Author's Notes: I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who take time out of their busy schedules to review. I really do appreciate it. I will do my best to update this story in a timely fashion. It is a VERY large undertaking. And there WILL be a sequel.
Hermione's theme is Takes My Pain Away by Jimmy Eat World, which doesn't make much sense yet, but will as more of the story unfolds.
And now…on with the show!
She was finally due to arrive. Ron had to stop himself from running up the path. That would look too strange. But he felt strange, so he guessed that that fit. He was also rather glad that Harry wouldn't be back for a while. He would be at the dance studio for another two hours, at least.
In preparation for Bill and Fleur's wedding, all the Weasley boys, and Harry, had been taking dancing lessons. For some, like the twins, it was to impress their dates. For others, like Harry and Ron, it was to not embarrass themselves. The Yule Ball was still a particularly fresh memory. At least this dance teacher is hotter than McGonagall, Ron thought, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat.
Harry, unfortunately, while tremendously graceful in a Quidditch match, had discovered that he had two left feet. Ron tried not to smile with smug satisfaction that while everybody's hero was taking extra dancing lessons, Ron seemed to be figuring it out quite well.
In any case, Harry's tutorial would give him some time to catch up with Hermione. He told himself that he just wanted to compare notes and get her input on the whole "Harry Situation," as he had begun referring to it, in his head. She'd know exactly what to do to keep the prat in check.
Upon entering through the kitchen door, as they all did, Ron found his parents sitting calmly at the kitchen table. Mum was reading a book, glancing up every now and then to be sure the pots were cooking dinner properly, while Dad looked through the newspaper. He walked over and hugged his mother.
"Hey, Mum!"
"Oh, Ron, dear, you startled me!" she cried, placing one hand on her chest in shock, then hugged him back. "Would you be a dear and go up and see if Hermione needs any help moving things about? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."
"She's already here?" Ron asked, not really stopping to get an answer, as he headed for the stairs.
"Where's Harry, Ron?" asked his father.
"At dancing school," the stairs replied. He quickly walked up the steps, again forcing himself to slow down and not take them two at a time. What was wrong with him?
The sight that greeted him upon reaching Ginny's doorway was one that he would remember for the rest of his life, he was sure of it. Hermione's back was to him, and she was partially bent over as she reached into her trunk to unpack more clothing. She wore a short blue sun dress with little cap sleeves. It was shorter than anything he had ever seen her in before, and since she was stooped over it was riding extremely high on her leg. Her hair, which she always complained was so untamable, was in a loose bun with sweaty fly-aways making curly tendrils down her neck. As though sensing he was there, she stood and faced him.
"Ron…" she let it hang, and hugged the pair of jeans she was unpacking to her chest, as though trying to cover herself.
"Hi," he replied from the doorway, uncertain now what to do. Within the past few years, anytime they had been away from each other for more than a day or so, they always had these awkward reunion moments. Neither seemed to know how to act around the other.
"Why don't you have a seat?" she asked, easing some of the tension. He walked in and sat down on what would be her bed, between piles of books and clothes. "So, how have you been?"
"Oh, pretty well," he began, trying to figure out where to go first, "been working."
"How is the joke shop?" she smiled at him from over her shoulder as she continued to unpack.
"It's great. I don't want to be there forever, but it's fun for now. It's nice to actually have money of my own. Although, the twins as bosses aren't so terrific all the time."
"I'll bet."
"Yeah, they offered to pay me double what Harry got if I would volunteer as a 'lab rat,'" he continued, starting to feel more at ease. This is how things should be.
"That sounds like them," she supplied.
"Ha. Anyhow, it's been a pretty mundane summer. Working, pickup quidditch in the evenings, getting ready for the wedding."
"How is your mum holding up with all that?"
"As well as can be expected. She and Fleur get along much better now since the attack. They seem to have come to some sort of compromise."
"I guess she trusts now that Fleur really loves him." Hermione stopped moving, and looked a little sad. Her expression was unreadable, and Ron didn't like that one bit.
"I'm just happy they finally got a place of their own. Things were getting a little crowded here."
