Disclaimer: All the characters used belong to J.K Rowling. I'm just taking them for a test drive.
A/N: Wow! All the reviews are really awesome! Hopefully in an upcoming chapter I can thank all of you individually but for now I can only do a couple. Thanks to GeekGurl for pointing out the spelling mistake because I probably wouldn't have noticed it myself. Eventually I'll go back and fix some of the mistakes. Thanks to pattiweasley for mentioning the thing about Harry's height. I like to pick at details as well so don't apologize. Let's all just pretend he went through a sudden growth spurt. Keep on reviewing if you can because reviews really help. Here's the next chapter!
Turmoil
I sat up in bed gasping for air and drenched in sweat just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. Bright rays of morning sunshine were burning through the tattered curtains but that couldn't have been what had awoken me. I could faintly remember a nightmare...but the details were fuzzy. All I could remember was Ron and Harry stooped over a crumpled figure and lots of blood curdling screams. A wave of nausea hit me as I tried to figure out where I was and how I had come to be in this bed. The last thing I could remember was coming back to the Leaky Cauldron and falling asleep in Ron's arms. The only problem was I didn't seem to be at the Leaky Cauldron. Although this room looked really familiar, I couldn't quite get my brain working hard enough to remember where I had seen it. Pushing a heavy patchwork quilt off of my legs, I clambered out of the bed and started to head towards the door. Right before I reached my destination the serpent head doorknob turned and the door swung open on creaky hinges. Ginny stood in the doorway for a moment before she bustled her way in with a tray of food clutched in her hands. Sitting her burden on the nightstand, she turned around to look at me and frowned slightly at what she saw.
"You look like a dead animal," she said in a disapproving tone that made her sound exactly like her mother. "I told Ron and Harry that Dumbledore should have let you stay at the Leaky Cauldron until you recovered. Your bloody house was burnt down after all! The least you deserve is a little break from all the traveling but Dumbledore said 'No, I think it would be best if we moved the Grangers to the headquarters. That way the Order can look after them.' Ridiculous! Like You-Know-Who was going to pop into the Leaky Cauldron for a tumbler of brandy. Anyway...enough about that. I brought some blueberry muffins and milk. You need to eat your breakfast and then you can go get cleaned up."
Looking at her with a stunned expression on my face I fired off several questions. "Wait a second! Are you saying I'm at number 12, Grimmauld Place? When did Dumbledore come into the picture? I don't really look that bad do I?" Smiling, Ginny sat down on the twin bed and patted the space beside her. I obediently sat down next to her and waited for her to answer my questions.
Sucking in a long breath she replied, "You look fine. I was just babbling. I'll try to go a little slower this time but you need to pay attention. After your parents told my dad about your house he immediately apparated to headquarters and had some Order members go over to your house to salvage what they could. Dumbledore, who was at headquarters at the time, went back to the Leaky Cauldron with dad. I missed most of what was said because I was...a little upset over the whole thing. Basically Dumbledore decided that it would be best for you and your parents to spend the rest of the summer at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. I thought it would be best for you to stay the night at the Leaky Cauldron but Ron was the only person who agreed with me. We both thought it would be bad, after everything that happened, to move you over here but obviously we were outvoted. Harry, Ron, and I will be staying here to keep you company. My mum and dad will be here too but they'll be so involved with the Order that they won't have much spare time. Your parents seem a little overwhelmed but I think they're going to be all right in the end. Dumbledore said as soon as you're back in school they can move out of headquarters into a house that he'll have set up for them and they can get back to their normal lives. You're lucky you fell asleep so soon. It would have been quite a load to handle after what had just happened."
Trying not to think about all of my lost belongings I quickly blurted out, "So Ron was concerned about me?"
A smirk spread across her face and she replied, "Yes he was worried about you. It was very interesting behavior for someone who you claim likes you as 'just a friend'. He kept murmuring things in your ear and he didn't want to let you go. We had to use a portkey to get here from the Leaky Cauldron and he didn't even put you down then. Ron was the one who brought you up here and tucked you into bed. To me that says a little more than 'I want to be your friend.' I told you he liked you! You had better not doubt it now."
