A/N: Written for assignment ten Muggle Education task two: Write about someone learning something new. Word count: 805

Get into Gear

Hermione knew something was up when Ron sat beside her and fiddled with things on her desk without speaking. She laid down her quill and watched him with one eyebrow raised.

"I think I want to learn how to drive," he said slowly without looking at her.

She knew him well enough that she didn't express the surprise she felt, knowing it would discourage him and make him insist that he'd known it was a stupid idea all along.

"Okay," she said instead. "But why exactly, if you can apparate?"

He shrugged, looking sheepishly at her.

"Thought it might be useful someday."

It wasn't the entire answer, but it wasn't a lie either. She knew Ron had fallen into one of his occasional bouts of needing to prove something to himself. They were far less frequent as an adult than they'd been while they were at Hogwarts, but he still sunk into them at times.

"It might," she said. "We could start tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Ron repeated with a short nod the the head. "Sounds great."

He was already panicking, but she pretended she didn't notice.

XXX

The next day was as much a challenge for Hermione as it was for Ron. She had to focus all her energy on staying calm as she let Ron get behind the wheel of her father's car. Her husband already looked like a nervous wreck, and she had no desire to make that fear worse. It would only make him more likely to make a massive mistake.

There were cushioning charms on both the inside and outside of the car, she reminded herself. She'd put them there herself.

"Now," she said calmly, "put the car in drive."

Ron did exactly what she'd shown him, and they shot forward suddenly.

"Brakes!"

Ron obliged her. At least he'd remembered where that pedal was. She'd been adamant about him knowing before she'd let him start the car. She was also thankful that the large car park they were using was otherwise deserted.

"Sorry, sorry," Ron muttered, breathing heavily. "Bloody hell. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Hermione said.

She realized she was holding a hand against her chest, and she lowered it, trying to gain what she could of her composure back.

"Loads of people do that the first time they hit the gas. Now you know how much pressure you need."

"Right."

Ron didn't sound convince, but he nodded for her anyway.

"Right," he repeated. "I won't do it again."

He did it several more times, but they got there in time.

XXX

Hermione stared at the wall opposite her. She was itching to get work done—that was the only thing that could have distracted her—but the Muggles around her would have found it strange if she started scribbling on parchment with a quill.

Instead, she tried to occupy herself with a small Muggle book she'd bought for the occasion, but she couldn't get into it no matter how hard she tried. One of the women who worked there kept glancing at her sympathetically, which Hermione found a little sad when she surely saw other family members of future drivers regularly.

When Ron finally appeared, she shot out from her chair, much to the shock of the Muggle two spots down from her, who nearly dropped his phone and gave her a glare she didn't bother paying attention to.

Ron was smiling, and she felt much of her anxiety dissipate.

"How did it go?" she asked.

He held up the ID card in lieu of an explanation, and Hermione smiled brightly, wrapping him in a hug. A Muggle man, grumpy at being made to wait, scoffed, but neither of them paid him any mind as they linked arms and made their way for the exit.

"Congratulations," Hermione began to babble. "I knew you could do it, but I was worried you'd get an awful person administering the test."

Ron shrugged.

"She wasn't all that bad. Did make me a bit nervous though. Almost forgot to use my indicator at one point, and I thought the whole thing might be over. But," his posture straightened, "she said I was impressive for a new driver."

Hermione rose on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Of course you were, dear."

Ron preened under the compliment.

He approached the car with a bounce in his step, getting in with an enthusiasm he had rarely shown in the past.

"Now you get to see just how great I am," he said as he buckled his seat belt.

Hermione gave a short laugh.

"Ron, that test was the first time you'd driven without me sitting beside you. I already know what you're capable of."

He ignored the comment as he put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking spot without jumping forward.