Chapter 3: We Meet Again

Disclaimer: Need I say more?

When work was over, Ron found himself almost jumping out of his chair. He was going to go see Hermione. The thought was almost too happy for him to worry about how he was going to break the news to Delilah… almost.

"Ron, are you ready?" he loved how she said his name, but he had little time to dwell on it, he had to think up an excuse and quick.

"Listen Delilah, we are going to have to reschedule. I'm sorry, I have a really important meeting here soon. I promised an old friend I would meet with them. They said it was an emergency." He hated lying to her, but she seemed to take the news fairly well.

"That is alright. Maybe we can go tomorrow."

"Great," he said without sparing her a glance as he threw his coat over his arm and tucked his wand in his pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow, Delilah."

"Yes, tomorrow," she said to his fleeting form. Had he seen her then he would have missed her bright smile, for it had fallen away when he left.

…

Exiting the phone booth had taken too long for him. It only took a few seconds, but the delay felt like hours to him. He had never wanted anything so badly in his life as this moment: the moment when he walked out of the doors to that booth and walked the distance to the love of his life. And there that moment was. She was walking back and forth on the paved deserted road ahead of him holding a copy of the Quibbler and reading with a furrowed brow. She never looked so beautiful with her hair in perfect curls as he had never seen them and a little bit of makeup that made her eyes stand out. The thing that really caught his eyes, though, was what she was wearing. She wore a muggle dress of green silk that draped to her knees and covering it was a black double breasted coat that fit her figure perfectly accentuating every curve. He couldn't help but blush as he looked at her form.

"I thought you only read true journalism?" he said shocking her out of her reverie.

She approached him with a fake smile that he could distinguish a mile away. She had had as hard a time as he had with the accident. Probably worse, he thought, after all, she wasn't just friends with him like I was, she loved him, didn't she? He always felt it in his heart and now here she was looking sad and probably feeling miserable, missing her love, he thought.

Her words were jovial, though. "I ask you, dear friend, is there such a thing as true journalism?" He couldn't help but laugh even when she looked so sad; he felt so happy just having her there.

"Now that's the Hermione I know and love." They both blushed furiously.

"Actually…" she said clearing her throat, "I was reading an article by Luna. Her father has got her doing a column of her own now, even though she is still at Hogwarts. She's planning on working for them as soon as she gets out anyway so they are starting early. It's interesting if nothing else, certainly a nice way to keep in touch with old friends."

"Have you seen her lately?"

"Not really, but I talk to Neville frequently. They are dating, didn't you know?"

"No, I didn't," though it seemed appropriate, he thought.

"So… er… how is everything?"

"Good," he said not knowing what else was appropriate. They looked at each other like two individuals who had seen the world collapse together and just didn't want to talk about it.

"I've missed you… I mean… talking to you."

"Yeah, I knew what you meant," he said completely ignoring the possibilities of more in what she said.

"How's the family?"

"They're great. Mom and Dad went on a cruise just recently with Fleur and Bill. Surprisingly enough, they could afford it. Fred and George are thriving in their business of tom-foolery, and Percy, well he's the same," he said rolling his eyes, "and Ginny is living with Charlie now. Both of them are in town, as you already know, and according to Ginny, Charlie has a new girlfriend. Believe it or not, it's Katie Bell. She went to Romania to study dragons as well and they ended up together this summer. I think it's rather funny personally, Ginny sure thought it was."

"And how's Ginny?"

"… you know… same old," they both got quiet and the joking nature they had had before went away in those few words. Ginny wasn't ok, she lost the man she loved. How like Hermione to bring it up, he thought. "She's moving on, or trying to. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she said looking at the ground in front of her, "I just wish it didn't have to end the way it did, you know?"

"Yeah," he said and that was the end of it. He didn't want to question her now, he hadn't seen her in too long to start screwing it up.

"So…" he said clearing his throat, "I hear you are studying to be a teacher."

"Yes, Arithmancy, actually."

"Sounds like fun, I wouldn't really know, I never took the class, but I'm sure it's fun for you." She laughed and he smiled slightly at the corners of his mouth just due to the sound of her laughter.

"Actually they are working on a new program, Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn and Professor Moody who has taken up the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher again, or for the first time really. They are planning on building a school in America. If all goes well I might end up teaching Arithmancy there."

"In America?" his face felt hot all of a sudden. He couldn't lose her again.

"Just until they get on their feet. Could you imagine there are actually increasingly more and more American Wizards? And due to it many mothers and fathers are sending their children overseas for school. There are at least 7 new students from America at Hogwarts and a few at Beauxbatons, and, no surprise, there are none at Durmstrang. Still uptight from what I hear."

"Well it sounds like you will have your hands full."

"That I will, but Ron," oh she said his name perfectly, "I need to discuss something else with you."

"Discuss away, Hermione."

A/N: The whole thing with the American Wizards and Witches school is that, I am American, and I like the idea of having a lot of Witches and Wizards in America. We had a witch scare just like the UK did, so I think we should have a school too. lol. But really I was thinking about all of the fans of Harry Potter, and how a lot of us are from the US. So...I don't know. Something about the ratio of fans to wizards. I dunno. lol. Well, hope you like this chapter (and yes Vermillion I'm talking to you, since you are the only one who has reviewed so far...lol.)