Disclaimer: None of the people, places, or things surrounding Hogwarts and Wizarding world are my creation; they belong to the wonderful Ms. Jo Rowling.
A/N: I AM SO SORRY! This is my general public apology to all of you out there who had to wait two weeks for another update. Gah, I feel like such a terrible person! Please, please, please forgive me! I hope that this chapter helps a bit…
All right, some of you brought to my attention Ron's extreme understanding of Hermione's emotions, something that the Ron we all know and love wouldn't have done openly. I don't think that I made Ron at all out of character; I simply think that the Ron we see in the books—because he's not Harry and therefore doesn't narrate—doesn't get a chance to express his emotions (and yes, he does have them!) all the time. I was trying to bring out the rarely seen, but still completely there, sensitive and understanding Ron, that part of him that makes us love him all the more.
Thank you so much to my faithful reviewers--a lot of you even commented on that Author's Note that I put up! It makes me happy to know that you guys are still out there and will (hopefully) still read my story. :-)
DCoD: Well then, if you made it up, you are a literary genius! I didn't use it for this chapter, because the chapter didn't fit with the beautiful, loving words (lol!)...rest assured, though, you will see it and when you do, note that extreme fluffiness will abound! Hermione reminds me of myself as well...she always has, and I think that's why I tend to let her point of view come across more often than Ron's, though I try to be fair and even. I think that every girl has a bit of Hermione in them, and that's what makes her all the more appealing to us. I'm glad that my story makes you do the "Aw that's so sweet sigh"...that's how I judge a story is good when I'm reading. Thank you for your lovely comments!
jaydedangel73: See, my theory is that in the books, the reason the Ron/Hermione relationship hasn't developed quickly enough is because J.K. Rowling LOVES to highlight the moments when their conversations are filled with misunderstands; she skips over the understanding moments and I feel that it is my duty as an author to put those in:-D
M-M-X-M-X: They will kiss, they will kiss! Lol. I promise they will. I just don't think that Hermione would ever allow that sort of thing before Ron has broken up with Lavender, that's all. I'm sorry, but in my head, that's just the way it is. But I also understand your frustration with waiting and waiting...and waiting for them to get together.
Blonde-Titch: Read the comment above about the kiss--or lack thereof. I'm glad that you think that I portray the chemistry between them well...thannk you SO much! I really try to get into the mind of Ms. Rowling, to see what she would think was happening while the story wasn't focused on Harry. We all want a Ron...sigh. Oh well--ours will come, I'm sure...he's out there somewhere, right?
Machiavelli Jr: Yes, Ron will always be Teaspoon Boy, at least a little, but I think that maybe his brush with death might have triggered something. After all, he didn't want to break up with Lavender because he knew it would make for an emotional mess. Lol, Lavender/Draco as punishment. That's funny...those two do deserve each other. Tee hee. I feel so vindictive right now. :-D
sam250505: Again, I'm super sorry for not throwing a kiss in there for the last chapter...I think that if you read the other comments, you'll understand why though. I just really think that waiting until Ron is free from Lavender's clutches is the way things would have gone in HBP. Yes, Hermione might be a tad emotional, but look at it this way: if the guy you loved more than anyone in the world had just been poiosned, and you two are now speaking after weeks of the silent treatment, what would YOU have done? Lol. Don't worry--she'll be more in character...I hope...in the coming chapters. Ron-esque lack of female emotions, huh:-)
Phillyactress: Haha, I think a combination of both maybe? I really do think that Ron is a bit more clued in than Ms. Rowling tells us sometimes. I also think that given the fact that he knows that Hermione knows that the only reason he took up with Lavender in the first place was because he was angry with Hermione...and he feels VERY guilty about that. Plus, he also is aware that Hermione likes him--just as she's aware that he fancies her--and has FINALLY realized that he needs to fix the mess he's made. But don't worry, I'm not turning Ron into a female...trust me, he's still the same old Ron. He's just turned a new corner...in the next chapter, I think you'll see more of the "normal" Ron. Thank you as well for your comment on the Author's Note...you are such a faithful reviewer, and I heart you to bits and pieces!
