SERENDIPITY
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I've created.
CHAPTER 4-FIRESIDE CHATS
"So what are we going to tell them then, Hermione's a clever enough witch to figure out that they should both be dead, and knowing her she won't stop until she's figured out why they're not," Remus asked with an impatient and concerned frown on his face as he stifled back a rather large yawn and plopped down on the couch next to Ginny.
"We won't tell them anything…for now anyway, when it comes to something so delicate and beautiful as love I'm afraid that it's best to let it run its course," Dumbledore replied with a kind smile on his face as he smoothed out a ruffle in his beard and stared off into the fire in the hearth.
"But Ms. Granger won't stop at that Albus, if we tell her nothing at all then she could very well become suspicious of us," McGonagall asked with a worried expression on her face as the teacup in her hands trembled a bit.
"And even though Ron's about as dense as an oak even he'll see before long that we're keeping something from them, and given the Weasley's temper…," Tonks interjected with an almost scared look on her face as she scrunched down noticeably in her chair at Mrs. Weasley's glare.
"We're all well aware of the Weasley temper Nymphadora, but now is not the time or place to discuss it at its proper breadth," Dumbledore replied with a small and tired yawn as he turned away from the fire and fixed his gaze pointedly at Tonks as she began to angrily rise from her chair, a rebuttal quickly forming on her lips.
"Easy Tonks…," Remus muttered forcefully under his breath with a stern glare cast across the living room.
"Are you saying that I'm going to have to lie to Ron and Hermione…even Harry," Ginny asked, seemingly more than a bit scared at the idea, as she pushed her way back up out of the folds of Hagrid's coat and looked directly at Dumbledore.
"I'm afraid so Ginny, at least for the time being, hopefully before long Ronald and Hermione will figure it out for themselves and all will be well," McGonagall answered with a hesitant frown on her face before she took another sip of tea while Tonks smiled happily at the thought and nodded her head in agreement.
"I don't like lying to my sun Albus, not about something as important as this," Molly Weasley stated with a frustrated but allied frown on her face as she glared at Dumbledore for a few seconds before making herself busy in preparation for supper.
"Neither do I Molly, but it's necessary until they realize and admit their feelings for each other," Dumbledore stated with a tired sigh before he shuffled over to the kitchen table and sat down beside McGonagall.
Hermione woke with a start. Her head swam in pain and the contents of her stomach seemed fully prepared to revolt and force their way back up her esophagus. Forcing herself to lie back down Hermione tilted her head to one side and opened her eyes just enough to peek out at her surroundings, recognizing them almost instantly. She would have recognized the bright orange walls and obscene amount of posters for the Chudley Cannons in her sleep. There was no doubt in her mind that she was laying in the bedroom of one of her two best friends, Ronald Weasley. Furiously Hermione began to wrack her brain for a rhyme or reason as to why she'd be waking up in Ron's room with her head feeling as if it were about to explode. She gritted her teeth and steeled her nerves against the pain as she slowly and cautiously raised herself up to a seated position and looked around the room. Harry lay curled up in a ball on the cot on the far side of the room, looking to be sleeping peacefully but still appearing to be shivering slightly. Hermione's heart went out to Harry in that moment, the hope of the world against he who must not be named, shivering like a small child, all alone in the world. Nearly crying at the thought Hermione turned her head the other way and couldn't help but smile at first at the sight of arguably her best friend, sprawled out across his bed as if, like many items of clothing and furniture, had become awkwardly to small for him. Her mirth however only lasted for a few seconds before her eyes caught sight of something that caused her breath to catch in her throat and her heart to nearly flat line. Tears formed in her eyes as her gaze landed on his heavily wrapped hands that looked so tightly wrapped that he probably could barely move them, followed closely behind by his overly bandaged knee and lower leg. A less than happy memory piped up at that particular moment, one of during their third year at Hogwarts when Sirius Black, in his animal form, had dragged Ron across the ground before down deep into the earth, breaking his leg in the process. Hermione could still remember the sickening sound that his leg has made as it had broken. The sound still haunted her dreams every time that she and Ron would have a particularly heated row, almost as if it were a bit of her conscience trying to remind her the amount of love that she felt for her redheaded friend. She could remember Ron stumbling madly towards her through the rain, trying desperately to push her way from the effects of the killing curse that Lucius Malfoy was screeching at them, but after that her memory quickly and surprisingly came up blank.
"R…Ron…," Hermione mumbled softly with a pained grimace on her face as she slowly slid out of bed and was fortunate that she had strength enough to be able to make her way over to Ron's bed. At her words Ron stirred a bit but did not wake up. From her vantage point at the foot of his bed Hermione caught a glimpse of the cut above his left eye that she herself had caused in a moment of anger. Even though a bit of herself felt fully justified for giving him that the cut that had turned into that scar there was an equal portion of herself that felt as if she could never apologize enough or possibly hope to ever make it up to Ron. "Ron…come on, wake up," Hermione said again, this time a bit louder as she crept up his bed and poked him in the stomach, but still he only stirred minutely before returning to his deep slumber. Torn between feeling as if she were about ready to throw up, whether from her nerves at the moment from being so close to Ron or her worry about how badly he was hurt, and feeling elated that he still lived and from her fragmented memory had put his life on the line to try and save hers. Finally she threw caution to the wind and shook Ron with all of her might, shouting his name as loudly as she could without being overheard downstairs. After a few nearly breathless moments Ron's eyes finally flickered open.
