Coming Into His Own

Chapter 6: The Invitation

Harry glanced down at the floor near Percy's desk; a blanket and what looked like a pillow were tucked away in the corner. Next to these items, lay a small leather bag, which he assumed must have been the man's toiletries. "Is it true he sleeps here?" he asked the woman sitting in the other desk, only a few feet away.

Hermione's head remained lowered. "That's what I hear," she muttered in a soft voice.

Harry wanted to ask her another question, but was under the impression he was interrupting her work. He instead stood in the middle of the room with his hands in his pocket, as he waited for Percy and Mr. Weasley to return to the office. He occasionally threw Hermione a quick glance every now and then.

She had been unresponsive towards him, ever since he saw her that morning in the cafeteria. He had raced up to her in hopes of them breakfasting together, when he received the chill. "Work waits," she had said to him then, before grabbing her coffee and muffin, and heading to her office with Percy.

He had hoped she would warm up to him by that afternoon when he was informed by Mr. Weasley that they would be working with her department in regards to Malfoy's case. But she had not uttered a word to him since Percy and Mr. Weasley walked down the hall in search of more files.

Harry occupied his time by pacing in the small space between the two desks, while trying to appear as though he was thoroughly engrossed in his own thoughts and not consumed with Hermione. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed too preoccupied with her report to take any notice of him. Harry watched from the corner of his eyes when she stopped writing and scratched her cheek with the feathered end of her quill.

He stared down at her and observed the delicate manner the feathers moved up and down her skin. So transfixed was he in watching the movement of her quill, he failed to notice that she was now glancing up at him.

Harry then moved uncomfortably on his feet. His hand lifted, as he began to scratch the back of his neck. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Percy and Mr. Weasley entered the room, with Mr. Putman trailing behind them.

"We've finally gotten your authorization forms," said Percy, as took two gold colored slips of parchment from his possession and handed one to Harry and the other to his father. "It took us so long to get them because the French are very touchy. They've put a lot of restrictions on foreign officials entering their country." Percy then barely managed to squeeze past Harry to get back to his desk.

"I don't care about the restrictions," said Mr. Weasley, "as long as we can go to Paris." He glanced over his shoulder at Mr. Putman, who lingered in the doorway due to the cramped conditions in the room. "What about the Aurors? We're going to need four or five authorization forms for them as well."

Mr. Putman scratched his balding head. "Well, that's going to be a bit more difficult," he said. The normally cheerful expression in his eyes disappeared, as deep lines formed on his forehead. "The forms for them are different in nature and we've been having problems..."

His eyes brightened once more when he shot a glance at Hermione. "But it shouldn't be any trouble. We have Hermione on our team now, and she's very familiar with many of their officials. I'm sure they'll grant us permission."

And then as if on cue, the other three men directed their gaze at Hermione, causing her to look down. Mr. Putman reached past Arthur and squeezed Hermione's shoulder.

Once her embarrassment had faded, Hermione asked, "Why do you need Aurors to accompany you and Harry?"

"Well," said Mr. Weasley, "we've gotten information from some of our contacts that Malfoy is keeping a full staff of nurses at his Paris estate. And, if You-Know-Who's there, we want to be prepared."

Just then, Mr. Putman placed an arm around Arthur's shoulder and whispered something into his ear. From the expression on Mr. Weasley's face, Harry knew it had more to do with the Malfoys. The two men then headed down the hall so they could continue their conversation in private.

Not having any urgent business to attend to, Harry lingered in the entranceway, all the while flashing sideways glances at Hermione. He cleared his throat several times in a lame attempt to get her attention, but was only able to draw a raised eyebrow from Percy. Finally giving up, Harry headed back to his office.

As he rounded the corner on his floor, the noise level began to pick up substantially. In the middle of the hall stood a group of young women, who were all talking excitedly to one another, as they looked in the direction of Mr. Weasley's office.

"Do you think he's single?" one of the women asked.

"I think so," answered a second lady. "But I could always ask his sister. She works down in the daycare center, you know."

