Another relativley long chapter for my favorite part in the book and movie :D Guessed which it is?
Hermione heard the last comment, and she wished that she could say that she didn't care. She was not… mental. She was just… difficult. Which didn't help, not really. Ron had been right there, apologizing, something she had been waiting for since… but he still couldn't admit it. Which annoyed her to a certain degree.
It seemed as if he was just making up with her to clear his conscience, and she didn't want it to be like that.
Though by the time she had her books out, a tear fell onto one of the pages, and she lay down on her bed in desperation, cursing herself, throwing her books to the floor. Thank god her dorm mates weren't there, they might just think that the level-headed Hermione Granger had gone quite mad.
With February came the first Apparition Lesson, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning so that no normal lessons would be missed. It took place in the Great Hall, and Harry and Hermione came down together, whilst Lavender came down with a reluctant Ron.
The lesson brought nothing more interesting than Susan Bones splinching, and Harry finding out that Crabbe and Goyle were being lookouts for Malfoy. There for, Harry vowed to keep an eye on him from then on, bringing out his map every now and then, despite Ron's protests that he was barking mad. But in the weeks that followed, all Harry discovered was that Malfoy seemed to disappear from the map, and that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle appeared to be going there separate ways when they were usually inseparable; these things happed as people got older – Ron and Hermione, Harry reflected, were living proof.
Sure, they had returned to hanging out together, and sure, Ron stuck up for Hermione with every prank that got thrown her way, but Hermoine didn't exactly seem grateful, and barely spoke to Ron at all.
"Bloody ungrateful, that's what that is," Ron told Harry.
As March approached, to general indignation, a sign went up in the common room noticeboards that the next trip to Hogsmeade had been cancelled. Ron was furious.
"It was on my birthday!" he said. "I was looking forward to that!"
"Not a big surprise though, is it?" said Hermione. "Not after what happened to Katie."
She still hadn't returned from Saint Mungo's. What was more, further disappearances had been reported in the Daily Prophet, including several relatives of students at Hogwarts.
"But now all I've got to look forward to is stupid Apparition!" said Ron grumpily, not noticing that Hermione had half-spoken to him. "Big Birthday treat…"
Three lessons on, Apparition was proving as difficult as ever, though a few more people had managed to Splinch themselves.
"Happy birthday, Ron," Harry said, when they were woken on the first of March by Seamus and Dean leaving noisily for breakfast. "Have a present."
"Cheers," said Ron, still tired, as he ripped off the paper. "Oh, nice one, Harry!" said Ron enthusiastically, waving the new pair of Keeper's gloves Harry had given him. "Seriously good haul this year!" he announced, holding up a heavy gold watch with odd symbols round the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands.
Harry wasn't really paying attention; he was too busy watching Malfoy.
"Want one?" Ron asked him, holding up a packet of Chocolate Cauldrons.
"No thanks," said Harry, looking up. "Malfoy's gone again!"
"Can't have done. Come on, if you don't hurry up you'll have to Apparate on an empty stomach… might make it easier, I suppose…"
Harry stopped looking at the map, tapped it with his wand, muttered, "Mischief managed," though it hadn't been and got dressed, thinking hard about how he could find out where Malfoy had gotten to.
"Ready?" he said to Ron.
But it was halfway to the dormitory door when he realized that Ron had not moved.
"Ron?" he said. His friend was staring out of the window, a strange expression on his face. "Breakfast," he said, knowing that food always put Ron in a better mood.
"I'm not hungry."
Harry stared. He had never heard Ron say that before.
"I though you said-"
"Well, all right. I'll come down with you. But I don't want to eat."
Harry tried to make sense of this. "You've just eaten half a box of Chocolate Cauldrons, haven't you?"
"It's not that." Ron sighed. Harry frowned at him. "You… you just wouldn't understand."
Harry shrugged. "Fair enough." He turned to open the door.
"Harry!" said Ron suddenly. Harry jumped and let go of the handle.
"What?" he asked, even more confused than ever.
"Harry, I can't stand it!"
Harry started to add things together. Was he talking about him and Hermione? Was he finally going to give Harry what he deserved?
"You can't stand what?" Harry asked tentatively.
"I can't stop thinking about her!"
Oh god.
"What… why does that stop you from having breakfast?"
"I don't think she knows I exist, Harry," Ron said.
"Ron, she hit you over the head with a book just yesterday," Harry recalled. "She definitely knows that you exist. And I kind of think she's pissed."
Ron gasped. "Why? What did I do?"
"Well…" Harry frowned, wondering if he should care to refresh Ron's memory. But he did anyways. "She invited you to Slughorn's party, and believed that it was a… you know, a date. But then you threw it in her face by snogging Lavender. And now… now she's pretending to date me to wake you up."
Ron blinked.
"Who are you talking about?"
Oh no…
"I – who are you talking about?" Harry flinched.
"Romilda Vane," Ron said softly, and his whole face seemed to illuminate as he said this, as though hit by a ray of purest sunshine.
"Oh no…" Harry said out loud, though it was too late. He had said it. If only he knew how to cast obliviate…
"I think… I think I love her, Harry."
"Romilda Vane," Harry clarified. "Not… a certain bushy haired friend of ours?"
Ron screwed up his face, not understanding.
"OK… say it again with a straight face."
"I love her," Ron repeated breathlessly. "Have you seen her hair? It's all black, and shiny, and silky… and her eyes? Her big dark eyes? And her-"
"OK, whatever. This is funny and everything… but jokes over…" Harry said, hoping to joke his way out of it. He turned to open the door, when something hit him on the right ear.
