Troubled Times

A couple of years passed by uneventfully, although a lot of changes had occurred. Voldemort was still in hiding, doing nothing...just slowly biding his time. However, this period of silence worried people in the wizarding world, namely Harry. Most people still thought that Voldemort was dead...that he had never come back, despite the events at the Ministry in fifth year. Every day Harry struggled to correct their misinformed opinions...and every day they ignored him. As a result, Harry grew even closer to Hermione and Ron. But despite Harry's troubled thoughts and uneasiness about Voldemort, they still had two great years.

Remarkably, Harry and Ron took a page out of Hermione's book and took advantage of this time to improve their magical abilities. They had worked and studied hard ever since the beginning of sixth year...and now, all three were highly capable wizards, surpassing even some of their teachers in skill. In such a short time, they had become incredible wizards and they were confident that when Voldemort came back, they would be ready and waiting for him. They awoke each day alert, always ready should an attack finally come.

Hermione had finally blossomed. She stood at a very nice 5'9", grew in all the right places, and, surprisingly, had become somewhat athletic. Which isn't to say that she was really muscular, not at all...but she was very healthy and perfectly in shape. She made it a point to exercise every day, so that she could be strong both mentally and physically. She had indeed become a very beautiful woman, although, in Harry's eyes, she had always been gorgeous.

Harry had changed in many ways as well. He had grown quite a few inches in the last couple of years, now standing at 6'2". During the summer, he became very taken with two things...well, actually three...Boxing, Basketball, and running. As a result, he was highly skilled in strength, aim, and endurance; skills that he felt might come in handy in his war against Voldemort. Another thing, he had grown tired of always breaking his glasses, so he persuaded Aunt Petunia (who had become nicer in the last few years, since the arrival of her letter) to let him get contacts.

And as for Ron...oy, where to start? Ron now stood at an incredible 6'5".and still growing! He wasn't terribly skinny or lanky either...nope. He rivaled Harry in fitness, enjoying the name things as him as well. They would usually box and play one-on-one with each other. (They went running with Hermione.) Not to mention, He was still very much single. He had been going out with girls for the last couple of years. He had one semi-serious relationship that lasted four months with...Susan Bones. It ended on mutual terms, both deciding that they were better as friends. He had cut his hair to a short 1 ½ inch choppy haircut that suited him very well...meaning he looked incredibly SEXY! Oh, another piece of important information, Ron has NO lingering feeling for Hermione and is currently looking for his very own soul mate.

The three of them were still inseparable. Eight months ago, they had a huge fight about a combination of tiny things that eventually escalated and finally peaked. There was actually a period where all three of them refused to talk to each other!! It lasted all of 45 minutes. However, they decided in that short period of time that they were miserable not talking to each other and made a pact that from that day on, they would talk to each other as soon as something started bothering them...pure honesty. So far, they've kept that pact.

Harry and Hermione were still very much together...and still very much in love. As Hermione loves to say, "Every day feels like the first, exciting and passionate...but with a level of comfort and understanding that can only come from years of friendship. That together equals the most incredible thing I have ever known." They both knew that they would spend the rest of their lives together, but Harry had yet to "pop the question." Although Hermione couldn't wait for that moment, she knew she would wait forever and a day if she had to. Even though the two of them love each other so much, they have never made love. They both decided to wait until marriage for that. It remains the hardest decision they have ever had to keep. There have been moments where they came very, very close to breaking their promise to each other, but they stopped because they loved each other enough to wait.*

Well, that's the last two years in a nutshell...now let's move on to the present...and see what surprises the future holds in store for them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Bill!" Hermione yelled, "I can't find my trunk!"

"It's on your bed...where I put it not two minutes ago!" Bill yelled back.

"Oh.right," she said as she walked into her room.

"Yeah...there you go!" Bill joked, as he followed her in.

"Oh, shut up, Bill. How was I supposed to know you were gonna bring it to me?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe because I always do?"

"Once! You did it once! Last year...after you found out."

"Oh...technicalities, technicalities! The point is that I've always done it since I've known!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled at that. "Oh, Bill!" He chuckled as he pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you this year at school...I always do."

"Why? They make you pick up after yourself there?" Hermione punched him in the arm, and he laughed, "I know you do...but hey, maybe this time will be different! Maybe this year you'll finally lose yourself completely to Harry and forget about poor, old, butler Bill!"

"Hmm...only one problem with that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've already lost myself in Harry and I've never forgotten about you, Uncle Bill," she said, adding her term of endearment.

"Ahh...I'm touched! Look! I have little goosey-bumps!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Every time."

"Hmm?"

Hermione looked at him. "Everything I tell you something serious, you turn it into a joke...why?"

Bill look a little taken aback, but then he just mumbled and looked away, "No reason."

"Bill?"

"You better finish getting packed...you're leaving for the train in two hours," Bill said as he left the room. "I'll see ya, kid."

Hermione sighed. Why? Why is it that every time I so much as hint that I love him, he backs off? Every time. What happened, Bill? Why are you so scared?! Hermione thought furiously, hopelessly trying to send Bill a telepathic message.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" Hermione said as she prepared to enter Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"Bye, dear. You tell Harry that he better take good care of you this year, you hear?"

