Note: Chapter complete.

Chapter 3: The Awkwardness without Harry

When Ron awoke the next morning, he felt nervous twinges in his stomach, the same he had felt on his first trip to Hogwartsall thoseyears ago. Hermione was to be arriving today, and there was still almost three weeks before school started. It was also just going to be Hermione until Harry responded to their letters. As he showered, Ron tried to think about it as just meeting with the girl from Hogwarts, looking at Hermione as a friend. A friend. And only a friend. His brain was trying to tell him something else, but he was pushing that back to the corners. This didn't stop him from spending every minute after breakfast in front of the fireplace in the living room, though.

The other thing that was on Ron's mind was Ginny and Percy's meeting last night. Ron had been in his room when she returned, and didn't hear her come in. When he knocked on her door she didn't answer, and when he tried to go in, it was locked. She had either fallen asleep, or was just ignoring him. One way or another, he'd find out what happened. He was sitting in the couch, attempting to finish some summer homework and watching the fireplace, when he heard her voice talking from the kitchen.

"Ginny, come in here when you are done, we have to talk!" He called out, and she didn't respond. "Ginny?"

"Yes, Ron!" She yelled. "Give me a minute, I'm trying to eat before the twins come down and start devouring everything in site! You already helped with that, so thanks a lot!" Ron groaned and closed his piece of parchment, too sick of Potion essays to continue.

"While you are waiting Ron, you could go chase the gnome's out of the garden. Your father would appreciate that!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"Mum, my foot hurts too much for that," Ron complained, looking down at his shoe-less foot that was wrapped up. He had hurt it a few weeks ago playing soccer, but still hadn't told anyone that it was healed.

"Oh, right. If it's that bad, maybe we should go get it looked at," Mrs. Weasley suggested.

"Um...it's getting better actually, maybe just a few more days!" Ron lied.

"I'll do the gnome's then. Maybe Hermione can help!"

"I'm sure that's what she wants to do, Ron," Ginny giggled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that I don't think she's just coming here to de-gnome our garden."

"What?" Ron asked, confused at what his sister was getting at.

"Figure it out," Ginny appeared, carrying a glass of something. Realization hit Ron.

"Oh, no no no, Hermione doesn't....you know...like me like that," Ron blushed, sitting up straighter and looking at his quill to avoid Ginny's eyes.

"How do you know? It's been awhile since you've last seen her," Ginny pointed out.

"That's true," Ron said, sounding a bit too excited. He remembered not to get any hopes up, and pushed the thoughts of Hermione liking him more then a friend to the back of his mind once again.

"You like her, don't you..." Ginny tried to hold in a giggle.

"As a friend," Ron tried to sound firm. "Besides...she'll probably just want to go over our homework, and start the reading for next years books." Ginny's eyes glittered, and she was about to speak.

"And to get away from her parents. It's quite lonely where she is, with Muggle parents who don't want to talk about magic," Ron interrupted.

"But let's get back to the topic of Percy. What happened?"

"Well," Ginny looked over her shoulders for any signs of Mrs. Weasley. "Percy's going to...well....he's going to become a dad."

"What?!" Ron jumped, this not necessarily what he had been planning to come from her mouth.

"Yeah. A boy, due in a few months. And with this, Percy is freaking out. He hasn't been making very good money, and has been having a hard time supporting him and his girlfriend, let alone a baby.

"They aren't married?"

"No. The baby wasn't planned."

"So, what, does he want money? Like we have much of that!"

"Sort of. He said they found a little place not far from here, they are living there. He wants you, me, and maybe even the twins to come by every now and then, to help clean up, and maybe bring along some food or money."

"You have got to be kidding me! You told him no, right?" Ron looked into her eyes.

"Not exactly. I said I'd be happy to, and I'm sure that you guys would too. Come on Ron, he's our brother. We have to do whatever we can for him.

"We don't have to do shit for him," Ron said rather calmly. "Where was he when mum was in the hospital for the doxie bite? Or when you fell from the-"

"That's not the point. This is really serious, and he doesn't know what to do," she gave him that look that made Ron give in to almost anything.

"Please? Just come check it out with me one time, tonight. If you're uncomfortable, you can leave. Maybe Percy will tell you why he left, he didn't tell me. Hermione can come too, Percy always liked her.

"No he didn't."

"Yeah he did, remember? It's Harry he's not very fond of."

"Okay," Ron said finally. "But- I'm only going because I don't want you to be going alone in the dark. And I am not going to be nice to Percy just because of this. I'm going to tell him what I really think."

"Nothing to harsh Ron," Ginny pleaded. "And thanks. You're the best." She plopped down onto him, and gave him a hug.

"Am I your favourite brother?"

"Hmm...Well, the twins DO have some really wicked ideas. They have been working on a new light that-" she was interrupted by the giggles that escaped from her mouth when Ron started tickling her leg.

"Go on," Ron teased.

"Yeah yeah, you know that you are," she said seriously, getting up and sitting next to him on the couch. Ron couldn't help but grin at how good that made him feel. Mrs. Weasley came into the room, and the thoughtful look on her face made Ron's heart jump at the thought that she'd just heard their conversation. Ginny's face twitched too.