"Wha…H…Mione, what are you…," Ron asked in a soft mumble as it took his eyes a few moments to focus and lock onto the form of one of his two best friends standing over him, looking much the worse for wear and terribly concerned and worried about something or someone.
"Thank Merlin…," Hermione muttered softly under her breath with a greatly relieved and exhausted expression on her face before her legs became a bit weary and she allowed herself to sit down on the side of the bed beside Ron, who still almost half asleep scooted over a bit.
"What happened," Ron asked with still a very sleepy look on his face as he half sat up in bed and ruffled his hair in such a way that got a blush and a half smile from Hermione before she realized what she was doing.
"I'm not sure…exactly, what's the last thing that you remember," Hermione asked softly, with a somewhat confused expression on her face, as she sat still as Ron cautiously brought his injured leg up closer to his body and in doing so shifted his seat a bit closer to Hermione.
"Uh…I remember talking to Harry in the rain…then that bastard Malfoy showed up and we ran…," Ron replied with a deep in thought frown on his face as he absentmindedly began to scratch at a small hole in his bedspread with his pinky.
"And the two of you almost bowled me over when you burst out of the forest, Malfoy and his goons were hot on your heels…," Hermione added with a serious look of thought on her face as she shifted in her spot on the bed and bent her knee so that one leg was now dangling over the edge of Ron's bed with the other bent on the bed with the toes of her left foot dangling over the edge.
"And we ran into you…and then Malfoy he…he…oh no," Ron mumbled softly in accordance with the running memory shared between the two as he tore his gaze up off of the bedspread and cast it directly at Hermione's face, which was currently staring straight back at him with a worried look on her face. Hermione tried to find the words to speak but she could only manage a barely audible squeak before she averted her eyes to one of the posters that covered Ron's walls, busying herself watching a particularly fat Chaser try in vain to catch an old quaffle. Hermione then swallowed hard and spoke.
"Malfoy…he, cast a killing curse at you but then I…I mean you, oh bloody hell I'm not sure what happened next exactly," Hermione began, softly at first as she continued to stare at the poster on the wall, before she heard Ron's sharp intake of breath and hitch in his breathing as the fact that she had cursed registered in his mind.
"Hermione…you, you cursed," Ron exclaimed with such a shocked and surprised look on his face that Hermione had to steel her resolve and almost bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing at.
"So what…I'm allowed to, I've built up enough credit from you cursing left and right over the years so don't worry about me Ronald Weasley…but we, you and I…should be dead right, I mean Lucius Malfoy hit us both with a killing curse, but yet here we are, it just doesn't make sense," Hermione said as she continued dissecting the events of the previous hours, hoping that as she said them aloud she'd notice something out of place in her narrative and be then able to pinpoint the problem and correct it.
"Yeah…here we are…are you okay, Hermione…," Ron mumbled awkwardly at first before his tone became gravely serious and more than a bit worried as he reached out and laid a bandaged hand on Hermione's shoulder, sending a warm shiver throughout her body.
"Me…of course Ron, I'm fine," Hermione lied poorly with a weak smile on her face as she tried to put on a brave face in front of the man that she loved while Ron fully sat up and looked her up and down before putting in his two cents.
"No you're not…you're lying, you always chew on your bottom lip when you lie," Ron stated in a half whisper with a deadly serious and somewhat gaunt expression on his face that made Hermione instantly abandon any thought of averting her gaze.
"I do not chew on my bottom lip," Hermione responded with a weak glare of defiance before in the back of her mind she took note of the fact that somehow during their short discussion they two old friends' faces were now mere centimeters apart, with their noses terribly close to touching.
"Yes you do Mione, just like how you…," Ron started to whisper with a very sincere and sweet edge to his voice before fate pounced into the drivers seat and took over as their faces inched a bit closer and their lips finally met.
"What news Minerva," Dumbledore asked softly with a very interested twinkle in his eye as he cast a few sparks out of the end of his wand into the dying fire.
"I believe that we will not have to keep our secret long Albus," McGonagall replied with a deep sigh after transfiguring back to her human form from her feline form and taking the cup of tea that Lupin held out to her.
"Then they, Ron and Hermione…," Ginny interjected with a sleepy and dreamy smile on her face before she yawned deeply.
"Young lady, it is not appropriate to openly discuss such matters," McGonagall replied sharply with a very disapproving scowl on her face as she shot Ginny one of her usual glares before taking a small sip of her tea.
"Hey now Professor, you didn't need to be so harsh on her, she's just worried about her brother and best friend," Tonks piped up with a defensive and protective frown on her face as her hair was now a bright white and stuck up in seemingly a thousand little spikes all over her head.
