Reunion

Reunion

"Its been years since I've seen them," Hermione Granger said to her mirror reflection. She was getting ready for the first night out she has had in years, but this night was special. She was going to meet her two childhood best friends from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at Three Brooms Sticks in Hogsmeade village. She sighed and glanced down at her blue robes. After gradating she has started to work for the Ministry of Magic in the Department of International Magical Cooperation in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. "No one will be the same. I'm not the same. What is going to happen?" she whispered to herself as she grabbed her hair brush and started to drag in through her bushy, brown hair. She suddenly stopped and for the umpteenth time since Harry Potter had contacted her, she thought, What if something is wrong? He said him and Ron wanted to see me again. After 5 years. What if someone is hurt? I didn't hear from Ron... what if he-- she forced herself to stop thinking that way. "Surely if something was wrong Harry would have told you," she told herself out loud. She took one last long look at herself in the mirror and she sighed, "As good as I'm gonna get," she said to her reflection.

Cookshanks, her orange cat, purred at her feet. She bent down to scratch him before she grabbed her bag and cloak. She walked to the door of her apartment she shared with her friend, Ginny Weasley. Ginny was Ron's younger sister, and even though Ginny saw her family, which included Ron, often, Hermione was normally too busy with work. Ginny walked out of the hallway and into the living room. "Hey. Where are you going? Not to work I hope," Ginny said seeing Hermione looking as if she was going out.

"I'm going out... to see Harry and Ron," Hermione said starting to reach for the doorknob.

"Wait, you are going to see Harry and Ron, but Hermione you haven't seem there in years even though they've been here countless times. You don't bother being home. I tell you, but you're always `busy.' What is up?" Ginny said shocked. Then she gasped. "Wait, is something wrong? Is Harry alright? Ron? Wait, wouldn't I have been told before you?"

"Chill, Ginny. As far as I know, nothing is wrong. Harry called and said he and Ron wanted to meet me is all."

"Called? But we don't have a phone and neither do they," Ginny said trying to get her to admit she wasn't going to see them.

"Oh, Ginny, don't take it so literal. Of course, they didn't call. Harry contacted me through owl post," Hermione said impatiently. "Now, may I go?" She grabbed the doorknob and opened it. She stopped and shut the door. She turned to Ginny, "Why was Harry the first person you said? Ron is your brother."

Ginny's face started to turn bright red. She started to squirm and stammered out, "Well, its just... me and... I mean, Harry... Look," she sighed and rushed on, "Harry and I have been seeing each other for awhile now."

"What? Since when?" Hermione said shocked.

"Since like two years."

"Two years? When was I going to find out?"

"Why do you care? You never talk to him anymore and are my friend only because of convenience. Hermione, for five years you haven't cared about anything, but your job! You don't care anymore, so why should we tell you anything about our lives?!" Ginny said accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Hermione.

Hermione gasped looking hurt. "But," Hermione started then just turned and ran out of the apartment. She slammed the door behind her and leaned against it. Have I been that obsessed with my work? she asked herself, but she already knew the answer, "Yes," she whispered in answer out loud. She pushed off the door and wiping her tears from her face. She Disapparated.

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She stood outside the Three Brook Sticks in Hogsmeade village and sighed. "Do I have to go through with this?" she muttered to herself. She gathered all the courage she had and walked toward the doors. She sighed again and reached for the doors when they came swinging at her. She jumped back and looked at who had tried to knock her down. Neville Longbottom stood there glazing at her. "Hermione Granger?" he asked, shocked.

"Neville?" Hermione said smiling at him. Neville was in her House when they attended Hogwards together. He was a forgettable boy, but had a calm, endearing manner about himself. "Oh my, it's so good to see you!"

"And you. What are you doing here? I heard you never leave your apartment unless to work?" Neville said in his innocent way.

Her shoulders drooped. Drat. Hermione thought. Even Neville knew what I've become. But she straightened her shoulders and forced a small giggle. "That's all changed. What did you end up doing after school? It's been ages since I last saw you!"

"I work at Hogwarts. Professor Flitwick left so I now teacher Charms," he said. Professor Flitwick was their Charms professor when they were attending.

"What happened to him?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Oh, nothing. He just decided to leave. To prosue `other interests.'", he said.

"Oh. Well that's good, I suppose. And congratulations on the job," Hermione said, lightly, "I do hate to cut this short, but I have to meet someone inside," she glanced her watch, "now, actually."

"Of course, of course!" Neville said, "I'll let you go, but we do need to keep in connect."

"Yeah. I live with Ginny. If I recall you do still talk to her right?" Hermione questioned slowly.

"Yeah I do. I'll send you an owl and we can meet up sometime and catch up," he nodded towards the door, "when you don't have other meetings to attend to, of course." He gave her one last smile and Dissapatated.

Hermione stood there for a minute stunned by his new demeanor. Something about Neville had changed. He seemed more... together to her. She shook her head and walked into Three Brooks Sticks. Once inside, she looked around and saw Harry and Ron sitting in a booth by the wall. She took a deep breath and started towards them.