Harry soon recognized the source of all their excitement and giddiness. Standing conspicuously in the entryway of his father's office, with his orange and black quidditch robes draping against his lean body was Ron. Although he seemed to be in deep conversation with his father, he periodically gazed over his shoulder and smiled at the women.

Harry stayed pressed against the wall, as he tried to decide whether to proceed to his office or wander around the building one more time. At that moment, he cursed the closeness of his and Mr. Weasley's offices.

But he could not flee. Ron was now looking directly at him. Harry had no other choice, but to walk down the hall. In that instant, his office never seemed further away, and the journey there was definitely more arduous; with a deep scowl now evident on his face, Ron watched his every action. There was something malicious in the way Ron was observing him, as though the redhead was willing him to trip and fall on his face.

With his hand now firmly on the doorknob, Harry was almost able to make an easy escape. But this was not to be. Unfortunately for him, he had also been spotted by Mr. Weasley.

"Harry, come here for a minute," called Mr. Weasley.

Harry lowered his head and cursed his bad luck. But he turned around and walked towards Mr. Weasley's office, while still keeping a substantial distance between him and Ron.

"Ron was just telling me about the upcoming game between the Cannons and Falcons," Arthur said. "Whoever wins the match will be the division leader. And I have no doubt," a proud smile then developed on his face as he gazed up and down at Ron, "that it will be the Cannons. It's going to be quite a spectacle and we don't think you should miss it."

"I don't know," Harry mumbled under his breath. "There are still things we have to work out in regards to...our case." He then gave Arthur a knowing look.

"Oh, one night away from work won't hurt. Plus, Mr. Putman and I have already taken care of the details." His voice then went up an octave when he said, "And after the match, we're all going to Ron's place for dinner."

Harry hurriedly glanced at Ron's face; surely the other man did not want him in his home. But no such displeasure could be detected in Ron's expression. In fact, Ron leaned against the door frame and gazed down at his nails, while a smug smile developed on his lips.

Ron then looked up at him. "It would be great if you were there. The more, the merrier." He leaned close to Harry and lowered his voice. "In fact, I'm planning on inviting Hermione as well."

Harry could feel Ron's eyes boring into him, to catch his reaction to the mention of Hermione's name. But when Harry failed to respond, Ron leaned back against the door as a look of displeasure formed on his face.

"I guess I could make it," Harry finally said. He would have declined, had Mr. Weasley not been standing only inches away.

"Right then," said Mr. Weasley, "I'll send word to Molly that you will be joining us." His jovial gaze drifted from Ron to Harry as if his actions had finally mended the riff that once lay between the two young men. He then walked to the fireplace to inform his wife of the news.

Harry and Ron were then left alone in the doorway, each one looking at Mr. Weasley and wishing he could learn to have quicker conversations. Harry's gaze flittered in every direction, except at the man standing next to him. He once more considered going back to his office, but kept still.

Ron was a lot less fidgety, as he crossed one leg over the other and observed Harry. "This is a very important match," he muttered. "Every newspaper will be covering it."

"I would imagine," Harry replied in a flat tone. He too was aware of the great build-up that surrounded the game. Plus, that one of the Cannons' beaters had "accidentally" missed the bludger during the last match, and ended up striking the Falcons' keeper on the head only fueled the rivalry between the two teams. Many anticipated a melee to ensue after the upcoming game.

"The death poll is very high," said Ron. "But, of course no one that I know is betting that one of the Cannons will lose their life."

Harry didn't hear Ron's statement, however. His eyes were locked on the woman coming down the hall.

"Fred and George thought they'd be funny," Ron continued, "and bet that..." He stopped talking when he realized he had lost Harry's attention. He glanced over his shoulder.

Hermione, who was walking steadily towards Harry, now stopped in the middle of the hall when she realized Ron was with him. Her eyes flickered to each man for a moment, before she took a deep breath and continued on her way.

She stopped a foot away from Harry and observed both of them. She opened her mouth to say something, but remained quiet. That was the first time she had seen them together in over two years, and wondered if she had interrupted a quarrel. But seeing that Mr. Weasley was only a few feet away, she assumed they were forced to be civil to one another.

