Thanks ever so much for your patience! I'm so honored by the amount of reviews, favorites, and follows. Now on to chapter 8!
Saturday morning found Hermione stumbling to her bathroom in search of Pepper-Up Potion. She'd never had a hangover, so she wasn't sure if this was one. She felt marginally better after drinking the potion before she remembered that she needed to leave for work in twenty minutes.
As she got dressed she remembered that Draco would be at the Quidditch practice today, and therefore would most likely not be stopping by Cornerstone. Hermione frowned at herself in the mirror. She looked so tired with dark circles around her eyes. She then realized that it wasn't dark circles, it was the mascara she didn't take off before crawling into bed.
She laughed and went to wash her face.
Feeling much fresher, she headed out the door to the apparition point.
"Miss Granger! Over here!" The journalist with the camera called to her as she popped into Diagon Alley. She continued on without responding. "What are you going to do for your birthday tomorrow?"
Now there was a good question. Her twentieth birthday had crept up on her. She was always older than the rest of her classmates, but to be entering her twenties when Ginny had just turned eighteen was very strange.
Harry had mentioned taking her to dinner, but that was all she really had planned. Morty had penned her a note midweek, chastising her for not telling him about her birthday, and demanding that she take the day off, so she couldn't spend the day there. Maybe she'd sleep? That seemed wrong.
After the first two hours of looking up whenever someone entered the shop, expecting it to be Draco, Hermione finally relaxed. Quidditch practice usually lasted until about noon, but then they would head out for lunch, or stay and chat for a few hours. The practices Hermione had attended had all dragged on much longer than she felt was necessary.
Eventually she had to turn her back on the front door. She was only going to be disappointed when Draco didn't come by Cornerstone today. It wasn't as if they had a standing date, but he'd been in the past two weekends. Perhaps he took such offense to the use of his first name the night before that he would no longer be visiting her here.
Hermione shook her head. No, he was not visiting her. He was patronizing a book shop.
The door opened and while her back was turned she could feel the wind dance with her hair. It took every ounce of control not to turn around.
"Who do you have to know to get a book around here!" a familiar voice boomed from the doorway.
Hermione turned with wide eyes to see Ron Weasley on her "Welcome" carpet.
"Ron!" She gasped and he smiled at her, stretching his arms out.
She whipped around the counter and flew down the two steps to the entry landing, throwing her arms around him.
She felt her feet leave the ground as he squeezed her in his arms. It was like the past year and a half had never happened. That was her favorite thing about seeing Ron. Nothing ever changed.
"Happy birthday 'Mione."
Her feet touched down again, and she released her grip on him, but kept her arms around him, pulling back.
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be training for the October season."
"I told them our second string could use some practice. I had to get home to see a girl."
She pulled back and punched his arm, smiling up at him. "You're not here only for my birthday."
"Well, it was a main reason! I have a meeting with George and several investors this afternoon and then a cocktail party tonight with some Minister of something, but I'm all yours tomorrow."
He smiled down at her and everything seemed very simple. Having someone hold her, friendly yet intimate touching. And there was an uncomplicated warmth that Ron always brought with him.
"Well," she said. "I work today until six, but tomorrow I have the day off."
"The day off? Hermione Granger takes the day off? Merlin, you've changed so much." He teased her and released her hips, taking a look around the shop. "This is a nice little place."
Hermione skipped up the steps to the counter. "I like it. It's very quiet." She moved back behind the counter. "So, when did you get in?"
He leaned down on the counter between them. "A few hours ago. I stopped by Hodgley Field first," Ron said.
Hermione's hands stuttered over the books she started sorting. "Oh?"
"Did you know Harry let Malfoy join their little Quidditch team? That's insane!"
"Oh, I know," Hermione tried to meet his indignation.
"I hear he's hanging around a lot more. Git can't find his own friends?"
"Ha, I guess not." Hermione turned from the counter to grab the ledger.
"His friends are all either dead or in Azkaban, I'm sure."
Hermione winced, but turned to smile at him. Ron's dislike of Draco was legendary. And the feeling was mutual, Hermione was certain. She changed the subject to Ron's Quidditch team and how everything was going for him in Ireland. She noticed he conveniently left out little details, like the dates he took to certain after parties, and incidents the papers had covered about him getting thrown out of pubs with teammates and fangirls. That was alright. Hermione just wanted to chat with her friend Ron, not her ex-boyfriend.
He stayed for another hour, chatting and helping her sort books. She completely forgot about Draco Malfoy and for that, she was grateful. Ron left to head to his meeting with George, but on his way out he gave her a kiss on the cheek that lingered very close to the corner of her mouth. He grinned at her as the door closed behind him.
On Sunday, Hermione woke up to balloons covering her entire bedroom ceiling. She smiled and crawled out of bed, following the smell of breakfast from the kitchen.
She tiptoed out of her bedroom to find Harry and Ginny in the kitchen. Harry had his back to her, working the bacon on the stove, and Ginny was sitting on a countertop kicking her legs. They were chatting in hushed voices, smiling at each other, feeding each other. Hermione almost disappeared back into her bedroom to give them privacy before she remembered that it was her breakfast they were preparing for her birthday.
She gave a little cough to announce her presence before moving into the kitchen. Ginny jumped off the counter and threw her arms around her.
"Happy birthday, Hermione!"
"Good morning, Gin. Thank you." Hermione released Ginny only to be engulfed by Harry next.
"Happy birthday," he said, squeezing her tight.
"Thank you, Harry," she said. "You didn't need to cook breakfast."
"Oh, but I did." Harry pulled away and gave Ginny a pointed look.
