A/N: I know, I know. I'm bad. It's just, oh, I dunno, stuff happened and I
lost track. Here am I, ready and faithful to deliver what my..**counts on
fingers** three loyal readers REALLY want. **looks at three loyal readers,
who exchange glances and run in the opposite direction** Oh well. Maybe
next chapter...
All was quiet for a few weeks. However, with the exception of the students in the hospital wing, all seemed normal. Dumbledore had decided not to tell the students about the one fatal encounter that the French minister had, had with the disease, preferring instead to keep the morale of the school raised. Hermione, though, was starting to show a bit of strain. First she had looked through all the magical medical books she could get her hands on. Nothing. Then she switched tracks completely. She was sitting in the library one day, during lunch, when Ron stumbled upon an interesting find.
"Are you ever going eat lunch with us again, Hermione? You've looked through all the books three times over!"
"I'm not reading a MEDICAL book, Ron." Hermione said, with a bit of contempt.
"What are you reading then?"
Hermione closed the book, and tilted up the cover so Ron could read it.
"Crikey Hermione! "Let's Talk Hebrew"? What the heck are you learning Hebrew for? Rachel can't even speak it fluently!"
"I plan on learning at least a little. Besides, what harm could it do? It will probably help me in Runes class."
"But why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you learning it?!"
Hermione shrugged. "Can't hurt, can it?"
"That's not what I'm asking. I want to know what on earth prompted you to go out and find a book entitled 'Let's Talk Hebrew'!"
Hermione reddened and muttered something Ron couldn't hear. Then, sighing, she slid the book into her bag and stood up. "Come on." She said quietly. "The bell is going to ring soon. I can't be late for Arithmancy."
Ron shook his head as Hermione slipped out the door.
"She's seriously gone bonkers, Harry." Ron remarked as Hermione sat, tracing the alef-bet onto her transfiguration homework.
"I heard that!" Hermione said. And looked at them, raising her eyebrows. "How much Hebrew can YOU speak, Ronald?"
Ron blushed. "Uh..un..Slalom?"
"It's Shalom!"
"What do I care?" Ron shot back. "We don't need Hebrew, eh Harry?"
Harry looked to the both of them, staring at him expectantly. Finally, he snapped. "I don't know, ok? Ok? Why is it that I always have to break up the fights? It's always Ron or Hermione or Ron and Rachel or Rachel and Hermione and I'm sick of it! Why do you always need me to solve your problems? Since when did I become the UN?! Huh? It's not enough that every second I have to be worried that I'm going to be killed now, is it? No. Instead I have to solve your petty problems every five minutes! WHY!?"
Hermione and Ron blinked a few times and exchanged glances. Finally Hermione slid her book into her bag and Ron shifted from foot to foot.
"Sorry Harry." Hermione and Ron said at the exact same time.
"I know we're being petty." Ron said, face red as the setting sun.
"It's just...we're stressed."
"I know." Harry looked at the ground.
"Did..did you really mean all those things that you said?" Ron asked, after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"Yes Ron. I'm afraid I did."
All was quiet for a few weeks. However, with the exception of the students in the hospital wing, all seemed normal. Dumbledore had decided not to tell the students about the one fatal encounter that the French minister had, had with the disease, preferring instead to keep the morale of the school raised. Hermione, though, was starting to show a bit of strain. First she had looked through all the magical medical books she could get her hands on. Nothing. Then she switched tracks completely. She was sitting in the library one day, during lunch, when Ron stumbled upon an interesting find.
"Are you ever going eat lunch with us again, Hermione? You've looked through all the books three times over!"
"I'm not reading a MEDICAL book, Ron." Hermione said, with a bit of contempt.
"What are you reading then?"
Hermione closed the book, and tilted up the cover so Ron could read it.
"Crikey Hermione! "Let's Talk Hebrew"? What the heck are you learning Hebrew for? Rachel can't even speak it fluently!"
"I plan on learning at least a little. Besides, what harm could it do? It will probably help me in Runes class."
"But why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you learning it?!"
Hermione shrugged. "Can't hurt, can it?"
"That's not what I'm asking. I want to know what on earth prompted you to go out and find a book entitled 'Let's Talk Hebrew'!"
Hermione reddened and muttered something Ron couldn't hear. Then, sighing, she slid the book into her bag and stood up. "Come on." She said quietly. "The bell is going to ring soon. I can't be late for Arithmancy."
Ron shook his head as Hermione slipped out the door.
"She's seriously gone bonkers, Harry." Ron remarked as Hermione sat, tracing the alef-bet onto her transfiguration homework.
"I heard that!" Hermione said. And looked at them, raising her eyebrows. "How much Hebrew can YOU speak, Ronald?"
Ron blushed. "Uh..un..Slalom?"
"It's Shalom!"
"What do I care?" Ron shot back. "We don't need Hebrew, eh Harry?"
Harry looked to the both of them, staring at him expectantly. Finally, he snapped. "I don't know, ok? Ok? Why is it that I always have to break up the fights? It's always Ron or Hermione or Ron and Rachel or Rachel and Hermione and I'm sick of it! Why do you always need me to solve your problems? Since when did I become the UN?! Huh? It's not enough that every second I have to be worried that I'm going to be killed now, is it? No. Instead I have to solve your petty problems every five minutes! WHY!?"
Hermione and Ron blinked a few times and exchanged glances. Finally Hermione slid her book into her bag and Ron shifted from foot to foot.
"Sorry Harry." Hermione and Ron said at the exact same time.
"I know we're being petty." Ron said, face red as the setting sun.
"It's just...we're stressed."
"I know." Harry looked at the ground.
"Did..did you really mean all those things that you said?" Ron asked, after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"Yes Ron. I'm afraid I did."
