"Oh Hagrid," sobbed Hermione. "It's not fair? So what if Crookshanks ate Scabbers? He's only a cat! Ron's been prejudiced against him since they met."
Hagrid sighed and poured his guest more tea.
"And now Harry isn't speaking to me either, just because I was trying to look out for his safety," Hermione ranted on.
Hagrid sighed again. "Teenage boys can be very cruel," he pointed out, "often without meaning it."
"But I thought our friendship was strong!" Hermione choked. "Oh, Hagrid, what will happen if something more serious comes between us?"
HPHPHPHP
"I'll help this time," Ron declared.
Hermione broke down. "Oh, Ron!" she cried ecstatically, flinging her arms around his neck.
Uh-oh, Ron thought, this is supremely embarrassing. Hoping she couldn't feel his … it, he patted her awkwardly on the head. He shot a 'help-me' look at Harry, who appeared to want to do anything but. In fact, the Boy-Who-Lived looked rather more like the Boy-Who-Wanted-To-Laugh.
Hermione drew away, wondering if that had been Ron's wand that had poked her. "Ron, I'm really, really, sorry about Scabbers," she sobbed.
HPHPHPHP
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked tentatively. Ron was, after all, a fourteen-year-old male, and not likely to take such a question well.
"Physically? I'm fine. It's just a little hard to get my head around the fact that my pet was actually the man who betrayed my best mate's parents to their deaths … I had no idea that Scabbers was Pettigrew. Hermione, I guess I should apologise for …"
"It's OK, Ron," Hermione smiled. "I didn't know, either."
"Can I make it up to you?" Ron asked.
Hermione grinned, Ginny was a good friend and being Ron's little sister came in handy. "Next time we go to the Three Broomsticks, you have to –"
"Shout you a Butterbeer?"
"No," Hermione said smugly. "You're not getting off that easy. You have to not ogle Madam Rosmerta."
A.N: This seemed much longer when I had it written out it longhand … I think my big, loopy handwriting is deceptive. Reviews are always appreciated!