CHAPTER FOUR
The portrait of the Fat Lady was crowded with so many people after lunch.
Even non-Gryffindors were there, Harry noticed. He walked towards it and
saw Fred Weasley.
"What's the fuss about?" he asked Fred.
"Hogsmeade visit schedule," Fred replied. "The next trip to Hogsmeade will be tomorrow. First thing after breakfast."
Harry thanked Fred, climbed through the portrait hole and inside the common room. Hogsmeade, he thought as he opened his copy of Intermediate Transfiguration. As if I could go and visit it.
Suddenly the portrait swung open. Harry looked up from his book in time to see Ron Weasley climb into the common room, holding a handful of books. Ron obviously had just come from the library.
Harry got up from his chair and approached Ron. "Let me help you with those," he said, grabbing a couple of books. Harry put the books down on the floor near his chair. He pulled another chair as Ron put the books he was holding down on the floor as well. "Sit down," Harry invited Ron.
Wordlessly, Ron gave a small but awkward smile and sat down. He then grabbed one of the books on the floor and started reading.
After a few moments of silence, Ron glanced up at Harry, who was intently reading his book.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up from the book. "Yeah?"
"I. I'm sorry."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For, you know. For hitting you. For giving you those bruises and that black eye you had three days ago."
"Oh, that." Harry chuckled lightly. "Don't worry about that."
Hermione, you simply must realize the humungous sacrifice I am doing right now, Harry thought.
"So. so does that mean. you. forgive me already?" Ron asked uneasily.
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
A few minutes of silence followed the short conversation. People started coming into the common room. A little while later Hermione came into the room. She saw Harry and Ron talking and laughing, their backs turned toward her.
"Hey baby," she called to Harry. Harry and Ron looked behind and saw Hermione. Harry got up at once.
"Hey there," he said, putting an arm around Hermione and placing a light kiss on her lips. Ron, who had been looking, turned away at once. It pained him to see the two so sweet. After all, he was still in love with Hermione.
"Hi Ron," greeted Hermione cheerfully as Harry pulled another chair and placed it beside his own.
"Hi," Ron replied with a small voice.
"I see you two have made up," she told Harry as she took a seat. Harry replied with a smile.
Ron yawned. Hermione could tell it was a fake one.
"Whew! This has been one night, I'd say! Well, I'd better get some rest now. Hey Herm, a Hogsmeade visit's scheduled for tomorrow. It's posted outside - first thing after breakfast."
"Yes, I saw it before I came in," Hermione told him. "But thanks for reminding."
"Well, good night, Harry." He took Harry's hand and shook it. "Thanks for forgiving me."
"It was nothing. Really."
"Good night, Hermione." He moved close to Hermione and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for forgiving me, too."
Hermione blushed furiously.
Ron ignored Harry's burning glares at him as he climbed up the staircase towards the boys' dormitories. He settled into his four-poster. He was alone in the dormitory. He wasn't actually tired yet - he just wanted to leave Harry and Hermione alone. Though it pained him so much, he couldn't do anything about it.
I kissed Hermione! Yes! These were the only words floating around in his head as he drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, back in the common room. "You don't realize how hard this is for me, Hermione," said Harry. "I'm still mad at Ron, and you know it! Why do we have to go on with this silly game?"
Because I think I'm falling for Ron already, Hermione thought, but she didn't dare say it out loud.
"You'll learn to forgive Ron someday as I've learned to forgive him," Hermione said as she gathered her books. "Everyone makes mistakes, Harry, and it's up to other people - especially friends - to forgive one another. I hope you'll care to remember that."
And with that, Hermione marched off to the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, leaving Harry alone with his confused mind.
"What's the fuss about?" he asked Fred.
"Hogsmeade visit schedule," Fred replied. "The next trip to Hogsmeade will be tomorrow. First thing after breakfast."
Harry thanked Fred, climbed through the portrait hole and inside the common room. Hogsmeade, he thought as he opened his copy of Intermediate Transfiguration. As if I could go and visit it.
Suddenly the portrait swung open. Harry looked up from his book in time to see Ron Weasley climb into the common room, holding a handful of books. Ron obviously had just come from the library.
Harry got up from his chair and approached Ron. "Let me help you with those," he said, grabbing a couple of books. Harry put the books down on the floor near his chair. He pulled another chair as Ron put the books he was holding down on the floor as well. "Sit down," Harry invited Ron.
Wordlessly, Ron gave a small but awkward smile and sat down. He then grabbed one of the books on the floor and started reading.
After a few moments of silence, Ron glanced up at Harry, who was intently reading his book.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up from the book. "Yeah?"
"I. I'm sorry."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For, you know. For hitting you. For giving you those bruises and that black eye you had three days ago."
"Oh, that." Harry chuckled lightly. "Don't worry about that."
Hermione, you simply must realize the humungous sacrifice I am doing right now, Harry thought.
"So. so does that mean. you. forgive me already?" Ron asked uneasily.
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
A few minutes of silence followed the short conversation. People started coming into the common room. A little while later Hermione came into the room. She saw Harry and Ron talking and laughing, their backs turned toward her.
"Hey baby," she called to Harry. Harry and Ron looked behind and saw Hermione. Harry got up at once.
"Hey there," he said, putting an arm around Hermione and placing a light kiss on her lips. Ron, who had been looking, turned away at once. It pained him to see the two so sweet. After all, he was still in love with Hermione.
"Hi Ron," greeted Hermione cheerfully as Harry pulled another chair and placed it beside his own.
"Hi," Ron replied with a small voice.
"I see you two have made up," she told Harry as she took a seat. Harry replied with a smile.
Ron yawned. Hermione could tell it was a fake one.
"Whew! This has been one night, I'd say! Well, I'd better get some rest now. Hey Herm, a Hogsmeade visit's scheduled for tomorrow. It's posted outside - first thing after breakfast."
"Yes, I saw it before I came in," Hermione told him. "But thanks for reminding."
"Well, good night, Harry." He took Harry's hand and shook it. "Thanks for forgiving me."
"It was nothing. Really."
"Good night, Hermione." He moved close to Hermione and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for forgiving me, too."
Hermione blushed furiously.
Ron ignored Harry's burning glares at him as he climbed up the staircase towards the boys' dormitories. He settled into his four-poster. He was alone in the dormitory. He wasn't actually tired yet - he just wanted to leave Harry and Hermione alone. Though it pained him so much, he couldn't do anything about it.
I kissed Hermione! Yes! These were the only words floating around in his head as he drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, back in the common room. "You don't realize how hard this is for me, Hermione," said Harry. "I'm still mad at Ron, and you know it! Why do we have to go on with this silly game?"
Because I think I'm falling for Ron already, Hermione thought, but she didn't dare say it out loud.
"You'll learn to forgive Ron someday as I've learned to forgive him," Hermione said as she gathered her books. "Everyone makes mistakes, Harry, and it's up to other people - especially friends - to forgive one another. I hope you'll care to remember that."
And with that, Hermione marched off to the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, leaving Harry alone with his confused mind.