Chapter Two: Rocks and Oranges
Ron was trying to snooze on a very lumpy pillow. He had been up all night on guard duty and the lack of sleep was getting to him. The dark cave should have made sleep easy but Ron was woken every few minutes by a loud snap. Grumbling, he rolled over and looked into the lighted corner.
"Oy Hermione! Could you please practice your non verbal spells when I'm AWAKE?" Ron asked irritably.
Hermione paused, mid wand waving, and looked up, guilt written all over her face. "Sorry. I thought you were to far gone to hear me."
Ron sighed and shook his head. "NO! It's just too hard to sleep when somebody's trying to turn a rock into an orange 3 feet from their head."
Hermione crossed her arms and tilted her head up, a sure sign of her temper flaring up. "I said I was sorry. Someone has to practice their magic around here. We have to be prepared."
Ron stood up and walked over to her. "For what? Orange juice?"
Before she could reply, Harry asperated into the cave. Seeing the two close together with their arms crossed, he just sighed. "Whatever it is, I don't want to know."
The two had been at it a lot more lately. The close quarters was making the two more irritable while their constant bickering was slowly driving Harry up the cave walls.
Hermione tossed her head and turned back to her oranges and rocks.
Ron sighed and went back to his make shift bed.
Harry shook his head and announced "Incase you were wondering, Hagrid hasn't heard anything. And the secret word, that you two didn't ask about, is snuffles."
Ron just tossed his pillow over his head while Hermione waved her wand and her orange snapped back to a rock. "I was just checking to see if you remembered." She replied.
Ron snorted from underneath his pillow and Hermione glared at him. "Go to sleep before I turn your head into an orange."
Ron raised his head up but was stopped by a tugging in his hair. He turned his head and saw his small owl twittering and zooming around. "Pig you git. Calm down and give me that."
Hermione and Harry both looked towards Ron and the tiny bird. "Is it from Ginny?" Hermione asked. Seeing Harry's shoulders start to droop, she reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
Ron nodded while he managed to finally grab the hyperactive owl and remove the small package from its leg.
"Engorgio." He said quietly, pointing to the small parcel. It grew to its normal size, after having been shrunken to a size that Pig could carry.
"Come here Pig." Hermione crooned to the owl, holding out a treat. Harry heard a low hoot and looked over to see an annoyed Hedwig. His snowy white owl did not like Ron's annoying pet.
"How did she address it this time?" Hermione asked, grinning in anticipation.
Ron looked at the package and groaned when he saw:
To the biggest prat in the world, whom I love dearly.
"To the biggest prat in the world, whom I love dearly" Ron answered, his tone gruff but a smile of affection on his face for his little sister.
Hermione and Harry laughed. Ginny was their only source of amusement these days. She tried to brighten their day with every letter.
Harry suddenly turned around and walked out of the cave. Hermione looked up at Ron and Ron nodded. Sighing, Hermione stashed her wand in her pocket and walked out after Harry.
Ron frowned, the light moment gone. Hermione was better at dealing with Harry's mood swings. Girls understood that touchy feel stuff better than boys. And Ron knew he was probably the worst at it.
He focused his attention on diving into the package, seeing what goodies his favorite sister had sent him.
Harry was leaning against a huge boulder, looking out into the sunset. They were all grateful towards Hagrid for telling them the locations of some of his hiding spots he had used when he was traveling with Madame Maxime and Gwarp. "Which would you rather be doing at this moment, watching a sunset with your best-friends while carefully planning a way to save the world, or feeding blast-ended skrewts?" Hermione asked softly behind him.
Harry turned around and gave her a small smile. "Sunset. Definitely a sunset." Hermione came up next to Harry and leaned against the boulder. "I'm not sure. It was very scientific, trying to figure out how to feed them." She replied.
Harry raised his eyebrows and Hermione grinned. "Ok, scientific and deadly."
They both laughed softly.
Harry picked up a rock and threw it out over the edge of the mountain.
Hermione sighed and said quietly "Harry, we'll get through this. I know we can do it."
Harry looked up at her, a slight frown on his face. "I wish you two would reconsider. I don't want anything to happen to you guys."
Hermione shook her head. "We've been through this before Harry. Your fight is our fight. We'll stand by you till the end."
Harry sighed and answered "I know. I just wish I could talk you out of it."
