Chapter 2 Recalling the Past without a Penseive – Chamber of Secrets

"Did you see how ridiculous everyone is over that bloke?" Ron asked rhetorically as he plopped himself down on the bench in the Great Hall. Harry looked at him and then looked at Hermione and shrugged.

"Which? Professor Lockhart?" Harry mused. Ron nodded his head and stuffed a biscuit in his mouth. Hermione was disgusted.

"Ron, you're ridiculous. I don't understand why you're so angry about it. He's really a fantastic teacher and his books are superb!" Hermione retorted as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She took great offense to Ron's remarks, especially after he had already noted how there were hearts all over her lessons from Defense Against the Dark Arts. She remembered snatching the notes back from him and feeling heat flush to her face almost simultaneously. What's it to him if Lockhart has fans?

"Oh, Merlin! You're still going on about that? Blimey, Hermione…I expected more from you. You know so much after all." Ron said, reaching for the drumsticks across the table, knocking over Dean Thomas' pumpkin juice. "Ah! Sorry!" Dean rolled his eyes, as if Ron's clumsiness and rude table manners were to be expected.

"See that? At least Professor Lockhart has great table manners. And what exactly does me knowing so much have to do with appreciating a good lesson?"

Hermione noticed that Harry put his head in his hands and sighed loudly. She realized that her constant bickering with Ronald caused Harry to be annoyed, but she couldn't help it! He was so irrational. She wondered sometimes why Harry bothered to hang around him, seeing as how Harry was more responsible…but at the end of this thought she remembered last year when Ron valiantly played wizard chess in order to protect them. His bravery and loyalty made her slightly less angry, but it didn't fade nonetheless…especially when he looked at her as if she was daft.

Ron laughed loudly. "And what would you know about his table manners? Do you watch him eat?" Hermione felt that same feeling again, the heat burning her ears and they rang all the same. She picked up her books and before she left, made sure she had the last word.

"I'd rather watch him then you!" She got up from the table and Ron yelled at her as she walked away: "Fine! Do that then! S'not like I care!"

The next evening in the Great Hall, Hermione ate quickly so that she could go study in the library before she had to report back to the common room. People were always so rowdy, her friends included. Last week when Ron and Harry we're playing exploding snaps they were laughing and snorting so loudly that she could barely hear herself think. How did they ever expect to pass any of their classes that way? She was dreading the moment that they'd ask her to see her essays when the exams got closer.

"Psst! Hermione!" Hermione furrowed her brow and looked at the source of sound. Harry was sitting next to her again, leaning closely to whisper in her ear.

"What is it, Harry?" She was slightly worried. If he was whispering, it could be about the Chamber of Secrets. She didn't want to think about that right now.

"Look at Ron." He sniggered and continued to eat. Hermione looked across the table to Ron; she was surprised she didn't notice he had been sitting there. She wondered how long he'd been there, eating quietly. It was actually kind of frightening, Ron being quiet.

"Could you pass me the pie, Harry?" He asked without making eye contact with Hermione. That bothered her. Surely, he must have noticed she was there, it's not like he was preoccupied with anything. She would have passed him the pie, she was closer to it!

Harry did as Ron asked and continued to eat as nothing odd had happened. But Hermione had a harder time pretending this behavior was normal. Ron…eating quietly, with manners? She wondered if perhaps…

No. He couldn't have possibly been doing that because of their argument. She smirked anyway.