A/N: Okay, I promise I'll go slower, because I've gotten a couple of
reviews saying that I go way too fast...I tried to slow down the fifth
chapter but I don't think it worked. So this chapter will go a lot slower,
and there will be more details and I'll try harder to make the characters
more in character. So that means the chapter is probably going to be
longer, also. ::deep breath:: Here we go! Oh, and about George just
sitting back and taking the punch, he knew that Ron loved Hermione, and her
felt really bad and guilty and stuff. It was kind of out of character but
oh, well. I'm not changing it now.
Hermione sighed and looked around her office, recalling the events of the last night. She glanced at the clock, and it ticked tediously and she waited for the hour she could leave. The image of George's face fluttered into her mind and she smiled. He made her feel happy, and she liked it that way. But then Ron's freckles and long nose came into play, and she felt confused. Ron had been her best friend for so long...years...and she couldn't bear to hurt him.
She sighed and picked up her quill, working slowly on a project that would allow her to go to Muggle homes and put a spell prevention on the house, a process that involved millions of homes and only about a hundred witches and wizards getting into and around Muggle homes without being seen, heard, or noticed in any way possible. It was a difficult task, considering wizards tended to be noisier than Muggles in the sort that they would have to mutter incantations.
Finally, as the project came to an end, the clock struck six o'clock and she was free to go back to her home. Today was the day she was to move the very last of her things into her apartment. She gathered her things she needed from her desk, and headed out the door. Once in the hall, she Apparated to her room and gathered her things in another bag she had left on her bed. It was merely a few books, nightclothes, and the flowers Ron had given her. She had put a charm on them so that they would never die, and her charm had prevailed. She smiled, looking at the flowers, forgetting for a moment the triangle she was stuck in.
"Hermione! Sweetheart! Is that you up there?" Her mother's voice floated up from downstairs and permeated through the closed door.
"Yes! I'm just about ready!"
"Well, come down and say good-bye to your father and me!"
Hermione took up her bag and Apparated down to the living room. Her mother came forward and hugged her. "I can't believe my baby is moving out," she said tearfully.
"Oh, mum, I can Apparate back here any time," she said, hugging her mother.
"You know, I never could imagine you living in a place all by yourself," said her father. "I'm very proud of you, 'Mione!" Her father kissed her on her forehead.
"Thanks Dad! Good-bye!" She gave her parents one last wave and Apparated back to her new apartment.
The apartment was quite small and quaint, and her things were put neatly into their proper places. For the past few weeks, she had been transferring her belongings, little by little. The walls were charmed pleasant pastel colours, and she glanced around and smiled. The small living room and kitchen was a pale blue, and there was a small beige love seat in the corner, across from a bookshelf piled high with books about anything and everything. She had a coffee table and a small matching beige recliner. It was different from Muggle recliners. It was very nice, and there was a button you could press to make it softer or firmer, and bubbles and soothing music could play if you said a few special words.
She put the books on the bookshelf and headed to the bedroom in the back. It was painted pale purple and had a bed with a warm patchwork quilt on it her mother and her had started about a year ago and finished recently. She set the nightclothes in her closet, and conjured up a vase for the flowers. She set the flowers in the vase and set them down on the cedar bedside stand.
Now what to do, she thought. She had waited quite a while to move into her apartment, and now that she had, she couldn't think of a thing to do. Hermione thought it might be nice to Apparate to Harry's apartment or the Burrow. Going to the Burrow to see Ron might not have been the best of ideas considering she would have no idea what to talk to him about, so she decided to see what Harry was doing. She Apparated to the door to his apartment and knocked.
"Who is it," came the deep male voice from the other side.
"Hermione!" A few seconds passed and there was a clicking at the door handle as Harry unlocked the door.
"Hullo, Hermione," said Harry warmly as he opened the door. "Fancy that, you coming at this moment. Ron just arrived."
"Oh...Hi, Ron." The freckled face appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron was grinning, which was a relief. It was the old grin. The grin she recognized from the start of first year. No matter how much he grew, his genuine smile never changed. It was always lopsided and slightly self-conscious, and only a few of his teeth showed. She grinned back with the grin that changed in her fourth year.
"We were about to have tea, Hermione. Would you like some," asked Harry politely.
"Sure, Harry," she said, almost giggling at the slight formality of the question.
She followed him into his apartment, which was slightly bigger, and loads messier, than hers. They sat in chairs around a square table in the centre of the living room in front of teacups. Harry fetched teacup and saucer for Hermione and poured tea into it from a dark blue teapot that giggled as the tea poured out of it.
"So, Harry," said Hermione as Harry sat down, "How is training going?"
