In Another Universe

Chapter 14

"Alright, folks, it's 8:58 on the clock and if there's one thing I know about Hermione Granger it's that she's never late," Harry said, shooting glances at his wristwatch.

"Place your bets, everyone!" Ginny said happily. "Will Hermione turn up, or will Ronald have made a complete arse of himself again? If you think she's gonna show up, place your forks facing upward; if she's not, place them facing downward."

"What's in it?" asked Dean.

"I buy you breakfast if she does show up and you'd bet she would," said Ginny turning her fork downward, much to Ron's discontent. "If she doesn't and you'd bet she would, you losers buy me breakfast."

"No way," said Dean, hurrying to flip his fork over. He knew Ginny, and he knew that if she beat him, she'd take her sweet revenge and order a breakfast unlike any other just to rub it in. Even if there was the slightest chance of a victory, he wasn't willing to risk it. Neville and Seamus, following along, turned their forks over too.

"Seriously?" groaned Ron, and he was met with apologetic looks. "Not you too, mate!" he cried when Harry surreptitiously flipped his over. "Alright, I'm leaving it up, but you're on, Ginny."

"You bet, big brother," Ginny smiled sweetly.

The suspense hung thick in the air as the seconds ticked away in Harry's watch. When the seconds hand was perilously nearing the 11 on the watch, Ginny turned to look smugly at Ron, almost leaning back triumphantly in her chair already. But right when the seconds hand finished its round and the hours hand settled nicely on the 9, the bell over the door rang out and in walked Granger, looking sheepishly around the place as she tried to find their table. She was dressed in an olive-green A-line skirt paired with a tucked-in ivory cable-knit sweater and taupe flats, her hair held back in a clip, clutching her purse between her hands.

"Pay up," Ron turned triumphantly toward Ginny. "Oh, and you'll be buying breakfast for Granger too, then, I said she was here on my tab."

"I don't mind buying breakfast for Hermione," said Ginny through gritted teeth, evidently disgruntled at her defeat, "but for you, you massive prat..."

Finally, Granger spotted them and her face seemed to light up with recognition. She gave them a friendly, but awkward, little wave and practically tiptoed over to their table, careful not to bump into any of the other diners. She settled into an empty chair between Ginny and Neville, across the table from Ron.

"Good morning, everyone," she said with a shy smile, once again giving them that little wave. The table chorused back a cacophony of varied greetings, all with a smile across their faces, and Granger's smile only grew in size.

Only Ron held back, leaning in his chair with a hint of mirth in his eyes, and waited until everyone was done returning Granger's polite greeting to do it himself: "Mornin', Granger. Glad you showed up. You're looking good."

"Not so shabby yourself, Weasley," she replied coldly with what he knew could only be sarcasm— he was, after all, donning a misbuttoned shirt he'd already spilled juice all over. He turned beet-red and sank back into his chair, and Ginny narrowed her eyes at him smugly, content that Granger had put him in his place and, in the process, knocked him a rung or two down the ladder.

"It's so nice to have you here," Neville blurted out, turning to her and giving her a toothy, lopsided grin. "And, by the way, I'm sorry about that Frisbee a few days ago—"

"Oh, please, don't worry," Hermione said nicely, with a small dismissive wave of her hand that seemed to reassure him. "It wasn't your Frisbee, anyway, it was more Weasley's awful propensity to somehow hit me whenever I'm in his vicinity—"