Blushing hotly I said, "Yeah...I guess. We almost kissed twice but every time something interrupted us. Maybe you're right. Maybe he could like me." Embarrassed that I had finally told Ginny about almost kissing her brother, I looked down at my hands that were clenched in the bed sheets.
In a triumphant voice Ginny said, "I knew something had happened. You were acting awfully strange there for a while. It's about time you two got together in my opinion. He's been in love with you forever and you're not much better. Go ahead and eat your breakfast. I'll go run you a bath and you can soak for a while. My mum went and bought you a few things in Diagon Alley this morning so you don't have to worry about that. The clothes are in the wardrobe and the toiletries are in the bathroom down the hall. It's the second door on the left. When you're ready just go in there and you'll find everything you need." With that said she scurried out of the room and I picked up the tray she had brought. Biting into one of the muffins, I thought about everything I had lost. All my pictures, stuffed animals, and all of my old books were gone. Luckily I had all of my new school supplies with me or that would have burnt to that ground as well. Tears streaked down my face as I thought about losing the childhood home that held so many wonderful memories. Taking deep breaths, I calmed myself down long enough to finish my breakfast. My parents could buy a new house and I could replace most of the things I had lost. No amount of tears was going to change what had happened. Wiping the muffin crumbs from my hands I walked over to an old wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened the doors. A small selection of jeans and shirts hung inside the heirloom and my face fell slightly. I mentally slapped myself for being so selfish and picked out a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. The Weasleys could barely afford to pay for their own clothes let alone mine. Deciding that I would pay them back as soon as possible, I opened the bedroom door and headed down the hall. The floorboards creaked slightly as I made my way to the bathroom. A brand new toothbrush was sitting next to the sink and a tube of toothpaste was placed next to it. I found a bottle of apple scented shampoo, a bar of soap, and a fluffy green towel positioned next to the tub. I pulled off my severely rumpled clothes and slipped into the steaming bath water. I dunked my head under the water, squeezed out a quarter-sized amount of shampoo into my palm, and worked it into my hair. After washing the suds out of my tresses, I grabbed the bar of soap and started in on the rest of my body. I climbed out of the tub, after scrubbing myself clean, and squeezed the excess water out of my hair. Just then the bathroom door swung open and I whipped my head up to see a gaping Ron standing in the doorway. I let out a scream worthy of a banshee, tried to cover myself with my hands, and finally snatched up the towel that had been lying at my feet the entire time. Ron just stood there like a statue with his eyes glued to my chest.
A very dazed looking Ron said, "Wow Hermione! You look really nice naked."
Blushing furiously I screamed, "Ronald Weasley! Get out of here right now before I...before I...oh just get out!" Blinking rapidly, Ron looked up at me as if he had been in a trance and in the blink of an eye he was running down the hall. Slamming the door closed, I dressed rapidly and drained the dirty bath water from the tub. I pulled the door open and rushed down the corridor into the room I had woken up in. Sitting on the bed, I put my face in my hands and just sat there listening to the silence for a while. Sure I liked Ron but I hadn't wanted him to see me naked. All of the feelings floating around inside of my mind made me feel like a melting pot of emotions. I was mad at Ron for walking in on me, mad at myself for not locking the door, embarrassed about my crush seeing me naked, happy that Ron had thought I looked nice, upset about my house, afraid for my life, and utterly confused about everything. I groaned aloud to the room and flopped back onto the bed determined to spend the rest of my life in this room. How could I face Ron knowing that he had seen me without my clothes? I couldn't possibly get Ron to talk to me seriously if he was always thinking about me in my birthday suit. He had been showing some more than friend interest as of late but now if he asked me out I couldn't be sure why. I would wonder if he liked me for me or if he just liked my...assets. The best thing I could do would be to go downstairs and pretend as if the whole thing was a mighty fine joke. Suddenly I heard a shuffling noise in the hall and someone knocked hesitatingly on the door.
