(Hey everyone! Hope you liked my last chapter. I've made my second one so, hope you like! Again, this is my first fanfiction so please be patient with me. Thank you to those who reviewed, it's boosted my happiness so I'll probably have the fifth chapter finished and uploaded by 13, May. Anyway, I shant keep you from my excellent yeah right story. Off you go!)
Chapter 2: Surprise, Surprise
Beep--Beep--Beep. Hermione's hand reached for her alarm and shut the button that caused such a ruckus off. Grudgingly, she got out of bed and slipped her feet onto the cold wooden floor. She went over to her trunk, took out her uniform, and dressed in the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, flossed, combed her hair, and washed her face.
In ten minutes she was down the stairs to the Common Room heading toward the Notice Board where a small throng of people were reading. Surprisingly, Ron and Harry were among the group, which also included Ginny with a bathrobe and toothbrush, Colin Creevey, camera at hand as usual, and Neville Longbottom, still in his bunny slippers, teddy bear pajamas, and tousled hair.
"Haw ooo eh?" said Ginny, slipping from the crowd after taking her toothbrush from her mouth, walking toward Hermione.
"Pardon?" said Hermione.
Ginny spit her mint-flavored water into a cup. "Have you heard? There's going to be Beaxbatons students there too! Can you believe it!" she cried in disgust. "I had enough of Fleur two years ago thank you very much. 'Zis 'Ogwarts food is too 'eavy!"
"What!" Hermione screeched, causing the four heads to turn and stare. "What did you say?" she hissed.
Ginny backed up slightly, "You heard me. And he-" she jerked her head back at Ron, "-is gonna be goggle-eyed the whole time! And did you know that the whole time is actually going to be for ten weeks!"
"WHAT?"
"Shut up!" said Colin.
Hermione pushed Colin aside to read the list. After she finished she turned back to Ginny.
"I can't believe this. I-can't-believe-this!"
"You better believe it, 'cause we going to da islands, honey!" said Ron, grabbing her arm and twirling her around. Harry stared.
"I think he got into the hidden supply of Cocoa Pebbles! Run!" cried Neville, dashing up the stairs.
Harry laughed, "No, I just think the trip has got him in over his head. Right, Ron?"
"Huh?" said Ron blankly, snapping out of the dance. He looked around to see what he was doing, then, blushing maddeningly, mumbled something about forgetting his quill, and jolted up the stairs.
"What was that?" said Hermione, staring after Ron. Harry shrugged.
"Well, I'll see you downstairs for breakfast?" said Hermione.
"Sure." Harry said, then sprinted up the stairway.
Hermione made her way out of the portrait, then down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Ron and Harry were talking in the Boys' Dorm.
"What was that all about?" said Harry, laughing as he closed the door behind him.
"What was what all about?" Ron said, avoiding his gaze as he pulled a sweater over his head (A/N: and how could he not avoid his gaze with his sweater in the way?).
"You know what I mean, don't play dumb."
"What are you two on about?" said Neville, looking back and forth between the two.
"Nothing." said Ron, refusing to talk about the topic.
"It was not nothing." Harry claimed.
"It was too nothing."
"What's going on? God, can't you see I'm trying to get some sleep?" said Dean, thrusting open the curtains and throwing a pillow at each of them.
"Agh." said Ron. He threw the pillow back at Dean.
Soon, a pillow fight had started among them. Ron and Harry were against Dean, because Neville had hidden in his bed and put a charm on his curtains so they wouldn't open. With all the commotion, Seamus, who was a very heavy sleeper, woke up.
"What the hell--" he said coming out of his bed and glaring at them, but was soon knocked down with a loud thud by three pillows launched at him. "OUCH!"
"Geeze! How much do you weigh, Finnegan?" laughed Harry.
In all the turmoil, Ron chose this moment to escape down the stairs toward the Great Hall.
