Ron came to a halt in the doorway of his bedroom. Hermione lay sprawled on his fiery orange bed, books of various thicknesses surrounding her. She was facing away from him but the soft snoring sounds that filled the room told him that she was asleep. Ron entered carefully as not to wake her; he reached for the Cannon’s blanket on the ground and covered Hermione, and a few of her books. He turned and started for the door when Hermione made a low moaning sound, "Ron?"
She sat up rubbing her eyes, Ron’s breath caught in his throat. When she saw him she gasped. "Oh, I thought you wear a dream," she said a little sheepishly.
Ron opened his mouth but no words came out, he closed it, then tried again, "Oh… oh that…that’s ok."
Hermione smiled up at him. Ron could feel his ears burning, he turned to his dresser and fiddled with a wizards chess piece. He casually asked, "So what are you doing in here?"
"Oh, Ginny and Harry were using my room earlier. Surely you heard them?"
Ron turned back to her grinning. "You noticed that?"
"They weren’t exactly trying to hide it, Ronald. And why did they have to use my room, they have their own flat."
"They like the attention. Well, that’s my theory at least."
Hermione sighed. "Well they could have fought in any other room in this house. Anyways, I’ll just get out of your way." She began to pile all of her books into her lap until the stack reached her nose. When she tried to stand the stack tumbled to the floor, one enormous volume landing on Ron’s foot.
He muttered a word that would have earned him a stern reprimand had his mother been around. Hermione apologized while laughing at the sight of him jumping up and down on one foot. "I suppose I could have levitated them," Hermione said sweetly.
Ron looked at her like he wanted to strangle her. "Good…Idea," he ground out still holding his sore foot.
"Stop jumping around and come sit here on the bed," Hermione said in that bossy tone of hers. Ron listened thinking Wow, just like the old days. "Now give me your foot."
Ron again complied, gingerly lifting his foot to her lap. She carefully removed his sneaker and set it beside her on the bed. She then removed his sock. Ron saw her wince when she finally saw the damage that had been done. A giant bruise was blooming on the top of his foot. Ron tried to count the colors that were there; green, blue, and purple already decorated the area. Hermione lifted her fingers to lightly graze the top of it.
That was the scene Fred walked in on.
"What have we here, my dears? Why, Hermione, I didn’t know you had a foot fetish! Wanna see mine when you are done with Ronniekins?" Fred lifted his foot and wiggled it.
Hermione started to correct Fred but Ron cut it, "What do you want?"
Fred looked directly at Ron, "Oh, we have a problem."
"Prob-"
A voice shouted up the stairs, "Oh, Won-Won!"
"Bloody hell." Ron felt the blood drain out of his face. His eyes flew to Hermione’s; he could see that she was thoroughly confused.
Dinner that night was a tense affair for Hermione. No one seemed to be all that excited about their guest. Mrs. Weasley was the most changed; she was no longer the warm and welcoming person Hermione had come to love. Her movements were all jerky and abrupt and her demeanor was ridged. Every time the guest spoke she would grimace. Hermione thought it was most odd.
Across from Hermione at the table was Lavender Brown. She’s beautiful Hermione thought, I could never get my hair to flip like that.
She was suddenly filled with self-consciousness, a rarity for her. She wondered at it for a moment before Ron’s voice filled her ear and she knew why. Her feeling for Ron were rather confusing, a mixture of new and budding to old shadows that shifted and took shape in the back if her mind. She knew she liked him now and may have when she knew him before, and felt very possessive of him. And Lavender was treading a little too close for comfort.
Her wand seemed to burn in her pocket, begging to hex this female that was laughing so seductively at her Ron. Hermione growled low in her throat. Lavender widened her eyes innocently but Ginny looked like she was going to burst from the need to laugh. Ron and Harry looked at her in confusion while Fred and George made a game of searching the table for what ever could have possibly made that noise. Molly and Arthur ignored it.
Hermione straighten in her chair, looking as if nothing had happened. Throughout dinner she complemented Lavenders clothes, hair and jewelry all while wondering if she could get away with a hex or to without blame. Probably not after the growling incident. Oh well, this gives me time to think up a good one… For next time.
A few hours later found Hermione in the orchard practicing everything she’d learned in the last month, working off her excess tension. A twig snapped behind her and she turned to face Ginny, laughter dancing in her eyes. Hermione glowered at her before turning back to the small stone she had transfigured into a wristwatch. "Is she gone?" she finally asked.
"Lavender, you mean? She Floo-ed home a while ago, with Fred and George still checking under the table for a lion cub," Ginny lifted the watch to her look at its delecate features. "It’s an hour off. By the way, how many hexes and jinks did you think of to use on her?"
"Four hundred and twenty one."
"Really? I didn’t realize you knew that many already! But then again you are Hermione, I should not be surprised," Ginny said as she clasped the watch on her wrist.
"Oh, twenty –one of those I are of my own invention, but I am positive they will work effectively."
Ginny burst out laughing and soon Hermione joined her. They were doubled over in no time, clutching their respective stomachs until they could laugh no more.
"We’d better go in," Hermione said some time later. "I have a lot to do."
"More jinxes to invent?"
"No. I have to read up on the study of practical uses of potions from the 13th century."
"Hermione," Ginny groaned. "You already know more than I do and you are going to study more? When will it stop?"
When I regain the knowledge I used to have. When I am me, the real me, once more.
A/N: So, how’d ya like it? What was your favorite part? What do you think will happen in the next chapter: Hunting? There will be a lot shorter wait for that one I promise!
Any suggestion? Leave them in your review, which of course you are all planning to leave :D! Until Next time, Cheerio!
A Fragile Memory by secret_lover
Chapter Notes: A/N: Okay, I apologize for taking so very long to get this here. RL attacked like Godzilla in Tokyo … or was it Hong Kong? Whichever city, I am really sorry but here is the latest chapter. Lather, Rinse, and REVIEW!