Ch. 6
Revelations
Harry couldn't sleep.
He felt so bad for Hermione and didn't know how to handle the situation. On the one hand, he could tell her who her "admirer" was and risk her feeling embarrassed or think that Harry himself was lying. On the other hand he could not tell her and risk her getting embarrassed by Malfoy in front of the entire school.
It was a lose-lose situation.
"I have to tell her. Even if it hurts, she'll hurt more if I don't," Harry thought to himself.
Thursday morning Harry drowsily opened his eyes only to find Ron in front of the mirror ruffling his hair, styling it, and then ruffling it up again.
"Oh, good Harry, you're up," Ron said cheerily.
"As are you, mate," Harry groggily responded. "You're never this cheery in the morning."
"Well, you missed it last night, but I think I made Hermione forget all about that admirer bloke of hers." Ron then began adjusting his tie and then turned from side to see which one was the better angle.
"Oh, so things went well?" Harry inquired.
"Quite well," stated Ron matter-of-factly. "Say, which do you think is my good side Harry?"
"Nevermind that, what happened with you two?"
"I don't kiss and tell mate."
"You kissed her!" Harry bolted up with his mouth hanging open and began fumbling with his glasses.
"Er, no, I thought it was just an expression." Ron started with his hair again. "But we did talk for a long while, and I was very insightful according to Hermione."
"Oh, well, good job, I guess. I should get dressed." Harry matted down his hair with no success and threw on his robes while Ron proceeded down to the common room.
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When Harry got downstairs, he saw Ron slumped in a chair by the fireplace looking like Christmas had been cancelled. He was about to go ask Ron what had happened when he saw that on the opposite side of the common room Hermione and Ginny were giggling over a piece of parchment.
Another letter.
Ginny looked up at Harry with tears of mirth hanging from her eyes and ran over to him.
"So Hermione got another letter," said Harry
"Yeah I know!" Said Ginny. "If I wasn't so happy for Hermione, I'd be dead sorry for Ron. He looks like his puppy was killed."
"More like my chances with Hermione," Ron choked out.
Harry and Ginny jumped when they heard his voice, as they had thought he was still sitting by the fire.
"Look, Ron, I."
"Save it Ginny," Ron sputtered while turning away. "I should have known I couldn't compete with him."
"Look, there's something you two should know," began Harry. "Last night, I."
"Hey, we better hurry down to breakfast so we're not late," said Hermione hurriedly. Her cheeks were brightly flushed and a huge grin was plastered on her face.
"Well Harry was about to tell us something, weren't you Harry?" Ginny inquired.
"Er, it can wait let's go," Harry spit out and moved swiftly to the portrait hole.
Ginny and Hermione shrugged while Ron slightly moved his head and let out a noise similar to a whimper.
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At breakfast Harry asked Ginny exactly what the letter said.
"Well, it had the usual romantic stuff in the beginning," started Ginny. "But in the end," she paused to let out an excited giggle, "he asked to meet her tomorrow morning in the great hall at breakfast! He said that he would be holding a red rose. Isn't that fantastic?"
"Er, yeah, except her admirer is Malfoy," Harry muttered under his breath.
"What did you say Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, nothing. It's about time for class, we better get going."
They all set off with Harry and Ron looking devastated and Hermione and Ginny practically skipping with delight.
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All through classes, the three all had the same expressions from breakfast on their faces. Harry, though, finally decided that he would tell Hermione after dinner.
"Er, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked meekly.
"Um, sure Harry. What is it?" Responded Hermione politely.
"Well, I-I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Yes?"
"Um, well, lastnightafterdtentionIsawMalfoybeatingupNevillebecausehefoundoutthathewasth eonesendingtheletterstoyouasajoke," Harry sputtered out in one long breath.
"Ok, Harry. Now what in the name of Merlin did you just say?"
"I said that last night after detention I saw Malfoy beating Neville."
Hermione gasped. "But that's not all, Hermione. The reason Malfoy was beating him up was because Neville found out that Malfoy was the one sending you the secret admirer letters as a joke. He was planning on embarrassing you in front of the whole school tomorrow. I'm really sorry Hermione."
"What? But I thought.I.why.this.he's.cruel.I.oh." Hermione began to shake and Harry reached towards her to touch her shoulder. Hermione leaped backwards as though she had been scalded. She looked up at Harry with her eyes as big as golf balls, and then swiftly left through the portrait hole.
"What happened Harry?" Ron asked as he walked down the steps from his dormitory.
"Well, I just told Hermione that her secret admirer was actually Malfoy playing a trick on her," said Harry while hunched over and gazing at the floor.
"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!?!?" Ron screamed. "Because it's true," Harry responded meekly. "After detention last night I found Neville being beat up by Malfoy because Neville had found out. He told me everything."
"But, what.I.where."
And with that, Ron promptly left the common room.
A/N: Ok, I said that this chapter was going to be really good, but I decided to cut my original chapter into 2 chapters so that I could update sooner. This story is coming to a close in the next 2-3 chapters and my lovely trip to fanfic land is ending as well. Don't forget to review, and keep checking for the next update. It should be coming shortly!
