Chapter Eight…
"WHAT!" exclaimed Harry. This news certainly seemed
to wake him up from his daydreams. "How? I mean, when? Why? Why?" he
managed to say.
"I
told you, " replied Hermione crisply as they walked together. "Ron and I'm,
well, through. We're not -- friends. You don't have to take any sides, Harry."
she said and put a hand on his shoulder as she stopped to look out a window.
Hermione knew this was going to be difficult. How could you explain ending a
friendship, which lasted for almost four years, without a reason?
Hermione's
throat seems to contract as she said: " Harry, this is my decision. I'm sure
Ron agrees with it. I want you to still be my friend, but…" she squeezed his
shoulder. "…stay with Ron more, ok? I have the other girls and Ginny, but Ron,
well, you're his best friend." Hermione paused. She knew she would have to get
away from Harry quickly if she did not want to answer any of his questions.
"See ya." she added and briskly walked away, heading for the Great Hall.
Harry looked at her retreating back in amazement. What was
happening? Why was their group falling apart? Was it his fault? While he was
having a great time with Cho what happened that made his two greatest friends
just end their friendship?
At
that moment Ron came up, looking lethargic and with huge circles under his
eyes.
"Ron! What's going on? What's happened? Why has Hermione
stopped being your friend? What happened?!?" Harry asked desperately. He felt so horribly hopeless! He didn't
know how to express the confusion he was feeling!
"Oh, she told you already, huh? No reason, right?" said Ron,
scratching his head absently and yawning. "Well, nothing happened, Harry. It's
just that. Let's go. And," he continued as he saw Harry opening his mouth
again. "NO questions."
Leaving Harry behind, the other boy left to get breakfast.
*
"Hey, Cho," Harry said to the girl as he saw her pass in the
corridor. "I have something to tell you…"
After the breakup between his best friends, Harry had been
so crushed that he sought refuge in Cho. He had none else to tell his troubles
to and she seemed to be the best person to talk to. Harry knew she would
listen. He had grown so fond of her and she seemed to want to spend time with
him too.
But this time, when she saw Harry, she did not seem pleased.
"Can we talk right now? Let's go for a walk," said Harry as
he caught up with her.
She had her books clutched in her hands so tightly that her
knuckles had gone white and was walking hastily. "I don't think so, Harry," she
replied.
Harry frowned. "But why? It's kinda important… can we go to
the library then?"
"No, Harry, I'm sorry." she stopped and faced him.
At that moment, Cedric's face appeared through one of the
doorways.
"Hey, you, Potter!" he called coming over to them and
putting his arm around Cho possessively. "Get lost, huh? I've seen you mucking
about Cho; you've had your bit of fun, haven't you? Now clear off!" he spat
out.
Harry was dumbfounded.
Cho
just stood there, wring her hands nervously and didn't even seem to mind
Cedric's arm at all!
"I
think I'd better explain…" Cho said timidly to Harry and then turned and whispered
something to Cedric. He seemed reluctant at first, then made a face at Harry
and unwillingly left.
Harry crossed his arms. "Yes, I think you had better."
"Well, Harry, I'm very grateful
to you." began Cho, inspecting her fingernails that suddenly seemed to interest
her. "You gave me company and were my friend, thanks. But well, Cedric and
I—well, we made up. Look!" she exclaimed and held out her hand. She was wearing
a ring, a neat silver one with a single ice-blue stone at its center. "He said
it matches my eyes! Does it really?" she cooed.
Harry stared coolly at her.
"Ahem, well," she said, clearing her throat and putting her
hands behind her back. "It's a friendship ring… it's very pretty…"
"Pretty things aren't always nice." said Harry simply.
Cho understood his meaning and smiled weakly at him. Without
thinking, she rashly replied: "Oh
Harry! I didn't know you really liked me! I just thought you were going on with
the game…"
"What game?" said Harry sharply.
"I mean-uh, well," Cho said uneasily. "Y'know I wanted to make Cedric jealous so I
just…" she said, lowering her voice.
"You mean you used me to get to Cedric and then get the
ring."
"The ring was his idea!" she defended herself.
"What about Pansy?"
Cho grimaced. "She confessed. It was a potion she found in a
book that makes a person do what they're told for three seconds… she slipped it
into Cedric's butterbeer… that girl is such a—"
"Good bye, Cho," interrupted Harry and gave her a bitter
smile. "Thank you, you taught me something too."
Harry walked away.
*
"So then I said 'Muzzer! That iz plain ugly!' Now if it was
mai' choice…" Victor continued animatedly.
Krum
and Hermione were sitting in the far corner of the library and he was as usual
talking about topics that interested Hermione as much as watching grass die.
She politely inclined her head towards him, not hearing a
word of his tedious speeches. But she wasn't reading her book either. Her mind
was wondering about other things… Ron. That was it then. They were through. She
hadn't spoken to him for over a week since the night he had read the letter. She
still couldn't believe that he could do such a thing. Search her belongings…
that was such a horrible, horrible thing to do. For the first few days the only
words that rung in her head were 'How could he? How could he??'
Now all her days were focused on homework. She had read up on
all the topics they had covered in class and ahead as well and all her homework
was so thoroughly researched that even the teachers had trouble understanding
her complicated terms! Other than schoolwork, there was Victor. They met
everyday in the library when both of them were free of classes. Hermione tried
to avoid Ron and had decided on spending all her time with Krum. The reasons
were that: one: he would keep her mind off her troubles and Harry's questions,
and two: she knew Ron hated him.
But sticking to this decision was getting more and more
tiring everyday. Krum had now started talking about his mother, and that was
even worse than his Quiditch stories. He had completely no sense of humor!
