Chapter 4 - First Fight
Hermione closed her eyes momentarily from the book laid in front of her to lean against the back of the couch. She was glad to be back at school and she was happy to see her friends again but she felt a bit overwhelmed with what was happening around her and the threat to every muggle born in the school including herself. Her work was suffering and she had been feeling a lot more stressed out than usual.
Harry was on one of his personal obsessions about Draco and Ron had been quick to come to his defence every time she tried to make a reasonable suggestion. She had been researching all know books about the heir of Slytherin and the chamber of secrets but she had yet to come across anything that could help and that fact only added to her frustration.
The only positive thing that seemed to lift her spirit these days was the new DADA teacher this year, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. She could not believe her luck at having such a renowned celebrity as her teacher. Of course he was also handsome and charming and his expertise was well documented. He was a dream to her and despite what her two friends thought about him, she looked forward to his classes with an eagerness bordering on a...tiny crush. Ok a medium crush...but he was so charming and he genuinely seemed to like her.
As she let out a pretty soft sigh she turned to her book once more but was again distracted this time by the sudden appearance of the two said boys through the portrait hole. They both looked genuinely upset about something and as usual came straight towards her table with Ron falling heavily on the seat next to her. Surprisingly it was Harry who made the first complaint.
"We can't practice after classes and we have to stay inside at all times. This stupid threat is seriously affecting our chances of ever winning the cup this year!" he muttered loudly to no one in particular even though everyone in the room heard it.
"Yeah of all the times for this to happen it had to be when we are actually trying to have some fun for a change." Ron supported in a copycat mutter. Hermione rolled her eyes as she faced her friends.
'Well you can use the time to do your essay you two as I am sure you have not even started on it yet." she reminded them a bit haughtily. Ron immediately swivelled in his seat to confront her his eyes wide with frustration.
"Hermione if you didn't notice people are being petrified on the school premises and all you can think of is bloody homework?" he glowered at her, conveniently forgetting his recent remark about having fun outside the school.
"I'm not saying what is happening is not serious but if we have to stay inside then we might as well use the time wisely." she answered him with a glare.
"Oh right...so if by chance we get caught by whatever this thing is from wherever it might come from we can be pretty well pleased that we have at least finished our essay." he glared right back at her.
Hermione took a second to narrow her brow and steel her eyes at her friend. They were accustomed to having the odd argument every now and then...well every day...but they had never really gone further than innocent bickering in the past. But today she felt more upset than usual at Ron's cutting comments and she could feel herself getting riled up beyond caring.
"Well at least some of us are trying to do something about it and looking for answers while you are apparently just content to run around the Quidditch pitch having fun and not caring about what could happen!" she retorted strongly.
Ron seemed a bit stunned at first as he stuttered at her remark but he soon cleared his throat and moved closer to her. She was right and she was feeling quite in control.
"Well why don't you go and ask your favourite professor if he has any ideas how to protect us? oh wait...I just remembered...the one teacher who is supposed to help us can't even catch flies if he tried!" he was now in her face and she felt her blood heat up quickly.
"Oh that is so childish of you Ron. You don't know what you are talking about. I am sure he is trying his best to help us and not just running around complaining like some others." she threw at him.
"Oh come on! he's useless! Even you can see that. You're just so smitten with his false smile that you can't think clearly." he pointed out smugly to all around. Hermione now stood on her feet and rounded on him as her face flushed over in embarrassment. The obvious jab at her crush made her loose all control now.
"You are such an idiot Ronald! I am so sick of you putting our DADA teacher down. You are just jealous over what he has done and yes...you seem to be also jealous of him for some other reason. What is it! Are you unhappy that he is getting more attention than dear old Ron Weasley." she spit out boldly as Ron stood up next to her.
"How can I be jealous of an incompetent pansy! Is that what you are really like Hermione? You of all people. Only seeing the looks and all the glitter but missing all the really important things? I never took you for a shallow groupie." he spat right back hitting her where he knew it would hurt. Her blood suddenly boiled over.
"You don't know anything! You are such a complete moron to come up with something like that! I shouldn't expect anything less from you as you are obviously incapable of understanding or learning anything. Why do you bother to come to his class anyway. Your head is so thick that nothing would ever get through anyway!" she was shouting now oblivious to her surroundings.
She was so accustomed to Ron getting flushed in his face at times like these that she was a bit taken aback when his face seemed to turn a light shade of blue as he shook with obvious anger. He drew on his height as he seemed to tower over her.
"At least I'm not fooling myself in class. You really thinks he likes you Hermione? You with your bushy hair and large teeth with your arms always flapping all over the place...and always blabbering on and on. You are just a silly little girl so get it in your thick head. He will never like you." he shouted over her.
