Ron's Take

Hogwarts

The First Day of School

The Great Hall

"Hey, Hermione. How'd your classes go today?"

Hermione smiled. "Very well. You?"

I grinned back as I shoveled potatoes onto my plate. "Good. Any problems?"

She shrugged. "None that could be particularly unexpected."

I rolled my eyes. "Me too, other than a student that had particular trouble pronouncing the Body-Bind, everything went smooth."

Hermione started laughing. "Petrificus Totalus?"

I snorted. "That may be elementary to you Hermione, but keep in mind these are second years. And since you could do it perfectly in first year, that means that it's probably more appropriate for fifth years or so."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means, Hermione," I said with the air of a scholarly person explaining something incredibly obvious. "Is that not everyone is as lucky to be as precocious as you, and therefore must take a little more time."

Hermione scowled but her cheeks had tinged pink and was clearly pleased, and she didn't say anything. A silence stayed for a moment as we continued eating.

"I can't wait to get to Hogsmeade soon," I burst out suddenly. The thought had been bouncing around in my head for days now - since we came to Hogwarts, in fact.

Hermione grinned. "Well, you'll have to wait until Friday."

I scowled for a moment, but then a thought struck me. "Why not go today? We're teachers now, you know, we can do that."

"Ron! You need your sleep - not any time to go tramping around Hogsmeade, eating sweets and getting drunk on Firewhiskey!"

"But we're not going to have the time later this week, Hermione," I wheedled. "Soon enough we'll have essays to grade! Students to teach and supervise! This is a limited-time opportunity! Besides, I won't get drunk or anything, I'll just have a couple Butterbeers - I've been dying to have one for ages."

"Stumbling drunkenness lost its appeal?"

"I'm more the academic type, you know me."

Hermione sighed, although a smile twitched at her lips. "Fine. We'll go tonight, since you're so set on it."

"You're coming?" I asked, surprised.

"What, you don't want me to come?" she said, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Of course I do," I hastily amended, a note of genuine remorse in my voice. "I just didn't figure you'd want to or something - but it's excellent! This'll be great!"

Hermione smiled slightly at my anticipation. "Well, you'll still have to wait a bit, you know. We can't leave until dinner's done. And we should probably notify Professor McGonagall."

I groaned. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, Ron! What if they go looking for us, or don't know where we are? We will be notifying her."

"Fine," I said, slightly disgruntled and hoping that McGonagall wouldn't ruin all the work I had just set to this. "But we're still going, no matter what she says!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't respond.

Two hours later

"Professor McGonagall?" Hermione said tentatively. I had tried to talk her out of this, I really had. Stubborn person lived and died by the rules, even the unspoken ones. Apparently one to file under that category was Do Not Go To Hogsmeade Without Telling McGonagall.

"Ron and I were thinking we might go to Hogsmeade tonight, if it's alright with you," she said, after she had attracted McGonagall's attention.

Amazingly, I thought for a brief moment that I may have seen the corners of McGonagall's lips threaten to turn up into a smile. For a moment.

"Very well, on one condition."

"Okay."

"You two are my colleagues. I understand it may be a little awkward, but nevertheless, you will both have to call me by my name, Minerva, from now on. Otherwise, we will never view each other as working peers - we need to break out of our previous student-teacher relationship."

Both of us must have looked mortified, because this time, she definitely smiled for a moment. Saying this would be 'a little awkward' was a drastic understatement.

"All right, that sounds okay to me...Minerva," I added in for good measure, feeling incredibly stupid as I said it, but keeping in mind the rewards this would yield. McGonagall nodded, then looked to Hermione, for whom, I knew, it would be just as awkward, if not more, to call McGonagall 'Minerva'. For Hermione, there were students, and then there were teachers. She put them right up there with deities. Particularly McGonagall, who had always been her favorite teacher.

"Hermione," McGonagall said sharply. "This is entirely necessary. You must learn to treat me as a colleague, even though I am your Headmistress."

"But..." Hermione trailed off agonisingly. "Well, I suppose I'll try."

McGonagall inclined her head, clearly waiting for another word.

