Disclaimer: I don't own any character or anything to do with the books, movies, etc.
Chapter 4 - Settling In
It had been a week since the incident took place at the club. There had been clips of it on the news the nextmorning but none of them seemed to pay attention to it. Even if they wanted to, however, they probably wouldn't have the time to take out of their busy schedule. The day after, Mr. Weasley had arrived and urged them to get their stuff packed again. Finally, they were moving into the apartment. Although the place was already furnished, the Weasleys and the Grangers sent some of their possessions to remind them of home. Of course, the Dursleys didn't bother to send a thing. Harry was grateful for this as he had no intentions of wanting any reminders of his time there.
The apartment was small but cozy and only a few blocks from the school they would be attending. There were two bedrooms with a bathroom in between, a small kitchen, and acommon roomthat was decorated with only a beige sofa. They planned on going shopping that day for appliances and household things. In the meantime, they had a table and chairs for 6 people placed in the corner of the livingroom nearest the kitchen, a long end table placed in front the sofa, another smaller one beside it, and a few lamps and knick knacks all sent from Mrs. Weasley via Fred and George. Hermione's parents sent her some photos, her collection of books and CDs, and Crookshanks.
"I don't want that bloody beast in my room again, Hermione!" Ron snapped as Hermione picked her cat up off the bedroom floor he and Harry shared. She simply rolled her eyes and walked back to the common room, with Ron following close behind, setting Crookshanks down on the sofa.
"You can be such a git sometimes," Hermione said as she slid her purse onto her shoulder and grabbed the key to their apartment. "Honestly, he would never hurt a fly."
"That thing you call a cat has always had it in for me. Right from the start!"
"You're paranoid, you know that?" she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again.
"Paranoid!"
"Yes."
"I am not!" he protested.
"No, you're just a prat, suppose," she replied coolly
"Oh, would you two just leave it," Ginny snapped as the taxi honked from two stories below. Ron followed Ginny down to the taxi waiting while Hermione waited for Harry so she could lock up behind him.
"I don't understand why I have to come," Harry complained, walking out the door. Because I'm the only one with anything close to money, probably.
"Because you can't just sit around and do nothing," Hermione replied after giving him a little push towards the metal staircase. "Plus, I'm not going to be the only one who knows how to work an electric can opener in the middle of an appliance store with those two." Of course, she couldn't help but bite back a smile as she said this. She actually found their ignorance to muggle things quite amusing. Ron and Ginny -having grew up in a pure blooded wizardfamily - didn't seem very knowledgable when it came to items strictly of the muggle world. Having heard from Harry, she found Ron's first encounter with the telephone to be almost endearing in an odd sort of way.
"Oy! Hurry up!" Ron called from the cab causing Hermione and Harry to quicken their pace. Squishing into the taxi, it was a bit smaller than the ones they had previously taken.
"Ron, move over," Hermione said irritably as Harry pushed her against her ginger haired friend in attempts to get himself settled in the taxi.
"Why do I have to move?"
"Because if Harry keeps pushing me," she said, trying to keep herself from being pushed any further, "I'm going to wind up on your lap!" As soon as the words escaped her lips, her cheeks suddenly matched Ron's flaming ears.
"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Ginnyteased. Harry could only stare, a bit dumbfounded at his three friends.
The cab was silent until they arrived at the Wal Mart department store. The guys split apart from the girls with their own individual shopping cart towards the food while Hermione and Ginny went off to look for dishes.
So far Harry and Ron had only managed to get ice cream and cereal the whole thirty minutes they were there so far. Both didn't want what the other wanted and they only had a limited amount of money for food this month that Harry reasoned they shouldn't spurlge too much. Ron, of course,mentioned he sounded like Hermione, and he threw in a box of cookies.
"So about what Ginny said in the taxi?" Harry asked as Ron examined the rows of soft drinks.
"Hmm?" he replied, not quite paying attention to his best friend.
"Nevermind. Grab that bottle of root beer, will ya?"
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ginny were browsing an aisle of dinnerware looking over the many designs on the numerous plates and dishes. Ginny dragged a finger across an ivory colored plate with elegant floral designs on the surface. "What do you think of these?" she asked, picking the plate up off the shelf.
"I was thinking something simple would be best," Hermione stated before adding an afterthought after seeing the disappointment on her friend's face. "Butthey're nice. What about these?" She picked up a set of white plates with blue edging and held them up for Ginny to examine.
"They're.. okay," she replied with a little hesitation.
"Okay? Like you like them okay? Or they're honestly the most horrible things you've ever seen okay?"
"Uhm, somewhere in between?"
Hermione let out a huff and set them back down on the shelf. They spent most of their time in the store comparing different appliances and household items until they settled on one. However, they ended up getting both sets of dishes since they couldn't seem to agree on any others. It had been a long time since Hermione actually did something so normal like shopping for household items. She never dreamed she would be doing so with Ginny. Well, she never even dreamed she'd be spending her 6th year at Hogwarts in America either. After they finished their shopping, they set off to look for Ron and Harry.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked tentively.