"Hey, Gin." Ginny heard her name being called. She turned to find her brother running down the hall. "Wait up!"
"What took you so long?" she said scornfully.
"Pillow fight." He shrugged.
"And how old are you?"
Ron pretended to count on his fingers.
"Oh, shut up." said Ginny, pushing him lightly.
Ron grinned, "So, uh…where - where's Hermione?" he said, looking down at his feet. A slight blush rose in his ears.
"Oh, she went to breakfast already, I think."
Ron nodded.
Hermione looked up at Ginny and Ron. "Hey." she said to Ginny, smiling. Her smile faded a little when she turned to Ron, and she gazed at her empty plate. Ginny elbowed Ron.
"Oww!" Ron jumped, clutching his side. He cast an evil eye at his sister then looked down at his plate as well. "Um… about this morning; I think Neville was right. I did get into the Cocoa Pebbles." He looked up at her and gave her a lopsided grin.
Hermione stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter that she had to stuff behind her hand to make less noise. Ron looked confused, as did Ginny. Hermione spoke after a while.
"That's - that's funny. Phew, Cocoa Pebbles, eh? Do you even know what they are?"
Ron's face froze. "Um…no.."
It was Ginny's turn to laugh, "It's cereal, Ron!" she cried.
"Cereal that is ¾ sugar!" giggled Hermione.
"What's so funny?" said Harry, suddenly appearing next to Hermione.
"They're making fun of me 'cause I didn't know what Cocoa Pebbles were." Ron said stonily.
Harry made a noise somewhere between a snort and a chuckle, but stopped immediately. "Well, that's a - uh - common mistake for a - a- someone who doesn't - uh - eat muggle f-f-food!" Harry burst into laughter.
"Hey!" said Ron.
"What's up?" said Neville.
"YOU! You're the one that started this whole thing!" Ron pointed a finger accusingly at Neville.
"Huh?"
"C'mon, Ron." said Hermione, who had long stopped laughing.
"Where are we going?" said Ron.
"You'll see." She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the Great Hall, turned left at the Entrance Hall, and started walked down towards the lake.
It was a beautiful crisp morning. The leaves were swaying on their branches in the light breeze. The sun threw streams of light onto the water, causing it to blink and sparkle. These were one of Hermione's favourite morning settings. She sat down on a rock next the lake.
"But I didn't even--"
Hermione whipped out her wand and muttered something. Three large buns with cheese and ham enclosed inside, a bunch of grapes, and two omelettes appeared. Hermione busied herself with placing food on the plates she had also conjured, two sandwiches for Ron, one for her.
"Oh, I almost forgot." she said.
With a wave of her wand, a steaming mug of tea appeared for her, and hot chocolate for Ron.
"What's all this for?" said Ron, looking at the food.
"I didn't think you'd want to stay in there-" she inclined her head toward the castle, "-any longer. And you were, and still are, drooling."
Ron whipped his mouth hastily. "So…I can eat?"
"Of course." A fork appeared on each of their plates for the omelettes.
Ron lifted his fork, but paused at the omelette. "What's in this thing?"
"Egg, cheese, some spices." said Hermione, not looking up.
Ron shrugged, then took a bite of his omelette. His face lighted up, then he wolfed down the omelette in a minute. Hermione stared.
"That was good!" said Ron.
"Thank you." said Hermione, "And I'm sure you didn't notice there was also broccoli in it?"
"BROCCOLI!" Ron yelped.
"Yep." said Hermione, grinning.
"Get the nasty taste out of my mouth!" He waved his wand and a straw appeared in his hot chocolate. He leaned forward and took a large gulp. "Ah."
Hermione shook her head and laughed. "You liked it before you realised there was broccoli in it. And do you have to wave your wand to get a straw? How old are you?"
'How many times have people asked me that question?' he thought. "Yeah, I'm two. Sue me."
Hermione laughed and took a bite of her sandwich.
After she and Ron were finished with them, Ron said.
