Disclaimer : JK Rowling created Harry.
Author's Warning : HHr shippers may not like this particular chapter.
Chapter 13 - Dinner for Three
While a majority of the Magical Law Enforcement Department was at the site of her alleged latest murder, Hermione was at St. Mungo's. She was just about finished. The flame surrounding Ron was already a faint tinge of orange and she couldn't conjure another one without first getting some rest. Healer Frances said that this was expected of a healing spell of such magnitude.
Healer Frances was not one who usually broke rules but her patients always came first. Ronald Weasley was easily her most famous patient to date. His role in supporting Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort was well known. And of course there was Hermione Granger, the young woman at his bedside. She was a role model for young witches throughout the country until recently and Healer Frances witnessed first hand just how skilled a witch she was for her age.
It was rubbish how the Ministry continued to insist on her guilt. Healer Frances spoke with Ginny Weasley and asked her to pass on a proposal for Miss Granger to come twice a day to perform healing sessions on Mr. Weasley. Miss Granger immediately accepted and even asked Healer Frances how to improve her technique that morning. A few minor adjustments later, both witches felt that was the best they could do.
"That should be enough for now, Miss Granger," Healer Frances interrupted, "We'll see you again, tonight?"
"See you tonight," Hermione smiled weakly, "Thank you for allowing me to do this."
"You take care, dear," Healer Frances replied, "I hope the Ministry comes to its senses."
Hermione merely nodded as Healer Frances disappeared from the doorway.
Ginny was as brutally honest as usual, "You look like shit."
"Thanks," Hermione replied with a grin, "I saw the Prophet interview."
"Oh yeah, doesn't he look handsome on that picture?" Ginny said naughtily.
"You were supposed to tell him to go away."
"So I did," Ginny shrugged her shoulders, "He's as stubborn as always. I told you it was a waste of time. He tells me Inspector Dick is back."
"We're working on the case together," Hermione was almost ready to go, "I'll see you later."
Ginny had one parting thought, "I was right you know."
"About what?" Hermione was putting her cloak on.
"About why he left. He says he still loves you, and you and I know he can't lie even if his life depended on it."
Hermione was not interested, "I can't deal with that right now, Gin. I have to go."
They gave each other a hug.
Ginny said, "It's just so you know, in case he doesn't get around to telling you himself."
Hermione gave Ron a kiss on the cheek and whispered in his ear, just before Disapparating.
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It was obvious to Harry that the Cardinal was going through great lengths to have authorities believe Hermione was the murderer. In fact, had he not known Hermione as well as he did, all the evidence did lead to her. But why did the Cardinal not want credit for them? Lunatics usually did.
The Ministry assumed that the first two murders the message pertained to were those of Dorner and Lowes. The third victim was Lyle Franks, a 36 year old half-blood who taught at a local Muggle primary school. He was unmarried and from what they gathered was well liked by people he knew.
The Aurors on the scene immediately identified Franks' connection with Hermione. The victim's appointment schedule from three weeks ago was peppered with meetings at Hermione's apartment and the school secretary identified Hermione as having asked personal questions about Franks, saying that the latter was being nominated for a teaching award.
Seven planned murders, if Harry was to count himself. Could it be one wizard murder each for each cardinal curse?
With the Aurors busy milling around looking for evidence to incriminate Hermione even further, he had an opportunity to slip out of the office unnoticed later that morning. He wanted to look at the rest of the memories contained in the phials Ron left for him. Surely, Ron had a compelling reason not to let the Ministry know as late as last week. Maybe the reason no longer existed and he could clear Hermione by letting them see Ron's memory of two months ago. Then they could actually focus on trying to find the Cardinal.
He dropped by the Ministry library on his way out to look up the confidentiality spell. The librarian looked at him blankly. As he suspected, if it existed, it was not for public consumption. He sent a note to Kingsley asking him if he knew of such a spell and did not expect an immediate answer. He would check on that tomorrow and maybe then he could tell Kingsley, Remus and Tonks what this was about. Harry wondered why Hermione and Ron didn't tell them about the Cardinal at all.