Harry's muffled voice drifted through saying, "Hermione it's us. I mean...it's Ginny, Ron, and Harry. Can we come in?" I grimaced at the thought of seeing Ron so soon but I muttered a 'come on in' to Harry. Harry and Ginny looked half-scared and half-amused at the same time. Their efforts not to burst out into hysterical laughter made both of them appear constipated. Ron, however, looked as if he were entering the lair of some man-eating beast and that there was very little chance he would make it out alive. I assumed I was the man-eating beast since he avoided getting within five feet of me at all times.
Before anyone could say a word I blurted out, "Just forget about it. I won't ask why Ron barged in on me and you all can just forget it ever happened. We have more things to worry about than whether or not Ron saw my...body" At the word 'body' Harry and Ginny both let out a snort of laughter but with one glance at my sullen face they became quiet again.
I said loudly, "Everyone nod if they agree with me!" To my great relief everyone nodded but I knew that Ron wouldn't be able to erase my image from his mind any time soon.
There was an awkward silence before anyone uttered a word. With a hopeful look on his face Harry said, "You're right Hermione. We do have a lot more to worry about then this whole naked in the bathroom business. I for one think it would be a good idea if we tried to find out what the Order's working on. If we're going to be stuck here the whole summer then we might as well try and be helpful. Plus now that Hermione's been threatened it's our job to try and protect her. I've been thinking about it and I'm pretty sure I know how we can get some information. It might be a little risky but here's the plan... "
A/N: This is kind of a cliffhanger...I guess. I spent the night at a friend's house so I'm too tired to make this chapter much longer. We stayed up most of the night looking at pictures of Rupert Grint and Sean Biggerstaff. I like to stare at them for prolonged periods of time. I owe part of my inspiration for this chapter to my friend because we both love to sit around and talk about Harry Potter. She knows who she is! I've gotten a lot of reviews but please keep them coming. I live off reviews. Bye for now!
Lots of Love - Miss Dissendium
A/N: Wow! All the reviews are really awesome! Hopefully in an upcoming chapter I can thank all of you individually but for now I can only do a couple. Thanks to GeekGurl for pointing out the spelling mistake because I probably wouldn't have noticed it myself. Eventually I'll go back and fix some of the mistakes. Thanks to pattiweasley for mentioning the thing about Harry's height. I like to pick at details as well so don't apologize. Let's all just pretend he went through a sudden growth spurt. Keep on reviewing if you can because reviews really help. Here's the next chapter!
Turmoil
I sat up in bed gasping for air and drenched in sweat just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. Bright rays of morning sunshine were burning through the tattered curtains but that couldn't have been what had awoken me. I could faintly remember a nightmare...but the details were fuzzy. All I could remember was Ron and Harry stooped over a crumpled figure and lots of blood curdling screams. A wave of nausea hit me as I tried to figure out where I was and how I had come to be in this bed. The last thing I could remember was coming back to the Leaky Cauldron and falling asleep in Ron's arms. The only problem was I didn't seem to be at the Leaky Cauldron. Although this room looked really familiar, I couldn't quite get my brain working hard enough to remember where I had seen it. Pushing a heavy patchwork quilt off of my legs, I clambered out of the bed and started to head towards the door. Right before I reached my destination the serpent head doorknob turned and the door swung open on creaky hinges. Ginny stood in the doorway for a moment before she bustled her way in with a tray of food clutched in her hands. Sitting her burden on the nightstand, she turned around to look at me and frowned slightly at what she saw.
"You look like a dead animal," she said in a disapproving tone that made her sound exactly like her mother. "I told Ron and Harry that Dumbledore should have let you stay at the Leaky Cauldron until you recovered. Your bloody house was burnt down after all! The least you deserve is a little break from all the traveling but Dumbledore said 'No, I think it would be best if we moved the Grangers to the headquarters. That way the Order can look after them.' Ridiculous! Like You-Know-Who was going to pop into the Leaky Cauldron for a tumbler of brandy. Anyway...enough about that. I brought some blueberry muffins and milk. You need to eat your breakfast and then you can go get cleaned up."
