Ok, so since I got in trouble with BG&P last chapter for not having an A/N (whoops) I suppose I have to have one now.
Random fact- I'm the most non-confrontational person ever. I don't fight or argue with anyone IRL and I genuinely like *most* people :) I also cry at- well- everything. For example, today I shed a few tears while listening to the original Land Before Time soundtrack on spotify *shrugs*
Advice- hmmmm. Be patient with kids, they are constantly learning life stuff so give them grace :)
Oh and this chapter starts off right after the ending of the last one!
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After turning and walking away from behind the shed, Hermione felt extremely empowered. She marched back to where she had been sitting before with Ginny, and as she made her way over, Ginny looked up at her, her face expectant. Once she sat back down, she told the younger girl what had just happened between her and Cormac and how she had ended whatever it was that had been going on between them. Hermione was pleased to see that Ginny seemed thoroughly impressed by her, and laughed when she gave her a high five as she spoke.
For the first time since arriving at the camp, Hermione felt like she didn't have to pretend for anyone, and it was great to feel so carefree. Lunch happened soon after, and then they got back to work, still airing up the giant pile of balls next to them as the day wore on. The two girls continued to chat happily, and the more that Hermione got to know Ginny, the more she liked her. They were chatting like old friends, and Hermione had a feeling that she and Ginny would remain close even after the camp was finished for the summer.
For Hermione, it was easy to see why everyone seemed to like Ginny so much, as the girl was extremely likeable. She then looked from Ginny to glance over at Ron from out of the corner of her eye, trying to be inconspicuous about it. The people there seemed to like him just as much if not more than Ginny. Still- there was something about him that irritated Hermione, even if she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. She didn't like the way that she felt when he was around, and that made her nervous. She knew it was nothing like the uncomfortable way that Cormac had made her feel, but a different kind of uncomfortable, as if she didn't know what to do with herself whenever he was near her.
Hours passed, and although it seemed like they had just started, Hermione was actually surprised once she realized that they had aired up the entire pile of balls and that they were done for the day. Both girls then stretched out onto their backs in the grass, their muscles stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. They closed their eyes and laid in a comfortable silence, relaxing in the warm sunlight that was shining down over them.
Just as Hermione started dozing off though, a shadow appeared over her, the sunlight no longer shining onto her closed eyelids. When she opened them to see what had happened, she saw Ron standing over them, his tall and sweaty body blocking the sunlight. Hermione let out a loud gasp and quickly sat up, her eyes wide as she looked up at him in surprise. Ron arched an eyebrow at her, the beginnings of a smirk creeping onto his face. It looked like he was about to say something about her over-the-top reaction, but thankfully, Ginny's voice cut in before he could.
"What do you want?" she asked as she lazily squinted up at him.
Still looking at Hermione, he let out a small chuckle before turning his eyes to his sister. "Everyone is done for the day so we are going to have a quick volleyball game before the dinner bell rings."
Ginny quickly scrambled up, a big smile now on her face. "Hell yeah!" she whooped as she grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her up as well. "You'll be on my team!" she told Hermione as she gripped her arm and jumped up and down excitedly.
"Um- I'm not- I don't-" Hermione stuttered, trying to figure a way to get out of this without disappointing her new friend.
"What are you scared of Granger?" Ron cut in. Hermione turned her head from Ginny to look at him. "Are you scared of losing?" he asked. He had a playful gleam in his eye and he was very obviously challenging her.
"Fine," she said stiffly, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. The thought of playing any sport terrified her, and volleyball had to be one of the worst. She could already see the image in her head of the ball violently colliding with her face, but she pushed it down because she suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to beat Ronald Weasley. "I hope you enjoy losing Weasley," she said before turning around, still arm and arm with Ginny.
Ron let out a small laugh as he stepped next to her, all three of them walking side by side and making their way down to where people were already gathering. "Well," he finally said, still looking amused. "Since you're still new here Granger, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." He leaned to the side a bit, not close to touching her, but still closer than she thought he would get. "I never lose," he said in a low voice.
The sound of his voice so close to her, and the feeling of his hot breath on the side of her face caused Hermione's neck to break out in goosebumps and caused shivers to roll down her spine. She let out an involuntary small yelp as her body jumped to the side, away from him.
