I'd never have imagined it being Terry. I might just write to him. What are you doing in town then?" I said, not wanting to get in a depression discussion here and now. It brought back bad memories of that summer. The one after fifth year. And more horrible memories of my depressing pregnancy.
"I'm meeting a friend. Well, a business associate. A friend, you know. But, really more of a friend, we're like drinking buddies."
"Ok then," I answered, showing him my pearly whites. "You always had such a way with words."
"I know. Really, how bad does it look?" he asked, touching his hair again.
I laughed. "Not that bad."
"Oh no, you laughed. She just did it. I can't believe she did it. I'm going to go get it fixed though."
"I could do it for you," I said, pulling out my wand teasingly.
"No, dear, I think not. Remember that time you tried to do your hair with your wand in sixth year?"
"Oh yeah! I caught it on total fire. I could do every other spell on the earth, but I never could master those damn beauty spells."
"You didn't need them. If you got it flaunt it," he answered, making absolutely no sense. I laughed all the same though.
"Don't."
"What?" he asked.
"Leave it," I replied. "I love it."
He gave me that smile. I used to melt under that smile. "So, who's your girlfriend? Somebody told me you had one."
"Had," Anthony repeated. "We broke up. What was odd was that we broke up right after she met that guy I was telling you is coming to meet me here. We had a bit of a row after that, but we're ok now. We went to a Quidditch match together. Me and the guy that is. Anyway, I've been suspicious they had a thing for each other from day one. Him and the girl, you know. Who told you about Gris though?"
"Gris?" I asked leaning in closer. Surely I had heard that wrong.
"Griselda, its short for Griselda."
"Oh, it was Ginny Weasley who told me."
"Ron's sister?"
"Yeah, Ron's sister."
"Oh, now it all makes sense."
"And again," I went on, "Ok."
"Never mind. Go on."
"You really should come visit some time though," I said, sipping my not- strong-enough drink to make my worries go away.
"I do want to meet your little chap. What does she look like?"
"Want to see?" I asked enthusiastically. I never missed a chance to show off my baby.
"Yeah, definitely." I pulled out my same snapshot I had revealed to Alicia and showed it to him. He took it in his hand and studied it.
"If you don't mind me saying so, this baby looks a lot like Ginny Weasley, since we're mentioning her."
"I don't think so." I took it back, shaking my head. "Nu-uh. Not at all."
"Totally. Or maybe it's just that hair, but you could pass her off as a Weasley. Hell, she could be Ron's sister. And those eyes. Wow."
I scooted my chair back from the table to be sure Anthony couldn't hear my pounding heart. "Why do you keep mentioning Ron?" I asked curiously. Slightly paranoid too, if truth be told.
"He's that friend I was telling you about. The one who's meeting me."
"The friend?" He nodded. "No. No, no, no."
"Where are you going?" Anthony asked as I almost knocked my chair over in my haste to stand up.
"Errands. And baby stuff. And job stuff. And tons of other stuff. And- and parents- they- uh- they have Baker. I've got to get out of here." I jumped up, but he grabbed my hand before I could leave.
"Should I maybe not mention seeing you?" Great. He was catching on.
"If you don't mind."
"No, not at all," he answered, giving me a genuine smile. "But Ron's a hell of a guy if you'll just meet him."
"I'm so sure," I answered, rolling my eyes. I knew that, dammit. And I hated him!
"Look, I know you two had differences in the past and whatever happened between you between fifth and sixth year must have sucked, but it never hurts to get to know a new person." He shrugged. "Even if he does steal your--"
"Bye, Anthony!" I gave him a quick hug and disapparated with a pop. ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~* ~~~*~~~
A/N: Well, I requested and you guys responded brilliantly. In two days, I got the eight reviews I asked for and you get to read this chapter before I move. How about more reviews next chapter? Here's a crazy request- 20 reviews (you were halfway there last chapter)! For one chapter that would be the absolute greatest. That would be the greatest house warming gift ever. But, I guess, all I can ask is for everybody to review. Ron is going to be back next chappie as well! Have a great four weeks! The second my internet is up and running again, the next chapter will be posted. I'll be writing loads so the weeks will go by much faster! Ta-ta! ~LauriAnnaMarieCharles
Mione grint: No worries, girl. I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry I'm leaving you Ron-deprived for another chapter.
Anne5: You are like my new bets friend! You like my fanfic, you like me, you really like me. *Hugs!* I'm glad you liked the last chapter too!
Tiffany-45: Tangents, me and you both. Fanfic is an excellent place to work on your writing skills. We agree then. I do think I need a better summary though. I think really good summaries attract readers. See, tangents! (they rule)
Tiggieotoo: Me and you are so on the same level. Ron is, IMHO, the best imaginary person whoever existed. Red heads too, ahhhhhh. *Dies* I got enough reviews though. Yey!
Emma-sophia: Brilliant? Really? I'm glad you thought so. Ron will be back soon!
LINY: I did, I did, I did. Ron is soon returning (everyone's so worried~ good!)
Ms. Pissy: It is up. Baker is adorable. Poor thing needs a father!
Chrissy!!!: Ron is being called. The people demand him! Soon, I promise, soon.
Draco's-icequeen: Chapter five is up, thanks in large part to your review (and everybody else's).
Mione Weasley the original: All that reviewing will luckily not be needed. I feel really bad for not giving the people what they want thins chapter. Ron WILL BE BACK! NEXT chappie. Guaranteed!