Please, Just Say I Love You

Please, Just Say I Love You (7)

Chapter Seven

Hermione

After several hours of shopping, Hermione felt like her legs were going to fall off. She grabbed Ginny's arm and begged for a break. "Please, Gin?"

Ginny agreed and they settled on a table outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Ginny ordered a fudge sundae but Hermione didn't want anything. Her eyes drifted to the crowds trickling by them. She recognized multiple people from school while others were complete strangers. Three years' worth of students that weren't placed in school. The first years were going to be the biggest group yet.

"So what's next?" Hermione asked. They'd traveled across Diagon Alley getting things on Ginny's list that her mother hadn't already given her second-hand. They had a couple of hours before they planned to meet Harry back at the Cauldron.

They both took out their lists. "Um, All I need is dress robes, you?"

"Same here."

"I wonder what they're for," Ginny wondered out loud. "I hope they're not having another Triwizard Tournament."

"Of course not," Hermione assured her. "I'm positive they would never start that again."

"Good. I don't think I could take another one of those tournaments. Especially if Harry was chosen again." Ginny shuddered.

Hermione agreed. It was horrible watching her best friend go through those tasks not knowing if the next one was to be his last. "Poor Harry. It seems that he was in the middle of everything at Hogwarts. I mean we all were. Harry, Ron, you, and me."

"Now that Voldemort's gone we won't have that problem anymore," Ginny said louder than she should've. The people surrounding them flinched and shot glares at her.

"Luckily, we're all safe and, hopefully, there'll be no more excitement this year." All Hermione wanted was a year where she could relax and focus on her schoolwork.

"Not all of us," Ginny sighed, her eyes staring at her nearly melted ice cream.

Hermione's eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

Ginny glanced around them then whispered, "Well, I'm not supposed to tell you this... But Harry's not coming back."

"Ah, Harry got that job as an Auror," Hermione stated. "I'm not surprised. He's been mentioning it off and on for a while now."

Ginny sighed again. "Yes, I mean, I tried to convince him to attend. It's his last year for merlin's sake. But he's so stubborn." She ate a bite of ice cream but she wrinkled her nose and pushed the cup away.

"It's a great deal, Gin. Being an Auror means a lot to him and he has more experience than most people going into the field has..." Hermione hesitated before asking, "Do you think Ron's going to join him, or is he coming back also?"

Ginny frowned at her. "You still like that prick?" She had never forgiven her brother for breaking up with Hermione. Especially when he chose Lavender over her.

Hermione shifted in his seat and her cheeks warmed up. "I-I, well, yes. I don't think I can ever stop loving him."

Ginny cast a pitying look to her. "Too bad. Yeah, he's come only because Lavender insisted." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Maybe I can set you up with Dean or something. He is a great kisser."

Hermione suddenly stood up and said flatly, "I'm feeling well-rested now. We'd better get our last items or else Harry will be missing us."

Hermione wanted to go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where she'd normally get her dress robes but Ginny had another plan. She tugged Hermione along the crowded alley and stopped at Twilfitt and Tatting's. "I don't think we should," Hermione whispered, staring up at the daunting storefront.