"Well then she should be…," McGonagall began with a not very amused scowl on her face as she turned and glared over at Tonks before Lupin stepped in.
"She should probably be quiet but then she wouldn't be the annoying ball of energy that we all know and love would she," Lupin interjected with a half sarcastic and half joking smirk on his face as he stepped in between the two women, breaking their line of sight.
"I think that it would be best if anyone who's last name is not Weasley, Potter, or Granger to go on home until the children have had a good night's sleep," Mr. Weasley stated with a tired yawn as he stepped into the living room and looked around at everyone still there. Hagrid had been summoned back to Hogwarts to see to the care of one of the animals that he would be teaching the students about in the upcoming year.
"I believe that Arthur is right, there is nothing more that we can do for Harry and the others tonight, our efforts are better spent making sure that such an attack as took place today never happens again," Dumbledore announced with a tired and weary tone to his voice as he slowly stood up, receiving in the process more than one concerned look, before he set his cup of tea down on and open spot on the mantle.
"Do we have to go, I'd really rather stay here sir," Tonks asked with a nervous and slightly scared look on her face as she gazed up at a man that she held a great amount of respect for and seriously hoped that he would not deny her request. Everyone in the living room remained silent for a few fleeting moments before Dumbledore slowly nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know about this Albus, are you sure that this is a wise move," McGonagall asked with an unsure frown on her face as she walked over to Dumbledore and looked almost a bit scared at the idea.
"It might be a good idea to leave someone here, just for safety's sake…we could trade off every few days, only until school starts," Lupin interjected with a slightly nervous look on his face, as he slowly looked around the room before coming up with the last bit on the spot after the look of disapproval that McGonagall cast his way.
"But why not just send the children to Hogwarts early, surely they would be safer there, and if Voldemort is so interested in them I doubt that he would let a few charms and…," McGonagall began with a pleading expression on her face as she turned to Molly looking for aid.
"Wait a bloody minute…I know what this is all about," Tonks exclaimed with an angry and frustrated pout on her face as she jumped up out of her seat and glared at McGonagall.
"Excuse me…what is what all about…," McGonagall asked with a confused and startled look on her face as she brought a clenched hand to her chest and took an abrupt step back.
"The reason that you don't like this idea isn't because you're against the idea…is because I'm the one that thought of it," Tonks cried with a very proud and combative smile on her face as she stomped up to McGonagall and looked about ready to let out a laugh in the older woman's face when everyone was interrupted by a voice from the stairs.
"What's going on," A very sleep Harry asked through a wide yawn as he trudged down the steps and finally came to a stop on the living room floor, looking still half asleep his eyes were half closed and his glasses were askew on his face.
"Harry…," Lupin exclaimed with an overly happy and excited smile on his face as he rushed over and threw an arm around Harry before leading the stunned young wizard over to a seat on the couch by the fire.
"That's my name…," Harry mumbled sleepily with another wide yawn as Ginny quickly sat up and scooted out of his way with an embarrassed smirk on her face.
"How do you feel," McGonagall asked softly, the concern clearly evident in her voice, as she stepped away from a silent Tonks and stopped in the center of the rug in front of the couch.
"Like I was trampled by a hippogriff…but other than that I'm okay," Harry replied with at first a somewhat serious and somber frown on his face before Ginny giggled as she was the first to catch the faintest traces of a smile as it began to curl up the edges of Harry's mouth.
"Now's not the time to make jokes Harry, you were nearly killed today…," Molly shouted with a very worried and impatient look on her face as she hurried forward and handed Harry a steaming hot cup of tea.
"Not really mum…," Ron interrupted with a weak and weary look on his face and tone to his voice as he limped down the stairs, helped greatly by Hermione as she had one arm wrapped around Ron's waist and the other was holding one of Ron's arms around her shoulders in an attempt to balance his weight.
"Harry wasn't their target," Hermione added with a flushed face reddened by the effort of helping the much taller Ron down the stairs before Tonks and Lupin rushed forward and relieved Hermione of her duty.
"Why do you think that Ms. Granger," Dumbledore asked softly, not moving from his spot near the fireplace, as Lupin and Tonks hurried Ron over to the couch and after catching a quick glance from Ginny Tonks steered Ron to a spot on the side of Harry opposite of Ron's baby sister.
"Because…when Lucius Malfoy cast the killing curse he wasn't aiming at Harry, he was aiming at me and Ron…," Hermione answered softly with a slightly unsure look on her face as she slowly and nervously makes her way towards the couch, finally finding a seat in between Ron and Harry.
"But yet the two of your are still with us…," Dumbledore stated with a happy smile on his face and a wink at Ron and Hermione, who gave each other confused looks before Tonks couldn't help but chime in.
"You two figured out why yet," She added with a very cheesy and almost stupid grin on her face as Ron and Hermione could only sit and stare at her in total confusion, harboring no idea what she meant.
END OF CHAPTER 4
