The Alkahest

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All Hail The Red Thing Needing Is One Thing A Universal Solvent The Hardest Choice Of All The Han Solo Move The Economy of Marriage The Meaning of Sapience Learning To Fly The Mouse's Journey Starcharts On Vellum The Wolfsbane Conundrum The Famous Bat-Bogey Hex Bottled Purple Death The Lone Weasley Curiosity Killed The Cat Satisfaction Brought It Back An Egyptian Odyssey Hercules Is A Rude Bird We Never Really Grow Up It's Not Quidditch A Paragon of Compromise Luckily, she and Ron are already planning to obey the horrific law together as a team Until a Malfoy-shaped wrench gets thrown into the works.

It was so soft, she could barely hear it through the bathroom door. She'd heard him singing quietly when she shut the shower off, and now she was pressed against the door jam, listening intently. There was a pause as he rewound the CD a bit, and then he tried again:. As precious as it was listening to him trying to master the lyrics of the song, she eventually got tired of standing in the steamy bathroom and opened the door.

As she padded out with her towel wrapped around her, she glanced in the living room.

The Alkahest

He'd gone silent, earbuds in his ears as he read the Chemistry textbook. Swallowing a smile, Hermione turned to head to her room and get dressed.

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It was too precious. Now it was just a matter of deciding whether or not it would be worth the cold shoulder she'd get if she told Ginny. Shrugging, she took the opportunity to braid her hair while it was wet.

Then she wriggled into her jeans. Since Draco had never enjoyed a Muggle New Year's, she'd taken it upon herself to plan the night out. Fair food for dinner, and then fireworks on the Thames. Then all of them — Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Susan included — were going to head out the next morning to enjoy the New Year's parade. Ginny had let her know that Teddy was going to be in attendance, which she knew would make Draco happy. He'd really bonded with the little boy during all his visits to his aunt's with Ginny.

As she stepped into the hallway, she said, "Keep whatever you transfigure your clothes into casual. They might get dirty if we sit on some grass. He squinted at her. Draco rolled his eyes at her snickering, pointedly focusing on his textbook again. She leaned down to press a kiss to his temple which he grumbled at before skipping into the kitchen to get some tea going.

Actually, in retrospect, she probably should have gotten him something easier to understand. Going from not knowing what molecules were to a book that starts talking about how to affect them via advanced chemistry was probably a bit much. I just realized that it's university-level stuff," she said, apologetically. Once they'd bought their dinner — a motley assortment of food that was very much unhealthy and sold in moving carts — she led him to a grassy area and spread a blanket.

Draco looked a little annoyed at the prospect of sitting on the ground for several hours, but finally sat with a nasal sigh, unwrapping a hot dog. Just forget it, then. Let's go home and you can make a potion or something," she said, pushing up to her feet. Draco sighed again, but grabbed her wrist to stop her from packing everything up into her tote bag.

When she glared at him, he murmured, "I'm sorry. I want to stay. I mean, either way, all I want to do is spend my evenings with you. If you want to do that in new and interesting locations, well, why not? Blinking a bit at the sudden bout of sincerity, Hermione grumbled a bit and sat down.

He always knew just what to say to unbalance her. He shot her a frown. Draco's lips parted, and after he digested that, his whole demeanor shifted. Well, why didn't you say so? He looked insufferably pleased at the revelation, and scooted closer to her on the blanket. Still annoyed, she tried to shove him away, but he wrapped his arms around her to pin her against him.

No wonder I was confused. He inhaled, sharply, as though to start yelling, and she panicked and dove forward. Pressing her lips to his, she pushed him onto his back, kissing him into silence. After a brief moment of surprise, he chortled into the kiss, his arms wrapping more gently around her back. When their lips parted, she breathed, "Draco Malfoy, would you like to go out on a date with me?

Glowering, Hermione sat up. That was going to bruise. Which is perfectly understandable, by the way.

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I am a model wizard and everyone's dream man. He scooted close to her again, curling an arm around her back. And if sitting on a blanket on the hardest patch of ground to ever exist will make you happy, I suppose things could be worse.

His hands smoothed over her braid. Eyebrows raising, she turned her head to look up at him. But you said it wouldn't be often, just a few times a month, right? I think I'll probably have to stay down there more often when I'm new. I don't want to have to worry about portkeying here and there while I'm figuring out my coursework," he rambled, looking far more upset by the reality of being away from her than she felt. Until I figure things out," he added, although Hermione wasn't sure if he even knew which one of them he was trying to reassure. Exhaling loudly, he laid down on his back.

The sun had set, darkening the sky, and she could make out the faintest impressions of stars in the night sky. She traced a few of them, trying to find familiar constellations, but they were too hard to see. Chuckling, she snuggled closer to him. It was getting chilly awfully quick. He made it through half of the fireworks display before finally giving in to his curiosity and asking her how fireworks worked. Of course, it required a pretty long explanation on gunpowder, and it wasn't until the display was over that she realized she'd lectured through the entire damn thing.

