Later that night Ron visited Hermione in her room.
Hermione: What are you doing here?
Ron: Hermione, you're a girl. Go out with me.
Hermione stopped replying and reviewing everyone she meet yesterday night and turned her attention to the guy standing in her doorway. She sigh.
Hermione: For the nth time, Ron, I don't want to out with you.
Ron: Why?
Hermione: What do you mean why? This is how we do, you ask me to go out with you and I turn you down.
Ron: I know. Now, I want a reason.
Hermione: You are not drunk.
It surprised her.
Ron: No, I don't think this would go well if I talk to you drunk.
Hermione: That's new, normally you would come staggering around, basking in liquor, asking for a date and when I'd reject you, you'll leave me alone. Why break our cycle, Ron?
Ron did not answer. Instead, he marched inside and sat on the chair beside the bed where Hermione is lying.
Ron: I ponder about what Harry said to me a few days ago. I think he's right.
Hermione: Right? About stopping this rubbish of asking me out every year only to be rejected? He's definitely right.
Ron: I want a second chance, Hermione.
Hermione stood up straight when his tone changed with the question. Ron once a year would ask Hermione ask a joke since they were in high school and even before they dated. It always appears as a joke, but it changed after they broke up as it appears Ron is always drunk whenever he asks Hermione the question. Hermione thought he does this as one of the conditions she gave him when they broke up is that nothing would change. Except for this time, he is not asking for a date.
Hermione: (Feigning ignorance) Second chance for what?
Ron: Aren't you tired?
Hermione: Exhausted. Can you close the door when you leave?
Ron: I love you, Hermione.
She sighs when she realizes he doesn't want to let go of the topic.
Hermione: You know I do too, Ron, but I don't want to dive into that again. We tried and it didn't work.
Ron: I was stupid.
Hermione: You are. Now, can we drop the subject?
Ron: But it's not only my fault.
Hermione: Really? Why did you think so?
Ron: You gave up on me.
Hermione: Who wouldn't? All we do is fight Ron. When we aren't we don't talk with each other. And when I started confiding to Harry and coincidently he's on a break with Ginny, what did you say to me? You said why did I bother dating you when I could be dating Harry now that his perfect relationship with Ginny is in jeopardy, I could now date him freely. Remember that?
Ron: Hermione-
Hermione: Get out! I want you out of my room, I could walk out but it would be inappropriate as this is my room, not yours. Get out, Ron. Please.
Ron stood up.
Ron: I never meant any of those. I was losing you. Everything I do just keeps on making this rift between us.
All the memories of those moments came flooding between the two of them. It was the time when she almost lost her best friend. Hermione lowered her head and stopped her tears from falling. She did not want to cry in front of him.
Hermione: Just leave, Ronald.
The day passed by with Hermione locked in her room. Harry was worried about her when Ron told him what happen, so he visited his friend.
Harry: (He knocked on the door.) Can I come in?
Hermione did not answer but Harry still opened the door and came inside.
Harry: If you don't want anyone to come in you should have locked the door. He won't come back, he is way too scared of you.
Hermione: What do you want? Here to be on his side again?
Harry: I am not on anyone's side.
Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.
Harry: Remember the first time he asked you out?
Hermione: Summer before our senior year.
Harry: That's the second time.
Hermione: I don't feel like talking about him.
Harry: You never did. Hermione, I know everything didn't work, but it was not only his fault, but you are also to be blamed. The first one?
Hermione: Fred's funeral. He did it as a joke during his eulogy to lighten up the room.
Harry: Remember the words he said before that?
Hermione: Harry, I don't really want to do this.
Harry: Just answer the question.
Hermione: He said, Fred would want me to do this. Then he asked me out.
Harry: Did you know why?
Hermione: How would I know what that foul git was thinking?
Harry: Fred was the first person to know that Ron likes you. One of the last words he spoke to him was that he should take a chance, though Fred was so sure that you would reject Ron, he still said that it was worth trying for.
Hermione: So he asked me out damn every year around the anniversary of Fred's death because he told him to? Not because he wanted to?
Harry: That's not the point Hermione.
Hermione: Then what is? He did this mess, Harry. We're fine then he goes on asking about a second chance. And now, he is too cowardly that you are here talking, giving nice words about him. I am not stupid Harry.
Harry: Out of the two of you, I think you are more cowardly. Ron is not the one who picked the other one apart because she's scared of talking to him.
Hermione: I am not scared of talking to him.
Harry: You started picking him apart the minute you learned he's considering staying instead of going to the police academy.
Hermione: He dreamed of becoming part of the force since I've known him, and he's going to throw it just because he wanted to stay with me. You know how ridiculous that is.
