"It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is more painful is to never have the courage to let that person know how you feel."
-Unknown
Passion Burns Deep Chapter Two
As the door clicked shut behind the retreating backs, an annoying sound started wailing somewhere close by, faint at first, then growing louder as reality finally began to take its toll. Hermione awoke and rolled over on her side to turn the annoying alarm clock off. Not wanting to move from her comfortable position, she lay in bed thinking of the dream she had just awoken from.
'Why in the world, did I dream something like that? I would never act like that, especially with Malfoy of all people! The very thought of us doing anything that didn't involve the pure hatred we have for each other and actually getting along instead, is appalling!'
A shiver ran down her spine and she rubbed her arms disgustedly, as if trying to wipe the dream from her mind.
'Now I feel dirty and unclean. That was absolutely revolting!'
She stopped running her hands over her arms, realizing that no matter how hard she rubbed the memory would never go away.
Sighing, she got up off the bed and made her way to the door leading to the bathroom. 'Malfoy does have the looks to melt any girl's heart and I expect his body isn't too bad either. Too bad he's got the attitude of a stuck up little rich prat'.
Walking over to the shower, she turned the hot-water on allowing just enough cold to blend with the steaming stream of water that flowed from the shower-head.
'Oh, wait. He is a stuck up little rich prat, minus the little part though obviously,' she quickly smacked herself around the face for thought and turned the water completely cold. 'Maybe a cold shower instead'.
She began stripping down out of her well fitting pajamas. The cloth pants were a baby light pink and her white, spaghetti-strap top had the words "Elves Rule" written boldly across the front.
'It's a good thing that I'm the only one that knows what I dream. Maybe I should take up Occlumency just in case.'
Laughing to herself, her thoughts soon turned to the events that would take place that day. She would be leaving her parents home and heading to the Weasley's right after breakfast. Once there she would be going with them to get Harry from his aunt and uncle's house. The only thing she could find wrong with the day was the fact that going to the Weasley's house meant that she would have to see Ron again. She wasn't so sure she was ready to face him.
After a quick shower, she dressed in a plain pair of short denim shorts that showed off her lean legs and a tight bright blue shirt that hugged her figure tightly; then went down stairs to see what her mom had fixed for breakfast. She entered the kitchen to find it completely deserted, her parents no where to be found.
A note hung on the fridge, explained their absence. The handwriting was sloppy and it looked like it had been written in a hurry.
Sweetie,
The office called and asked if we could fill in for the other two dentists who are on vacation this week. Your dad and I wanted to tell you that we love you and that we'll see you when we get home.
Love,
Mom and Dad
"That's nothing new," Hermione said out loud to the empty room.
'It doesn't matter,' she thought to herself. 'They do this all the time. I shouldn't have expected them to be here. They probably didn't even remember that I was leaving today.' She had lost count of the many times her parents had left, forgetting her. They had even forgotten her birthday two years ago. There was no doubt that her parents loved her more than anything, but they tended to become a little distracted on occasion.
Hermione grabbed a piece of cold toast and left her parents a note reminding them of where she had gone. She took a one last look at the homely kitchen and then turned in place and was gone with a small pop that sounded like a campaign bottle opening, reappearing in the Weasley's backyard. By now the sun had began to shin brightly and the heat already emitting from the rays proved it was going to be another hot summers day.
Ron, who had been in the kitchen helping clean up after breakfast, came out to greet her.
"Oy, good morning Hermione," he waved to her. "We just finished breakfast, but if you're hungry I'm sure I can find you something to eat".
She smiled at him and shook her head, "I ate before I left, but thanks for the offer, Ron".
Ever since the end of the school, Ron had become some-what nicer to Hermione. He now hesitated before saying anything to her, stopping to think about what he was going to say before he said something that might upset her. Hermione really didn't like the change that had come over her friend; she just wanted them to be able to talk to each other with out the awkward silences that seemed to pass over both of them.
She realized that he liked her and she knew that he was ashamed of the way he had used Lavender to try to make her jealous. But truth be told, she really didn't like Ron anymore. She had waited on him for a long time, and the incident with Lavender the previous school year only made her forget ever liking him.
Only, she didn't have the heart to tell him this. It bothered her when she seen him looking at her longingly out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to tell him that it was too late and that he should move on, but she was afraid that it would ruin their friendship.
"Are you coming in?" Ron asked her from the doorway.
"Oh," she said, her mind coming back to reality. "Yeah, I'm coming".
She followed him into the house, her mind turning back to her pervious thoughts.
'I have to find some way to let him know that it's not going to work out. I can't go on this way making him think that there's a possibility that I might still like him. Things might have turned out differently if he had showed that he liked me before now. With the fight with Voldemort soon approaching and Harry going off to find the Horcruxes, things are just too difficult to have to worry about a relationship right now.'
"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said happily as Hermione walked into the kitchen. She was sitting at the table playing with what looked liked only something Fred and George could have made.
"Hello, Ginny" Hermione smiled at her friend. "What's that you got there?"
"The latest product of 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'," she said proudly, holding up what looked like a regular pack of gum.
"A package of chewing gum?" Hermione inquired, knowing Fred and George it had to be something more.
"That's what it looks like, but of course it's not. One chomp of this stuff and you'll get an electric shock that'll keep you feeling it for two weeks. Comes in handy though when you need to break through an Imperturbable Charm," she laughed.
"Wow! That must be powerful if it can break through magic like that," she was impressed at how much Fred and George had advanced with their magic skills.
At school, they had just been a bunch of goof-offs who got in trouble and never did anything productive. But now Hermione was beginning to realize just how skilled they really were.
"Yes, it is, but that's not what it's advertised for. It's supposed to be used on your enemies. Disarming the Imperturbable Charm is just a lucky side-effect; we didn't even know it could do that until Fred brought one to Grimmuald Pace and it about blew the kitchen door off the hinges. Good thing it was only Fred, George, and me that seen it happen. Mom would have had a cow if see knew that we broke the Charm".
"Well I suppose the Order's secret meetings aren't so secret now that the extendable ears can get under the door".
"After finding out what they could do, Fred and George set to work improving the product so that now, the disarming is undetectable, allowing the user to be able to get by the Charm unnoticed".
"Brilliant!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Fred and George joined the Order a couple of days ago, but they were forbidden to tell anyone anything they hear at the meetings. That being the case, they have so graciously given each of us a pair of extendable ears, free of charge," she took a pair out of her pocket and handed them over to Hermione.
"Thanks," Hermione took the ears from her, "these may come in handy".
"They have decided not to sell the ears or the gum, instead keeping them of their own benefits".
"That's a relief. Could you imagine if something like that got into the hands of a Death Eater? We'd have no peace at all".
At that moment Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen, Ginny and Hermione hurriedly stowed the items out of sight.
"Come on you three," she said ushering Ron and the two girls out the back door, "It's time to get Harry. I don't want to leave him with those Muggles any longer; the poor dear must be excited to finally leave that awful house".