Chapter Seven: Train Trip Home
Ron and Hermione awoke the next day in each other's arms after another two hours of love-making before falling asleep. Ron could not believe his luck that this beautiful girl had chosen him, had given herself to him, and that she loved him, and him alone. He knew that he wanted to wake up like this every morning for the rest of his life. Once they were fully awake, they shared another passionate kiss before sharing a shower and getting dressed. Once they were ready they walked back to Gryffindor tower hand in hand. They both then went to their rooms to finish packing their trunks. Once their trunks were packed and locked, Ron and Hermione went to the library. Of course, this was not Ron's first choice for an activity but Hermione insisted. While Ron was looking at a book on dragons, Hermione had found a book on potions, containing the ingredients and method to make the contraception potion; when Ron realised what she was doing, he put down the dragon book to read the instructions and list of ingredients over her shoulder as she copied down everything word for word before they both left the library. They then snuck down to the potion ingredients store cupboard and Hermione collected the things she did not already have in her potions kit.
It was soon time to board the Hogwarts' Express for the trip back to London. With their trunks secured on the overhead rack, Ron and Hermione sat in a compartment all of their own. They had closed the blinds so they would not be disturbed and spent the vast majority planning on how Ron would get away from the Burrow, and snogging.
Meanwhile, Harry was in a compartment with Neville and Ginny. Ginny was still in a pissy mood about the loss of her wand, while Neville and Harry were discussing meeting up in the summer sometime.
Their journey had been going smoothly until the compartment door opened to reveal Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
'What do you want, Malfoy?' Harry asked impatiently.
Malfoy looked around the compartment as if he wasn't sure he was in the right one.
'Where are Weasley and Granger?' he asked obnoxiously.
'I'm surprised that you don't already know,' said Harry.
'I know what I heard, Potter, and that's you had a falling out with Weasley, and Granger took his side, while the Weaselette and the twin idiots took your side …' said Malfoy.
'I needed newer and better friends, Malfoy,' said Harry.
Malfoy smirked and said, 'I see, and you think the gormless Squib, Longbottom, and the Weaselette are better than Weasley and Granger?'
'They're the ones in here with me,' said Harry.
Malfoy burst into laughter while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed, before Malfoy spoke again.
'Oh, Merlin, Potter, you truly are an idiot! Weasley would have followed you into Hell if you had to go, and you ditch him for a moron who's practically a Squib and barely knows one end of a wand from the other! As for Granger, she might be a Mudblood, but she's a smart Mudblood, and yet you threw her away for a rather poor replacement in the Weaselette! Granger could and would wipe the floor with her without breaking sweat! The Dark Lord has won already! Pathetic, Potter, just pathetic!'
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle then left, laughing their heads off down the corridor.
It was twenty minutes later when the compartment door opened again, but this time it was Ron and Hermione.
'What do you want?' asked Ginny scornfully.
'To talk to Potter – alone,' said Ron.
As Harry stood up, Ginny made to follow.
'What part of alone did you not understand? Don't worry, Ginevra, nasty Ron won't hurt your pwecious Hawwy,' said Ron harshly.
Harry left with Ron and Hermione and went back to where Ron and Hermione had been sitting.
'What do you want?' Harry asked curiously.
Ron then withdrew Ginny's wand from his pocket.
'You can give this back to the brat for me,' said Ron, holding the wand. 'When you buy it back from me,' he added.
'What?'
'You heard me, Potter, if you want the brat's wand back, you'll have to pay for it, and I wouldn't try to get it back by force if I were you, you see there are two of us and one of you …' said Ron.
'How much?' asked Harry.
'Hmm, let's see, what's a reasonable price?' said Ron, 'How about a nice even ten Galleons?'
Harry took out his money pouch and counted out ten Galleons.
'This business deal is between the three of us, got it?' said Ron, 'or I'll tell everyone that the great Harry Potter had to buy back his new friend's wand. The shame …'
'Fine,' said Harry, 'this stays between us, here's your gold.'
Harry put the gold on to the seat and Ron passed Harry the wand without touching him.
'Okay, nice doing business with you, Potter, you can fuck off now,' said Ron as he picked up the gold and began to count it.
Harry scowled and tucked Ginny's wand into his robes before leaving.
When Harry was gone, Ron gave Hermione five Galleons.
'What's this?' she asked.
'Profit share; and whatever I have I'm always going to share it with you, you're my life now …' said Ron as they sat down together and he pulled her on to his lap, wrapping his arms around her.
Hermione slipped the gold into her purse which she had in her pocket before saying, 'I love you, Ron, and you're my life too.'
They spent the rest of journey snogging passionately before the train arrived at King's Cross. Once there, Ron helped Hermione with her trunk before getting his own and together they disembarked the train. Pulling their trunks behind them, they went through the barrier together to find Hermione's parents. They spotted Hermione's parents standing alone and walked over to them passing Ron's mother and his oldest brother on the way and not stopping to say anything to either of them.
When they reached them, Hermione hugged both her parents in turn before formally introducing Ron to them as her boyfriend.
'I hope you're taking good care of our Hermione, Ron,' said Richard Granger.
'I am when she lets me, sir, she's everything to me,' Ron told him.
'Would it be okay if Ron spends the summer with us?' Hermione asked.
'Well, we were planning on a holiday …' said Helen Granger.
'Oh, Helen, come on, it'll be nice to have another bloke around the house, the more the merrier!' said Richard.
'Well, if your parents don't mind, then we'd love to have you, Ron,' said Helen.
'Thank you, and I'm sure they won't, but I'll write to Hermione to let you know,' said Ron.
'Richard, why don't we take Hermione's trunk to the car and she can give Ron a proper goodbye?' Helen suggested.
Her husband got the hint and together Hermione's parents took her trunk to their car, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
Ron wasted no time in pulling Hermione into a loving, deep and passionate kiss, which she returned. When they broke apart, there were tears running down Hermione's face. Ron caught the tears with a gentle thumb and said,
'Please don't cry, Hermione.'
'I'm sorry, I can't help it, I just worry about what you're going home to,' she said.
'I know, but knowing I have you waiting for me will give me the strength I need to bear it, I love you, Hermione,' he said softly.
'I love you too, Ron,' she said before giving him one more kiss and going off to find her parents.
It was a few minutes later when Bill took him and his trunk home by Side-along Apparition.