"I'm sure that you miss her terribly," Hermione retorted.
"Hardly," Ron made a face, "do you know how many bathrooms we have here? One! Do you know how many people need to use it in the morning? Seven! That really doesn't make it fair for one person to be in there for an hour and a half."
"Well, some people care about how they look."
"If it takes them that long, they really shouldn't. You never take that long, and you always look fine." Now it was Hermione's turn to make a face.
"I guess that was a compliment."
"Of course it was," Ron grimaced, mentally kicking himself for his slip, "so what have you been up to? How was your summer?" Hermione's face lit up like a Christmas tree as she flopped down on Ginny's unmade bed.
"It was fantastic. I did so many new things! I got my driver's license. I went out to museums, and libraries, and clubs…"
"Clubs?"
"Yes, you know…nightclubs. Where people go to dance and drink and have a good time."
"Dance?"
"Now, I know you know what dancing is, Ron, I've seen you do it. Well…sort of," she laughed.
"Oh ha, ha…" Ron momentarily heard the crazy/violence music in his head. Hermione, in a dark, smoky room, wearing that dress, while some wanker put his hands on her!!!!!!
"Ron? Hello?"
"What?" he snapped.
"Just wanted to make sure you were ok. I thought I might have lost you there for a second." Those words, they gave him a queasy feeling. She had said them to him before, or maybe not yet.
What?
"Sounds like you have been having a good time." She paused.
"Well, it was mostly good," she looked straight at him, "I had a meeting with McGonagall a few weeks ago."
"Yes, I know, you mentioned it in one of your letters," Ron replied, not liking where this was going.
"I wasn't completely forthright with you." She didn't know how to continue. Ron stared her down in an intimidation move he was perfecting on the little kids that tried to shoplift at work. Surprisingly, it worked on her as well.
"Now, you have to promise me that you will not have a melt down," she began slowly, already getting him upset. He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth.
"Alright," he said very quietly.
"I know who the Head Boy is…it's Draco Malfoy." Hermione instinctively shrunk away from him, expecting him to explode. To her surprise, he didn't move or say a word.
"Are…are you alright?" Ron took another deep breath. His jaw hurt.
"I think so. I just have to take a minute to process this…."
"We probably shouldn't tell Harry just yet. He's been almost as volatile as you lately. We'll feel him out and see how it goes."
"Yes…that's probably a good idea."
"That's all?" she tilted her head in an adorable way and looked at him, "That's all you're going to say?"
"Well, what can I say? It sucks that he's Head Boy, but I have too many other actual things to worry about than 'the incredible bouncing ferret.'"
"I'm impressed; that's quite mature."
"Thank you," he smiled smugly at her. Hermione's face grew grim.
"How is Harry?" Ron sighed.
"As well as can be expected, I guess. He's more withdrawn than ever, and it's just oh so lovely when he and Ginny are in the room together."
"I know she hasn't been taking it well."
"That's an understatement. Luckily, we have been busy at the shop and with other things, and thanks to Percy's reunion with the family, Ginny was able to get an internship at the Ministry, so she has been busy with that," he looked up at Hermione happily, "but now you're here, so you'll be able to sort them both out." She looked at him sharply.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you are really the only person who can reason with either Harry or Ginny when they decide to be difficult, so I'm sure that you'll be able to get them talking again in no time." She smiled at him.
"I had no idea you had such faith in me." Ron snorted.
"Oh, come off it. You know you're a genius. And you're far more mature than any of the rest of us. You act like the parent and we all fall into line."
"You do, do you?" She looked at Ron with an eyebrow raised. He smiled indulgently.
"Ok, so maybe I can sometimes be a problem. But this time, I'm on your side, 100, so you have nothing to worry about." She let that one go.
"So I'm a genius, am I?" she teased him.
"Shut it, you know you are," he replied as a reflex, smiling at her. What was happening here? Were they flirting with each other? Was that even possible? He decided to run with it and see where it led.
"Ron, Hermione, dinner!" called Molly Weasley from the bottom of the stairs.
Well, looks like that'll have to wait, Ron thought.