Harry: Instead of talking to him you fought with him and made him see that the two of you won't work?
Hermione: What'd you think I should have done? Do you think I haven't thought about it?
Harry: You're smart Hermione. If the two of you only talked to each other, this wouldn't have happened.
Silence filled the room. Harry sighed.
Harry: Get down, the others have some reports to go through.
Just then they heard a loud crash above them. Harry and Hermione rushed to the window to see what is happening.
Hermione: Does the house has an attic?
Harry: According to the architecture, they don't.
Hermione: How would you explain the crash?
Harry: Must be Riker. He's been hanging around the house for quite some time.
Neville: He's homeschooled his whole life so not much information about him was known. I also tried the simplest search on google but there is no result shown. It's like he never exists.
Lavender: Thomas' case does not have that much information about it. There is a file under the case, it was deleted but I was able to retrieve some parts without alarming the police force.
Lavender placed a file on the meeting table.
Ron: They suspected that the mother killed him?
Lavender: There is a massive pool of blood in the house but according to the parents it was the mother. They didn't test the DNA which I think was irresponsible.
Neville: I analyzed with Javier and Dean, and they matched 82% as the most recent picture of Dean was when he was a kid.
Lavender, Ron, and Neville looked at each other. Ron after his fight with Hermione put his attention on work and infiltrates the town office.
Neville: We had Ron going to the town office and install a virus so we could get in and...
Harry: And?
Lavender: We viewed the profile of all the people who live here. The most recent file is about Hermione and Ron or to be precise West and Belle.
They changed the screen in front of them to view the profile retrieved. Ron and Hermione's profile was marked in red bold letters, Processing.
Hermione: What do they mean by processing?
Neville: We still have no idea. We also looked for profiles of Javier.
He put the profile of Javier Vintron with the part he encircled.
Date Processed: January 5, 1996
Lavender: One month after Dean Thomas went missing.
Harry: Have you found any of the people on our victim list?
Lavender: There are plenty of people in this town and we haven't checked everyone. It would take some time and we needed some help.
Neville: We requested some from Snape but he hasn't gone back to us yet.
Hermione: I can help.
Lavender: You can't. Starting tomorrow phase 2 of the operation would take place. You and Ron have to go around town and meet people. And as of now, having a profiler on site doesn't have much of a benefit.
Neville: Lavender.
He said it as a warning to which Lavender replied with a roll of her eyes.
Hermione: She's right. I haven't found my role here... yet. I reckon Professor McGonagall would have a reason to include me here.
Harry: Come on, the day's still not over. Let's start with the profile so we can narrow it down a little. Hermione can help.
Lavender was about to express her disapproval.
Harry: We need all help we have to get this done, Lavender.
At the main table, Lavender sat beside Ron while Harry and Hermione sat in front of them. Neville on the other hand is busy printing and organizing profiles for the others to scan.
Lavender: Look at these spoiled and privileged people. Private schools, private tutors, and additional courses. This place does not look like a town, more like a robot factory. Posh people.
Ron: We attended private school.
Lavender: I thought you were poor growing up? And isn't Harry an orphan? With Hermione I could understand, she looks like she fits all those posh people descriptions.
Hermione rolled her eyes at her.
Ron: (Without looking up from his papers) My dad works with the government and we study free at Hogwarts as his employee benefit. Harry turned out to have a massive will left for him, found his godfather and he couldn't raise him by himself so he put him there. You know nothing about Hermione, she's far better than those people.
Lavender: Hogwarts? Only the top 1% in the UK attend that school.
Ron: Rich people and everything else that's why all of the coworkers of my dad don't want their kid to attend there. My family has no choice as there are 6 of us and only my dad is earning money.
Lavender: I just realized I know nothing about you.
Hermione snorts at her confession. Deep inside she marked herself a score higher than Lavender.
Ron: That's okay. I bet you don't know anything about Neville too.
Lavender: That's different-
Neville: You studied at Hogwarts right? The school year 1998-1999?
Harry: Yeah, I think so.
Neville: I think you should see this. This is a profile of one of the people who live in this town, Cedric Diggory-
Hermione: Harry...
Neville: You knew him?
Harry: That can't be, he's dead. I saw him die.
Neville: It says here that he graduated from in Hogwarts year 1994-1995.
Harry: He never finished school. He died in 1995 because of an accident. We saw his body. He isn't breathing and he's covered in blood. That doesn't make sense.
Neville: I think Hermione and Ron should start at his house tomorrow.
Lavender was fetching a snack early in the morning when she spotted Ron sitting in the living room, eyes closed and he was wearing a coat as if he was leaving.
Lavender: Early morning call? Does Snape need anything?
Ron: I did have an early morning call, it was not from Snape.
