When Time Stands Still

Title: When Time Stands Still.
Author: SantiMonreal
Pairings: Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, published in her books, borrowed by me, to release some of my mind’s stress; and more importantly, I’m not making any money off this.

Summary: Harry tries to cope with the phantoms of his past. Ron deals with a future that he couldn’t accept. Hermione draws bliss out of the present melancholic world.

Chapter 9: Questiand and Revelations part 1


Ron looked out of the kitchen window, he had come to help his mum around the kitchen, but before all else, he saw it: the green car that delivered the two people in whom he found love.

He wanted so much to run out there, to hug the both of them, to share with them the night as had exactly in his room in the night before, to breathe in the smell of Hermione’s hair.

He saw Hermione get out of the car, followed by Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Grangert het he stopped himself altogether, what if he told them about the dream, wouldn’t they think it queer of him, to have both Hermione and Harry there beside him? He could hear it now in his head, “no” the voice told him, “not yet”.

Ron looked through the glass window and later, his ghostlike reflection that seemed to talk to him, “get a hold of yourself mate, don’t ruin your friendships.” Ron thought about this, He would rather have the both of them as life long friends, than not lose them all to a stupid dream and selfish relationship that he so wanted, that he so needed right now.

“Ron,” His mum said, “aren’t you going to help Harry with his things?”

“Yes mum,” Ron replied. His heart stopped, why would his mum tell him to help Harry only? Why didn’t she say Hermione and Harry with their things? His heart was seized with fear, what if she knew? She knew!

Ron stopped, what would there be to know, exactly? That Harry was his best friend? That was obvious enough to everyone, what was he afraid of? Nothing really, but something in him told him that it was. Something was definitely not right, he was in love with Hermione, but he also wanted Harry to be there, to talk to, to share his room with, to be the one to understands him. It was this fact that he was so afraid to let everybody know, this fact that scared him, this fact would kill his mother to find out. He was afraid that his family would think he was gay.

“Ron!” Ginny was staring at him, her eyes were fierce yet soft, “get to it! you’re supposed to be helping!” she was breathing heavily, her arms looked tired as she came into the door, she was carrying one of Hermione’s luggage. “Go help Harry!” she heaved.

Ron’s eyes widened, there it was again, Ginny now told him to help Harry, why was everyone telling him to help Harry? Was it so obvious? Shite! Now his sister thought he was gay!

“Ron! What’s wrong with you?” Ginny was starting to worry, why was her brother acting this way, was he going nutters?

Ron fell out of his reverie and nodded. He walked out the kitchen door toward the car. Harry was Helping Mr. Granger bring down his trunk from the back of the space wagon. Hedwig’s cage was on the ground next to them.

“There you are Ron,” Harry said smiling, as his trunk fell to the grass, “I was beginning to think that I’d miss you all summer.”

“I was helping my mum in the kitchen,” Ron explained. Harry just looked at him. Harry gave Ron a smile and let his eyes droop lazily blinking them slowly.

“Ron!” Hermione hugged him, Ron looked from Harry to her face, seeing those lovely hazel eyes, he felt her breasts warm on his own chest and that all too familiar scent of last night’s dream the smell that filled his lungs, the smell of strawberries and roses.

Harry looked away; he stared at his trunk for awhile, just before sitting on it. What on earth was he doing? Was he flirting with his best friend? Why on earth? He couldn’t take it anymore; something was going to go wrong if he kept on in this manner. What did he mean? He himself could not answer that, all he knew was that whatever would be the outcome of this could jeopardize his friendship with Ron, and that was something that he would not dare risk.

Hermione finally stepped back from Ron, she knew that by the way of his reaction, in the way he looked at her, the manner of his unease, he indeed might have received the vision she had sent the night before. But Harry asked if he could hold her hand too, was that another affirmative response to her query, did they both really have those visions or dreams of her?

In truth she did not know. She was afraid to ask, but she could not take it, she cold not stand the unease that Ron felt when she hugged him, She could not carry on the rest of the summer wondering whether or not she had enchanted their dreams.

Harry sat on his trunk, his arms were heavy from unloading the luggage. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were on their way to the kitchen now, Mrs. Weasley called them in for a cup of tea. Along with the fat brown chickens that pecked on absently on the ground, only the three of them remained in the lawn.

Harry looked down at the ground between his feet, the bottom of his trousers were torn and dirty from steeping on them, these was one of Dudley’s trousers that managed to be held to his waist when he wore a belt, but they still dragged on the ground causing them to look rugged and dirty.

A pair of two other feet approached his own, Harry looked up.

“You and I are going to stay in my room Harry.” Ron said flatly, Harry tried to utter a yes, but all he managed was a dry sound from his throat, that along with a nod, seemed to be enough an answer for Ron. Harry didn’t need telling, he knew he was to spend the summer in Ron’s room, but this way was formal, he didn’t know why Ron had done so.

Harry stopped in mid thought; Ron noticed his flirting! Why the bloody hell did he have to do it in the first place? Now Ron and he were going to be uneasy for the summer, all because of him! The thought infuriated Harry, why did he have to ruin the summer?

