A/N: Heya, bet you weren't expecting this up so quickly ;) Well this is more of a vignette just to warm you up…

- CHAPTER FOURTEEN –

Stuck In A Moment

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked once on the door. She heard hurried footsteps from behind it and it swung open with a creak.

"Hermione!" Mrs Weasley cried and pulled her into a very tight hug, ignoring Hermione's moans as she dropped her trunk on her foot. "How are you dear? We've been so worried about you, not a single owl, and you could have warned me you were coming back for Christmas; I'll have to get a bigger turkey…" Mrs Weasley turned around and walked back into the kitchen, muttering and counting on her fingers.

Hermione rubbed her foot anxiously and picked up her trunk again, she went quietly up the stairs to Fred and Georges' old room which she and Ron now slept in. She put her trunk down next to the wardrobe and then went back downstairs.

As soon as she entered the kitchen Mrs Weasley pushed her into a chair, threw her a plate and spooned a bubbling casserole onto it. Hermione had prepared for this, not having eaten anything since breakfast, and began to eat quickly to try and warm herself up. She heard the front door open and Mrs Weasley got up from her own chair.

"Ginny?" she called uncertainly, as she placed a cup of tea next to Hermione.

"Yes Mum," Ginny came through from the hall and looked across the table at Hermione who smiled meekly, "Hermione! What have you been up to? I haven't heard from you for ages."

"I'm sorry," Hermione pushed her spotless plate away, "you won't believe how little time you have when you have lessons all day and marking all night, I spent most of my free time sleeping. I'm really sorry Gin; honestly, I promise I'll try harder next term, now I've worked out a better balance."

"You better," Ginny scowled, and then she grinned, "Sorry, that wasn't a very nice greeting. It's great to see you, Ron will be so pleased you're back, he's missing you like crazy."

Hermione looked up, "Really?"

"Yeah, well in his own way, he's just really grouchy all the time, you know what I mean."

Hermione smiled, maybe she had made the right choice in coming back; well to be honest she didn't care where she was as long as Snape wasn't there.

"Right then," Mrs Weasley it seemed, had finished working out exactly how many people were coming for her Christmas dinner, "I think we'll be able to squeeze everyone in… they'll be sixteen of us all together seeing as Percy can't come. But Bill and Fleur will share of course in his old room, and Evelina can go with them, George, Lucy and Laurence will have to go in the twins' room. Sorry Hermione, but the families will need the biggest rooms. Then Tonks and Verity can have Percy's, Charlie, Ron and Fred can all squeeze into Ron's old room together somehow… you two can stay in Ginny's room, and then Remus and Severus will have to put up with each other in Charlie's. Yes I think that's everybody."

Hermione choked violently on her tea, splattering the front of her robes. "Sev…Severus?"

"Well of course dear, after all he's done for everyone it's only right to invite him for Christmas, after all he spends too much time at Hogwarts now, Arthur and I agreed he needs to get away from it." Mrs Weasley smiled to herself, feeling that she had done him a great justice by looking after him in this way, "why, didn't he tell you?"

"Just because we work together it doesn't mean we tell each to other everything," Hermione said sharply, she pretended to rub her forehead gently, it was suddenly burning hot, but she felt cold and clammy, "when is everyone arriving?"

"Well Fred, George and Charlie are all coming on Friday with their families, and then everyone else is coming on Saturday. So you've got a few days to rest before everyone arrives."

The door opened again and two sets of footsteps were heard stomping into the hall, "Ron, Arthur! Come in here," Mrs Weasley called, "you won't believe who's just arrived."

The footsteps grew louder and the kitchen door opened, "hello Molly dear," said Mr Weasley wearily as he went to kiss his wife.

Ron came in with his head down and slouched into a chair, he cast his eyes from his beaming mother across the table, and caught sight of Hermione who was studying the tablecloth in great detail, "Oh," he grunted quietly and she looked up at him.

She glanced at Mrs Weasley who nodded kindly and she got up, closely followed by Ron, and climbed the stairs to their bedroom.

"Not a single letter!" he bellowed suddenly, "What the hell were you up to?"

"Ron, calm down please," she put her arm out and pulled him down onto the bed, "I'm really sorry I didn't write to you -"

"Having such a great time without me were you?" he glowered,

"Ron you will not believe how hard it is to be a teacher! You spend all day trying to get students to work, which is tiring enough in itself, and then you have to spend all night marking their homework. The only thing I'm up to in the evenings is collapsing asleep in bed." She sighed deeply to add some more effect,

"I have to work hard too you know!"

"Yes, I know, but you're more used to it. This was only my first term, I think I'll be able to balance my time better now, now I've got the hang of it all, so I promise I'll try and write to you."

He nodded and looked at his feet, "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "it's just I've missed you so much."

"Oh Ron," she tried to sound exasperated but she couldn't help smiling.

He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head, she resisted her brain's impulse to push him away and sat there for a while enjoying his warmth.

"Hermione?" he whispered through her hair.

"Hmm?" she looked up at him, he began to unbutton his shabby brown robes, "Oh no Ron," she pushed him back, "not tonight, I'm too tired."

"Oh," his cheeks flushed red, "sorry. I'll just go and have something to eat; I'll be up in a bit."

"OK," she nodded, and he left the room quietly, closing the door behind him. She collapsed back onto the bed and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling hot tears slowly drip down her face.

A/N: And that's not the end, I will update either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with the Christmas special which looks like it's going to be very interesting…