Looking at her with a stunned expression on my face I fired off several questions. "Wait a second! Are you saying I'm at number 12, Grimmauld Place? When did Dumbledore come into the picture? I don't really look that bad do I?" Smiling, Ginny sat down on the twin bed and patted the space beside her. I obediently sat down next to her and waited for her to answer my questions.
Sucking in a long breath she replied, "You look fine. I was just babbling. I'll try to go a little slower this time but you need to pay attention. After your parents told my dad about your house he immediately apparated to headquarters and had some Order members go over to your house to salvage what they could. Dumbledore, who was at headquarters at the time, went back to the Leaky Cauldron with dad. I missed most of what was said because I was...a little upset over the whole thing. Basically Dumbledore decided that it would be best for you and your parents to spend the rest of the summer at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. I thought it would be best for you to stay the night at the Leaky Cauldron but Ron was the only person who agreed with me. We both thought it would be bad, after everything that happened, to move you over here but obviously we were outvoted. Harry, Ron, and I will be staying here to keep you company. My mum and dad will be here too but they'll be so involved with the Order that they won't have much spare time. Your parents seem a little overwhelmed but I think they're going to be all right in the end. Dumbledore said as soon as you're back in school they can move out of headquarters into a house that he'll have set up for them and they can get back to their normal lives. You're lucky you fell asleep so soon. It would have been quite a load to handle after what had just happened."
Trying not to think about all of my lost belongings I quickly blurted out, "So Ron was concerned about me?"
A smirk spread across her face and she replied, "Yes he was worried about you. It was very interesting behavior for someone who you claim likes you as 'just a friend'. He kept murmuring things in your ear and he didn't want to let you go. We had to use a portkey to get here from the Leaky Cauldron and he didn't even put you down then. Ron was the one who brought you up here and tucked you into bed. To me that says a little more than 'I want to be your friend.' I told you he liked you! You had better not doubt it now."
Blushing hotly I said, "Yeah...I guess. We almost kissed twice but every time something interrupted us. Maybe you're right. Maybe he could like me." Embarrassed that I had finally told Ginny about almost kissing her brother, I looked down at my hands that were clenched in the bed sheets.
In a triumphant voice Ginny said, "I knew something had happened. You were acting awfully strange there for a while. It's about time you two got together in my opinion. He's been in love with you forever and you're not much better. Go ahead and eat your breakfast. I'll go run you a bath and you can soak for a while. My mum went and bought you a few things in Diagon Alley this morning so you don't have to worry about that. The clothes are in the wardrobe and the toiletries are in the bathroom down the hall. It's the second door on the left. When you're ready just go in there and you'll find everything you need." With that said she scurried out of the room and I picked up the tray she had brought. Biting into one of the muffins, I thought about everything I had lost. All my pictures, stuffed animals, and all of my old books were gone. Luckily I had all of my new school supplies with me or that would have burnt to that ground as well. Tears streaked down my face as I thought about losing the childhood home that held so many wonderful memories. Taking deep breaths, I calmed myself down long enough to finish my breakfast. My parents could buy a new house and I could replace most of the things I had lost. No amount of tears was going to change what had happened. Wiping the muffin crumbs from my hands I walked over to an old wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened the doors. A small selection of jeans and shirts hung inside the heirloom and my face fell slightly. I mentally slapped myself for being so selfish and picked out a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. The Weasleys could barely afford to pay for their own clothes let alone mine. Deciding that I would pay them back as soon as possible, I opened the bedroom door and headed down the hall. The floorboards creaked slightly as I made my way to the bathroom. A brand new toothbrush was sitting next to the sink and a tube of toothpaste was placed next to it. I found a bottle of apple scented shampoo, a bar of soap, and a fluffy green towel positioned next to the tub. I pulled off my severely rumpled clothes and slipped into the steaming bath water. I dunked my head under the water, squeezed out a quarter-sized amount of shampoo into my palm, and worked it into my hair. After washing the suds out of my tresses, I grabbed the bar of soap and started in on the rest of my body. I climbed out of the tub, after scrubbing myself clean, and squeezed the excess water out of my hair. Just then the bathroom door swung open and I whipped my head up to see a gaping Ron standing in the doorway. I let out a scream worthy of a banshee, tried to cover myself with my hands, and finally snatched up the towel that had been lying at my feet the entire time. Ron just stood there like a statue with his eyes glued to my chest.
