CHAPTER NINE
"Hey Ron."
"Huh? What? Who's there?" Ron jumped out of his seat and wheeled around. It was Hermione.
"My God, Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, clutching his chest. "You scared the bloody hell outta me! You almost gave me a heart attack for a minute there!"
"Sorry," said Hermione apologetically. "Um... Ron... I was just wondering if you could... you know... come with me. To the hospital wing. To visit Harry, I mean."
Ron brow furrowed at the mention of visiting Harry. "No thanks," he said suddenly without thinking.
"Oh." Hermione's face fell. "Well... OK... I'll just see you at lunchtime... I guess..." She climbed out the portrait hole.
'Stupid!' Ron berated himself. 'Extreme stupidity you portrayed there, Weasley! I thought you were gonna make Hermione yours huh? Why did you leave her alone in Harry's hands? You imbecile! Stupid! So stupid!'
'I AM going to make Hermione mine,' Ron decided, his jaw clenched. 'Tonight, Hermione WILL be mine.'
* * *
'Dear Hermione,
Look, I know you're busy and all (with all the subjects you're taking), but I've got something to tell you. It's really really important.
I can't tell you in this letter. It's really better if I tell you face- to-face.
Meet me by the lake immediately after dinner. Don't bring anyone else – I want you to go alone.
After dinner, Herm. Tonight. I'll see you by the lake.
Ron'
'How very odd,' commented Hermione. She couldn't quite decipher why Ron wanted her to meet him by the lake, or what Ron was so eager to tell her but he couldn't do so in the letter.
'Maybe... he's fallen in love with me...' Hermione thought dreamily. For a moment, she let her mind wander about – thoughts of her and Ron together starting appearing in her head.
She shook her head. 'No,' she thought. 'Think of Harry,' she commanded herself. 'HE'S the one you love, not Ron. C'mon!'
'But you don't love Harry anymore!' screeched a voice inside her head. 'You love Ron!'
Exasperated, Hermione plopped down onto her four-poster. She needed time – time to sort out her feelings between Harry and Ron.
'You don't love Harry,' said a voice at the back of her head. 'And he doesn't love you. He loves that Ravenclaw girl.'
'You're right.' Hermione finally gave in. 'Why should I bother with Harry when he loves someone else? It'd do well for both of us if we'd learn to let each other go. At least we won't get stuck with people we don't really love and watch the love of our lives slip away. Right?'
* * *
"You've got a visitor, Potter," said Madam Pomfrey. "Step inside, missy."
'Missy?' repeated Harry to himself. 'Who'd visit me alone? Hermione's already been here...'
"Hey."
Harry looked up. Cho's beautiful, glowing, smiling face greeted him. He drew a deep breath and sat up on the bed.
"Hi," he managed to say. "C'mon, sit down." He motioned to a chair beside his bed.
"Thanks," said Cho, still smiling, as she sat down. "Oh, by the way, I brought you something."
"Oh really?" asked Harry, intrigued. "What is it?"
Cho held out a basket of fruits and goodies from Hogsmeade. "Don't worry, I made sure the fruits are fresh and the candies are hex-free," she said. They both laughed a bit.
"Don't worry, I'm used to hexes. But it's really been a while since I got a taste of fresh fruit. Thanks a lot, Cho."
"I just thought they'd help you get better," she said. Then her face became serious.
"You remember the other day, when you introduced me to a couple of your friends, Ron and... who was the girl?"
"Hermione." Saying her name suddenly made Harry realize something.
"Right," said Cho, "Hermione. Well... Hermione... she seemed a bit... COLD to me that day. She had that certain look upon her face. I'd say that was a look of jealousy."
"Jealousy?" echoed Harry. "Why'd Hermione be jealous?"
"I think you should answer your own question," said Cho coolly. "Are you and Hermione... you know... boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Harry's eyes widened. Cho put on a smile.
