Chapter Sixteen

"Are you all right Ron? It's taking you forever to make your move." Harry inquired.

Harry was right. Although Ron usually took his time thinking out his next move, he was still fairly quick and he never recalled thinking what to do for this long for any of his past games. He ran his hands through his hair and then said with frustration, "I just can't think straight!" Ron finally grabbed his remaining pawn and pounded it onto the chessboard two spaces ahead.

Luna, who was looking out the window at the rain, said randomly, "Oh, did you and Hermione get attacked by a cloud of wrackspurts?"

"By what?"

"They're little invisible things that get into your head through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy." Harry explained.

Ron looked at Harry questioningly as to how he knew that, but he was more concerned with what Luna was talking about. "Why would you say that? Can she not think straight either?"

"That appears to be true judging by the way she was acting last night." Luna continued to gaze out the window wistfully.

Ron suddenly became very interested in what Luna knew. "What was she doing?"

"She was quite strange. I suppose you know how she likes to read before going to sleep, well last night, she had started reading like usual, but then she would put the book down and mutter something-starting with a 'W' I think-and touch her hair. Then she would shake her head and pick the book up again. She did this for a while until she became frustrated that she was getting distracted from reading and went to sleep well before the time she usually did."

"Really? That's interesting, maybe we did. Thanks for the help Luna." Something was obviously bothering Hermione, but what? She kept touching her hair. He knew that she didn't particularly love her mass of hair, though he didn't see anything wrong with it, but why would it start annoying her so much now? Wait, Luna said that she was muttering something starting with a 'W'. The first word that came to his mind was naturally his surname, and then it clicked. Earlier yesterday, he and Hermione had been working on his disguise, and he had turned her hair red like his and called her a Weasley. Then she sort of ran away. Ron gave an inward groan. She definitely must have took what he said for something more and didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him she didn't want to be a Weasley and instead decided to avoid him. He should apologize for the misunderstanding.

Ron was torn away from his thoughts when Harry loudly said, "Ron!"

"What?"

"I went already. It's your turn." Harry gestured to the chessboard. "I have a good feeling about this game."

"Oh, er sorry mate." He didn't spend that much time planning his move. He wanted to focus on what he was going to say to Hermione.

He didn't have that much time before Harry eagerly said, "Check."

Ron analyzed the board. He could get out of Harry's check, but then he heard someone coming down the stairs. Hermione. Ron's heartbeat picked up. He looked back at the board, was he really going to let Harry beat him for a girl? They would be leaving Shell Cottage in two days and tomorrow they would be busy getting ready; their nerves would probably be on edge and they would be busy getting ready. He might not have a better opportunity than now. It would also help to let Harry win for once.

Ron made his move and Harry practically jumped out of his seat. Harry grabbed his Queen and advanced it towards the King, "Checkmate!"

Ron pretended to be upset, "How could I not see that?" He sighed, "Good game Harry." He got up and walked to the kitchen, where he saw Hermione talking to Fleur. He also saw Dean in there.

"Do you want me to set the table?" Hermione asked Fleur.

"Oh, yez, and Dean, ef you 'ould get zome wood for ze fire zat would be vonderful." Fleur said as she chopped up some herbs.

Ron faintly heard Luna eagerly say in the background, "I'll help you Dean." And he saw his chance.

"Let me help you with that." Ron grabbed some utensils and went over to the table where Hermione had started putting plates down. She briefly looked up to acknowledge him.

He worked up the courage to ask, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Then why have you been cooped up in your room all day?"

"I've been…reading and going over the plan" She whispered the last two words.

Ron couldn't take beating around the bush anymore. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Hermione dropped the last plate in place with a "thunk" and spent a lot of time moving it into place. "I-I haven't been avoiding you, I said I've been reading and—"

"Is it because I changed your hair ginger and called you a Weasley? If it is, I'm sorry. I was only having a laugh, I'm sorry if you felt degraded or something."

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes. "Degraded? Oh no, being called a Weasley is not a bad thing. Actually, I would love to be a…" She trailed off and blushed furiously when she realized what she had almost said. She looked down at the table. "Ron, why does that plate have two knives and no fork? That plate doesn't have a spoon and this plate only has forks."

Ron looked down at the mismatched silverware. "I wasn't really paying attention." He admitted sheepishly.

Hermione gave a small smile and sighed, "I'll fix it. Hand me that knife."

Ron stood there starting at her and thinking about what she said, but his thoughts were interrupted again. This time, it was Luna and Dean coming through the back door carrying some driftwood for the fire.

"…and if you ever come to our house I'll be able to show you the horn, Daddy wrote to me about it but I haven't seen it yet, because the Death Eaters took me from the Hogwarts Express and I never got home for Christmas."

Ron's eyebrows knitted together. "Is she talking about that ruddy exploding horn?"

Hermione raised her own in response and then said loudly so Luna could hear her, "Luna, we told you, that horn exploded. It came from an Erumpent, not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack—"

"No, it was definitely a Snorkack horn," Luna said confidently. "Daddy told me. It will probably have re-formed by now, they mend themselves, you know."

"She'll be very upset when she gets home." Ron said to Hermione, who shook her head and finished putting the forks in their proper place.

They then noticed Bill coming down the stairs, carrying Mr. Ollivander's suitcase while it's owner held onto him arm for support.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Luna walked over to the wandmaker. "I'm going to miss you Mr. Ollivander."

"And I you, my dear," Ollivander patted her on the shoulder. "You were an inexpressible comfort to me in that terrible place."

"So, au revoir, Mr Ollivander," Fleur kissed him on both cheeks. "And I wonder whezzer you could oblige me by delivering a package to Bill's Auntie Muriel? I never returned 'er tiara."

"It will be an honor," Ollivander bowed slightly, "the very least I can do in return for your generous hospitality."

Fleur held the case that held the tiara up and opened it to show him. Ollivander lowered his head to get a closer look at the sparkling headpiece.

"Moonstones and diamonds," said the usually silent Griphook. "Made by goblins, I think?"

"And paid for by wizards," Bill added as Griphook narrowed glared at him.

Bill and Mr. Ollivander left once everyone said good-bye. The rest of them went and started eating, though most of them felt bad when they noticed that Fleur spent most of her time looking out the window for Bill instead of eating.

Thankfully, Fleur didn't have to wait too long, for Bill returned before they had finished their first course and said "Everything's fine," he told Fleur. "Ollivander settle in. Mum and Dad say hello. Ginny sends you all her love. Fred and George are driving Muriel up the wall, they're still operating an Owl-Order business out of her back room. It cheered her up to have her tiara back, though. She said she thought we'd stolen it."

"Ah, she eez charmante, your aunt," Fleur said sarcastically as she flicked her wand and had the dirty plates organize themselves in a stack for her to carry to the sink.

"Daddy's made a tiara," Luna stated. "Well, more of a crown, really."

Ron thought of the bust they had saw at the Lovegood's house. He grinned at Harry.

"Yes, he's trying to re-create the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. He thinks he's identified most of the main elements now. Adding the billywig wings really make a difference—"

Luna's explanation was stopped by a loud knock on the front door. Bill, Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped up and had their wands at the ready. Fleur came scurrying out of the kitchen looking worried like the rest of them.

"Who is it?" Bill asked.

A. N. So who got into Pottermore? I did! YEAH! For any of you that are interested, my username is HallowPatronus69. It's brilliant, I know. Feel free to leave me your username in a review! :D