Title: In Your Dreams
Author: Distracted mind
Rating: T
Time frame: Post-HBP
Summary: Hermione has trouble staying in reality after she has some of the greatest dreams. She seems to notice one trend though; they are haunted by one elusive person and one even more elusive gesture. Post HBP

A/N: I wrote this pre-DH, so it contains no spoilers. Any similarities between this story and DH are purely coincidental.

Disclaimer: It's not mine

Chapter 3

What Dreams Are Made Of... Sort Of

The reception was just as beautiful as the wedding, which definitely perpetuated the French stereotype. It was elegant and simple, and made everyone around want to fall in love. The grandeur of the ceremony had caused all of the women to swoon. And now, the reception was the icing on the cake, so-to-speak. The red and pink theme was incorporated into absolutely everything: the tables and chairs that Mrs. Weasley had worked so hard to set up, the beautifully overdone and delicious-looking cake that adorned the center of the refreshments table, and even the garden gnomes that were transfigured into doves were carrying red and pink ribbons and roses as they fluttered around.

Hermione sat at one of the lavish tables, surveying the band of happy wedding goers. One couple in particular caught her attention. Hermione grinned as Ron awkwardly stumbled around the dance floor with his mother, who looked as though she couldn't be happier. Her glowing smile only waned whenever Ron accidentally stepped on her feet. Ron had never been a particularly graceful dancer. Actually, most all of the coordination genes the Weasley family had to offer had overlooked poor Ron. Ergo, he was not at all fond of dancing. Hermione wasn't even sure she had ever seen him dance before.

After sufficiently watching the struggling redhead, Hermione's attention was arrested by another anomaly on the dance floor. It took the form of a second female Weasley who also looked overcome with happiness. Ginny was being twirled around the dance floor. She had been ceremonially passed around to her father and even her brothers, but now she seemed content safely in the arms of a broken, scared, and emotionally drained raven-haired boy. However, he could hardly be labeled a boy anymore. Through all of the trials during the earlier years culminating to the devastation that was his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter had long deserved to be called a man, for he had faced and conquered challenges that most men would never have dreamed of facing in their lifetimes, when he should have been concentrating on quidditch and kisses, although, somehow, he managed to squeeze those in as well. Alas, at that moment, he seemed right on cue for a boy of almost seventeen. The music had slowed to a soft ballad and the couple, and I use the term couple loosely, nestled close and Harry relentlessly held the ginger-haired beauty.

Hermione had been so busy examining her cuddling companions that she failed to notice an exhausted Ron Weasley crash into the seat next to her. She was jolted back into reality when he spoke.

"Doesn't seem right," Ron began. Hermione gave a startled gasp and turned to Ron.

"Ron, when did you get here?" she asked, recovering from the potential coronary she had just suffered with the abrupt presence of Ron.

"She was miserable. Cried every night it seemed like. And who had to sit with her while she unconvincingly blamed her unhappiness on the events of the past year?" Ron paused for a moment and looked at Hermione. "Well, mum," Ron smiled and turned back to the couple. Hermione chuckled to herself. "But I had to sit there and endure the suffering of my baby sister. Caused by my best mate, no less." Hermione simply gazed at him, taking in every word. She couldn't believe how sincere and transparent he was being. "I mean, do you realize how much it actually hurts to see someone so strong, and so close to you, be in so much pain?" Ron asked, mostly hypothetically. He turned to face Hermione again.

Indeed, she had seen strong people close to her hurting. Harry and Ron, in fact. Had she not just attended a wedding and not been surrounded by gangs of happy people, she might have taken offense that Ron had completely missed how much she was hurting during the whole Lavender mishap. She assumed he was referring to family members, so she just smiled. "Well, not really, considering I spend the majority of the year with you. I don't see my family much these days," She admitted.

"You've got family here, Hermione," Ron replied quietly, staring down at his shoes.

"Thanks, Ron." She said, smiling.

"Welcome," he paused. He looked at her and smiled, "but always remember to knock first," Ron said playfully.

"Ron, don't tell me you're still going on about the incident earlier," Hermione pleaded. Ron resumed studying an unsuspecting ant crawling through the grass. Color was beginning to rise in his cheeks and she suspected it wasn't cause by the heat or by his sudden interest in entomology. "Honestly, it's not like I saw you naked. Besides, soon we are going to be spending a lot more time together in relatively close quarters; it was bound to happen eventually. It was inevitable." Hermione concluded. Immediately, Ron's head shot up.

"So there's a chance that I'll see..." Ron trailed off. His eyes widened and his face flushed crimson. He apparently hadn't meant for that part to be voiced. "Hadn't really thought of it like that." he choked out.

"Herm-own-ninny," she heard from the direction of the dance floor. Surprised, Hermione quickly turned to the person from whom the voice came. "I vas hoping I vould see you here," a smiling, hulking figure said, walking towards them.

"Viktor," Hermione shouted as she jumped up to give him a hug. "It's so good to see you. How have you been?" Hermione asked excitedly, finally releasing him from her embrace.

"I am alright. Been playing hard and traveling a lot. I vas sorry to hear about your headmaster. He vas a great wizard." Viktor said.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, touched by his sentiment. She looked over at Ron to gauge his reaction to Krum's heartfelt condolences. Ron was glaring at Viktor looking apparently outraged and annoyed by his presence, so Hermione turned back Viktor.

"Vould you care to dance?" Viktor asked Hermione.

"Of course," she responded, a wide smile spreading across her face that most definitely did not go unnoticed by Ron.

She took Krum's arm and he escorted her to the dance floor. When they reached the dance floor. Viktor bowed and took her waist in his right and her right hand in his left. As they paraded around the floor, animatedly talking about they're lives since they last talked, Hermione inconspicuously stole glances of Ron, whose expression could only be described as contemptible. His sparkling, lagoon blue eyes now looked angry and dejected. She concentrated once again on Viktor who simply watched her.

