CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Where've you two been?" demanded Fred. "You two disappeared right after dinner."
Hermione replied, "Library," even before Ron could formulate a tale in his head. He marveled at how fast Hermione's brain cells could work.
"Without any books?" pressed George. "Isn't it that whenever someone goes to the library, he or she usually brings back a book to the common room?"
"The keyword there is USUALLY," retorted Hermione.
"I can understand Hermione going to the library, but Ron?" said Fred.
"I took a book back to the library," Ron lied.
"And what about you?" asked Fred, turning to Hermione.
"Same as Ron," she replied. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we have some star charts that need accomplishing." And pushed Fed aside and walked towards her usual table, littered with all her school stuff.
"I'll go get my star chart upstairs," said Ron softly. He climbed up the staircase, went inside the dormitory, got his star chart for Astronomy, and climbed back down. He pulled a chair and positioned it beside Hermione's. For the next few minutes, the two pretended to be studying and finishing their star charts.
"Why do we have to do this?" hissed Ron.
"Because," Hermione hissed back, "we don't want them finding out about us. Not YET."
"Then when?" demanded Ron.
"I don't know," admitted Hermione. "But definitely not now. It's too early. Someday… but not now."
"OK."
The clock chimed eleven. Ron had fallen asleep with his arms on the table, his head resting upon them. He woke up and saw Hermione poring over a piece of parchment – Hermione was doing an essay for Muggle Studies, he realized.
Ron stared at Hermione. He just realized that she was extra-beautiful whenever her brow was creased in concentration.
"Hey, you OK?"
It was Hermione.
"Yeah… I'm fine…" stuttered Ron.
"Don't you know it rude to stare?" she asked.
"Oh… right…" Ron didn't realize he was staring… not really. "Sorry."
Hermione smiled. "It's OK." She continued doing her work. Ron stood up and walked over behind Hermione's chair.
"Why don't you relax, baby?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, persuading her to rest her back on the chair. "C'mon, let me give you a massage…"
"Ron, I still have a ton of work to do…"
"That can wait, you know. There's still tomorrow."
"But…" Hermione was unable to finish her sentence for Ron's hands were already working their miracle massages on her shoulders.
"As long as you're with me, I won't allow you to overwork yourself," Ron declared as his hands started moving down to Hermione's spine.
Hermione relaxed for the first time in months. She let Ron do his magic on his body.
"Feel better?" asked Ron.
"Oh… yeah…" breathed Hermione. "Better than I've felt in ages. You know," she began, facing Ron, "Harry never did anything like this for me. He was always out – Quidditch, library, places I've no idea where…"
"I don't like you to compare me with Harry," said Ron. "Harry tried his best – I know. You need to give him credit. After all, he DID love you, even if only for a while."
'But I'm pretty sure he still does,' he added to himself.
"You're right," Hermione agreed.
"C'mon now, face there, we need to get on with the massage," said Ron. Hermione resumed her initial position and Ron started massaging her neck and temples.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm…?"
"I love you."
Ron said those three words ever so plainly, but it had such a strong impact on Hermione. It made her heart jump when she heard those words from Ron.
"I love you too."
* * *
The next morning…
Hermione was fumbling with her fingers as Harry stared at her. Harry had never seen Hermione like this before.
"Herm?" he called. Hermione looked up.
"You OK?"
Hermione gave a fake smile then nodded her head slightly. She seemed to realize that her fingers were the most interesting things in the world that she started fumbling with them once more.
"You wanted to tell me something?" prompted Harry.
"Oh, that…" Hermione seemed reluctant to tell Harry.
'How am I supposed to tell him?' She asked herself. 'How could I have been so stupid to say 'yes' to Ron while Harry's still my boyfriend?'
"Harry… it's… it's about me and…"
"Ron." Harry said it so plainly that Hermione kind of grimaced. She looked into Harry's eyes and found no sign of hurting whatsoever.
"I… uh… how'd you know?" she asked, bewildered.
"I saw you two last night. Out there." Harry pointed towards the lake, which was clearly visible outside his window.
"Oh… I… I see…" stuttered Hermione. "Harry… I… I'm really sorry…"
"You don't have to be sorry for anything," said Harry. "I know you'll be much happier with Ron than you ever were with me." He touched her hand gently.
"Thank you," Hermione breathed. She stood up and hugged Harry.
"We can still be friends, you know," she said once they had pulled away from each other.
"Thanks," said Harry. He grinned mischievously, "You're not the only one who's found a new love, you know."
"Oh really?" asked Hermione, intrigued.
"Yeah," replied Harry. "I, too, have successfully found a new love!"
"Who's the lucky girl?"
"Cho Chang."
"Wow! That's great! Well, good luck with you two!" She glanced at her watch. "Whoops… I'd better be going now. I'll see you soon."
"Yeah," he replied, waving goodbye. "And good luck with Ron."
Hermione flashed him a smile of gratitude, then walked out the door.
* * *
"Really? And he didn't even seem to care?" asked Ron excitedly as he and Hermione climbed up the marble staircase.
"Yeah," said Hermione. "He's in love with Cho, I told you, that's why he didn't seem to care too much.
"Oh, yeah… that reminds me, could you call for Cho later and ask her to go to the infirmary? I think Harry wants to talk to her." Hermione gave Ron a wink.
"Oh… yeah… right…" said Ron, grinning mischievously. "I get it. Sure, no problem-o." He returned Hermione's wink.
"Thanks," said Hermione. "Well, I'd better be off now. I don't wanna be late for my Arithmancy class. I'll see you lunch time, OK?"
"OK," replied Ron. The two of them waved goodbye to each other. Ron started up the staircase towards the top floor for Divination.
