The Sun Always Rises

Nearly five years had passed since Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, their second home for seven years. London, England was now coming upon spring as winter was edging to a close. The hills were turning a lush green again and flowers were blooming in the gardens of most homes. Sunshine had been sparse over the cold winter months and it had finally returned with a vengeance, warming everything underneath it. Fresh blossoms could be smelled from great distances. In the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, store-keepers bustled about, preparing themselves to open their shops within moments.

Just at the edge of Hogsmeade, Hermione Granger was stepping off the station platform and heading up the cobblestone path toward the shops. She hadn't changed drastically since her days in Hogwarts. Her hair was considerably longer as she hadn't cut it much since leaving school. As for anything else that had changed, her skin tone seemed a shade darker as she had spent more time outdoors.

Her body was still small and petite and she carried herself more confidently now, being a young woman nearing her twenty-second birthday. As she continued to walk down the path toward the shops, she took in the sweet smells of the blossoms and soaked up the warm sunshine as she slipped her robe off, revealing a black short-sleeve top, Above the knee-length grey skirt, and black clogs. Her mind wandered elsewhere and she realized she had passed the shop she intended on entering: The Three Broomsticks.

Hermione casually turned back around, making a face as if this didn't surprise her. She walked through the doors and was surprised to see it so crowded, just minutes after its early-morning opening. Madame Rosmerta spotted her coming through the doors and slid out from behind her counter. Hermione had a seat at one of the tables in the corner and draped her dark blue robe over the chair next to her. Madame Rosmerta walked over to see Hermione thinking hard about something. She cleared her throat and Hermione looked up at her and smiled.

"What can I get you, dear? The usual?" She asked. Hermione grinned and nodded her head.

"Yes, thanks." Hermione answered cheerfully. Madame Rosmerta smiled and stalked off behind the counter. She came back and put Hermione's hot cup of cocoa on the table in front of her. Hermione was yet again staring off into space. She cleared her throat again.

"Oh, thanks Rosmerta, you're the best!" Hermione replied in a happy tone.

"Is everything alright? You seem a bit distracted today."

"I'm fine but thanks for being concerned."

Madame Rosmerta nodded and walked off to another table on the other side of the room. Over the years since leaving school, Hermione was a frequent customer at The Three Broomsticks and had come to know Madame Rosmerta rather well. Some would say she lived in the shop, but she merely stopped in a few times a week to have her usual cup of cocoa.

Hermoine sat quite content and sipped on her cocoa as she stared blankly at the bustling environment around her. It was nine-thirty in the morning of April the thirteenth, a Friday. Hermione reached the end of her drink and quickly went to the counter to pay. She grabbed her robe and pushed her way through the mass of people that had gathered in the shop. She stretched out her arm to push the door open, but someone else was on the other side as she did this. The door swung open and Hermione crashed into the stranger. Her robe dropped to the floor and she bent over to pick it up.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy som---" Hermione looked at the stranger that had bumped into her as she stood back up. An all too familiar face stared back at her and the matching voice echoed in her head. The voice of someone very close to her.

"Hermione!"

She grinned and threw her arms around Ron. He seemed taken aback at her sudden movement, but hastily hugged her back. Hermione pulled away and seemed slightly embarassed.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked. "Honestly, you've been acting strange the last couple of months. It's like you're in a totally different place, and hugging everyone all the time, even me!" He joked.

Hermione's face flushed and she put a hand to her forehead in frustration.

"Yes Ron...sorry. Really, I'm fine. Just stressed I guess." She replied. Ron gave her a funny look.

"Well since I ran into you, some of us are getting together tonight at my house. Would you like to come, or are you really busy lately with work and all? Or maybe you're going to go off on that kick again since it's the thirteenth and a Friday?" He suggested. Hermione smiled and ignored Ron's sarcasm.

"Actually that sounds like a good idea. I really need a break. What time does everything start?"

Ron thought about it for a minute.

"Just head on over after you get off work. Oh, have you heard anything from Harry?" Ron asked. Hermione relaxed her face.

"No. Haven't heard anything for quite some time now. You?" She asked him. Ron did the same thing and lost any cheerful expression in his face.

"Haven't heard from him since November, around the time you got your last letter. I hope he's alright. Mum's having the biggest fit about it."

"Well then! I'll see you tonight. Do you want me to bring anything?" Hermione asked.

"A blanket." Ron stated. Hermione gave him a funny look. "We're going to spend some time outside and it might get a bit cool tonight. It's funny, you know. I just wish Harry would owl us and let us know what's going on with him. Maybe then we wouldn't feel so edgy all the time. Well, I'll see you tonight. Bye

Hermione!" Ron made his way through the shop and Hermoine walked out, thinking of a million things at once.

She continued to walk down the cobblestone path at a steady pace. Not too fast but not too slow either. The day was incredibly beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. Hermione looked up and down the path then crossed to the other side when it was clear of any carriages or masses of people hurrying along. Her shoes made a light tapping sound each time she stepped and she quickened her pace, realizing she was going to be late for work and so many customers would be so miffed at her.

She pulled some keys out of her pocket and picked the one that opened the door she was about to enter. As she stopped in front to open it, she suddenly felt like a million eyes were on her. She turned around to see a small crowd gathered around her. Hermione smiled at them all and quickly opened the door to let everyone inside. She hung her robe up and the lights came on. Very quickly she made her way to the counter, to begin her work day at the newest addition to the Hogsmeade village: Granger's Inkwell, a bookshop.

Hermione helped a small crowd of customers with their purchases. After twenty minutes, they all left and Hermione had the shop to herself again. Her cozy little shop had really proved to be a true success. Customers were rushing in and out, giving Hermione hardly any time to herself.

Soft sofas were spaced throughout the open floor beside the bookshelves. The windows had light purple curtains and the candles had a soft blue flame. Pictures of Hermione's most beloved authors were spaced evenly along the pastel yellow walls. Light purple carpet added to the friendly atmosphere Hermione was very careful to take into consideration when planning out what the place would look like.

The children's section seemed to be the busiest as customers came in and out with their small children. The oak door with a glass window at eye-level revealed a small bell attached to the top. She always got compliments on how bright and happy the place looked whenever someone came through. Many people enjoyed her shop, as it was so warm and inviting to the wizard eye. The soft buzzing of the silence was quite relaxing.

She walked over to one of the tables and picked up the books that had gathered there. As she went to put them back on their appropriate shelves, she heard the familiar clink of the bell as the door opened. It let in a cool breeze. Hermione put the books back and rushed to the front to help her next customer.

"Be with you in a minute! Just putting some books away! How can I help you?" She called out as she reappeared from behind the shelves. The customer turned around and pulled the hood off their head. Hermione's eyes twinkled as she saw who stood in front of her: Fayina Marczh. A very well respected witch in these parts and a close friend of Hermione's.

"Fayina! Oh my goodness! When did you get here?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. Fayina walked over and hugged her dear friend, whom she'd known since her sixth year at Hogwarts.

"I got in late last night. The train was packed and got held up three times. I'm telling you, I could have walked all the way here with the amount of time it took to get here by train. When I did get here I saw the sign on this place and thought it was the weirdest coincidence! I don't know any other Grangers!" Fayina replied happily. Hermione shined with happiness at seeing her friend for the first time in three long years.

"Yes I'll tell you all about that later. So how long are you here? Most importantly, where will you be staying?" Hermione asked.

"I'm staying at a friend's house just outside this town and I'll be here for quite some time. I've been stationed here to work for a while, fresh out of training, imagine that."

"That's great! Hey listen, Ron's having some people over at his place tonight. I'm sure he'd love to see you!" Hermione suggested. Fayina smiled wide, brushing away the dark locks of hair that had blown into her face.