"I know that look, Harry. From the moment I saw that look on Hermione's face, I knew. You two had something going on. You don't need to lie to me. Besides, I won't tell anyone anyway." Her grin widened.
"But... how'd you...?"
"I once had that look, Harry. That was before Cedric fooled around with Joanne Adamson." Cho's smile faded a bit, and her eyes had a look of hurting.
"I'm sorry, Cho," said Harry softly.
"No, it's OK." Cho's smile returned. "Anyway... do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"No, not at all. Fire away."
"Do you love Hermione?"
Harry couldn't answer right away. Actually, he couldn't figure it out. His feelings for Hermione were starting to waver, and he was starting to feel something for Cho.
"I... I don't know..."
"Huh?" Cho's brow furrowed. "How... why?"
"I dunno..." admitted Harry. "I... I think I'm starting to fall for someone else..."
"Well, if I were you, I'd figure it out," said Cho. "You know, you'd really hurt Hermione if you were falling for someone else while she's still your girlfriend. I think you'd better talk to her."
"OK," said Harry calmly.
"I think I'd better be going now," said Cho. "Take care, OK?"
"Thanks, you too," replied Harry. "Oh, and Cho?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for the advice. About Hermione I mean."
"Oh, that." Cho smiled again. "No problem."
Cho headed out the infirmary door, leaving Harry alone with his mixed-up feelings.
A/N: Whew! Another week another chapter! Honestly, I think this fic's going on too long. I don't know how to end the thing! Anyway, I want to guys to go back to the part wherein Cho mentioned a girl named "Joanne Adamson." That girl – Joanne – she's mine. I mean I made her up, with a little help from my teacher (cho_granger, coOL-wacky, aya-yahiko, and everyone else out there from SPCPasig Gr6, I think you guys know who I'm talking about... I won't mention the name exactly... baka nagbabasa ng fanfic yung babaeng yun! Makita pa n'ya pangalan n'ya dito, I'm done for!). Anyway, I hope you guys continue to read my fic. I'm sorry if it takes me quite long to post another chapter. Sorry!
"Hey Ron."
"Huh? What? Who's there?" Ron jumped out of his seat and wheeled around. It was Hermione.
"My God, Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, clutching his chest. "You scared the bloody hell outta me! You almost gave me a heart attack for a minute there!"
"Sorry," said Hermione apologetically. "Um... Ron... I was just wondering if you could... you know... come with me. To the hospital wing. To visit Harry, I mean."
Ron brow furrowed at the mention of visiting Harry. "No thanks," he said suddenly without thinking.
"Oh." Hermione's face fell. "Well... OK... I'll just see you at lunchtime... I guess..." She climbed out the portrait hole.
'Stupid!' Ron berated himself. 'Extreme stupidity you portrayed there, Weasley! I thought you were gonna make Hermione yours huh? Why did you leave her alone in Harry's hands? You imbecile! Stupid! So stupid!'
'I AM going to make Hermione mine,' Ron decided, his jaw clenched. 'Tonight, Hermione WILL be mine.'
* * *
'Dear Hermione,
Look, I know you're busy and all (with all the subjects you're taking), but I've got something to tell you. It's really really important.
I can't tell you in this letter. It's really better if I tell you face- to-face.
Meet me by the lake immediately after dinner. Don't bring anyone else – I want you to go alone.
After dinner, Herm. Tonight. I'll see you by the lake.
Ron'
'How very odd,' commented Hermione. She couldn't quite decipher why Ron wanted her to meet him by the lake, or what Ron was so eager to tell her but he couldn't do so in the letter.
'Maybe... he's fallen in love with me...' Hermione thought dreamily. For a moment, she let her mind wander about – thoughts of her and Ron together starting appearing in her head.
She shook her head. 'No,' she thought. 'Think of Harry,' she commanded herself. 'HE'S the one you love, not Ron. C'mon!'
'But you don't love Harry anymore!' screeched a voice inside her head. 'You love Ron!'