"Mom!"

"What? I'm only saying that if I can't be there for you, I'd like it if he would." Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "Okay, okay, that goes for Ron too."

"Thank you!"

Mrs. Granger smiled at her daughter and said, "You better get going now, you don't want to miss the train."

"Bye!" Hermione called out as she disappeared into the wall.

"Bye, Sweetie!" Mr. Granger yelled, then he sighed and said to his wife, "Where did our little girl go?"

"She grew up, matured into a wonderful young lady," she replied, then added, "and fell for Harry."

"So...now she's his."

"Pretty much...I can tell that they're basically already married in their hearts."

Mr. Granger wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "Just like we were at their age."

"I just hope it doesn't take Harry another five years to propose to her," she laughed, then turned to her husband, gave him a quick kiss and said, "Come on, let's go home."

"Mmm....what's the rush?" he murmured as he pulled her into another kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oy, Hermione! There you are!" Ron yelled, "What took you so long?" He grinned as he reached for Hermione's suitcase to help her out.

"Oh, just shut it, you!" Hermione replied and looked around quickly, "Where's Harry?"

Ron shrugged and said, "Dunno, he just said he had to go take care of something."

"Huh, weird," she said as she dropped her stuff onto the seat in their compartment.

"Haha, yeah, kinda."

"Wonder what that's about." she thought out loud, "Oh, well." Then she suddenly realized something, "I haven't seen you in two months!" she shrieked as she pulled Ron into a hug. "How are you? What did you do? Why the heck didn't you write me?" she asked, hitting Ron on the back of his head while still hugging him tightly.

"Ow!" he yelped, and then added, "I'm okay, except for this pain in the back of my head. I didn't do anything in particular and I just kinda got...busy." He trailed off, realizing how oxymoronic that sounded. Fortunately for him, a new voice popped up.

"There something I should know about?" Harry joked, with a smile on his face.

Hermione abruptly let go of Ron and ran to Harry shouting, "Harry!" as she pulled him into a hug...a very tight hug.

Harry was suffocating, "Herm...can't...breathe!"

"Oh...right," she said as she let go of him.

He took a breath and then softly said, "Besides...I can think of better ways to suffocate." as he pulled her into a very slow, long, passionate kiss.

"Err...I think...um...I'm gonna go find Ginny now," Ron said. Receiving no reply he hastily added, "Right...yeah," as he left the two of them to catch up.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Ginny sighed, not particularly happy to see her brother, "Hi, Ron."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied, "I'm just...a little tired is all."

"Oh." he answered, obviously not believing her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't for the Weasel and the Weaselette!"

Ron growled, "Go away, Malfoy," as Draco entered the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle close behind.

"Why? Last I checked there weren't any limits on where I could go on this train," Draco replied smugly.

"Well then, you better check again. Because I'm still a prefect and you lost your badge last year!"

Ginny abruptly asked, "What?"

"Yeah...didn't you hear? Malfoy lost his badge for sneaking around so much and neglecting his duties," Ron answered with a smirk on his face.

"No...no one mentioned it to me," she said, looking not at Ron, but at Draco, giving him a piercing stare that he returned with a slightly ashamed touch to it.

An awkward silence followed with Draco and Ginny staring at each other, as well as a bewildered Ron looking them on. Finally, Malfoy broke the silence, "Come on, Goyle, Crabbe...let's go." And with that he left the room.

Ginny stared at the floor as she felt Ron glaring at her. After a few seconds, he finally asked, "What's going on between you and Ferret Boy?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry and Hermione sat on the seat, cuddling, with Harry's arm over her shoulders and her head resting against his chest. "I missed you so much, Herm," Harry said softly, kissing the top of her head. "How did we survive these last two months?"

"I have no idea...I guess just by looking forward to today. I still wonder why Dumbledore wouldn't let you come visit me this summer."

"Haha...maybe he thought our intentions weren't pure."

"Harry Potter!"

He chuckled, "Just kidding. But seriously, I don't know. It was probably some...gut instinct or...something. With Dumbledore you can never be sure."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Speaking of Dumbledore...I talked to him a few weeks ago. He told me something regarding both of us. He was going to tell you too, but I asked him if I could."

With a questioning look on her face, Hermione asked, "What did he say?"

"Well, to put it simply....I'm Head Boy and you're Head Girl!"

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she started stammering. Harry laughed at her reaction, "Merlin! Hermione Granger....speechless? Man, I'm gonna have to call Hogwarts: A History and The Daily Prophet! I can see it now..."Hermione Granger, Britain's Most Celebrated Know-It-All, Rendered Speechless!"

Hermione glared at Harry. "Do you have to ruin everything?"

He grinned, "Always."

"Ugh! Why the heck didn't you tell me before?! Do you have any idea how tortured I've been all summer from wondering?"

He answered, "One...because I wanted to see your reaction. Two, I have some idea. And three...wanna go see our compartment?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she shouted, "Yes!"

Harry chuckled and stood up, helping Hermione up as well, then said, "Good, let me just write a note to Ron."

"Okay, but first..." Hermione said as she placed her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him down for another kiss.