suckr4romance: A "what if" fic where Ron didn't hook up with Lavender bloody Brown! Heck yes, sign me up! Lol. Seriously, that's what I've been wishing for since I finished HBP. It's a wonderful idea, and you can be sure that if you wrote a story, I would read it. And I'm really sorry about your friends and your experiences with Hurricane Katrina. I live in Colorado, so other than gas prices for my car sky-rocketing, I wasn't really affected. :-( I hope you all are doing well...
hogwartsgirl52: Lol, I love Wheel of Fortune. I'm terrible at it (Jeopardy is more my style), but I love watching it. I will not give up on my 100 review goal...I think that with this update, I might make it. Crossing my fingers.
PsychoHaired: Thank you SO much! And I feel so guilty about making you stay up way too late...it sounds just like me! I constantly go to bed way too late because I'm sitting at my lap top and trying to finish a story. I'm not sure yet how this story is going to end. I think I might end it at the wedding, but Ron and Hermione will already be together by then, so it might just be a wrap-up/Harry and Ginny getting back together sort of thing. We'll see..
RonMione4eva: "Thanks for not yelling at me." Is not just the EXACT thing Ron would say after being poisoned! Thank you for agreeing with me. After reading some of your fics, I think that you and I really think on the same brain wave when it comes to Ron and Hermione. :-)
To everyone else who reviewed--THANK YOU BUNCHES!
Chapter 8: Getting Back to Normal
Hermione settled down into the large chair near the fireplace, the pamphlet filled with Apparition techniques securely in her hands, sighing happily. She had achieved Apparition completely successfully for the first time at their last practice, and was feeling very confident that when the test came in a few weeks, she would be ready. For the first time in a great while, life simply seemed to be getting easier. Her friendship with Ron was slowly being repaired. Granted, she could never know for sure if things would ever go back to the way they were before their fight, but Hermione was willing to admit that this experience with Ron had been a turning point for them. No longer were their arguments about how her homework load was too heavy, or Ron preferring to talk about Quidditch rather than do his Potions homework.
That fact should have upset her, but Hermione was simply content at that moment to bask in the knowledge that Ron had—albeit not in the most direct way—told her he fancied her. Since their talk that late night in the Hospital Wing, things between them were better…almost, she granted, better than they had ever been.
"If only he'd end things with Lavender," she murmured wryly, smiling down at the unopened cover.
"Oh, I'm sure he's trying," piped up a voice, and Hermione turned to see who was behind her. Ginny stood there, hands on her hips, shaking her head slightly and grinning.
"Hello, Ginny. Thank you for announcing your presence, as always."
Her friends merely continued smiling serenely as she came and sat on the floor in front of Hermione, propping herself against the coffee table.
"He is trying, though. You should hear him at Quidditch practices. The only time he's not complaining about Lavender is when she shows up to watch, and then he avoids her like being within a few meters of her causes him great pain."
"So why doesn't he just end things?" Hermione broke in loudly, immediately blushing at Ginny's surprised—yet apparently pleased—reaction.
Ginny shrugged. "My brother is at best very loyal and terrified of hurting people's feelings, and at worst, a coward. He's scared that Lavender will hurt him."
"Well, that is possible," Hermione allowed, not caring how that comment sounded. She didn't care for Lavender; Ginny was perfectly aware of that, and even shared many of Hermione's sentiments.
Ginny paused warily, as if considering whether she wanted to say her next thought. "He—he also doesn't want to hurt Lavender," she added quietly.
Hermione knew she shouldn't have let that bother her, but she felt her heart deflate just a bit. It was times like these that she had trouble believing Ron's words during their revealing talk. He'd said that he wasn't enjoying his time with Lavender…Yet he didn't seem to be trying very hard to be rid of her.
"…Maybe he doesn't want to," she said, giving voice to her thoughts.
