A/N: Well, we couldn't leave Ron and Hermione hating each other, now could we? This is, alas, the final installment - hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
The party in the Griffindor common room lasted long into the
night. Ron was so happy he hardly noticed Hermione's absence until
Ginny pulled him aside.
"She's really upset Ron. Hadn't you better go and talk to
her?"
"Why should I? It's not my fault she's such a know-it-all!
Anyway, she got what she deserved!" Ron replied, still stinging
from the memory of Hermione's comment at the end of round 6. Ginny
frowned.
"Still, Ron, you worked together to get to the end like
that. Without her, who knows if you would have even made it to
the last round!"
Ron opened his mouth to argue with his younger sister, but then
shut it again. As much as he hated to admit it. Ginny had a point.
"You both owe each other an apology. Go and talk to her."
Ron sighed.
"Where is she?"
******************************************
Ron crept quietly into the darkened Hogwarts library, keeping
a close eye out for Peeves and Mrs. Norris. That's all he needed
right now, to lose all the points he had just managed to win.
He wondered at Hermione's bravery - it wasn't like her to be wandering
around the school late at night.
"Hermione?" Ron whispered as he entered the library.
It was a creepy room this late at night - the tall stacks and
shelves cast long dark shadows on the walls. Ron had half a mind
to abandon his search for Hermione and go back to the party. Then
he heard a snuffling noise from somewhere down a dark aisle. He
sighed.
"Hermione, I know you're in here. At least, I'm pretty sure
you're in here. I'm hoping its you making that noise and not Madam
Pince."
"Go away Ron." Hermione quivering voice reached him
from behind a shelf. "Go back to your party and celebrate."
"I'm bored with celebrating." Ron replied, feeling
around in the darkness for the end of the shelf. "Ow!"
He walked headlong into some hard and dusty. "The least you
could do is give me a little light here, Hermione, before I kill
myself."
"Lumos." A weak light appeared several feet in front
of him. He skirted the end of the long row of shelves and found
her curled up in a tight corner.
"Have you been crying?" he asked, surprised.
"Of course I have, you idiot! I've just made a fool of myself
in front of the entire school!"
"Well, now you know what it feels like." said Ron heavily,
sitting down next to her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.
"Nothing. Just that I'm always the goofy one - stupid old
Ron, can't manage to do anything right. It's nice to be the smart
one, for a change."
Hermione was silent for a moment.
"Ron, I never meant to call you stupid."
"Then why did you?"
Hermione sighed in frustration. "You took it the wrong way,
and then I got angry, and-"
"Yeh, well, you said some pretty nasty stuff while you were
angry. It was low. I don't even know why I'm speaking to you now."
"Well, you said some nasty things, too!" Hermione pointed
out defensively.
"Well, you started it."
"Did not!
"Did to!"
"Let's not start this again!" Hermione cried, jumping
to her feet. "You are right, Ron, I said some really mean
things over the past few weeks, but I'm taking them back now.
It was wrong of me to doubt your intelligence, and you certainly
proved that to me today! I'm sorry, ok?! I'm honestly, truly sorry!!"
Ron blushed and looked down at his feet.
"Well thanks." he said.
"Ahem!"
"What? Oh! Yes, I'm sorry too, Hermione. For calling you
a know-it-all and all that. I get a little . . . competitive
sometimes - middle child syndrome, I guess."
Hermione smiled. "Ron, you aren't the middle child."
"Aren't I? Oh, guess I'm not. See? I don't know as much
as I think!"
The two of them laughed for a minute, and then Ron stuck out
his hand.
"Friends?" he asked.
"Friends." Hermione agreed, shaking her hand.
"Wow, Harry's going to be really glad we made up. He was
sure that we were never going to speak to one another again."
Ron said with a sigh of relief and the two of them headed out
of the library back towards the Griffindor common room.
"Well, I guess Harry underestimated the both of us, then."
Hermione replied.
"And where do you think you two are going?" a stern
voice called from the shadows. Ron and Hermione froze in their
tracks.
"I think we might be busted." Ron said nervously.
"Oh, you think so, do you?" the voice went on. A sudden
burst of wandlight revealed Anne Robinson standing in the corridor
ahead of them, looking cross. Ron gulped.
"Er - hello there, Ms. Robinson, ma'am." he stammered.
Hermione said nothing, and simply stared at her feet.
"I do believe it is a high offense to be wandering around
Hogwarts this late at night." Anne Robinson said severely.
Ron and Hermione nodded silently.
"Well then, perhaps you had better explain yourselves."
"We were just - um - we were-" Ron began, looking at
Hermione helplessly.
"We were making up." she said simply.
Anne Robinson said nothing for almost a minute. Ron's heart sank.
He was about to have all his wonderful house points taken away
by the very woman who gave him all the house points. He made a
mental note never to involve himself in a game show ever again.
"That was a smart thing to do, wasn't it?" Anne suddenly
said with a smile. Ron's jaw dropped. Hermione elbowed him.
"Yeh, it was." he said nervously.
"Young lady, do you still have that ridiculous shirt?"
Hermione blushed. "Yes. . . ."
"Give it here." Anne Robinson demanded. Hermione passed
her Weakest Link t-shirt over in silence. Anne magically whipped
out a pen and autographed it, then handed it back.
"Have a pleasant evening." She said, and then whisked
away down the hall. Ron and Hermione stood staring at one another
in shock, Hermione still clutching her t-shirt.
"Let's run," Ron finally said, breaking the silence.
"Good idea," Hermione agreed, and the two of them raced
back down the hall towards the safety of the Griffindor common
room.
Griffindor rules!
The End
