Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Hermione smiled as she woke up, glancing over to the snoring body next to her. Rolling her eyes, she poked him. He grumbled and rolled on his side, his back facing her. Sighing, she sat up and shook him.
"'Mione," he groaned, turning over again to face her.
She smiled down at him. "I seem to remember that we had a 'no sleeping together until the wedding night lest Ronald Weasley lose control' rule," she whispered, pushing back the covers and getting out of bed.
Ron looked down then frowned. "I still have my clothes on," he mumbled, watching her move over to the vanity.
She glanced back at him. "That's not what I meant, Ron," she said, pulling out a t-shirt.
Ron rolled his eyes and got up, going over to her. "We didn't do anything," he complained, pulling her back to his chest while she continued to search for clothes.
Hermione leaned her head to the side as his lips began to make their way down her neck. "That doesn't mean you're spending the night here again," she said opening another drawer.
Ron's eyes got bright and he reached around her pulling out some rather lacy panties. "When do you where these?" he asked cheekily.
Hermione snatched them out of his hands and put them back in the drawer, pulling out some much less revealing underwear. "When I'm with my other lover," she answered casually, closing the drawer and pulling away from Ron.
"Oy!"
She smiled and went into the bathroom. "Why don't you make some breakfast?" she suggested before closing the door.
Ron rolled his eyes and left the bedroom.
Soon the flat was filled with the wonderful smells of breakfast as Hermione emerged from her room, decked out in faded jeans and a rather fitting baby blue shirt. She stopped at the door and took a sniff, savoring the smell before entering the kitchen and wrapping her arms around Ron. He glanced down at her then back at the bacon.
"I'm going to burn it," he said.
Hermione smiled and kissed him on the cheek before pouring herself a cup of tea and sitting down at the small kitchen table.
"Reeta Skeeter wants to know about our wedding plans," she commented as she watched him.
"Skeeter can go to hell."
"Ron!"
"She can!" he defended.
"You shouldn't condemn people," she scolded.
"You called Malfoy a vile, loathsome, evil little cockroach. Look how he turned out," he pointed out.
Hermione rolled her eyes and looked down at her cup, muttering to herself about ferrets and reporters. Ron smiled and turned back to the stove. She picked up the newspaper that had been delivered and began to read, stopping only at interesting pieces of writing.
"I guess you're going into work," she said as he set down some food on the table.
He frowned and stopped. "What do you mean?"
Hermione set down the paper and pointed at an article on the front page. "Someone broke into the Auror Headquarters," she told him.
Ron sat down beside her and picked up the paper, his eyes scanning over the contents of the article. "It says they broke into an Auror's office… won't say whose," he said as he began stuffing eggs into his mouth.
Hermione grimaced and turned away, sipping her tea. "Some things never change," she muttered to herself.
"Weasley! You're late!"
"I wasn't even supposed to be here today," Ron grumbled.
"You're a great Auror, Weasley, but I swear, you keep talking and you'll be at your desk for months," Kingsley growled.
Ron sighed and glanced around. "May I ask why I'm here?"
Kingsley pointed over to the hall leading to several Auror's offices. "Your office was broken into," he said.
Ron immediately straightened, his eyes darkening. "What?"
Kingsley led the way, moving past several Aurors in the hall. "Some guard came past this morning. The alarm didn't even go off. He checked around and your office was trashed."
Ron caught sight of his open door, several Aurors moving in and out with cameras and notepads. Ron moved passed them and entered his office, looking around in horror. File cabinet in his office was tipped over, the files all over the floor. The two chairs in front of his desk were destroyed as well as his own chair. The pictures on the wall however were untouched. However, the one on his desk was out of its frame. It was the one of him, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna at graduation. Hermione's face was circled in red. Ron reached out to grab it but someone stopped him.
"Harry," he whispered.
Harry smiled and pointed around the room. "I always said you needed to redecorate," he said. He then pointed to the picture. "It's cursed. Some bloke already tried touching it. We had to send him to Mungos," he told his friend.
"Who the hell?"
"There's plenty of people," Harry quipped, watching as some Aurors took photos of the wreckage. "It's more like what."
Ron turned to Harry, an eyebrow raised. "What? You think a creature had the time to do this without security catching wind of it?" he asked incredulously.
Harry glanced around one more time before leading Ron out of the destroyed room. He led his friend across to his office and closed the door. "Kingsley probably already told you, but security didn't see anything," he said.
"Then how did my room get destroyed? And more importantly, why?" Ron growled, running his hands through his hair.
Harry patted Ron's back. "It'll be ok. Your room will be fine," he said. He then sat down at his desk and looked up at Ron, a smirk on his face.
"Why were you late anyway? The only time you're ever late is when you're with Herm-"
"I'm going to go see if anything was stolen," Ron muttered, leaving the room.
Harry watched him go, smiling to himself and shaking his head.
"I've got to go," Ginny whispered.
"Now?"
"Yes, now. I do have a job you know."
"Oh right… I forgot."
"That might be on account that you're distracted."
"You're distracting," he mumbled into her neck.
Ginny sighed and pulled away, taking his face in her hands. "I really have to go. I have a ton of papers on my desk that have to be signed."
"You're too important for your own damn good," he whispered.
"You're lucky I'm a good girl or the press would be all over this," Ginny said grabbing her purse and heading for the door.
"You're a good girl?"
Ginny turned to him and stuck out a tongue.
"That's mature," he said.
"I'll see you later. After all, important people have important things to do," she said.
"I'm important."
"You're in the wrong department to be important for me," Ginny replied.
Brendon Helton stood up from his chair and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I may not be a part in the Quiddich department, but I do have the power to put you under arrest," he whispered, leaning in and kissing her softly.
