Chapter 7
"A Constant Pain To Me!"
"Hey guys."
"That's all you have to say to us?"
'Herm-"
"Don't even bother Harry. We just want to talk to you. I did some research, and there's this passage in Hogwarts: A History that hints that if a students was forcefully put into another house, he or she would be able to demand to be put back in their rightful place. And no one would be able to stop them. Merlin! It was just perfect. I could not even believe that I had not read it before. As a matter of fact, I could hardly believe that such a passage existed. And I'd found it so quickly. It was like magic. Well, it probably was magic you know. Why are you looking at me like that? It took a lot of time for me to get this information. You should be happy Harry!"
Harry blinked. This was the last thing he needed and bound to be an unpleasant confrontation.
"Its not that I am unhappy that you cared enough to do all of this for me Herm, it's just that…."
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All while Hermione was talking, Ron just searched the abandoned corridor they were in for spiders. In his mind, this was Hermione time, and he was content to let her have that time. He'd be the one to pay for it later if she did not.
She'd gone into a frenzy when they'd gotten to their common rooms the night Harry had been "taken". Ron had surprised himself that night by feeling a bit unconcerned about Harry's predicament. In fact, a lot of things made sense now. Like the parseltongue, the 'almost sorted into Slytherin' episode Harry had told them about, and those odd moments when Ron could swear that Harry was momentarily channeling Malfoy or, even worse, Snape.
In any case, maybe this whole Slytherin fiasco was a good thing. The way Ron saw it, with Harry gone, Ron would be the best player on the quidditch team, the best candidate for Quidditch captain, and the sole receiver of Hermione's attention (even though that wad not always a good thing). All in all, he'd be out of Harry's shadow, if only for a little while.
Ron almost slapped Harry upside the head when he looked at Hermione like she was insane. He could almost see the electricity rolling off her in waves. Her irritation was that palpable.
You know, sometimes I just don't get Harry. I don't get him one bit, Ron thought with a shake of the head. Didn't Harry know that was just not the way the cookie crumbled? When Hermione came up with a plan, you went along with it. No serious questions asked, no reasonable doubts expressed, and certainly no incredulous and exasperated looks. NO NO NO NO NO. You went along with the plan, for Hermione was the smartest witch of their generation, and what doubts could you possibly have that Hermione had not already calculated?
Well in any case, it was just as well that Harry decides to get cheeky with Herms. Maybe she'd get mad and decide that Harry could ruff it out with the Slytherins. That would just make his day!
"Why are you looking at me like that? It took a lot of time for me to get this information. You should be happy Harry!"
Or not.
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"Its not that I am unhappy that you cared enough to do all of this for me Herm, it's just that…."
"It's just what, Harry? You know, you don't have to feel bad about not being the one to come up with the plan. I mean after all, you don't even read books that aren't required for schoolwork or related to Quidditch. This is just my thing. I'm sure there be some other person to be saved this year at some point or another. As soon as we go see the Headmaster and straighten this mess all out, I'll even let you go to the forbidden forest tomorrow afternoon."
Hermione then proceeded to grab Harry by the cuff of his sleeve and pull him in the direction he knew the Gryffindor common rooms to be. For a few seconds he let himself be prodded and pulled along the corridor, all the while feeling mightily incredulous about the conversation…no lecture he had just witnessed. The girl was really getting too big for her britches. I f he hadn't seen multiple flashes of this behavior from Hermione over the years, he'd think the girl had been jinxed. And Ron, Ron had just stood there, silent as a block of wood, his facial expression flitting from hopeful to resigned to hopeful again before settling back on resigned as he followed Hermione and Harry.
Harry shook himself out of his daze and put all of his weight on the heels of his feet to stop Hermione from dragging him.
"Look Hermione, I don't think you understand."
"And what is it that you know that I don't understand" She turned to face him, put her hands on her hips, and turned her ace upward to make eye to eye contact with him (he was only one inch taller than 5 ft. 5in. frames, after all).
Ron's expression went back to hopeful; he saw still silent. Maybe it was his way of being tactful.
"Well, if you'd let me speak uninterrupted, Herm, I'd tell you"
Hermione hmphed
"Do you remember when I told you that I almost got sorted into Slytherin?"
"Yes. You said that the Sorting Hat had considered putting you in Slytherin for all of seven seconds before deciding that your rightful place was in Gryffindor. Of course I remember this, but I fail to see how this alludes to some thing I don't understand. In fact it—"
"I lied" There. He'd said it.
"What!" Ron spoke for the first time that evening.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I said. I lied to you."
"You mean you had not almost been sorted into Slytherin?" Hermione had a hopeful look on her face.
Harry sighed. "No. I did not lie about that. The sorting hat was determined to put me in Slytherin, but I made him put me in Gryffindor. He's been looking for a way to get me in my rightful house for years now, and he's finally done if. You can't take me out now. It's where I belong"
Harry held his breath while waiting for his friends to react. He had an idea of how they would react, and he knew it would not be pretty. But even then he hoped against hope that they would still want to be his friend after this. Even with their flaws, they had been his first friends, and he cherished them. Maybe—
Hermione slapped him
It had happened so fast that he had not even been able to defend himself. He was shocked. Hermione looked shocked too. Her eyes widened as he looked at the red imprint of her hand forming on her face. She then brought her hand to her mouth to hold in a sob before turning to run off without another word.
Harry turned to Ron where he stood, pale-faced with his red freckles standing out like blood on his face. Harry readied himself for the physical blow Ron was sure to deliver. He was further surprised when the blow never came. Ron just stood there looking at him.
When he spoke, his voice was cold. "Well, you can just forget about ever dating my sister, you slimy snake" He then swung around on the heels of his hand –me-down shoes and stomped away.
Harry stared after Ron's retreating back until it disappeared and let go of the breath he had been holing in. It could have gone worse, he supposed. Not that Ron would ever have to worry about him wanting to date Ginny. Harry grimaced. Yuck!! The girl got around too much. She was a serial dater. Harry laughed as he thought of how Ron would act if he knew which one of his siblings Harry really wanted to date, among other things. He immediately stopped laughing to grimaces again and caress his injured cheek.
Damn, Hermione could hit! His face HURT.
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a/n sorry I did not update sooner.
I just found out that one of my beloved aunts has breast cancer so…. My updates are going to be few and far between.
Well review please. Feedback is very appreciated