Revelations
Harry couldn't sleep.
He felt so bad for Hermione and didn't know how to handle the situation. On the one hand, he could tell her who her "admirer" was and risk her feeling embarrassed or think that Harry himself was lying. On the other hand he could not tell her and risk her getting embarrassed by Malfoy in front of the entire school.
It was a lose-lose situation.
"I have to tell her. Even if it hurts, she'll hurt more if I don't," Harry thought to himself.
Thursday morning Harry drowsily opened his eyes only to find Ron in front of the mirror ruffling his hair, styling it, and then ruffling it up again.
"Oh, good Harry, you're up," Ron said cheerily.
"As are you, mate," Harry groggily responded. "You're never this cheery in the morning."
"Well, you missed it last night, but I think I made Hermione forget all about that admirer bloke of hers." Ron then began adjusting his tie and then turned from side to see which one was the better angle.
"Oh, so things went well?" Harry inquired.
"Quite well," stated Ron matter-of-factly. "Say, which do you think is my good side Harry?"
"Nevermind that, what happened with you two?"
"I don't kiss and tell mate."
"You kissed her!" Harry bolted up with his mouth hanging open and began fumbling with his glasses.
"Er, no, I thought it was just an expression." Ron started with his hair again. "But we did talk for a long while, and I was very insightful according to Hermione."
"Oh, well, good job, I guess. I should get dressed." Harry matted down his hair with no success and threw on his robes while Ron proceeded down to the common room.
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When Harry got downstairs, he saw Ron slumped in a chair by the fireplace looking like Christmas had been cancelled. He was about to go ask Ron what had happened when he saw that on the opposite side of the common room Hermione and Ginny were giggling over a piece of parchment.
Another letter.
Ginny looked up at Harry with tears of mirth hanging from her eyes and ran over to him.
"So Hermione got another letter," said Harry
"Yeah I know!" Said Ginny. "If I wasn't so happy for Hermione, I'd be dead sorry for Ron. He looks like his puppy was killed."
"More like my chances with Hermione," Ron choked out.
Harry and Ginny jumped when they heard his voice, as they had thought he was still sitting by the fire.
"Look, Ron, I."
"Save it Ginny," Ron sputtered while turning away. "I should have known I couldn't compete with him."
"Look, there's something you two should know," began Harry. "Last night, I."
"Hey, we better hurry down to breakfast so we're not late," said Hermione hurriedly. Her cheeks were brightly flushed and a huge grin was plastered on her face.
"Well Harry was about to tell us something, weren't you Harry?" Ginny inquired.
"Er, it can wait let's go," Harry spit out and moved swiftly to the portrait hole.
Ginny and Hermione shrugged while Ron slightly moved his head and let out a noise similar to a whimper.
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At breakfast Harry asked Ginny exactly what the letter said.
"Well, it had the usual romantic stuff in the beginning," started Ginny. "But in the end," she paused to let out an excited giggle, "he asked to meet her tomorrow morning in the great hall at breakfast! He said that he would be holding a red rose. Isn't that fantastic?"
"Er, yeah, except her admirer is Malfoy," Harry muttered under his breath.
"What did you say Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, nothing. It's about time for class, we better get going."
They all set off with Harry and Ron looking devastated and Hermione and Ginny practically skipping with delight.
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All through classes, the three all had the same expressions from breakfast on their faces. Harry, though, finally decided that he would tell Hermione after dinner.
"Er, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked meekly.
"Um, sure Harry. What is it?" Responded Hermione politely.
"Well, I-I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Yes?"
"Um, well, lastnightafterdtentionIsawMalfoybeatingupNevillebecausehefoundoutthathewasth eonesendingtheletterstoyouasajoke," Harry sputtered out in one long breath.
"Ok, Harry. Now what in the name of Merlin did you just say?"
"I said that last night after detention I saw Malfoy beating Neville."
Hermione gasped. "But that's not all, Hermione. The reason Malfoy was beating him up was because Neville found out that Malfoy was the one sending you the secret admirer letters as a joke. He was planning on embarrassing you in front of the whole school tomorrow. I'm really sorry Hermione."
"What? But I thought.I.why.this.he's.cruel.I.oh." Hermione began to shake and Harry reached towards her to touch her shoulder. Hermione leaped backwards as though she had been scalded. She looked up at Harry with her eyes as big as golf balls, and then swiftly left through the portrait hole.
"What happened Harry?" Ron asked as he walked down the steps from his dormitory.
"Well, I just told Hermione that her secret admirer was actually Malfoy playing a trick on her," said Harry while hunched over and gazing at the floor.
"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!?!?" Ron screamed. "Because it's true," Harry responded meekly. "After detention last night I found Neville being beat up by Malfoy because Neville had found out. He told me everything."
"But, what.I.where."
And with that, Ron promptly left the common room.
A/N: Ok, I said that this chapter was going to be really good, but I decided to cut my original chapter into 2 chapters so that I could update sooner. This story is coming to a close in the next 2-3 chapters and my lovely trip to fanfic land is ending as well. Don't forget to review, and keep checking for the next update. It should be coming shortly!