Chapter 10
Hermione tried to smile at Ernie, but her entire face felt numb. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," she muttered as she got up and walked toward the ladies room near the bar.
'What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?' she thought over and over. She knew she'd have to break up with Ernie as soon as possible; it was the right thing to do. She didn't want to continue leading him on.
Meanwhile, Ernie went to pay for their butterbeers at the bar.
Hermione knew she'd have to leave the bathroom sometime, so she straightened her shoulders, held up her head, and walked into the room. She spotted Ernie at the bar almost immediately, and walked over, prepared to break up with him.
"Ernie, I have to tell you something," she said.
Just then, Hagrid entered the Three Broomsticks and announced, "Any Hogwarts students and teachers still in here need to go, we're going back to Hogwarts," his voice boomed.
Ernie left the Three Broomsticks. Hermione followed, not having told Ernie what she needed to say.
Little did they know, that someone had been spying on them.
* * *
'What great gossip! Hermione Granger and Ernie McMillan! Parvati will love this,' thought Lavender Brown as she walked to the Gryffindor common room. But Lavender knew that Parvati would want more, Parvati always wanted only the juiciest, most interesting gossip.
Ideas to make her story more interesting ran through Lavender's head. Lavender finally settled on the perfect story and ran to find her best friend.
* * *
Parvati was sprawled out on the couch in the common room, reading a romance novel.
The portrait swung open, and Lavender burst into the room, exploding with excitement.
"What is it?" Parvati asked, looking up from her book.
"I've just seen the most shocking thing you will have ever heard in your life!" Lavender bubbled. She inwardly complimented herself on what a good liar she was as she prepared for what she was about to say next.
"What is it?" Parvati asked eagerly.
"Hermione Granger is going out with that Hufflepuff boy, Ernie McMillan."
"That's not that big of a deal," Parvati said, a little disappointed.
"That's not all," Lavender said, smiling.
"What else is there?" Parvati asked. The excitement was almost unbearable.
"Well," said Lavender, reveling in her friend's curiosity, "I saw the two of them in the Three Broomsticks earlier today, and you'll never believe what I saw."
"What?" Parvati almost cried in anticipation.
"I saw them going into the Ladies Room together, and they were in there nearly all day." Lavender lied.
"They were?" Parvati said, shocked. "What do you think they were doing in there?"
"What else would they be doing, locked up in a public bathroom together for hours?" Lavender said, calmly examining her nails.
"So you think they actually. . . ?" Parvati said, eyes wide.
"Well, I can't exactly know what actually happened, can I? But what else would they be doing in there?"
"Wow Lav, you've really outdone yourself this time, how'd you find out anyway?" said Parvati, still amazed. "I can't believe it."
Lavender smiled and said, "I was there, I saw it first hand." She loved being complimented. So what if her gossip wasn't always true? What could it hurt?
* * *
Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room the next day, attempting to do his potions homework.
Ron hurried in through the portrait hole, looking slightly flushed.
"Do you think it's true, what they're saying about Hermione?" Ron asked, sitting down next to Harry.
"What are they saying about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Dean told me that Hermione was seen going into the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks with Ernie. Dean said he heard that they were in there for hours," Ron said.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. That didn't sound like something Hermione would do at all. Maybe Hermione wasn't the person he'd thought she was; maybe it was a good thing he hadn't told Hermione how he felt about her.
Hermione tried to smile at Ernie, but her entire face felt numb. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," she muttered as she got up and walked toward the ladies room near the bar.
'What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?' she thought over and over. She knew she'd have to break up with Ernie as soon as possible; it was the right thing to do. She didn't want to continue leading him on.
Meanwhile, Ernie went to pay for their butterbeers at the bar.
Hermione knew she'd have to leave the bathroom sometime, so she straightened her shoulders, held up her head, and walked into the room. She spotted Ernie at the bar almost immediately, and walked over, prepared to break up with him.
"Ernie, I have to tell you something," she said.
Just then, Hagrid entered the Three Broomsticks and announced, "Any Hogwarts students and teachers still in here need to go, we're going back to Hogwarts," his voice boomed.
Ernie left the Three Broomsticks. Hermione followed, not having told Ernie what she needed to say.
Little did they know, that someone had been spying on them.
* * *
'What great gossip! Hermione Granger and Ernie McMillan! Parvati will love this,' thought Lavender Brown as she walked to the Gryffindor common room. But Lavender knew that Parvati would want more, Parvati always wanted only the juiciest, most interesting gossip.
Ideas to make her story more interesting ran through Lavender's head. Lavender finally settled on the perfect story and ran to find her best friend.
* * *
Parvati was sprawled out on the couch in the common room, reading a romance novel.
The portrait swung open, and Lavender burst into the room, exploding with excitement.
"What is it?" Parvati asked, looking up from her book.
"I've just seen the most shocking thing you will have ever heard in your life!" Lavender bubbled. She inwardly complimented herself on what a good liar she was as she prepared for what she was about to say next.
"What is it?" Parvati asked eagerly.
"Hermione Granger is going out with that Hufflepuff boy, Ernie McMillan."
"That's not that big of a deal," Parvati said, a little disappointed.
"That's not all," Lavender said, smiling.
"What else is there?" Parvati asked. The excitement was almost unbearable.
"Well," said Lavender, reveling in her friend's curiosity, "I saw the two of them in the Three Broomsticks earlier today, and you'll never believe what I saw."
"What?" Parvati almost cried in anticipation.
"I saw them going into the Ladies Room together, and they were in there nearly all day." Lavender lied.
"They were?" Parvati said, shocked. "What do you think they were doing in there?"
"What else would they be doing, locked up in a public bathroom together for hours?" Lavender said, calmly examining her nails.
"So you think they actually. . . ?" Parvati said, eyes wide.
"Well, I can't exactly know what actually happened, can I? But what else would they be doing in there?"
"Wow Lav, you've really outdone yourself this time, how'd you find out anyway?" said Parvati, still amazed. "I can't believe it."
Lavender smiled and said, "I was there, I saw it first hand." She loved being complimented. So what if her gossip wasn't always true? What could it hurt?
* * *
Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room the next day, attempting to do his potions homework.
Ron hurried in through the portrait hole, looking slightly flushed.
"Do you think it's true, what they're saying about Hermione?" Ron asked, sitting down next to Harry.
"What are they saying about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Dean told me that Hermione was seen going into the Ladies Room at the Three Broomsticks with Ernie. Dean said he heard that they were in there for hours," Ron said.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. That didn't sound like something Hermione would do at all. Maybe Hermione wasn't the person he'd thought she was; maybe it was a good thing he hadn't told Hermione how he felt about her.
