The warm rays of sunshine on Ron's face stirred him awake Saturday morning.
His eyes fluttered opened, and he stared up at the dark velvet canopy
above his bed. His eyes strained to hear if any of his friends were up
yet. No sound met his ears. Sitting up in bed, Ron tore apart his
hangings to find the dorm completely empty.
Stifling a yawn, Ron stumbled out of his bed. He dressed, and headed downstairs, wondering exactly how late it was. He had left his watch upstairs on his bed, and was too lazy to turn around and go get it. As he entered the common room, which was bustling with sleepy-eyed students, Ron looked around for Harry and Hermione. He spotted them sitting in their usual arm chairs, talking to each other quietly.
Ron smiled to himself. He was going to go over and scold Harry for not waking him up, but all thoughts left his mind once he realized that he had spotted them sitting in the common room, obviously waiting for him, instead of the Great Hall, which meant they had gone down to breakfast without him. As he headed over there, Ron watched as Harry leaned over to give Hermione a quick peck on the lips. She smiled at him.
Anger surged through Ron. Something he had never felt before. It was raging jealousy. He stomped over there, his eyes narrowed angrily.
Harry and Hermione looked up, startled. Hermione smiled cheerfully at him. Ron ignored her. Harry gave his friend a cautious half smile, studying the expression on Ron's face.
" M - morning, Ron," Harry stammered. " I was just going to come wake you. You seemed so tired yesterday, I didn't want to wake you up any earlier than I should."
" Oh really?" Ron snapped. " Well, no bother, I'm up already."
" Sleep well?" Hermione asked sweetly.
" Splendidly," Ron spat. He ignored the smile that faded from Hermione's lips. " Shall we go down to breakfast? Or . let me guess .," Ron continued, noticing his two friends exchange uncomfortable glances. " You went down to breakfast without me."
Harry nodded slowly. He opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione interrupted him. " We were awfully hungry, Ron," she explained. " But we'll gladly go down to the Great Hall with you."
Ron felt the heat rise up in his face. He clenched his fists in anger. A tiny voice in the back of his head was telling him that there was no need to get so mad. He did sleep late, and it wasn't their fault if they were hungry. Ron's shoulders relaxed. He took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to apologize for being so mean. But then Hermione stood up and settled herself down on Harry's lap. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, and the two continued to look up at him.
Ron closed his eyes momentarily. He couldn't stand looking at them, so god damn happy together. It killed him. Ron felt the anger surge through him again. He turned sharply, and headed for the common room door. As he pushed through it, he called over his shoulder," Don't bother," then disappeared.
* * *
Harry watched as the common room door banged shut after Ron. He sighed. After a couple minutes, Hermione got up from his lap and sat down across from him. Harry turned his head to look at his girlfriend. She smiled at him.
" What's wrong?" she asked quietly.
Harry cocked his head in the direction of the door. " Ron," he replied. " Do you think he's mad at me?"
Hermione studied Harry carefully, her brown eyes narrowing slightly, like they always did when she was deep in thought. Harry stared back at her. She is so pretty. I am so lucky that Hermione's my girlfriend. She's perfect. She's perfect for me. Nothing can tear us apart. I love her, Harry thought to himself fondly, as Hermione lifted her head slightly to look into Harry's eyes.
" No, I don't believe he is," she finally said, slowly drawing the words out. " I think Ron's mad . but not at you, or me. I think he's mad at himself."
" Mad at himself," Harry repeated. He raised an eyebrow. " Why would he be mad at himself?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. " I don't know. He hasn't really been himself lately, has he? "
" No," Harry agreed. " He's probably mad at me, though, that's why. I haven't been paying enough attention to him," he added after a second.
Hermione shook her head. " You have too," she argued. " No, he's acting .. funny. I don't know how to explain it."
" Well, try," Harry urged with a lopsided smile. Hermione rolled her eyes, but continued. " You and I have both seen Ron angry, when he's mad at us, or someone else. And how he's been acting lately . that's not how he acts when he's mad. It's like he's arguing with himself, inside his head."
Harry shook his head in disbelief. Hermione sure had different ways at looking at things. It kind of made sense, but not really. Harry just nodded, then glanced out the window. Whatever Ron was mad at, he sure hoped he'd tell them soon. Hermione was definitely right about one thing, though; Ron wasn't acting like himself. Harry hoped Ron would get over his troubles soon, or come to them with his problems. He wanted his best friend back.
