Chapter 10

Ron furrowed his brow and stood up, studying the painting from a closer distance. Harry looked quite lost.

"You know what? I don't want to know."

His best friend seemed relived, at least up until he voiced the following sentence: "So what about the letters? Can I see 'em?"

Hermione snapped out of the daydream she had unmistakably been having and demanded that she, as an expert should have a look first. Just in case Ron decided that he wanted to have a muffin to go with the letter and would leave greasy fingerprints all over the thing and the writing would be damaged. To that Ron replied that he'd try very hard to be a professional and control his craving for the muffin though it was probably going to be the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Hermione glared at him, best she could and told Harry to go and get the notes.

Her eyes narrowed as she pressed the words through her clinched teeth: "I am going to read them first even if it will be the very last thing I do!"

"Same here." Ron said casually.

Harry studied them in awe and muttered under his breath: "Some things never change."

"What?" The both of them hissed in unison.

"Nothing. I believe the best thing we could do right now is have lunch." He smiled hoping it would distract the two from fighting. Boy was he wrong.

"You are just trying to divert our attention! How fare is that!" Hermione exclaimed.

"'Mione…" Ron said in a rather calm voice "…We can check out the letters later. What we need now is an office. Have you got some sleek surface here, where my reports wouldn't bother you? King Arthur's Round Table, I imagine, would be suitable.

"The library?" Harry asked brows high up near this hairline.

"You have A LIBRARY and you didn't tell me! I cannot believe you Harry Potter! That's just evil!"

Ron laughed so hard that his stomach started to hurt, although after receiving a warning look from Harry he tried to disguise it with a hard cough but failed miserably.

"Well the table is large and wide, as you requested and I can't honestly imagine Hermione agreeing to work anywhere else."

"I would."

To that the guy's looked at each other and grinned.

"What? I honestly would!"

¤

The library was huge, even by Hermione Granger standards. There were books from wall to wall, all listed alphabetically, by genre. As Harry led her and Ron forward into the room, she noticed that this was not the kind of library you could study books for a longer period of time – it was just too comfortable.

At first she had thought the opposite, as they stepped in to the room there was a wider corridor that led to the far end of it. The huge bookshelves formed an enormous labyrinth of the rest of the room with passageways that looked dark and creepy trailing so far off, that she couldn't see the end.

At last, they got to, what seemed to be the other end of the room.

"So you like?" Harry asked eyeing them curiously.

'We like? We like?' Hermione thought to herself looking around as if she had been blind before and just now got her eyesight back. She felt like dancing around. It was perfect! She wouldn't leave this place as long as she stayed here!

There was a giant comfortable emerald-green sofa in front of a large fireplace where the roaring flames were dancing, rising up to the chimney. The floor was covered with a large soft Persian rug, that your foot sunk into, as you stepped on it and an oak-wood table in the middle of the room that was as big as the Gryffindor House Table in the Great hall.

"It's wonderful!" Hermione said and hugged Harry with pure happiness.

"It'll do." Ron threw his coffer on the table and pulled his reports out, not looking at Harry and Hermione anymore. Harry smiled to himself; realising how little things had changed in three years.

¤

Ron understood that his feelings for the puffy haired girl had never really left him. They were just waiting to burst out at the worst moment possible and that moment was now – he found it very had to retain control as Hermione flung herself into Harry's waiting arms. Nice combination – the Quiddich Star and … Hermione. What does she actually do for a living? Undoubted its something big and glamorous that you get bundles of money for each month.

Hermione, he had to admit, had changed. Her hair was now curly, not puffy. She had most definitely changed her stile – she was wearing jeans and a tight black turtleneck polo. If somebody had asked Ron to describe Hermiones appearance the day before, he would have surely mumbled something about black robes, a bag full of books, puffy hair and the most beautiful chocolate-brown eyes he had ever seen.

¤

"Ron! Hello! Earth calling!" It was Harry.

He found that he had been blankly staring at the roaring flames in the fireplace and thinking of Hermione. Ron simply couldn't concentrate in her presence. If he had been filling out the clothing charts on the first page of the reports, he would have probably dressed the subject in pink fluffy bunny slippers and a poncho. He had to find another place to work! Being in the same room with Hermione, not thinking about her had become impossible!

"Now that you are with us again, Harry was just asking what you would like for dinner."

"I don't generally have dinner so anything would be fine with me."

"You and no dinner! God you have changed! Back at Hogwarts you were the first one in The Great Hall!" Hermione stated cynically.

There they were, once again drifting towards a fight, like a lost ship on a stormy sea. This was endless! Just like Earth rotating, as the morning coming, even if you didn't want it to, as Snape hating him and other things beyond his control.

They would have to figure it out by themselves; there was nothing he could do about it. God knows Harry had tried, but he knew better now – no good could come of it.

He remembered one event that could have very well changed the lives of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasly forever – The Graduation Ball.

Ron had pondered over the fact, whether to ask Hermione or not for over two months and had finally decided to get his act together, as Harry pointed out - there was nothing to it. But, being as jealous of petty little things as Ron was, like innocent hugs between friends…

¤

"Harry? Harry! Great! Now we've lost him too! What do you guy's do? Take turns?"

"I'm here! What is it?" Harry asked in a grumpy voice, being shaken out of his flashback.

"Well, Ron was just saying that he would like Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans and Honeydukes best chocolate for dinner! What will you say about that!"

"Great idea?"

Hermione looked at the both of them furiously. One corner of her mouth started twitching so she turned towards the fireplace and tried looking serious. Suddenly, Ron grabbed her waist, threw her over one of his shoulders and started for the door in the other end of the room, Harry in the lead.

"Ronald Weasly! I am warning you! If you will not put me down this instant I will hex you so bad, that you will remember me for the rest of your life!" Hermione laughed as Ron and Harry continued to rush through the passageway towards the door

"I am already having trouble forgetting you so let's just skip the hex, shall we? Besides, it is very good for you to eat some non-healthy food for a change. You have gotten too thin! A good Hogwarts food course would be the best, but Chocolate Frogs will just have to do!"

B