685This story was started post book 6 and grew with the gap and warped and changed with book 7 coming out originally posted as it was and now being edited and added to and generally sorted.
if you like this please leave a review and head over to my other story Disenchanted Lullaby. That one has won awards and is based around the cannon.
I hope you enjoy the story I take you on, and I hope now that I've started tidying it up it will be a lot easier to read
regards Paula-lou.
( re edited again and now a lot better I'm going to go back through and edit as I'm going so welcome if you haven't been before welcome back them what is new.)
Hermione watched as Ron knocked uncertainty on the Dursleys front door the clean crisp finish shining slightly in the sun .
"This place gives me the creeps." Ron brushed the hair out of his face and pressed the bell, again checking up and down the street "its too clean if you know what i mean?" he said looking down at the freshly cut grass and the neat rows of flowers. " its not natural." he said finally with an almost worried tone in his voice.
Hermione rolled her eyes, checking her watch for what felt like the thousandth time.
"Who is it?" a set of eyes glanced through the letter box at waist height.
"It's us Harry, let us in." said Hermione bending down to eye level.
Slowly Harry's head appeared around the door frame.
"It can't possibly be you two, you're not shouting at each other." Harry said grinning.
"You just keep reminding yourself that later." said Ron quietly under his breath thinking that Hermione could not hear him.
"I'll let that one go Ron." she said pushing past him and in to the lounge, Hermione eyed the pictures on the wall, the fat chubby round face of Dudley stared back at her from each and every one.
"Where is the magnificent Dudley today?" she asked him indicating the photos.
"Out, they all went out. Best birthday present they could have given me all things considering." Harry glanced nervously at the back door.
"Tonks, is coming to cover us as we go to the Burrow." Ron said looking at the pile of Harry belongings and helping himself to a chocolate frog from the open case.
Hermione had to admit it did look like a very meager pile. The few things that Harry possessed were going to the burrow; Privet Drive was no longer the safe place it had once been.
"Right well we should be getting a signal soon." said Ron staring out of the front window.
"I still can't understand why I can't just apperate straight there?"
Hermione groaned and checked her watch yet again. Behind her Ron mimicked the gesture, nervously tapping on the face of his watch as if making sure that it hadn't stopped.
The three of them sat in silence as they waited for a sign. The seconds seemed to drag in to weeks. when a loud clatter in the back garden gave them the shock of there lives.
"That will be Tonks!" said Ron placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder as he passed her, Hermione looked down at his hand then got up to follow him to the door, she waited for harry to follow but Harry just stopped and looked at her.
"What?"asked Hermione frowning.
"So how are things?"
Hermione had to stop herself from smiling, the last week or so living at the burrow had been amazing, all that time with Ron, it had been strange it just being the two of them, Ginny had been so busy helping Fleur and Mrs Weasley.
All their spare time being spent poring through books about the founders, trying to think of what and where the remaining horcruxes could be. All the late nights, just the two of them sitting in the Burrow's garden.
"Hermione?"
"Sorry Harry. What were you saying?"
Harry laughed.
"I don't know whose worse you or Ron."
Hermione was about to back answer when Ron and Tonks (today her hair tomato red) entered the hallway.
"Wocher Harry, we all set?"
Nodding the two of them grabbed either side of Harry's trunk; Ron grabbed the two carrier bags of Harry's belongings and headed for the door.
That evening the three of them sat by the pond in the Burrows back garden. The night was cooler than expected for the time of year, the weather was reflecting the mood, Hermione pulled her cardigan tighter round herself, watching as Ron flicked pebbles aimlessly in to the dark water.
They were waiting for the rest of the Weasley's to return from Diagon ally. They were going for the final robe fitting for the big day that seamed to be here faster than Hermione could have ever expected it.
Fleur had grown on Hermione over the time she had spent with her over the summer, the way she had nursed Bill had been quite admirable, even Ginny seamed to be beginning to soften in her anger towards her.
Fleur in turn had tried her best to get the two girls as involved as possible in the wedding planning, picking flower arrangement's and helping decorate the tiny cakes for the wedding reception, Flure saying that Hermione really had a nack for that sort of thing.
