Chapter 7
"Well, that went well," Harry said surprisingly as he leaned back in his chair across from his two best friends who came out to the veranda with him. He wanted to spend some time with just the two of them. Being with them like this was something he had missed fiercely while he was away. "I was expecting Ron, here, to leap over the table and attack Malfoy at any moment. Thanks for resisting."
"And here I thought I was being subtle about it."
"Please," Harry said with a laugh. "If looks could kill."
"They were just so chummy," he said, still pouting about it. "Watching Luna and Draco talk and laugh together as if they've been best friends for years? It was disturbing."
"It was interesting," Hermione pointed out as she slid her aching feet out of her shoes. "That must have been quite a conversation in the parlor room."
"Are you okay?" Harry asked when he saw her wince.
"My feet are killing me," she said with a groan as she lifted one foot to rub it. "It's those damn shoes…they aren't broken in yet."
"I honestly don't know how you girls can walk in shoes like that."
Hermione sighed. "Talent, Ronald. Pure talent. Of course we suffer afterwards."
"Well, on behalf of the male population," Harry began with a grin. "Let me thank you for wearing shoes like that. They really show off the legs…don't they Ron?"
"I guess," he said with a shrug and then thought of the pair of shorts Luna had on earlier. "But not as much as really short shorts. Thank Merlin for the man who invented those."
"How do you know it was a man?" Hermione asked.
"Because…only a man can appreciate a nice pair of legs," Harry said, answering the question himself.
"Brilliant answer, Harry."
He grinned. "Thanks, Ron."
Hermione couldn't help but smile. "I guess you have a point," she admitted and then let out a whiny groan. "And if one of you will rub my feet I will love you forever and ever."
Ron scrunched up his face. "Honestly, Hermione, you know I have a thing about…feet," he scoffed and then gave a dramatic shudder.
"Oh, yeah…you and your weird feet phobia." She then turned slowly to Harry and gave a wide, cheesy grin. "Hi."
"Hi, there."
"You don't have a weird feet phobia, do you Harry?"
"Not that I know of," he said and chuckled when she gave him a pleading look. "All right, bring them here."
She grinned, ear to ear, as she plopped her feet in his lap. "Thanks, Harry! You're the…oh." Her eyes fluttered closed when his large hands covered her feet, then hissed out a breath when his thumbs pressed firmly against her aching soles. "Bloody hell."
"Am I hurting you?" he asked with concern.
"No," she sighed as she let her head fall back against the chair. "It feels good. Merlin, you're good at this."
"Really?" he asked, slightly pleased. "That's good to know."
"Didn't you ever rub Ginny's feet?" she asked.
"Nope."
She let out a tiny moan when he moved down to her arches. "Why not?"
He shrugged. "She never asked."
"Well," Ron stated as he sat up and slapped his hands on the arms of his chair. "I've just discovered that my weird foot phobia includes watching other people rub someone's feet. So…I'm out."
"Oh, we're sorry," Hermione said as she reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could leave. "We'll stop."
"No, don't," he said with an easy grin. "You seem to need it…I certainly could never walk in those things. Anyway, I think I'm going to go up and talk to Luna…make sure she still likes me and everything."
Hermione's eyes softened. "Of course she still likes you, Ron."
"Yeah…well, still…I owe her an apology. I'll see you guys in the morning."
"Night, Ron," Harry said, nodding at him as he walked off.
"Ron," Hermione said, halting him by the open patio doors. "You and I…we'll talk soon. Okay?"
Ron smiled. "Sure," he said, giving a slight nod of understanding, before finally slipping inside the house.
Hermione sighed at the empty doorway. "You don't think he was really mad, do you?"
"He didn't seem to be."
"No…he didn't." She then looked back at him and frowned at his stilled hands. "Why did you stop?"
"Oh, sorry," he said and then put both hands on one foot to give it extra attention.
Hermione tilted her head back on a lazy moan as she closed her eyes. "I might just fall asleep here."
Harry smiled as he pressed his thumbs hard against her soles again, since that seems to be the place she ached most. "If you did that, I would have to carry your lazy butt upstairs."
"You're a big boy…you can handle it."
"I guess," he said with a grin as he moved his attention to the other foot. "So, I talked with Ginny earlier."
She kept her eyes closed, but her brows lifted. "You did?"
"Yeah…before Draco had come down." He hesitated as he kept on kneading and caressing. "I didn't plan on it…I thought maybe I'd wait till at least tomorrow, but...it seemed liked that time was as good as any. We were alone…waiting for everyone else to come down." He set down her foot and took both feet in each hand, rubbing gentle circles with his thumbs. A long, sexy, moan escaped from the back of her throat, and couldn't help but feel slightly smug.
