The Right Thing To Do

Chapter 8

Saturday morning found Hermione stumbling to her bathroom in search of Pepper-Up Potion. She'd never had a hangover, so she wasn't sure if this was one. She felt marginally better after drinking the potion before she remembered that she needed to leave for work in twenty minutes.

As she got dressed she remembered that Draco would be at the Quidditch practice today, and therefore would most likely not be stopping by Cornerstone. Hermione frowned at herself in the mirror. She looked so tired with dark circles around her eyes. She then realized that it wasn't dark circles, it was the mascara she didn't take off before crawling into bed.

She laughed and went to wash her face.

Feeling much fresher, she headed out the door to the apparition point.

"Miss Granger! Over here!" The journalist with the camera called to her as she popped into Diagon Alley. She continued on without responding. "What are you going to do for your birthday tomorrow?"

Now there was a good question. Her twentieth birthday had crept up on her. She was always older than the rest of her classmates, but to be entering her twenties when Ginny had just turned eighteen was very strange.

Harry had mentioned taking her to dinner, but that was all she really had planned. Morty had penned her a note midweek, chastising her for not telling him about her birthday, and demanding that she take the day off, so she couldn't spend the day there. Maybe she'd sleep? That seemed wrong.

After the first two hours of looking up whenever someone entered the shop, expecting it to be Draco, Hermione finally relaxed. Quidditch practice usually lasted until about noon, but then they would head out for lunch, or stay and chat for a few hours. The practices Hermione had attended had all dragged on much longer than she felt was necessary.

Eventually she had to turn her back on the front door. She was only going to be disappointed when Draco didn't come by Cornerstone today. It wasn't as if they had a standing date, but he'd been in the past two weekends. Perhaps he took such offense to the use of his first name the night before that he would no longer be visiting her here.

Hermione shook her head. No, he was not visiting her. He was patronizing a book shop.

The door opened and while her back was turned she could feel the wind dance with her hair. It took every ounce of control not to turn around.

"Who do you have to know to get a book around here!" a familiar voice boomed from the doorway.

Hermione turned with wide eyes to see Ron Weasley on her "Welcome" carpet.

"Ron!" She gasped and he smiled at her, stretching his arms out.

She whipped around the counter and flew down the two steps to the entry landing, throwing her arms around him.

She felt her feet leave the ground as he squeezed her in his arms. It was like the past year and a half had never happened. That was her favorite thing about seeing Ron. Nothing ever changed.

"Happy birthday 'Mione."

Her feet touched down again, and she released her grip on him, but kept her arms around him, pulling back.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be training for the October season."

"I told them our second string could use some practice. I had to get home to see a girl."

She pulled back and punched his arm, smiling up at him. "You're not here only for my birthday."

"Well, it was a main reason! I have a meeting with George and several investors this afternoon and then a cocktail party tonight with some Minister of something, but I'm all yours tomorrow."