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"Shit!" Ron's voice boomed from upstairs.
Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance over the kitchen table. Ginny sipped her tea and went back to reading the Daily Prophet but Harry got up and went out into the hall.
"Alright, Ron?" He called up the staircase. It was a relief that they'd finally gotten rid of Walburga Black's portrait so that shouting was possible in Grimmauld Place again.
Ron burst out of the study and stared down over the bannister. "Have you seen Crookshanks?"
A smile crept onto Harry's face. "Have you tried a summoning charm?"
Ron scowled. "Now is not the time for jokes, Harry." Hanging his head down he added, "And of course I did."
After a moment he rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, Harry on his heals.
Ginny hardly looked up from the paper before saying, "I haven't seen him."
Ron sighed and began throwing cabinets open in a desperate attempt to find the cat.
"You know," Harry said, following him around the room, "Crookshanks can take care of himself. He roamed around Hogwarts on his own for years."
"I know that," Ron practically growled, opening the oven for good measure. He slammed it shut and crossed his arms. "Hermione only asked me to do one thing this weekend: take care of that damn cat."
"And yet you failed." Ginny muttered, just loud enough to be heard.
"Shut it." Ron spit at her. "What am I going to do?"
"He'll turn up, Ron. Don't worry about it." Harry told him, returning to his seat at the table.
"Hermione gets back from her parents' anytime now. She'll want to see the cat." Ron said, heading for the door. "Some help would be nice."
He started checking each room as he made his way up the stairs again. Every closet was opened, every dresser, every cabinet. Ron was wracking his brain for anywhere that the cat could have gotten to. It was the first time since Hermione had moved into Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place that she had gone away for any serious amount of time. He couldn't let her down so soon.
He was about to tear through Harry's room when Harry himself came out of it. "He's not there."
Ron rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what else to do."
Then the front door opened.
"Hello?" Hermione called out.
Harry had to stop himself from laughing as Ron went pale. "Up here," he called, leaning over the bannister.
The two of them made their way down to the hall as Hermione called out, "I brought biscuits back. I'm not sure how much you'll like them, they're sugar free. Mum made them."
When they got to the landing hugs were exchanged and Harry took the plate that Hermione carried. "I'll put these in the kitchen," he said, quirking an eyebrow at Ron.
As soon as Harry had disappeared down the stairs to the kitchen, Hermione dropped her bag and embraced Ron again, her head against his chest. "I missed you," she mumbled into his jumper.
Ron let his nose dip into her curls and found himself enveloped in his favorite scent in the world. He couldn't help but smile, no matter that she would be livid when she found out that Crookshanks was missing. For a moment, they were just lost in each other.
Hermione finally pulled back though and after a kiss that was much shorter than Ron would have liked, went to pick up her bag again.
"Let me," he said, taking it from her.
She smiled brightly at him. They made their way up the stairs slowly towards her room on the second floor. The promise that everyone would have separate rooms was one of the only things that had convinced Mrs. Weasley that the four of them should be allowed to live together. Of course, just because they had their own rooms didn't mean that they always slept in those rooms, but it was for the best that Molly didn't know that.
When they had reached her room, and he had placed her bag on her bed, they were left standing in silence.
"Ron?" Hermione asked, "Is something wrong?"
His ears started to burn.
"What happened?"
"Put your wand on the bed," he said.
She arched an eyebrow.
He sighed, "Please, I don't need any more birds set on me or…or—"
"What in Merlin's name did you do that is that bad?" Hermione demanded.
Ron started pacing, "I swear I tried my hardest, I did, but that damned cat is a menace and even though I've looked everywhere all over this place I—" he paused, looking back over at Hermione, who wore a skeptical look. "I can't find Crookshanks, anywhere."
"That's why you're acting so strangely?" She asked.
He nodded. Her tone had taken him off guard. She didn't sound mad, she didn't even sound annoyed. If anything, Hermione sounded amused. And then she smiled. "Hermione, whatever you're planning to do to me I'm sorry and I swear we will find—"
"He was on the stoop when I got back." Hermione said.
"What?"
"Crookshanks was sitting outside when I got back. He probably just snuck out when someone opened the door. He came inside with me."
Ron just stared at her, mouth slightly agape.
"Did 'everywhere' not include outside?" Hermione asked, trying and failing to suppress a laugh.
"Bloody hell." Ron said. It felt like a weight had just lifted from his shoulders.
"Oh, Ron," Hermione said. She circled her arms around his waist. "You know that Crookshanks can take care of himself. Why were you so worried?"
"I didn't want to let you down," he said, not quite meeting her eyes.
Her hand found his jaw, gently coaxing him to look at her. "That's so sweet Ron. Thank you."
She went onto her tiptoes in an effort to reach him for a kiss. He leaned down to meet her halfway. Her lips were so soft, and her hand felt so good on his jaw, and then making its way up into his hair, that Ron would have liked to freeze that moment, but they broke apart when something brushed against their legs.
He looked down into the squished face of Crookshanks.
"Scaring me this morning wasn't enough?" Ron asked as the cat stalked off towards the window.
Hermione laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said, "Just, you always like to act as if you hate him when obviously you care about Crookshanks too."
He rolled his eyes. "I do not."
"You were awfully concerned about him earlier."
"Actually I was much more concerned that you would hex me to a pulp," he countered.
Hermione shook her head, grinning, "I don't know…"
"Plus, it may have been because I love you." He pointed out, grinning back.
She broke out into a full smile and pulled him back to her. "I suppose I can live with that."
"You better." He said, leaning down for another kiss.