Chapter 3: Recalling the Past Without a Penseive – The Prisoner of Azkaban
Walking back to the castle after another dreadful evening of hearing Hagrid wail on about Buckbeak and how his impending trial was going to be the bane of him, Ron sighed – exasperated.
"This is going to be really tough. I don't know what I signed up for when I said I'd help you with this case," Ron said in reference to what he agreed to do barely five minutes ago. Hermione looked down as she walked beside him. What she really that much of a terror to work with? She knew that she could be difficult at times, but she just really wanted things to work out for Hagrid and Buckbeak. If they weren't there to care about magical creatures, who would? She bit her lip so she wouldn't say something in her defense. She finally had stopped bickering with Ron; it had been a constant back-and-forth fight regarding Scabbers and Crookshanks. She knew he didn't want to seem like he was giving in too much, he had to complain just so that it appeared normal that he had decided to help her in Buckbeak's defense.
"Thank you though…I'm really happy that you decided to help. What with Harry preoccupied with all of that rubbish Trelawney keeps buggering him about, I really only have you." Hermione silently cursed at herself, that came out the wrong way.
"Yeah, I know I'm not your first choice of help. Trust me, I'm not too thrilled." Ron started to walk quicker. Harry was ahead of them by about 20 steps and she knew that she'd angered him again. Before he moved out of ear-shot, she tried to recover the situation.
"No, no! I just meant that, I'm glad you volunteered even though it's going to pain. You're a good friend to Harry…and me." She blushed held her cloak tighter around her, perhaps trying to prevent her feelings from spilling out and drowning them both.
"Oh, well…I, erm…you know it's no problem. I'm sure you'll figure everything out on your own anyway. You're brilliant. Lately you just keep surprising us!" Ron laughed and slowed down a bit. He put his hands in pockets and looked in the other direction. It was October and the wind blew against them, pushing his hair out of his face. Hermione couldn't help herself; she stared at him without even realizing what she was doing or how obvious she looked.
He was complimenting her and it made her nervous. She always got nervous when they weren't having a row because she felt that sooner or later in the conversation one of them would say something that threw the other off the edge. "Surprising?" She smiled. "Well that's good, then…I suppose."
"Of course it's good! I thought you only knew how to tell me to wear our scarves during the winter and anger Professor Snape!" Ron laughed again. Hermione scowled.
"I didn't mean for him to get mad or to…speak out of turn when he asked the class about werewolves. I just got excited, is all." Hermione felt hurt, was she constantly annoying them? Maybe she should just leave them alone.
"That foul git doesn't have a clue how smart you are! The only reason he gets mad is because you know the answer before it processes in his head or before his precious little Slytherin pure-bloods speak up!" Ron suddenly appeared agitated. They walked inside the castle and headed for the stairs, he angrily stomped on the floor as he walked.
"Ronald…don't speak about the Professor like that in the castle, you'll get another detention!" Hermione whispered to him as they walked to the common room. She had shuffled closer to him so that he could hear her and her arm brushed against his for a second. She moved over a bit. Though she had hugged him no less than ten minutes ago, she felt flushed. When she hugged him she wasn't even thinking and now she was thinking too much.
"It bothers me! I can't stop thinking about it." Ron said a bit more quietly. They had lost track of Harry somehow, a part of Hermione worried (Merlin knows what he could be up to these days) and a part of her was slightly okay that he wasn't there. She felt guilty.
"Thinking about what?" Hermione blushed furiously. She hoped he didn't notice.
"Malfoy talking to you like you're beneath him! I can't stand it. I'm glad you slapped him the other day but next time let me have at him." Hermione smiled widely, Ron was really determined to stand up for her and she wouldn't deny herself the pleasure of accepting that. Though there was a little bit of logic that tickled her…she didn't want him getting in trouble for her. He was already getting in trouble himself; it was no good that he had two brothers who put all of the school's attention on the Weasley family.
"Oh…it's fine. You don't have to do that for me. I can handle it myself." They approached the painting of the fat lady. "Password?" She asked sluggishly.
"As you wish." Ron said to Hermione before blubbering "Trickletarts" to the fat lady. Hermione felt that maybe she made him feel that he wasn't strong enough to fight Malfoy on her behalf but it was already too late to inquire about that. They stepped through the portrait hole and joined their fellow Gryffindors in the common room. Harry sat on the couch looking at the fire, seemingly distracted. Hermione joined him on the couch and said in a hushed tone "Where were you? You were walking so quickly."
"Well you two finally stopped bickering. I was getting a little tired of that you know. Having you two avoid each for three months and having to mediate is not exactly my choice hobby." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Conversing like normal humans for once, I just left you guys alone."
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean for it to be like that for you. But it's not like Ron and I need quality alone time or anything. I'm fine when we're all together. It's better that way actually." She lied but she wouldn't let herself admit that one. It was actually a half-truth, she let herself believe. Being alone with Ron was a bit of a trifle.
Ron sat in the chair next to them, simply staring at Hermione and Harry. She met his eyes and he got up quickly. "I'm beat, I'm going to bed." He walked out of the room.
"Did he hear me?" Hermione asked, terrified.
"Probably not." Harry looked at her and his eyes said something completely different. Hermione figured Ron had heard her and would pretend like he didn't hear a thing. She sighed and the guilt she felt earlier only settled deeper in the pit of her stomach.
The next afternoon, Hermione planned to make Ron feel like he was wanted a tad more than her previous choice of horrible words, which had suggested otherwise. Waiting for him in the library, as planned earlier at breakfast, she paced back in forth in front of the restricted section (which she found herself around quite too often, even for her taste). She looked at her watch and was beginning to worry that he would never come at all. Yes, this morning he seemed very off to the idea of helping her with the case, but she hoped that it was just that Ron still hated the mornings after three years of being at Hogwarts.
She sat down and tapped her quill against her ink bottle when suddenly a stack of books were dropped next to her, causing ink to splatter out of the bottle and on to her parchment. She mindlessly said the incantation to clean the paper and looked at the cause of her annoyance. Ron pulled out the seat next to her and sat down. He looked at her, wide-eyed.
"What did I do?" Ron asked innocently. Hermione looked as if she was going to beat him with a club.
She considered yelling at him but remembered they were in a library…and also that there was a chance he had a better reason to be more upset with her. Instead of avoiding the situation though, she felt the deepest urge to just straighten things out and make sure there was no sort of miscommunication between them.
"You know you're my best friend, right?" Hermione asked after clearing her throat. Nonchalantly, she opened one of the books she had looked for before he arrived.
"What are you going on about? You're scaring me." Ron leaned forward to see what she was reading, awkwardly.
"Well, I just wanted you to know. I value your company…is all." She tucked hair behind her ear so that she could see his reaction in her peripheral view. He was bright red and his ears, even more so. He coughed and leaned back a little.
"Yeah? That's nice." Hermione scowled. He sat up. "I mean, yeah…I value your company too." Maybe he hadn't heard what she said to Harry. Surely, Ron would have complained about it if he had. He always had something to say. Hermione was pleased. She smiled and leaned back and pointed to a paragraph in the book that she thought would help their case. Ron had paid close attention, asking questions and giving suggestions.
Maybe being alone with him was more rewarding then she thought.
