Harry never did find out what Ron and Hermione said to each other that night, but by the next day the two of them had returned to normal, or at least a fixed state of cordiality towards each other. Ginny on the other hand split her time between hanging onto Harry and shooting evil looks at Hermione when she thought he wasn't looking. Once he had calmed down he had tried to talk to Ginny with the intention of telling her it was over, but she had seemed so contrite and admitted to him that she just felt threatened by Hermione that he just didn't have the heart to do it. After all they were meant to be together weren't they? Everyone seemed to think so, and Hermione was just a friend… Although that didn't explain why the memory of sitting holding Hermione's hand felt so - tingly. However Harry made sure that he thought about that as little as possible, it was just at odd quiet moments that it sort of crept up on him.
The next two weeks passed uneventfully, and July arrived in a blaze of sunshine as though the weather wanted to point out just how different from last year things were now. The weeks would have been the perfect way to recover from the horrors that had passed and to start afresh - if Hermione and Ron weren't so strained and formal in each others company and he didn't have to keep avoiding Ginny the human limpet. Hermione had announced her decision to leave to the rest of the Weasley's and Ginny had become more clingy and simpering than ever. Harry just didn't know what to do about her.
One morning during the first week of July Mrs Weasley and Hermione were sitting discussing the latter's travel arrangements, the men of the family had all left to go to their individual jobs and Harry, Ron and Ginny were eating breakfast in sleepy silence. Suddenly an insistent tapping at the kitchen window brought everyone's attention to the large tawny owl perched on the windowsill.
"Oh, Ginny dear, this must be your Hogwarts letter," Mrs Weasley exclaimed rushing to retrieve it. "They're awful early this year aren't they? But Minerva does like to be prepared. Here you are dear."
She handed it to Ginny who slit open the envelope and silently scanned it.
As she reached the end of the page she hissed angrily, "They can't do that, that's not fair!"
Mrs Weasley looked up from where she had resumed her conversation with Hermione. "What's not fair dear?"
Raising distraught, tear-filled eyes from the parchment she whined, "They're reopening Hogwarts a month early because of all the commotion last year. I quote: due to the recent disturbances in staffing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the early closure of the school at the end of term due to structural concerns we have deemed it prudent to recommence teaching as soon as possible. It is therefore my duty to inform you that Hogwarts will reopen on the 1st of August instead of the 1st of September as per usual. How can they do that?! I hate her, evil bi -"
"Ginerva Weasley, mind your tongue! If you're going to use language like that then I think that it's high time you went back to school and learned some manners." With that she swept out of the kitchen closing the door smartly behind her.
A tense silence ensued before Ron piped up, "Never mind Gin, we'll all think of you when we're sitting in the sunshine."
For a brief moment Harry was sure she was considering whether life in Azkaban was worth murdering her brother for, before she turned on her heel and flounced out of the room leaving Ron grinning in her wake. As the echoes of doors slamming upstairs died, Ron's expression became mixed with reluctance as he turned to Harry. "You know mate, I never thought I'd say this, but sometimes I wonder why you put up with her… Sorry." He blushed as he mistook Harry's astonishment. Harry on the other hand felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Well Ron if it makes you feel any better I never thought I'd hear you say that either." And he began to laugh in relief, which set Ron off, and Hermione, after looking at the two of them in confusion for a moment began giggling too. As the three of them sat laughing in the kitchen Harry felt as though things were back to normal, or as normal as his life had ever been. What with rescuing people, learning to defend himself and being entered into deadly competitions - not to mention being pursued by an evil psycho nutcase for the majority of his life - normality as other people knew it was never really something he had ever fully experienced. It was at that moment that it hit him, suddenly really hit him that he was free of Voldemort forever now. He could do whatever he wanted with the rest of his life and stop seeing the future as something that may only last for another few years. He could make plans, have a family, go on vacations and for the first time in his life, be normal.
The day before Hermione was due to leave Harry was lying on his bed reading his much battered copy of Quidditch through the Ages when Ron walked into the room looking slightly dazed. Harry watched him as he crossed the room, stretched out on his bed, stared up at the violently orange roof and let out a long sigh.
"Well I guess that's it then."
Sensing that for once Ron wanted to talk - properly talk - Harry marked the page in his book and focused his attention on his friend. "What's what?"
Glancing over at him Ron shrugged, crossed his arms behind his head and said finally, "me and Hermione… We're over."
"Oh - sorry mate." Harry didn't really know what to say so he settled for a rather lame, "what happened?"
Ron smiled crookedly as he related the details. "Well - I suppose it was mutual really, but I didn't have the heart to end it. We were sitting outside just now, talking about God knows what, watching the butterflies... Then Hermione just sort of asked me out of the blue where I saw myself in five years time; so we started talking about the future and then us arguing and she hinted that she would prefer to be friends. We'll probably get on better that way anyway."
Although Harry had secretly suspected that his friends would break up, he hadn't envisaged this outcome. When he had thought about it he had imagined they'd go out with a blazing row and then sit and sulk for days. Ron was being remarkably calm and philosophical about it all - which was unlike him in any situation - and he even seemed vaguely pleased about the turn of events.
"So are you to still speaking to each other or will I have to become an owl again?"
Ron smirked. " Yeah, mate, about that I'm sorry we put you through a rough time with that. We can both be a pain when we want to be."
"Tell me about it."
"Hey! Your not supposed to agree with me." Ron sniffed disdainfully. "You aren't exactly easy to live with either you know."
For a moment the two of them just laughed before he continued, " Hermione and me, we weren't meant to last, maybe if things had been different…" Seeing that Harry was about to interrupt he rushed on. "Don't get me wrong I don't regret my choices for a minute. I just meant that…" He gestured vaguely, unable to put his thoughts into words. "Well, we'll get on better as friends. I do care about her, just not in that way, or not enough anyway."
Harry was surprised, and faintly impressed, that Ron was mature enough to analyse his feelings like this and behave like the adult that the wizarding world, though maybe not his mother, saw him as. He let the subject lie at that, but for some reason, and he couldn't put his finger on it, he felt that things were slowly returning to their natural order.
The next morning a rather tearful Hermione stood in the kitchen surrounded by Ron, Harry, and both the Mrs Weasley's. The rest of the men had already said their goodbye's before leaving for work and Ginny had refused to come down from her room. Harry hadn't even bothered trying to make her. If she was going to behave like a sulky toddler then she was the one who looked stupid.
At present a rather uncomfortable looking Hermione was being tightly hugged by Fleur who could not repeat enough how much she would miss her. When she had finally been released she turned to Harry and Ron.
"Well, goodbye then. I don't know how long I'll be gone for, but it shouldn't be more than a month or two. Once I find Mum and Dad I'm not sure what'll happen but I'll keep in touch and let you know. Goodbye Ron." She enveloped him in a tight hug. Harry hadn't managed to talk to her about the break up yet, but she seemed happy enough and ever since, she and Ron had been getting on better than they had in years.
"Try and keep out of mischief when I'm away you two. I'll miss you, but I think I just need a bit of time as well to sort things out… with everything that's happened. Bye Harry." She stood on tiptoe to give him a peck on the cheek and quickly turned to give Mrs Weasley a hug.
Because she had her back to him now Harry couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he knew he must be blushing furiously. Which was odd, as Hermione, and other girls for that matter had kissed him on the cheek before. It was just that -
"Well bye then everyone!" Hermione turned to the fireplace with a smile over her shoulder. "Wish me luck." She took a handful of Floo powder, threw it into the flames and in a roaring flash of green she was gone.
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