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

Quick A/N:

There were a surge of reviews for chapter 5! You guys don't know how awesome that was to see, so I'll give a little love back! sweetiepie1019- That was definitely a good suggestion! Nothin' like a little head bashin' to wake up some folks. But I think you'll like where I'm goin with it (but, if all else fails...). Lost House Elf- You didn't think I could kill the story that early, did you? It wouldn't be Ron and Hermione if it were that easy. angelcala- Your wish is my command! tanpopo no hana- I couldn't let the story end that quickly. Just gotta build the suspense! ronhermione80- Thanks for the review. I hope you'll stick around, it gets even more interesting. marie fay- my faithful reviewer- Here's another chapter for you! I'll see what I can do about that post-DH story. I'd love to work on one. We'll see what the future holds in store... Mrs.Hermione J. Weasley- I'm glad you're lookin forward for the big reveal. You gotta stick around and find out how it happens. True Mirage- Glad you liked that chapter. And you know, they wouldn't be Ron adn Hermione if they didn't get insanely jealous about everything.

You guys rock my face off!! Keep em' comin'

Chapter 6

Tired Of Falling

Lunch was fairly normal. Harry and Ginny chatted animatedly, Ron inhaled his food, and Hermione distractedly pushed her food around her plate taking small bites every now and again. After lunch, Hermione suggested that Harry and Ron practice apparating. They decided it would be best to take their apparition tests before they traverse the globe looking for the rest of the horcruxes. They went out into the yard, so no wandering eyes could see what they were doing.

"Remember the three D's, Ron," Hermione reminded.

"Right, Delegation, Detonation, Domination," Ron recited. Harry chuckled and Hermione scowled at him.

"You know what, Ron, do whatever you want. I'm sure you could take the knight bus wherever we go," Hermione chided. Ron frowned, but Harry was laughed.

"It was half an eyebrow," Ron mumbled. He turned around and prepared to give it another go. Hermione watched him intently. He whispered something to himself. He closed his eyes and turned on the spot. They heard a pop and Ron was gone. Harry and Hermione starred wide-eyed at the spot where Ron once was.

"What's everyone looking at?" asked a voice from behind Hermione. She spun around and came face to face with none other than Ron Weasley. Surprised, she stepped back and stumbled on a rotting log behind her. Ron instinctively reached out and caught her around the waist and pulled her back up. For a moment, Hermione starred directly into those sapphire pools. "I told you I could do it," he whispered. For what seemed like the millionth time this summer, Hermione's mouth went dry and she found it hard to breathe. She stood there, supported by Ron's strong arm, for what seemed like an eternity until, suddenly, she was brought out of her reverie by another voice.

"Well done, mate," Harry cheered. Ron released Hermione and she straightened herself as she turned toward Harry. "I guess I'll give it a go then." As Harry turned on the spot, Hermione saw Ron glance at her but quickly looked away. Hermione looked back at Harry in time to see him lose his balance and fall to the ground. "Guess I'm not cut out to apparate by myself," he conceded.

"Of course you are, Harry. You just need to focus more. Destination, Determination, Deliberation," Hermione recited. "Really focus on where you want to be."

"Ok, I'll try again," Harry agreed. A look of concentration covered his face. He spun and he was gone. Hermione and Ron looked around but Harry was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd he go?" Ron asked.

"I don't…" Hermione was interrupted by a scream. They looked toward the house, then to each other. They ran to the house. Just as they had reached the back gate, Harry appeared through the doorway.

"We heard a scream," Ron informed, clearly out of breath.

"Yeah, that was Ginny. I kind of apparated into her bedroom," Harry confessed blushing. Ron's expression grew cold.

"You apparated into my sister's bedroom?" Ron asked just as coldly as his expression. As Ron took a step forward, Hermione put her hand on his arm. He stopped, took a deep breath, and said "Good thing you learned to apparate. You weren't tagging along with me every time," Ron said with a smirk. Harry smiled and Hermione let out the breath that she apparently had been holding.

"You? You can hardly apparate yourself," Harry said laughing. Ron shrugged and chuckled.

"If the two of you expect to pass your apparition test, we've got a lot of work to do. Let's go," Hermione commanded. Ron raised an eyebrow, but he and Harry reluctantly obeyed.

"So when should we take our apparition tests?" Ron asked grabbing a handful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Harry tossed him an apple. Ron dropped most of the beans trying to catch the apple. Harry and Hermione laughed at him.

"What was that?" Mrs. Weasley called from living room. "Fred, George, is that you?"

