Pickled Pears

By Sashi Mizumoto

Chapter 1

Ron ran down the stairs, lugging his trunk behind him. It was an old thing made of blue fabric that was torn and faded in spots. He had wanted to get a new one, but as he was entering his 6th year, there was just too much to do and too much to buy.

'Maybe this summer I should try getting a job. Harry says most Muggle kids our age have one anyway.'

After Harry had sent the letter about him and Hermione, Ron had started to write an angry letter. However, as he kept writing, he felt the anger flow out of him. He crumpled the letter up as soon as he was finished writing it, and he felt large waves of sorrow hit against his heart. He knew this whole affair was not Harry's fault. If it was anyone's fault, it was his own. He should have talked to Hermione earlier, and then perhaps he would be the one dating her! He had decided to not tell anyone of his feelings for Hermione, and he started putting on a façade of happiness after that. If no one knew, he couldn't accidentally hurt anyone, right?

He ran towards the fireplace, looking towards his family. They were all disgruntled, and looked a little annoyed.

"Well come on then Ron! We'll miss the train if you don't hurry up!" Ginny motioned with her hand for him to hurry up.

The Weasley family had been extremely stressed over the summer. Percy was still estranged from his family, and refused to talk to anyone now. Arthur had heard at the Ministry that Percy had bought a new apartment near Diagon Alley. Fred and George had opened a joke shop in Diagon Alley and their business was flourishing. They had mocked their mother for weeks about this, and they kept telling Ginny that she didn't need school to succeed in life. Mrs. Weasley had stopped cooking them dinner for a month, forcing them to try to cook for themselves. Bill was working overtime more than usual, training their new banker, Fleur. He had been asked to "help her" the first few months she would work there. Charlie had been burned severely while training a particularly fierce dragon and he had been asked to take a rest in Europe. Occasionally they got an owl from him, but it usually just said something about sleeping. Ginny had been going to many Muggle places with her new Muggle friends. Usually they went to a place called a "mall." Mrs. Weasley had been having enough trouble keeping the home intact without having to bother with the new, rude neighbors. Mr. Weasley had been working harder than ever at the Ministry, trying to earn more money for everyone. Ron had just been staying at home, writing to people mainly, but also working on homework he had gotten over the summer. He had wanted to follow Hermione's example…

As he reached the fireplace, he scooped his hand into the Floo Powder, allowing it to smoothly recede from his hand. He shouted "King's Cross!" and bent his elbows in, letting himself be carried away to the place he was so used to seeing every summer.

Luna sighed and put her blonde hair into a messy ponytail, her new mushroom earrings jingling lightly. She sat down in the train compartment, feeling a sense of queasiness in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps it was because she was switching houses, switching to the same house as Ronald. On the other hand, perhaps it was because he was standing right outside of the compartment.

"Hi Luna. Mind if we join you? Everywhere else is full…"

Luna smiled gently and nodded, not noticing that he had used the word 'we.' All that Luna could see was Ronald, standing before her in the glow of the sunlight. A small voice in Luna's head could only echo her worst thoughts, 'Luna, don't forget. He's only here as a last resort. If there were any other open compartments, they would be sitting there…' Luna could only feel a little bit annoyed after pointing that out to herself.

Ron sat down and close behind him were Hermione and Harry. While they were trying not to be affectionate so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves, once in awhile Harry would kiss her playfully on the cheek. Hermione pretended to be angry, but anyone could clearly tell that she was secretly thrilled.

Luna glanced over at Ron, and she could see that he was uneasy. She felt a prick of sadness as she saw him glance at Hermione, but she kept her smile plastered on her face.

She quickly turned back to Harry and Hermione, worried that Ron could have noticed her looking at him. She decided to break the silence, and she cleared her throat loudly. Harry and Hermione looked up at her, and Ron turned away from Hermione and looked over as well.

"So Harry, Hermione, how long have you two been together?"

Harry had a light blush rise to his cheek and Hermione picked that moment to take out a book and started reading.

"Well, we made this choice at the end of the last school year. It just, happened!"

Harry smiled and put his arm around Hermione's shoulder. Though her face was still staring down at the book, Hermione's ears were turning a bright pink. This was just another oddity that she had in common with Ron.

Luna nodded slowly, being strangely serious for once. "Well, I hope you don't muck this up like you did with Cho, Harry."

Not wanting to talk anymore, she took out an issue of the Quibbler and started reading, though Harry's face was glaring at hers.

As the students could see Hogwarts on the horizon, the group of four in the compartment decided to put on their robes. As Luna adjusted her robes, Hermione looked over at her and noticed the golden and scarlet emblem of Gryffindor securely placed over the Ravenclaw one.

"Luna, I think you may perhaps have the wrong robes. You have a Gryffindor symbol, but you'r-"

"I was switched to the Gryffindor house. Dumbledore gave me a letter so I could get new robes."

Everyone had a shocked look on their face and Harry demanded to see the letter. He scanned it quickly and, once saying that it was valid, started to talk vividly to Hermione. Luna looked over shyly at Ron and moved over to him, watching him struggle with his tie.

"Here Ronald, let me."

Without waiting for a response, Luna took the red and golden tie from his hands and started to tie it for him. She nimbly moved her fingers, weaving the tie in, out, and around. She finished it off with an elaborate hand gesture and gave a tug before nodded down curtly at the firm Windsor knot she had created.

"There. That wasn't too bad, was it Ronald?" Luna looked up at him, a dreamy look in her eyes. Ron gave her a weak smile and nodded.

"Thank you Luna." Luna smiled. He hadn't called her Loony Lovegood…

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