Chapter 8
A conversation at the three broomsticks
From third to seventh year's, another visit to Hogsmeade was upon them. The streets bristled with excitement for the new Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes branch had opened in Hogsmeade and was celebrating with a grand opening sale.
Students of all ages crowded into the little shop across from the three broomsticks. Meer hours after it's opening the stock was showing significant signs of complete depletion. Everything from purple hair to fireworks were going off down the street.
Aments the anarchy that was the Weasley's inventions, Hermione found herself tucked into a corner table at the three broomsticks. Slowly sipping a butterbeer she thought of Ron and his request to meet here, supposedly he had some big news he wants to share.
She stood up smiling and waved as she spotted the familiar mop of red hair. This usually indicated that one of her best friends had arrived. Ron had gone through another growth spurt over the last year, easily passing six feet tall. Lengthy yet still a build to him, almost more than a swimmers build. Toned from all the quidditch training.
Turning his head, his eyes met hers and a huge smile spread across his face. He was worried that she wouldn't show up. They had grown distant since there supposed attempt at a relationship.
It was strange for Ron. For the last two years he had thought that Hermione was the one, his true love. When Harry had left, both of them had felt completely lost. Naturally they had turned to each other for comfort in their times of need. Genuine comfort had turned into something else.
One night they had talked about earlier relationships, as the night progressed they decided to try an experiment, a kiss.(Hermione's idea of course). Yet it wasn't what they had expected. After two years of dreaming, building, praying that he would get the chance to kiss her. When there lips finally met, there was nothing. No huge explosion of sparks, no mind blowing, knee numbing reactions. Just a platonic kiss, it felt as if he had kissed Ginny, his sister.(not that he would know how that felt). As soon as the kiss was finished and they pulled away, he realized that the feelings he had once mistaken as undying love where actually the love he felt for a sister. He realized that he loved her as a brother loves a sister. No more.
As he walked across the crowded pub he noticed something different about his best friend. She seemed to have a glow about her skin, almost like she used to have before Harry had left. Her eyes had that Familiar sparkle to them that he hadn't seen in over 10 months.
Something had changed in her, yet he had no idea what that could be.
"Maybe she has found someone special" he thought.
"If she has it will make this so much easier" he chuckled at this last thought.
The reason he had asked her to meet him, was he needed to clear up the kiss he had shared with her. He had tried distancing himself from her after that night, not sure on how he was supposed to act. They had not talked after the kiss, he had abruptly stood up and walked, no almost ran to his dorm room. He was so confused with this new development in his feelings towards her. Yet through out all this confusion who does he run into, non-other than Luna Lovegood herself. Strangely he had started to really like spending time with the odd blonde.
The last two months had been just him and Luna, No worrying about Harry. No wondering if Hermione saw him more than a friend. Just Luna and Himself, It was a perfect bliss.
What he really wanted from this conversation with Hermione was permission to ask Luna out. He wanted to make sure she wasn't harbouring any feelings for him after there earlier kiss.
"Hey you" she called when he finally arrived at the table. She reached over and gave him a hug, realizing how much she had missed him these last few months.
"hey" was his response when they finally pulled apart.
"You look cheerful. Care to explain what drug you've inhaled and if so, can I have some?" he joked he sat down and opened the butterbeer she had ordered for him.
"Ha, Ha, very funny. Actually there is a reason I'm happy. I've been meaning to talk to you about it" she said as she sat down to join him at the table.
"Well before you begin, I need to ask you a question. If I don't get this off my chest I'm going to explode" Ron stated cutting her off.
"What would you say if I wanted to ask Luna Lovegood out? I know we kissed and I know you might have feelings for me and stuff…….." he paused after this admission and suddenly found the table top to be extremely interesting.
"Wow, that swirl in the grain pattern looks like a penis" his always keen and male mind pointed out.
Suddenly a strange sound started to fill his ears. First it was a heaving sound then a giggle, finally a full out, gut wrenching, pee yourself, tears laughing filled his wandering mind. Slowly he raised his eyes from the table only to see Hermione bent over at the middle, tears pouring off her face.
"this….this is why…….ha ha ha…….you wanted to talk?" she sputtered between her gasps for air.
"Yes, I thought it was very important. humpf. I really like her Hermione, I wanted to make sure there was no unsettled business between us".
Finally calming down, she turned to regard Ron.
"Did you want my opinion on girls, or did you want to see if I had feelings for you after we kissed."
"Actually both" he responded with a lop sided grin.
"Well for one, it felt like I was kissing my brother, no offence?"
" Non taken, I came to the same conclusion"
"You thought kissing me was like kissing your brother?" she could barley keep the laughter from erupting again, at the look of total disgust that crossed his face.
"No, what…. I'm so confused. I meant your like a sister to me, your bloody confusing."
"Well now that, that is all settled out. I think Luna will be great for you. Her oddness and your deranged sense of humour will complement each other."
"Really, so your not mad at the whole kiss thing."
"Ron I'm not mad, but I do miss you. First Harry leaves, then you pull away. it's been really hard."
"I'm sorry Hermione, I was scared. I was afraid that you had feelings for me after that kiss and I didn't want you to get hurt because I didn't share those same…………."
Ron was interrupted by a huge explosion outside of the three broomsticks. All the windows where blown in, spreading glass everywhere. A second later the wall beside them Exploded outwards, almost as if someone had pulled the wall outside.
People screamed as the dust cleared, a image of fifty death eaters greeted them in the streets of Hogsmeade. As if time had slowed down for the explosion, it sped up in the blink of an eye. The death eaters started to cast spells at anything that moved. Thirteen year old children were being thrown around as reducto spells were aimed at the side of the W.W.W.
Quickly Hermione and Ron ducked behind a table as bolts of red and green flashed over there heads.
"There's too many" she panted to Ron as she cast another shield charm to reflect a reducto spell back at the death eater that had cast it. Ron firing curses off beside her, yet the sheer number of death eaters had them pinned down without any sign of relent.
"We need help Hermione, were really in trouble this time." he screamed over the sound of chaos around them.
"If only we had Harry here, he always the one to rally all of us together"
"Harry, that's it" she said out loud to her self.
"HARRY, please help……." she sent out over the link . Yet as soon as she had started an explosion to her left sent her sailing across the room. She slammed hard into the opposing wall, her head screamed in pain as it made contact with the stone frame of the fire place.
Dazed, she tried to sit up only to feel nauseous. Her thoughts became laced with fear as she realized she couldn't move. She must have been hit with a petrificus totalus while she lay on the ground.
Raising her eyes she noticed the death eater looming over her frozen body, his wand pointed at her chest. Chuckling he started to chant the words to the killing curse. She lay there, her eyes wide with fear. She just knew that her life would soon be over.