"No mum, it's just us," Ron replied nervously scrambling to pick up the beans.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley appeared in the kitchen, "where have you all been?" She noticed Ron crouched on the floor. "And what is all this, then?"

"Just in the yard, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione began.

"Taking in the sunshine," Harry finished.

"Yeah," Ron added. "Yard, sunshine, yeah." Mrs. Weasley eyed them suspiciously. "Uh, mum, Harry and me are going to the Ministry tomorrow to take our apparition tests." Mrs. Weasley straightened up and sniffed.

"Well, you are of age now," She choked back her tears, "I suppose you can make your own decisions." She left the room.

"I think she's starting to feel that empty-nest syndrome," Ron said. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"So," Hermione interrupted the awkward silence, "you're going to the Ministry tomorrow?"

"You're not coming?" Ron asked.

"Well, I've already passed my apparition test," Hermione declared. "Besides, I figured I could get some things done tomorrow while you were gone."

"You won't even come for, you know, moral support?" Ron insisted.

"Why do you need me there? You already know you can apparate, you've done it before." Hermione pointed out. She was starring at him, searching for answers. He could feel her eyes on him but he couldn't look at her. Neither of them noticed Harry had slipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Hermione cleared her throat. "I suppose I could go along. For moral support."

"Good," Ron began, "'cause I don't think Harry could do it without you reciting the 3D's to him." Ron smirked.

"Well, if Harry needs me."

The garden basked in the glow of the moonlight. Hermione gazed across the grounds at the Burrow. She stepped out into the garden, watching a garden gnome dig up flowers.

"Want a ride?" asked a voice from behind. Hermione turned to see Ron standing in the doorway holding his broom.

"Why is he always standing in the ruddy doorway?" Hermione mumbled to herself.

"Sorry?" Ron asked.

"Ron, you know I don't like flying." She reminded him.

"Yeah, but, I figure, you've got to learn sometime. You can't just apparate everywhere," Ron pointed out. "You can't take the Knight Bus where we're going."

"But I can apparate anywhere," Hermione replied.

"Not at Hogwarts," Ron argued.

"Why would we need to go to Hogwarts?" She questioned.

"Well, I… I don't know," he stammered. "We don't know where the rest of the horcruxes are. There could be one at Hogwarts. You heard Harry, Voldemort considered Hogwarts his home."

"Hang on. You just said…"Hermione began, stunned to hear Ron say Voldemort's name.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," Ron said, a devilish smirk dancing on his lips. "Hop on," he instructed. Hermione smiled and reluctantly obeyed. She climbed onto the broom in front of Ron and gripped the handle tightly. Ron put a hand lightly over hers. The moment Ron's hands made contact with Hermione's, her breath hitched. "Not too tight," he corrected, "don't want to fall off now, do you?" She readjusted her grip and her place his hand below hers on the broomstick. "Now kick off from the ground and…" he began

"I know how to do it, Ron," she snapped, "I was in the same class you were."

"Well, then, by all means," Ron insisted. He released his grip on the broom and crossed his arms, waiting for her to begin. Hermione kicked off the ground. As they began to rise, Hermione had trouble balancing. She started to fall over but Ron grabbed the broomstick with one hand and stabled Hermione with the other.

"Mind if I take over, Professor?" he asked sarcastically, grinning like mad. He released her from his grasp.

"Fine," Hermione conceded, "but don't let me go." She let go of the broom and nearly fell again. Ron caught Hermione for the second time

"I'd never let you go," Ron whispered to her. Hermione smiled and closed her eyes. "Now don't let go of the broom," he left his arm around her waist this time. "Just don't hold on so tight," he finished. She woke from her reverie.

"I should tell you the same thing," Hermione replied. She immediately mentally slapped herself for saying that because he let go of her waist and placed his hand on the broom.

"Sorry," he said. Ron cleared his throat and continued with his lesson. "Now, try turning." Hermione leaned to the left but almost fell for the third time in her duration on the broom. Ron swiftly caught her again and this time his arm remained around her waist. He steadied the broom with his spare hand then placed both of his hands on her waist. "You have to stay balanced on the broom," he instructed, "or else, you'll fall off. But you already knew that."

"Very funny, Ron," Hermione said. She found it hard to concentrate with Ron so close. She started to turn it again. She was slightly unbalanced but Ron quickly corrected her with his hands in their previous positions, both on the broom handle and around her waist. She soon became comfortable on the broom. So comfortable, in fact, that she began to look at the scenery around her. Everything was so beautiful, so peaceful from the sky. Not to mention, a certain red-head holding onto her.