By the end of it, he looked a lot more interested than he had when they'd arrived, so she felt like she could consider that a victory of some sort. She wasn't going to admit it, but it was sort of her favorite thing, too. The men had formed a line, James on Ron's shoulders and Albus carefully balanced on Harry's, and were facing the street expectantly.

Teddy's hair had gone pale blond in celebration of his favorite cousin, and she watched as Draco tilted his head back slightly and murmured something to the boy that made him start giggling. Susan gently bumped her shoulder. He'd raise a family so well- ". I developed a whole extra fetus because of how fatherly he is. They laughed, grabbing at her and dragging her back. Hermione twisted around to stare at her.

Ignoring her, Susan released Hermione's arm and settled back in her seat. They'd taken over a bench, not particularly caring about having a good view of the parade. At least, not more than they cared about their swollen feet. After a minute, Susan looked at her. I got an owl from Egypt saying they imported a tea that they distributed to werewolves, and they hadn't had any sort of werewolf-related incident since they started using it over fifty years ago. A tea mixture can't be that expensive, surely. Ginny inclined her head. As soon as they entered, Ginny was running down a list of things Ron was not to do, making the ginger-haired man groan in agony.

And Hermione's here, anyway, to keep me from being dumb, remember? Ginny shot him a wary glare and turned to Hermione. No broom flying, no levitating, no sweets before dinner, and don't let him swear in front of them. James has said nothing but 'bloody' this and 'bloody' that since the last time Ron watched him," she complained. Harry began ushering her to the fireplace. Before following, he muttered, "And I aim to make the best of it. Ron groaned in disgust, pulling a face. She could be eight children in and I'd still be of the opinion they were conceived immaculately.

No boring Muggle facts in front of my nephews," Ron warned her. At her indignant squawk, he grinned, the corners of his eyes creasing as he crowded her space all of a sudden and planted a kiss — soft, and warm, and familiar — before releasing her and heading towards James' room upstairs. Six hours later, Harry and Ginny slunk in through the Floo with their hands intertwined, their hair a mess, and sleepy-contented smiles on their face.

Ron glared at them, lips pursed, from the couch. Hermione grinned, her heart feeling full — full of this moment. Her friends, and her boyfriend. She felt happy, and she immediately felt herself beginning to analyze that happiness, and tried to stop the process before she chased it away. Pushing to her feet, she grabbed Ron's hand. Laughing, she bid her goodbyes to her friends and pulled him into the Floo, to her place.

The Alkahest

Somehow, she managed to make him set aside his residual feelings of disgust for the evening, and they spent a good hour doing just what Ron imagined Ginny never did. Unusually, though, Ron was awake and watching her. Jolting a bit at the realization, Hermione blinked at him, awkwardly smiling at the serious look on his face. It is early, isn't it? What time is it He looked like he wanted to say something else, but couldn't find the words to get it out. After a few moments of trying, he gave up, looking strangely defeated and a little sad.

He struggled a bit more, and finally settled on, "Do you ever think about why we never moved in together? They'd started up right after the war ended with them as victors, but Hermione had gotten cold feet, and had broken things off before they really started. She'd gone to university for a time after getting her parents back — a magical university, in Barcelona, Spain.

They'd written to each other plenty, as did she and Harry and Ginny, but it had just been as friends. When she'd come back, sporting a tan and feeling a lot freer than she had in a while, the relationship seemed to already be in place, sparking off right where they'd left things off. It had been explosive in that good way , and full of laughter. She shifted on the bed, pulling the sheets around her a bit, fiddling. She'd guessed he had, but she was so particular about her personal space.

After leaving the dorms of university, she'd sworn never to have a flatmate again. His mouth pulled in that crooked smile. And not the time we spend together, because obviously I wouldn't trade that for anything else in the whole world," he continued. But can you honestly tell me you don't feel it, sometimes?

Like maybe we're just together because it's Because we expected to be, and so did everyone else? We know all the words to each other by heart, by now. I'd reckon I even know you better than Harry does, and up until a year ago I didn't think it was even possible to know you better than Harry does. Then, he sobered, his brown eyes finding hers again. She swallowed again, her throat feeling strangely raw. She couldn't exactly refute what he was saying, and the fact that he was saying it meant he probably felt similarly, but it still hurt to think of possibly letting this relationship go.

His smile was wry, a little twisted by some inner guilt, and she closed her eyes as she let it sink in. She'd been so full of herself, then, hadn't she? Thinking that he'd been over the moon for her, letting herself play a little bit the martyr in continuing the relationship even though it wasn't exactly exciting or adventurous or even all that romantic. But in reality, he'd been in the same boat, wondering how to navigate the feelings they'd had for each other as teenagers that had failed to mature along with them. Her inhale was shaky, and his arms suddenly flew around her.

