Disclaimer: Oops...forgot this on the last two...so this is for those and this one. None of these characters or places are mine. They are J.K. Rowling's toys. I just play with them.

A/N: Awww, I love you guys so much! Thanks for reviewing so nicely!
Ok, this chapter is definitely short compared to last, but that's ok right? Right. Because even though it's short, we do get something big out of it...

Quick Re-cap: Dun, dun, duuuuun. Hermione let Ron and Harry have it, that's for sure. It looks like the end of their friendship. How will Harry and Ron take it? Lights! Camera! Action!

Chapter 12: Suffering Consequences


When Harry awoke the next morning, it took him a second to remember why he was feeling so depressed. Then the previous night's memories came flooding back to him. Frowning, Harry pulled the covers back up over his head. He didn't want to get up. All he wanted to do was lie in bed and pretend that everything was okay.

"But it's not," he said to himself. "Pull yourself together Harry."

Sighing, he got out of bed. He looked around the quiet room. The rest of the boys had obviously gone to breakfast already. Including a certain someone...

"Oh no, where's Ron?" Harry thought, looking at the empty bed. "He better not do anything stupid."

Dressing quickly, Harry ran down and out of Gryffindor Tower, and down to the Great Hall. He never did get any dinner last night and he was incredibly hungry. Also, he wanted to make sure Ron didn't try to confront Hermione. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt that it would be best to leave her alone for awhile.

"Maybe until Christmas," Harry thought bitterly. "Or in our seventh year."

As he made his way into the Great Hall, he was briefly held up by a group of exiting students. When the mass cleared, Harry walked inside the Hall-- and straight into someone.

"Watch where you're going, Potter!" Snapped a voice.

Glaring, Harry looked over and was about to tell the person off, but when he opened his mouth, and saw who it was, he was rendered speechless.

It was Hermione.

She stood in front of him; arms crossed and eyes cold. It was pretty obvious that she wasn't thrilled to see him.

"S-s-sorry," Harry managed to stutter.
"Whatever. Now are you going to move or what?" Hermione replied angrily.

Harry stepped aside and she brushed past him without another glance.

It took Harry a minute to recover from the shock. He knew Hermione wasn't exactly going to be happy with him or anything, but he was still a bit taken back by the level of her anger. This had to be the most upset that she had ever been with him. It was definatly the first time that Hermione had called him by his last name. She had treated him the way she would Draco Malfoy, and that was something that made Harry's heart sink to his stomach.

He felt so horrible that Harry didn't even notice the eyes of many of the students following him as he made is way over to the Gryffindor table and walked over to sit across from Ron, who he found at the end of the table.

"Morning, Harry," Ron mumbled.

"Morning," Harry said, surprised that Ron noticed him- he had his head down and was focused directly on his breakfast.
Ron looked up, and Harry let out a gasp. The side of Ron's face where Hermione had struck him looked awful. His whole cheek was bruised a light purple and you could clearly see the hand print.

Ron smiled sadly and said "Look's bad doesn't it?"

"Does it hurt?" Harry asked timidly.

"Not as much as last night," said Ron, bringing a hand up to the mark, and wincing as he touched it. "But it still is a bit painful, yeah."

Tilting his head, Ron motioned toward the entrance of the Hall. "I saw what happened back there."

"Oh, yeah, right," Harry mumbled going pink.

"Hey, don't worry about it. In fact you're lucky." Ron shrugged slightly; "She wouldn't even look at me."

Harry smiled a bit. "Yeah. I guess."

Ron smiled back then went back to his food. Harry watched him guiltily. That wasn't right. Ron was the one in more pain than he was- physical and emotional. Yet there he was, trying to make Harry happy.

"He shouldn't be helping me. He should be thinking of ways to-"

Harry stopped in mid-thought. He had just realized something.

"Ron? Why aren't we surrounded by half the school by now?"

"Huh?"

"Well, why is it that no one is asking us about last night?"

Surprisingly, Harry was right. Aside from long stares and a few whispers, no one in the Hall seemed to care if anything had happened with the trio behind closed doors. It wasn't quite like the students at Hogwarts to leave a bit of gossip alone.
"Oh yeah. You weren't here either. Well, they're not allowed to talk about it actually."

Harry stared at Ron in sheer disbelief. "What?"