"Well, how did go?" she asked when he remained quiet.
Harry cleared his head with a slight shake. "Sorry. Pretty good, actually. I apologized for leaving suddenly…she admitted to me that she was devastated."
"I thought she might be," Hermione said opening her eyes. "It sounds like her to put on a brave face for you. She wouldn't want you to feel guilty."
"That's exactly what she said. Anyway, she also told me that, me leaving was probably the best thing that could have happened. She admits that she needed some time away from me in order to find out what she really wanted. She was actually able to focus on herself."
"Wow," Hermione said after awhile. "It sounds like she's come a long way from the love-struck teenager."
"Definitely," Harry said with a nod. "Neither of us know what we want, but we decided to take these next few weeks nice and slow. Right now, were strictly friends, and who knows? Maybe it'll change after a few days, but…"
"But?" she asked when he trailed off.
"But…I can't see it happening." His hands paused on her feet as he blew out a long, unsteady breath. "That's horrible of me to say…I shouldn't discount her so quickly."
Hermione lifted her feet off his lap and leaned forward to place a hand over his. "Harry, it's not horrible. If that's how you feel, then you need to be honest with not only Ginny, but yourself."
Harry lifted a shoulder in uncertainty. "It's just that…it was nice…talking with her that way. Laughing with her and being with her just as her friend. It was like it had been before I started to feel things for her. How can that be? How can I go from loving her one moment, to thinking of her as kind of a…well, I won't say sister, because…well, that be weird." He let out a defeating groan as he plopped his forehead on the table. "Am I making any sense?"
Hermione laughed softly as she rubbed his back sympathetically. "Surprisingly, yes. Loads of sense."
He snorted. "Of course I am."
"Harry, it could be that what you felt for Ginny wasn't love…you just might have mistaken it for something else."
"Funny, I was just thinking that before she came down." He let out frustrating sigh. "I hate this. I don't want to hurt her."
Hermione stood up so she could lean down and hug him from behind. "Don't stress over this," she murmured soothingly in his ear as she rubbed his shoulders. "Like you said…she doesn't know what she wants either. It could be that she's in the same boat as you. Just…take it a day at a time. It'll all work out."
"Ah, Hermione," he said as he lifted hand to pat hers on his shoulder. "My voice of reason."
She chuckled softly. "Always." She titled her head and gave him a quick peck on his temple. "C'mon…it's getting late and I can tell you're exhausted."
"Yeah," he said, gripping her hand to keep her there for a moment longer, before finally letting go and leaning back. "You'll be the one that might have to carry me."
She laughed as he got up from his chair. "I don't think I could do it. Unless magic was involved."
"Oh, I don't know," he said as he grabbed her biceps and squeezed. "You got some muscle on you."
"You think?" she asked as she flexed her muscles.
"Oh, yeah," he laughed and then shifted behind her. "Let's give it a try."
"Harry, no!" she laughed when he grabbed her shoulders as if he was about to jump on her back. "I'll fall and break both our necks."
Harry let her squirm away from him, but smiled as he hooked an arm around her neck. "You don't have much faith in yourself."
Hermione playfully pinched his side. "Don't make me hurt you."
Harry flinched as he slapped her hand away. "Ow…cut it out."
"You're such a wimp."
"Hey," he said as slightly offended. "Person who defeated Voldemort-" He held up a sturdy hand. "Right here."
"Oh please," she said with a roll of her eyes. "That's old news."
Harry gave an exaggerated wince. "You wound me, Granger…you seriously wound me."
"You'll live," she said and then laughed as she tugged him close to her side. "You always do."
XXX
Luna was just about to sink into her overly large and incredibly comfortable bed when someone knocked on the door. She sighed longingly at her turned down bed. "I'll be right back," she said to it, giving it a loving pat before walking towards the door.
She stopped halfway, looking down at her blue and gold plaid boxers and her white, tank-top, and then shrugged it off. It was probably just Ginny, anyway, she thought as she opened the door. Oops…wrong Weasley. "Hello, Ronald."
"Hi," he said as he tried hard not to shuffle his feet. He heard a hint of that cool, distant tone in that simple phrase. "Can I…oh…sorry." He felt his face flush a bit when he looked realized what she had on. Merlin…pajama shorts were just as fantastic as regular shorts. Possibly, better. "I didn't mean to…Were you sleeping?"