Exasperated, Hermione plopped down onto her four-poster. She needed time – time to sort out her feelings between Harry and Ron.
'You don't love Harry,' said a voice at the back of her head. 'And he doesn't love you. He loves that Ravenclaw girl.'
'You're right.' Hermione finally gave in. 'Why should I bother with Harry when he loves someone else? It'd do well for both of us if we'd learn to let each other go. At least we won't get stuck with people we don't really love and watch the love of our lives slip away. Right?'
* * *
"You've got a visitor, Potter," said Madam Pomfrey. "Step inside, missy."
'Missy?' repeated Harry to himself. 'Who'd visit me alone? Hermione's already been here...'
"Hey."
Harry looked up. Cho's beautiful, glowing, smiling face greeted him. He drew a deep breath and sat up on the bed.
"Hi," he managed to say. "C'mon, sit down." He motioned to a chair beside his bed.
"Thanks," said Cho, still smiling, as she sat down. "Oh, by the way, I brought you something."
"Oh really?" asked Harry, intrigued. "What is it?"
Cho held out a basket of fruits and goodies from Hogsmeade. "Don't worry, I made sure the fruits are fresh and the candies are hex-free," she said. They both laughed a bit.
"Don't worry, I'm used to hexes. But it's really been a while since I got a taste of fresh fruit. Thanks a lot, Cho."
"I just thought they'd help you get better," she said. Then her face became serious.
"You remember the other day, when you introduced me to a couple of your friends, Ron and... who was the girl?"
"Hermione." Saying her name suddenly made Harry realize something.
"Right," said Cho, "Hermione. Well... Hermione... she seemed a bit... COLD to me that day. She had that certain look upon her face. I'd say that was a look of jealousy."
"Jealousy?" echoed Harry. "Why'd Hermione be jealous?"
"I think you should answer your own question," said Cho coolly. "Are you and Hermione... you know... boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Harry's eyes widened. Cho put on a smile.
"I know that look, Harry. From the moment I saw that look on Hermione's face, I knew. You two had something going on. You don't need to lie to me. Besides, I won't tell anyone anyway." Her grin widened.
"But... how'd you...?"
"I once had that look, Harry. That was before Cedric fooled around with Joanne Adamson." Cho's smile faded a bit, and her eyes had a look of hurting.
"I'm sorry, Cho," said Harry softly.
"No, it's OK." Cho's smile returned. "Anyway... do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"No, not at all. Fire away."
"Do you love Hermione?"
Harry couldn't answer right away. Actually, he couldn't figure it out. His feelings for Hermione were starting to waver, and he was starting to feel something for Cho.
"I... I don't know..."
"Huh?" Cho's brow furrowed. "How... why?"
"I dunno..." admitted Harry. "I... I think I'm starting to fall for someone else..."
"Well, if I were you, I'd figure it out," said Cho. "You know, you'd really hurt Hermione if you were falling for someone else while she's still your girlfriend. I think you'd better talk to her."
"OK," said Harry calmly.
"I think I'd better be going now," said Cho. "Take care, OK?"
"Thanks, you too," replied Harry. "Oh, and Cho?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for the advice. About Hermione I mean."
"Oh, that." Cho smiled again. "No problem."
Cho headed out the infirmary door, leaving Harry alone with his mixed-up feelings.
A/N: Whew! Another week another chapter! Honestly, I think this fic's going on too long. I don't know how to end the thing! Anyway, I want to guys to go back to the part wherein Cho mentioned a girl named "Joanne Adamson." That girl – Joanne – she's mine. I mean I made her up, with a little help from my teacher (cho_granger, coOL-wacky, aya-yahiko, and everyone else out there from SPCPasig Gr6, I think you guys know who I'm talking about... I won't mention the name exactly... baka nagbabasa ng fanfic yung babaeng yun! Makita pa n'ya pangalan n'ya dito, I'm done for!). Anyway, I hope you guys continue to read my fic. I'm sorry if it takes me quite long to post another chapter. Sorry!