RP: Walking, talking and visiting

[shh_ron]

Date: 19 November 2004
Characters: Ron, Hermione and Cedric
Location: South of the river
Status: Private
Summary: Ron and Hermione take a walk and visit Cedric at his farm.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_hermione]

After reading the directions to Diggory's farm one last time, Hermione pulled her hair back into a pony tail. She secured it with a strip of cloth and grabbed her scarf from the bed before she left her room.

"Yes, I'm ready," she called down, sticking her tongue out at Ron as she went down the stairs. "I said give me five minutes and that was only two and a half."

She put her coat on and then hooked her arm through his. "It's cloudy out, but it feels warmer than yesterday," she told him as they left the house and started to walk towards I Street. "Have you had a good day?"

[shh_ron]

"Yeah, well, two and a half minutes to a woman seems like half an hour to a man who's waiting for her to get her arse in gear," said Ron, who couldn't resist sticking out his tongue in response.

They walked toward I Street arm in arm. "Yeah, pretty good day," said Ron. "Nothing special. Just relaxed around the house. I'm still trying to teach myself how to use that billiards table in the game room. Might have to ask someone about that. And you?"

[shh_hermione]

"I can try to find you a book on billiards," she offered, ducking before he could swat at her. "You'll learn. You're good at learning games and that sort of thing. Besides, it's a lot of strategy along with knocking the balls into pockets. You know, once you learn the basics, I can figure out a charm to make the pockets move, possibly arrange a few different speeds to let you play at different challenging levels."

Hermione nodded. "Actually, it's been a lovely day," she said, glancing at him. "I went for a walk this morning and ran into Percy. We had breakfast together."

[shh_ron]

Ron pulled a face. "A book? Hermione, don't go ruining billiards for me by giving me a book." They continued walking, enjoying the day. "Maybe Kingsley would know someone who knows how to play billiards. I'd rather someone showed me than try to learn it from a book."

"Percy?" Another face. "So. Where'd you run into him?" Ron was still chafing about the way Percy had treated the family years ago when he was first with the Ministry. He wondered if his pompous older brother had changed at all. "Is he still the same annoying git he used to be?"

[shh_cedric]

"I get to play the guinea pig, eh?" It actually sounded a bit intriguing. "As long as the effects aren't painful or permanent, you're on."

He listened to her describe her wards and noded along. "That sounds good. And having something with a non-specific focus ... I like that. It shouldn't just be myself it protects, but anyone under my roof." He nodded once, pleased.

"Those sound brilliant."

[shh_hermione]

"Yes, well, being a guinea pig might not be as much fun as you think," she murmured, thinking about Kingsley and his unfortunate experience.

"All right, if you're certain?" At his nod, she smiled. "Okay. Then I'll go ahead and start. Just the foundation and perhaps a short distance out, right? We can put up some general ones for the rest of the property after, if you'd like."

She smiled at Ron, feeling as if she were in her element and then turned to face the foundation. She focused and began whispering words as she walked closer and moved her wand in varying patterns. She could complete these non-verbally, of course, but it helped her get into the moment if she heard the foreign words spilling off her tongue.

[shh_cedric]

"Like I said -- nothing painful or permanent. Or, preferably horribly embarrassing. If your wards disintegrate my trousers and leave me standing in my underpants, I'd have to protest."

As they weren't quarreling, he'd decided dare something a bit cheeky. After all, going without teasing for too long was against his nature. Then he stood back with Ron and watched Hermione set the wards. She had excellent wandwork, very crisp and precise. She could model it for spellbooks.

Despite the apparent complexity of layed wards, it didn't take her long to circle the foundation and return to where she'd begun, taking a step back and lowering her wand. He was tempted to clap, but didn't feel that he knew her well enough. She might think he was mocking her.

"Thank you," he said instead, giving her a little nod and the first really unrestrained smile all afternoon.

[shh_ron]

Ron watched as Hermione walked around the building foundation, waving her wand in complex patterns and whispering spells that neither he nor Cedric could hear. He'd seen her do this often enough to know that Cedric would get exactly the level of protection Hermione had offered. She was still as precise and accurate as ever when it came to spellwork.

"You'll be happy with what she's done," he said to Cedric, noticing the other man's reaction.