"That sounds great. Listen, I've got to go do a few things and I have other people to see before tonight. They'll want to hear all about my---"

"Goodness! What IS that on your hand?" Hermione asked desperately, pointing to Fayina's bruised up hand. Fayina looked down, then back up at Hermione, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Oh, that. I had a bit of a run in with, well I don't know exactly. It's part of our auror training. Happened three weeks ago but it's seems to be improving!" Fayina answered cheerfully. Hermione seemed worried still about the nasty cut that was bandaged and the bruise that creeped out from under it.

"Um, look, can I ask you something?" Hermione began. Fayina nodded reluctantly at the sudden serious tone in her voice.

"Since you went through the auror training and all, I was wondering---"

"If I've seen Harry? Is that what you were about to ask?" Fayina interjected. Hermione looked hopeful with her eyebrows raised, but nodded.

"One thing you have to remember is I went into training a long while after he did, had to decide if this is what I really wanted to do and all. I bumped into him only once and that was quite a while ago. Nearly a year since that happened, and he was very busy at the time. Sorry I can't be of more help. Ron owled me and seemed worried himself." Fayina answered. Hermione sighed.

"Okay well thanks. Look, meet me here at half past five. We can go to Ron's together, how does that sound?" Hermione asked, changing the subject as quickly as she could. Fayina nodded hesitantly, and waved as she headed back out the door. Hermione had the peace and quiet of the shop to herself again.

She walked over to the counter and opened the locked bottom drawer. She didn't have her key on hand but reached for her wand that was sitting on the cherry cedar counter top.

"Alohomorah." She recited, and the drawer whipped open. Hermione pulled out a dusty white envelope and walked over to a sofa in a nearby corner to sit down. The flow of customers seemed to slow down so she took advantage of the quietness of her cozy little book shop. There, she curled up and began to read.

November 6

Dear Hermione,

Sorry it’s been a little while since I last owled you. I’m working on the same case and it’s really going slow. Things are getting really heavy down here but we still can’t manage to resolve anything. I don’t know when you’ll hear from me next but hopefully it won’t be too long. Tell Ron I said hello. I miss you.

Your friend for life,

Harry James Potter

Hermione folded up the letter and shoved it back in the drawer in protest. A million thoughts flooded her mind as she sat on the stool, propped her elbows up on the counter and rested her chin in her hands. She was in such deep thought she didn't realize there was someone in front of the counter staring at her. It was Lavender Brown, accompanied by Parvati Patil.

"Hermione? Are you alright? You seemed a million miles away, is anything wrong?" Parvati asked out of concern. Hermione looked at them and faked a smile, trying desperately to clear her thoughts.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. How are you? I haven't seen you for so long!" Hermione replied, looking between her two former Hogwarts classmates. They smiled.

"We're fine. You sure nothing's bothering you?" Lavender asked. Hermione nodded.

"Ron said he bumped into you today. You're coming to his house tonight, right? We'll be there." Lavender added quickly. Hermione nodded again but didn't say much. "We overheard something interesting today. Seems Harry's due back any day now. It's really going to be quite the show when he reunites with old friends and---" Lavender began, but was rudely interrupted by Parvati's elbow in her ribs. She touched her side and began to rub, giving Parvati a nasty look.

"Yeah…yeah I think I….um heard that too!" Hermione said anxiously, cutting off Lavender completely. Lavender faked an innocent look, which Hermione saw straight through. Parvati rolled her eyes.

“Lavender you can’t keep anything to yourself!” Parvati said.

Hermione looked between them with suspicious looks but decided not to poke and prod. After all, they were the experts when it came to gossip and half the time it wasn't even true.

"Well, is there anything I can help you with today? I've just got a new shipment of books today. Some of them are really---"

"Hermione, we came by because Ron said you were pretty stressed out. You know, you could use some help around here. There's no way you can continue to do all this by yourself, especially since business is booming now." Parvati quickly interrupted. Hermione grinned suspiciously.

"So you want to help?" Hermione asked, more as a statement than anything else. The two girls nodded their heads happily which made Hermione smile. She nodded, confirming they could offer themselves up as help around the shop.

"Thanks guys. Look, tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Would you mind coming in?" She asked them. They smiled.

"Of course. We'll see you tonight at Ron’s. See you!." Lavender said as the two of them walked out the door, sounding off the bell as they did so.

Hermione once again walked over to the tables to put some books away, thinking of the information Lavender had given her.

Five-thirty had finally rolled around, ending yet another crowded and busy day. Hermione was cleaning up all the stray books from the tables in the children's section when someone came in.

"Fayina, I'll be right there! Just cleaning up this mess!" Hermione called out.

Not paying much attention, she slipped on a book that had been on the floor and she dropped all the ones that had been in her arms. She too came tumbling to the ground on her hands and knees. After letting the shock of the fall slide through to her toes, Hermione began picking up the books and placing them in her arms. The person stepped over and started helping out by picking up some of the books.

"Honestly Fayina, it's been quite a busy day. I can't wait to get out of here." Hermione trailed off as she picked up the last book. She looked her volunteer in the eyes and became embarassed. Draco Malfoy was staring at her with a strange look on his face.

"Oh. What can I do for you Malfoy?" Hermione said dully. He glared at her a bit.

"Right. I was just over at Flourish and Blott's and they didn't have the book I was looking for, said it was sold out.” He began, sounding put off and bored. “I came in here to see if you might have it. Apparently I can't read or I would have realized this was YOUR shop." He commented calmly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Some things never change do they? What book are you looking for?" She asked frustratingly. Malfoy stepped around the little shop, eyeing everything up and down as he did so.

"Cute little shop. Too bad the customer service is lousy. You don't have a single person offering their help." He sneered. Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"That would be because I'm the only one here. Now what are you looking for? I probably have it." She answered simply, trying to move the conversation along. Hermione stood up with the pile of books in her arms and started walking around to put them in their rightful spots. Malfoy looked her up and down as well.

"The only one here, that takes patience. Well, I suppose you might have it. It's that new one by...by...I can't seem to remember the name.” Malfoy started snapping his fingers trying to remember the name. “It's the latest book about the Ministry of Magic." He replied in a drawl, eerily similar to Severus Snape, a professor Hermione and her friends barely tolerated throughout their years at Hogwarts. Hermione looked at him suspiciously but helped him as patiently as she possibly could.

"The ministry, is it? Well that would be in the Ministry of Magic section." Hermione stated plainly as if it were something the smallest child could figure out, heading toward the appropriate section rather quickly. Malfoy trailed at her heels until she found the book he was looking for.

"Is this it?" She asked, handing him the book. He nodded as he flipped through the book, clearly impressed she even knew what he was talking about. "Is that all for you Malfoy?" She asked. He nodded again as Hermione stepped behind the counter for him to make his purchase. It was quite a tense moment.

Hermione suddenly noticed how much taller he had grown, now easily being a whole foot taller than her. His hair remained the same as it was six months ago, loose and soft, and unnaturally white. He paid for his book and headed out the door, looking back once more and pausing, Hermione's back to him as she organized her things. He lightly tapped the door frame with the palm of his hand and stepped all the way out, no longer hesitating.

Fayina got up from underneath the tree she sat. She packed her things back in her bag and took a deep breath before heading back down the hill to meet Hermione in her shop. The sky had formed a few clouds, but not enough to block out the still brightly burning sun. Fayina trudged along, taking her time as she enjoyed the sights and smells of the Hogsmeade village. It had been a long time since she set foot in this place. Three years ago she had made up her mind that she wanted to be an auror, after being out of school for two years. And now she was back, though Hermione seemed to be the only one so far that actually knew that, she was happy all the same. So much can happen in just three years.