"Yeah?"
"When are you ever going to admit you have feelings for my brother?"
"What!" Hermione hissed, appearing scandalized at the mere question while a brush crept up her cheeks.
"Oh come on, it's so obvious that you wouldn't mind having to sit on his lap earlier. I doubt he would have minded either." Ginny shot her a suggestive grin and chuckled. Hermione, however, blushed even morefuriously. In all honestly, she wished she did have the nerve to do something so bold as sitting on Ron's lap or even bolder things like kissing. She had often caught herself thinking back to the night in the club after he saved her from that guy on the dance floor. They never talked about, of course. The thought of it made her cheeks grow pink. Hermione only wished that gunshot had never gone off. At least then she wouldn't have to question what we was going to say or do to her at that moment. She could still remember the feeling of his breath hot against her lips as they inched so closely together. Maybe, she thought to herself. Maybe there really was a chance he actually liked me.
Shaking the memory away, she glanced at Ginny who was shooting her a questionable look. It was hard to make out though. She wasn't like her brother. Ron's emotions were so easy to read. He wore his heart on his sleeve and naturally his Weasley ears gave him away unintentionally everytime. But, Ginny, she was different. Hermione couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was what happened with Tom Riddle's diary in her first year that had shattered her innocence and gave her that air of mystery. She figured that's why so many guys were attracted to her. She was definitely more experienced in the guy department than Hermione was. Maybe that's what prompted her to ask Ginny what she thought.
"Trust me when I say this Hermione, my brother is crazy about you. I remember one night I went looking for some extra parchement in his room, and let's just say, it wasn't Lavender or Parvati's name he was moaning in his sleep." Ginny raised a eyebrow as her eyes twinkled with revelation. Hermione simply blushed.
Did he really dream about me? The way I dream about him? she thought, taken aback by this sudden grasp of information. "Well, I still don't know. I mean, how am I supposed to tell him I fancy him? What if I scare him or something?"
"Who do you fancy, now?" a voice asked behind her. Spinning around, the girls met with a really confused Harry and a Ron who was seething with unspoken anger.
"We're you two eavesdropping?" Ginny asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Well?" Ron asked impatiently, ignoring his little sister.
"Well, what?"
"Who do you fancy?"
"Honestly, Ron. It's none of your business who I fancy." She instantly crinched at her words. Of course it was his business! It was like she was turning her own words around.
"It's Vicky, isn't it? I knew it. I knew you two always had something-"
"His name is Viktor," she retorted out of habit. "And no, he is not the one I have feelings for." Her voice grew low and a bit unsteady with that last sentence. She sighed and leaned against the shelves of toliet paper and paper towels. Looking down at the white tiles, she avoided looking at him entirely for a moment.
"Ginny," Harry intruded before grabbing Ginny's arm, "I think I forgot to get some chocolate. Come with me?" He merely asked as a consideration then began pulling her away from their friends. Ginny shot Ron a menacing glance before allowing herself to be pulled away.
"Then who could it be?" he asked coolly, crossing his arms across his chest. She let out a breath as if finally coming to some conclusion.
"It's you," she whispered and suddenly found the courage to look him in the eyes. Ron's blue eyes grew wide ather revelation. He moved a step closer to her; his taller frame towering over her like a shadow.Did she just say that she fancied me? Wait, what? "Say that again?"
His eyes were a darker shade of blue even in his disbelief.She could see the awe in his eyes and something hazier she failed to recgonize at that moment.
"Oh Ron, it's always been you," Hermione said quietly, her voice growing more desperate. "How could it not be? Ever since our third year when you stood up to Sirius with that broken leg of yours. You were so brave and I knew after we escaped that you were the one I wanted. Viktor, he was just a, a friend." She stopped for a second to recollect her thoughts. Am I really saying all of this? "Everytime we talked in the library, I wished it were you there sitting next to me. Everytime we laughed or shared a moment, I wished it were you who was telling the joke. When he asked me to the Yule Ball, I just wished you hadasked me first."
Ron watched on as she spilled her feelings out to him. He didn't even know what to think or say to that. He'd never been any good with feelings or women for that matter. Her eyes lowered as she finished, clearly waiting for him to say something. Say something, you git! he screamed to himself in his head. What am I supposed to say!
When they spent the next minute in silence, she wanted to bang her head against a wall. How could I be so stupid? Of course he doesn't feel the same way about me. How could he? I just made a complete fool of myself and now-
Her thoughts instantly cut themselves off the moment she felt his lips capture hers. Startled by the sudden boldness, she stumbled against the shelves feeling them shake against the additional of weight. After she overcame the initial shock, she began to kiss him back. Their first kiss was awkward, like all first kisses, sending a warm sensation through her entire body. Ron pulled backbefore her hands to lock around his neck. He smiled as she played with the hairs at the nape of his neck and stared at his chest, smiling herself. His arms wrapped around her petite waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Hermione," he said in a husky voice that was so low and intimate, she knew it was only for her, "It's always been you too." Hermione's smile grew as their lips connected for a second kiss. This time, he felt her mouth open slightly as she kissed him backand he deepened the kiss. He let his hand caress her from hip to waist as she pressed herself against him clinging tighter than before. Suddenly, she pulled away and they both stood there breathless, looking into each other's eyes.
