A Day At The Park
Visits With Friends
The next two days at Grimmauld Place were dreadful following Harry's breaking things off with Ginny. As was his habit Harry went into one of his more sullen brooding moods over the hurt he'd caused Ginny. Despite knowing he'd done the right thing by ending things he still hated the fact that Ginny had shed tears over something he'd done. It hadn't helped matters that he'd had to contend with the Molly Weasley as well.
Though Arthur had done his best to stop her Molly had turned up at Grimmauld Place on the evening of the break up in a right flap over Harry having called things off with her only daughter. Molly wanted to know what had gone wrong and more importantly how could it be righted. Harry had done his best to explain that there was nothing to right. That he and Ginny had simply grown apart. It was then that Molly had inquired as to who the new witch was in Harry's life and what role she'd played in splitting him and Ginny apart. Thankfully Arthur had shown up then and carted Molly off before Harry was forced to be rude.
Following Molly's visit Harry had come to realize that it would only be a matter of time before Ron showed up on his door, ornery as a Hungarian Horntail ready to pound Harry's face in for messing his sister about. Harry had seemingly forgotten that Ron was off with George procuring supplies for the joke shop. Hermione, however, had not. Thus, it was at Hermione's suggestion that Harry had rang Dudley and arranged to meet him at the Wrong `Un pub in Bexleyheath for a pint to get his mind off his troubles. It hadn't taken much prodding to get Harry to agree and as Dudley had been waiting since they met at the park for Harry to phone he immediately agreed. Harry had scarcely been out of the house five minutes when Ron showed up bellowing for Harry.
"HARRY! GET YOUR BLOODY ARSE OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! WHAT'S THIS ABOUT YOU BREAKING OFF WITH GINNY! HARRY DAMMIT HARRY ANSWER ME!"
Hermione came rushing down the stairs. She stopped on the fourth to the last stair and hissed angrily at Ron.
"Stop that yelling this instant otherwise you'll rouse Teddy! And taking into account how long it took me to get him settled tonight if you wake him with your incessant shrieking I'll hex your bloody bollocks off!"
Ron had been completely shocked by Hermione's appearance on the stairs. He hadn't known that Hermione was at Grimmauld Place. The sight of her materializing on the stairs had been quite enough to render him silent but the seething expression on her face and the added threat of his impending bollocks lost had ensured his continued speechless.
Hermione continued her descent down the stairs and grasping Ron by the elbow hustled him into the below stairs kitchen. Once the door swung shut she added a silencing charm just in case Ron forgot himself and started bellowing again. Harry's ill humor seemed to have been catching. Teddy had been a strop all day. His normally pleasant disposition giving way to a more churlish manner and his hair turned a dark stormy gray (definitely not his happy color). Not wanting to think of Teddy and his bad mood Hermione walked over to the cooler and as she did asked Ron.
"Would you care for something to eat or drink?"
Ron's reply was short.
"Where's Harry?"
Hermione heaved a sigh and answered back.
"You'll have to excuse me then as I haven't had a bite since breakfast and I'm very near starving."
Having said that Hermione pulled open the cooler and took out a butterbeer and the leftover bangers and mash from the day before. Next she pulled down a plate and cutlery and dished up a serving of food and hit it with a heating charm. Finally she levitated her preparations over to the table and taking the sit across from the one behind which Ron was standing said conversationally.
"You're not eating but you can still sit down you know."
Ron stared at Hermione as she dug into her bangers and mash. Ron pulled out the chair before him and took a seat. He watched in fascination for several moments as Hermione ate in silence seemingly unconcerned over why he'd shown up screaming murderously for Harry. After sitting there for several minutes and watching Hermione eat in silence Ron restated his initial question.
"Where's Harry?"
Seeing that Ron would not be deterred Hermione pushed her half eaten dinner to the side and in a calm tone stated.
"Harry's not here."
"I cottoned on to that a while ago. Where is he?"
Hermione sighed.
"I'm not going to tell you where he is Ron."
Ron frowned.
