Title: Thirty Kisses
Author: Kasuchi
Rating: Teen (just to be safe)
Summary: Thirty missing moments – moments that didn't happen – from 'Order of the Phoenix.'
Fandom / Pairing: HP, R/Hr
Notes: Part Three of Five.

13. excessive chain

"So, now what?"

He looked at her through splayed fingers. "I'm sorry?"

"We can't sit through meetings, we can't listen at the door, we can't leave...So, what do we do?"

"Homework, I suppose."

She looked at him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You just suggested we do homework. Less than a month into holiday."

His eyes widened in horror. "You don't reckon this house is able to addle people's brains or something, d'you?"

She smirked and looked uncannily like a brunette Ginny for a moment. "Nah." She looked around. "But, you know, this place could use some sprucing up."

"Reckon so. There's dust everywhere, and who knows what lurks in the corners."

"Since we're living here for another month or so, we ought to make this place more hospitable."

"Sure. It's not like we have anything better to do, anyway."

And somehow, the next day, they found themselves attacking the main room. Ron had somehow found a ladder to clean the chandelier with.

"Bloody stupid chandelier," he muttered. "60 metres of effing chain. Blast it all--!" The ladder wavered and he grabbed it desperately to stop from falling.

Hermione astutely ignored his antics in favor of dusting the bizarre collection of things in the room. "You all right?" she called mildly over one shoulder.

"Yeah, peachy," he spat caustically, picking up the polishing cloth.

They worked in silence for a few moments. The ladder wobbled again, but Ron didn't notice for attacking the chandelier. The ladder swayed and fell out from under him.

"Holy--!" He grabbed onto the chandelier itself as the ladder fell with a resounding clatter.

"Ron! Are you okay?"

"Apart from being forty feet in the air, you mean? Yeah, I'm all right. Get me down!"

"How? The ladder's broken!" The age of the wood had finally taken as much as it could; the rungs were split neatly in two.

"Wingardium Leviosa me, Hermione!"

"But the Statute..."

"Then get Mum or something!" He flailed a little, and the chandelier gave an ominous creak. He froze. "Hurry," he called in a hoarse voice.

She dashed off, and he hung limply in the air, trying not to move. The chandelier creaked again and he sucked in a deep breath.

"Ron!" Hermione called, dashing back in. "I can't find anyone!"

Just then, the chandelier, like the ladder, gave way. Some part of him distantly noted that today was not a good day before he collided with the floor, the chandelier landing a short distance away.

His vision whited around the edges and went blurry. A female figure leaned over him and he sat up, blinking blearily at her.

"An...gel?" the blurry figure had a halo of hair that shone. Leaning forward, he kissed the spirit on the forehead before blacking out.

Stunned and with a very out cold Ron draped over her, Hermione stared wide-eyed at him before snapping out of it and shaking him. Behind her, the chandelier with its excessive chain sprawled out across the hall. People poured into the room, gasping at the sight.

14. radio-cassette player

"What is that?"

"What's what?"

"That...thing." He pointed to her radio casette player.

"It's a music-player. There are these cassettes that have music recorded on them. This plays them."

"Oh. What are you listening to?"

She smiled softly. "The Beatles. Want a listen?"

"Sure."

She lifted the headphones over her head and handed them to him. He mimicked how she had put them on and listened. The strains of "Here Comes the Sun" flooded his hearing.

"It's nice."

"Isn't it? I just...I couldn't take the sadness. I needed something, well, happy."

"But...why Muggle music?"

"I just...I wanted distance. Ron, you don't get it. You were born into this world. Vol--Vol--he's been a part of your world your entire life, ever since you were born. You've never been dropped into a world of which you were a total stranger." She looked at the ceiling. "Sometimes, it gets to be too much. Sometimes, it's nice to remember where I came from and what it was like."

There was a tense silence in which neither looked at the other.

"I thought electric--" he pronouced the word carefully "--things didn't work in the Wizarding world?"

"Just Hogwarts; too much residual magic in the air. I guess there's not so much here."