Occasionally Hermione would try to tell him something funny that happened
during class, but he was always disapproving. It scared Hermione to think that
others might think of her a bit like what she thought of Krum whenever she
stopped them from making mischief! Sure, Hermione was practical, but she did
have a sense of fun, while Krum had none at all!
That's why, after giving up on Ron and Krum, Hermione
had no one left to think about except her secret admirer. All day she wondered
who he would be, what he would be doing, how he would look, how he felt… she
wanted so desperately to know who it was!
Whenever she met anybody, the first thought that flashed
through her mind was 'Could this be him?' She had even suspected Neville once
when he had smiled shyly at her at Potions Class! It could be him… after all;
he did ask her out to the ball! But somehow, Hermione couldn't picture Neville
do anything as romantic as love letters! And if it was Victor, he sure hid it
well! Hermione found that apart from Krum and the library, she just had her
admirer to keep her busy.
Picking up her books, she excused herself from Victor as his
story at last reached its boring finale and left the library wondering whether
her admirer was anywhere near watching her.
*
"Um, excuse me?" said a voice behind Ginny. She turned
around and saw a boy she had never seen before. Well, she knew she had caught
sight of him once or twice before, but had never spoken to him.
He was barely a foot taller than her with chocolate brown
hair and pale skin. His clear brown eyes looked her over once and then he
continued, "I'm afraid I've lost my way! I know its rather embarrassing, this
being my own school! But still, could you possibly point out the way out? I
have to be at Hagrid's Hut in," he glanced at his watch. ",five minutes! Oh
gosh!"
Ginny giggled at his worried face. It was difficult not to!
The boy seemed so somber and genuinely embarrassed at being lost and was making
such a big deal of it!
"Oh,
I'm so sorry!" said Ginny smiling apologetically at his curious expression.
"It's just that I've gotten lost a dozen times before and turned up in the
oddest places! It's quite all right that you did! The castle is so huge, one
can never tell the right way from the wrong! Of course I'll help you."
The boy smiled at her and Ginny felt a bit nervous in being
in his company now. 'He really looks quite nice when his eyes crinkle up…'
thought Ginny absently.
"Thanks ever so much," he replied. "It's my first year here
actually, and you?" he asked.
'He's so polite!' thought Ginny remembering the two
menaces that lived with her.
"Oh, it's my second! But you're surely not in the first
year?" she asked, her expression confused. He looked so much older than a first
year!
"Oh, you little idiot! Of course I'm not a first year!" he
answered laughing. "I'm in a Third year! Sadly my owl didn't reach me till this
year! You see my parents are more like nomads so we're always moving. The poor
owl has had a lot to do these two years!"
Ginny felt very stupid at thinking he was a First year! Of
course he wasn't! But she didn't mind him laughing at her at all! He seemed so good-natured
that it didn't seem like he was making fun of her! He was so different from her
brothers!
"Actually, " he continued as they started walking together
with Ginny showing the way. "I thought I was going pretty all right when this
ghost came up, pretty stupid looking one too. Said I was going the wrong way
and told me to come here! I've never even been to this part of the school before!"
he finished, looking at Ginny.
"Oh," replied Ginny, realization dawning on her. "You must have met Peeves! That
idiot is such a menace! Never listen to him, he's always trying to mess people
up."
"So
that was Peeves… I've heard a lot about him!" he said as they turned another
corner. In front of them, the huge doors of the entrance to Hogwarts emerged.
"Oh there they are!" said the boy spotting the doors. "And
to think I was so close to them! Thanks so much! I don't know what I would've
done without you!"
"Oh, relax! It's all right, really! My class doesn't start
in ten minutes, so I have plenty of time!" replied Ginny, turning pink at his
words.
He smiled at her again and then slapped his forehead as he
thought of something. "Oh! I haven't even asked your name yet!" he said,
flushing a bit himself. "I'm Ray Allen by the way."
"Ginny Weasley," she replied. "Do you know any of my
brothers? I've got three here," Ginny added as an afterthought. Strangely, she
knew that his class probably started in two minutes, but she wanted to speak to
him some more.
"Weasley, eh?" he said, wrinkling is forehead while
thinking. "Oh yes! Why you're a Weasley! I mean of course you are, you just
told me so! But you're thee Weasley? Arthur Weasley's daughter?" he
said, his eyes shining.
"Y-yes," said Ginny curiously. "Do you know Dad?"
"Of course I do! I mean, I've never really met him, but my
father's always talking about him! Dad's also in the Ministry, he's the Head of
the Muggle Protection Department so your dad is important in that too! What a
coincidence!" he grinned. "Hey! I think I saw your picture in the Daily Prophet
once! It was you, wasn't it? You seem a lot taller than what I saw in the
picture," he said and looked at her.
Ginny felt very shy with him gazing at her like that! She
chewed on her lip a bit and replied: "Yeah, that was me… I'm taller? Gee,
thanks! My brothers are always saying that..."
But before Ginny could continue, the bell rang shrilly
around the hall.
"Eesh, there's the bell, " Raymond answered adjusted his bag
pack on his shoulder. "Well, Ginny, we'd better talk some other time, huh?
Maybe we'll see each other at lunch! Thanks 'gain!" he called back at her as he
started running towards the entrance. "See ya later!"
Ginny waved back at him and started walking back towards the
direction of class, humming a tune, a slight spring in her step.
*
Not long now! Please be patient! I promise it'll end soon! Heheh,
this story isn't centered on Ginny, y'know! :P Review please? Thanks for
reading! ^_^