Because she was staring down at her clasped hands, Hermione didn't see Ginny's swat coming at her. She flinched when Ginny's hand hit her shoulder, glaring up at her. "What?"
"Hermione, you know that Ron hates being with Lavender! You two are speaking again, and I know he's directly told you that he wants to ditch her."
Hermione shook her head violently. "I KNOW that, Ginny, that's what makes it so infuriating! He—he was so sweet that night. I honestly felt that we were finally getting somewhere, after not speaking for three months. But then he…" She trailed off, unsure.
"Oh, honestly," Ginny admonished, sounding very much like Hermione. "Ron is in love with you. He always has been. He just is too thick to have realized it yet."
"Well, then he should hurry up and realize it!" Hermione burst out before she could help herself.
Ginny simply smiled, reaching over to rest a calming hand on Hermione's arm. "He will, Hermione. I've known my brother a lot longer than you have—he'll come round in time."
Hermione shrugged, and the two fell silent. After a few moments, Hermione turned back to Ginny, her eyes widening when she saw her crying softly into her sweater.
"Ginny! What's the matter? You don't need to cry for me…it's really not that trivial," she said in shock.
"It's—it's not th—that," Ginny managed, hiccupping as she scrubbed at her cheeks. "It's just…" She paused, drawing a deep breath. "I—I'm so sick of Dean!"
Though Hermione was surprised at Ginny's vehement tone of voice, she wasn't surprised at her words. She'd felt for several weeks that dating Dean was becoming more of an annoyance to be tolerated, than something fun and exciting for Ginny. "Well," she began carefully, "You could always end things, right?"
"Do you have any idea how hard that is?" Ginny snapped, then immediately looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to snap."
"It's all right. I understand. You—you don't want to hurt Dean." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You Weasleys. You have this loyalty that can be infuriating sometimes."
Ginny sniffled. "Yes," she croaked pitifully.
"Look, Ginny, if you're not happy, Dean will probably notice eventually, and that isn't helping matters. You need to be honest with him. If you are, then chances are you two will go away being friends, rather than enemies."
Ginny smiled. "You're so brilliant, Hermione. Where do you come up this?"
Hermione's mouth twisted. "I've had a lot of experience with being honest with someone in an attempt to get my point across," she said, knowing that Ginny fully understood.
Her friend sighed, placing her hands on her chin in a contemplative position. "I—I s'pose I can try. When it's the right time, of course," she mused. Hermione nodded politely, and then Ginny stood. "What do you reckon Harry's up to?" she asked.
Hermione had to resist the urge to laugh. That was another thing she'd picked up in the past few weeks. Harry and Ginny not only were spending more time alone together, when they were apart, each mentioned the other in what they thought was a casual manner, but was in reality—to Hermione, at least—the most obvious start to love she had ever seen.
"He's probably either up in his room spying on Malfoy, or somewhere in the corridors—spying on Malfoy," Hermione said dryly. "Ron and I both think that—"
"He's becoming eerily obsessed, I know," Ginny cut in impatiently, already making her way towards the portrait hole. She turned back, however, to grin once more at Hermione. "Thanks," she said shyly, and Hermione smiled in return.
"Oh, and Hermione?" Ginny called back, just as Hermione was turning to sit back down on the chair. "Don't worry about Ron…trust me. He'll fix things."
Hermione bit her lip, cursing herself when Ginny's words filled with her a warming optimism. Let's hope so, she thought. She wasn't sure how much of this—this distant politeness that she and Ron had adopted since their reconciliation, she could take.
As if one cue, Ron himself came barreling through the portrait hole at just that moment, causing a surge in Hermione's pulse. He looked a bit frantic, but also annoyed, and her brow furrowed in concern.
"Ron, are you okay?" she asked tentatively.
He looked over, as if just noticing that he wasn't alone in the Common Room. "Oh…hey, Hermione," he said a bit sheepishly. Hermione was instantly suspicious.
"What did you do?"
