AN: sorry so short! I'm so tired, I just had to finish and then go to
sleep. I went and saw the movie…twice. It's awesome. I was so mad about
everything they cut out (but Snape still kicked ass..) and the movie really
was spifferific. If you don't care to go, afraid the movie will suck, go
to see the Quidditch game. It's really superb. P-p-p-poor s-s-stuttering
Professor Quirrell…Hehe…continuing…
Chapter Six: You Wouldn't Even Recognize Me Anymore
"What do you want, Malfoy?" said Harry, pulling his back quickly.
"I want you to know something. I think it's really important," replied Malfoy. He had bags under his eyes, and his face was even paler than usual. He looked like he wanted to fall asleep right then and there. Harry was quite curious why he looked like this.
"What is it?"
"I need to know why you are so mad at everyone."
"Mad? I'm not mad. And if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," said Harry, clenching his fist until the knuckles turned white. What was with Malfoy? 'Is it that obvious that I'm so mad with everyone? Hermione, of course, deserves this. And then there was Neville, who was mad at me for really, no reason,' he thought.
"Potter, it's obvious. I just need to know," he said, a smirk on his face giving him away.
"What is going on!" A voice said sharply. "It is time for lunch. Why aren't you at the Great Hall?"
Harry turned around and found him face to face with Snape. "We're not doing anything, Professor," Harry said slowly. "I'm just going to mail a letter."
Snape was not satisfied. "The Owlery is on the other side of the castle, Potter." He sneered at Harry.
Harry fought hard not to loose his temper. "I know, Professor Snape, but I have to go to my common room to get it. And my common room is this way."
"You have a funny way of appearing in odd places. You are rarely there for no good reason…the both you, go back to your common rooms, now."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and walked briskly away, trying hard not to run. Turning the corner, he saw Hermione and Ron down at the other end.
Harry didn't notice Malfoy appear at the other end of the corridor. Sticking out his wand, Malfoy whispered, "Lermillus Peritoneum!"
A white wisp of smoke floated out of the end of his wand. It immediately became invisible, and his Ron in the back, causing him to stumble forward. Then Malfoy turned around and walked away.
"Ron, are you okay?" he heard Hermione ask.
"Yeah, fine."
Harry watched them for a moment, then began to walk up to them. Hermione turned at the sound, and her face fell.
Ron saw this. "Harry, what do you want?" he said, quietly.
Harry walked awkwardly forward. "Ron, I need to talk to you. Privately," he added, eyeing Hermione.
Ron shook his head. "Not now, Harry. Later, after Transfiguration."
Harry ran his hand through his hair. "Alright, then. Talk to you later."
He walked back from where he came from. His stomach grumbled with hunger. Before he left, he looked behind him. He could only hear murmurs of their conversation. Harry saw Ron grab Hermione's hands, enclosing them around his. Harry ran around the corner, and then peeked around to see what would happen.
Frowning slightly, he saw Hermione edge closer to him. Harry tilted his head sideways, wondering what was going on. Hermione seemed to be rather uncomfortable, there, and turned her head to the ground. The murmurs were getting louder, and Hermione didn't look up to meet Ron's gaze. Suddenly, without warning, Hermione ripped her hands from Ron's, and backed off. She hit the wall with a slight thud, and Ron looked rather angry. Harry could distinguish words, most of them were like, "Ron, what are you doing?" and "Hermione, you never seem to understand!"
Harry was puzzled. What was Ron saying? He wished he were closer, or had his Invisibility Cloak with him. 'But,' Harry thought, 'I shouldn't be here at all in the first place.' He turned around, shifting the weight on his shoulders, and began to walk away.
Hermione gave a small yelp. Harry instinctively turned around and saw Ron pin Hermione to the wall. Now Harry was too curious. Hermione had a look of horror on her face, and Harry, even though he was mad, couldn't watch her being hurt like this. Dropping his things on the floor, he ran over to Ron, and started to pull him off Hermione.
"Ron! What are you doing?!" Harry cried, yanking on Ron's black robes.
"Shut up, Harry. Why are you still here? Eavesdropping, like you did the other night? Come to make some more accusations, right?! Well, I won't stand for it! Get off of me!" He yelled, turned around and pulling out his wand.
Harry backed off. "Ron, what is the matter? Can't you see Hermione is uncomfortable?!" said Harry, clenching his fists.
"What the hell do you mean?" He replied loudly, pointing his wand between Harry's eyes.