"No." She stepped back from the door. "Would you like to come in?"
"Thanks." He walked in to her room and let his eyes wander. It was more feminine than his was, with the rose colored walls and the pink and white canopy bed. The room even smelled like a woman. "Nice. Yours is a bit bigger than mine, but, then again, I don't need all this space."
"Who does?" Fighting the urge to tug down her shirt, Luna crossed her arms over her chest. "What can I do for you, Ronald?"
"I really wish you would stop doing that," he said as he turned to her.
"Do what?"
"Talk to me in that ice cool tone of yours." He jammed his hands in his pockets. "It makes me feel all small and insignificant."
Luna's lips curved upward. "Good."
Ron sighed. "I deserved that…I wanted to apologize to you."
"Oh?" She lifted one, teasing brow. "For what, exactly?"
His eyes narrowed. "You fully know what, Luna."
"Maybe. But if that's your apology, you're going to have to do better than that."
He let out a frustrating growl as he ran his fingers through his hair. "All right, fine. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that…I was out of line."
Luna's hard eyes immediately turned soft as she let out a sigh. "Apology accepted. And I'm sorry, too."
Ron blinked. "For what?"
"Well, technically, you just grabbed my arm, you never really forbid me to go over to him. I didn't even give you a chance to speak."
Ron shook his head as he took a step closer. "No, you were right to act the way you did. I might not have said anything, but I think my actions spoke loud and clear. I didn't want you to go and talk to him."
How did he get so close to her? she wondered as she tilted her head up to look at him. "Why not?"
"You know why."
Her heart shuddered. "I do?"
"Sure," he said smiling softly. "You're my friend, Lunakins," he said as he playfully tucked her chin with his fingers.
"Oh," she said with a wobbly smile. "Of course."
"I care about you," he continued, missing the sadness in her eyes. "I hated the thought of him hurting you."
"He didn't," she assured him and gave him a friendly, reassuring pat on the arm before stepping back. She had to step away from him-his closeness was making her crazy. "In fact, he was rather nice. We had a good talk and he admitted to me how much he regrets the times he tormented me. I told him that was in the past and it didn't matter."
"How can it not matter?" he asked as he threw up his hands. "He was cruel to you."
"A lot of people were cruel to me, Ronald…even you were at first."
If she had slapped him, he couldn't have been more surprised. "Luna…I never…"
"You didn't think I noticed? Oh, you were more subtle about it than most…I'll give you that…but I saw all the times you were laughing at me behind my back."
"I was an idiot," he blurted out as he reached for her. "No, don't back away. Come here." He pulled her slowly towards him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. "I'm sorry. I'll repeat myself and say I was an idiot. I never took the time to really see you."
Luna closed her eyes as she took a moment to savor the way she felt in his embrace. Her arms were folded and trapped between them and her cheek rubbed against his chest as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. She felt warm and safe in his arms. She never wanted to leave. "It's okay, Ron. You saw me eventually." However, there was still so much more of her he had yet to see.
"Thank Merlin," he said with a soft chuckle as he ran a hand down her hair. "My life is definitely more colorful with you in it."
Luna smiled as she felt her heavy heart begin to lift. "Really?"
"Most definitely," he said as he began to let her go and found the task difficult to do. She had felt good in his arms. She was warm and comforting and also couldn't help but notice how well she fit against him. "I'm just sorry I didn't see it at first."
She barely resisted the urge to slink back in his arms. "Better late than never, Ronikins"
He grinned. "Well said, Lunakins." He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are we good?"
A chill rushed through her body at his touch. "We always were."
"Good," he said, and then frowned when he noticed her shiver. "You're cold. I should go…let you get in bed where it's nice and warm."
Luna hugged her body as she walked him to the door. She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to join her in that nice and warm bed. Get over it, she told herself firmly. Get over him. "Ronald?"
"Hmm?" he asked as he opened the door.
"He has changed, you know," Luna said gently.
"I know," he admitted with a soft smile. "I can't argue that, but…it's still going to take me some time to…accept him."
"No one's asking you to be his friend, Ronald. Just…maybe…ease off on the death glares, okay?"
Ron let out a soft chuckle. "I'll try," he promised and then began to close the door behind him. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night," she said and then once alone, leaned back against the door. She had to snap out of it. She had to try to find away to distance herself from him, but how could she do that? Especially, after all the wonderful things he had just said to her. My life is definitely more colorful with you in it.
"Ronald," she whispered as she butted her head back against the door. "How am I supposed to fall out of love with you when you say things like that?"
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