A very dazed looking Ron said, "Wow Hermione! You look really nice naked."
Blushing furiously I screamed, "Ronald Weasley! Get out of here right now before I...before I...oh just get out!" Blinking rapidly, Ron looked up at me as if he had been in a trance and in the blink of an eye he was running down the hall. Slamming the door closed, I dressed rapidly and drained the dirty bath water from the tub. I pulled the door open and rushed down the corridor into the room I had woken up in. Sitting on the bed, I put my face in my hands and just sat there listening to the silence for a while. Sure I liked Ron but I hadn't wanted him to see me naked. All of the feelings floating around inside of my mind made me feel like a melting pot of emotions. I was mad at Ron for walking in on me, mad at myself for not locking the door, embarrassed about my crush seeing me naked, happy that Ron had thought I looked nice, upset about my house, afraid for my life, and utterly confused about everything. I groaned aloud to the room and flopped back onto the bed determined to spend the rest of my life in this room. How could I face Ron knowing that he had seen me without my clothes? I couldn't possibly get Ron to talk to me seriously if he was always thinking about me in my birthday suit. He had been showing some more than friend interest as of late but now if he asked me out I couldn't be sure why. I would wonder if he liked me for me or if he just liked my...assets. The best thing I could do would be to go downstairs and pretend as if the whole thing was a mighty fine joke. Suddenly I heard a shuffling noise in the hall and someone knocked hesitatingly on the door.
Harry's muffled voice drifted through saying, "Hermione it's us. I mean...it's Ginny, Ron, and Harry. Can we come in?" I grimaced at the thought of seeing Ron so soon but I muttered a 'come on in' to Harry. Harry and Ginny looked half-scared and half-amused at the same time. Their efforts not to burst out into hysterical laughter made both of them appear constipated. Ron, however, looked as if he were entering the lair of some man-eating beast and that there was very little chance he would make it out alive. I assumed I was the man-eating beast since he avoided getting within five feet of me at all times.
Before anyone could say a word I blurted out, "Just forget about it. I won't ask why Ron barged in on me and you all can just forget it ever happened. We have more things to worry about than whether or not Ron saw my...body" At the word 'body' Harry and Ginny both let out a snort of laughter but with one glance at my sullen face they became quiet again.
I said loudly, "Everyone nod if they agree with me!" To my great relief everyone nodded but I knew that Ron wouldn't be able to erase my image from his mind any time soon.
There was an awkward silence before anyone uttered a word. With a hopeful look on his face Harry said, "You're right Hermione. We do have a lot more to worry about then this whole naked in the bathroom business. I for one think it would be a good idea if we tried to find out what the Order's working on. If we're going to be stuck here the whole summer then we might as well try and be helpful. Plus now that Hermione's been threatened it's our job to try and protect her. I've been thinking about it and I'm pretty sure I know how we can get some information. It might be a little risky but here's the plan... "
A/N: This is kind of a cliffhanger...I guess. I spent the night at a friend's house so I'm too tired to make this chapter much longer. We stayed up most of the night looking at pictures of Rupert Grint and Sean Biggerstaff. I like to stare at them for prolonged periods of time. I owe part of my inspiration for this chapter to my friend because we both love to sit around and talk about Harry Potter. She knows who she is! I've gotten a lot of reviews but please keep them coming. I live off reviews. Bye for now!
Lots of Love - Miss Dissendium