Harry suddenly turned and waved her over, calling, "Hermione, over here!"

She picked up her step and plastered a smile on her face. "Hey, Harry," she said smiling at him and reaching to shake his hand. She turned to Ron. She started to talk, but her breath caught. She suddenly remembered why she had a crush on him during their years at Hogwarts. He was cute then, but now, now he was gorgeous. He had truly grown into his red hair and the only freckles left were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose. She took a deep breath to get a hold on yourself hoping that they hadn't noticed her hesitance. "Hi, Ron. It's so good to see both of you!" she put out her hand to shake Ron's hand, but instead he jumped up to stand and embraced her.

Her breath caught again with surprise. She wanted to swoon by the time he left her go. He stepped back to arm's length and grinned her. She tried to smile back, but couldn't. She didn't understand why she couldn't find her smile, but something inside her twisted. She still cared out him. She was still attracted to him. She suddenly saw the boy he was when they had first met and the boy who graduated with her. He's not a boy now, she commented to herself giddily.

Ron grinned at her. "So, Hermione, what have you been up to? I know, well we know, a few things through Ginny, but we don't know anything from you."

"Well, I work for the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said sitting down.

Harry smiled, and exclaimed, "I always knew you would do something good with your life!"

"Oh Harry, thank you," Hermione said grinning. She glanced down and sighed. "Guys, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Ron asked puzzled. Harry looked just as confused as Ron sounded. "Sorry for what?"

"Not keeping in contact with you guys. I didn't want to admit it myself, but I did miss you guys. You guys are awesome... awesome friends," Hermione explained quickly and quietly. "Even when I was called a know-it-all and annoy you, you never stopped being there for me. True friends, that's what you were, but... but I gave you up!"

Harry, who was sitting next to her, put his arm around her. Ron leaned across the time and grabbed her hands in his. "Look at me Hermione," he commanded gently. She glanced up at him. "Don't ever be sorry for that. We still care about you. We lost contact, but we never lost each other. Hermione, it was as much your fault as it was ours. We stopped trying. No one should be sorry in this, we just need to overcome the time. We need to be friends again." He smiled gently at her. "Please, can we forget the time that passed and continue where we left off?"

"Well..." Hermione started, but stopped because she burst into tears. "I've been so selfish and you guys are all ready to forgive me! I'm sorry, but of course I want to be friends again, or else I wouldn't have come here. Tonight. To meet you guys." She sniffed wiping the tears with the back of her hand.

Harry squeezed her shoulders, "Forget it. We want to be friends. We will be friends."

"Oh you guys," Hermione said fighting a wave of tears.

They talked for hours. When Three Brook Sticks closed they started to walk through Hogsmeade and continued to talk. They caught up on the five years they had lost. Harry was a Auror, as they knew he would be. He was chasing evil wizards and witches and loving it. He had been dating Ginny for two years and was completely in love with her. Ron was working at his brothers', the twins Fred and George's, joke shop there in Hogsmeade and at Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. When Hermione heard she was shocked and said, "But I never see you there." Ron shrugged and avoided answering.

When they saw dawning rising behind the Shrinking Shack they all sighed. Harry was the first to speak, "We have jobs. We have to go home.. and at least shower and change."

Hermione only nodded, but Ron said, "Yeah... but I'd hate to see this night end!"

"Well, we had make sure we keep in contact. Daily. Owls. Meetings. Everything!" Hemoine said with conviction.

"Yeah, of course," Harry agreed.

Ron nodded and turned to Harry. He reached out and shook his hand. "Take care of Ginny. And send me an owl."

Harry nodded, and said, "I love Ginny. And expect the owl in two days." Harry turned to Hermione, "Hermione, I missed you so much. Please keep in contact. We don't want to loose another five years with you." He reached out his hand, but Hermione stepped forward and embraced him.

"Now, you have to make sure you reply to my owls. And when you see me, wave. Get my attention! I missed you. And there is no way I can loose another five years with you. Either of you," she added turning to Ron.

When they just stared at each other Harry said, "Well, bye." He Disserpated.

"So," Ron said slowly. "This is.. goodbye."

"Does it have to be?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I think so. I mean I don't have to go to work until late tomorrow morning, but.." Ron said slowly, shrugging and suddenly looking as nervous as Hermione felt. His cheeks where growing red in color.

"Want to come.. over?" Hermione asked shyly.

"To, like, your house?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Ginny won't be there." Hermione said quickly.

"Yeah, Hermione, I would like to go to your place." Ron said leaning over grabbing her hand. He reached one hand up and tilted her head up to look at him. He leaned forward slowly and kissed her gently on the lips.

Hermione felt the breath leave her. She couldn't believe he had just kissed her. After all these years, the lost years and the school years, together they were finally kissing. It felt so wonderful and natural to her. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Ron, what was that?" she asked.

"A kiss," he said simply. "A kiss like this." He leaned forward and kissed her again. This time the kiss was longer and with more passion.