"Are you alright, Herm-own-ninny?" Viktor asked sweetly.

"What? Oh yes, of course. I was just..." but she was unable to finish her thought. She was cut off by another voice.

"May I cut in?" Ron asked, glaring at the couple. His eyes now gleaming with murderous rage toward Krum, yet his face showed softer features toward Hermione, almost pleading.

Krum bowed to Ron, then to Hermione, kissed her hand, which elicited another inescapably vicious glare from Ron, and proceeded to find another partner. For a moment, the two of them stood there awkwardly.

"Should we dance, then?" Hermione asked, not sure what exactly to do next.

"Yeah, right," Ron replied, running his hands through his hair. He placed a shaky hand on Hermione's waist and took her hand in the other. They began to move with the music; however, it didn't take long for Ron to fumble the steps. "Sorry, I've never been very good at this," he confessed nervously.

"I think you're doing great," Hermione replied, a rosy blush dusting her cheeks. Ron's cheeks turned pink as well.

"Thanks, you're good too," Ron complimented. An awkward silence seemed to overtake the atmosphere. Unfortunately, Ron spoke. "So what did Vicky want?"

Hermione wrenched her head to look at Ron, her once peaceful expression faded into amazement and bewilderment. "I told you not to call him that, and obviously he wanted to dance with me," she responded coldly, starring him down. They stopped dancing.

"I think he wanted a little more than just a dance with you," Ron said defensively, holding her glare.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"You know what I mean. He was probably looking for a snog." Ron replied.

"Oh yeah, and how would you know that, you were absolutely horrid at Divination?" she asked.

"He's a man, that's all men think about," Ron enlightened.

"Really, is that all you think about then?" She asked, her voice starting to grow louder. She released his hand and escaped his grasp of her waist.

"That's not the point," Ron responded apprehensively.

"No, the point is that you have this innate ability to ruin absolutely everything," she shouted. Furious, Hermione immediately turned and left the dance floor and walked to the table where Viktor was sitting.

Later that evening, after the wedding guests had departed, Hermione and Ginny rested in Ginny's room from the exhausting festivities, and the clean up afterwards.

"I'll give them one thing, they sure know how to put on a wedding," Ginny said, crashing onto her bed.

"Yeah, it was beautiful. And Bill and Fleur look so happy together," Hermione added.

"Oh, you noticed? I thought you were too busy arguing with my brother." Ginny interjected, looking at Hermione with one eyebrow raised.

Hermione threw her a sideways glance as she changed into pajamas. "You heard that?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Hermione, the entire wedding party heard that," Ginny replied. Hermione cringed. "It sounded like a good one too."

"He started it," Hermione pleaded.

"He always does," Ginny pointed out. "Why do you let him rile you up like that?"

"I don't know, it's just that when Viktor's involved, he always says something offensive about Viktor wanting more than friendship or wanting more than a dance. It's absolutely ridiculous." Hermione demanded, her voice getting out of hand again.

"Calm down, Hermione. He only does that to get a rise out of you, which generally works. Ginny reminded. "Besides, he's the one that wants more than friendship and more than a dance. He's been wickedly jealous of Krum ever since the Yule Ball.

"That's preposterous?" Hermione responded, trying to sound convincing.

"And they call you brilliant, honestly?" Ginny growled out of frustration. "Anyway, when he saw you run to Krum after your argument, he started sulking around the place. Funny really. That is until he practically pushed me and Harry out of the way, ruddy git."

"Speaking of, what's going on with you two now?" Hermione asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"Well, honestly, I haven't a clue. I knew he had to leave me behind and be a hero again. And I thought I was fine with it. That is, until he showed up at the wedding looking absolutely adorable and brooding. You know I'm a sucker for brooding. I don't know what happened." Ginny ranted. Hermione found it quite humorous that her friend, a year her junior, was having a dilemma over some bloke. At the same time, she knew this was not the best situation to be in. Indeed, they would soon be leaving to save the entire wizarding world and Ginny will be left alone, not knowing whether or not he is even alive.

"I'm sorry, Gin. But you know the best cure for a tough situation, no matter what continent you're on, is ice cream." Hermione jested. Ginny nodded smiling, which was a signal for Hermione to raid the kitchen.

She left the room for the kitchen, and as she was descending the stairs she heard two masculine voices coming from the kitchen. So Hermione did what any self-respecting woman would do, she eavesdropped.

"But Harry, she started it." Hermione grimaced.

"I don't care. Ron, soon we are going to be spending a lot more time together in close quarters and I don't want to spend it with the two of you fighting!"

"Funny she said the same thing, just not on the same topic." She chuckled silently.

"Go apologize."

"I can't, she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, you idiot. She's just mad because you said something stupid."

"Hey."

"Sorry, mate, but it's the truth, isn't it? You don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to the things coming out of your mouth. You're loads better at stuffing things in, really."

"Well, I know that, but you're at least supposed to support me. Whatever happened to brotherhood?"

"Part of that brotherhood is telling you when you've made a complete arse out of yourself."

"Was it that bad?"

"Worse."

"Great."

"Don't worry about it, mate, it'll probably blow over by tomorrow anyway."

"Why does she always have to bring him into things."

"They're friends, Ron. He's never going to be completely out of her life. Why do you always let him bother you?"

Hermione decided she didn't really want to know the answer to that question and retired back to Ginny's room.

"Where's the ice cream?" Ginny questioned.

"All out." Hermione replied. "I'm tired anyway, I think I'll just go to bed."

"Alright. Goodnight, Hermione." Ginny said climbing into bed.

"Night, Gin." Hermione said as she turned out the light.