Chapter 10: Complications
The next morning Ron felt horrible. He decided that breakfast wasn't a good idea (since he felt sick already), made his excuses to Harry, and walked out of the castle to go to see Hagrid. He didn't know who else to turn to. Harry had his head in the clouds over Cho, and the other two people he would have talked to were the very problem he wanted to talk about.
As he reached Hagrid's hut, he heard another voice inside. To his surprise, as he walked in he found it was Neville Longbottom.
"Hello there Ron!" Hagrid began cheerfully as always. "Have a sit down, I'm just talking to Neville 'ere 'bout me class..."
Ron sat down, really wishing Neville would let Ron talk to Hagrid alone.
"I think I'll be alright now Hagrid." Neville stated. "I'm just a little slower catching on than the rest of the class."
"Alright, Neville. Just make sure you read the chapters that I say in the book, and you'll do fine."
"Thanks." Neville said sincerely as he picked up his belongings and turned to go. "See you later, both of you!" He glanced at Ron and Hagrid quickly, then made his way out of the door. Ron felt slightly sorry for Neville. His magic never seemed to come off quite right, and he was still quite shy, despite knowing everyone for about four years now. His attention was turned back to Hagrid.
"What can I do for you then Ron?" Hagrid asked, still cheerful.
"Well, I need some advice..." Ron replied hesitantly. He wondered if Hagrid was really the right person to be talking to...
"About the class?" Hagrid questioned.
"No, it's more of a personal thing..." Ron reluctantly decided that he couldn't talk to any other teacher about his problems, so Hagrid would have to do...
"Ahh.." Hagrid seemed to know what was coming, and also became slightly uncomfortable about it.
"It's about Hermionie..." Ron started... Hagrid seemed to be a step ahead, but in the wrong direction...
"So you've finally admitted to yourself how you feel about her! That's good... About time too... I knew when I first met the lot of you that you'd taken a shine to her..." Hagrid seemed relieved that he wasn't going to have to give a huge speech on the subject.
"That's not all..." Ron broke in before Hagrid really put his foot in it.
"What happened?" Hagrid went back to being uncomfortable.
"I went downstairs last night, " Ron felt his stomach churn as he began to explain the events of the previous night. "And I saw Marcus and Hermionie kissing in the common room."
"Ron, I'm sorry..." Hagrid offered. "I don't know what I can say... It may seem harsh, but I'm afraid that sometimes this kind of thing happens..."
"But why?" Ron seemed desperate again.
"I don't know Ron... All I can say is that in my experience, everything happens for a reason, and it does all work out alright in the end." It seemed to Hagrid that this didn't appear to help Ron much, but Ron didn't let it show.
"Hagrid, I think I love her." Ron poured his heart out with these words. He felt better for saying it though.
"I know Ron... When I was your age there was a girl that I thought I was in love with for about three years, but it turned out that we were just meant to be the best of friends. I don't know if that's much help right now, but it's the best I can offer." Ron seemed to appreciate Hagrid's effort, and noticed that it was just about time for Quidditch practice.
"Thank you Hagrid... You've been a great help..." Ron stated, trying not to sound corny.
"I'm always here Ron, just drop in if you need any help..." Ron got up and made his way to the door.
"Hagrid?"
"Yes Ron..."
"What happened to that girl you told me about?" Hagrid looked sad at this question.
"She was killed by you-know-who." He finally replied, with an obvious effort to hold back his own feelings.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise..." Ron apologised, but Hagrid didn't seem to mind.
"It's okay Ron. Just go and practice... I'll put in a word for you with Madam Hooch about the school team..."
"Wow! Thanks Hagrid!" Ron cheered up for a moment, though he doubted that Hagrid's words would have any effect on the selection process. With that he walked slightly more briskly back to the castle.
While Ron was talking to Hagrid, Hermionie was back in her dorm room looking out over the grounds, as she did every time she needed to think... There was nothing wrong with her kissing Marcus, in fact, it felt very right... Then why did she feel she needed to explain to Ron what had happened? It wasn't like they had ever been together and she was moving on to someone else. It was so complicated, for both of them...
As she sat down again, a letter fell beside her by Owl-Mail (now affectionately called O-Mail). It was from the last person she would have expected a letter from at the time. And it only served to make things more complicated... She recognised the writing on it almost immediately. It was from Viktor Krum. She opened it with a nervous excitement. It had been a long time since they had last written to each other, so she hurriedly started to read...
"Dear Hermionie,
Greeting from the Durmstrang institute, Viktor here... It seems we'll be seeing each other again soon... I have been selected for the school Quidditch team, and our first match is against Hogwarts near Christmas... It'll be just like old times...
See you soon,
With love from Viktor"
She felt her head spin. In one way she was happy to see Viktor again, but in another, he might think that they would still be going out. His English had improved a great deal since the last time she saw him... She decided that she had to tell Marcus about him, and sooner rather than later... She stared through the window again, and saw Ron walking back towards the front door.
"It must be time for Quidditch practice" she thought out loud, and made her way downstairs then out to the practice field...