Ron sighed. "I don't exactly know the whole story. Seamus told me."

"What happened?"

"Well, as far as I know, Hermione came in here earlier and told most people not to talk about anything that happened last night. According to Seamus, they have to keep quiet, because if Hermione hears them talking..." Ron trailed off.

"What will happen?" Asked Harry.

Shrugging, Ron said, "I dunno. But the way Seamus looked when he said it, I'd expect nothing short of death."

"Really?!"
"Yup. Wild, huh?" Said Ron, going back to finish his food.

"Yeah," muttered Harry, "wild."

As he sat waiting for Ron to finish, Harry sat and thought about this new batch of information. Why did Hermione say those things? Would she really be able to keep the school at bay? And another thing, why was Hermione more upset with Ron then Harry. They were both at fault here. Why wasn't the anger mutual?

"So," Ron said, setting down his fork on the empty plate. "What now?"

"Um...I still have a bit of work for Charms I need to do," Harry said. "You?"

"Yeah, that and I think some stuff for Transfiguration. Guess we'll be stuck in the common room all day."

"Looks that way" said Harry, as he and Ron got up and walked out of the Great Hall. "Either that or the library."

"Uh...I think it had better be the common room."
"Why?"

"Because I think it will be safer," said Ron, looking up the corridor at something.

Harry looked as well and drew in a sharp breath as he saw Hermione walking up towards them. Even though she was pretending she hadn't, Harry knew that she had seen them. She had books in her arms and her head held high. Harry hadn't even begun to think about saying something when Ron made the first attempt.

"Um, Hermione?" He asked in a small but clear voice.

She didn't even blink. It was as though Ron wasn't even there. Harry was amazed.

Giving it a try, as she walked past, Harry said, "Hermione? Can we talk?"

Hermione looked at Harry as though he were a slug. "No, Potter, we can't" she said in a disgusted tone and continued walking.

They watched as she turned around the corner. Harry looked at Ron, who had a sad little smile on his face.

"Well, maybe tomorrow," he said shrugging and began walking the other way.

**********


But it didn't happen the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. It was understandable that Hermione was upset with Harry and Ron, but Harry was beginning to think that this was a bit too much. Every time Harry tried to talk top her, he was met with either insults or shutdowns. Which sounds bad, but was nothing compared to what Ron was getting. Or not getting. Harry didn't know which was sadder; Ron's feeble attempts to get Hermione to just look at him, or the fact that he kept insisting that she would come around the next day. "It will all be better tomorrow," he would keep saying.
But it never was. Hermione never sat with them in class or at dinner. She wouldn't glance their way in the common room. And even though she attended the Quidditch match when Gryffindor narrowly beat Ravenclaw (Ron hadn't played his best as Keeper that day), she spoke only to Ron's little sister Ginny during the after game party in the common room. Not even sending a congratulation to either Ron or Harry. After a week and a half of harsh and silent treatment, Harry was ready to give up hope.

And Ron...Ron was getting worse everyday. He started spacing out in class, causing most of their teachers to be extra hard on him. He wouldn't talk to anyone aside from Harry and his family. And when he would sit in the common room, gazing into the fire, and not moving until it was time for bed-it was so pathetic that it pained everyone who saw him. But no matter what happened, he would always try to get Hermione's attention. No matter how many weak attempts he made, he always kept at it, something Harry had to commend him for. Which was why it was unexpected when Ron almost gave up.

"Maybe I should just give up," Ron said in a flat voice as he watched Hermione walk down for dinner 50 feet ahead of them. "I blew it big and I'm just going to have to deal with it."

"Sometimes I don't even get why you still try," said Harry.

Ron stopped walking and turned to Harry. "Sometimes I don't get why you don't try," he snapped.

"Because I can accept the fact that she hates us. You, for some reason, can't."

"Well, you try to accept the fact that the girl you love hates you and let's see how you deal with it!" Ron yelled before turning and stomping back to the common room instead of to dinner.

Harry stood rooted tot he spot. He didn't move or blink. He was barely breathing. For the first time in five years, Ron had finally admitting to liking Hermione.

A/N: Yes! The cat's outta the bag now. LOL. So Ron likes Hermione...perfectly obvious. Now what's going to happen? Stay tuned to find out! And please keep reviewing!!