Harry left for auror training just a month after leaving school, and went to work on his first case a week after completing his training course. Since then, his letters had been sparse and no one had even seen him. He continued to work undercover on some big important case for the past two years. Really,four and a half years had taken quite a toll on certain people; mainly Ron and Hermione, his two best friends. Fayina kept walking. As she was gazing around the village just yards away from Hermione's shop, someone slammed hard into her shoulder, causing her bag to flop to the ground immediately. She bent over to pick it up, so did the stranger. They hit heads rather hard. When she managed to stand back up, she was disappointed at the fact that she had hit heads with Draco Malfoy. She had actually come in physical contact with the slime ball.

"Not every day I run into a git like you, is it?" Fayina said sarcastically, but with enough meaning behind it to make him irritated.

"How did you---wait a minute! You're that girl that came from Russia to go to Hogwarts! I was hoping I would never see you again." He sneered. Fayina rolled her eyes but continued to play along.

"Well I can see nothing's changed with you! You still don't know my name. Not that I want you to. I mean I don’t want to hear my name said in your voice!" Fayina joked dreamily, like she was queen of the world. "So sorry for you, you're out of luck! I believe the last time I saw you was at the farewell ceremony, rather bummed about us getting that plaque." Fayina retorted back sarcastically. The two of them stood inches from each other, glaring the other fiercely in the eyes.

"Well, you better get out of my way!" He demanded. Fayina plastered a sudden smile on her face.

"Or what? You'll push me and hex me till next Christmas? I don't think so, ferret boy!" She joked again. Malfoy's face turned pink.

"What did you call me?!" He spat. “Oh go fetch a bone! You win this time, but next time, you’ll regret it.” He said, pointing an accusing finger at her. Fayina grinned once more, but stopped and looked at him.

“Yes sir, Malfoy sir!” She said in a mock tone. Draco glared at her some more at her audacity. “I may be fetching the bone this time but you’ll be the one cleaning up my mess the next time we meet.” She said threateningly before walking into Hermione's shop. Draco let out a deep pent up sigh and stomped his way down the sidewalk.

The bell on the door sounded, signaling to Hermione that someone else was coming into her shop. She came from the back room to find Fayina laughing hysterically to herself, but in silence.

"Oh hi, Fayina! What's so funny that it's nearly got you down on the floor?" Hermione asked with a questioning grin on her face. She walked to the counter and locked everything up. Fayina took in deep breaths and finally her purple face returned to the normal olive tone. She stood grinning at Hermione whom waited for some kind of response.

"I ran into Malfoy just now and he was harassing me about some old school stuff. But I don't think he'll be bothering me anymore!" She said triumphantly. Hermione gave her a suspicious look. "Oh, I called him ferret boy. He didn't seem to like that much!" She finished. Just as she did, Hermione cracked up in giggles.

"Your first day back and you and Malfoy are already having a go at each other. Not too much has changed has it?" Hermione joked, giggling here and there. Fayina shrugged her shoulders and just smiled.

"You ready to go?" Fayina asked. Hermione looked around her dark and quiet shop for a moment before nodding with a smile on her face.

"Yes I think we can go now. You know, I heard something a little different from Lavender and Parvati earlier today." Hermione began as she pulled her robe off the coat rack. Fayina gave her a quizzical look.

"Well what's going on? Is anything wrong?"

"I don't think so. Just the usual gossip train passing through. They said that Harry would be due back any day. But since I haven't heard from him in so long---"

"Look, whatever Ron's got planned should take your mind off of it." Fayina replied. She smiled a little, mentally talking Hermione into cheering up. She smiled back and the two headed out the door.

Hermione locked up the shop behind them and Fayina followed her down the cobblestone path. The warm April air was now turning to a cool mid-day breeze all around them. The walk remained silent as the two girls enjoyed the scenery. Hermione felt the skin on her arms chilling and she pulled her robe over herself, feeling toasty warm once again. Ten minutes later, Hermione led them to a quaint little building on the edge of the Hogsmeade city limits. It was just outside the main town where the shops were.

Fayina looked at her strangely. Hermione smiled at her and walked up to the door. She knocked once before opening the door immediately after that. Fayina looked at her as if she were breaking in, but followed closely behind her. Inside was a cozy living room complete with two sofas and an oversized chair that could easily fit two people in it.

The floor was made of wood and the walls were off-white. Pictures lined the walls, pictures of them from their school days. Hermione glanced quickly at one particular picture. It was of them all at the farewell ceremony, the one Colin Creevey took. Hermione shook her head of her thoughts and led Fayina through to the kitchen, where a group of people were gathered. Ron stood behind his kitchen counter and Parvati and Lavender were sitting on stools on the opposite side of him. All in all, Ron had quite a nice house to call his own.

Hermione stepped into the kitchen where everyone was gathered, lightly tapping Ron on the shoulder as she slipped past him to lean on the green marble countertop. Ron finished sipping from his glass and put it down.

“Hey, Hermione.” Ron said casually. Hermione smiled and looked back to the doorway where Fayina was standing. Everyone smiled as Ron turned around to see what the subject of attention was. He beamed and nearly knocked his tall glass of water over onto the floor.

“Fayina!” He replied, his eyes brightened and he rushed over to her and hugged her tight. He lifted her off the ground a little bit, burying his face in her neck. She hugged Ron back and the two enjoyed each other’s company for those few short moments, forgetting there was an audience. Ron put her down and stared at her, a few moments too long and then quickly looked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “When did you get here?” Ron asked.

“Oh, just last night.” Hermione answered instead. Ron beamed at her some more and hugged her tighter. “So what’s the plan?”

“I thought we’d have dinner and sit outside for a while. I want to try out the newest addition to my yard!” He exclaimed very happily. Hermione got a funny look on her face, rushed over to the back door, moving the curtain out of the way to look out the window. She smiled wide then looked back at Ron with a suspicious look on her face. “WHEN, did you get a pool?” She asked with an extreme amount of sarcasm, but expecting the same old reaction out of Ron.

“Oh come on! I can’t have a pool now? First I can’t do what I want at work, and now this!” Ron replied. Hermione rolled her eyes, confirming her fears of Ron’s reaction. She sighed then opened the door to step outside.

“Do you two ever stop? I’m telling you, nothing’s changed!” Fayina commented sarcastically. Everyone in the room had a hearty laugh for a few moments. The small group consisted of Lavender and Parvati, and also Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Ron and Fayina. This group was nearly inseparable, since their early years in school.

“Hey, Ron! Mind taking me on a tour of your nice house? Oh, and don’t forget to let me in on what you do for a living to afford this!” Fayina interjected. Ron suddenly appeared to be put on the spot but nodded happily and the two set off through the house.

Hermione sat outside with her legs in the pool, listening to the cool breeze rustle through the trees in Ron’s massive yard. The water in the medium-sized, in ground, rectangle pool rippled as the air gently swept through it. Hermione swayed her feet around calmly in the water, looking up at the still bright sky. The clouds twisted into each other, animating the quiet sky above. The same usual thoughts raced through Hermione’s mind as she stared blankly at the bushes on the other side of the yard; thoughts of her little bookshop and if it would continue to be a success. Thoughts of Harry, her best friend, came to her mind, making her wonder where he was and if he was alright. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted with a sensation of cold drops of water splashing on her face. She quickly shot her eyes around, spotting Ron in the pool.

“Ron! You’ll regret that!” She called out. Ron swam casually around the swimming pool in front of her, acting as if he hadn’t done a thing. Clearly he was as guilty as could be with that grin on his face. Hermione’s eyes went wide as he started getting closer. Hermione quickly pulled her legs out of the water before Ron could get them and trotted into the house, to find everyone else heading outside to join in the fun. Neville chuckled a bit at Hermione as she whipped past him. Fifteen minutes had passed in an instant and Hermione still hadn't come back out.

“She’s really mad at you Ron! You really did it this time.” Neville stated plainly but with much concern on Hermione’s part.

