Ficlet: Planning
Title: Planning
Pairing: Ron and Hermione
Rating: G
Word count: 674
Notes: A while ago I asked for a prompt to inspire me and bendleshnitz1 gave me these lines: "You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter" (from the song Mine, by Taylor Swift)
So I took them and wrote this. It's my humble Christmas present from me to her, since she wrote me a lovely fic last year and gave me the sweetest V-gifts :D
This fic is especially for her, because she's had a rough year full of changes and challenges. Some were the type of changes and crisis that we all experience at some point during our lives, so I hope that you all feel somehow identified with Hermione, and that you like it, Tati :)
Thanks a lot to rose_starr for revising this!
**
The door to Ron’s bedroom opened and a distressed-looking Hermione walked in. She had come back from Hogwarts that same day and, since her parents hadn’t been able to attend the small graduation ceremony held at Hogwarts for all the seventh years, they had taken her to dinner. Apparently, it hadn’t gone well.
‘What’s wrong?’ Ron asked, throwing aside the magazine he had been reading as he waited for her.
‘My parents.’ She sighed. ‘I… I don’t know…’
To see Hermione struggling to find her words was rare; Ron thought he was the only one allowed to see her like that. He promptly got to his feet and led her to his bed, where they sat. She sighed again and said, ‘I really don’t know what to do with my life now.’
‘What are you talking about? You’re always making plans. Are you telling me you never planned what you were going to do after Hogwarts?’
‘Yes-no. I don’t know.’
She looked at him pleadingly, silently asking for patience.
‘The thing is, there are a lot of things I’d like to do. I’d like to find a way to continue SPEW, to improve the lives not only of elves but of other creatures. I’d like to help rebuilding the wizarding world. I’d like to help with the new and the old laws. I know I’ve said it’s dangerous, but I’d like to be an Auror with you and Harry. I’d like to teach. I’d like to travel around the world and visit other magical communities. But I know that everything is too much. And to add to that, my parents want me to go to university to study law or basically anything “non-magical”!’
A tear rolled down Hermione’s cheek and Ron felt it dissolving on his shirt.
‘What am I going to do, start everything so I can see where my real passion lies?’
‘I think… well, you obviously need to narrow down your options,’ said Ron, caressing her hair. ‘And listen only to yourself-‘
‘There are many voices in my head right now.’
‘Then listen to the strongest one,’ said Ron, attempting a smile. ‘Look, you can’t do everything at the same time, and you won’t know if what you chose is what you really want to do unless you try. The good thing is that we’re young, right? If you decide you want to teach, for example, and you don’t like it, quit and do something else!’
‘What if I spend my whole life doing that?’ Hermione asked gloomily.
‘You won’t, Hermione.’
Ron looked at her as he held her.
‘As for where your real passion is, I think you know the answer.’
Hermione lifted her head and smiled at him. ‘I do know. But thanks for reminding me.’
‘Now… have you thought where my passion is going to live now that she’s off school?’ he asked after kissing her, looking a little nervous.
‘What? Oh, me, right… I suppose I’ll stay at home for the summer, until I get a job. I can’t afford a flat and I don’t want to ask my parents for money.’
‘Or I was thinking you could move in with me.’
She looked at him with wide-open eyes but shook her head.
‘I don’t have any money.’
‘I do.’
‘You’re working, but you can’t afford my expenses as well!’
‘Who cares?’
‘I do! We’ll need to pay bills, Ron, and I won’t let you-‘
‘Look,’ Ron said, standing up just to drag her with him again, ‘I want to be with you, I want you to be happy, and I want to be happy myself. You will find what you really want to do. I think you’re just a little overwhelmed. Meanwhile, you’ll live with me. We’ll work it out.’
‘But Ron, I can’t start something like this without a plan...’
‘Come on... after all, I can always talk you into doing things, can’t I?’
Hermione smiled and started taking off her shoes at last.
‘You’re right; you made a rebel of me.’