"Minerva," Hermione stuttered out with great difficulty, turning red as she did so. McGonagall sighed.

"Well, I suppose it's a start. Ron, Hermione," McGonagall nodded at both of us and started to sweep away, leaving us for our trip to Hogsmeade.

Hermione's Take

"Oh, you just think this is hilarious, don't you?" I snapped at Ron, who had been in hysterics ever since our encounter with Professor McGonagall - excuse me, Minerva.

"Well," Ron said, chortling. "Not calling her Minerva, no. But your expression - priceless!"

I smiled grudgingly at Ron as we walked the road to Hogsmeade.

"I hope everything will be open."

"The Three Broomsticks will be, at the very least," Ron said.

I smiled wickedly to hide a tinge of what I hoped was very well concealed jealousy. "Oh? Want to see Madam Rosmerta, do you?"

Ron shrugged noncommittally. "That'll be nice, I suppose, but I'm more interested in getting my hands on some butterbeer! And hopefully, Honeydukes and Fred and George's place will be open as well."

"I don't imagine Fred and George will ever close for anything," I said, smiling wryly.

"No, I don't think so."

I shivered involuntarily. It was a crisp, clear, and cold fall night. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"Cold?"

"A little, but it's not bad," I said, regretting leaving my wand at Hogwarts (I was trying to decrease my dependence on it these days). Ron raised his eyebrows, but waved his wand and I felt a warmth come over me. I smiled gratefully.

"Thanks."

"No problem," he said airily. "Ah, here it is! Just how I remembered it - except for Fred and George's shop," Ron added. Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes did indeed stand out, with flamboyantly red colors and flashing lights, although it was more subdued for Hogsmeade than their particularly rambunctious store in Diagon Alley. Ron's wish had been fulfilled - indeed, everything was open. The Three Broomsticks, Zonkos, and -

"Honeydukes!" Ron said excitedly, his face an expression of boyish joy. "Come on!" He nearly sprinted in, and I laughed as I followed him in.

"Ah," he said as we stopped in the entrance. "Isn't it beautiful?"

I felt a rush of nostalgia for the old Hogwarts days - a feeling I had been experiencing frequently recently - as I remembered the many times we had been here during and after our third year. The shop was slightly rearranged, as some old sweets had likely been replaced by newer inventions, but all the popular, old favorites were still here, and for the most part, it was the same.

"Chocolate Frogs!" Ron exclaimed, making a beeline straight to the large display of one of his favorite wizarding snacks. He grabbed a bag and unceremoniously stuffed a handful of Chocolate Frogs in it. I hesitated, but decided to grab some as well.

"We should probably send some of these to Harry."

Ron grinned. "I suppose so. He'd like some Cockroach Cluster, don't you think?" Ron grabbed two and put it in the bag. I laughed. Ron and I went around the store, both of us picking stuff for Harry and keeping a substantial store for ourselves. We paid, and then went back out into the night, Ron munching on some Chocolate Frogs.

"Ron," I reproached. "You don't want to run out of those immediately. You just bought them, and we can't keep going back every night."

"I suppose not," he said, wearing a comical pout, and drawing his hand out of the Honeydukes bag.

I couldn't help but laugh again. Ron had that effect on me often. "What say we have a butterbeer to cheer us up?"

Ron perked up immediately. Honestly, he sometimes honestly reminded me of small children these days. Which was refreshing, since during the war, he had possessed a weariness typically familiar to those much older, or not at all. Of course, back then, everybody did. We made our way to the front as we entered the Three Broomsticks, somewhat thankful to get out of the cold.

"Pleasure to see you two back. What would you two like? Firewhiskey?" Rosmerta greeted us cordially as we entered.

"Two butterbeers, please, Madam Rosmerta," Ron answered, a boyish grin plastered onto his face as he looked around at our familiar surroundings. It was, of course, later than we would ever have previously gone, but nevertheless, it was difficult not to feel waves of adolescent memories threaten to overcome you. Rosmerta turned back to us as she handed us our bottles.

