Chapter 2: Phone Call?

WARNING: The beginning here has a phone involved. It is very very very un-Wizardish. But I couldn't figure out any way better to do this bit. I apologize before I get all the hate mail. I hated doing it, but it was absolutely necessary. Nothing else worked, I promise! At least we can pretend it is some sort of enchanted telephone...maybe?

"Hello?... yes, I understand ma'am… yes the Ministry is looking into regulations for Weasley Wizard Wheezes." He almost laughed at the thought. "And yes, I understand that you will have to send your child to St. Mungo's… Yes I realize the offense of such a feathery prank is more than you are willing to deal with…Yes I know your son will be picking out feathers for the next three weeks and the Ministry apologizes for that." There was a long pause on the other end of the receiver and then…

"What are we going to do about it? Er…" he searched his hand book for a response to such a question and found none. "How about I just transfer you to my supervisor?" All the way up until he actually put her on hold she was screaming hexes through the phone, but all were wasted and pointless.

The phone rang again and in his best phone etiquette voice he said, "Ministry of Magic, complaint department, how may I direct your complaint?"

"Er… hi, this may sound silly," he knew that voice, "but could you give me the number to Ron Weasley's desk? I was given this number by his father, but I don't think it is correct."

Hermione.

"Hermione?" There was a long pause on the receiver and then a gasp.

"Ron? Is that you? I can't believe it! You sound a lot older over the phone."

"Really? Must be all the phone complaints I'm getting, they kind of wear you out."

She laughed, "I suppose you are right." Oh how he had missed that laugh. Nothing compared to it. "Listen, Ron. Are you free for lunch?" Was she asking him on a date?

Oh how he wanted to say he was, but… "Ginny's in town, I promised I would have lunch with her today before she went back to Romania."

"So she did decide to go for the Auror training in Romania? I thought for sure she would go back to school for her last year."

"Too many memories, Ronald, it's the same for us all." They both sat silent for a while and then Hermione spoke up again, though she sounded softer and sadder now.

"Well how about after work? You get off at 4 right?"

"Yeah, but…" What was he going to say? How could he tell her he couldn't go with her because he had a date with a culturally foreign and incredibly attractive young woman? He couldn't, but he didn't need to because Hermione seemed to be in a hurry.

"Great, I'll meet you outside the phone booth at 4, see you then."

And that was it. He had an actual date with the woman of his dreams… well sort of a date.

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this story! I am! I wrote it all because of the prediction I made in the first chapter, but I found that I actually enjoy writing Hermione and Ron. Their banter is the most fun. Just wait, it gets better!