fic challenge #4
Title: The Meeting
Characters/Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG
Word Count: 532
Summary: Hermione summons Ron to a pub in the middle of Muggle London to meet two very important people.
Author's notes: For Fic Challenge #4, 'Post-Hogwarts. A Muggle pub, a ratty old pair of boots, "It was quite hard to miss, actually." '
Hermione isn’t sure it’s going to work.
She’s laid out everything according to her plan, of course. That’s not the problem - things should unfold perfectly, in an ideal world. It took her ages to learn how to create a proper Portkey, but when she finally managed it, no one would be able to flaw her technique. She’d picked the city, the pub, the time. If this plan only relied on her, it would be absolutely perfect.
Unfortunately, this plan relies on Ron as well. And reliable, Hermione knows perfectly well, is a trait of Ron’s that he seems to use only when he feels like it.
So when he appears before her in the London street, clutching the pair of manky old boots by their laces, Hermione can’t help but break into a giant grin.
“You made it!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around him happily.
“Almost didn’t,” he says, her own arms looping around her waist, pulling her in close. “You didn’t say if it was six in the morning or at night. I woke up really early for you, you know.”
“Why would I invite you to a pub at six in the morning?” Hermione can’t help but laugh. Only Ron, she thinks.
“Well, I don’t know,” he says with a shrug, and then leans in to kiss her. The kiss isn’t long or dramatic - he doesn’t lift her into the air and neither of them hear violins or see fireworks. It’s familiar and friendly and warm, and that’s what Hermione likes the best about the two of them. She doesn’t need fireworks and violins. Not when she has him.
“And you knew what the Portkey was? No troubles?”
Ron holds up the dangling boots. “You sent me ratty, muddy shoes by Owl post with a specific time attached. It was quite hard to miss, actually. What, do you think I’m daft?”
“No,” she says fondly, placing a quick little kiss on his lips. When he smiles against her lips, she can’t help but grin back.
“Ready?” she asks when the two pull apart. He takes her hand almost at once and she can feel the way it shakes, just a little bit. But his smile is confident, and that’s how she knows he’s serious about this. Serious about her.
“Ready,” he confirms, and she leads him into the pub.
They don’t have to go far - there’s already a table picked out for them not far from the bar. And there are already two people occupying it, drinks already in front of them.
“Mum,” says Hermione as she tugs Ron a little closer to her, wrapping an arm proudly around his waist, “Dad - this is my boyfriend, Ron.”
And Hermione watches proudly as Ron shakes their hands and minds his manners, beaming as he remembers to pull out her chair for her and compliment her mum on her scarf. She catches her mother’s eye halfway through the meal and can read her thoughts as clear as day. You picked a good one, her mum’s eyes tell her approvingly.
Hermione smiles a little to herself and squeezes Ron’s hand under the table. She knew that all along.
532 words/30 = 17.7 18 points
+ 5 points for challenge
= 23 points for Hufflepuff!
Janna/Hufflepuff
Characters/Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG
Word Count: 532
Summary: Hermione summons Ron to a pub in the middle of Muggle London to meet two very important people.
Author's notes: For Fic Challenge #4, 'Post-Hogwarts. A Muggle pub, a ratty old pair of boots, "It was quite hard to miss, actually." '
Hermione isn’t sure it’s going to work.
She’s laid out everything according to her plan, of course. That’s not the problem - things should unfold perfectly, in an ideal world. It took her ages to learn how to create a proper Portkey, but when she finally managed it, no one would be able to flaw her technique. She’d picked the city, the pub, the time. If this plan only relied on her, it would be absolutely perfect.
Unfortunately, this plan relies on Ron as well. And reliable, Hermione knows perfectly well, is a trait of Ron’s that he seems to use only when he feels like it.
So when he appears before her in the London street, clutching the pair of manky old boots by their laces, Hermione can’t help but break into a giant grin.
“You made it!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around him happily.
“Almost didn’t,” he says, her own arms looping around her waist, pulling her in close. “You didn’t say if it was six in the morning or at night. I woke up really early for you, you know.”
“Why would I invite you to a pub at six in the morning?” Hermione can’t help but laugh. Only Ron, she thinks.
“Well, I don’t know,” he says with a shrug, and then leans in to kiss her. The kiss isn’t long or dramatic - he doesn’t lift her into the air and neither of them hear violins or see fireworks. It’s familiar and friendly and warm, and that’s what Hermione likes the best about the two of them. She doesn’t need fireworks and violins. Not when she has him.
“And you knew what the Portkey was? No troubles?”
Ron holds up the dangling boots. “You sent me ratty, muddy shoes by Owl post with a specific time attached. It was quite hard to miss, actually. What, do you think I’m daft?”
“No,” she says fondly, placing a quick little kiss on his lips. When he smiles against her lips, she can’t help but grin back.
“Ready?” she asks when the two pull apart. He takes her hand almost at once and she can feel the way it shakes, just a little bit. But his smile is confident, and that’s how she knows he’s serious about this. Serious about her.
“Ready,” he confirms, and she leads him into the pub.
They don’t have to go far - there’s already a table picked out for them not far from the bar. And there are already two people occupying it, drinks already in front of them.
“Mum,” says Hermione as she tugs Ron a little closer to her, wrapping an arm proudly around his waist, “Dad - this is my boyfriend, Ron.”
And Hermione watches proudly as Ron shakes their hands and minds his manners, beaming as he remembers to pull out her chair for her and compliment her mum on her scarf. She catches her mother’s eye halfway through the meal and can read her thoughts as clear as day. You picked a good one, her mum’s eyes tell her approvingly.
Hermione smiles a little to herself and squeezes Ron’s hand under the table. She knew that all along.
532 words/30 = 17.7 18 points
+ 5 points for challenge
= 23 points for Hufflepuff!
Janna/Hufflepuff