They sat in comfortable silence until the track ended. Slipping off the headphones, he handed them to her. She thanked him and put them back on. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the sound.

"Hermione?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hairline.

"We'll be okay."

She smiled and he walked away.

15. perfect blue

She leaned against the tree and peered at the sky.

Perfect, azure blue.

And she couldn't help but think of Ron.

She leaned her head back and sighed. The Department of Mysteries had left in its wake a long recovery with who-knew-what in store. At least now the Ministry couldn't live in denial, she thought bitterly. It was small comfort.

She studied her scarred knuckles and clenched her hands. Ron had been scarred by the brain, the thoughts leaving deep gashes along his arms. She doubted he'd ever wear short sleeves ever again.

A breeze blew by, caressing her face. She closed her eyes to savour the feeling and felt a soft kiss brush her lips.

"Hermione!" A voice called from far away.

She turned to the voice and saw Ron jogging up to her. "Hey," he panted, "come on! The feast'll start soon." She locked eyes with him

Perfect, azure blue.

He offered her a hand and she grasped it and stood. She smiled at him and squeezed gently.

They walked into the Great Hall holding hands.

16. invincible; unrivaled

"Checkmate."

She scowled. "That isn't possible!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, when are you going to realize? I am the best. No one can beat me at chess."

"Braggart."

"I speak but the truth."

Grudgingly, she had to admit that he was right. Not that she'd tell him that.

"Whatever." Suddenly, she grew frustrated. "It's sexist, anyway."

He looked taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

"Chess! It's sexist! Only one piece on the board is female; every other is male!"

He smiled a very slow smile that made her knees shake a little. "Hermione, you're so funny."

"What?"

"There's only one female piece on the board, yes," he said, placing it alone on the board between them. "But it's the most powerful piece in the game." His slow grin became a smirk and she had a fleeting, irrational desire to kiss him. "I reckon that's rather telling, don't you?"

"You're saying women have the power?"

"I'm saying women are the power."

She stared incredulously at him for a moment before rising. "Well, then, I suppose I should excercise it, don't you?" Deliberately, she walked up the stairs slowly, stepping differently to accent her gait. When she reached the top of the stairs, she caught him staring at her. Feeling silly already, she winked, blew him a kiss, and disappeared into the girl's dorm.

She didn't see him catch it. And she didn't hear him humming "Weasley is our King".

And she didn't notice the king and the queen pieces kissing on the board.

17. kHz (kilohertz)

His heart was beating quickly.

(Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum.)

One thousand times a second.

He wasn't ready for this.

He wasn't good enough for this.

He didn't deserve this.

He felt nauseous.

The walk to the Quidditch pitch felt like his death march.

Every step felt leaden.

Then:

"Good luck, Ron."

She kissed him.

One thousand times a second.

(Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum.)

But now for a whole other reason.

18. "say ahh..."

"Ah!"

"What?"

"I've got it!"

"What?"

"The answer, silly."

"To what?"

Mumble.

"Come again?"

"Thirty-seven."

"Blimey! You're there already?"

"Yes..."

Sigh. "Wish I could work faster." Stretch.

Subtle appreciative look. "That's a nice shirt, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, fits you well. Good color."

"Ah."

"What?"

"The twins gave it to me. Bit of a gift, they said."

"It's new?"

"Yeah."

"I like it. A lot."

"A lot?"

"Yes, a lot. In fact, I like it so much--" Lean forward. Kissing.

"RON!"

Snap out of it.

"Wha-at?" Bellow.

"Keep your head in the game, Weasley!" Glare.

"Ah..." Sigh. Stare at the sky.

Much love to all the people who reviewed last chapter. ♥

As I'm sure you've noticed, some of these have experimental styles. I decided that, instead of writing all of these in the same sort of voice, I'd alter and experiment. Some of these (like 18, above) look and read differently, but in my opinion, they work. These experimental works have become so ingrained into this experience for me that I can't imagine writing them in any other sort of way.

Other writing experiments I do include a couple of attempts at second person and I think one similar to 18.

Part Four should be up in a few days.