"Look at her, you dolt!" cried Harry, pointing at Hermione. "She's on the verge of tears!"
"Only because you accuse her of something that may or may not have happened!"
Harry remained silent. He had no useful retort, and he dare not pull out his wand, in case Snape was lurking around. Hermione glanced at Harry, he eyes full of tears.
"Ron, put the wand down, please," said Hermione, calmly but her voice broke at the end.
"No!" said Ron, darkly. "I won't put it down."
Harry looked at Ron. There was something odd, yet something very familiar by his actions. Suddenly, he saw that his eyes, normally brown, now were an old sort of gray…and, despite the fact that the halls were well lit, there was no glare in his eye. It was a dull, slate gray.
"What is this, Harry?" Ron asked, his voice a little lower. "Haven't got anything to say?"
Harry looked closer. He could see that Ron wasn't himself; he deducted that much at least, but now it was plain to see that this wasn't of his own will. Silently, Harry nodded towards Ron, and made the shape of a spell in the air. He pulled a line threw the air, as if to show, "unknown". Hermione caught his hand movements.
"Sorry, Ron, but I've got to—" Harry said, reaching back, preparing to punch Ron. Before he could, Hermione reached out her wand.
"No!" said Hermione, understanding Harry and getting the idea. Before he turn around to see what was happening, Hermione yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"
"What the hell was that, Hermione?" Harry asked, as Ron's legs and arms snapped to his body. He fell to the floor face-down, with a loud thud. "I didn't mean to give him the full Body Bind! We're not supposed to use magic in the corridors; besides, Snape's on patrol here!"
"Since when have you been against breaking rules?" Hermione snapped, looking down at Ron.
Harry was silent for a few minutes. "What do you think, Hermione?"
Ron glanced up at them, his eyes moving frantically. She peered at him, poking his belly and prodding his cheek. "I haven't got a clue, Harry." She looked up at him. "Have you forgiven me for whatever I did?"
Harry was hesitant to say yes. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Why was he so angry? Finally, he whispered, "Yeah, I guess, Hermione."
Hermione jumped up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Harry! I haven't been able to concentrate all day! I don't suppose you'll tell me what exactly I did, to make you so mad; I would like to know though."
She said this all very fast.
Harry, his glasses knocked askew from Hermione jumping into his arms, blushed furiously. He awkwardly put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Hermione, it is no big deal," he replied, a tad flustered. Hermione dug her head into his chest.
Maybe it wasn't even Hermione he saw there. Maybe.
Chapter Six: You Wouldn't Even Recognize Me Anymore
"What do you want, Malfoy?" said Harry, pulling his back quickly.
"I want you to know something. I think it's really important," replied Malfoy. He had bags under his eyes, and his face was even paler than usual. He looked like he wanted to fall asleep right then and there. Harry was quite curious why he looked like this.
"What is it?"
"I need to know why you are so mad at everyone."
"Mad? I'm not mad. And if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," said Harry, clenching his fist until the knuckles turned white. What was with Malfoy? 'Is it that obvious that I'm so mad with everyone? Hermione, of course, deserves this. And then there was Neville, who was mad at me for really, no reason,' he thought.
"Potter, it's obvious. I just need to know," he said, a smirk on his face giving him away.
"What is going on!" A voice said sharply. "It is time for lunch. Why aren't you at the Great Hall?"
Harry turned around and found him face to face with Snape. "We're not doing anything, Professor," Harry said slowly. "I'm just going to mail a letter."
Snape was not satisfied. "The Owlery is on the other side of the castle, Potter." He sneered at Harry.
Harry fought hard not to loose his temper. "I know, Professor Snape, but I have to go to my common room to get it. And my common room is this way."
"You have a funny way of appearing in odd places. You are rarely there for no good reason…the both you, go back to your common rooms, now."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and walked briskly away, trying hard not to run. Turning the corner, he saw Hermione and Ron down at the other end.
Harry didn't notice Malfoy appear at the other end of the corridor. Sticking out his wand, Malfoy whispered, "Lermillus Peritoneum!"
A white wisp of smoke floated out of the end of his wand. It immediately became invisible, and his Ron in the back, causing him to stumble forward. Then Malfoy turned around and walked away.
"Ron, are you okay?" he heard Hermione ask.
"Yeah, fine."
Harry watched them for a moment, then began to walk up to them. Hermione turned at the sound, and her face fell.
Ron saw this. "Harry, what do you want?" he said, quietly.
Harry walked awkwardly forward. "Ron, I need to talk to you. Privately," he added, eyeing Hermione.