They fell silent, and for a while — an hour, or maybe longer, she figured — they just held each other in her bed, seeking comfort and knowing that the sobering reality of The End was fast approaching. In the end, he'd left without breakfast, both of them feeling too awkward. The kiss before the Floo had been heartfelt, full of apologies, and perfect for the both of them. They couldn't exactly resolve what they were going to tell their friends, and Ron suggested meeting up for coffee at the usual time and place in a few days to figure out the particulars.

She'd agreed, feeling strangely relieved that apparently breaking up as lovers didn't mean they were going to have a temporary or even semi-permanent ban on seeing each other. Even if it wasn't as lovers, or boyfriend and girlfriend, or even husband and wife Molly had taken the news the hardest, of course. They'd kind of expected that. She'd immediately burst into tears, which prompted a guilt trip of such epic proportions that Hermione felt the words "just kidding" start gathering on her tongue, just to see the horrific sobbing end.

But then Ron had folded his hand on hers and smiled at her, a reassuring and almost amused twist of his lips beneath those sad eyes, and she felt stronger. Everyone but George and Harry seemed shocked by the turn of events. George's response had been to clap his hands and declare, "That Angelina owes me a Galleon! Harry had simply accepted the news with a wry twist of his lips.

Hermione found that she wasn't really surprised that he'd somehow known ages before she and Ron that things weren't going to pan out. He had a knack for seeing the bigger picture of things. He'd held Hermione as she cried, assuring her that it wasn't stupid to be upset, even though she'd always sort of known it was going to end one day. Ginny had been more than a little confused apparently Harry's intuitive nature wasn't something the youngest Weasley shared , even more so when Ron and Hermione insisted that this hadn't been brought about because of a row they'd had. We're leaving things amicably.

There's no hard feelings. As long as they were still going to be the same four friends they'd always been, she truly didn't seem to care if Ron and Hermione were romantically intertwined or not. Harry stifled a smile. Such a tactful woman. Should've been a diplomat, really. She's wasting her life away with those Harpies, when she could be negotiating delicate peace treaties. She'd stuck her tongue out at him, which he'd taken as a ready invitation to kiss, leaving her squealing with surprise and laughter.

Beneath the miasma of sadness, Hermione felt a twinge of that happiness she'd felt on the night before Ron ended things, and fought back a small laugh as she thought, Maybe things really will be alright. So life wasn't going to plan, exactly. All things considered — and as much as she did truly love Ron, as one of her best and closest friends — she could finally admit to herself that maybe it was a good thing that her life had suddenly decided to go bottoms up on her.

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Their resolution to remain friends made the first few weeks occasionally awkward. Hermione would find herself stepping close to him automatically when saying goodbye, looking for a kiss. Ron would, every once in a while, wrap his arm around her waist when he wasn't thinking. After that first awkward period, though, things relaxed, and she discovered that being friends with Ron wasn't as hard as she'd pictured it might be.

In fact, it was amazingly easy, sometimes, something she rather thought could almost entirely be attributed to him. Although a hothead of epic proportions, Hermione was still left occasionally breathless by the amount of love and passion that could be found in a single person, and even if they'd realized they didn't want to be together, it seemed he had no trouble allowing that love to manifest platonically.

Sometimes, he'd look across the table at her when they were at the pub with all their friends, his gaze warm, and she'd feel more content than she could remember feeling since Barcelona. The teenaged love they'd felt for each other settled, becoming a steady thrum of something steadier, and more sure, and she realized that she almost felt as close to him as she did to Harry, sometimes.

And with Harry and Ginny being so wrapped up in their family life, Hermione found that the sudden lack of pressure on her relationship with Ron made her want to spend much more time with him as just friends. She even inquired about his dating, once, although he'd shrugged and said he wasn't in a hurry to rush into anything.

Honestly, the Ron she knew before being involved with him had always been blundering through one relationship after a next, almost desperate to never be alone. He thought for a moment, and then nodded, slowly. I think it's time I get to know myself as I feel like I haven't seen that bloke in years," he added, in a dry tone. How trying that must have been for you," she snipped.

She shook her head, sobering a bit. And to be perfectly honest, I've looked around the office some, trying to see some of the people at the Ministry as potential boyfriends, but I just can't imagine it with any of them. Maybe I'm destined to be alone. She slapped his arm, making him spill some of his ale, forcing an indignant shout out of him.

But she was smiling, and so was he, and Hermione realized that she rather liked Ronald Weasley, even without the aid of that little crush she'd always had on him. She'd always kind of morbidly wondered if, had she not been a teensy bit in love with him all these years, they might never have been friends at all.

As they shared in laughter, she sipped her own ale and realized, I'm happy. I'm actually very happy. She felt confident, for the first time in several weeks, that everything was going to be just fine. That feeling persisted, and then she knew everything was going to work out for the best, after all. That is, until seven months later, when the Daily Prophet landed on her breakfast table with the screaming headline:. Just In All Stories:

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