Live Forever

4: Slide Away - Part 3

The feeling of Apparating was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The fact that she did it while huddled under an invisibility cloak only added to the bizarreness of the experience. Bill had appeared from a nearby alleyway and quickly began scanning the perimeter. After a few moments he nodded affirmatively in their direction.

Hermione had barely gotten her bearings before Professor Lupin handed her a note. She read the note and gasped as a grimy building appeared out of nowhere. She knew how the Fidelius charm worked but actually seeing it in action was a bit of a shock.

"We're here," she heard Lupin whisper into his mirror before the door to the building opened and she was quickly bustled inside by a beaming Tonks.

"I'm sorry we have to leave you so abruptly but there is an emergency Order meeting happening right now," Remus informed as he handed her the invisibility cloak.

"Dumbledore isn't too happy about our rescue mission last night," Bill added, not looking apologetic in the slightest. Remus appeared to be trying to look a bit remorseful but was failing miserably as well. Tonks just stared at her...grinning.

"Harry and the others are upstairs," Tonks added before leaning forward and speaking in a hush. "If anyone asks you haven't completed your summer assignments yet."

This was just getting odder. "I don't understand. I have everything done-"

"Just listen to Nym- Tonks, Miss Granger," Remus added quietly. "You will thank us later. Trust us."

"See you later," Tonks waved happily, turning around and promptly tripping on the step she'd forgotten about.

"Top of the stairs, first door on the right," Remus concluded before following Tonks and Bill.

She quickly made her way upstairs and opened the door. Ginny was sitting on the bed and Ron and Harry seemed to be in the middle of an intense discussion...a discussion that stopped immediately upon her entrance.

As good as it was to see Ron and Ginny her eyes were immediately drawn to Harry and his non faded, non worn, nice (but not too nice) clothes. He had chosen her favorite of the jumpers that she had picked out for him and that small bit of symmetry warmed her heart. She knew in her brain that she should be greeting Ron and Ginny...but her heart demanded that her eyes remained glued onto Harry for just a bit longer.

Since Harry had become her boyfriend she'd only had mere seconds to properly celebrate. She knew they had serious things to worry and be concerned about...Harry's hearing...Ron and Ginny's reaction...the ridiculously gloomy house that she'd agreed to spend the next month in...but that was her head talking and her head would have to wait for once. Her heart was in charge at the moment and it wanted to celebrate as soon as possible with Harry. Fervently.

Harry was grinning like a loon and she suspected that she was as well. This normally would have bothered her because she most decidedly did not grin like a loon. She heard a throat clear to her side. It was Ginny.

"It's good to see you, Hermione," she greeted with false brightness. "Between Harry fighting dementors and your rescue mission you've really stirred up a hornet's nest. It's a good thing too as it's been dead boring around here."

"Hi Ginny, Hi Ron," she stated pleasantly.

Ginny smiled while Ron seemed to be forcing himself not to scowl. She was reminded of the Yule Ball and her nerves were instantly set on edge.

"Happy to see you've decided to grace us with your presence," he added spitefully. This was definitely the Yule Ball version of Ron.

"Cut it out," Harry interjected immediately, all remnants of his happy grin now gone.

She was not going to go through this nonsense again...especially about Harry.

"Let him finish, Harry," she interjected, folding her arms and glaring. "I would love to hear Ron's thoughts on what I've been up to all summer."

Her stare-off with Ron was interrupted by Ginny forcefully pulling the idiot toward the door. "We'll leave you two alone," she informed.

"I'm not leaving," Ron replied grumpily, pulling back from his sister's grip.

"George! Fred! Ron won't leave!" Ginny said loudly before the twins appeared out of thin air.

"Hello Hermione," George greeted as he placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"See you later, Hermione," Fred declared as the pair and Ron disappeared from sight. She immediately heard muffled shouting from a nearby room. She couldn't wait until she was of age and could disappear at will whenever Ron started whinging.

"They passed their Apparition tests," Ginny informed dully, once again wearing a false, sad smile. "Sorry about Ron. He's been a bit pathetic without you two the last few weeks. We'll talk later, Hermione," she finished before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

"I thought they'd never leave," Harry joked awkwardly. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable...more uncomfortable than he had in weeks. She fought the urge to find Ron and punch him repeatedly for whatever nonsense he had been telling Harry. She instead opted to run toward Harry and initiate a different physical activity. Repeatedly.

Several celebratory minutes later she was once again buried into Harry's chest.

"I think Ron is annoyed that we're...you know...together," he mumbled into her hair.

"Poor Ron," she muttered as she pulled back and looked into his eyes, poised to resume the celebration. "He is in for a really annoying month."