He blushed. "Nothing. I'm just…" He paused. "Look, you haven't seen Lav—Lavender around, have you?"
Hermione pursed her lips. "No. I would imagine she's looking for you, though. Why don't you go find her?"
"Because I've been bloody avoiding her for the past two hours! And I hate having to sneak around the hallways… It's like she's going to pop out from behind me."
Hermione tried not to laugh—she honestly did—but seeing the terrified look on Ron's face, coupled with the knowledge that that fear had been sparked by a girl, she couldn't help herself. A small giggle escaped her, and Ron glared at her.
"It's not funny," he muttered sulkily.
Hermione snorted. "Oh, honestly, Ron, how can you expect me not to laugh? You're hiding from LAVENDER BROWN, for Merlin's sake! Tell me you're scared of Death Eaters and then we'll talk." With that, she turned, about to start up the stairs to her dormitory, when Ron's voice stopped her.
"You don't need to go."
She pivoted to stare at him, hands on her hips. "Why not?" She knew it was petty, but she really wanted to force him to say what he was thinking. If he was going to take his sweet time to end things with Lavender, she figured she deserved this much.
"I—I—I," he stuttered, the blush creeping more furiously up his cheeks. "I—I have that essay for Snape, about dementors, you know." His eyes widened innocently. "And if you're not busy…"
Hermione softened. "Why not get Lavender to help you?" she said saucily, even as she walked back to him, sitting at one of the tables, and gesturing for him to do the same.
Ron groaned, thrusting his fingers through his hair and shutting his eyes tightly, as if he couldn't bear to look at her when he spoke his next words. "Lavender's not as smart as you," he said clearly.
Hermione's mouth dropped open with a pop. That was the first open compliment he'd given her since the night of their talk. And, Merlin, did it feel good!
She smiled widely. "Well, then, we'd best not waste time," she said quietly, her dancing brown eyes meeting his flashing blue ones.
Hours later, Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, feeling a crick in her neck from sitting still too long. Across from her, Ron was tiredly working on his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. With a quick glance at her watch, Hermione noted that it had been a long while since she'd seen Harry.
"Ron, do you know where Harry is?" she asked, bringing him out of his work-ridden state of mind.
"Dunno. Last I heard, he was going to spend the afternoon tailing Malfoy, then come here to do homework." Ron shrugged. "Asked me if I wanted to come along. I said that chasing a ruddy git wasn't something I wanted to do to past the time."
Hermione nodded seriously. This strange obsession Harry had developed with Malfoy this year became stranger and stranger each week.
Just then, Harry walked into the Common Room, looking tired and frustrated. "Hey guys," he muttered to Ron and Hermione, plopping down in a chair around the table. They stared at him curiously, but he just shook his head, reaching into his book bag. "Don't ask."
The trio continued working, and for awhile, things seemed to be taking on a rather ho-hum pace.
Until disaster struck Ron's dementor essay.
"How d'you spell 'belligerent'?" said Ron, and Hermione turned to see him shaking his quill at his essay. "It can't be B—U—M—"
Hermione's brow furrowed. "No, it isn't," she said, pulling Ron's essay toward her. "And 'augury' doesn't begin O—R—G either. What kind of quill are you using?"
"It's one of Fred and George's Spell-Check ones…but I think the charm must be wearing off…"
Well, yes, but your first mistake was trusting anything that Fred and George invented, Hermione thought, but wisely kept her mouth shut. "Yes, it must," she said instead. "Because we were asked how we'd deal with dementors, not 'Dugbogs,' and I don't remember you changing your name to 'Roonil Wazlib' either."
Upon seeing the crushed look on Ron's face, Hermione would have gladly taken back every word she'd just said, despite the fact that they were true. "Ah no! Don't say I'll have to write the whole thing out again!"
'It's okay, we can fix it," Hermione said, and grabbed Ron's essay while pulling out her wand.
"I love you, Hermione."
