The following morning, Ron had awoken with a pleasant grin on his face.
Dreams of Hermione had fulfilled his sleep. It had been a wonderful night
of sleep, without question. After he had showered and dressed, he followed
Harry down to the common room.
"Harry, when is the next practice? I'm sick of George running us down." Ron groaned.
"Tomorrow evening of course. He wants to see us almost every day now. Ron, seriously if you don't, then I AM going to pound your brother. He working us really hard." Harry whined as they stepped into the room.
They went to sit down and wait on Hermione, as they did every day. Today was special though, he was going to tell her how he felt. Harry had already promised to give them some time alone, he had winked, making Ron even more nervous. They leaned against a couch, directly down from the girls' dormitory. As they waited, they chatted about useless things, like the latest Chudley Cannons game.
Harry looked over at the Lavender Brown, and back up the stairs towards the girls' dormitory. "Um, Ron, Hermione doesn't usually take this long, does she?"
Now that Ron thought about it, she did seem especially late today. "Hey Lavender, what's taking Hermione so long to get ready this morning? We're going to be late for Potions if she keeps this up."
"She um.well." Lavender was blushing, and didn't seem to want to answer. "Hermione said she isn't feeling well today. Maybe you should go on without her."
Ron and Harry looked at each other, concerned. "Maybe I should go check on her. Harry, I'll meet up with you in class okay?"
Harry looked at Ron again. "Alright, see you there."
Harry then followed the others out of the portrait hole for breakfast.
Ron climbed up the steps to the girls' dormitory, in search of Hermione. He'd never been up in here before, so he wasn't sure of where he'd find her. He heard a sniffling coming from one of the beds, with the curtains drawn around it.
"Hermione?" He called softly.
"Go away Ron, please."
He followed the sound of her voice to a bed in the corner. He slowly drew back the curtains. She looked absolutely miserable.
"Ron, you stupid git. Go away. Please, just leave me alone." She sniffed and buried her head in a pillow.
Ron patted her back, and began to rub it in soothing circles. "Hermione, I need to tell you something. Are you alright? We need to talk." He watched her with concern.
She finally turned herself around and looked up at him. Her eyes were streaked with tears, and her cheeks were puffy. She'd been crying for awhile. "I'm fine." She growled.
He stuttered for a second. "Um.er. Hermione, I..I need to tell you something, okay? I think I like you.I think I like you a lot. Hermione.." he took her hand in his own. "Hermione, I think I'm in love with you." He smiled down at her. But then horror overcame his face, when he saw her face crumple up into a frown.
Hermione sat up to look at him. Then, violently, she slapped him hard across the face. "I saw you with Padma, Ron. Don't even try to play with me like you did her. I can't believe you, I really can't."
He heard her mutter under her breath, "You're not even a virgin anymore."
He watched her, shocked that she knew about Padma. "Hermione, please. Yes, I don't know how you knew about Padma, but yes, I did sleep with her. I'm sorry Hermione. But, I am in love with you. I.I read your letter. So, I know you feel the same way."
Hermione looked up at him, frozen from the mention of the letter. "You.you what?" She cursed herself for forgetting about the letter. "You read my letter?"
Ron nodded. "Hermione, I'm really sorry."
She glared back up at him. "No, no you're not. I don't even know you anymore. Before yesterday I didn't even know that you had girlfriends. You've been keeping so much from me. I can't forgive that."
She looked up at him. "Now get out."
Reluctantly, he left her room, unsure of where to go. He certainly didn't want to go to Potions now.
"Harry, when is the next practice? I'm sick of George running us down." Ron groaned.
"Tomorrow evening of course. He wants to see us almost every day now. Ron, seriously if you don't, then I AM going to pound your brother. He working us really hard." Harry whined as they stepped into the room.
They went to sit down and wait on Hermione, as they did every day. Today was special though, he was going to tell her how he felt. Harry had already promised to give them some time alone, he had winked, making Ron even more nervous. They leaned against a couch, directly down from the girls' dormitory. As they waited, they chatted about useless things, like the latest Chudley Cannons game.
Harry looked over at the Lavender Brown, and back up the stairs towards the girls' dormitory. "Um, Ron, Hermione doesn't usually take this long, does she?"
Now that Ron thought about it, she did seem especially late today. "Hey Lavender, what's taking Hermione so long to get ready this morning? We're going to be late for Potions if she keeps this up."
"She um.well." Lavender was blushing, and didn't seem to want to answer. "Hermione said she isn't feeling well today. Maybe you should go on without her."
Ron and Harry looked at each other, concerned. "Maybe I should go check on her. Harry, I'll meet up with you in class okay?"
Harry looked at Ron again. "Alright, see you there."
Harry then followed the others out of the portrait hole for breakfast.
Ron climbed up the steps to the girls' dormitory, in search of Hermione. He'd never been up in here before, so he wasn't sure of where he'd find her. He heard a sniffling coming from one of the beds, with the curtains drawn around it.
"Hermione?" He called softly.
"Go away Ron, please."
He followed the sound of her voice to a bed in the corner. He slowly drew back the curtains. She looked absolutely miserable.
"Ron, you stupid git. Go away. Please, just leave me alone." She sniffed and buried her head in a pillow.
Ron patted her back, and began to rub it in soothing circles. "Hermione, I need to tell you something. Are you alright? We need to talk." He watched her with concern.
She finally turned herself around and looked up at him. Her eyes were streaked with tears, and her cheeks were puffy. She'd been crying for awhile. "I'm fine." She growled.
He stuttered for a second. "Um.er. Hermione, I..I need to tell you something, okay? I think I like you.I think I like you a lot. Hermione.." he took her hand in his own. "Hermione, I think I'm in love with you." He smiled down at her. But then horror overcame his face, when he saw her face crumple up into a frown.
Hermione sat up to look at him. Then, violently, she slapped him hard across the face. "I saw you with Padma, Ron. Don't even try to play with me like you did her. I can't believe you, I really can't."
He heard her mutter under her breath, "You're not even a virgin anymore."
He watched her, shocked that she knew about Padma. "Hermione, please. Yes, I don't know how you knew about Padma, but yes, I did sleep with her. I'm sorry Hermione. But, I am in love with you. I.I read your letter. So, I know you feel the same way."
Hermione looked up at him, frozen from the mention of the letter. "You.you what?" She cursed herself for forgetting about the letter. "You read my letter?"
Ron nodded. "Hermione, I'm really sorry."
She glared back up at him. "No, no you're not. I don't even know you anymore. Before yesterday I didn't even know that you had girlfriends. You've been keeping so much from me. I can't forgive that."
She looked up at him. "Now get out."
Reluctantly, he left her room, unsure of where to go. He certainly didn't want to go to Potions now.