"What're you two up to these days?" she asked, handing us our drinks. Ron and I both took a swig and felt the familiar warmth that butterbeer always induced. I decided to answer, as Ron was apparently preferring to drink.

"Well, Madam Rosmerta, you may be somewhat surprised, but we've been hired as Professors over at Hogwarts," I said. I saw her eyes shoot up incredulously, and wasn't surprised. Ron and I may be famous, and even I'm willing to say that we have some magical skill, but we were still considerably younger than any other teacher.

"Really? What do you teach?"

"Ron's got Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I'm doing Transfiguration."

"Minerva's not gone, is she?" she said, a note of concern sounding in her voice.

"Oh no," Ron said hastily as I began to take another drink of my butterbeer. "She's just the Head now, so she's not teaching a subject."

"Ah," Rosmerta said, seeming somewhat relieved.

"So, how's business for you these days?" Ron asked conversationally.

"Picking up, we're doing pretty well. Hogwarts visits will help now...and your brothers attract a lot of business, now that I think about it."

"They do seem to do that."

"Oh yes. They're quite the enterpreneurs, your brothers. Sometimes they even drop by here."

"Really? You don't think they'll be here tonight, do you?"

Rosmerta shook her head. "I doubt it. It's a little later than they usually come. They might still be there."

I took a last swig of my butterbeer and nodded to Ron, signaling it was time to go. It was getting a little late.

"Alright, well we'll see you around," said Ron, getting up. "Could I have one for the road?"

"Certainly."

The two of us paid.

"So, should we make our way over to Fred and George's, or should we head back?"

"Well," I said, surprised he would ask me. "I suppose a visit wouldn't hurt." Ron nodded, looking mildly pleased. We went over to the flamboyantly decorated shop. Ron entered the shop, which was relatively empty.

"Anybody here?" Ron asked, both of us adjusting to the constantly flashing lights of the shop. There were a couple shoppers, and a receptionist. Ron jerked his head in her direction, and I nodded.

"Excuse me," he asked her. "I don't suppose Fred and George are here now?"

The young woman shook her head. She couldn't be older than we were. Unsurprisingly for one of Fred and George's employees, she was stunningly beautiful, with slightly wavy brown hair that went a little past her shoulders. I was pleased to see that Ron didn't seem to be paying any undue attention to her looks. She looked mildly bored, but suddenly perked up.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "You're Ron Weasley - and you, you're Hermione Granger!"

Ron's expression became one of total shock. Our fame was more than a little difficult to deal with.

"Look," I said in a kindly voice. "We'll see you around."

The girl nodded eagerly. "All right, bye!"

Ron seemed slightly shocked but readjusted as we continued out. "Bloody hell, Hermione! How many people know who we are, what we look like?"

"Don't swear," I reproved. "And many, Ron. Our names probably have the recognition of Harry's by now."

"Of Harry!" Ron said, turning a little pale. "That's ridiculous. I've barely done anything."

"Don't say that," I said, more sharply than I intended. Ron rolled his eyes but didn't reply. "I'm serious, Ron!"

"Fine! I created the world! I'm God!"

I snorted. "There we go." I shivered again. Ron's Warming Charm had long since worn off, but it hadn't mattered due to the effect of butterbeer, plus we were inside most of the time.

"Could you cast another warming charm?" Ron nodded and cast it nonverbally.

"Thanks."

We walked on in relative silence, going to the path to Hogsmeade. Hogwarts loomed in the distance, framed by the beautiful sky and stars.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for bringing me out here," I said, thankful that it was dark, and sure that I was blushing.

"Sure, Hermione.

"It was great," I said truthfully, reddening more. Ron nodded but didn't say anything.

"Well, I guess we're here." I looked up, surprised, but it was true, we were at the gates to Hogwarts. Ron opened the doors and we went in.

"See you tomorrow, Hermione," said Ron, as we had come to a point where our paths would diverge. He seemed unsure of something, but with an impulsive air, he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, dangerously close to my mouth. I stood still as he left, but smiled as his footsteps echoed and I turned around to go to my office. Maybe Ginny was right after all...