Ron shook his head. "Not now, Harry. Later, after Transfiguration."
Harry ran his hand through his hair. "Alright, then. Talk to you later."
He walked back from where he came from. His stomach grumbled with hunger. Before he left, he looked behind him. He could only hear murmurs of their conversation. Harry saw Ron grab Hermione's hands, enclosing them around his. Harry ran around the corner, and then peeked around to see what would happen.
Frowning slightly, he saw Hermione edge closer to him. Harry tilted his head sideways, wondering what was going on. Hermione seemed to be rather uncomfortable, there, and turned her head to the ground. The murmurs were getting louder, and Hermione didn't look up to meet Ron's gaze. Suddenly, without warning, Hermione ripped her hands from Ron's, and backed off. She hit the wall with a slight thud, and Ron looked rather angry. Harry could distinguish words, most of them were like, "Ron, what are you doing?" and "Hermione, you never seem to understand!"
Harry was puzzled. What was Ron saying? He wished he were closer, or had his Invisibility Cloak with him. 'But,' Harry thought, 'I shouldn't be here at all in the first place.' He turned around, shifting the weight on his shoulders, and began to walk away.
Hermione gave a small yelp. Harry instinctively turned around and saw Ron pin Hermione to the wall. Now Harry was too curious. Hermione had a look of horror on her face, and Harry, even though he was mad, couldn't watch her being hurt like this. Dropping his things on the floor, he ran over to Ron, and started to pull him off Hermione.
"Ron! What are you doing?!" Harry cried, yanking on Ron's black robes.
"Shut up, Harry. Why are you still here? Eavesdropping, like you did the other night? Come to make some more accusations, right?! Well, I won't stand for it! Get off of me!" He yelled, turned around and pulling out his wand.
Harry backed off. "Ron, what is the matter? Can't you see Hermione is uncomfortable?!" said Harry, clenching his fists.
"What the hell do you mean?" He replied loudly, pointing his wand between Harry's eyes.
"Look at her, you dolt!" cried Harry, pointing at Hermione. "She's on the verge of tears!"
"Only because you accuse her of something that may or may not have happened!"
Harry remained silent. He had no useful retort, and he dare not pull out his wand, in case Snape was lurking around. Hermione glanced at Harry, he eyes full of tears.
"Ron, put the wand down, please," said Hermione, calmly but her voice broke at the end.
"No!" said Ron, darkly. "I won't put it down."
Harry looked at Ron. There was something odd, yet something very familiar by his actions. Suddenly, he saw that his eyes, normally brown, now were an old sort of gray…and, despite the fact that the halls were well lit, there was no glare in his eye. It was a dull, slate gray.
"What is this, Harry?" Ron asked, his voice a little lower. "Haven't got anything to say?"
Harry looked closer. He could see that Ron wasn't himself; he deducted that much at least, but now it was plain to see that this wasn't of his own will. Silently, Harry nodded towards Ron, and made the shape of a spell in the air. He pulled a line threw the air, as if to show, "unknown". Hermione caught his hand movements.
"Sorry, Ron, but I've got to—" Harry said, reaching back, preparing to punch Ron. Before he could, Hermione reached out her wand.
"No!" said Hermione, understanding Harry and getting the idea. Before he turn around to see what was happening, Hermione yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"
"What the hell was that, Hermione?" Harry asked, as Ron's legs and arms snapped to his body. He fell to the floor face-down, with a loud thud. "I didn't mean to give him the full Body Bind! We're not supposed to use magic in the corridors; besides, Snape's on patrol here!"
"Since when have you been against breaking rules?" Hermione snapped, looking down at Ron.
Harry was silent for a few minutes. "What do you think, Hermione?"
Ron glanced up at them, his eyes moving frantically. She peered at him, poking his belly and prodding his cheek. "I haven't got a clue, Harry." She looked up at him. "Have you forgiven me for whatever I did?"
Harry was hesitant to say yes. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Why was he so angry? Finally, he whispered, "Yeah, I guess, Hermione."
Hermione jumped up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Harry! I haven't been able to concentrate all day! I don't suppose you'll tell me what exactly I did, to make you so mad; I would like to know though."
She said this all very fast.
Harry, his glasses knocked askew from Hermione jumping into his arms, blushed furiously. He awkwardly put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Hermione, it is no big deal," he replied, a tad flustered. Hermione dug her head into his chest.
Maybe it wasn't even Hermione he saw there. Maybe.