Hermione came into the room, rummaging through her bag looking for something. The coat and hat that Hermione was wearing made Lavender deduce that the two are heading out.
Lavender: Where are you going? Early in the morning.
Ron: Hermione wants to bake some goods to give out when we go around town this afternoon. She forced me to accompany her with the grocery.
Lavender: Can I come?
She wanted to come as it was her chance to get to know him. Ron nodded without opening his eyes.
Hermione: Ron, can you call my phone? I didn't know where I left it.
Ron still hasn't opened his eyes, he gave his phone to Hermione. She took it and dialed her phone number.
Ron: Maybe if you care about your phone the same as you care about your books you wouldn't often forget where you placed it.
Hermione ignored him and watch out for her phone to ring. A few seconds later, the phone rang with the song "Can I be him" by James Arthur. Ron immediately sat up wide awake as Hermione ran to where the sound came from.
Ron: Can I be him?
Hermione: Shut up, Ronald.
The car ride went by in silence. As they were nearing the store Ron speaks.
Ron: I'm flustered that I have a different ringtone on your phone. I was pretty much sure that your phone was activated by default. I didn't know that you knew how to change the ringtone.
Hermione: I have you and a Harry in a different ringtone so when I get angry at you I knew what call I could ignore.
Ron: I see, does Harry's ringtone the same as mine? What event leads for you to choose that song?
Hermione: Can we drop it?
Ron: I am genuinely curious as to why would you have that song as our ringtone.
Hermione: I didn't say you have the same song as Harry.
Ron stopped the car in the parking lot of the store. Before Hermione could leave the car Ron stopped her.
Ron: That's interesting. Why is my ringtone a song by James Arthur?
Hermione: You bloody hell knew why.
When Hermione left, Lavender took it as a chance to speak.
Lavender: Why is she so hot-headed early in the morning? Is she always like that? She's like always irritated.
Ron: I think she's cute.
Lavender and Ron followed Hermione to the entrance.
Staff: Good Morning.
Lavender, Ron, Hermione: Good Morning.
Staff: Lovely day isn't it? Here, sir. This is for you.
The store staff gave him a bundle of flowers.
Ron: Shouldn't you give these to the ladies?
Staff: No, sir. It's a common tradition of our store to give out flowers to the first customer of the day, man customer.
Ron: The ladies would definitely appreciate it more if you give it to them.
Staff: That's the purpose, most of the first customers who came in are those who worked overtime or woke up early to go to work. Their lives are too busy for them to show their care for their loved ones, especially their lover and their mother. So we give them flowers so they would be able to convey even without words.
Ron: That's genius.
As Hermione pulled out a cart, Ron stopped her. He gave her the flowers, pull out the cart, and proceed to push it to the first aisle.
Hermione: You should give this to your mother. I reckon you haven't called her in over a month.
Ron: How did you know that?
Hermione: I talked to your mother Ronald. At least one out of us three could ask her how she is and inform her that certain people are still alive and breathing.
Ron ignored her and continues to scroll through the aisle. So she smacked her square in the arm.
Ron: Fine, I will.
She rolled her eyes at the same time Ron's phone rang. He answered and a few moments later he sent a confused look at Hermione.
Ron: Where's your phone?
Hermione was hit by a realization.
Hermione: I left it in the car, with my bag and my wallet. It's your bloody fault. You distracted me.
Ron: It's Ginny, she's been calling you and called me when you didn't answer the phone. It's unusual for you to not answer her calls at this time of the day, really? Talk to her and I'll pay for the items.
Ron chuckled and gave his phone to Hermione. Still chuckling his hand falls on her forearm. He squeezes it and runs his hand up and down her arms.
Ron: You're such a mess, Hermione.
Lavender was really fascinated by how Ron acted in front of Hermione. She'd seen him with Harry and she knows how important he is to Ron. She finds the man really attractive right now. Showing how endearing and sweet he is to his friends, what more if it's a girl he fancies.
As they go through the second aisle Hermione is still on the phone clutching the back of Ron's jacket and using him as her guide walking. Lavender took the opportunity and walked side by side with Ron.
Lavender: You and Hermione are really close. Didn't expect that.
Ron: What's with your itch with Hermione?
Lavender: It's just that I was the only girl on the team then she came along swopping in and taking all the spotlight. And she's really posh.
Ron: What spotlight?
Lavender: And she's really close with you, so I made it my mission to get closer and more important in your life than her.
Ron: You're mental.
Lavender: It's called honesty. In our time, it's normal for a girl to make a move to the guy she fancies.
Ron flushed red at her confession before he could reply Lavender pushed the cart.
Lavender: Come on, I thought Hermione need some ingredients for baking, I don't think this aisle has what she needs.