Part Four
In which one mystery is solved and another deepens...
This one's for Daniel, good luck with Rhys, honey pie :)
All is JK's and the WB's
Walking to the Gryffindor table, smiling goodbye to Draco, Harry sat down next to Hermione, no sign of Ron anywhere. He didn't bother to ask where he was. He didn't care. Was Draco right? Was he really homophobic? Harry shuddered. He'd thought he knew Ron well enough, that he'd never hate someone for such a stupid reason. He was the one who went mad at Draco for calling Hermione a mudblood. Wasn't this exactly the same thing? And if he wasn't homophobic, then what was his problem?
"Are you all right, Harry?" Asked Hermione, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"Yeah, I guess," Harry gave a weak smile. "I was just wondering..." Trailing off, Harry remembered Neville had been about to say something to him in Potions about Ron. Maybe that had something to do with this? Glancing up at the table, he frowned. Neville wasn't here either. He shook his head in exasperation. It looked like the Ron situation wasn't going to get sorted out any time soon.
"Are we going to revise in the common room after dinner?" Hermione was asking.
"Revise for what!?" Harry asked, panic setting in.
"For the exam next week that Professor Flitwick set us," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Harry, are you taking this year seriously?"
"I am, Hermione. But I need to sort a few things out first."
She gave him a smile and patted his arm. "You know Ron can be a stubborn idiot, Harry. He's probably waiting in the dormitory right now for you to make the fist move."
"And say what? Apologise? Because I like Draco? I don't think so."
"One of you has to do something," Hermione said, a tone of lecture coming into her voice. Groaning inwardly, Harry remained silent. he didn't need that on top of everything else. Picking at his steak pie, he thought about the lessons today. He didn't remember a thing about them. He wanted to take this year seriously - he knew it was important. But he had so many other things on his mind at the moment. Maybe he should just go and revise with Hermione, and let Ron sort himself out. Sounded a good idea for tonight, anyway. The only problem was that he still had to share a dormitory with Ron, so would have to at least see him. Well, he'd try not to kick him if he was asleep. Draining his pumpkin juice, he turned to Hermione, then paled to see Snape walking towards him. Oh, what had he done now?
"Potter," Snape said, sounding almost - nervous? Or conflicted, as though he didn't really want to say what he was about to. "If you ever need to - talk. About anything. You know where I will be." With that said, he walked out of the Great Hall. Harry stared after him unbelieving.
"What the- Was that a Boggart or something?" He asked, turning to Hermione - and stared again. She was smiling after Snape with an odd, silly look in her eyes, and then sighed. "I've really, really missed something, haven't I?"
"What?" Hermione seemed to come back to herself. "Oh, stop it, Harry. Snape is just trying to help you out. Malfoy - er, Draco - is his favourite student, after all." Her lips thinned at that. She didn't like anyone else being teachers pet. That was her job. Standing, she looked down at Harry. "So, shall we revise?"
"I don't have anything better to do," muttered Harry, and followed Hermione to Gryffindor tower. They walked there in a comfortable silence, wonderful compared to the gossiping that had followed him all day everywhere he went. Even at dinner, he'd seen people pointing at him, and Ginny looking at him mournfully. He felt sort of sorry for her. He did like her, just not the way he liked Draco.
The portrait swung forward as Hermione said the password, and the two walked into the common room. Sitting there, talking in low voices, were Neville and Ron. Ron looked at Harry as he walked in, then glared at Neville and pushed past Harry, silently stalking out of the common room.
Folding his arms, Harry looked sternly at Neville. "What was that about?" He asked, and Neville frowned.
"He told me not to tell you. But-" He glanced at the back of the portait where Ron had gone. "I suppose I better had, if he won't." Glancing at Hermione, Harry sat, Hermione in a chair opposite Neville. "I don't know why on won't tell you. I think he's just embarressed," Neville said with a shrug. "And now you're going around with Malfoy like that."
"Get to the point, Neville," Harry said, wishing people would call Draco by his first name, purposefully ignoring the fact he had done the same.
"Well, if you want to know, Ron likes you. He's been going on about it all year. Acting like him and you are going out." Harry stared open mouthed at Neville.
"Ron's-" He stood, feeling angry and relieved and annoyed all at the same time. He sat down again, and looked at Hermione questioningly.
She shrugged. "I had no idea."
Frowning, Harry wondered what he should do. He had a reason to confront Ron now. But - did he want to? He didn't like Ron like that - Ron was his best friend. But why had he been acting as if he and Harry had been going out - without so much as a whisper to Harry? He sighed, and stood again.
"Do you know where Ron's gone?" Harry asked Neville. The other boy shook his head.
"No, but he was pretty angry. He might have gone after Malfoy."
Harry turned and ran out of the common room, yelling "His name's Draco!"