"I don't think we should be doing this in the middle of the grocery section," Hermione said with a trace of disappointment in her voice as her arms fell from around her neck. Leave it to Hermione to be the voice of reason when all I want to do is snog her senseless.
"Yeah, it's disgusting," a voice rang out a few feet away. The pair looked over to see Ginny and Harry with a bar of chocolate in hand. Ginny smiled despite having to witness their public display of affection while Harry just looked on with a knowing look.
"No wonder the aisle's so empty,"he added before a suppressed grin flashed across his face. Hermione looked down at her shoes smiling as a blush crept up her cheeks.
"No oneasked to watch," Ron injected with a cheeky grin, pulling her closer. Hermione rolled her eyes, swatting him on the arm.
"Let's just go," Hermione said pulled away and allowed Ron's hand to intertwine with her own as they followed their friends to the front of the department store.
"So you and Hermione, huh?"
Harry and Ron were in thecommon roomwhile the girls decorated their room for the time being. Ron lifted the television Hermione'sdad sent over just an hour ago onto one of the fold out tables they had bought. His dad and brothers had dropped off a load of furniture from them and the Grangers while they were out. They all decided it was best to put the only television in the livingroom much to Ron's dismay. He had been hoping to put it in his and Harry's room.
Sitting back down next to Harry, he shrugged and tried to turn the tv on. "Yeah, I guess so," Ron said as he continued to press the power button with no success. "I mean, it's great and everything but now.. oh bloody hell!" He threw the remote down onto the end tablewith a grunt of frustration.
Harry looked on with amusement before checking the plug to the tv. "Settle down, mate," he said as he pushed himself off the sofa and went to plug it into the outlet. "It's just not plugged in." He inserted the plug andplopped back down. Ron picked up the remote and clicked the power button causing the television to snap on. His face lit up with delight and he flipped through the channels.
"I guess, I don't know. What happens if I do something and it completely messes up our friendship?"
"What would you do? I know you'rea git," he said as is it were the most obvious thing in the world."But if I know anything, it's that you wouldn't intentionally tryto hurt Hermione."
"That's just it, Harry," Ron said, settling on a movie on one of the cable stations, "You know how us blokes are. We don't mean to hurt them but then we'll say something and the next minute they're crying."
"Yeah, don't remind me," Harry said, remembering the fiasco with Cho. "At least Hermione didn't cry when you kissed her. That's a good thing. But, seriously, I think you two will do each other some good."
Ron shrugged and asked after a minute. "So, you're not mad or anything, are you?"
"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Harry asked with a bit of hesitation. He knew why we would be mad. He couldn't help but feel a little jealousy. Not because it was Hermione with Ron. Well, actually, that was why he was jealous. Both of them had someone and that someone was each other. He couldn't help but feel a bit out of the loop.
"Well, maybe you feel likeeverything's going to change. Which won't happen. Just because Hermione and I are together doesn't mean things are going to be any different."
"Things will be different but I can't do anything to change it," he said. Both Ron and him knew he was right and there was no denying it. "Just no snogging in front of Ginny or me. It was bad enough we had to see you two going at it in the store today."
"Sure thing, mate. I can't make you any promises though." Ron raised his eyebrows and shot him a suggestive grin. Harry just rolled his eyes and let himself get drawn into the movie on the screen.
"What are you two watching?" Hermione asked as she walked around the couch and sat down next to Ron. Her bushy brown was pulled up into a messy ponytail with random pieces out of place from working to get her and Ginny's room situated to their liking. Henoticed her cheeks were a bit flushed and sweat trickled around the edges of her hair line.Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she snuggled up closer to enjoy the closeness. It wasn't weird like she expected it to be. Everything little thing they did felt natural to her. Resting her head on his shoulder, he played with the ends of her hair as he continued to watch the movie. It wasn't Hermione's particular cup of tea but Ron was into it so she didn't bother to say anything.
Ginny, on the other hand, didn't care what her brother thought. "This looks boring," Ginny said, picking up the remote as she made herself comfortable between Ron and Harry and began flipping through the channels much to the boys protest.
"Oh shut up!" Ginny snapped, settling on a primetime drama. "We are not about to watch a group of blokes killing each other."
"Well who wants to watch a bunch of bloody girls crying?" Ron protested, looking to Harry for help who just shook his head.
"Language, Ronald," Hermione said disapprovingly. "Honestly..."
Ron rolled his eyes and shot another look at Harry. Some things never change.
A.N. - Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me your thoughts! They will be starting school in the next chapter. :-)