She’d been having this dream for a while, but it was her favorite. Well, the beginning anyway. Not so much the end.
It started out in the morning, at breakfast, and she always thought that she had woken up. She usually figured out it was a dream when she realized no one else was at the breakfast table. Usually, the kitchen was crowded and noisy in the morning”especially now, with all the extra guests. But in this dream, there was just utter silence.
And then as she sat picking at her bacon, Ron appeared. He sat down next to her, grinning that sideways grin, and her heart leapt. In her sleep, she rolled over and sighed.
She smiled back at him, and then glanced downwards, her hair falling over her shoulder and making a curtain between them. But she could still feel the heat of him, knew he was moving closer even though she couldn’t see him, and she loved the sheer simplicity of their silent affection.
Slowly, he set his hand next to hers on the table, and slid it forward. Her heart sped up, beating frantically against her chest, and her breath caught. Slowly, his fingers brushed hers, and she turned her head to look into his eyes.
His hand covered hers, warm and strong, and suddenly burning. She shouted and pulled away, and a wall of fire sprang up between them. On the other side, she saw Ron look right through her before turning away slowly, his face expressionless.
And she opened her eyes to Ginny shaking her awake for breakfast.
Breakfast was her daily torture. She’d been at the Burrow for four days now, and breakfast was the only time of the day where she was guaranteed to be in close quarters with Ron…and Elodie. Everyone fended for themselves at lunch, and dinner was often outside, with everyone spread apart.
She slipped into the kitchen early today, before anyone else but Mrs. Weasley, ducking her head in hopes that she wouldn’t be noticed. But she had no luck today”she jerked to a stop as someone darted into the kitchen ahead of her. He had red hair, but this was the Weasley house; he could have been any of them. As he turned, she sighed, more in resignation then anger. Ron. Then his hand brushed hers accidentally, and an electric spark shot up her arm. “Ouch!” she hissed.
“Er, sorry Hermione,” Ron said, and hesitated as though he wanted to say something else. “Look,” he began, but Elodie appeared next to him at that moment, wrapping an arm around his waist, and melting into his side. Her mouth was arranged in a delicate pout, and he grinned down at her. She turned and bit his earlobe lightly. Ron laughed, and Hermione grimaced. Throwing an arm around Elodie’s shoulders, Ron bent his face down towards hers, kissing the end of her nose. Hermione tried to turn away, but she was transfixed by both jealousy and disgust.
“Ron, get a room. We’re planning on eating here.” Ginny had slipped into the kitchen unnoticed, and now stood by Hermione. She smacked Ron on the back of the head, and then grabbed Hermione’s elbow. “Come on, I’m starving.” She spoke casually, but Hermione saw an angry gleam in her eye, and smiled slightly. She glanced back at Ron and Elodie, and Elodie caught her eye. The lovely girl had an ugly look on her face, and narrowed her eyes. The force of her gaze sent Hermione staggering back a few steps, and she felt suddenly cold. And then Ginny was at her side. “Hermione? Are you okay?” When there was no response, Ginny frowned. “Let’s go eat outside. It’s nice out.” Hermione nodded mutely, and the two grabbed plates and headed out into the garden.
Outside, Ginny flopped onto the ground, tossed a garden gnome out of a nearby bush, and set her plate down. “Hermione,” she said firmly, “We need to talk.”
Hermione, who was wallowing and knew it, looked up. “No thanks,” she said apathetically.
Ginny continued as if Hermione hadn’t spoken. “What I mean by ‘talk’ is I talk, you listen. Here’s the deal. You, my dear, have entirely too much emotion invested in my pathetic, romantically-challenged brother. Ron is an-” She paused to grab the gnome, which was sneaking back towards her breakfast, throwing it across the hedge, before continuing, “immature, mediocre wart, and he doesn’t deserve you.” Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Ginny held up her hand to silence her. “Ron goes for beauty with no brain. You, Hermione, have both. Ron’s intimidated by girls who are smarter then him”which, come to think of it, is probably why he can’t find any. But the fact of the matter is if you want him, (inadvisable as that is) you’re going to have to take your own advice.” Hermione looked up quizzically, and noticed the garden gnome creeping towards Ginny’s bacon. Ginny calmly reached out a hand, grabbed it by the ankles, stunned it, and continued. “You told me a few years ago that if I ever wanted Harry to notice me, I had to relax. Date some other guys”and not for revenge. Don’t try to make him jealous or anything. Just let yourself be free. He’ll come around. And if you really don’t want to date anyone else, then don’t. But at least act normal around him.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow, and finally spoke. “What about Elodie? She’s…perfect. And she doesn’t seem too dumb, either."
Ginny didn’t smile so much as show her teeth. “Oh, I don’t think a little competition will hurt her.”
Hermione said, confused, “I thought I’m not supposed to be competition.”
Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes. “Hermione,” she said slowly, “You’re not supposed to act like competition. But that doesn’t make you completely out of bounds.”
Enchanted by Willow Rosenberg
Chapter Notes: Okay, so kind of a short, transition-y section. It really gets going in the next chapter :P