Thursday, September 1, 2005

   Strange as it Seems, She's the One I'm After -- Chapter Two

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the whole story written here is fiction from the Harry Potter books.

Updated daily.

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It was later, late in the summer season, that Hermione found herself in the Ministry of Magic's extensive library. It was large and silent, and Hermione was leafing through an ancient copy of Hogwarts: A History. True, she'd read it a million times, but this was different. This rare and beautiful book was a first edition, full of things that had been cut out over the years. This included an extensive piece on the Four Founders, of which Hermione found keen interest, especially when it came to the matter of Rowena Ravenclaw.

She'd found a couple of portraits, copied over from the actual paintings, of the intelligence-valuing woman, but she'd been very fond of jewelry and the like. For being a historically sensible woman, she sure was clad in a ridiculous amount of decoration. Hermione was jotting down various things that seemed significant, hoping to find something seen in all of the dipictions of the woman or actually written about in the text.

You couldn't check things out from the library unless you had a certain level of certification. (It was only by Mr. Weasley's string-pulling that Hermione and the others were even able to get in here at all.) So, Hermione had been spending a rather large amount of time in here lately. She'd been impressed at the library's size and content at first, but even she was getting to the point of grumbling and walking away to find the information they needed in some other form.

Even now, as she'd laid her quill down again, her eyes felt heavy. Still, they continued to move back and forth down the page, stubbornly searching for the answers that the whole world needed desperately.

Shaking himself free of dust and cobwebs, whilest sneezing quite a few times, the redhead boy came up to Hermione Granger from the back door, a small bag in his hand. "Blimey, every time. Still working, I see? Here, mum sent over something to snack on." With a faint flush, he set the bag down and took a seat across from her.

Staring at the book before Hermione and then her notes, the Weasley easily admired how many hours of reading the girl in front of him put into research. Truthfully, Harry and Ron wouldn't be able to get very far in the quest of the wizarding world without Hermione Granger. She was like the backbone, that nagged sometimes.

Ron's sneezing actually startled her, and she just slightly. She was terribly glad to see him, though, and grinned for it. Truth be told, she was getting absolutely tired of looking at nothing buy old pages all day. The brilliant colors that composed Ronald Weasley were a more than welcoming change in the seeming black-and-white of the Ministry's endless isles of books.

With a curious look in his direction and a small, satisfied smile, she lean forward to peek curiously into the packaging and Mrs. Weasley's care package. Pumpkin cookies, happy and orange and begging to be nibbled on, greeted her cheerily. With a small, "Ooh." and an impish smile, she grabbed on up in her fingers and took a little bite. Her eyebrow quirked when she discovered a box from the Weasley's Wizarding Weezes inside. "Drop by the twins' place?" She asked, taking another bite and marking her place in the large book.

She'd take a break. Everything was pushed to the side.

"Oh, those," Clearly Ronald had been waiting for her to ask about the curious box. "The twins sent it over for you actually. They said you might need it before they locked up the items." After pulling the cookies out and then the box, Ron carefully set the box in front of Hermione. Inside were some of the magical pranks of the more serious kind, the very ones Harry had yelled at the two men for selling to Malfoy.

Ron watched her face intently for her expression when she saw the stuff, and because he hadn't seen her face for most part of the day. Running a hand through his hair casually, Ron leaned forward in his chair even though no one was really there in the library with them to see what mysterious Weasley's Wizarding Weezes waited.

"The blackout powder?" She questioned, leaning inward a little more. She undid the lid, lifting the ebony, paper wrapped powder from inside. She didn't really understand why she'd need it, persay. Maybe it was the twins' idea of a teasing joke somehow. Clever as it was, last year came to mind and she frowned quickly.

There was one more item in the box, an unglitched copy of the telescope that had given Hermione a shiner last summer. "Oh ho." She stated frankly, giving the object a sceptical look and carefully replacing it. She popped the rest of her cookie into her mouth, chewing and shallowing as she mused on some random piece of information.

Both of them leaning over the tabletop... The corners on her lips turned up and she quickly pecked the end of Ron's long nose. "Well, that was nice of them." Even though she was smiling, she sounded playfully doubtful.

With a wrinkle of his nose, Ron smiled and leaned back into his chair, turning a slight pink. Even after getting pretty much everything out into the open with her, he still couldn't help but blush. "I'm sure it will come useful sometime, eh?" He motioned at the powder. Everything happened for a reason, right? After all, that's what the three had found out during the years.

Putting his fingers in a steeple, watching her look over the telescope he tapped his fingers against each other amusedly. Though, Ron knew it was getting late and he should probably be getting Hermione back to the house to rest, even if she refused.

"Maybe." She said breezily, taking up another cookie and starting on it. She was careful not to get any crumbs anywhere, these books were too precious and delicate to get dirty in any way. Flipping a few pages, her eyes were looking critically at the pages.