The next morning Ron felt horrible. He decided that breakfast wasn't a good idea (since he felt sick already), made his excuses to Harry, and walked out of the castle to go to see Hagrid. He didn't know who else to turn to. Harry had his head in the clouds over Cho, and the other two people he would have talked to were the very problem he wanted to talk about.
As he reached Hagrid's hut, he heard another voice inside. To his surprise, as he walked in he found it was Neville Longbottom.
"Hello there Ron!" Hagrid began cheerfully as always. "Have a sit down, I'm just talking to Neville 'ere 'bout me class..."
Ron sat down, really wishing Neville would let Ron talk to Hagrid alone.
"I think I'll be alright now Hagrid." Neville stated. "I'm just a little slower catching on than the rest of the class."
"Alright, Neville. Just make sure you read the chapters that I say in the book, and you'll do fine."
"Thanks." Neville said sincerely as he picked up his belongings and turned to go. "See you later, both of you!" He glanced at Ron and Hagrid quickly, then made his way out of the door. Ron felt slightly sorry for Neville. His magic never seemed to come off quite right, and he was still quite shy, despite knowing everyone for about four years now. His attention was turned back to Hagrid.
"What can I do for you then Ron?" Hagrid asked, still cheerful.
"Well, I need some advice..." Ron replied hesitantly. He wondered if Hagrid was really the right person to be talking to...
"About the class?" Hagrid questioned.
"No, it's more of a personal thing..." Ron reluctantly decided that he couldn't talk to any other teacher about his problems, so Hagrid would have to do...
"Ahh.." Hagrid seemed to know what was coming, and also became slightly uncomfortable about it.
"It's about Hermionie..." Ron started... Hagrid seemed to be a step ahead, but in the wrong direction...
"So you've finally admitted to yourself how you feel about her! That's good... About time too... I knew when I first met the lot of you that you'd taken a shine to her..." Hagrid seemed relieved that he wasn't going to have to give a huge speech on the subject.
"That's not all..." Ron broke in before Hagrid really put his foot in it.
"What happened?" Hagrid went back to being uncomfortable.
"I went downstairs last night, " Ron felt his stomach churn as he began to explain the events of the previous night. "And I saw Marcus and Hermionie kissing in the common room."
"Ron, I'm sorry..." Hagrid offered. "I don't know what I can say... It may seem harsh, but I'm afraid that sometimes this kind of thing happens..."
"But why?" Ron seemed desperate again.
"I don't know Ron... All I can say is that in my experience, everything happens for a reason, and it does all work out alright in the end." It seemed to Hagrid that this didn't appear to help Ron much, but Ron didn't let it show.
"Hagrid, I think I love her." Ron poured his heart out with these words. He felt better for saying it though.
"I know Ron... When I was your age there was a girl that I thought I was in love with for about three years, but it turned out that we were just meant to be the best of friends. I don't know if that's much help right now, but it's the best I can offer." Ron seemed to appreciate Hagrid's effort, and noticed that it was just about time for Quidditch practice.
"Thank you Hagrid... You've been a great help..." Ron stated, trying not to sound corny.
"I'm always here Ron, just drop in if you need any help..." Ron got up and made his way to the door.
"Hagrid?"
"Yes Ron..."
"What happened to that girl you told me about?" Hagrid looked sad at this question.
"She was killed by you-know-who." He finally replied, with an obvious effort to hold back his own feelings.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise..." Ron apologised, but Hagrid didn't seem to mind.
"It's okay Ron. Just go and practice... I'll put in a word for you with Madam Hooch about the school team..."
"Wow! Thanks Hagrid!" Ron cheered up for a moment, though he doubted that Hagrid's words would have any effect on the selection process. With that he walked slightly more briskly back to the castle.
While Ron was talking to Hagrid, Hermionie was back in her dorm room looking out over the grounds, as she did every time she needed to think... There was nothing wrong with her kissing Marcus, in fact, it felt very right... Then why did she feel she needed to explain to Ron what had happened? It wasn't like they had ever been together and she was moving on to someone else. It was so complicated, for both of them...
As she sat down again, a letter fell beside her by Owl-Mail (now affectionately called O-Mail). It was from the last person she would have expected a letter from at the time. And it only served to make things more complicated... She recognised the writing on it almost immediately. It was from Viktor Krum. She opened it with a nervous excitement. It had been a long time since they had last written to each other, so she hurriedly started to read...
"Dear Hermionie,
Greeting from the Durmstrang institute, Viktor here... It seems we'll be seeing each other again soon... I have been selected for the school Quidditch team, and our first match is against Hogwarts near Christmas... It'll be just like old times...
See you soon,
With love from Viktor"
She felt her head spin. In one way she was happy to see Viktor again, but in another, he might think that they would still be going out. His English had improved a great deal since the last time she saw him... She decided that she had to tell Marcus about him, and sooner rather than later... She stared through the window again, and saw Ron walking back towards the front door.
"It must be time for Quidditch practice" she thought out loud, and made her way downstairs then out to the practice field...