He gave her a weird look as if he were internally questioning her sanity. She felt her face flush in embarrassment, but he just shook his head before continuing on and making his way over to where Lavender was standing with the Patil twins. Hermione tried not to seem obvious as she watched the couple out of the corner of her eye. She watched as they stood forehead to forehead, speaking quietly to each other. Ron's hands were rubbing softly up and down her arms, and Lavender's hands were resting gently on his shoulders as she lifted herself onto her tippy toes to match his height.
Even though they weren't snogging or anything, Hermione somehow found herself uneasy at the sight. When Ron leaned down and gave Lavender a chaste kiss on the lips, Hermione had a very brief flash of something that was akin to anger. The feeling startled her, and she tried to figure out why she would be feeling angry as it made zero sense. When they kissed a second time, Hermione had the same feeling, and her eyes widened when she pinpointed what the feeling had been. It was jealousy. She shook her head to clear it, feeling both bewildered and annoyed at the realization.
There was no way that she was jealous- none. She dropped down to un-tie and re-tie her shoe for something to do while she gathered her thoughts. The answer came quick and she let out a huge sigh of relief, glad to have the explanation. She wasn't jealous because she wanted Ron, she was jealous because she envied Ron and Lavender's type of relationship and wished that she had something similar.
Being at an all-girl's school, public displays of affection were something that Hermione hardly ever encountered. She wasn't used to these feelings at all, and it was no wonder, growing up so sheltered as she had. And then, after the disastrous outcome with McLaggen, she reasoned that she must have been more bitter than she had even thought. It was no matter though. She was determined to have a great and drama-free summer hopefully avoiding the opposite sex.
Smiling, she stood up and re-joined Ginny, who was now standing and chatting with Luna. Luna was sitting in a patch of wildflowers as she picked them and weaved them together. Ginny was trying to get Luna to join the game, but Hermione heard Luna assure Ginny that she was quite content where she was, and that sports were not really her thing. Hermione couldn't help but overhear Lavender tell Ron that she and the Patil twins were going to head back to the cabin to do their nails before she wished him good luck. Hermione pointedly did not look as they kissed goodbye, instead focusing on Ginny as she explained the rules of the game to her.
Thankfully, Hermione was at the back, and the first few rounds of the game, the ball didn't even come near her. They were about ten minutes into the game, and her nerves were just starting to settle, when in horror, she watched as the ball came flying directly towards her. She heard Ginny and her other teammates telling her to hit it, and although she planned to do so, at the last minute she let out a scream and frantically stumbled backwards to avoid it. The ball landed in the sand with a thud right where she had been standing, and she let out a breath of relief.
The relief soon turned to embarrassment when she heard the snickers from the opposite team, and saw the eyerolls of her teammates. Ron was laughing the loudest, his eyes dancing with delight. She gave him a glare and he shrugged at her, his face unapologetic.
"It's fine, let's continue!" Ginny yelled and Hermione threw her a grateful look.
Thankfully after that, the people around her started picking up the slack, and whoever was to her side would lunge and hit the ball before she had a chance. It was stifling hot, and even though Hermione was hardly doing anything but standing there, she felt the sweat rolling down both her back and her chest. She couldn't help but notice that Ron was excellent at this sport, and her team was losing mainly because of him. He was easily one of the best players, and she had to grudgingly admit to herself that she admired the way that he played, even if she desperately wanted to beat him.
As the game progressed, the boys started to lose their shirts, taking them off and throwing them to the side. Hermione tried not to be distracted by all of the sweat-covered chests that were now around her. When Ron joined most and took off his shirt as well, the task not to stare got even harder. Although there were certainly more 'muscley' boys around, her eyes kept going back to Ron's pale and freckled skin. He was lean, but fit, and he seemed so incredibly bright out there in the sun. His skin quickly went from white to red though, and Hermione internally winced as she thought about how he would be regretting his decision later. Her breath hitched as she watched him jump up in the air to easily spike the ball, his chest and arm muscles rippling as he did so.
'Stop it.' she told herself sternly. She was not going to be that kind of girl. The kind that openly admired or went after other girls' boyfriends. Besides, she couldn't be attracted to Ron, she just couldn't. For one, he aggravated her more than anyone she had ever known, though the reason why was still a mystery to her. Not to mention, he was in a very serious relationship, and to top it off, he very obviously thought that she was completely barmy. Not that she could blame him, he apparently had a way of catching her at her most awkward moments, as frustrating as this was. No, she would not do this- whatever this was. From then on, she made sure that her eyes never even so much as moved in his direction.