"You're doing great," Ron whispered into Hermione's ear. She felt his hot breath on her neck and it sent chills down her spine. She took one hand from the broom and placed it on his around her waist. She glanced down at their hands. Suddenly, she felt another hand hold her hair back, then, she felt fingertips on her skin. Hermione slowly turned her head to see him, unintentionally turning the broom, as well. Ron looked up in time to see a giant tree growing closer. He swiftly redirected the broom to avoid the tree. "Maybe we should try hovering for a while," Ron suggested to a terrified Hermione. Before she knew it, she had been lifted off the broom and, essentially, onto his lap, and was staring directly into those crystal blue orbs. She noticed Ron staring at her with that trademark smirk.

"Do I have something on my face?" Hermione asked, raising a hand to her face. Ron put her hand down.

"No. You're perfect," He said, never dropping his gaze. He began to lean towards her while also pulling her closer. Hermione closed her eyes, preparing herself for the one thing she had literally dreamed of for years. She felt Ron's hot breath tickle her face. She smiled and leaned closer until she was sure there was no distance left. Nothing could possibly spoil this moment.

And yet…

"Herm-own-ninny." It couldn't be. Hermione squeezed her eyes closed tighter hoping it was someone else who mispronounced her name like that, someone else who had that thick accent, someone else who… "I vas hoping to find you here," He continued. No, it was him, Viktor Krum, the worst possible person to show up at the worst possible time. Hermione was only hoping Ron hadn't heard him.

"What are you doing up here?" Ron shouted. Wrong again. This could only end badly.

"I came to teach you to fly," Krum asserted. He puffed out his chest and extended his hand to Hermione.

"Sorry, mate, but she's already got a teacher," Ron said acidly with a defensive scowl on his face. Ron looked like he was ready to hex Krum.

"Ron, calm down," Hermione mumbled to him. In the glow of the moonlight, she could see the rage in his eyes.

"I thought she'd like to learn from a professional," Krum confidently offered. For a split second, Hermione saw the light in Ron's eyes fade. However, a second later, he was back on the defensive.

"Llooks like she's doing just fine," Ron spat. "Why don't you run along and find someone else to bother."

"I do not vant any trouble," Krum insisted.

"Well, you've got it!" Ron shouted.

"Ron, calm down," Hermione pleaded. "He doesn't mean anything."

"Doesn't he?" Ron asked. He stared daggers at Krum.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione turned on him.

"All of your secret letter-writing a…and snogging," Ron hesitatingly shouted, "s'no wonder he's come to take you off into the sunset." Ron's grip on Hermione was slowly and unnoticeably slipping.

"First off, the sun's already set," Hermione began, growing more furious with every word, "and secondly, the letters weren't a secret, Ron. I just never brought it up because I know how you get."

"And the snogging," He retaliated. He wasn't going to lose this one.

"What sn…"

"Pardon me, ladies," Krum interrupted. "if you don't mind, I vill just take Herm-own-ninny and be on my vay." Krum reached for Hermione's arm and tried to pull her to his broom but Ron resisted.

"Oh, no you won't," Ron tried to pull her back onto his lap.

"Stop it, both of you," Hermione pleaded. She was struggling to hold on to either one of them.

"Don't make it so hard on yourself, Ron. You've had plenty of chances over the years," Krum insisted, "and you never took one." Krum was winning the battle, pulling her further onto his broom.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Ron stuttered angrily, trying furiously to win her back.

"She told me about that awful girl you dated last year," Krum continued, "after she asked you to that party."

"What?" Ron asked, still gripping tightly to Hermione.

"She told me that vas the last straw. She vas through with you," Krum struck once more. Hermione could feel Ron's grip once again loosening and see the expression fading with each emotional blow.

"Ron," Hermione whispered. "Ron, don't listen to him." Ron's bright sapphire eyes dimming to a dull gray. "Ron, that was ages ago," she persisted, "it's over now." He looked at her. She could read him like a book, and right now, she could see the sadness, the regret, and the immense hurt in his eyes. Suddenly, he released his hold on Hermione. Unfortunately, Krum was surprised by Ron's concession and hadn't braced himself to take Hermione yet. Hermione's had slipped from Krum's grasped and she began to plummet towards the ground. Falling quickly, she stole one last glace at Ron's defeated expression until…

Hermione awoke with a start. Breathing heavily, she sat up in her bed and looked around. It was still dark outside and Ginny was still sound asleep. She put her hands to her face and noticed she was sweating. "There's no way I'm sleeping after that," she muttered to herself.


I'm excited, aren't you? What's going to happen next. Read, review, and find out soon enough.