“Oh she’ll get over it. She usually does, but first comes the lecture!” Ron retorted jokingly. Neville rolled his eyes as he stepped into the cool water. The entire group was having the time of their lives. Then Hermione came back out, ready to take revenge. The entire group stared up at her with a strange look plastered on her face. She threw her robe onto a chair, revealing to all that she had changed into her suit and meant big business! She dove into the water and immediately the group erupted into a brawl, considering they were in a pool, this was a huge deal. Everyone was playfully attacking and trying to dunk each other.

Hermione’s swimsuit was a cute two piece, light blue metallic color, with a halter-like top. Ron pulled her by the ankles and she dipped under the water for the first time since the fight started. No one had been able to do this but Ron was determined to do something. She came back up out of the water looking furious. Her hair was stuck to her face and she gently tipped her head backwards into the water to get it out of the way. She stood back up all the way, realizing she was near the deep end, where Ron was which was close to seven feet deep. Ron stood and stared at her with a victorious look on his face.

Hermione discreetly sunk into the water and headed in his direction, though he couldn’t see her from all the splashing that was going on up top. Ron spun around in a circle trying to spot her. Hermione swam along the bottom of the tiled pool, creeping up underneath the diving board and just behind Ron, whom was still looking for her. A devious smile spread across her face. Many of the others spotted her but she put a finger up to her mouth to quiet them. They went back to what they were doing as to not give anything away. Neville, however, was keeping Ron quite distracted. At the right moment, Hermione quietly gripped the diving board she was still directly under.

“Hey Ron.” Hermione said in a sing-song voice to get his attention. He whipped around, seeing Hermione just feet away from him. He was completely startled. She smiled and Ron tilted his head in confusion. His eyes traveled guiltily up her thin body and to her hands, which gripped the diving board. Reality struck him and he turned quickly almost getting away. Like the speed of light, Hermione lifted her small body and wrapped her legs firmly around Ron’s upper body, bringing him under the water. He kicked wildly, trying to make his way back to the top. When he surfaced, Hermione felt it best that she flee the scene. The group of close friends laughed madly and cheered on Hermione as she swam away..

“Ron are you alright?” Neville asked as Hermione was climbing the ladder that would take her out of the crowded pool. She turned around and looked at Ron, worried. He was climbing out of the pool and had rolled over onto his back, coughing madly. Everyone rushed over to him, worried. Hermione stumbled over and dropped to her knees right beside him. He wasn’t moving. She watched his muscular body and chest to find there was no movement in that area. She flipped her hair long wet hair out of the way and turned her ear to him, to listen for any small breaths that might escape his mouth. A few moments passed. Everyone was either biting on their fingers or had their hands together as the tension rose.

“Got you!” A teasing whisper escaped. Hermione was already on her feet, ready to blow up at Ron for his cruel joke. She just glared at him for the longest time. He was only intimidated until Seamus busted out laughing very hard. Soon, he and the others were laughing madly. Ron tried to get up but was laughing too hard. Also, Hermione shoved her foot on his chest, forcing him onto his back again. She stomped off back into the house, fuming.

Ron finally regained his self control and shot back into the house after Hermione. He was dripping wet but used a drying spell so he could go inside. He opened the door quietly, in case Hermione was so mad at him still she would just take off again. The door shut with a soft click. Ron tip-toed through the kitchen, listening carefully for any sign of what area of the house she was in. It was a dead silence. He relaxed his body and face, giving up the need to be quiet. Noisily, he stomped through the house, looking in every inch trying to find her. It was no use.

Neville came back in and gradually the others did also. Ron stood in the middle of the living room, confused.

"Where is she?" Seamus asked anxiously as he looked around the room, even adding a little comic relief as he looked under the sofa cushions. Ron turned to look at his sarcastic behavior and shrugged his shoulders.

"She must have gone home or something. I can't find her anywhere." Ron answered. The group stared at him.

"You've done it again! You two can't stop fighting for more than two seconds!" Lavender screeched. Ron rolled his eyes at her and stomped off again through the house.

The quick slam of a door down the hall from where Ron was, tipped him off. He quietly closed the closet door he had opened and stepped through the hall lightly, seeing Hermione walking in front of him out to the group. He walked up behind her grabbed her shoulders, trying to scare her. She just turned around and glared at him, a look that had Ron nearly screaming for his life. A small smile tried to escape his lips but it dwindled away the longer Hermione stared.

“Hermione I’m sorry.” He said quietly. Hermione turned her body some more to deepen her glare. A scared look was upon his face and Hermione couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Really, Hermione I’m sorry. Please say something! The silence is killing me!”

Still she said nothing. Her glare was piercing, driving him insane. A few short moments later, he dropped to his knees, pulling at her legs and pleading with a pouting face.

“Hermione bent down to look him in the face. She put an accusing finger up to him and opened her mouth to say something but was distracted by the oncoming footsteps of the group as they drew closer. She got over the fact that they wanted to eaves drop and looked at Ron.

“If you ever do that again I’ll…” Hermione paused, pursing her lips together, then loosened them again. “…I’ll get you back, which I just did!” Hermione spit out the last couple words very fast and burst into downright laughter. Ron’s face turned red, nearly matching his hair and he stood up, furious.

“I thought you were really mad at me!”

“Oh calm down. Believe me, I was. But seeing you on your knees begging for my forgiveness was just priceless! I had to do it!” She started laughing again, including the group as they roared along with her.

“Well Hermione, well done! You actually took the nerve to get me back for once. I’m impressed! But don’t scare me like that again.” Ron finished and walked with the rest of the group back outside, including Hermione.

One week passed and it was Friday the twentieth of April. Hermione prepared to leave work and closed up her shop. The cloudy sky became steadily darker with each passing minute. The wind swept through her hair, bringing chills down her spine. She turned the key and walked off, deciding to take a shortcut home in order to get out of the freezing winds and get home in time to enjoy a peaceful night. Hermione walked down the dimly lit alley way, tightening her robe around her waist and twisting her hair into a bun. The sun was rapidly disappearing from the sky and the moon was peeking out from the clouds. Hermione walked briskly, nervously looking over her shoulder ever so often.

Though it was the fastest and shortest way to get back to her two-story home, it was definitely the most frightening of routes. She clung to her robe as she focused on the end of the alley, which was like finding the light at the end of the tunnel. Her heart raced, then she felt a light breeze pass on the back of her neck. Her feet stopped moving abruptly and she whipped around, looking down the path she had just walked. Nothing or no one was there. An eerie feeling suddenly came over her. Hermione slowly reached into her pocket and gripped her wand. She turned her body back around but she was still looking behind her. Her focus came to the ground beneath her as she walked. When she looked down the alley in the direction she was headed, a dark figure stood distantly in her path.

Hermione's heart raced some more and she moved to the opposite wall and kept walking, looking at her feet again. The figure was hooded and held a piece of paper in their hands. She tore her eyes away and suddenly became overwhelmed with memories. The dark figure in the alley gave her the strangest of feelings, taking her back to years before when Voldemort was still thriving in the wizarding world with his death eaters. Hermione shook her head of those memories and started walking faster. She turned around and noticed the dark figure slowly moving in her direction, looking as if they were up to something. Hermione walked faster, nearly at a run and clutched her wand tightly in her hands. The footsteps behind her quickened. Hermione felt faint but kept moving until she was nearly out of the alley.

"Granger?" A voice called from behind her. Hermione turned around reluctantly, trying to match the eerie voice with a face. The figure with a man's voice moved closer to her. "Hey Granger!" It called again as Hermione turned to walk again.