Hermione was shocked at the cruelty of his words. In all their little fights he had never insulted her personal looks before. She felt the tears pushing at the back of her eyes but she refused to let him see how he had hurt her. Worse yet she now fully realised that most her classmates were now shuffling awkwardly around trying to look anywhere but at the shouting couple. She grabbed her bag and lowered her voice.
"You are an insensitive arse Ronald Weasley. I thought you were my friend but I was obviously wrong. I will never speak to you again. I HATE you." she hissed at him before running to the stairs and disappearing up to her room. She barely heard him shouting her name from the bottom of the stair as she shut the door to her room with a loud bang.
She was still crying in her bed when she heard the door open and someone shuffle slowly and quietly inside. She was soon surprised to see Ron's little sister standing a little distance away from her bed. She had hardly talked to Ginny at all during the term as she always seemed preoccupied with something and as she quickly wiped her tears away she noticed how this girl while having the red hair of her family looked completely different in her own way. She had a much rounder but pretty face and her hair was straight and long and hung beautifully around her shoulders. She had always thought her shy and quiet but the girl in front of her appeared resolute with a look of understanding on her face.
"My idiot brother wants to know if you are coming down to supper. He wants to talk to you but I told him that it was unlikely." she told her flatly.
Hermione sat up at the announcement but her scowl soon returned to her face as she recalled his earlier words. Ron would normally just ignore their spats and carry on with his life like normal so it was surprising a little that he actually wanted to talk about this so soon.
"I don't care what he wants and I am certainly not speaking to him ever again. He could starve to death for all I care." she answered as she bunched up the sheets in her small fist.
"I already told him you would say something like that...but he made me come to see if you were ok." she informed her taking a small step forward.
She softened for a brief second but quickly steeled herself with her resentment.
"Just tell him to not bother me ever again then I will be fine." she finally replied.
Ginny nodded quietly before turning and walking to the door. However on reaching, she paused and turned her head to her again.
"Listen...Hermione. He's a real jerk most of the times but I know him better than anyone here. I've lived with him for most of my life and while he can appear to be complete prat...he has a good heart underneath. He just gets carried away when he's angry or frustrated and he sometimes says things that he doesn't really mean and regrets them later. Thrust me, we have had our share of...arguments." she said softly before opening the door and leaving.
Hermione plopped herself on the bed considering Ginny's parting words. She knew that she was probably partly at fault in starting and continuing the fight out of her own frustration and tiredness. She also suspected that at her age, her hormones were starting to act up and she had lost control too easily. But he had really stabbed her with his hurtful description of herself. Yes she had uncontrollable hair and her front teeth were larger than normal but did he have to bring them up in front of all her classmates and embarrass her? She also knew somewhere deep down that he was also right about Lockhart as he had really never been able to conduct his class with any authority. The DADA teacher was a bit of a prissy but did Ron have to be so vocal about her...tiny crush...and his final remarks about never being liked. That had hit close to home and had been the last sword in her side.
No...he was a jerk and she could not just easily forgive him. She resisted the urge to think too hard about the consequences of not being his friend but he was the one who has said those horrible things about her...not that she didn't say some of her own horrible things about him...but those were justified she convinced herself.
She waited another half hour when she was sure everyone would have gone down to eat supper before venturing downstairs to retrieve her book which she had forgotten on the table. She would miss her food but she really could not face anyone especially after the fiasco of earlier. She grabbed her book and made to retreat upstairs.
"Finally! I thought I would really starve to death before you came down." a voice rang out behind her making her jump with a gasp as she brought the book to her chest.
She never would have thought in a hundred years that Ron would miss his food just to talk to her. That fact gently washed over her but she quickly recovered and stuck her nose resolutely forward as she made her way silently back to the staircase.
"Oh come on Hermione I'm really hungry here. That must count for something." he pleaded behind her. She paused on the first step but continued her silence.
"Look you've got to know that I didn't mean...any of that stuff. I was just so frustrated at the whole thing with the school. I just want this to go away so we can all be safe again especially Harry...and...you. You've got to know that Hermione. You know everything." his voice again sounded so strained that she faltered again on the next step as she remembered his sister's words. He had worried about her...and Harry.
"Please you have to talk to me again...you don't really hate me...do you?...Hermione?" he almost whispered the last part and she knew her resolve was slipping away quickly. She faced him with a stone face.
"Who put you up to this? I know it wasn't only you." she asked simply. He let out a breath of relief but quickly shrugged his shoulders as he looked down.
"Well...Harry and Ginny kind of pushed me..." he started but looked up quickly to continue. "but I really wanted to make sure that you were ok..." he trailed off. She watched him as he shuffled his feet slowly letting out her anger through a few deep breaths.