"Here are all the documents you and Mr. Weasley need," Hermione said to Harry. Her hand grazed Harry's as she handed him the sheets of parchment. But she was quick to pull away; she had noticed a grimace forming on Ron's face from the corner of her eyes.

There was then silence, as quick glances were being exchanged between the three of them.

"Oh, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley. "I didn't know you would have the documents ready so quickly." He took them from Harry's hand and examined each one. "There sure are a lot of restrictions." He then placed his arm around Harry's shoulders. "It seems like you and I will have our work cut out for us," he uttered as he pulled the young man towards his desk.

Seeing that Harry was indisposed with his father, Ron moved closer to Hermione. "It's nice to see you again." He gave her a smile, which Hermione forcibly returned. "I was hoping that you and I could have a chat."

"I think I have to get back. We're really busy at the--"

"But this won't take but a minute." Ron glanced down the hall to a small office with an opened door. "I don't think anyone's using that office. Maybe we can go in there."

Hermione hesitated before answering. Her gaze drifted to Harry, who was throwing her looks from over his shoulder. After a moment of consideration, she replied, "Sure."

*******************

It was clear that the office had not been used in awhile, since it smelled strongly of mildew. Hermione stood by the door and placed her hand over her nose while Ron struggled to open a tiny window.

"That's as far as it would go," Ron said when he made his way back to her.

Hermione didn't say anything and tried to breath through her mouth. But she soon forgot about the odor when she saw that Ron was standing extremely close to her. She reached behind her and wrapped her fingers around the doorknob.

Ron placed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "I'm sure you know about tomorrow's game." When Hermione nodded, he continued. "I was hoping you would attend it, as my guest. We can have a victory celebration at my house afterwards."

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Why not? I don't think it's cocky to plan a victory celebration the day before. I just know that we're going to--"

"Not that," said Hermione. "I was talking about having me at your house. Do you really want me there?"

Ron remained quiet for a moment. He then took a step towards Hermione. "Of course I want you there. My whole family is going to be with me, and it wouldn't seem right if you weren't there." He glanced down at the floor and muttered in a harsh tone, "Even Harry's been invited."

Hermione didn't have to voice her astonishment over his last comment; Ron carefully read the expression on her face. "Yes, Harry will be there," he said again, to reassure her that she wasn't hearing things. He took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "I invited him myself."

"Does this mean that you guys...are back to being friends?"

Ron huffed loudly and glanced away.

Hermione lowered her head. The momentary excitement she had been feeling vanished. She knew that it was too premature to think that Ron and Harry had put aside their feud.

"Hermione," Ron said in a soft voice. He placed his hand around her chin and lifted her head. "What's your answer?"

Although Hermione knew there would be lots of tension between the two men the following night, she still could not deny herself the opportunity to see Ron play in that momentous game. She looked deep into Ron's eyes and muttered, "I will be there."

Ron did not bring his hand back to his side; his fingers remained under Hermione's chin, making small circles against her skin. He then leaned forward.

Hermione moved her head to the side before Ron's lips could make contact with hers. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to give you a kiss." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his body. Lowering his head, he made another attempt. And once more, he was denied the pleasure of a kiss. "What's wrong with you?" he finally asked when Hermione wiggled out of the embrace.

"I should be asking you that same question." Hermione's body was now pressed against the door. "One minute you're yelling at me, and then the next minute you invite me over to you house and attempt to kiss me."

"Oh that. Sorry about the other night. I was just mad. But I'm not mad anymore." He then grazed Hermione's cheek with the back of his hand.

Hermione moved away from his touch.

"I know you probably won't believe me," said Ron, "but I want to put everything behind us. I want us to go back to when we were happy and in love."

"Ron, we can never--"

Ron placed his fingers against Hermione's mouth. "I know you're going to say that it would never work out. But I'm willing to overlook all the mistakes we made in the past. All I could think about that night I left your house was how sorry I was and how much I wanted to be with you." He paused, before uttering, "I love you."

He placed his head on Hermione's shoulder and deeply inhaled the scent of her perfume. "You're the only person I want to be with."