Harry flooed into Number 12 Grimmauld Place and went up to his study. He poured and followed the contents of the third phial into the Pensieve. He found himself in a Muggle restaurant in Downtown London, the same restaurant he last saw Hermione and Ron in.
Hermione was dressed appropriately for the place, which was famous for having affluent clientele. Ron, on the other hand, was a bit underdressed and was slouched over, munching a piece of bread. Then Harry realized that he was under Harry's old invisibility cloak.
"You couldn't have chosen a less memorable restaurant, could you?" Ron said pointedly.
Hermione turned to him and apologized under her breath, "I'm sorry, he suggested it and I didn't realize where it was until I looked up the address."
"Why do you have to do this over dinner anyways?"
"I don't know how he will react. I think a public Muggle place would considerably limit his choices and the potential of having an Obliviator Squad come down on us. And can you not eat all the bread? The waiter is already looking at me funny."
She smiled at the waiter who was passing by and eyeing the second empty tray on her table.
"I can't help it I'm hungry!"
"Ron, you're always hungry. Oh, he's here, move over."
Ron vacated the seat in front of Hermione and sat on the ledge to her right. Harry sat beside Ron as he hissed, "That's Richard Tilly? How could I have possibly competed with that?"
Hermione whispered, "You're taller."
Harry saw a blonde well-dressed man of medium height with a million dollar smile was on his way to Hermione's table. He was causing a lot of heads to turn and there were mutterings of whether or not he was an actor on Broadway. Harry could understand the commotion. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that this bloke was good looking, in fact too good looking to be having dinner with Hermione by himself.
"Jane, it's so wonderful to see you."
"Hello Ritchie. Thanks for coming."
They leaned over and as Hermione offered a cheek, Ritchie moved back and to Hermione's left such that they ended up kissing each others' lips over the table, right in front of Ron's gaping expression and Harry's furious one. Hermione didn't seem to mind. The waiter poured them some wine and left them to go over the menu.
Hermione spoke, "It's so good of you to see me on short notice, considering how busy you are."
"You sounded quite serious on the phone," Ritchie replied, "I got the impression that this was not an entirely social call. I find it hard to believe that you're finally returning my hundreds of phone calls and letters from four years ago."
Ron forgot he was supposed to be invisible and exclaimed, "What?" Harry didn't remember Hermione ever mentioning Richard Tilly from four years ago. Was he an admirer? That's probably why Ginny thought the name was familiar.
Hermione ignored Ron's outburst hoping Ritchie did not notice.
"It was a long time ago, Ritchie, and I was foolish enough to think we had a chance."
"No, I was foolish enough to immediately assume we wouldn't," Ritchie corrected her, "And you brought company to listen in, somebody who is either really hungry or really likes bread, probably under a special cloak of some kind or a concealment charm. You should introduce us."
Harry could not follow that conversation though it implied that they at least dated and that Ritchie broke it off. That explained the more personal greeting they had. But that couldn't be true because she was seeing Ron that time, and he could not believe she would cheat on Ron. Or maybe she did. After all, didn't she sleep with him while she was still with Ron?
"Hi, I'm Ron, Ron Weasley. I'm sitting on the ledge under an invisibility cloak just to your left. I'll shake your hand some other time."
Don't shake his hand. Was Ron so dense he didn't get that? Why wasn't he angry?
"Ritchie Tilly, a pleasure to finally meet you Ron. Jane has told me so much about you."
And Hermione told Ritchie about Ron. It was annoying how he kept calling Hermione, 'Jane'. What was that about?
"You're right of course, we're here to talk to you about the murders you are investigating," Hermione finally said.
"No, not tonight, especially not over dinner. I find murder a topic that kills appetite and I'm famished. But please do stay and have dinner with me. We can regroup about the case tomorrow morning at 8, Ron will bring breakfast, at your place?" he asked Hermione.
"Okay, tomorrow morning at eight then," was Hermione's response, "And I guess I at least owe you to stay for dinner."
"What are you having, my friend," he said referring to Ron, and when he answered it was settled.
Harry watched as they dined. The waiter did not show surprise that Ritchie had ordered for three and Hermione slipped Ron's steak under the cloak when no one was watching.
They talked about growing up and about having dentists as parents, reminiscing as much for Ron's sake as theirs.
