Of Dentistry And Romance
Hermione carefully navigated through the snow-covered streets, leaning forward and squinting past the windshield. Ron sat beside her, tugging at his collar nervously. Hermione gritted her teeth together determinedly and tried to ignore the tension between them. She turned the wheel and the vehicle glided smoothly into the car park. She cruised up and down the length of the strip, stopping at an open spot and pulling in. Hermione leaned over and unbuckled her seatbelt, and Ron did the same. Neither made a move to leave the car.
Hermione played nervously with the minuscule silver bracelet encompassing her thin wrist. Ron coughed and stared out the window. And still neither opened the door. Finally, Hermione sucked in a huge amount of air, braced herself, and spoke.
“Ron…are you sure you’re ready?” she asked tentatively.
Ron didn’t answer, but instead gave another small cough, and adjusted himself in a position so that he was now staring at his shoes. Hermione took it as a yes. Together the two opened their respective car doors, and stepped out into the frigid air. Ron shuffled forward timidly, tugging his scarf down lower on his neck. Hermione took his hand, giving him a reassuring smile, and the two set off down the path at a slow pace.
Now, to passers-by, they looked like a normal couple, strolling along at a leisurely pace, most likely out doing last-minute Christmas shopping, like most others who sauntered through the shopping plaza. But the couple’s true reason for their outing was not for shopping. It was far worse, or at least in Ron’s case, indeed.
Hermione and Ron stopped in front of a small shop front, embossed with three simple words in large white block letters. Hermione pulled open the door, and the sound of a merrily tinkling bell signaled their arrival. Hermione first noticed the tinsel strung along the walls, the bright emerald bells adorning the room, and the squat little elf sitting atop the front desk. Ron first noticed how much he would like to run to the nearest potted plant and spill his guts. Hermione looked over at Ron, and upon seeing his expression, she promptly leaned over and whispered in his ear, “You’ve met them before, don’t worry.” Ron shot her a nervous glance and whispered fretfully, “I know, but never like this.”
Suddenly, a shout was heard from a room that couldn’t be seen from where the two were standing. “Jane! Jane dear, that might be them! Go answer the door!” cried a deep male voice, and a woman quickly dashed out from one of the rooms in the back and promptly threw her arms around Ron and Hermione. She suddenly stood back, holding them both at arms length, and proclaimed, “Ronald! So nice to see you! And Hermione, oh, we’ve missed you so much!”
Hermione adjusted her mother’s arm to hold her hand and greeted Jane warmly. “Mother! I’ve missed you too. You know Ron, Mum,” Hermione said cheerfully.
Ron gave Jane a crooked smile, and nervously greeted her also. “So nice to see you, Mrs. Granger,” he said, his voice shaking slightly.
Mrs. Granger threw her hands up in the air and laughed merrily. “No need to be so formal dear! After all, we are going to be family soon,” she said, winking. Then, unexpectedly, she spun around on the spot, and called back to the rooms down the hallway, adjacent to the front desk. “Sweetheart, come out here and greet your daughter! Let Jessica attend to Peter, come out, quick!”
Ron shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously as a man walked towards them, hurriedly taking off his plastic gloves and hanging up his pure white medical coat on the coat rack just outside the hall. His eyes twinkled merrily as he greeted the couple in the same fashion as his wife. Ron, his smile still frozen on his face, shook hands with Mr. Granger, who held his hand in a warm, friendly grip. “Ron! I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced properly. I am Frank, this is my wife, Jane, and welcome to Granger Family Dentistry,” he finished, beaming. Ron nodded, feeling the tension in his muscles relax, and became slightly more comfortable. Frank’s eyes quickly roved up and down Ron, stopping at his smile.
“Oho,” he said playfully, “I see someone forgot to brush this morning!”
“Dad!” Hermione hissed. “Remember what I said!”
“Nonsense, Hermione,” Frank said, shrugging off her warning casually. “I’m sure Ron wouldn’t mind me giving him a quick look over, right?”
Ron looked from Frank’s playful, smiling face, to Jane’s cheerful expression, and to Hermione’s venomous glare. “Er…alright,” Ron agreed tentatively.
“That’s my boy! Come now, follow me, Ronald!” Mr. Granger sang out joyfully, giving Ron a playful punch on the shoulder. Mrs. Granger quickly grabbed Ron by the arm, and tugged him in the direction of the long, looming (or so it seemed to poor Ron) hallway. Before Ron could even say Quaffle, he was suddenly seated in a green leather chair, the back of which was slowly extending backwards further and further, so that Ron was now completely horizontal. He turned his head to the side, and found himself staring down a tray of rather menacing looking shining silver instruments. He quickly snapped his head back up, and was forced to squint at the bright light that was now obscuring his vision. Somewhere in the background soft music was playing, and he could hear the Grangers’ reassuring voices trying to calm him down.
“Open up now, Ron, don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit,” coaxed Frank as he picked up a long, skinny metal tool with a hook at the end that brought back horrible memories of Fred and George’s “experiments” in his childhood.
“Is this really necessary?” Hermione demanded angrily from the doorway.
“Oh really, Hermione, if Ronald doesn’t mind,” Jane reprimanded her gently. “You don’t mind, do you, Ronald?”
Ron gulped nervously in response, and reluctantly opened his mouth. Mr. Granger prodded Ron’s gums with the instrument a few times, and said in a very serious tone to his wife, “Oh dear me, you’d better get the drill.”
Two hours later Ron and Hermione left Granger Family Dentistry, walked down the sidewalk, back towards their car. Hermione opened her door and slid into her seat. Ron opened his door, wincing at the throbbing pain in his mouth, and he too slid into his seat.
Hermione started the car, and the couple sat in silence for a few moments, the sound of the softly purring engine in the background. Ron occasionally rubbed his aching jaw gently, and Hermione toyed with her silver bracelet. Finally, Hermione broke the silence, and turned to Ron, sadness reflected in her eyes. “Ron, I’m sorry, I really am,” she apologized sorrowfully.
Ron turned to look at her, and said through a mouthful of cotton balls and gauze, “I luff yous, Erminny.”
“Oh, Ron!” Hermione gave an uncharacteristically girlish squeal, as she flung herself at him. Ron shuddered as her arm bumped into his stinging mouth, but nevertheless, he hugged her back just as warmly as she had.
THE END