"Hey, throw me a grape. Let's see if I can catch it!"
"Okay." Hermione shrugged and threw a grape towards Ron. It almost landed in his mouth but landed in his lap.
"Try it again." said Ron, mouth open.
They had fun trying to aim the grapes at each other's mouths, but soon just threw them at each other, ruining the grapes as they fell to the ground.
"They look like they're having fun." said Ginny to Harry from the Great Hall window.
Harry nodded.
"Okay, I forfeit." said Ron, waving his arms. "You win."
"Oh, Mr. Ronald Weasley is giving up on a grape fight?"
"Sounds like." said Ron, another lop-sided grin lighting up his face. Hermione could feel herself melt at his smile.
"You're impossible, you know that?" said Hermione.
"Yeah. You've been telling me so for the past five years."
Hermione smiled. "Well…we'd better get back up to the school. People will wonder what happened to us."
"Darn it! I forgot about classes."
"We don't have any classes today. Since we're leaving in two weeks, the teachers decided not to teach us something and have to pick up at the middle of it. But we should just read the books and get an idea of what's going to be taught to us after we come back."
"Ah man."
"Yeah, but we'll be gone for ten weeks." Her face fell and her tone was icy, "With Beaxbatons students."
"Well, who cares about the Beaxbatons students? Wait, they're coming! So much for a vacation."
Hermione blinked. "What? I thought you liked when they were here in fourth year?"
"Well, I thought I liked that one Floor girl but she was just a distraction. It drove me nuts you know. I was happy when the whole lot left. Now we could have the school to ourselves."
"Her name was Fleur." corrected Hermione.
"Floor-Fleur," Ron waved his hand as if dismissing the subject, "Who cares?"
Hermione's heart lifted and she smiled.
"Well, we'd still better go." she said slowly.
"Yeah." agreed Ron. "But I liked it out here, eating breakfast with you."
"Did you?" said Hermione, looking surprised, but then her expression changed, "Only 'cause out here no one is making fun of you."
"No," said Ron, "I got to spend some time with you. It's usually all three of us, but we were just having fun together with a grape fight, of course!"
"Yeah. It was fun wasn't it?"
Ron nodded, "But lets get back up to the castle, shall we?" he waved his wand and all their left over food (which there was none) and silverware and dishes were cleaned and disappeared. He extended his arm to Hermione. She raised an eyebrow. "Mademoiselle?"
Hermione laughed and took his arm with her own. They started walking and Ron said, "Now, Mademoiselle? Please, do tell me, how has life been treating you?"
"Oh, shut up!" said Hermione, pushing him playfully.
Ron continued. "Any new things at your educational house? Any - " he paused, "- romances, perhaps?"
Hermione laughed. "Romance? Me? Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes and looked at the ground.
"'Mione, don't." He lifted her chin.
"What?" said Hermione, looking back at the ground.
"Look at me." she looked up. "Don't think that. There are plenty of guys that would like you."
"Yeah, sure. Name one." she glared.
Ron froze. "Well…well I - there's uh-"
"You can't even name one, Ron! You're just trying to make me feel better, but it's not working. No one would ever like me! And you know it!" Tears swarmed her eyes.
"'Mione-" said Ron. Hermione nearly melted with his pet name. "I - I would tell you, I just promised I wouldn't - "
"Liar."
"Listen to me!" Ron grabbed her arm, but let go suddenly. He sighed. "I swear to God, 'Mione. Someone, a guy I mean - " Hermione laughed, " - A guy I've known my whole life, is in - likes you."
"Okay, Ron." said Hermione.
"You do believe me, don't you?"
Hermione remained silent.
"I promise, they'll tell you - soon."
"Alright." Hermione wiped her eyes.
(A/N: Awww. He made her feel better! Yeah, really crappy story but, please bear with me? Thankies! It's my first one anyway so, if you've got something to say, say it to me when I'm experienced! lol)