***DISCLAIMER*** I do not own Harry Potter . . . although I wish I did! I
am not attempting to make a profit . . . please don't sue me!
A/N Hey everyone.had a bit of trouble getting this up. This is my first story so I wasn't sure how the posting/editing worked but with the help of my friend Tears from the Moon, and my other friend Jedi Cosmos, I figured it out! Thanks girls! Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy this . . . and please review. I pretty much have a plan for the story, you'll see.
SUMMARY: Hermione and Ron have gotten together again four years after graduation, but Hermione is skeptical about Ron's "love" for her . . . she doesn't see how it can be "love" this early in a relationship. What's a girl to do? Why, present the boy with a challenge of course.
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How Many Ways
Chapter 1 ~ Reports and Roses
By Americanangel
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione sat at her desk rummaging through papers hurriedly, brow furrowed, and concentrating hard on her task. Papers were all over the room and it looked a complete mess. She was looking for an item of utmost importance and she did not notice a tall, red-haired man standing at the door until he cleared his throat.
"Mione? What are you doing?"
Hermione gasped, "Ron! You almost gave me a heart attack! I'm, uh, looking for something." She sighed and he came over to her.
"Anything I can do to help?" His voice expressed concern and he looked at her longingly, before breaking out into a lop-sided grin, "'cause the sooner you get finished, the sooner we can go on our date."
Hermione giggled, "What, our mighty Auror wants to do some desk work? This should be interesting." She winked at him as he threw his arms up in protest.
"Hey! I can be organized. I can work hard. That's not fair!" Ron stood with a frown on his face and folded his arms, "Fine, if you don't want me, I'll just leave."
Hermione stood up and walked over, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Of course you can help. I'm almost done. I just need to find the report I wrote for Mr. Cummings." Mr. Cummings was the replacement for Mr. Crouch, hired soon after the Triwizard Tournament. He was less strict than Mr. Crouch, and he loved to have fun, but still liked to keep his offices in proper order and stressed punctuality. Percy had been peeved by the replacement because Mr. Cummings was much more human and his personality flaws were more prevalent, such as his tendency for cursing and his inability to stay in a relationship, but on the whole Mr. Cummings made the Department for International Wizard Relations a more lively and entertaining atmosphere. Percy, of course, went to work for the Minister of Magic; however, following the announcement of Voldemort's return, Percy returned to the Department of International Wizard Relations and was promoted.
Hermione had joined the department five months after graduating from Hogwarts and loved her job. Her skill and hard work had been recognized by Mr. Cummings immediately and she was promoted to a position under him in which she worked with Percy. Ron had gone to the Auror Academy and had worked hard for a couple years on a series of missions dedicated to capturing the last of the Death Eaters after the fall of Voldemort at the end of their seventh year, but now he was back in London for the majority of the time, as most of the Death Eaters had been taken into custody. Ron and Hermione had begun dating in the middle of their 6th year at Hogwarts, but their relationship was put on hold when they graduated as they took their separate paths. However, now four years later, they had gotten back together again, as Harry had always assumed they would. Sure, they had both tried dating other people, but there was something about one another which made the other people seem, well, dull. They each knew how to liven each other's day and make the other happy, and though they still frequently fought and bickered, they always made up and understood one another better than they understood anyone else, except perhaps Harry.
Ron smiled, "Right, then. What can I do?"
Hermione shrugged, "I'm really not quite sure. See, it's supposed to be in this drawer but I haven't been able to find it and you don't know what it looks like."
"Well, then, I'll just have to clean up this place while you search! Carry on." Hermione rolled her eyes and looked through her desk once more while Ron took out his wand and muttered organizing charms to put the papers in stacks and cleaning charms so that all the trash ended up in her trash can. She was just about to give up hope when Ron called her over to her file cabinet.
"Mione, there seems to be an important looking folder on top of this file cabinet which says 'Mr. Cummings.' Is that what you were looking for?"
Hermione dashed over to the cabinet, and sure enough, her report was in the folder. Breathing a sigh of relief, she kissed Ron on the cheek and took out the report.
"Thank you so much! Oh, I've been looking for almost an hour! I wonder how it got up there. Oh well; I must have sent it up there when I was organizing all these papers, before I destroyed them again looking for that report. I'll just take this to his office and then we'll be going."
Ron smiled contentedly, "Great." He leaned down to kiss her, "Mione, have I ever told you I love you?"
