AN: Thank you to the reviewers. This chapter is longer, as you've been requesting.
Once Ron had left her alone, Hermione began to relax. Perhaps, if she stayed here long enough, he'd get fed up and go home. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, she began to wash her unruly hair.
…………………
15 minutes later.
"Hermiiiiione! What are you doing in there?"
Hermione sighed. Ron had no patience whatsoever. Heaving herself reluctantly out of the water, she wrapped a large towel around herself.
"Coming, Ronald!"
She padded downstairs, barefoot, dripping water everywhere. Ron was mooching through her kitchen cupboards, and judging by the mess, had tried to make himself a drink of some description.
"What is it with you Weasleys and muggle appliances?"
"We're wizards, Mione dear. We don't have them, so we don't know how to use them properly. I hear Charlie's quite good though." He winked at her.
Hermione found herself wishing he'd brought her wand downstairs with her, or at least got dressed first. Still, she could make him a drink first – he'd be less likely to cause chaos while he was alone that way. She switched the kettle on, dumped a teabag in the mug Ron normally used, and pushed him into the lounge.
"Sit there, don't touch anything you don't know how to use, and I'll get your tea."
Ron knew when to go along with what she said. He sat down, meekly. Hermione shook her head, fetched his drink, and went back upstairs to get dressed.
Before long, she was fully dressed and armed with her wand (just in case). Her hair still resembled a rat's nest, but Ron had seen it looking much worse, so she wasn't bothered.
"OK, Ron, what did you come here for?"
"To apologise, actually. I do think you and Charlie would make a great couple, so I'm not sorry about setting the two of you up, but I could have done it in a better way. Still, at least it was me and not the twins. I really am sorry for embarrassing the two of you, Mya. I hope you're not going to stay mad at me."
Hermione hugged him. Ron really was like a brother to her – a younger, annoying brother who could still be adorable at times.
"I'm not mad, Ron. Just don't do anything like that again."
"Don't suppose you'd tell me where you're going? Charlie does need to know, after all."
"Charlie's meeting me here, and there's no way in hell I'd tell you. I don't want all of you lot bursting in half way through the meal, do I?"
"Aww, Mya. I wouldn't do a thing like that." The cheeky grin somewhat spoiled this statement – he had every intention of interrupting if he could.
"Not going to work, Ron."
He tried the puppy dog eyes next.
"That only has an effect when Snuffles does it. You're not Snuffles, and I'm not telling you."
Ron decided it was pointless. Maybe Charlie would tell him.
"Anyway, gotta go, Mya. See you later." He disappeared. Hopefully, this time, he'd end up where he intended to go.
………………
"Arthur Weasley!"
Molly had returned home, stepped through the front door, and instantly noticed the unusual smell. Despite everything Hermione had done, the house still smelled strongly of oil.
"Yes, dear?" Arthur nervously poked his head round the door – he'd been hiding in the kitchen."
"What on earth have you done? And you can dispose of that contraption on the grass – I know what you did to the last one."
"But Molly, dear, they're so useful, and Hermione knows how they work…"
"Hermione may understand them, but you do not!" Her voice was getting louder. All the Weasley siblings started to retreat upstairs. Molly was scary when she was angry.
"Is that… thing… responsible for the state of this house? How did you even get it inside, Arthur?"
"I'm sorry, Molly." To anyone outside the family, it would have seemed funny – a grown man, cowering in front of his wife. To the Weasleys, it wasn't.
"Makes a change for her to be shouting at Dad." The younger Weasleys were all crouching at the top of the stairs, witnessing the scene below them.
"You're right, Fred. Usually it's us."
"Well, you two normally deserve it. Sometimes it's Ron, though."
"Oh, and you've never been yelled at, Bill?"
"She doesn't yell at me, but she's always trying to cut my hair and get rid of this." Bill gestured to the fang that hung from one ear.
Crack! Ron appeared, right in the middle of Molly's rant. He landed, rather unfortunately, on the dining table.
"Ronald! When will you learn to aim properly?"
"It's improving." Ron looked down, not wanting to be the focus of Molly's anger. It was true – he was improving. He'd landed in Hermione's bath and on her bed while she was sleeping before.
Fortunately for Arthur, Ron's appearance put an end to Molly's tirade, and she instantly removed the smell that the car had caused. As she left the room, Ron asked what had happened while he'd been gone.
"Trust me, son, you don't want to know."
AN: Now you've read it, leave a review!