"Still great. We learned how to use bad spells to our advantage. Very interesting, but it reminds me of Flitwick's lessons."
"How?"
"Taught by a short bloke with a squeaker of a voice that treats us like schoolchildren."
Ron laughed. "Cool. So, how's Dumbledore?"
Harry paused, his eyes cast downward. "Not...terrific. He's had this awful cough for awhile, and he has palsy in his right arm that makes it shake pretty badly."
"Oh..." sighed Hermione, her throat tightening. There was a moment of silence in which they all looked at each other uneasily, all keen on changing the subject.
"How was...your dinner with George, Hermione," said Ron, successfully breaking the silence, but bringing up another thing Hermione had dreaded.
Hermione knew she should tell him the truth and that she had a wonderful time and might even like to ask him out again, but this was Ron. This was the boy who had ripped up his Viktor Krum model when she began to date him in their fourth year. Ron would never be able to take something like that, a blow to his pride. She bit her lip and finally decided to say "well, It's was very nice." She smiled. "Your brother is very nice, Ron."
Ron's face fell slightly. "Oh. That's...that's good...very good. I'm glad you all...get along..."
Hermione sighed. She'd have to talk to George later...
Afterwards, Hermione left Harry's apartment and Apparated to George's. She reached up and knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood George in nothing but pink boxer shorts with little red hearts on them. Hermione giggled. George, blushing to the roots of his hair, ran to the bedroom, still leaving the door opened, and reappeared with the rest of his clothes on. Still slightly pink, he asked, "What's...what's up, Hermione?"
"George, we need to talk," said Hermione urgently.
"Erm...all on in..." he said, opening the door more for her to step in.
Hermione wasn't sure how to tell George that she felt bad for Ron because she was going out with George and how Ron had been giving her these pitiful looks and she felt simply awful. She took a deep breath. "George, Ron is my best friend. I just recently found out that...he's liked me for quite a long time. I can't go on dating you if—"
"Hermione, we're not really dating," said George.
In truth, George had found their dinner rather dull and boring. He had done the things he had said he had done, but in truth was quite ashamed of them. He never wanted it to be known that he had actually read a book for his own curiosity and yearning for education.
"Hermione, did you think we were...?"
"But...the way you kissed me," she said, her voice constricting.
"Look, Hermione...it was all good and fun for a while, but we went too far with that dinner. I really think we should...er...pretend to break up."
Hermione nodded numbly. "Y-yes...that's an e-excellent idea."
"Good. I'm glad you understand. I need to attend to some business of mine, so," said George.
"Right...I'll go." Before George could say anything, Hermione Apparated to her apartment building just outside the door. She slumped against the door. How could she have been so stupid? Of course George wouldn't go for her! Why did she think he would? Why, why? She bit her lip in frustration, willing herself not to cry. And she had refused Ron because she was in love with George...or she thought she was. If she hadn't been so stupid in thinking he was actually interested in her, then she would have Ron, and none of this mess would have happened.
She wiped a few tears off her face and unlocked the door. She was about to push it open when she heard a snapping sound behind her. She turned around and stared up into the freckled, long-nosed face of Ron.
"Ron? What are you doing here?" She gazed up into his azure eyes and felt a dreamy sigh rising in her throat. Since when had he possess eyes like that? And since when had his mouth curved upward so gracefully, and his hair fallen so gently into his eyes? And why hadn't she noticed this before?
"Er...well, George kind of...told me what happened just now, and I—"he said, blushing. Hermione had never noticed before that when he blushed around her, the blush wasn't only in his ears, but it crept across his cheeks. He shuffled his feet nervously.
"Well, Ron...I...appreciate you coming," she said with rising formality. She realised she had tears still rolling down her cheeks, and raised a hand to wipe them off.
"Wait...here," said Ron, reaching up. He took his hand and gently wiped the tears away for her. She felt her face go red and shuddered slightly at his touch. She took his hand and held it to her face.
"Ron, I'm so sorry for pretending to go out with George...if I had known, why," she said gently, looking up at him.
Ron looked at her and smiled shyly. "Hermione, I was wondering...after all this mess with George, I don't suppose you'd want to...er...kind of—"said Ron, his hands shaking.
"Kind of...?"
"Will you have dinner with me sometime," he blurted out.
Hermione smiled. "Of course, ," said Ron with a big goofy grin.
"Ron, I...I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"No, here," she said, beckoning him closer to her.
"What?" Ron leaned forward, a curious and confused expression on his face.
"This—"she said. He gently grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him even closer, and kissed his softly, her eyes closed. Ron, taken by surprise, kissed her back and closed his eyes. When they pulled away, both blushing furiously, Ron looked at her.