Hermione's heart pounded, as she felt Ron's arms tighten around her waist, forcing her into a hug. The feel of his warm body and hot breath against her skin was overwhelming. She now wished that she had not let go of the doorknob.

"Listen," she said after she pushed him away, "You're getting the wrong idea. I could never go back to being your girlfriend. I just want to be your friend."

She held her breath as she half expected him to explode. Although a tense expression was now on his face, he quietly stared down at her.

Ron eventually brought his hands back to his side and shoved them in his pockets. "That's the only thing you want?" he asked. He closed his eyes after Hermione mouthed, "Yes."

After a long silence, Ron lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek. "I think we better get going before people start wondering where we are."

*******************

After Ron had left, Hermione walked into Harry's office and closed the door behind her. Harry glanced up at her over the rim of his glasses, but quickly lowered his head and continued with the paperwork in front of him. Hermione stood before him and placed her hand over where Ron had kissed her.

"Where did you and Ron head off to?" Harry finally asked.

"We went down the hall for a little chat."

"You were gone a long time." Although his quill was still in his hand, it was now hovering an inch above the parchment he had been writing on. "What did you guys talk about?"

"He asked me to come to the game tomorrow," said Hermione. "And then we discussed the status of our relationship."

The comment caused Harry's gaze to dart towards her. "And what is the status?"

Hermione leaned against the wall, as a look of contentment flashed across her face. She casually crossed her arms in front of her, and answered, "We're going back to being friends."

The quill dropped from Harry's fingers, making a blotchy mess on the corner of his parchment. But Harry did not notice. He slowly got up from his chair and approached her. "He's finally over you?"

"Not exactly. But when I told him that I didn't want a romantic relationship, he kissed me on the cheek and walked out of the room. So, I guess that means he's fine with just being friends."

"He didn't protest?" asked Harry. He placed a finger to his lips and furrowed his brows. "That doesn't sound right. Didn't you tell me that you had a fight with him the other night?"

"I did, but...I guess it finally got through to him that he and I will never be a couple again."

Harry remained quiet. He then took Hermione's hand in his. "Do you know what this means?"

"You and I are free to be together," Hermione responded. She gazed at him for a moment, before tilting her head up to meet his lips. Unlike the sense of alarm that plagued her when she was with Ron, Hermione was now at ease. She closed her eyes and responded wholeheartedly to the kiss.

But Harry quickly pulled away and gave her an alarmed look. "What am I going to do about Ginny?"

The blissful expression on Hermione's face quickly disappeared. She soon realized that their love triangle actually involved four people. "I don't know. Can't you talk to her?"

"When will I get the opportunity? I'll be stuck here all night with the paperwork, and I'll probably be working up until game time tomorrow."

Hermione glanced at the window behind Harry and muttered, "Maybe you should have done that last night."

Harry allowed his gaze to roam along Hermione's features before responding. "That's why you were ignoring me this morning. You're jealous."

"No, I'm not--"

"Listen, it's all right. I would be, too, if I saw Ron at your house." Harry lowered his head and smiled to himself. "I was actually a little...well, I didn't like that you and he walked into that room and closed the door."

His hands slid down Hermione's arms, until he tangled his fingers around hers. "Nothing happened with Ginny last night," he said. "Nothing's ever happened with her. We've never slept together. And I'm glad we didn't, because when I tell her about you, she won't think I was using her for sex."

"I really doubt that. I can tell that she likes you. So, she's definitely going to feel betrayed, regardless of whether you guys had sex or not." Hermione took a deep breath as her expression grew gloomier. "Maybe you should postpone telling her until after tomorrow." Seeing the look that Harry was now giving her, she added, "Tomorrow's supposed to be a happy day for her family, with the match and all. And I don't want her to be upset."

Harry nodded. "You're right. I'll wait."

"And...when you tell her, please don't mention that you're seeing me. We should wait awhile before we start telling people that we're a couple. I think that might be a little easier for Ginny and her brother."

"That's very considerate of you," said Harry. He brought his hand to her face and brushed his fingers against her cheek. He then wrapped his arm around Hermione and pulled her into another embrace.