"Where've you two been?" demanded Fred. "You two disappeared right after dinner."
Hermione replied, "Library," even before Ron could formulate a tale in his head. He marveled at how fast Hermione's brain cells could work.
"Without any books?" pressed George. "Isn't it that whenever someone goes to the library, he or she usually brings back a book to the common room?"
"The keyword there is USUALLY," retorted Hermione.
"I can understand Hermione going to the library, but Ron?" said Fred.
"I took a book back to the library," Ron lied.
"And what about you?" asked Fred, turning to Hermione.
"Same as Ron," she replied. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we have some star charts that need accomplishing." And pushed Fed aside and walked towards her usual table, littered with all her school stuff.
"I'll go get my star chart upstairs," said Ron softly. He climbed up the staircase, went inside the dormitory, got his star chart for Astronomy, and climbed back down. He pulled a chair and positioned it beside Hermione's. For the next few minutes, the two pretended to be studying and finishing their star charts.
"Why do we have to do this?" hissed Ron.
"Because," Hermione hissed back, "we don't want them finding out about us. Not YET."
"Then when?" demanded Ron.
"I don't know," admitted Hermione. "But definitely not now. It's too early. Someday… but not now."
"OK."
The clock chimed eleven. Ron had fallen asleep with his arms on the table, his head resting upon them. He woke up and saw Hermione poring over a piece of parchment – Hermione was doing an essay for Muggle Studies, he realized.
Ron stared at Hermione. He just realized that she was extra-beautiful whenever her brow was creased in concentration.
"Hey, you OK?"
It was Hermione.
"Yeah… I'm fine…" stuttered Ron.
"Don't you know it rude to stare?" she asked.
"Oh… right…" Ron didn't realize he was staring… not really. "Sorry."
Hermione smiled. "It's OK." She continued doing her work. Ron stood up and walked over behind Hermione's chair.
"Why don't you relax, baby?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, persuading her to rest her back on the chair. "C'mon, let me give you a massage…"
"Ron, I still have a ton of work to do…"
"That can wait, you know. There's still tomorrow."
"But…" Hermione was unable to finish her sentence for Ron's hands were already working their miracle massages on her shoulders.
"As long as you're with me, I won't allow you to overwork yourself," Ron declared as his hands started moving down to Hermione's spine.
Hermione relaxed for the first time in months. She let Ron do his magic on his body.
"Feel better?" asked Ron.
"Oh… yeah…" breathed Hermione. "Better than I've felt in ages. You know," she began, facing Ron, "Harry never did anything like this for me. He was always out – Quidditch, library, places I've no idea where…"
"I don't like you to compare me with Harry," said Ron. "Harry tried his best – I know. You need to give him credit. After all, he DID love you, even if only for a while."
'But I'm pretty sure he still does,' he added to himself.
"You're right," Hermione agreed.
"C'mon now, face there, we need to get on with the massage," said Ron. Hermione resumed her initial position and Ron started massaging her neck and temples.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm…?"
"I love you."
Ron said those three words ever so plainly, but it had such a strong impact on Hermione. It made her heart jump when she heard those words from Ron.
"I love you too."
* * *
The next morning…
Hermione was fumbling with her fingers as Harry stared at her. Harry had never seen Hermione like this before.
"Herm?" he called. Hermione looked up.
"You OK?"
Hermione gave a fake smile then nodded her head slightly. She seemed to realize that her fingers were the most interesting things in the world that she started fumbling with them once more.
"You wanted to tell me something?" prompted Harry.
"Oh, that…" Hermione seemed reluctant to tell Harry.
'How am I supposed to tell him?' She asked herself. 'How could I have been so stupid to say 'yes' to Ron while Harry's still my boyfriend?'
"Harry… it's… it's about me and…"
"Ron." Harry said it so plainly that Hermione kind of grimaced. She looked into Harry's eyes and found no sign of hurting whatsoever.
"I… uh… how'd you know?" she asked, bewildered.
"I saw you two last night. Out there." Harry pointed towards the lake, which was clearly visible outside his window.
"Oh… I… I see…" stuttered Hermione. "Harry… I… I'm really sorry…"
"You don't have to be sorry for anything," said Harry. "I know you'll be much happier with Ron than you ever were with me." He touched her hand gently.
"Thank you," Hermione breathed. She stood up and hugged Harry.
"We can still be friends, you know," she said once they had pulled away from each other.
"Thanks," said Harry. He grinned mischievously, "You're not the only one who's found a new love, you know."
"Oh really?" asked Hermione, intrigued.
"Yeah," replied Harry. "I, too, have successfully found a new love!"
"Who's the lucky girl?"
"Cho Chang."
"Wow! That's great! Well, good luck with you two!" She glanced at her watch. "Whoops… I'd better be going now. I'll see you soon."
"Yeah," he replied, waving goodbye. "And good luck with Ron."
Hermione flashed him a smile of gratitude, then walked out the door.
* * *
"Really? And he didn't even seem to care?" asked Ron excitedly as he and Hermione climbed up the marble staircase.
"Yeah," said Hermione. "He's in love with Cho, I told you, that's why he didn't seem to care too much.
"Oh, yeah… that reminds me, could you call for Cho later and ask her to go to the infirmary? I think Harry wants to talk to her." Hermione gave Ron a wink.
"Oh… yeah… right…" said Ron, grinning mischievously. "I get it. Sure, no problem-o." He returned Hermione's wink.
"Thanks," said Hermione. "Well, I'd better be off now. I don't wanna be late for my Arithmancy class. I'll see you lunch time, OK?"
"OK," replied Ron. The two of them waved goodbye to each other. Ron started up the staircase towards the top floor for Divination.