She smiled, "Only about a thousand times!" She then pulled away, leaving him looking dejected, "One second, Ron. We have all evening!" Hermione placed the report in Mr. Cummings' mailbox and then came back to her office. Muttering a spell to turn off the lights and then another to lock the office, she took Ron's outstretched hand and they walked downstairs and Apparated to her apartment.
Ron sat in her kitchen while she went to her room to get changed. She had ironed her clothes for the date that morning and set them on her bed to that she would not have to take long to get ready, but she had not expected him to show up at her office; she had not expected him to show up until 7:00! And it was 6:30! He had arrived at her office at 5:45. Well, she didn't have time for a shower but she did take enough time to make herself look as she wanted to look - made up, but natural, and casual. After all, it was just a casual dinner. Nothing to be worried about - Ron was her best friend! Then why did she have butterflies in her stomach? No time to worry, best not to keep Ron waiting! She put her hair up in a clip to keep it off her shoulders, as it was fairly warm outside. She was wearing a long flowery pink skirt and a light pink top which matched the color of the skirt perfectly, while maintaining her modesty. She had put on little pink earrings and some make up, but not enough to look like a porcelain doll. Finally satisfied with how she looked, she picked up her purse and made her way downstairs. It was 6:45. Ron had begun to get fidgety, but he smiled when he saw her.
"You look beautiful. Oh, I got you this," he said as he handed her a single pink rose. She turned the same color as the rose, and kissed him again on the cheek before finding a vase to put the rose in. He then extended his arm to her for the second time that evening and she accepted it. They Apparated to The Leaky Cauldron and then walked into Diagon Alley, stopping at a small café called Il Fiore Rosso, which was owned by a family of Italian wizards.
"This is where I made the reservation, Hermione. Is it okay?" Ron asked her apprehensively. He had no idea whether or not she liked Italian food.
Hermione smiled, "Yes, Ron, this is lovely. I really enjoy Italian food, and I have heard that this restaurant is one of the best in the alley. Shall we?"
Ron breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, right this way, m'lady." Hermione giggled and walked with him inside.
* * * * * * * * * *
SO.what did you think??? Please review, review, review!!! Hermione's challenge will either come up in chapter 2 or 3! Not sure yet! Thanks!
A/N Hey everyone.had a bit of trouble getting this up. This is my first story so I wasn't sure how the posting/editing worked but with the help of my friend Tears from the Moon, and my other friend Jedi Cosmos, I figured it out! Thanks girls! Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy this . . . and please review. I pretty much have a plan for the story, you'll see.
SUMMARY: Hermione and Ron have gotten together again four years after graduation, but Hermione is skeptical about Ron's "love" for her . . . she doesn't see how it can be "love" this early in a relationship. What's a girl to do? Why, present the boy with a challenge of course.
* * * * * * * * * *
How Many Ways
Chapter 1 ~ Reports and Roses
By Americanangel
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione sat at her desk rummaging through papers hurriedly, brow furrowed, and concentrating hard on her task. Papers were all over the room and it looked a complete mess. She was looking for an item of utmost importance and she did not notice a tall, red-haired man standing at the door until he cleared his throat.
"Mione? What are you doing?"
Hermione gasped, "Ron! You almost gave me a heart attack! I'm, uh, looking for something." She sighed and he came over to her.
"Anything I can do to help?" His voice expressed concern and he looked at her longingly, before breaking out into a lop-sided grin, "'cause the sooner you get finished, the sooner we can go on our date."
Hermione giggled, "What, our mighty Auror wants to do some desk work? This should be interesting." She winked at him as he threw his arms up in protest.
"Hey! I can be organized. I can work hard. That's not fair!" Ron stood with a frown on his face and folded his arms, "Fine, if you don't want me, I'll just leave."
Hermione stood up and walked over, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Of course you can help. I'm almost done. I just need to find the report I wrote for Mr. Cummings." Mr. Cummings was the replacement for Mr. Crouch, hired soon after the Triwizard Tournament. He was less strict than Mr. Crouch, and he loved to have fun, but still liked to keep his offices in proper order and stressed punctuality. Percy had been peeved by the replacement because Mr. Cummings was much more human and his personality flaws were more prevalent, such as his tendency for cursing and his inability to stay in a relationship, but on the whole Mr. Cummings made the Department for International Wizard Relations a more lively and entertaining atmosphere. Percy, of course, went to work for the Minister of Magic; however, following the announcement of Voldemort's return, Percy returned to the Department of International Wizard Relations and was promoted.