Hermione smiled and replied "That's like wishing Fred and George would become Ministers of Magic."
Harry laughed and said "I could see that. They'd make putrid green dragon outfits mandatory school uniforms."
He and Hermione laughed.
A few minutes passed in silence before Hermione spoke again. "You know, you can say you miss her."
Harry sighed. "If I say it, I start to dwell on it. I can't afford to right now."
Hermione leaned against Harry and said "Harry, I know you love her. I know you want to protect her. But you need to let her in. Tell her you miss her. Write to her."
Harry shook his head. "I can't. I can't promise her anything. I have no family. I have no future. I don't even have a full education. I can't even promise that we'll all make it through this."
Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and said "We're your family. Worry about the future later. That's what its there for. And besides, if I can handle not graduating, you and Ron can definitely deal with it."
Harry smiled. He and Ron still couldn't believe she had gone so long without picking up a text book.
"Come on, let's get back in there before Ron eats all the chocolate frogs." She said, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the cave opening.
Harry smiled and let her lead him for a few seconds before he stopped. "Hermione."
The curly haired girl stopped and turned towards him.
He hugged her quickly. "Thanks."
Hermione smiled and replied. "No problem. I'm the smart one after all."
Harry laughed. "That you are."
They walked into the cave, to see Ron sitting on the floor with a dozen chocolate frog wrappers around him.
"You prat! You were supposed to save us some!" Harry shouted, before diving into the mess to see if there were any left.
Ron looked at Hermione who gave a little smile. Ron grinned back at her, relieved that Harry's mood was lighter.
Hermione blushed and looked down. Noticing a smaller package amongst the shirts, cakes, and books, she bent down to get it. "What's this say Ron?"
Ron looked up at her, having finally found Ginny's letter to him. "Hermione."
"Yes. What does it say?" She asked.
Ron laughed and answered "It says Hermione. Your parents might have sent you more sugar free cookies."
"Oh. Ok." She laughed. "Well I'll just open it a bit later."
Ron nodded his head, finally noticing Ginny's letter. Shoving everything else to the side, he tore open the envelope and started to read.
"You two are slobs. Look at this place." Not getting a response, Hermione sighed and walked over to her cot. Well I might as well see what mum and dad sent me, she thought.
Just as she started to tear open the package she heard Ron shout.
"OY! DON'T OPEN IT HERMIONE!"
Harry and Hermione both looked up as Ron went flying over to a very startled Hermione.
"What's wrong?' Hermione asked, dropping the torn package onto the ground.
Harry had instantly grabbed his wand, ready to destroy the offending object.
"Um.. Well its..um." Ron stammered out, not sure what to say.
Harry looked at it closer. "Ron, it's just a picture."
"Leviosa" Hermione said, pointing her wand at the package. It floated up between the three friends.
"It's just us by the lake." Hermione said, a puzzled frown on her face.
"Well how did he get a picture of us by the lake?" Ron asked out loud, wanting to throttle Viktor Krum.
"He? He who?" Harry asked, still trying to figure out if they were in any immediate danger.
"Erm."
"Ron! What did Ginny say in her letter?" Hermione asked, getting impatient.
"Nothing." Ron answered quickly. Seeing the disbelief written on his friends faces, he added. "Well she said Krum might have sent you something. And I..."
"Yes?" Hermione asked.
"Well I thought it might be dangerous or something. You remember how he was put under the imperius curse a few years ago. What if somebody pretended to be Krum and sent it to Gin." Ron supplied, wincing at how lame it sounded even to his own ears.
"Right.." Hermione replied, a small grin forming on her pretty face. "Well, it obviously wasn't from Viktor. This was taken last year at school."
"So go ahead and finish opening it." Harry said, and then smirked at Ron. "Unless you have any more objections." Harry knew Ron would have a thousand objections to anything remotely related to Hermione's friend.
Ron grinned sheepishly. "No, go ahead."
"Ok then." Hermione said, before grabbing the floating picture and opening it up.
She gasped when she saw what the figures were doing.
"WHAT?" Harry and Ron both shouted.
"Um, nothing. Nothing at all." Hermione answered, hugging it close to her chest.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked, worried again.
"Come on, let us see." Ron asked, forgetting that he was the one that wanted to toss it into the rubbish bin.
Chapter 3 will be up soon. What do you think? Reviews are greatly appreciated. X's & O's!