"Malfoy! What do you want?! I was on my way home!" Hermione yelled as she continued to move forward, annoyed that she was even being followed, much less by a Malfoy. He moved closer to her, being just a couple feet away. Hermione turned around once more and started walking again, being just a few yards away from exiting the alley way. Suddenly there was a hand holding hers, forcing her to turn around. Hermione looked up at him, lost and confused.

Malfoy paused and looked deep into her eyes. Hermione couldn't really see his face that well but she felt uneasy about the way he was just looking at her. She pulled her hand away from his, feeling quite disgusted she had let him hold it in the first place.

"No games Malfoy. What do you want?!" Hermione asked, squinting her eyes in suspicion and looking him up and down in that cloak. He didn't say anything.

"Fine then. Well I have to go now." Hermione stated, shoving her wand back in her pocket and whipping her body around, causing her hair to fall out of the bun.

She started walking again, asking herself over and over what had just happened. Without much thought to it, Hermione turned back around to respond to Malfoy's laughing at her. She stood there and stared at him, puzzled about what was even going on. Malfoy's shoulders moved a bit as he softly laughed. He moved closer to her and stopped just inches from her face. It was still so dark, but Hermione recognized something about him. Something so strange it nearly knocked her off her feet. Malfoy removed his hood and stared at Hermione.

"You’ve got a lot to learn, Granger." He replied with a smile on his face. Hermione's eyes twinkled and without thinking, she threw her arms around him, not knowing of anything else to do that was so natural.

"I can't believe it!" Hermione shrieked. She let go and looked at him again. Two brilliant green eyes stared back at her. For so long she just stood there, amazed at sudden return of her lifelong friend. She lunged at him again and clung to him tight. He threw his arms around her again and they held each other in an intimate embrace.

Hermione pulled away again, her eyes wanting so much to let out all the tears. Her cold and stiff hands rested on his arms and he held them in his own.

"It's been too long Hermione." Harry said softly. Hermione smiled as best she could to keep in all her emotions, then she nodded. Harry put one arm lightly around her shoulders as they slowly walked out of the rain-soaked alley. Hermione too wrapped an arm around him, looking at the ground and then quickly back at him half expecting him not to be there.

"So tell me, how long have you been back?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence between them. Harry turned his head and smiled down at her.

"I've been here for a couple days. Just so I could get things settled down." He answered. Hermione smiled then slugged him hard in the stomach as she walked up to her door to unlock it. Harry rubbed his stomach, and faked a pained look. She rolled her eyes at him. Her door opened and she waved at Harry to come in as she stepped inside. He followed after her, confused, and she shut the door.

Hermione's small house was really nice considering its size and she was the only one who lived there. The floor in the main room just through the front door was a deep green carpet, which was very soft. The walls were a plain white with elegant paneling halfway down to the floor. Harry looked around in awe as Hermione moved about the main floor, picking things up a bit and making some hot cocoa. Harry walked over to the mantle of the fireplace where some pictures stood.

One very meaningful picture captured his attention. His eyes fixed upon the silver framed photo. The ever famous one Colin Creevey took on the last day of school before everyone went their separate ways. Harry touched the glass covering the photo and let it take him back to that day. Hermione kept moving through the house, shouting out random things to him. His eyes moved to the other pictures. A smile spread across his face when he saw a certain special one. He picked it up and held it in his hands.

"I didn't know you had this!" Harry called throughout the house. Hermione stopped moving in all directions and came in to see what he was talking about. She sighed and walked over to take the picture from his grasp.

"Of course! This was the last time I saw you." She said softly with a smile, handing it back to Harry. He looked intensely at the photo taken at King's Cross station the day he left for Auror training. He, Hermione and Ron were all clinging to each other in the picture with stressed yet happy looks on their faces. He smiled then placed it gently back in its spot on the mantle piece. Hermione was smiling at him a bit, then got a funny look on her face.

"You know what? I owe you a smack in the arm!" She said, hitting him firmly on his upper arm. Harry gave her a quizzical look as he rubbed his arm, relieving the sting of it.

"What was that for? You’ve gotten more violent, I’ve noticed." He teased, following Hermione as she walked back into the kitchen. She was shaking her head as she led the way.

"Because." She said without much reason, pulling out two mugs from the cupboard and filling them with hot cocoa. He looked at her again.

"What did I do? I'm talking with you then out of nowhere you hit me! That’s twice in at least ten minutes." He said in his defense. Hermione handed him his mug and walked past him to the table, slapping him playfully on the arm. She looked halfway between furious and not, for a few short seconds.

"You nearly scared me to death, you know that right? I can't believe I actually thought you were Malfoy! You deserved that slug in the arm and anything else you might get. Not to mention you had all of us worried in that time we didn’t hear from you!" She screeched incessantly as she sat down at the table. She stirred her drink anxiously as Harry pulled out the chair across from her then stopped.

"So if I sit here, are you going to kick me too?" He asked sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes, lifting her cup to her lips and Harry had a seat.

"Sorry I scared you so bad. I didn't mean to, really I didn't. That wasn't my intention." Harry answered back. Hermione looked at him as if she didn't believe him, then she smiled.

"Okay I forgive you. Only if you promise never to do anything like that again." She said.

Harry chuckled, “Deal.” Then he took a drink from his hot mug. Hermione put her mug down and looked at him.

"But I’m still mad at you for not telling any of us what was going on. Besides that, what were you doing in the alley anyway?" She asked him, sipping some of her cocoa. Harry put his mug down and leaned back in his chair, with one hand still fiddling with he handle on his mug.

"Actually, I was looking for you. Well, I was looking for your house. Luck would have it that I actually ran into you!" He said with a chipper tone. Hermione nodded her sarcastically.

"Ran into me! I thought you were Malfoy, and the way you just stared at me had me thinking 'Malfoy' was going to kiss me or something,” she paused, thinking of the near terrible moment over in her head. “It was a bit frightening if you ask me," she concluded.

Harry laughed and got up to take his empty mug over to the sink. "Yeah that would have been horrible. Thinking you were kissing Malfoy when it was really me." He gently put the mug down in the sink and faked a disappointed look. Hermione looked at him with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Harry! I--I didn't mean it like that. Honest! It’s just Malfoy—I—I ran into him today. Just caught me by surprise is all." She claimed in her defense. Harry just smiled at her.

“It’s alright. I mean I understand.” He said, trying to convince her that it was alright to complain.

Hermione got over the excitement and took Harry on a tour of her house. Upstairs was where her bedroom was, at the end of the hall. Also down that hall were two other rooms and two bathrooms. That was the entire upper level. On the main one was the kitchen, living room, a couple small bathrooms and...

"You actually have a library!?" Harry asked in astonishment as Harry pushed back a door he attempted to snoop into. Hermione nodded proudly and followed him inside.

Bookshelves lined the walls and a sofa sat right in the middle of the room. Also there was a desk up against one bare wall, with parchment and a quill set out. Harry saw that something was written on it and he stepped closer to get a better view. Hermione played into what he was up to and she stepped quickly and reached from behind him, snatching up the parchment as he started to take it into his grasp. He stopped and stared at her for a few lingering moments.

"What was that about?" Harry asked curiously with his eyebrows raised. Hermione looked pursed her lips and tried to hide her pink face.

"It was just a letter I was going to send you months ago. But I didn't know where you were so I didn't." She said calmly and seriously.

"Well now I'm back so how about you just tell me." He said softly. Hermione squinted in suspicion.

"You know what? You’re right.”

“I am,” Harry asked, surprised. Hermione widened her eyes.

“You’re back so why should I bore you with past events? I have an idea! There are a few people I'm sure would love to see you!" Hermione said happily. Harry sighed as if he was disappointed about not learning what wasn't so important to Hermione.

"Oh come on just tell me,” he asked. Hermione looked at him and shook her head with a stiffness in her neck. “Wouldn't everyone else be asleep right now?" Harry reasoned as he looked at the clock. Hermione glanced at the magical clock then looked back at him.