"And why not?"
"Ron what good is rowing with Harry going to do? You and he will be at each others throats and he and Ginny will still have broken up and you'll have accomplished little more than prolonging everyone's discomfort over the whole situation. Wouldn't it just be best for everyone to let it alone?"
Ron snorted contemptuously.
"Let it alone…let it alone…you want me to just forget about the fact that Harry's breaking my sister's heart!"
"Ron it's not as though he set out to do that. They just grew apart…"
"Oh bloody hell Hermione don't give me that rubbish! How do you grow apart when you're right there with the person everyday? How do you stop loving someone so quickly?!"
Ron looked at Hermione with an expression of angry incredulousness. Hermione expelled a breath and replied.
"It happens Ron. You can be right there, everyday, every second, and drift away from someone you care about…you can become so wrapped up in yourself that you loose sight of the other person. And by the time you open your eyes and realize what's happened the break between you is too big to work around. Your first love isn't always meant to be forever Ron. Besides there where extenuating circumstances"
Ron raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"What extenuating circumstances?"
Hermione countered succinctly.
"It was the middle of a war, they were young."
Ron shook his head disbelievingly.
"That's shite Hermione…my mum and dad met and married young during the war and look how they worked out! Hell Harry's own parents married straight out Hogwarts in the midst of the war…that has nothing to do with it!!"
Ron's face was beginning to turn a telltale shade of red, a sure sign his temper was rising. But that fact did little to dissuade Hermione, in fact, the knowledge that Ron was so stubbornly refusing to hear reason only succeeded in getting Hermione's ire up.
"Harry and Ginny are not your mum and dad…neither are they the second coming of Lily and James Potter! I've spoken to Ginny and as hurt as she is even she admits that she and Harry ending things is probably for the best! Not everything ends in happily ever after Ronald…loving someone and being in love with someone are two totally different things!"
Ron looked at Hermione, truly looked at her, and for the first time since his arrival he noticed the oddness in her. Taking a deep breath he said quietly.
"We're not talking about Harry and Ginny anymore, are we?"
Slowly Hermione shook her head.
"No we're not."
Ron nodded.
"Just for the record, which one of us got so wrapped up in self that we lost sight of the other?"
"I think we both did a little of that."
Ron nodded again as silence stretched out between them. After several moments Ron spoke again.
"Ginny said she asked Harry if there was someone else he was carrying on with…and Harry told her he hadn't been seeing anyone else but that there was someone who he realized he had feelings for…"
Ron paused and looked directly at Hermione.
"Ginny reckons that the someone he meant was you…is it?"
Hermione stared unblinkingly back at Ron as she answered with a single word.
"Yes."
Ron winced visibly. He closed his eyes and asked.
"What about you…do you…do you…have feelings for him?"
Hermione had expected the question and while she knew the answer she had no idea how to put her feelings into words. The truth of the matter was she'd been in love with Harry Potter from the moment he came barreling into the loo and flung himself on the back of a fully grown mountain troll in an attempt to save her. Although she hadn't known what it was at the time, all she'd known was that she felt an overpowering compulsion to be there for him as he had for her. She just hadn't allowed herself to see the truth of why she'd always been so willing to go to the ends of the earth for Harry.
The long silence prompted Ron to open his eyes he caught sight of the look on Hermione's face and instantly he knew the answer to his question, though he'd honestly known before he'd asked. Breathing out a deep sigh of acceptance Ron stood to his feet. The sound of his chair moving brought Hermione out of her thoughts. Ron's voice was quiet when he spoke.
"I should get going."
Hermione stood to her feet as well.
"I'm sorry Ron…I never meant for th…"
Ron waved off her words and said.
"I know Hermione, I know."
Ron closed the distance between them and pulled Hermione into his arms hugging her fiercely. Hermione returned the hug and tears started to collect in her eyes. Ron kissed her forehead before stepping back.
"Always felt better as friends didn't it."
Hermione nodded unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Ron offered her a weak smile before turning around and striding out the door.
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