It was pretty easy to do so until they moved again. To her dismay, now she and Ron were both in the front row, and Ron was directly in front of her, only the net between them. The game was almost over, and Hermione knew that if Ron's team scored again, then her team would lose. The ball went back and forth, and Hermione watched it like a hawk, distracting herself from the tall and shirtless red-head that was in front of her. After a few nail-biting moments, Hermione watched then as the ball sailed towards Ron. He made eye contact with her for a split second as he jumped up and spiked the ball over the net, his expression telling her that he already knew that he had won.
Panicking, and wanting desperately to wipe the self satisfied look off of his face, she dove down, determined to get the ball back up into the air. For a second, she really thought that she had a chance, that she could do this. She landed on her knees, her arms going under the ball and hitting it as hard as she could. Instead of going up though, as she had anticipated, she only launched the ball forward, where it rolled in the sand, going under the net. She felt her stomach drop in disappointment as Ron, along with the rest of his team, let out a loud cheer. The game was over. They had lost.
Before she could allow him to brag or start making fun of her gameplay, Hermione stood up and turned around, making her way towards Ginny. Ginny was again talking to Luna, getting to know her better. During the game, Luna had made some sort of wildflower headband, and was draping it over Ginny's head as she smiled.
"Oh, Hermione," said Luna in her soft voice. "I made one for you too." She reached down behind her and grabbed one similar to Ginny's. She gently placed it on top of Hermione's head. "I hope it makes you feel a bit better, after causing your team to lose the game and all."
Hermione heard Ginny choke back a laugh as she gave Luna a stiff smile. "Yes, thank you Luna," she managed to say, knowing that Luna was only trying to be nice in her own unique way.
Together, they headed towards the Great Hall, the bell signaling that dinner was ready. When they walked into the large cafeteria, Hermione's eyes instinctively looked over at the table that she and Cormac had previously sat at every other meal, and was relieved that he was nowhere in sight. Ginny led her and Luna over to where Ron was already sitting with Lavender and Harry.
"Oi Potter!" Ginny said cheerily as she sat down next to him, giving him a light peck on the lips. "This is Granger and Lovegood. They are going to sit with us."
Harry looked up at both of them before extending his hand and shaking theirs one after the other. His smile was genuine as he introduced himself as 'Weasley 2's boyfriend', earning him an elbow in the side from his girlfriend. Hermione noted that after a slight nod to both her and Luna, Ron didn't pay them any more attention. He and Lavender were whispering back and forth with each other as they ate, and Hermione sensed that something was wrong, as they both looked frustrated. The tension at the table was high, and Hermione knew that they were quietly arguing, both of their faces stony. She was unsurprised when Lavender ended up leaving the table early, her plate still unfinished. Once she was gone, Ron let out a loud sigh, running his hands slowly down his face.
"Okay drama king, what happened between you and Lav? What's got your knickers in a twist?" Ginny asked her brother.
Ron glared at her before letting out a small moan. "Hell if I know. She always expects me to just read her mind, and when I don't, she gets upset with me." He took a long sip of water before continuing. "I love her of course, but the girl can be damn frustrating sometimes."
"I feel ya' mate," said Harry, earning him another elbow in his side from Ginny.
Ron ignored them, his eyes turned towards the door that Lavender had walked out of a minute before. "I guess I'm going to go and try to fix it now," he said dejectedly, but before he could fully rise, a stern looking woman with intense eyes hurriedly walked towards their table.
"Weasley," she snapped. "People are saying that you are the one who organized a volleyball game this afternoon?"
"Yes, Hooch, that was me," he answered, giving her a confused look.
"Well, you better go clean up the mess you left down there. I'll give you five minutes to finish, but then I expect it to be done when I head back out there in a bit." She paused. "I'm sure your friends wouldn't mind helping you," she added, looking down at Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Harry, who all nodded glumly in agreement.
They all quickly finished their food before making their way back down to where they had played the game earlier. The ground was littered with water bottles, and the large number of balls that she and Ginny had aired up that afternoon were now spread around everywhere, as if someone had purposely made a mess.
"Harry and I will get the water bottles," announced Ginny, grabbing the water bottle bag and handing Harry a side to hold.
Luna made her way to the shed and grabbed a ball bag before heading the opposite direction where several balls were.
Ron was behind Hermione when she made it to the shed, and she was dismayed when she only found one other ball bag inside. She picked it up before turning around to face him. "There's only one bag left."