"You really hurt me Ron...with what you said." she informed him coldly. She could almost see him cringe.
"I know. I know. I promise I'll try not to say anything about Lockhart again I promise." he quickly blurted out. She had to grip the railing hard in an effort not to shout.
"Not about him! You embarrassed me in front of everybody when you said..." she couldn't bring herself to continue. Ron made a motion to step forward but stopped as he seemed to understand.
"Hermione I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm just a bloody jerk at times. I really didn't mean to...and besides I don't mind your hair...and your teeth are not so bad..." he sputtered as he realised that he was probably digging another hole for himself. Taking a large breath again he settled himself.
"Look...I'm really sorry Hermione. I know I sounded like a complete wanker before but I'm sure Lockhart does like you. He would be blind and more stupid than I ever thought to not like you. You're a lot more real than he is for one and for the record I would rather have you helping us than him. You are ten times smarter than him and I really mean that." he finished with a sad smile.
She had been standing still listening to him and it astonished her that she could think of forgiving him so quickly but he was standing there with his little heart in his hands trying his best to make it up to her. She looked away a bit as she fought the words out.
"Well...I guess he is a bit of a prissy who doesn't appear to know much practical application..." she said quietly with a little smile. Ron straightened up suddenly with a small smile also on his face.
"So...are we friends again? Please Hermione...you have to...please?" he begged. She moved back down the stairs with a shake of her head.
"Ok but you have to stop insulting me personally Ron. It hurts." she said seriously.
"But you said some things to me that were..." he quickly stopped himself. "Ok Ok I promise." he finished.
"I'm sorry too Ron for saying some mean things about you. I will try to control myself too." she promised him also with a larger smile now. He took a step towards her and gave her a smirk.
"Hey listen...just to be even...when we see everybody you can insult everything and anything about me that sucks...well my appearance at least." he laughed softly. "Go on. Try it. I know I have a long nose so just tell me off." he invited her.
Actually Hermione had always rather liked his long straight nose. it made him look a bit distinguished but she could never tell him this. She felt her blush coming on.
"...and I have a million freckles that make me look spotty so come on...lay it on me. You hate them..just say it...I can take it." he continued.
Actually she was always quite fascinated with his freckles. They seemed to move around on him and she sometimes wondered just how far they were spread out over the rest of him. Oh gosh! She was sure her face was pink now.
"...and of course my red hair that makes me look like I'm on fire. Tell me it annoys you...be truthful...I won't be mad." he said knowingly as he fluffed up his hair.
Actually she quite adored his copper red hair. She could always pick him out in a crowd and she often would stare and wonder what it would feel like in her fingers...Gosh no! her face must be red now she was sure.
"...and my pale skin blinding you in the sun...I look like a zombie I know...just say it Hermione." she heard him rant on.
Actually his skin under his freckles was always glowing a bit to her. She liked his pale skin but she could never say it. She was sure her whole face was now the colour of a strawberry and she cursed herself for easily reverting to the nervous giddy girl around him. What was the matter with her?
"Well are you going to do it...to even things up? You'll never get another chance I'm telling you." he gave her his best lopsided grin and she laughed loudly.
"I can't just insult you for no reason Ron besides...I like you just the way you are." she blushed at him.
He gave her a confused look for a second and she almost sank in her shoes at the notion of him finding out her actual thoughts about his perceived shortcomings but he quickly reverted to his grin.
"Good. Well right now I am hungry and you know you hate it when I'm cranky with hunger so let's go and get something to eat before I drop." he chuckled. She followed him with a smile.
Only Ron Weasley could make her hate him with a passion one moment and still be able to make her blush uncontrollably with his apology an hour later...merlin!...only him she thought.
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"Oh God! You had to remember that. I was such a complete idiot to you that day. Can I say sorry again?" Ron held her to his chest as he kissed her cheek.
"It's ok Ron it was just another part of us learning to be with one another and besides you made me see things that I never really knew I liked about you." she reasoned.
"Well I guess with the polyjuice mistake and you getting petrified for all that time there could not have been anything too embarrassing that I didn't know about in our second year." he told her with some satisfaction.
She raised her head off his chest and sighed as she kissed him softly.
"Actually there was something very important to me that happened that year. It was the last week of school I think and as usual it happened with you and you had no clue of course...or so I thought." she told him a bit seriously.
Ron screwed up his face thinking hard but gave up after a few seconds.
"I can't remember anything of note that week...especially anything that would have embarrassed you." he finally admitted.
"It was something very significant to me and it made me realise how different I was to both you and Harry..."
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AN: I'm trying to keep these chaptersfrom being too long andwindy as I really want to keep the story flowing and allowing me to update on a regular basis until Christmas.