"Cool," he said simply, and they looked at each other and laughed slightly, neither letting go of the other. And maybe they never will...
A/N: DONE! YAAAAYYY!!! I'm so happy!!! I know, I think the ending was kind of abrupt, but they HAD to kiss!!!
Hermione sighed and looked around her office, recalling the events of the last night. She glanced at the clock, and it ticked tediously and she waited for the hour she could leave. The image of George's face fluttered into her mind and she smiled. He made her feel happy, and she liked it that way. But then Ron's freckles and long nose came into play, and she felt confused. Ron had been her best friend for so long...years...and she couldn't bear to hurt him.
She sighed and picked up her quill, working slowly on a project that would allow her to go to Muggle homes and put a spell prevention on the house, a process that involved millions of homes and only about a hundred witches and wizards getting into and around Muggle homes without being seen, heard, or noticed in any way possible. It was a difficult task, considering wizards tended to be noisier than Muggles in the sort that they would have to mutter incantations.
Finally, as the project came to an end, the clock struck six o'clock and she was free to go back to her home. Today was the day she was to move the very last of her things into her apartment. She gathered her things she needed from her desk, and headed out the door. Once in the hall, she Apparated to her room and gathered her things in another bag she had left on her bed. It was merely a few books, nightclothes, and the flowers Ron had given her. She had put a charm on them so that they would never die, and her charm had prevailed. She smiled, looking at the flowers, forgetting for a moment the triangle she was stuck in.
"Hermione! Sweetheart! Is that you up there?" Her mother's voice floated up from downstairs and permeated through the closed door.
"Yes! I'm just about ready!"
"Well, come down and say good-bye to your father and me!"
Hermione took up her bag and Apparated down to the living room. Her mother came forward and hugged her. "I can't believe my baby is moving out," she said tearfully.
"Oh, mum, I can Apparate back here any time," she said, hugging her mother.
"You know, I never could imagine you living in a place all by yourself," said her father. "I'm very proud of you, 'Mione!" Her father kissed her on her forehead.
"Thanks Dad! Good-bye!" She gave her parents one last wave and Apparated back to her new apartment.
The apartment was quite small and quaint, and her things were put neatly into their proper places. For the past few weeks, she had been transferring her belongings, little by little. The walls were charmed pleasant pastel colours, and she glanced around and smiled. The small living room and kitchen was a pale blue, and there was a small beige love seat in the corner, across from a bookshelf piled high with books about anything and everything. She had a coffee table and a small matching beige recliner. It was different from Muggle recliners. It was very nice, and there was a button you could press to make it softer or firmer, and bubbles and soothing music could play if you said a few special words.
She put the books on the bookshelf and headed to the bedroom in the back. It was painted pale purple and had a bed with a warm patchwork quilt on it her mother and her had started about a year ago and finished recently. She set the nightclothes in her closet, and conjured up a vase for the flowers. She set the flowers in the vase and set them down on the cedar bedside stand.
Now what to do, she thought. She had waited quite a while to move into her apartment, and now that she had, she couldn't think of a thing to do. Hermione thought it might be nice to Apparate to Harry's apartment or the Burrow. Going to the Burrow to see Ron might not have been the best of ideas considering she would have no idea what to talk to him about, so she decided to see what Harry was doing. She Apparated to the door to his apartment and knocked.
"Who is it," came the deep male voice from the other side.
"Hermione!" A few seconds passed and there was a clicking at the door handle as Harry unlocked the door.
"Hullo, Hermione," said Harry warmly as he opened the door. "Fancy that, you coming at this moment. Ron just arrived."
"Oh...Hi, Ron." The freckled face appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron was grinning, which was a relief. It was the old grin. The grin she recognized from the start of first year. No matter how much he grew, his genuine smile never changed. It was always lopsided and slightly self-conscious, and only a few of his teeth showed. She grinned back with the grin that changed in her fourth year.
"We were about to have tea, Hermione. Would you like some," asked Harry politely.
"Sure, Harry," she said, almost giggling at the slight formality of the question.
She followed him into his apartment, which was slightly bigger, and loads messier, than hers. They sat in chairs around a square table in the centre of the living room in front of teacups. Harry fetched teacup and saucer for Hermione and poured tea into it from a dark blue teapot that giggled as the tea poured out of it.
"So, Harry," said Hermione as Harry sat down, "How is training going?"
"Still great. We learned how to use bad spells to our advantage. Very interesting, but it reminds me of Flitwick's lessons."
"How?"
"Taught by a short bloke with a squeaker of a voice that treats us like schoolchildren."
Ron laughed. "Cool. So, how's Dumbledore?"