He sighed. "Ok. You hold the bag, and I'll fill it up."
She nodded, and silently, they walked around as he picked the balls up and tossed them into the bag. She could tell that he was in a bad mood, and that he wanted to get this task done as soon as possible, presumably so he could go and find Lavender. He was moving super fast and she was struggling to keep up with him.
"Could you maybe go a little bit slower?" she asked him, just a tinge of annoyance in her voice.
He looked up at her, a small cloud of guilt passing over his features. "Sorry," he mumbled.
She shook her head. "No, it's okay, I get it. I just can't keep up with you, you're too fast."
He didn't say anything but she noticed as they went on that he started slowing down enough for her to easily catch up.
"I'm sure it will be okay," she said tentatively. "She'll understand why you couldn't have come after her right away."
He let out a huff of air. "You would think so, but I guarantee that every second that I'm not chasing after her, I'm going to pay for later, regardless if it's my fault or not."
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, not knowing what else to say.
"So, you and Gin seem to get along splendidly," he said, motioning to where Harry and Ginny were almost done with their task.
"Yes, your sister is wonderful."
"Yeah, she's pretty great. Just don't tell her that I admitted it though- because I'll deny it," he said as he gave her a small lopsided grin.
"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," she replied, pretending to zip her mouth up with her fingers as he gave her a small laugh.
"You know, I never got to properly brag for beating you earlier at volleyball."
She felt her face heat up. "Yeah well, I wouldn't have even played if you hadn't challenged me!"
He shrugged as he dropped another ball in the bag. "Maybe you shouldn't accept a challenge if you know beforehand that you don't stand a chance."
She let out a small noise of acknowledgement, causing him to smile.
"So, you're a sore loser then?" he asked, his eyebrow arched up as he looked at her. She tried to ignore the feeling that she got as he stared at her, waiting for her answer.
"I think that you're a sore winner actually," she countered.
He let out a loud laugh. "Hey, whatever." He raised his hands up as if in defeat. "I'm actually impressed though. Even though you obviously don't enjoy sports, you still played. Lav would never play, even though I've challenged her loads of times." At the mention of Lavender, Hermione saw his mood shift and he again looked dejected.
"I'm sure that everything will be fine. Lavender seems to- she seems to care a great deal for you," Hermione said, trying to reassure him, but also worried that her words had sounded forced.
Ron let out a chuckle. "Well I would hope so, since I have been her boyfriend for a long while now." He then let out a sigh as he shot her a grateful look. "But yeah, thanks. I know it will be fine eventually, I just hate it when we fight, y'know? It makes me feel bloody awful."
Hermione was overcome with a rush of affection for him at how much he obviously cared for Lavender, even if she had to admit that his words had made her feel another stab of the jealousy that she had felt earlier. She was also surprised at how open he was being with her, and found that she quite liked chatting with him for once.
"Granger." a sharp voice interrupted her thoughts, and both Hermione and Ron turned to see McGonagall strolling towards them looking not happy at all.
"Yes ma'am?" she squeaked, trying to act calmer than she felt, even as her stomach rolled uncomfortably.
"Will you come with me please?" McGonagall asked, and Hermione immediately handed the ball bag to Ron, who was looking at her curiously.
Hermione said nothing, but followed the older lady. She was surprised when McGonagall led her near the shed where Cormac had pulled her earlier that day. When McGonagall walked behind it, Hermione's heart dropped. Somehow, McGonagall knew that her and Cormac had been sneaking off, and she was now taking her to the scene of the crime to confront her about it. Hermione followed, opening her mouth to start to apologize, when she let out a loud gasp, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
On the back of the shed, in large red letters, was a word that was so offensive, Hermione never in a million years would ever use. The paint was shiny and looked as if it was still slightly wet. She knew for certain that the word hadn't been there earlier when she had been there with Cormac. McGonagall was staring at her and studying her reaction, her shoulders slouching in relief as Hermione stared at the side of the shed, horrified.
"Well Granger," she started. "Either you are an incredibly talented actress, or you had no idea that this was written here," she finished.
"I-I-" she started, unable to formulate words.
"Bloody fucking hell."
Both Hermione and McGonagall turned to see Ron standing behind them. He too was staring at the shed, his eyes widened in shock.
"Your colorful commentary is not needed at the present moment Weasley," said McGonagall cooly.
Ron turned to stare hard at Hermione. "Why did you brin- wait- do you think that she did this?" he asked McGonagall, gesturing towards Hermione, his face incredulous.