“Why don’t we carry your stuff to the room then?” Ron asked him, Harry again nodded, then got up and off his trunk.

Not a word was said between the two of them, until they reached Ron’s room. Harry thought it was nice to see that there were lesser posters of the Chudley canons on Ron’s walls and the room was not in a bright shade of red anymore, it seemed toned down, subdued even.

Hermione followed Ginny to her room. The rest of the Afternoon was eventless, Hermione fell asleep just before dinner, but unlike the night before, her sleep wreamreamless.

* * *

Hermione woke up later, the shadow of the late afternoon sunset came in shades of orange, and filled Ginny’s white room with a golden red hue. Hermione looked around her, delighting in the thought that She would spend the summer there, where Ron and Harry would be with her, where she may have a chance to spend another evening like the one they did in the astronomy tower, several nights ago.

Sounds of people laughing, though faded as it traveled through the stairwell, carried by the air to Ginny’s room, invited her to get up and join the assembly downstairs.

She opened her suitcase to comb her hair, but she saw something else: the ancient book of spells. She reached forward into her suitcase, her fingertips smiling as the familiar texture of weather beaten leather tickled her nerve endings.

The book she took to her lap, when a thunderous crack from outside the window startled her, she jumped to the window, letting the book fall to the floor, only to see that Fred and George were trying out their latest creation, a candy that made the person burp a thunderous crack upon consumption. And on, of all people, Percy, who seemed to be enjoying it more than anyone, Fred, George and Percy, were hitting the dinner table with their fists, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Hermione smiled at this, it’s been so long since Percy joined his family for dinner, and even longer it seemed that he was not speaking to them. Now, he was enjoying a trick played on him by Fred and George. Strange, how some revelations, once accepted, can change everything in a second, Hermione thought to herself.


Hermione turned her back on the window and directed her view back to the room. The book had fallen on a particular page on the page, Taking the book, she sat on her bed and started reading, a smile crept onto her lips, minutes later, she heard Ginny calling her from the bottom of the stairs.

“Hermione, dinner will start soon!” Ginny called.

“I’ll be there!”

Hermione carelessly put the book back into her suitcase, and started brushing her hair. Something in her had changed. An idea had made her choose to do something different. She left the bedroom leaving her suitcase ajar.

“Herm—!”Ginny halted in mid step on the way to the bedroom which the two girls shared. “They’re waiting for you outside,” Ginny explained catching her breath; Hermione had startled her.

“Sorry for the delay,” Hermione explained, smiling, “I was doing a little light reading.”

“It’s okay, Dinner hasn’t started yet, it’s just Ron telling me to check on you.” Ginny interjected. “I think he’s something to tell you, but then again he’s been acting so strange lately, maybe you should talk to him.” Hermione smiled, remembering the dream spell she accidentally cast on the three of them the other day.

“I think I might just have a word with him before dinner.” Hermione said, feeling a crimson blush crawling down her eyes onto her face, “where are you going?” she asked Ginny.

“I feel like a change of clothes, I was helping around the kitchen too much.” Ginny said, showing Hermione her gravy stained shirt. Ron and Harry are on the front porch by the way,” Ginny called before entering the room, “in case you’re looking for them.” With that, she disappeared behind the door.


* * *


Ginny closed her eyes as she entered the room, the heat from working an afternoon in the kitchen was making her head light, leaning on the door behind her, she slowly opened her eyes. An open suitcase lay on Hermione’s bed.

“Curious,” Ginny thought aloud to herself, her eyes falling on the suitcase resting on a tattered leathernd bnd book. Her eyes fixed on it, the animal skin cover, the broken and empty luster of a centuries old text enveloped by a piece of animal flesh; as she crossed the floor and approached the suitcase that contained the book.

The smell swathed her nostrils, she wanted so much to discover what secrets these pages may hold. Finally, she reached it. The book was in her hands. She carelessly grazed the pages and landed on a particular page: “To see the truth.”

Ginny realized that it was a collection of herbal magic, along with potions, but no wands only incantations and potions.

“Natural magic,” Ginny uttered sotto voce. “The truth to you shall be revealed from those who dwell in secret lives, in a vision shall visit you in your slumber and your queries it will answer,” the text lay written before her in a manuscript of old. She scanned the room for her quill and parchment, carefully she copied the ingredients to the dream potion.

* * *


A/N: I\'m so very sorry to have for you dear readers, for having you wait this long for me. I\'ve been very busy these past few months. But still that is not a good enough excuse.

A/N1: I have not written in a long time, it maybe that this chapter is not to your liking. Secondly, I haven\'t a beta. If anyone out there is interested, please let me know.

A/N2: I have lost track of all the reviews to send out personal thank you\'s. But let me say that reading those last reviews especially the two latest ones, pushed me to writing this chapter. I promise to make up for it in the chapter to follow.

A/N3: I want to update everyone every so often, so please, let me know if it\'s okay to send you emails with links to the story..

A/N4: i hope that none of you are seriously mad at me for the long long long long wait.


A/N5: I want to have this story done, seriously, but the thing is, I need a beta reader, most probably more than one. Anyone out there up for it? I need help terribly. Email me if you want: santimonreal@yahoo.com


Thanks!