Hermione appreciated the complement.
"You're practically family." Fleur had insisted on informing her whilst giving knowing looks to Ron.
Hermione had tried her best to figure out what Ron's face had said, but he had been acting overly weird of late. Ever since Dumbledore's funeral, Ron had exercised a lot of caution around Hermione.
Hermione had guessed that it was because he had figured out how much he had hurt her during his over the top fling with Lavender.
"So who's invited to the wedding of the century?" Asked Harry as they watched a gnome sneak slowly back in to the garden.
Ron hoisted himself up on to his elbows and looked at Hermione.
"All of Bill's mates, the order…" he started.
"Fleur's sister Gabriel is bridesmaid, Victors coming too."
"Oh yes how could we forget Krum?"
Hermione dug him in the side hard.
"What was that for?"
"Don't start this again!" she warned.
"Wish I'd never asked now." said Harry rolling on to his side and watching the sunset on the horizon, trying to drown out the conversation that was about to erupt.
"I thought we were over this?" Hermione said to Ron. His face contorted. "It's not like I invited him is it? It's your brothers wedding not mine."
"I know it's just…"
"Just what?"
Harry sniggered from the ground on the other side of Hermione despite having tried his best to hold it in.
"What?" Hermione snapped at him.
"I can't believe you two sometimes, He doesn't like Krum because you snogged him, it's as simple as that…" Harry said smirking.
"Is that true?" Hermione asked Ron, he seamed to be doing a damn fine impression of a fish.
"Thanks mate."
"We'll it's about time someone told her why you acted like a prat towards her for the vast majority of last year."
Hermione rounded on Ron.
"Is that true?"
Ron went scarlet in the ears.
"Thanks Harry, I owe you one I really do."
Hermione did not quite know where to look.
"Krum was ages before that, what made you suddenly decide that you were going to hold it against me?"
Ron did not answer he just got up and stormed back to the burrow.
"He is such a drama queen." Hermione said turning back to Harry.
"No he's not, he just doesn't know how to deal with things to well, and I mean Krum does seam to be everything that he wants to be."
"Why doesn't anyone ever ask me about these things?" Hermione says exasperated.
"Because you probably wouldn't tell us, I mean we are boy's we don't understand this sort of stuff remember?"
Hermione held her head in her hands.
"i don't even know why you both don't just do something about it."
"about what?"
"The fact that you both fancy each other rotten. " Harry said flatly. " I,m just saying it because someone has to" he raised an eyebrow examining her face
"I can tell by that face its true." says Harry grinning. "And snogging Krum just upset Ron after all he is just a simple boy , you know us boys emotional ranges of teaspoons and all that, you did snog Krum didn't you ?"
"Oh don't pretend that Ginny didn't tell you." Hermione said spitefully getting to her feet.
"She did actually, Ron too, that's why he went after Lavender. Mind you it did have the desired affect." says Harry in his all-knowing voice.
Hermione stood there for some time, torn between going after Ron and plotting Harry's premature death.
Harry however just watched her laughing silently to himself.
Eventually Hermione threw herself back down next to Harry.
"I'd kill you for that ,but I figure you got too many people after your blood as it is."
"I'm only playing with you; it's not as if everyone doesn't know that you and Ron will get together eventually."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and surveyed Harry for a moment.
"You know it's true, one of you will back down eventually. I might not always be around to mediate it."
"I asked him out and he decided on Lavender over me, it's his call Harry."
"He made his mind up a long time ago, you know he did, It's no good you standing by me if you can't be open with each other. Hermione do not make me have to leave the two of you behind, I need you both with me. You're going to have to take it in to your own hands because Ron never will."
Hermione stared at her best mate, maybe she should listen to him, look at the way he handled everything in the past, him and Ginny.
"Get you, a month dating Ginny and your think you're a relationship Councillor."
"All I'm saying is what you've been thinking, for however long it's taken you to figure out the way you feel about him."
"It's just awkward."
"And dating you're mates sister isn't?"
Harry had a fair point, it was just figuring out how to do something about it.