"You two are lucky you got your breakfast. The twins are in there, hungry as two werewolves," she said, and Ron relaxed. She sat on a chair, and pulled out her wand. A wet cloth suddenly started wiping the tables, and books started flying back to the bookshelf.

"We want to be presentable for our guests. When did you say Hermione was coming?"

"She said sometime this afternoon," Ron replied.

"What about Harry?"

"I don't know," Ron said truthfully. "We both sent him letters, and he hasn't responded to any of them yet."

"Hope he's okay. I worry about him living there," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Me too," Ginny and Ron sounded together, still nervous about what she may of heard. Silence filled the room as Mrs. Weasley watched the books, and Ron and Ginny kept exchanging nervous looks.

"Have any plans for tonight?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, why?" Ron and Ginny both said very quickly.

"I was just wondering. I better go clean up the kitchen before Fred and George, lovely boys that they are, eat the silverware." She got up and left the room, the cloth following her, and all the books in their places.

"She knows," Ron hissed.

"No she doesn't. She would have said something!"

"She was acting weird."

"Mum is always weird. And you heard her; she's worried about the silverware!" Ginny said with a reassuring grin.

"I guess you're right. She would have said something," Ron decided, his heart beating normally. Something small and brownish-gray suddenly buzzed into the room through the open window.

"Pig!" Ginny leaped up and tried to grab him, but he kept buzzing around.

"What's the matter with him?" Asked Ron, standing up and trying to catch him. It didn't look like he had any letters with him, the one he sent Harry nor any kind of reply. He was hooting like mad and running into the shelves that had just been cleaned up. Pig was a very happy and hyper owl, but he never returned like this, and his hoots sounded more of panic then happiness. Ginny finally seized Pig, and sat back down with him in her lap.

"He looks frightened," Ginny said with worry. "He's shaking." Ron got to his knees in front of them, and looked at Pig closer. His little eyes were wide with terror, and his wings were shaking. Ron couldn't find any source of an injury on any of his feathers or feet. When Ron reached out to hold him, he jumped down into Ginny's lap, and curled into her pajama top.

"What happened to you, Pig?" Ron asked soothingly, patting the top of Pig's head. He hooted in response, digging deeper into the shirt.

"Should we tell Mum?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe we should. He might be sick" Ron stood up. "Don't let him fly off." Her hurried to the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was just setting the cloth on the used dishes, and where the twins were huddled together in whispers.

"Ronnie, you look pale," Mrs. Weasley put her hand on his face.

"He's always pale!" Fred pointed out.

"Are you feeling okay?" She ignored him.

"It's because Hermione is coming, he's-" George started to say, but Ron took his mum's arm and pulled her back to the other room.

"Pig's back and I think something happened to him," he said, pointing to where Pig was curled up.

"Let's see here," Mrs. Weasley took the frightened owl in her hands. Pig tried to hide in them, and a line of concern crossed her face.

"He's usually not like this," Ron watched Pig.

"He must have come across something that gave him a fright," Mrs. Weasley said. "Where was he heading?"

"To Harry's. But he has made trips there before," Ron pointed out.

"Hmm...well, I'll take him in the kitchen and give him a bit to eat, and then we can watch to see if he calms down. I'm not sure what may have happened to him." She walked off with Pig, and Ron looked to Ginny, who looked worried.

"Weird," Ginny said.

"I guess that means no reply from Harry either. I wonder what's up. He's gotten messages to him before from Pig. Do you think he's just ignoring us?"

"Ignoring you? No way. Anywhere would be better then where he is...I'm sure if he saw the opportunity to come here, he'd already be sitting with us. One of the Dursely's must be getting the letters before he gets the chance too," Ginny said.

"Like the first time a Hogwarts letter was sent to him."

"Unless something has happened to him..."

"No, remember Dumbledore told us that it's the safest place for Harry to be right now."

"Safe from magic things, but not necessarily from Dudley," Ron couldn't help but joke.

"Maybe Dudley fell on him or something," Ginny grinned.

"Nah, I'm sure he's still too worried about that time Hagrid gave him a tail. I wish I had been there to see that. But I was there the time the twins gave him a piece of candy, and his tongue started growing," Ron chuckled. Ginny laughed, and then went to her room to get dressed. It was only nine in the morning, and Hermione wasn't coming for at least three hours, but Ron couldn't help but want to keep watching the fireplace just in case. He picked up the books that Pig had knocked down, and went to go check on him. He was sitting on the kitchen counter, sleeping.

"Is he okay?' Ron asked Mrs. Weasley, who was watching Pig.

"He will be. I just gave him a bit to eat, and he fell right to sleep. He must have run into some animal, maybe a dog or a cat."

