Cappuccino After Eleven
Here is a longer chapter for you! Finally, the plot is thickening, and we are seeing some proper interactions between Ron and Hermione.
For everyone that has left reviews so far: thank you so immensely much! I appreciate you all – and your support – to bits!
Chapter Six
Tea-Turned-Wine Girl
She knocked on the door at 22:00 sharp, after having waited a couple minutes for the clock to turn.
It had been difficult finding out what to wear for the evening. In the end, she had decided for a pair of loose jeans and a breezy shirt, even adding a bracelet she had gotten from her grandmother back in Arizona before she had left for Italy.
A crisp evening breeze suddenly blew its way into her open jacket, just like a cold, dead hand sliding down on her exposed skin. She shuddered and tried to shake the feeling off.
A moment passed, then another.
No response on the other side of the door.
Another long minute flew by, and the door shuddered.
Hermione looked around, unsure if she were in the right place or not.
She heard the sound of footsteps, and then a woman stormed out the door. Just in time, she grabbed the handle before the door smacked shut, and muttered a small grazie to the woman that was already gone, and it was lost to the wind.
There was a second door right inside. She tried the handle, and from then on, small white paper notes showed her the way to the right apartment.
A couple stairs later, she found herself outside a red-brown, heavy-looking door.
She knocked.
There were sounds from the other side. Music. Some laughter that would rise in waves.
Hermione hesitated, then knocked again.
Nothing happened.
Judging from the loud music on the other side, she thought perhaps they hadn't heard her. Considering if she should go back home or open the door, she took a deep breath and pushed it open.
The music was deafening, and it was coming from everywhere. There were multicoloured party lights blinking in the ceiling from a light placed somewhere on the floor, and three girls were bending over in laughter at the end of the corridor.
Their clear plastic cups were over-filled with liquid. The apartment smelled sweetly of beer.
"There you are!" Ron turned the corner and was suddenly leading her towards the rest of the party, "I was starting to fear you wouldn't come,"
Hermione blinked.
"I thought you said to be here at ten,"
He looked confused, then blinked, "Oh,"
A moment of silence passed, then he shook his head.
"At least you're here now," he said excitedly, then smiled that beaming smile of his.
She smiled, too, "I brought wine," she said.
"Brilliant!" he said, eyes sparkling. They dimmed, his smile faltering slightly, "I'm sorry. Everybody's already a bit drunk,"
"Don't worry about that, I'm just happy to be invited," she said shyly, looking away and picking at her bracelet.
He put a hand on her shoulder, then gestured from her to everyone else, "Now, let me introduce you!"
After a quick, and a bit messy, introduction by Ron, she had already outlined who was there.
It was Harry, the guy with the messy black hair and Ron's best friend from childhood. Harry was studying to be an Auror but was taking gardening and psychology classes in the university.
Then, there was Neville. He was shy and had blushed deeply at Ron's generous introduction of him. Harry knew him through their advanced Italian botany class, and that's how he had gotten to know Ron, too.
The three girls were Parvati, Padma, and Lavender. They were studying medicine together and were all friends of Ron's flatmate: Cho.
After the introductions, there was no awkward silence like she had expected as the outsider. No, a beer was shoved into her hands (even though she had brought her own alcohol), and she was smoothly ushered into a fast-paced conversation with the girls.
"So, then Brad – Hermione, that's the American guy that approached me in the tram – asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him! And can you believe it –" Lavender continued in her posh British accent, seeing everything and nothing at the same time, batting her lush eyelashes.
The other girls listened as if their lives depended on it, but Hermione found herself zoning out, her subconscious grasping at the lyrics of the song thumping in the background.
Suddenly, a hand snaked itself around her shoulders and Hermione jumped.
"'Ello, girls. Do you mind if I steal Hermione for a bit?" Harry said and smiled.
Lavender nodded fervently and continued her story. Cho stared after them when Harry turned away with Hermione, and the two of them shared a longing look at each other.
Even she noticed how Cho's cheeks were tinted a sweet strawberry red.
Harry led her to the table, where Ron and Neville were having a deep conversation about chess.
"Sorry for stealing you away from the girls. They can be a little bit overwhelming at first," Harry smiled politely.
Hermione exhaled, then puffed her lips, "Thank you! I didn't get half of what they were saying,"
Harry laughed.
"But they were super nice! I'm really happy I talked to them," she continued.
He nodded, "Nothing to worry about, I'm sure you'll see them around after tonight as well. I think Lavender liked you,"
Laughter bubbled in her throat and spilled over her lips.
Then she swiped her hand over her shoulder and jokingly said, "I mean, who doesn't like me?"
Ironically, though, she knew the truth of her joke as well as she knew the insides of the walls of her room.
Fairly well.
To both her surprise and joy, though, Harry – who had been sipping his own drink while she talked – had to bring up a hand over his mouth as not to spit it all out with laughter.
Then, after his little spurt of mirth, he sobered up and looked at her.
Then he leaned closer, "Well, I can assure you that Ron does, Tea Girl,"
Hermione blushed a beet red. Her cheeks burned – whether in embarrassment or in soft pleasure.
"He talked to you about me?" she asked him quietly, sending Ron a quick glance.
Ron was still deep in his talk with Neville, arguing about some chess move even she had never heard of before. Hermione felt a little let down that she hadn't had the chance to talk with him properly yet.
A little disappointed he hadn't approached her more.
Harry chuckled, swiftly ignoring her question.
Then Harry turned to the arguing pair, leaning over the chessboard, and said, "Neville, would you care for a round?" he asked.
Both of them looked up, the argument dead.
"Of course, Harry," Neville said, and Hermione noticed a little bit of a lisp. It sounded sweet.
Harry turned to Hermione and jokingly said, "Now let me show you how not to play chess,"
From behind him, Ron laughed. It was a gentle laugh, like honey to her ears. Trickling in tone, just like a waterfall. It was the first time she heard it so soft.
"And then after, maybe you and Ron would like to play," Harry finished.
Then, he winked.
Hermione thought she would die of embarrassment right then and there.
And that's how, suddenly, Hermione was sitting opposite of Ron at the table, and even though they had both turned to the side to watch the chess game, she were somehow still lost in the blue of his eyes, and the freckles on his face.
There was a pause in the game, and Hermione leaned over towards Ron, pushing her glass over to him.
"I'm actually not that big a fan of beer," she started, "Would you like to have mine?"
He looked at her, then at the beer.
Unsurely, he picked it up and looked at it, then took a sip, sending her a pleased look, "I can't possibly understand how you don't like beer,"
She took a new cup from the stack beside the chess board and poured some of her wine into it. For good measure, she sloshed it around in the plastic cup.
"Wine is just better," she said.
He laughed, British accent thick and meddling with his words, "Is this the time you tell me that I should try wine instead of beer, just because of the Italian culture aspect of it?"
She sipped her wine.
Even not for the alcohol, the proximity to him was both exciting and scary, warm adrenaline trickling down inside her chest.
Pulling a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Hermione looked up with a mischievous smile and said, "Yes, exactly,"
A/N: Why did I just give Hermione a Bella moment? Nobody knows. Please, if you enjoy my story – anything about it, the writing style, the characters, the plot – I would appreciate it so immeasurably much if you left a little comment about what you like:) And thank you for reading!