Hermione had joined the department five months after graduating from Hogwarts and loved her job. Her skill and hard work had been recognized by Mr. Cummings immediately and she was promoted to a position under him in which she worked with Percy. Ron had gone to the Auror Academy and had worked hard for a couple years on a series of missions dedicated to capturing the last of the Death Eaters after the fall of Voldemort at the end of their seventh year, but now he was back in London for the majority of the time, as most of the Death Eaters had been taken into custody. Ron and Hermione had begun dating in the middle of their 6th year at Hogwarts, but their relationship was put on hold when they graduated as they took their separate paths. However, now four years later, they had gotten back together again, as Harry had always assumed they would. Sure, they had both tried dating other people, but there was something about one another which made the other people seem, well, dull. They each knew how to liven each other's day and make the other happy, and though they still frequently fought and bickered, they always made up and understood one another better than they understood anyone else, except perhaps Harry.
Ron smiled, "Right, then. What can I do?"
Hermione shrugged, "I'm really not quite sure. See, it's supposed to be in this drawer but I haven't been able to find it and you don't know what it looks like."
"Well, then, I'll just have to clean up this place while you search! Carry on." Hermione rolled her eyes and looked through her desk once more while Ron took out his wand and muttered organizing charms to put the papers in stacks and cleaning charms so that all the trash ended up in her trash can. She was just about to give up hope when Ron called her over to her file cabinet.
"Mione, there seems to be an important looking folder on top of this file cabinet which says 'Mr. Cummings.' Is that what you were looking for?"
Hermione dashed over to the cabinet, and sure enough, her report was in the folder. Breathing a sigh of relief, she kissed Ron on the cheek and took out the report.
"Thank you so much! Oh, I've been looking for almost an hour! I wonder how it got up there. Oh well; I must have sent it up there when I was organizing all these papers, before I destroyed them again looking for that report. I'll just take this to his office and then we'll be going."
Ron smiled contentedly, "Great." He leaned down to kiss her, "Mione, have I ever told you I love you?"
She smiled, "Only about a thousand times!" She then pulled away, leaving him looking dejected, "One second, Ron. We have all evening!" Hermione placed the report in Mr. Cummings' mailbox and then came back to her office. Muttering a spell to turn off the lights and then another to lock the office, she took Ron's outstretched hand and they walked downstairs and Apparated to her apartment.
Ron sat in her kitchen while she went to her room to get changed. She had ironed her clothes for the date that morning and set them on her bed to that she would not have to take long to get ready, but she had not expected him to show up at her office; she had not expected him to show up until 7:00! And it was 6:30! He had arrived at her office at 5:45. Well, she didn't have time for a shower but she did take enough time to make herself look as she wanted to look - made up, but natural, and casual. After all, it was just a casual dinner. Nothing to be worried about - Ron was her best friend! Then why did she have butterflies in her stomach? No time to worry, best not to keep Ron waiting! She put her hair up in a clip to keep it off her shoulders, as it was fairly warm outside. She was wearing a long flowery pink skirt and a light pink top which matched the color of the skirt perfectly, while maintaining her modesty. She had put on little pink earrings and some make up, but not enough to look like a porcelain doll. Finally satisfied with how she looked, she picked up her purse and made her way downstairs. It was 6:45. Ron had begun to get fidgety, but he smiled when he saw her.
"You look beautiful. Oh, I got you this," he said as he handed her a single pink rose. She turned the same color as the rose, and kissed him again on the cheek before finding a vase to put the rose in. He then extended his arm to her for the second time that evening and she accepted it. They Apparated to The Leaky Cauldron and then walked into Diagon Alley, stopping at a small café called Il Fiore Rosso, which was owned by a family of Italian wizards.
"This is where I made the reservation, Hermione. Is it okay?" Ron asked her apprehensively. He had no idea whether or not she liked Italian food.
Hermione smiled, "Yes, Ron, this is lovely. I really enjoy Italian food, and I have heard that this restaurant is one of the best in the alley. Shall we?"
Ron breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, right this way, m'lady." Hermione giggled and walked with him inside.
* * * * * * * * * *
SO.what did you think??? Please review, review, review!!! Hermione's challenge will either come up in chapter 2 or 3! Not sure yet! Thanks!