When she finally had enough strength to pull away she said, "We need to go some place more private. We can go to my place." He grabbed her hands and they Disapparated at the same time.

Hermione and Ron stood in the living room of Hermione's apartment just staring at each other, their hearts beating madly. Ron took a step hesitantly forward closing the gap between them. "So," he said slowly. "What next?"

Hermione sighed. "We need to talk. About things.... About us." She walked over to the kitchen and started making coffee. "Do you drink coffee?" she said when she realized she didn't know. At his node, she continued. He walked over to the couch and sat down. He glanced around and noticed the decor had to be his sisters, he smiled. "What?" Hermione asked when she brought in a tray of a pitcher of coffee, two cups, sugar, and milk and noticed his smile.

"It's nothing," he said reaching out and pouring himself some coffee and putting sugar in it, "it's just that this decor has to be my sister's."

She titled her head. "Has to?"

"Yes. Hermione, I know my sister... this is her... and I know you, this is not you," he smiled charmingly at her, telling her that he wasn't insulting her.

"Well, yes, she decorated must of it... I was busy," Hermione said hurriedly glancing into her cup of coffee instead of looking at him.

"Hermione, love, it wasn't an insult, just an observation," Ron said gently putting his hands over hers on her cup.

She dared to glance up and immediately wished she hadn't. He was looking her at. He was looking at her with love and affection and must of all acceptance. She hadn't see an look of such pure acceptance since school. Since them. She adverted her eyes again, and stared at the wall. "Look, we need to talk. What do you want us to be?" She stated it as if she didn't care, as if it just another question, as if it was about the weather or something of little importance, but inside she was screaming. She wanted the answer to be more than friends, to be lovers, to be more.

"I wanna be... whatever you want to be," Ron said gently. He was hesitant in his answer, she realized and chanced a glance at him. He was still staring at her with love, and there was something else she briefly saw in his eyes. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He was scared, she realized.

"I wanna be," she started then walked over to him and say by him on the couch, "I wanna be..." But instead of finishing her sentence she leaned over and ran her hands through his hair and then pressed her lips to his. She was willing him to kiss her back, to make that answer known, but when he opened his mouth, she lost control.

-----

The next morning, Hermione woke up in Ron's arms. Slowly the events of the night before formed in her mind. She remembered meeting up with Ron and Harry, then walking around Hogsmeade for hours just talking. Then Ron and I came back to my place, she suddenly remembered. The events that occurred once that got back to her place came back to her in a flood of feelings, emotions, and sensations. They had kissed and talked all night. They had become lovers the same night they became friends again. Suddenly a wave of guilt came. She had wasted five years when she could have been his friend, or more his lover. She sniffled and felt Ron tighten his hold. "Hey now, sweetie, what's wrong?" he whispered his question into her hair where his lips were pressed.

"No," she whispered back sniffling more, "but I keep thinking of how I wasted all that time... when we could have been doing this. Going beyond this."

"Hermione, we lost five years, but we have a lifetime ahead of us. So don't fret, it won't hurt us."

She snuggled closer to him and giggled. "Wait," she said bolting up, "Ginny!"

"Hermione, we didn't' do anything wrong. And besides that, we are dressed. She won't care. Heck, I'm sure she'll be glad you're... fraternizing," he grinning wickedly at her.

She grabbed a pillow and hit him with him. "We did not fraternize! We kissed. And talked, but mostly kissed." She giggled and laid back done. "Ron, I'm glad we met last night and chose not to say goodbye."

He kissed her head, "You and me, both, sweetheart. You and me both."

"Hermione! This is somethign I'd never thought I'd say, but you're late for work!" Ginny yelled as she rapped on the door of Hermione's bedroom. "Get up! Hermione!"

Hermione giggled and whispered to Ron, "Can't I take the day off? And spend it with you."

"No, Hermione, you have to go to work," he said gently, "and so do I."

She sighed and sat up. The blanket fell revealing the clothes she wear when she went to meet Ron and Harry. "I think I need to shower too," she said laughing. She got up and grabbed a clean set of robes and went into the restroom.

"Hermione!" Ginny continued to shout from the other side, jarring Ron about from his thoughts of Hermione to the more important matter of this sister giving him a headache.

"Ginny, shut up!" he shouted climbing out of bed.

"Ron?" Ginny squeaked from the other side.

He swung open the door to reveal his sister standing there in robes. "Yes, it's me. Get that look off your face," - she had a facial expression that read half shock and half disgust - "we didn't do anything except talk... and kiss, but that's done of your business. And for that matter, you shouldn't care. We fell asleep, fully dressed," - he gestured down at his robes that he wear from the night before - "Hermione is showering. Now tell Hermione I'll see her at work because I went home to change and shower." Before his sister, still looking at though she was in shock, could answer he Disapparated.

Ginny shook her head. "At least he might lessen her obsession with work," she remarked to herself as she walked into Hermione's room to sit on her bed and wait for her roommate.