"I'll have to come back tomorrow." She deduced, shutting the large text carefully and pushing all of her notes into a pile that she began to roll up together. "What time is it, anyway?" A small charm sealed the roll of papers and they went swiftly into her bag with her quill. She simply set the book aside, knowing that it would be waiting upon her return.

Well, that was easy enough. "I'd say alittle after eight o'clock," Ron smiled with a sigh, instead of a yawn. Watching her pack up everything, Ronald looked around to make sure she hadn't left anything important. "So, did you find anything interesting today?" Of course she had. Everything was interesting to Hermione and whether that was good or bad, Ron would never know.

Standing up, Ron collected the former contents of the bag and carefully set the Weasley's Wizarding Weezes box back into the bag also. Momentarily he thought over the gifts that twins had given Hermione.

"Not particularly." She said flatly, standing as well and grabbing up her own things. "I can't even tell that I'm getting any closer to figuring anything out." She sounded dejected, put-off easily by the fact that she didn't know what she wanted, needed, to.

With a soft sigh, she pulled the strap to her bag over her head and hooked her arm into his. She was actually looking forward to the evening after being cooped up in the library all day. Even for a rabid bibliophile like herself, there was a point when enough was enough. Thoughts of whatever Mrs. Weasley had prepared for dinner were very inviting indeed.

That brought her to a small problem that had been brewing in the back of her mind. She'd been staying with the Weasleys for practically the whole summer. She loved it, and them, truly. They were like family. Hermione couldn't help but feel, though, like she was just using up their space while doing nothing in return. She didn't fancy feeling like a mooch.

The coming weekend was set aside for Godric's Hollow... Maybe she could talk to Harry about rooming with him or something? Would that be just as bad? Oh, well. Forget it. She'd find something soon enough.

"So," She stated, using her conversation-voice, "What'd you do today?"

"Ah, well," He said, patting her hand gently while thinking of what could be something exciting to tell her. There wasn't too much he had actually done that day that would be close to even worth telling even a granny with a bad ear. With a slight frown, Ron looked at Hermione sheepishly, "Just helped Fred and George in the shop, actually. Harry and Ginny came along also. Funny thing... We ran into Percy. Quiet literally." The boy gave a short chorkle at the thought.

Indeed, the two boys were being instructed by Ginny on where to take the right steps (as they were carrying boxes) and bumped straight into Percy Weasley, formerly related brother of the two younger Weasleys. "God, he's such a prat," Ron said after a moment, only his tone wasn't the usual hate filled when talking about the man.

Walking along to front doors, after saying a quick goodbye to Mr. Weasley (who was working later than ever), the two came out to the ally like way and it was fairing to be a clear night ahead of them.

"Well, he'll get better eventually." She stated, hoping that it was true. The Weasleys had always been close-knit, and having one egomaniac sour such a thing was a crying shame. Their family had fared resonably well, however, save for Mrs. Weasley's eventual outbursts about her family-rejecting son.

They'd stopped in on Mr. Weasley, and Hermione was sure to thank him again for his help in getting her and the others access to the library. There wasn't too much time for him to talk, though, and the pair quickly found themselves outside of the government building.

She took in a deep breath. Even though she enjoyed busy bustle from time to time, quiet, open spaces were definately welcome. She stretched her arms into the air, feeling for the first time all day as if she were allowed to move. "So, what now?" She asked, a prim smile marking her face.

"Hmn, home I suppose?" Ron looked down at his feet, catching a few glances at her as she stretched. He wanted to just embrace her for a while, right there, outside in the city (anywhere really) but wasn't too sure on how that would turn out. Instead, he could settle with clasping her hand gently after her stretching from the cramped library.

"Unless you need anything," He said, looking around slightly, glad to have the personal time with Hermione and being able to speak openly to her. Really, this was his favorite time of day, when he got to pick Hermione up. Even if Ginny threatened to jinx him if she wouldn't be permitted to go along.

Hermione mused on it for a moment and, after going through a mental list, could find nothing that she absolutely had to have. "Home it is, then." Again, the apprehensions about called The Burrow 'home' surface, but with a much more positive impact this time. Doubled with the fact that she was welcome was the fact that Ron now associated his own childhood home as her's as well.

Fishing her wand her pocket, she stepped forward into a more open area. A careful look around told her that there were no non-magicals to witness her next move. "Apparition, then?" She asked lightly. (Ron and Harry had just passed their tests recently, on Harry's birthday. Though he didn't pop around that Fred and George had, he'd seemed very pleased that the second time was a charm.) "Meet you outside the back door?"

She raised her wand, blowing him a kiss in playful gesture before putting forthe the oh-so proper concentration. There was that dreadful feeling of being forcefully sqwished from all sides and she was suddenly outside of the Weasley's house.