Ginny forced her to sit and let them serve her. Quite ridiculous actually. When she stood to get more milk for her tea, Ginny threatened her with the spatula to remain seated.
Hermione sat back in her chair, shaking her head, and as Harry was folding the morning's Daily Prophet, she caught a glimpse of a blonde head. Harry tossed the paper on the floor, and Hermione asked, "Anything good in the paper today, Harry?"
He shook his head. "A mention of the twentieth birthday of the 'Golden Girl,' of course." He smiled at her and she frowned at him.
"Did she really use that phrase?"
"Of course she did." Harry laughed. "Here, let me show you how she rambles on about you—"
"Ah-ah! No papers today!" Ginny interrupted. "No news!" Ginny gave Harry a look that he immediately understood. Hermione was lost unfortunately.
"No news?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, no news." Ginny placed the milk on the table in front of Hermione. "We are celebrating today, and nothing else will distract us! Eat your eggs," she concluded, in a very Molly-Weasley-like manner.
They chatted over breakfast about work, about Ron being home, about nothing really. Ginny had made plans for dinner that evening at one of the nicer restaurants in Wizarding London, so after a very pleasant day of doing nothing but enjoying the company of her best friends, they met up with Ron at about five o'clock to stroll the neighborhood before heading to their six o'clock reservation. Ron kissed her on the corner of her mouth again, and she felt his hand on her ribs as he pulled away.
It struck her as they were seated at a four-person table - Harry at her left, Ron at her right, and Ginny across from her - that this was just as it was supposed to be. The four of them were very simple when they were not saving the Wizarding World. Ron was telling a story with loud arm gestures, Ginny was rolling her eyes at him, Harry was correcting him, and Hermione was laughing. They were not war heroes or famous child wizards or Quidditch players. They were four friends. Two couples. She could maybe get used to that again.
After presents, after dessert, Harry and Ron walked the girls to the apparition point.
"I think I will be back next month, maybe around Halloween," Ron said. Her arm was in his and he was very warm.
"Wonderful. We'll need to plan something then."
"I do miss you very much, Hermione."
She glanced up at him. He was looking down at her with a sad smile. She beamed at him and squeezed his arm close to hers.
"I miss you very much as well. We all do. But I'm very proud of you for pursuing your dreams, Ron."
He smiled at the ground. When they reached the apparition point, Harry kissed Ginny goodbye and gave Hermione a hug. Ron punched his sister's arm and hugged her. Then he turned to Hermione and held her tight. He pulled away and placed a simple kiss to her lips. She smiled up at him.
"HERMIONE GRANGER AND RONALD WEASLEY IN LOVE AGAIN!"
by Rita Skeeter
In uncertain times, we look towards hope. We look towards those who give us hope.
Over the past eight years, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley have given us hope in many forms, but they now offer us a different kind of hope. A hope for happily ever after.
Hermione gaped at the picture on the page. She'd never even seen the camera man, but Bozo had gotten the kiss. The kiss that… when thinking later, didn't mean anything to her. She'd thought maybe Ron was trying to make her a promise to return for her, or to be true to her. But there was nothing to be true for. They were not together and they hadn't been in over a year.
Of course, Skeeter's article disagreed.
Ever since the Final Battle, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley have been in touch despite the distance. Miss Granger visits her beloved in Ireland every weekend, and Ronald Weasley was just seen visiting her at work this Saturday.
After a birthday dinner for Miss Granger yesterday with only close friends, Mr. Weasley bid her goodnight with a promise for their future. My only question, dear readers, is… have we had a look at Miss Granger's ring finger?
Hermione huffed. She crumpled the paper and tossed it in the rubbish bin. It took her twenty minutes of stewing and pouting before she could pull herself together enough to head to work.
Arriving in the Ministry Atrium, she was surrounded by her face kissing Ron's. It seemed that everyone was reading a paper, had a paper tucked under their arm, was gesturing wildly with a paper. She embarked on a direct course for the lifts, hoping she was giving off the impression that she was in a foul mood and nobody better talk to her today.
She jumped into the first lift available, filled with several Ministry employees coming up from the lower floors. Some from the Atrium joined her in the lift, some who she recognized by face, not by name. She reached up to grab a hanging rope, and as the lift zoomed backwards she noticed several witches turn towards her. She frowned back at them. She was used to people staring at her – she generally looked at the floor when this happened – but today she was so angry with Skeeter, with Bozo, with Ron….
The lift stopped at Level 6 and admitted a witch in bright blue robes. She joined the crowded lift and grabbed on, standing in front of Hermione. It wasn't until that witch turned around, smiled at her, and quickly looked up that Hermione realized she had grabbed a rope with her left hand. Everyone was looking for the blasted ring.
"I'm not engaged! Stop looking for a ring!"
Silence. Every witch that had been looking at her hand stood still as a statue. The wizards who had no idea what was happening, edged away from her. The lift slowed and stopped at Level 5, and almost every single person exited, even though Hermione was sure not everyone worked at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. She was a right nutter.
Two men stayed on with her as the lift headed to Level 4. She looked up to apologize to them and found herself looking at Draco Malfoy.
He must have been tucked in the back when she jumped on at the Atrium, because there was no way she could have missed him otherwise. He had a neutral expression on his face as he stared at her.
She let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry," she said. "It's been a long day already."
The other man nodded. Draco blinked.
"Obviously." A drawl.
The lift stopped at Level 4. She jumped out and didn't look back. She got to her desk and just as she sat, breathing again, Aiden appeared eating an apple.
"Oi! Let's have a look at the ring."