"You know, you're probably right. So where are you staying?" She asked him anxiously.

"Well I ran into Oliver Wood my first day back and he insisted I stay with him; at least until I get everything settled at home." He answered as Hermione moved about the house again, shouting random things as she moved some books back into her library.

She came back into the room, "That's nonsense Harry! You can stay here tonight. I'm sure Oliver is busy as it is. Besides, Ron might not want you to go home at all. Seems as if he can talk you out of it.

“Oh? And what exactly is he plotting now? He definitely hasn’t changed.”

“Well I’m sure Ron’s going to want you to move in with him as soon as he sees you. He's been talking about it ever since he got his house! Oh, and just so you know…Ron definitely has changed. He’s more confident about himself." Hermione said matter-of factly. Harry wandered out of the library and followed Hermione upstairs into one of the guest rooms.

"Well I guess I could stay here tonight.” Harry paused, leaning on the door frame and looking at her as she ran about the room looking for things. “I haven’t been home yet but I’m looking forward to going back. Thanks for letting me crash here." Harry replied. Hermione walked over to him and handed him a pillow.

"You're welcome." She said softly, almost in a whisper. Harry looked at her seriously, but with a look of happiness behind his eyes.

Hermione turned away and walked off up the stairs. Harry turned and followed behind her. She led him to a room just down from hers and flipped on the light.

"You can sleep in here. The bathroom is just through that door. Everything you should need is already here but if you need anything else, just come and get me, okay?" She asked happily. Harry stared at her seriously again.

"It's good to see you again Hermione." Harry answered back, also in a whisper as he pulled her into a gentle hug. She wrapped her arms around him to return the favor.

"Goodnight, Harry." She said pulling away from him and sauntered into her room and shut the door.

"Yeah, goodnight!" He called through the hallway. Hermione opened her door once more to smile at him and shut it a final time.

Harry plopped down on his comfortable double sized bed and relaxed, totally relieved he finally had time to enjoy himself.

Hermione jumped onto her bed to sit, and thought of everything that had just taken place. Her best friend had finally walked back into her life, hopefully for good this time. Just the thought of his presence in the room down the hall sent chills down her neck. The anxiety spent over the past four and a half years finally released, leaving her to analyze some strange feelings. She fell back onto her bed with her arms out to her side and stared at the ceiling. A big weight had finally been lifted off her shoulders and she could finally rest without the worry of where Harry was this very moment. He was in the same house as her and that was a very comforting feeling.

Hermione quickly changed into her night clothes and crawled under the covers of her bed. The lights were now out, but she wasn’t. too many thoughts and feelings were crowding her mind, prohibiting her from getting to sleep right away.

Harry, on the other hand was sitting up in his bed, looking out the window at the night sky. The moon was shining brightly and the light from it flooded his room, bouncing off his body. He finally closed his eyes again, hoping to get some sleep like he was planning on. But being just seconds away from Hermione was nerve racking. He had waited four and a half years to see his friends again and now one of them was just down the hall. Harry finally cleared his mind totally and fell off to a deep and peaceful sleep.

Ron woke the next morning to a heavy, impatient tapping noise outside his kitchen window. Rubbing his eyes as the sunlight danced across his face, he got up from the sofa he had slept on during the night and crept across the cold floor to open the back door. An owl perched on the chair on the patio, staring at him. Ron blinked at the amount of light entering his eyes and waited a minute for them to adjust. Red-faced and tired, he took the note from the owl and absentmindedly shut the door. The owl started tapping wildly on the window and started giving Ron a headache. Ron opened the curtain and waved in the air, expecting the owl to understand he didn’t want to be bothered.

Still very tired, he plopped lazily back onto the sofa and began to read as he leaned into the side. His eyes traveled the note slowly, ever so often retracing a few sentences as he wasn’t paying attention. The note was rather long and due to this, Ron got up to go get a drink of coffee to wake himself up some more.

His eyes remained glued to the parchment in his hand as he traveled sleepily into the kitchen. Once again, he found himself retracing a few sentences but one in particular caught his attention.

He smiled broadly and his energetic reaction resulted in a holler of joy and then an immediate painful yell as his foot slammed hard into the leg of a table chair. He threw the note down automatically and rushed his foot up into his hands to ease the pain. His face was scrunched in frustration as he tried to calm himself down. Biting his bottom lip hard, the pain started to ease. When it subsided fully, Ron stood in the kitchen, forgetting he needed something to wake himself up because that pain in his foot surely woke him up.

Instead he let realization wash over him as he gazed from side to side on the walls of the living room. He was skeptical to no end about that letter, but clearly he was thinking rather hard as he didn’t hear anything but the wheels fiercely turning in his own head. He got up when it finally sunk in and he rushed to his room, quickly throwing on some clothes.

Ron balanced on one foot trying to put his left leg in his pants. He hopped around as his balance slipped and, “Oof!” He hit the floor hard, however, he got his pants on. He lay there on the floor, looking up at the ceiling and finally gathering the strength to get back up again. He put on his socks and shoes and rushed back down stairs again, grabbed a clean shirt off the back of the sofa and slammed the front door behind him.

BAM BAM BAM!

“Coming! Just a minute!” Fayina called out of breath from across her new one-story house. She stood in the middle of her kitchen, suddenly unable what she had been doing. She then spun around in a circle, making sure everything was in place and walked to the door. At the very second before grabbing hold of the gold doorknob, she looked around and eyed her wand and robe, just in case.

Fayina couldn’t help but think trouble was standing outside her door. She ran to the coat rack on the other side of the room and pulled out her wand. Again she made it back to the door, this time ready to open it. She gripped the handle.

The door swung open and she pointed her wand at the face of her visitor. She dropped her arm back down to her side when she saw who it was.

“Ron! How nice to see you so early in the morning!” Fayina faked her natural voice. Ron gave her an accusing glare, blew past her and went into her living room, looking impatient.

“Uh, won’t you come in?” Fayina added as she flung the door from her fingertips to shut it.

Ron had his arms folded and was staring at her, waiting for an explanation. She shot a cheesy smile at him and looked down to see his shirt unbuttoned almost completely, except for three buttons at the bottom. She laughed into a closed fist that she rose up to her mouth to stifle her giggles. Ron rolled his eyes, knowing she was eyeing him up and down.

“Fayina!”

She stared at him again, forcing herself to keep contact with him so she wouldn’t start laughing again.

“Well, at least I know you read the note!” She said sarcastically. Ron let out a heavy sigh and hunched his shoulders in a pleading fashion.

“Fayina, cut it with the games and just tell me what’s going on.” Ron drawled, once again sounding tired as he did an hour ago.

Fayina intertwined her fingers and paced around the room, every once in a while biting her bottom lip. Ron’s eyes followed her everywhere she went, but he was getting impatient.

“Ron, I told you what I thought was going on. I’m not sure but I think we can find out another way.” She suggested. Ron looked at her thoughtfully, taking in everything she was saying.

“Well what are we going to do if you’re wrong?” Ron asked insultingly. The corners of her mouth twitched as if she were going to smile. She didn’t.

“Look, I just thought I knew something is all. We’ve got some work to do,” Fayina decided, grabbing her robe and wand and heading for the door. With her robe still in hand and hanging down to the floor with it at her side, she looked back at Ron as she opened the door.

“Coming?” She asked quickly, letting her arms fly out to rush him along. Ron grinned then followed her out the door. It slammed with a loud thud and they were on their way.

Hermione was just barely waking up as the sun blasted through her window at the early hour of seven sharp. She rubbed her eyes a bit then put her arms back down at her sides on the deep purple velvet comforter that covered her from the chest down and also decorated her four-poster canopy bed. She stared helplessly at the ceiling, not making an effort to do much of anything.