Ron shook his head, grinning at the spot where Hermione had been. Then sighing light heartedly, the boy followed suite and was at his home after a quick feeling of all awkwardness and a faint pop. "Home again," Ron stated for no reason but out of habit, like his father most likely.

The redhead ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the house as he stood next to Hermione. Someone would be out soon enough to greet them. It would either be Mrs. Weasley or the ever watchful Ginny. She didn't seem to like leaving them alone for too long, even if she did adore Hermione as much as if the girl was her own older sister.

Harry heard two pops, closely together, from the lawn. He had merely to tilt his head towards the window in order to see from where he and Ginny sat in Fred and George's old room (which Ginny and Hermione were sharing for another holiday until Bill and Fleur moved into their new home). Though they were on the upper floors of the house, he could make out Ron's bright hair which, in all fairness, could've been any of the Weasleys. It was accompanied, though, by uncontrolled locks of brown; Hermione.

"They're back." He stated simply to the red-headed girl, a smile creeping onto his face. "Wonderful. Dinner'll be soon, then." Harry, needless to say, had grown extremely fond of Mrs. Weasley's cooking over the years. Standing while trying to pat down his unruly hair, he decided to go down and greet his dearest friends.

Turning to Ginny once again and inching towards the door, a grin smoothly split his face again. "I'll race you." His face became impish and he darted for the door.

"Home..." She echoed after him, looking mistily over the odd house. Oh, dear. Again with this 'home' issue. Would it continue to pop up like this through the rest of the evening? Was there any way she could nip this in the bud?

"Thanks for letting me stay for so long." No. Probably not. "I know I'm probably imposing..." These are things, of course, that would do her better to tell Mr. or Mrs. Weasley, but Ron was getting it instead. Perhaps for relay purposes...? "Either way," She was trying to put resolve into her voice, "I appreciate it."

Ginny wasn't one to back down from a competition, even one as sudden as the one offered. "You're on!" She said and tried to push past Harry for the door. Though she could easily get past him for the door, the hallway would be a problem if she didn't beat past him seeing as it was a tiny hallway and stairway. Luckily, Ginny had already tied her long hair back for other things they were up to earlier.

Ron stared at Hermione blankly out in the dark, the soft light of the Burrow barely putting off enough light. He wasn't sure if he should take what she said for what it was or as an insult. The boy had always enjoyed sharing his home with his two bestfriends and often wished they could stay longer than a summer or Christmas.

"Hermione, you know you can stay with us any time," Ron said softly, sticking his hands into his jean pockets. He looked over at her, smiling. "Any time. For as long as you want. Same with Harry."

She was still looking fondly at the house, but broke that line smoothly with a soft smile. Hermione looked instead to Ron, turning to face him a taking a couple of sure steps in his direction. "Well, I did say I appreciated it." He smile had turned now, joking and trying to brush the whole thing off easily.

She reached up to him, her palm finding the hinge of his jaw to tilt his face downwards to her. Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his and marveled in the fact that she was allowed, finally, to do so.

Damn it! Ginny was able to easily slip by him and into the hall. Not too discouraged, though, he followed closely behind, not daring to pass in the narrow hallway. It was only developed athletic prowess that allowed him to cleanly jump the sofa in the living room and bypass the red-headed beauty.

With a loud "HA!" of victory, he threw the backdoor open only to be greated by the image of Ron and Hermione standing too close for mere friendship. His victorious whoop was immediate cut off. It was quickly replaced, however, with a look of extreme curiousity and mocking glee. Hermione had yelped and jumped away almost as soon as the door had opened, looking flushed and frightened. "Uh, Hello there." He looked over his shoulder at Ginny, nodded toward the two and grinning like a mad-man. "Interrupting something, are we?"

It took a while for Ron to come back to earth as easily as Hermione for he looked dreamily over at the two standing in the doorway and only realized who they were when Ginny's face, hidden by her hands, was trying her hardest to hold back her laughter and Harry's mocking, friendly face. "Oh, hey guys, lovely night eh?" Was all he managed to say, after clearing his throat and with his hands still in his pockets, Ron rocked back and forth on his feet with a simple smile.

"Ohhohohoho! Not as lovely as this!" Ginny just about fell over from all the giggling she was holding back. Clinging gently to Harry's side, mainly to support herself, the girl looked back and forth between her dearest friend and brother. "I knew something was going on! Gnomes! Pfft!" Ha, did that make the redhead laugh. After the wedding, the young girl had been bothering Hermione up until. . .The night before about what was really going on and Ginny truly found what Ron and Harry had mean't the whole time they complained that their friend was a stubborn closed book.

But now that all changed due to some bad timing on Hermione and Ron's side and a stroke of luck that Harry had wanted to race. At this, the Weasley boy sighed but really what could he do? And at that, the Weasley girl finally had the ultimate gossip of all time.
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