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in shock. Had Ron just said what she thought he said? She peeked over at him, only to see him drooping wearily back in his chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Does he realize what he just said? The words filled with her with such warmth, even if he hadn't realized what he'd said. Knowing that he cared—and was grateful for her—helped so much.
Knowing she was blushing, she spoke, trying to keep her composure. "Don't let Lavender hear you saying that" she quipped.
"I won't," said Ron, his voice muffled through his hands. "Or maybe I will…then she'll ditch me…"
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ron that even he couldn't possibly think that was a good idea, but Harry beat her to it.
"Why don't you ditch her if you want to finish it?" he asked.
Good question, Hermione thought, then tuned out a bit to the boys' conversation as she repeatedly tapped Ron's essay with her wand, fixing each spelling or grammar error.
"There," she said finally, satisfied with her work.
"Thanks a million," said Ron, grinning appreciatively at her. She couldn't resist smiling back at him, pink tingeing her cheeks. Once again, the two were transported into their own world, and Hermione felt as if nothing could break their concentration on each other.
They were moving unconsciously closer to each other. Suddenly remembering that Harry was still in the room with them, Hermione reared back, clearing her throat.
"Erm…" she said ungracefully.
"Can I borrow your quill for the conclusion?" Ron asked shakily, taking a deep breath. Hermione wordlessly handed it to him, and watched him as he began working on his essay again.
Ron could feel Hermione's eyes on him. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention, and his heart rate seem to have tripled. He always had this reaction around Hermione these days—though if he was being perfectly honest, he'd have to admit that it had probably always been there. And letting that "I love you," slip! He was eternally grateful that she hadn't seemed to notice.
Better watch yourself, mate, he thought with a slight grimace. A bloke couldn't just go around telling a girl whom he wasn't even dating that he loved her. Especially when said bloke hadn't split up with his currently girlfriend yet.
Though not for lack of trying. That much was true. Ron wanted desperately to chuck Lavender, wanted it more than anything, at this point. He wondered every day what sort of magic—had to be dark magic, he figured—could have been affecting his brain to the point where he'd actually thought that dating Lavender Brown could possibly be a good thing.
He HAD to fix things…he'd promised Hermione he would. Because until he did, they were stuck in this odd sort of limbo between friends and…well, something more than friendly.
Something comfortable, and—Ron imagined—so bloody fantastic that it rivaled Chocolate Frogs as his favorite thing in the world.
His mind drifted to thoughts of what kissing Hermione would feel like. He chanced a glance at her lips; she had her bottom one stuck between two teeth as she conversed with Harry, and Ron almost groaned out loud at the thoughts that image provoked. Kissing Hermione would be nothing like kissing Lavender—Hermione had way too much personality to kiss like a fish, he thought.
Thought. Wasn't that the crux of it all? He couldn't do more than think about kissing Hermione right now. It wasn't enough. He wanted to be able to actually feel it.
With that thought in mind, Ron turned back to his essay, vowing to end things with Lavender. Yes, she would probably be hurt—and even (gulp!) cry—but at this point, he didn't think there was any way around it.
Chucking Lavender Brown. It should be the title of his memoir.
A/N: Sort of an odd ending, isn't it? I just didn't know how to stop—Merlin knows I didn't want to. This chapter could have kept going and going… All right, I know that a lot of you are sitting at your computers thinking "JUST KISS ALREADY" and trust me, I'm as anxious as you are for these two to finally kiss. SO I promise that I won't keep you waiting much longer. The next chapter is going to jump ahead—to a point sometime after Ron and Lavender have broken up. The only reason this chapter didn't take place after they'd split was because I really wanted to write something around the time that Ron tells Hermione he loves her. I will be eternally grateful to J.K. Rowling for putting that in, and that part of this chapter was yet another tribute to her.
Again, I would like to apologize for the extreme delay in the update of this chapter! I am SO sorry. I can't promise that it won't happen again, because no one can predict the craziness that is high school, but I swear to you all I will do my best to see that it doesn't. Thank you for your support and well-wishes. It's wonderful to know you're all out there. Until next time, Sugarquill