Stifling a yawn, Ron stumbled out of his bed. He dressed, and headed downstairs, wondering exactly how late it was. He had left his watch upstairs on his bed, and was too lazy to turn around and go get it. As he entered the common room, which was bustling with sleepy-eyed students, Ron looked around for Harry and Hermione. He spotted them sitting in their usual arm chairs, talking to each other quietly.
Ron smiled to himself. He was going to go over and scold Harry for not waking him up, but all thoughts left his mind once he realized that he had spotted them sitting in the common room, obviously waiting for him, instead of the Great Hall, which meant they had gone down to breakfast without him. As he headed over there, Ron watched as Harry leaned over to give Hermione a quick peck on the lips. She smiled at him.
Anger surged through Ron. Something he had never felt before. It was raging jealousy. He stomped over there, his eyes narrowed angrily.
Harry and Hermione looked up, startled. Hermione smiled cheerfully at him. Ron ignored her. Harry gave his friend a cautious half smile, studying the expression on Ron's face.
" M - morning, Ron," Harry stammered. " I was just going to come wake you. You seemed so tired yesterday, I didn't want to wake you up any earlier than I should."
" Oh really?" Ron snapped. " Well, no bother, I'm up already."
" Sleep well?" Hermione asked sweetly.
" Splendidly," Ron spat. He ignored the smile that faded from Hermione's lips. " Shall we go down to breakfast? Or . let me guess .," Ron continued, noticing his two friends exchange uncomfortable glances. " You went down to breakfast without me."
Harry nodded slowly. He opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione interrupted him. " We were awfully hungry, Ron," she explained. " But we'll gladly go down to the Great Hall with you."
Ron felt the heat rise up in his face. He clenched his fists in anger. A tiny voice in the back of his head was telling him that there was no need to get so mad. He did sleep late, and it wasn't their fault if they were hungry. Ron's shoulders relaxed. He took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to apologize for being so mean. But then Hermione stood up and settled herself down on Harry's lap. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, and the two continued to look up at him.
Ron closed his eyes momentarily. He couldn't stand looking at them, so god damn happy together. It killed him. Ron felt the anger surge through him again. He turned sharply, and headed for the common room door. As he pushed through it, he called over his shoulder," Don't bother," then disappeared.
* * *
Harry watched as the common room door banged shut after Ron. He sighed. After a couple minutes, Hermione got up from his lap and sat down across from him. Harry turned his head to look at his girlfriend. She smiled at him.
" What's wrong?" she asked quietly.
Harry cocked his head in the direction of the door. " Ron," he replied. " Do you think he's mad at me?"
Hermione studied Harry carefully, her brown eyes narrowing slightly, like they always did when she was deep in thought. Harry stared back at her. She is so pretty. I am so lucky that Hermione's my girlfriend. She's perfect. She's perfect for me. Nothing can tear us apart. I love her, Harry thought to himself fondly, as Hermione lifted her head slightly to look into Harry's eyes.
" No, I don't believe he is," she finally said, slowly drawing the words out. " I think Ron's mad . but not at you, or me. I think he's mad at himself."
" Mad at himself," Harry repeated. He raised an eyebrow. " Why would he be mad at himself?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. " I don't know. He hasn't really been himself lately, has he? "
" No," Harry agreed. " He's probably mad at me, though, that's why. I haven't been paying enough attention to him," he added after a second.
Hermione shook her head. " You have too," she argued. " No, he's acting .. funny. I don't know how to explain it."
" Well, try," Harry urged with a lopsided smile. Hermione rolled her eyes, but continued. " You and I have both seen Ron angry, when he's mad at us, or someone else. And how he's been acting lately . that's not how he acts when he's mad. It's like he's arguing with himself, inside his head."
Harry shook his head in disbelief. Hermione sure had different ways at looking at things. It kind of made sense, but not really. Harry just nodded, then glanced out the window. Whatever Ron was mad at, he sure hoped he'd tell them soon. Hermione was definitely right about one thing, though; Ron wasn't acting like himself. Harry hoped Ron would get over his troubles soon, or come to them with his problems. He wanted his best friend back.