"Okay," Ron whispered, picking Pig up in his hands and gently taking him up to his room and back into his cage. He was still sleeping when Ron set him down, and closed the cage door. Looking around his room, he had the urge for it to be clean for Hermione, even though she was sleeping in the spare room across the hall that was once his brother Bill's. She had said she'd wanted to see his Quidditch posters again. He was tempted to do it magically, but knew what would happen if he did, so he quickly made his bed, and shoved the random things that were on the floor under his bed, and the clothes laying there, whether clean or worn, into the dresser. He went back downstairs expecting it too be at least eleven, but to find it was only ten to ten. Ginny had gone to start on the garden, so Ron went to help her.

"Actually going to help?" Ginny yelled as she ran after a gnome that had stolen her shoe. "It's a rowdy bunch, be warned!"

Ron set to work in the bushes next to the house, and after only twenty minutes he had only scared off two gnomes and gotten a scratch on his arm from one gnome attacking him with a stick.

"I thought Mum said these things were stupid!" Ron yelled to Ginny after one gnome had grabbed the rock from his hand and hurled it at his head.

"They are, once you get them dizzy enough!" Ginny darted a flying twig. The twins even came out and started helping. Mrs. Weasley must have threatened them somehow. The four of them spent the morning ridding The Burrow of gnomes. Fred and George were having the most luck. They seemed to have created a liquid that when touched by a gnome, the gnome would run off with a tail of fire, screaming in whatever language it was that they spoke.

"My lovely, lovely, children come in for lunch!" Mrs. Weasley called to the four of them where they were sitting out of the sun under a tree. They all grumbled in pain as they sat down, but Mrs. Weasley was beaming at them all.

"They better not come back," George shoved a carrot in his mouth.

"They will," Ginny sighed.

"It was great to see my children all working hard together," Mrs. Weasley rumpled Ron's hair. He tried to swat her away, but his arm was too limp. Fred and George hurried out of the kitchen right when they'd finished before they could be stuck with anymore chores. Ginny ran up to her room, and Ron went back to the fireplace. It was past noon, almost one, so Hermione could be expected anytime. He lay on the couch, expecting to just rest his eyes, but he fell asleep. He woke up at the sound of thunder, and almost fell off the couch. He had been having such a good dream, to.

"Careful there," Said Ginny from where she was sitting at the desk, apparently working on homework.

"How long did I sleep? What time is it? Is she here? Did I miss her come?" Ron asked all in one long breath.

"About four hours, it's almost five o'clock, and no she's not here yet," Ginny replied, turning to him.

"Four hours?! How did I sleep for four hours?"

"You were tired?" Ginny suggested. Ron ran his hands over his eyes, happy that at least he didn't miss her come. He got up and looked out the window, at the hard rain falling.

"If it doesn't stop raining, how will we visit him?" Ron whispered, hoping she'd say they wouldn't have to go visit Percy.

"It's called an umbrella. Something Muggles made up," she simply replied. Ron spotted the gnomes running out of the trees and back into the bushes, gleeful looks on their faces.

"Some of the gnomes are coming back," Ron groaned.

"Then I guess we have plans for tomorrow," Ginny sighed. Before they could say another thing, there was a soft BOOM from the fireplace, and Ron hurried over to it excitedly. Nothing happened for a moment, but then it started to fill with the green smoke, and Hermione's body appeared, with a trunk and a crate for her cat at her side.

"Ron!" A smile lit over her face as she hurried to him and wrapped her arms across his shoulders.

"Ginny!" Ginny had came over, and they hugged each other.

"Finally you are here! Ron has been waiting all day for you," Ginny said and Ron's cheeks flushed.

"Sorry! My parents went to work late today, and I had planned to leave when they left. I left them a note," Hermione didn't even take knowledge to Ron blushing.

"Ooh, you snuck out!" Ginny laughed. Ron expected Hermione to come up with some explanation, or another name for sneaking out, but she just giggled.

"Yeah, I guess I did! I wasn't sure if they'd let me come if I had told them. They shouldn't really mind though," she said quickly. Hermione said hello to Mrs. Weasley, then Ron and Ginny explained what happened to Pig as they lead her up to her room, Ron dragging her trunk for her.

"I haven't gotten a letter or anything from him either," Hermione said when they reached the door to her room.

"Well, I'll see you guys at dinner!" Ginny waved and rushed back down the stairs, leaving Ron and Hermione looking at each other. Ron noticed that she looked a little different then the last time he'd seen her. Her hair was straight like it had been at the Yule Ball two years ago, and a little longer then normal. She was taller, but not taller then Ron. Her skin was tan and clear, and her eyes shining.

"Let's go in," Ron said quickly, opening the door to the spare room for her.

"Such a gentleman," she teased as she walked in. Ron sat on the bed and watched Hermione as she rummaged through her trunk and started putting some of the stuff away. She turned and looked at him, and the air was thick. Ron felt the first awkward silence he had ever felt when the two of them were alone. They never felt this way when Harry was with them, and in the past when Harry was not around, they had always been comfortable. Hermione must have felt it too, because she cleared her throat.

"So what's for dinner?" she asked.

Note: I know this was longer because of all the dialogue. If anyone is reading just for the action between whoever hooks up, it's going to be just a little longer because it's still an awkward time for everyone and new ideas are popping into my head like crazy. Some new characters will be coming soon, too. Thanks for reading. D