Harry paused, his eyes cast downward. "Not...terrific. He's had this awful cough for awhile, and he has palsy in his right arm that makes it shake pretty badly."
"Oh..." sighed Hermione, her throat tightening. There was a moment of silence in which they all looked at each other uneasily, all keen on changing the subject.
"How was...your dinner with George, Hermione," said Ron, successfully breaking the silence, but bringing up another thing Hermione had dreaded.
Hermione knew she should tell him the truth and that she had a wonderful time and might even like to ask him out again, but this was Ron. This was the boy who had ripped up his Viktor Krum model when she began to date him in their fourth year. Ron would never be able to take something like that, a blow to his pride. She bit her lip and finally decided to say "well, It's was very nice." She smiled. "Your brother is very nice, Ron."
Ron's face fell slightly. "Oh. That's...that's good...very good. I'm glad you all...get along..."
Hermione sighed. She'd have to talk to George later...
Afterwards, Hermione left Harry's apartment and Apparated to George's. She reached up and knocked on the door. The door opened and there stood George in nothing but pink boxer shorts with little red hearts on them. Hermione giggled. George, blushing to the roots of his hair, ran to the bedroom, still leaving the door opened, and reappeared with the rest of his clothes on. Still slightly pink, he asked, "What's...what's up, Hermione?"
"George, we need to talk," said Hermione urgently.
"Erm...all on in..." he said, opening the door more for her to step in.
Hermione wasn't sure how to tell George that she felt bad for Ron because she was going out with George and how Ron had been giving her these pitiful looks and she felt simply awful. She took a deep breath. "George, Ron is my best friend. I just recently found out that...he's liked me for quite a long time. I can't go on dating you if—"
"Hermione, we're not really dating," said George.
In truth, George had found their dinner rather dull and boring. He had done the things he had said he had done, but in truth was quite ashamed of them. He never wanted it to be known that he had actually read a book for his own curiosity and yearning for education.
"Hermione, did you think we were...?"
"But...the way you kissed me," she said, her voice constricting.
"Look, Hermione...it was all good and fun for a while, but we went too far with that dinner. I really think we should...er...pretend to break up."
Hermione nodded numbly. "Y-yes...that's an e-excellent idea."
"Good. I'm glad you understand. I need to attend to some business of mine, so," said George.
"Right...I'll go." Before George could say anything, Hermione Apparated to her apartment building just outside the door. She slumped against the door. How could she have been so stupid? Of course George wouldn't go for her! Why did she think he would? Why, why? She bit her lip in frustration, willing herself not to cry. And she had refused Ron because she was in love with George...or she thought she was. If she hadn't been so stupid in thinking he was actually interested in her, then she would have Ron, and none of this mess would have happened.
She wiped a few tears off her face and unlocked the door. She was about to push it open when she heard a snapping sound behind her. She turned around and stared up into the freckled, long-nosed face of Ron.
"Ron? What are you doing here?" She gazed up into his azure eyes and felt a dreamy sigh rising in her throat. Since when had he possess eyes like that? And since when had his mouth curved upward so gracefully, and his hair fallen so gently into his eyes? And why hadn't she noticed this before?
"Er...well, George kind of...told me what happened just now, and I—"he said, blushing. Hermione had never noticed before that when he blushed around her, the blush wasn't only in his ears, but it crept across his cheeks. He shuffled his feet nervously.
"Well, Ron...I...appreciate you coming," she said with rising formality. She realised she had tears still rolling down her cheeks, and raised a hand to wipe them off.
"Wait...here," said Ron, reaching up. He took his hand and gently wiped the tears away for her. She felt her face go red and shuddered slightly at his touch. She took his hand and held it to her face.
"Ron, I'm so sorry for pretending to go out with George...if I had known, why," she said gently, looking up at him.
Ron looked at her and smiled shyly. "Hermione, I was wondering...after all this mess with George, I don't suppose you'd want to...er...kind of—"said Ron, his hands shaking.
"Kind of...?"
"Will you have dinner with me sometime," he blurted out.
Hermione smiled. "Of course, ," said Ron with a big goofy grin.
"Ron, I...I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"No, here," she said, beckoning him closer to her.
"What?" Ron leaned forward, a curious and confused expression on his face.
"This—"she said. He gently grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him even closer, and kissed his softly, her eyes closed. Ron, taken by surprise, kissed her back and closed his eyes. When they pulled away, both blushing furiously, Ron looked at her.
"Cool," he said simply, and they looked at each other and laughed slightly, neither letting go of the other. And maybe they never will...
A/N: DONE! YAAAAYYY!!! I'm so happy!!! I know, I think the ending was kind of abrupt, but they HAD to kiss!!!