In Ruins (Dramione FF)

Professor Trelawney's Prediction

21/11/15

There's something about when someone is happy, and the smile in their eyes glows brighter than any lumos spell. It's a near blessing to be engulfed by their warmth and tugged along by the constant cheerfulness.

That's what it had been like for Hermione for the past week. Ron had been a picture of happiness ever since the day of the trials and it seemed that no amount of homework or prefect duties could put him down. He was always smiling and Hermione was quickly becoming acquainted to the look of pure glee that he always wore. It had been months – years – since she had seen him in such a pleasant state.

The slow trickle of praises from other Gryffindor students helped as well and Hermione was fairly sure he'd been on cloud 9 for the entire night after the first team practice.

Needless to say, Ron was doing really well. After beating out Cormac for a third year in a row, his confidence had rocketed up to the sky.

Hermione couldn't say she was in quite the same state, however. Her school work was starting to way down on her and try as he might, Ron couldn't take on all of her prefect duties as well as his own – although he seemed willing to try. As a result, most of her free time had been spent cooped up in the library or in her common room scribbling down notes and just trying to keep up.

It also meant she didn't get to see the others as often as she liked.

Their schedules just didn't match up and if she ever saw them, it was only for a brief hour or two before they were forced to break up again.

She missed them. Or maybe she would if she had time to stop and think about it.

In the mean time she focused on her school work and just tried to look happy whenever Ron and his glow came anywhere near her. Although it was hard for her not to reflect the rays of happiness back to him; just being in his space when he was in this state was enough to have her breaking out into her own wide grin.

It was nice seeing him so happy.

She just wished she could enjoy it more.

Even now when she glanced across to him now, her eyes drifting over where he was talking animatedly to Harry, she could see the bright burning joy radiating from him and infecting everyone around him.

Harry was grinning already, his green eyes gleaming, and Ginny was laughing gently into Harry's shoulder, her ginger strands trembling with each chuckle. Even Yasmin was joining in, her giggles filling the air as she laughed at Ron's joke.

Hermione smiled. Her fingers shifted between Ron's and he squeezed them gently, his eyes flickering to her for just a second before they were darting back to his captivated audience. There was no telling how many times she'd heard this story in the past few days – he seemed intent on telling everyone about all of his catches in detail – but it was adorable how excited he got and he still sounded so amazed that he'd caught the quaffle every time that he told it.

So she let him tell it, just to see him smiling again.

"- you could have taken it easy on me!" He exclaimed, his eyes locking onto those of his sister. She grinned wider, head rising just a little so she could meet his gaze dead on.

"I wasn't going to take it easy on you."

"You're my sister!" Ron protested and Ginny just smirked, sinking back against Harry again. Harry's hand shifted for a second, readjusting and then they were comfortable again and once more enraptured as Ron continued re-enacting his tale.

Hermione shook her head softly, turning her eyes from her boyfriend's bright smile and casting them around the Great Hall.

Everywhere she looked her eyes fell upon students in the midst of enjoyable conversations. Smiles almost as wide as Ron's were plastered upon every face she turned her eyes onto, until she met a pair of stormy grey.