Gradually, everything was coming into focus. Hermione sat up in her bed and looked around with slumped posture, glancing at her open closet doors. She immediately spotted the outfit she would wear. Her eyes stung badly from sleep, or rather lack thereof. She leaned back against the headboard to rest her shoulder blades and neck against it and sighed, still not wanting to move.

She slowly sat back up straight a few short minutes later and twisted her body to put her feet on the floor, the very cold floor. The room was freezing and Hermione was dressed in a light blue tank-top and white shorts. Also very slowly, she walked to her bedroom window to be sure it was latched. It was and the sheer-curtain veiled window revealed that it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. Then she walked to her mirror and stood in front of it in a bored fashion. She looked herself up and down, trying her best to ignore the rude remarks coming from the enchanted mirror.

She reached over onto her dresser, which was next to the closet and pulled off a loose hair tie. She pulled her hair back in a loose low ponytail and afterward, rested her hands on her hips, enjoying the beautiful sun-bathed scenery outside her window as she turned to look. A sudden thought washed over her. Something she had nearly forgotten about. Her facial expression changed immediately from content and sleepy to downright frantic.

“Harry,” She said in a gasp to herself as she put her hands on her forehead. Hermione went to her full-length mirror on the back of her door and made sure she didn’t look like a mess.

Being the self-conscious person she always was, Hermione adjusted the straps on her top to straighten them and she pulled at the hem of her shorts, being sure she wouldn’t attract too much attention. After all, they were shorts. Short shorts, bedtime shorts. No matter how hard she tried, the shorts just popped back up to the length they were, just covering her upper inner thigh.

She let out a sigh, “They’re decent enough.” She said encouragingly to herself. Hermione glanced again in the mirror before opening the door with a sigh that hid behind it. She stepped into the hall and was taken aback for a few short moments.

A very different sort of noise was issuing from down the stairs in her once quiet house and living room. Hermione tilted her head in comprehension and curiosity as she stepped softly down the stairs barefoot.

Sorry it took me so long guys! I got wrapped up doing things for work and didn’t have much time to do this….*sigh* I also started a new fic that will probably be posted soon, when I get enough chapters written to be ahead of the game – so to speak. Well here you go! Hope you like this update…again, I apologize for even taking this long. Anyone who knows me can testify that I update at least once a day…

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Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs and remained silent. Harry was sitting on the sofa with his back to her. All she could see was the back of his head and his usual tousled black hair. He kept repeating something out loud over and over. Hermione couldn’t fully grasp what he was saying, but his actions were telling her a lot. The feel of the cold floor on her feet gave her goose bumps but she tolerated it long enough to fully comprehend the situation.

“Evanulus!” Harry said quietly. The coffee table disappeared. Hermione’s eyes widened in curiosity as she stood there and watched. “Exortulus!” He said, and the coffee table reappeared.

Hermione cleared her throat. She imagined what sort of look Harry could have on his face, being snuck up on like that. He put his wand gently on the table and stood up to look at her.

“Hermione! I didn’t know you were up yet!” Harry exclaimed. Hermione smiled as her cheeks flushed a deep red color.

“Well obviously.” She said, turning her eyes away from his and staring at the wall off to the side.

Harry had forgotten one little detail, the reason why Hermione was trying not to look at him. Harry laughed at her shy behavior but felt embarrassed himself. He walked into the bathroom and snatched his shirt off the towel railing, then came back out. His feet automatically stuck to the floor.

“How did you sleep last night? Well I hope?” Hermione asked, looking him directly in the eyes.

“Um…yeah…yeah I slept…fine.” Harry choked out, jerking his eyes back to hers. Hermione smiled.

“Good!” She said happily, and then turned the corner to go into the kitchen. Harry’s eyes followed her until she was out of his line of sight. He picked up his feet again and followed her.

Hermione stood over the kitchen sink with her hands to her face in hidden embarrassment as she put some dishes away. She heard the sound of Harry’s gentle footsteps as he entered the kitchen, pulling his shirt on as he walked. Hermione caught herself staring at his muscular chest. She turned away to close the cupboard beside her and felt her cheeks get a little warm. Harry had a seat on one of the stools at the counter. He leaned his elbows on it and fiddled with his wand.

Every now and then Harry would feel his face get hot at seeing the cute clothes his best friend was dressed in.

“How long did it take you to learn all that anyway?” Hermione asked as she reached into another cupboard and pulled down some things to eat.

“Oh, right. The—uh—disappearing thing. It’s really not that hard.” He replied simply. Hermione nodded and smiled at him, leaning one side of her body against the counter.

“Oh. Well are you hungry?” She asked, grabbing some glasses out of the cupboard over the island countertop while looking at him for an answer. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I could do with something to eat but I’m not that hungry.” He answered back. Hermione struggled with her thoughts for a moment.

“Alright, well how about something to drink?” she said disbelievingly, knowing that when a man says they could do with something to eat, that usually means they’re starving.

“Water’s fine for me, thanks.” Harry answered calmly, playing with his wand again. Hermione silently agreed with him and handed him a glass of water as she ate her toast.

The minutes passed in complete silence. But sooner or later, one of them would break it.

“So, uh where are you working now?” Harry asked. Hermione put her toast down and looked at him.

“At a bookshop in town. I need to go there and pick something up today. You should come with me. I want to show you something.” She answered back as she stepped out from behind the counter and walked into the other room. Harry’s eyes were on her as she left the room but he remained seated as she talked to him from a distance.

“What did you want to do today?!” She called out from the living room. A moment later she came back in, holding something in her hand. She walked past Harry and went to the back door and opened it. She jerked the doorknob back but it didn’t budge.

“You know, for a house that was a little pricy, you’d think the doors would work properly!” Hermione said as she pulled on the doorknob with every bit of strength in her. Harry watched her in amusement, the faces she made trying to open that door.

SNAP!

The door flew open and Hermione stumbled backwards. Harry jumped up and caught her around the waist just before she hit the floor. For a moment she stayed there, embarrassed and relieved at the same time. He stared down, and imitating her actions. Harry lifted her back to a standing position and felt rather stupid. His hands slid up her silky smooth arms, giving him the jitters. Her skin was probably the softest he had ever heard of.

“Thanks Harry.” Hermione said, bringing him out of his trance as she rubbed her knee from the door smacking her hard there.

“You should really get that door fixed.” He said with a grin on his face. Hermione smiled then pushed the door open some more and propped it with a rock. She stepped outside for some fresh air then briefly came back in.

“Do you want to sit outside? It’s quite a nice day today.” Hermione stated with her hands on her hips, turning to go sit on a chair out on the porch. Harry followed and had a seat on the bench beside her.

“Oh, I’m sorry Harry. What did you want to do today?” She asked him again. Harry stretched out on the bench and laid down on his back to look at the bright blue sky.

“I was thinking we could hang around here for a while, in Hogsmeade. But I don’t want to see anyone in particular just yet. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Oh, alright. That’s fine. I just need to stop at the shop for a few minutes and then we can do whatever.” Hermione said happily. Harry moved his head so he could see her face and he smiled, noticing how she was sitting in her chair with her elbows rested on her knees. Her one knee, however, was still quite red from the door smacking it.

“Hermione, are you cold?” Harry asked, looking at the goose-bumps on her legs. She turned to look at him.

“Not really. Why?” She asked. Harry felt his face flush a bit before he answered.

“Oh, you just had goose-bumps on your arms is all.” He answered back. Hermione smiled at him. “Is your knee okay?”

Hermione looked down at it and sighed. “It still stings a little.”

Harry sat up in his place and straddled the bench, facing her in her chair. “Here, let me see,” he said, holding out his hand. Hermione wrinkled her forehead.

“Alright,” she agreed, lifting her leg up into Harry’s hand.