"Ow!" He reacted instinctively; Ron was going to attack again. "Levicorpus!" Ron yelled as he was yanked into the air. "What was that for?" Harry bellowed.
"I heard shouting, not that I care of course –" The door opened, and Hermione stood in the doorway.
"What's going on in -?"
"He insulted her, Harry did! He said it was a joke!" shouted Ron, who was starting to turn purple.
Hermione stared, confused.
"Insulted-?"
"I love her!" Ron said to Harry. Hermione stopped breathing, but Harry shook his head quickly.
"He says that he's in love with Romilda Vane," Harry breathed, looking at Hermione. "I don't know what's gotten into–"
And then he saw the box lying open on Ron's bed. Hermione spotted them too, and remembered what Harry had told her.
"Oh, Ron! Those weren't a birthday present!" she exclaimed before Harry could say a thing.
"I got them before Christmas, from Romilda!" Harry continued. "They're spiked with love potion!"
But only one word seemed to register with Ron.
"Romilda?" Ron said in his dreamy voice once again. "Did you say Romilda? Harry – do you know her? Can you introduce me? Do you know her?" he tried Hermione too. This time, she was the one shaking her head.
Harry stared at Ron, who suddenly looked tremendously hopeful. And then he had to fight the strong desire to laugh. He looked at Hermione, grinning, but she glared at him, disapproving.
"Ahem," he coughed, turning back to Ron. "Yeah, I'll introduce you," he said, thinking fast. "I'm going to let you down, OK?" He sent Ron crashing to the floor (his ear did hurt quite a lot), but Ron simply bounded to his feet again, grinning. He looked at Hermione, wanting an idea. She shrugged. "Um… she'll be in Slughorn's office," he said confidently, leading the way to the door.
"Why would she be in there?" Ron asked anxiously, hurrying to keep up. In fact, he hurried so that he tripped up and Hermione had to catch him. "Oops, sorry," he said happily. "You've got pretty eyes too, you know."
Hermione gaped, and he went on to following Harry.
"But I shouldn't think about anyone else… I don't want to be unfaithful, you know?"
Harry smirked. "What makes you think that you would be?" he asked, looking back at Hermione, grinning.
"It's hard to explain," Ron scrutinized.
"I bet it is…" Hermione muttered.
"Wow, I'm dizzy… what does love do to you, Harry?" he asked. Harry rolled his eyes and yanked Ron over his shoulder, and then asked Hermione to take the other. She sighed and helped.
Lavender was waiting at the portrait hole, a complication Harry had not foreseen. But she had obviously heard Ron's question, and could obviously see his arm around Hermione. She didn't seem to see Harry at all, as she aimed daggers at her.
"Won-Won, you're late," she pouted, doing her best to ignore Hermione. "I've got you a birthday-"
"Leave me alone," Ron said impatiently. "I'm going with this lot to –"
"Breakfast," Hermione interrupted, looking back at Lavender with a smug smile on her face. "She might try to get in your way if you tell her the truth," she whispered in Ron's ear, who nodded. Harry shook his head, disbelieving.
As they made their way out Harry tried to make an apologetic face to Lavender, but it might have turned out simply amused. When the portrait closed, Ron made his way off of Harry and Hermione's shoulders, and walked absently in front of them.
"Love potions strengthen over time," Hermione said. "This could actually be quite serious…"
"Though it is pretty funny."
Hermione rolled her eyes, though she was smiling.
He completely forgot about what he had bet slip, and together they watched Ron walk dizzily down the corridors.
"I was tempted to leave him this way, you know?" Harry told her.
"But Harry-"
"Yeah, I know. But he hit me, hard. Though that was kind of what made me change my mind. He wasn't himself when he did. We really need to get him to someone before he does something-"
Hermione shrieked.
"Ron!" Harry yelled. "Get down from there!" he said, yanking his friend down from the banister.
"I thought that I saw Romilda…" Ron explained.
"Oh, so chucking yourself off of moving stairs would make everything better," Hermione said, dusting Ron off for no particular reason.
Suddenly Ron's eyes widened. "You have bushy hair!"
"Yes, I do, Ronald. Now, come on, let's go…" She looked at Harry uncertain. They non-verbally decided not to let go of him again.
Harry had been slightly worried that Slughorn might be at breakfast, but he answered his office door at the first knock, wearing a green velvet dressing gown and a matching nightcap and looking rather bleary-eyed.
"Professor, I'm really sorry to disturb you," Harry whispered after Slughorn had told him it was rather early. He looked over at Hermione, who was pushing Ron down, who was on tiptoes in an attempt to see over Slughorn's shoulder. "But my friend Ron has swallowed some love potion by mistake." Slughorn looked uneasy. "Madam Pomfrey would mean loads of awkward questions, and we had to do something before he does something really stupid. He almost walked off of the moving stairs."
"I'd have thought that you could whip something up, and expert potioneer like yourself?"
"Oh, no sir, by the time I had got it right he would have done something serious," Harry answered quickly, ignoring Hermione's raised eyebrows.
"Was this potion within date? They tend to strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept."
"We know," Harry and Hermione said in unison. "It's his birthday, professor," Harry added.
"Oh, OK then. I have the necessary equipment in here – leaving, Granger?"
"Yes, I'm rather hungry," Hermione said, excusing herself. "And if you're all OK in here, I should probably go and get something to eat."
"Yes, yes, very well. I didn't know she was friends with Wenbey anyways," he added to Harry.
"Oh, she isn't. Not really," Harry said glumly.
Please review! :) I less than three reviews! (sorry, can't help myself)