"Jane, did you tell Ron the story of how we first met, do you remember?" Ritchie was already laughing even before starting the story.
"Please, don't, it's too embarrassing…" Harry saw her smile genuinely for the first time in two years.
"No, she skipped that part," Ron teased, "Please do tell."
"Ron, you have to watch her when I tell this because it's precious."
Harry could notice cheerfulness permeate through her brown eyes. Even for a moment, Ritchie had managed to take her to a better place compared to where she was just earlier. And he could see that Ron was seeing all this through the cloak and he was happy for her too.
"It was my ninth birthday, and being their lone spoiled brat, my parents threw a huge bash, inviting all the kids in a three block radius. The theme was magic, and my parents brought in the best magicians money could buy."
"I really didn't know half of the kids but there was this bushy haired six year old girl going on twenty, only child of prominent dentists and precocious for her age, who stood out in the crowd that day. During the penultimate magic show, the magician, what was his name, Jane?"
"Merlin," Hermione was already trying to suppress laughing.
"Of course, why wouldn't it be! Merlin asked for a volunteer and of all the dozens of kids with their hands high up in the air, picked Jane. The magic to be performed was simple enough, tap the hat with the magic wand, say the magic word, and a bunny would come out."
"So Jane comes on stage, rolls up her sleeves and does as she is told. She tapped the hat, said the magic word and a bunny came out of the hat. There was wild applause. Merlin was about to move on to his next trick, when to his surprise, another bunny hopped out of the hat, then another, then another…"
They were all laughing at this point, including Harry. Hermione never told them this story.
"Anyways, Merlin fainted after the 10th one came out. My parents had to call the medics in. Fire, Animal Control came. Chaos! Each kid got a bunny in the loot bag, and it took weeks for the house to be rid of all the rabbits! I don't think any kid that was invited to that party ever had magic as a birthday theme ever again!"
"I scarred a few kids, and Merlin, for life."
And Ritchie was right. Hermione's reaction at what she had done as a six-year old was indeed a priceless sight.
"So that was my first memory of Jane; Jane the Magician surrounded by hundreds of rabbits. Our parents became close friends, so growing up we saw a lot of each other during family parties," and Harry could not help but notice how Ritchie's eyes held Hermione's ever so tenderly.
"You should add too, that you and your friends, really didn't talk to me."
"In our defense, we were older, and our interests were so different from yours."
"Admit it, you found me too weird."
"And too bossy, actually. Isn't that right, Ron?"
"I prefer not to answer that question for fear of an untimely death," Ron said truthfully.
"Sage response, my friend."
Ron was too stuffed to have desert but Ritchie ordered two coffees, looking over to Hermione for confirmation. Harry felt warm in the face and a stabbing pain in the chest each time they looked at each other.
Harry could see it in his eyes. He could see it in her eyes; that same look she had for Viktor Krum and then for Ron. And she seemed to be thinking about what to do with it. Harry could see why Hermione would find Ritchie attractive. He was not only good looking. He was funny and an intellectual. He obviously cared for her just from how he talked about her and how he talked to her.
"So, Ron, if you don't mind my selfishness," Ritchie said after the table was cleared and the bill was paid, "I would like to spend more time alone with my childhood friend before she disappears again for another four years without returning any of my calls," Ritchie's gentle eyes captured Hermione's while he said this and escorted her out of the restaurant without awaiting Ron's answer.
Then the memory ended. Harry wondered why Ron thought that memory was important to share with him save from the fact that it reminded Harry what a stupid git he was for leaving. It had nothing to do with the Cardinal.
Bad tempered from the events in the third phial, he removed the previous memory from the Pensieve, poured the contents of the fourth one and dove in after it.
Ron was looking at his watch; it was 8:12 am and he was knocking impatiently at Hermione's door with breakfast in his hand. Harry was guessing it was the day after the dinner with Ritchie.
There was the sound of locks unlocking and both he and Harry were surprised to see Ritchie open the door to let them in. He was still in the clothes he wore the night before, except for an unbuttoned collar and a missing tie. It was hard not to come to the conclusion Harry and he suspected, Ron, had arrived at. Ritchie spent the night at Hermione's.
A/N. Ouch.