Just that little motion sent shivers down his spine. She had incredibly toned legs and softer skin than on her arms. He felt himself slip into a daze again but was brought out by the task at hand. He touched her knee very softly, mumbling a few things and the pain went away.

Hermione was enjoying the feeling of Harry’s fingers trailing up her leg to her knee, and back down again. It was quite the dizzying thing if you’ve ever experienced it. Harry let her leg down and smiled at her as she bent it back toward her, observing how much better it felt and how the redness went away. She blushed the same color her knee had once been and smiled at him. He smiled back and they stared at each other for a few seconds too long.

“Thanks, Harry. You know, you’re going to have to let me in on what you learned while you were away,” she teased. Harry smiled a drop dead gorgeous grin that Hermione felt made her weak in the knees all over again, but this time in a good way.

Sorry this has taken me so long to update you on. I’ve actually finished this (finally) and I started a new fic so it took my attention away for a while. Then there was all that mess with the holidays so I’m glad that’s over, just so I can get things back to normal. But anyway, sorry for the super long wait. It shouldn’t be too long until I update next (most likely next week) but I’m going out of town this weekend for a wedding that I’m singing at so I’ll be far away from home…no computer. Sorry guys! But thanks for your patience and your reviews. They’re greatly appreciated. You guys are awesome! Happy reading!

Harry and Hermione sat under the sun for another half hour in silence, both enjoying the peacefulness the outdoors could bring. The sun glimmered brightly above them and the sky was so clear and blue it looked as if it were in a painting; so perfect and flawless. Hermione tapped her toes on the cement as she came to realize her skin was starting to get all blotchy. She looked down at her legs and made a face of pure disgust.

"That's what I get for having fair skin." She muttered to herself. Harry turned his head to stare at her as if she were a silly little school girl.

"What was that?" He asked. Hermione raised her eyebrows and stared at him. "You were mumbling." Harry finished. Hermione smiled.

"Oh I was just complaining about getting all blotchy. My skin can’t handle this much exposure to the sun, even though I tried to scrounge up a charm to fix that." She started as she stood up from her chair and headed to the door. She put her hand on the door frame and turned around. "Hey, I was going to take a shower, but if you needed to do that, everything you need is in the bathroom next to your room." She said with a smile.

Harry sat up from the bench and brushed his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. "Oh, thanks." He said with a smile on his face. Hermione nodded happily and went back into the house and out of sight.

Harry got up from the bench and went inside, shutting the door gently and quietly to be sure it wouldn't be glued shut with the jaws of life the next time someone attempted to open it. There he stood in Hermione's kitchen, gazing at everything in his path as she took her shower. It was so peaceful. All he could hear was the distant sound of the shower down the hall off the living room. Harry picked his wand up from the table and headed off upstairs to get his shower in before Hermione had finished hers.

"What, are you crazy! There's no way we're going to be able to pull this off." Ron interrupted as Fayina was about to step into the fireplace. She stepped away and stood next to Ron in the living room, putting her handful of floo powder back into the small bowl and giving Ron a piercing yet sarcastic look as she dusted off her hands.

"Oh, come on. Sure we can do this. It's not like we haven't been able to pull this sort of thing off before!" Fayina said convincingly.

Ron rolled his eyes but gave into her plot. She grabbed a fresh handful of floo powder as she grabbed Ron firmly by the arm and pulled him in with her. Ron shut his eyes tight in anticipation. "I can't believe you've been back only a week and you're already stirring up trouble." Ron muttered with his eyes closed. Fayina tightened her fist, keeping the floo powder safely in her grip.

"Oh, Ron Ron Ron. You're right." She said seriously, putting an arm around his shoulders and shaking her head. "But at least I have you to help me!" She said teasingly.

Ron peeked out the corner of his eye at her as she threw the powder down at their feet. In a bright flash of green, they were gone.

Somehow, this day would prove to be filled with mischievous happenings and confusion. Still, everything played over perfectly in Fayina's intelligent head. Her prodding personality didn't help a bit as far as Ron was concerned. No one could really know the reasons behind Ron's passiveness and why he always agreed to helping out his friend. No matter how hard he struggled, Fayina always managed to rope him into something. That's just how life was; ever since she transferred from Russia to Hogwarts during their sixth year. She was always trying to worm her way into someone's business and get to the bottom of mysteries. But this time, they were up against the near-impossible.

Harry and Hermione gathered up their robes and wands and walked down the cobblestone path that led to the busiest part of Hogsmeade, heading for their favorite shop for some drinks: The Three Broomsticks. Hermione was looking quite happy, but also surprised no one had noticed who was with her. She looked at Harry and rolled her eyes as she pulled the hood off his head.

"Hey!" He complained, immediately putting the hood back on in an attempt to hide himself.

Hermione seemed startled and it showed by the expression on her face.

"Why are you hiding?" She asked impatiently.

Harry glanced at her and grinned a bit. "Don't want anyone else to see me yet. What if we run into Ron?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stopped to look at him. "I get it. Honestly, you're just paranoid. Besides, Ron's at work right now working hard to earn some vacation time. Trust me, you're not going to see him." She added matter-of-factly.

"Is Ron still working at the Ministry?" Harry asked suddenly, as if the thought were a disgusting one.

Hermione nodded to confirm. "But not to worry, he got over his minor breakdown ages ago when he got moved up to the Quidditch department. He's the head of that now, did you know?" She continued on as they slowly moved down the path.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Impressive." Harry said in an approving way.

Hermione grinned at him and opened the door to the shop. They anxiously walked in and had a look around.

Hermione's eyes went huge and she pulled Harry into a corner to hide him.

"Hermione, what are you doing?!" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him in such a way it shut him up completely. She barely poked her head around the corner and pulled back almost instantly. She rushed Harry to a nearby table and sat down, handing Harry a menu and gesturing to him what to do with it. They both put up a make-shift shield as Fred and George Weasley walked by. Hermione looked at Harry from behind their menus and bit her lip.

Harry got a grin on his face and slammed the menu down on the table, causing the twins to look back in the direction of the sound. They looked at the two of them and went back to their conversation. But Fred did a double-take and his eyes nearly fell out of his head and onto the floor. He slapped George on the shoulder making him look up. Their expression was the same. Hermione looked at Harry, appalled.

"Harry! Do you want your secret out?" She gasped.

Harry pulled her menu down to the table. She gripped onto it as if she were so attached to it she couldn't bear to let it go. She finally did let go and sat looking at Harry.

"It's alright." He said, watching Fred and George come to have a seat at their booth.

"You're back! Amazing! When did you get here?" Fred asked eagerly. Hermione continued to stare at Harry as he conversed wildly with the Weasley twins.

"...and yes I suppose it HAS been a long time." Harry continued. Hermione clued back into the conversation just as it glided her direction.

"And Hermione! When did you bump into Harry?!" George asked. Hermione looked at Harry, locking eyes with him intensely.

"Well he didn’t really bump into me, but he frightened me for sure!" She said with a grin on her face.

Fred and George looked at him scoldingly. He explained what had happened and they roared with laughter. The noise stirred a lot of customers and Madame Rosmerta strolled over. Harry made sure his hood was still on as he put a finger to his lips to quiet the twins. They clued into his secrecy and silently agreed not to say anything. Rosmerta would surely make a fuss if she saw Harry again.

"What will it be, dears? Butterbeers?" She asked. The four of them glanced at each other.

"Four please." Hermione answered. Madame Rosmerta smiled, took the menus and turned away without a glance at Harry. Fred and George wanted answers right away, but Harry reminded them of one thing.

"Look, could you two keep this a secret for a couple days? I mean until I decide when to break it to Ron? Then you can tell anyone you want." Harry said plainly, but in a tone that said so much. Everyone clued in that it was very important that no one knew.