"I'm terrified," she mumbled, pulling away and going out the door. She walked down the large hall and was about to make it when the door to her right opened in the raven headed man stepped out. He looked up and frowned.
"Ginny?"
She stumbled over herself and looked up, surprised.
"Harry! What are you doing here?"
Harry's frown deepened, his eyes traveling down the hall before they turned to her. "I work here, remember… what are you-"
"Gin! Gin, you left your jacket," Helton called, coming down the hall and handing Ginny her denim jacket.
Ginny glanced over at Harry, whose eyes were now on Helton. She turned to the man and smiled. "Thanks," she whispered.
Helton smiled and then noticed Harry. "Potter. You going to the briefing?"
"Yes, sir," Harry answered, his eyes now on Ginny.
Helton nodded and pointed down the hall. "Well, come on. Don't want to be late," he said before turning to Ginny. "I'll see you tonight, right?"
Ginny smiled and nodded. She stiffened slightly when he kissed her cheek then started off down the hall. Harry watched him go then turned to Ginny, an eyebrow raised.
"You're dating him?"
At first Ginny looked embarrassed then she puffed up, her eyes hardening. "Yes, I am. Do you find something wrong with that?"
She saw something flicker in his eyes then he held up his hands. "No… No… It's nice… that you've found someone," he whispered.
She was overcome with fiendish glee to find that he was finding it hard to say those words. Though she didn't know why, she was felt that way. Shoving it down, she smiled.
"Well, it's nice to find someone who isn't so self-sacrificing," she said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Ginny shook her head, looking down at her purse. "Nothing… I just meant that he doesn't put his job in front of his personal matters that's all," she whispered before moving passed him.
Harry looked down at the file in his hands then turned. "Ginny!"
She stopped and turned slightly. "Hmm?"
"How long have you two been going out?"
Ginny was about to say something when she stopped herself, looking slightly amused. She snorted and shook her head.
"It looks like Ron doesn't tell you everything," she commented before walking away.
"What are we here for?" Vivian Foreman, an older Auror, asked.
Ron smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Moody called the meeting, must be another wackjob," he commented.
"To be more precise, the wackjob that went into your office, Weasley," Moody growled.
Ron pulled his feet off the table and sat up straighter as Moody entered with Brendon Helton, the man in charge of Ron and Harry's division. He was a great Auror and friendly when he wasn't in a fighting mood. Ron frowned however when Harry entered, a dejected look on his face, his eyes on Helton. Ron's suspicions deepened when Harry sat down beside two Aurors further down.
"Now, if Weasley's done making jokes, let's begin," Moody growled, pulling out a file. "Now what do we know?"
"Whoever it was made it passed security," Hugh Bilington offered.
"He left my pictures alone," Ron said.
"Not that anyone would want them," Vivian muttered.
Several Aurors smiled and Ron rolled his eyes. Helton stood up and put some photos on the board then turned to Ron.
"Was anything missing from your office, Weasley?"
Ron was about to shake his head when he stopped and stood. He walked over to one of the pictures and stared hard at it then nodded. "Yeah… something's missing…" He pointed to one of the photos. "There."
Helton walked over and squinted, frowning. "Your address book?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "No… my picture… it's gone. There was a picture of Her…" He coughed and shifted. Several men chuckled and Ron shot a look at them before turning back at the picture. "A picture's missing," he said clearly before sitting back down, glancing over at Harry, whose eyes were on the table.
"Do you have anyone who would want to harm you?"
"There's plenty of people who would want to kill me," Ron replied. "Most of them are in Azkaban. The others are stewing away at home because I'm engaged."
The room broke out in chuckles and even Moody cracked a ghost of a smile. The old man stood and began tossing files to everyone. "For the next few days all of you have the nice job of staying after hours when the lights go out to see if that creep will come back again," he told them. Groans rang out and Moody started to leave. "You have Weasley and his engaged arse to thank for that."
Ron stood up with the others and started for the door. He waited outside until Harry walked out. He grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. "Am I allowed to ask what I did, or are you going to continue all day like this until we get to the Burrow and then decide that then will be a good time to explode in front of my parents?" he asked.
"When were you planning to tell me that Ginny was seeing Helton?" Harry growled, starting off down the hall.
Ron froze for a moment then jogged to catch up with the furious raven head. "So that's what this is about?"
Harry turned to face Ron, stunned. "You seem to be taking this lightly," he commented bitterly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe the fact that she didn't want to tell you herself might say a lot more about you than me, Harry. I'm not the one who broke her heart six years ago," he pointed out.
Harry was about to retort when he deflated and looked away. "I was just surprised to see her coming out of his office, that's all."
"Something tells me that's not all, but I'll drop it," Ron muttered, starting to walk again.
"How long have they been dating?"
"Three years."
Harry stumbled and just stared at Ron, mouth hanging open. Ron turned around and sighed.
"Look, Harry. I wasn't even supposed to know. I just happened to barge in one time while they were… cuddling," he said, observing Harry's darkening visage. "She really didn't want anyone knowing about it, especially you. Until now, obviously…"
"You could have warned me."
"I didn't think you cared."
"I don't."
"Then why are you making such a big deal over who Ginny dates?"
"I thought that was your job?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "I've got a wedding obsessed mother and a stressed fiancé to worry about. I don't have time to worry about Ginny's love life with my boss," Ron grumbled, moving back towards his office.
Harry watched him go then sighed, running his fingers through his hair. That burning sensation in his chest was once again evident and he knew he had to control it. He had no right to judge her. After all, it had been him that pushed her away…
A/N: I know'll like this one!