Chapter 9: Heartbreak
Ron had never been a great sleeper at the best of times, but it seemed that tonight was even worse. All Harry's celebrations earlier had made up his mind. He was going to ask Hermionie to the ball tomorrow afternoon. But what would he say? What would she say? He needed to think, but Harry's snoring made it impossible. The common room should be empty now, no-one ever went in there after midnight...
While Ron was thinking upstairs, some people were in fact in the common room. The two people he would least like to be there...
Marcus sang again. He sang the most romantic songs he knew, and threw himself into an improvised solo at the end of one of the songs which he dedicated to Hermionie. The hardest part was the end of the night, the time they had to say goodbye. Tonight was different though. She always gave Marcus a hug goodnight, but for some reason neither of them wanted to let go. They stared at each other, still holding themselves together. Hermionie opened her mouth to say goodnight but stopped and moved closer to Marcus. She kissed him slowly and longingly. Moments later she opened her eyes and met his. She started to explain herself...
"I..."
"Shush" He replied, starting to kiss her again... Ron was now walking down the stairs, unheard due to the sound barrier. The kiss lasted longer this time, and they were still there as Ron entered the room.
Ron couldn't describe how he felt. It was like Hermionie had put a knife into his heart, and his soul felt empty. He felt betrayed by Marcus, but also by Hermionie. Nothing was going to console him. He decided to speak. No point in delaying the inevitable, however much it would hurt.
"Hermionie?" He questioned... They both broke instantaneously.
"Ron! I..."
"I saw..." He paused... "How long have you two..." He sounded broken and hopeless.
"We only just... That was our first kiss." She hated herself saying it. It was obvious from the look on Ron's face that he was upset by this.
"I'm... I'm happy for you..." he forced out. Marcus was strangely quiet. "I'll get out of your hair..." Ron said, turning back up the stairs.
"Ron, wait..." Hermionie pleaded, but he kept on walking. After he left, she collapsed onto the chair beside the fire. She felt drained. "He wasn't supposed to find out like this..." she said.
"I'm sorry..." Marcus offered.
"It's not your fault... It's just that Ron and I have always been really close. I'll be weird for him to see us together."
"I think we better get to sleep... Do you want me to talk to Ron tomorrow?"
"No, I'll talk to him..."
"Okay... Goodnight Herm..." Marcus whispered as he kissed her on her forehead.
"Goodnight Sparky" she smiled to him as he picked up his wand and guitar and began to walk out.
Ron threw himself on his pillow, furious at himself for even thinking of walking down. He started to weep into the sheets, lightly saying "Why? Why?". Harry woke as he head this.
"Ron, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I went downstairs, and I saw them..." he sobbed.
"Saw who?" Said Harry, very concerned now.
"Hermionie and Marcus" he continued, "They were... I can hardly even say it... They were kissing... I should have known..."
"Ron, I'm so sorry... " Harry answered, though he noticed a slight twinge in his own heart.** Heaven knows what Ron must be going through**
"It's okay... If she's happy, then it's all..."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Maybe in the morning. I need some sleep."
"Goodnight Ron"
"Thanks Harry" Said Ron, as he lay down again. Tomorrow was defiantly going to be hard for him.
Ron had never been a great sleeper at the best of times, but it seemed that tonight was even worse. All Harry's celebrations earlier had made up his mind. He was going to ask Hermionie to the ball tomorrow afternoon. But what would he say? What would she say? He needed to think, but Harry's snoring made it impossible. The common room should be empty now, no-one ever went in there after midnight...
While Ron was thinking upstairs, some people were in fact in the common room. The two people he would least like to be there...
Marcus sang again. He sang the most romantic songs he knew, and threw himself into an improvised solo at the end of one of the songs which he dedicated to Hermionie. The hardest part was the end of the night, the time they had to say goodbye. Tonight was different though. She always gave Marcus a hug goodnight, but for some reason neither of them wanted to let go. They stared at each other, still holding themselves together. Hermionie opened her mouth to say goodnight but stopped and moved closer to Marcus. She kissed him slowly and longingly. Moments later she opened her eyes and met his. She started to explain herself...
"I..."
"Shush" He replied, starting to kiss her again... Ron was now walking down the stairs, unheard due to the sound barrier. The kiss lasted longer this time, and they were still there as Ron entered the room.
Ron couldn't describe how he felt. It was like Hermionie had put a knife into his heart, and his soul felt empty. He felt betrayed by Marcus, but also by Hermionie. Nothing was going to console him. He decided to speak. No point in delaying the inevitable, however much it would hurt.
"Hermionie?" He questioned... They both broke instantaneously.
"Ron! I..."
"I saw..." He paused... "How long have you two..." He sounded broken and hopeless.
"We only just... That was our first kiss." She hated herself saying it. It was obvious from the look on Ron's face that he was upset by this.
"I'm... I'm happy for you..." he forced out. Marcus was strangely quiet. "I'll get out of your hair..." Ron said, turning back up the stairs.
"Ron, wait..." Hermionie pleaded, but he kept on walking. After he left, she collapsed onto the chair beside the fire. She felt drained. "He wasn't supposed to find out like this..." she said.
"I'm sorry..." Marcus offered.
"It's not your fault... It's just that Ron and I have always been really close. I'll be weird for him to see us together."
"I think we better get to sleep... Do you want me to talk to Ron tomorrow?"
"No, I'll talk to him..."
"Okay... Goodnight Herm..." Marcus whispered as he kissed her on her forehead.
"Goodnight Sparky" she smiled to him as he picked up his wand and guitar and began to walk out.
Ron threw himself on his pillow, furious at himself for even thinking of walking down. He started to weep into the sheets, lightly saying "Why? Why?". Harry woke as he head this.
"Ron, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I went downstairs, and I saw them..." he sobbed.
"Saw who?" Said Harry, very concerned now.
"Hermionie and Marcus" he continued, "They were... I can hardly even say it... They were kissing... I should have known..."
"Ron, I'm so sorry... " Harry answered, though he noticed a slight twinge in his own heart.** Heaven knows what Ron must be going through**
"It's okay... If she's happy, then it's all..."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Maybe in the morning. I need some sleep."
"Goodnight Ron"
"Thanks Harry" Said Ron, as he lay down again. Tomorrow was defiantly going to be hard for him.