McGonagall shook her head. "Personally, no, I do not feel as if Granger here did this. Especially now that I have seen her reaction, I do not believe that she is at fault. However, someone has come forward stating that they saw her walking around this shed with a can of spray paint in hand. As I run this camp, it is my duty to check out every possible scenario and-"
"That's bull. She didn't do this!" Ron almost yelled, and Hermione was surprised at just how vehemently he was defending her. He must have realized it as well, because he flushed as he noticed her staring at him, the tops of his ears turning red. "I mean," he started, now more calm. "I've seen her all afternoon McGonagall, and I can vouch for her. She didn't do this."
McGonagall let out a sigh. "Thank you. Your words will certainly be taken into consideration Weasley." She turned to Hermione. "If you could finish up the task that you were working on before I pulled you here, and then meet me in my office, it would be greatly appreciated."
Hermione nodded, and McGonagall gave her a small smile before turning around. As she passed Ron, she stuck her hand out and lightly ruffled his hair. "You are a good boy, Weasley," she said, and Hermione held back a laugh at the look on Ron's once- again red face.
She and Ron made their way back to finish picking up the small amount of balls left. "Thank you for defending me," Hermione told him, feeling like she owed him for what he had said.
He gave her a small shrug. "S'no problem. I'm not going to let you get in trouble for something that you didn't do. I would be a shite person if I did something like that." She nodded as a small grin appeared on his face. "Besides, you were scared of a bloody volleyball earlier. There's no way that you would have the bollocks to try and get away with something like vandalism."
Hermione gave him a glare, trying not to laugh. "I am a girl, and as such, I do not have bollocks!"
He let out a hearty laugh. "Details, details!"
She resisted the urge to give him a playful shove. She was certainly not going to touch her cabin mates boyfriend, no matter how innocent it was. They quickly finished, and with a small wave and a 'good luck Granger' from him, she and Ron went their separate ways.
When she made it to McGonagall's office, she gave the door several sharp taps and she heard McGonagall tell her to enter. When she opened the door and walked in, she saw Cormac sitting in one of two chairs across from McGonagall's desk, giving Hermione a smug smile.
Everything suddenly clicked into place, and Hermione knew exactly what was going on. Cormac apparently hadn't taken her rejection well, and now, he was trying to make her pay for it. She forced a neutral look onto her face and walked over to sit in the empty chair. Once she was sitting, Cormac looked to McGonagall, his face the picture of innocence.
"Yes ma'am, it was certainly Granger. I'm sorry that I didn't stop her when I saw her lurking about earlier but I-"
"Excuse me McGonagall." Hermione started, cutting him off. "I now know what is going on." McGonagall raised an eyebrow, as if asking her to continue. "Earlier today, I turned McLaggen down, and now I guess he is trying to get some sort of revenge."
Cormac scoffed. "She wishes that I was interested in her like that! She's been following me around like a lovesick puppy since the very first day. It's pretty pathetic actually."
McGonagall leaned back into her chair, giving Cormac an impatient look. "I recall seeing you enjoying Granger's company rather well, McLaggen, so I do not buy that you were never interested in her 'like that'"
McLaggen scoffed again, but didn't say anything.
Just then, there was a quiet tap on the door.
"Come in," McGonagall called out, looking a bit irritated at the interruption.
The door opened, and a rather awkward boy shuffled in, looking a bit terrified.
"Yes, Longbottom?" McGonagall asked as he stared at the floor.
"I saw- well earlier- when I was out taking pictures ma'am- I saw-"
The boy's eyes flicked to McLaggen before turning to McGonagall and handing her a polaroid picture. Hermione watched as the woman pursed her lips as she stared at the picture and then turned it around so Hermione and McLaggen could see. It was a side-view picture of McLaggen standing behind the shed, a can of spray paint in his hand.
"Would you like to explain this McLaggen?" McGonagall asked sternly.
McLaggen visibly paled before glaring up at Longbottom, the boy taking a few steps back in fear.
"We have not, nor will we ever condone the use of such words," McGonagall went on.
Cormac jumped up. "Fine. I'll leave. Not that I wanted to be at this pathetic camp anyway," he spat out.
"Yes, you certainly should leave," McGonagall replied. "However, if you go without cleaning up that word first, this camp will be getting the cops involved. Is that perfectly clear?"
"Crystal," McLaggen seethed before turning around and practically running out of the room.