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Truth

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Where am I?

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Ron was very dazed the next morning. He found himself buried in the big chair in the Gryffindor Common room.

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How did I get here?

Ron tried to remember what happened last night, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything about how he got back to the dormitory.

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Soft footsteps on the carpeted floor of the Common room were heard, and soon a voice followed.

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¡°Ron, are you awake?¡± It was Hermione.

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Right. Hermione came last night.

¡°Yeah, I¡¯m awake.¡±

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¡°I couldn¡¯t bring you up to your dormitory. It¡¯s boys¡¯ dormitory after all, and it was quite late at night, so there was no one I could ask for help. And you didn¡¯t seem hurt all that much, so I just brought you here instead of bringing you straight to the hospital wing. Are you okay?¡± She asked with concern in her voice. There was no one else in the Common room, since it was Saturday morning and everyone was sleeping in.

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¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ron spoke with weariness. He found some part of his body sore, but it was nothing to go to the hospital wing for.

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Then there was a silence. Ron wasn¡¯t being very conversational.

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¡°Ron.¡±

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¡°Hmm¡¦?¡±

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¡°I know that Malfoy doesn¡¯t deserve any compassion in these matters, but he looked really battered last night. Why did you do that?¡± Ron winced at that question as if he had sudden migraine. Then he abruptly asked Hermione a question.

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¡°Where is Harry?¡±

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¡°Um? Didn¡¯t you know? He isn¡¯t back from the errand, yet.¡± She said with her typical stating-the-obvious tone.

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¡°An errand?¡± Ron asked with visible flinch.

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¡°Yeah, do you remember Harry getting detention from Snape yesterday? When he got there, Snape sent him on an errand to get some potions¡¯ supply. I asked Professor in person, when Harry didn¡¯t return until 11 at night. He said it will take Harry at least two days or more to go and come back. Ron, are you listening?¡±

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Ron seemed to be frozen in his thought. Hermione looked at Ron and remembered what Malfoy told her last night. Then she made an expression that she understood everything and spoke to tell her thoughts.

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¡°Was this it? You thought that Malfoy did something to Harry so you beat him up half way to death! He managed to tell me to tell you last night, that he wasn¡¯t involved in Harry¡¯s disappearance. How could you do that without actually knowing whether he did that or not? It was very inconsiderate of you!¡± Hermione said in an accusing voice.

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¡°I know, but I don¡¯t think he doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Ron spoke bluntly.

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¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Considering what he did to us all these times...¡±

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¡°Hermione.¡± She was cut off from her thoughts abruptly, when Ron called her name in such a serious way. ¡°Tell me the truth to all the things I¡¯m going to ask you.¡±

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¡°Su... sure.¡± She stuttered at the solemn tone of his voice.

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Ron gave a pause to organize his final thoughts. Meanwhile, Hermione nervously sat down on the chair opposite from where he was sitting.

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¡°Did you know that I was in love with Harry?¡±

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¡°WHAT?¡±

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¡°Just answer me. Did you or did you not know?¡±

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Gosh... did he finally come to a decision? I knew he liked him more than just a friend, but now he¡¯s asking me about it so bluntly... What happened to him?

These thoughts passed her mind before she forced herself to answer the question.

¡°I... er... sort of did...¡±

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¡°Do you know who else does?¡± Ron¡¯s voice didn¡¯t change a bit.

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¡°Well, Neville seem to know, and Jordan, but not the twins... Oh, I think Ginny knows.¡± I can¡¯t tell him the complete truth... It will break him... for sure.

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¡°What about... Harry? Does he know?¡± His voice faltered a bit when he spoke Harry¡¯s name.

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Oh... what am I going to do... I can¡¯t tell him! He¡¯ll hate us both for not telling him earlier...

Hermione hesitated. She couldn¡¯t think of what to say to him. It was then Ron grabbed her shoulders and made her look into his eyes. There seemed to be a fire, but not of passion. It was more like confusion and revenge. She hesitated a bit more, but she made up her mind and spoke two simple words.

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¡°He knows.¡±

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The fire seemed to die down for a moment. Then he asked.

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¡°He loves you, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Hermione just sat there with nothing going through her mind except... How can I answer him without hurting his feelings? I bet my expression spells out -GUILT- right now, and I bet he can see that.

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Then Ron didn¡¯t ask her questions anymore, and he stood up and walked towards the portrait hole.

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¡°Wait, Ron!¡± Hermione grabbed him arm.

Does this have something to do with what happened last night?

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¡°Why are you acting so strangely all of a sudden? What did Malfoy say to you?¡±

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¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± He bellowed at Hermione with fury, which he never showed towards his friends before. He tried to shake off her hands that clung tightly to his robe.

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¡°But Ron...¡± She tried desperately to calm him down.

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¡°I told you it was none of your damn business!¡± His anger surfaced from his presence, and it was frightening to stand at the receiving end of it.

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¡°Ron, I never wanted to hurt you...¡± Hermione pleaded.

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Then his body swung around and slapped her face with the look on his face that alone could kill. Hermione was shocked beyond belief. They had fought several times, but he had never hit her before.

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He had hit her with such a force; she fell to the ground with her head snapping back. Fortunately, the floor was carpeted with velvet that broke her fall and didn¡¯t make any sound. Last thing she wanted was the entire Gryffindor to see this.

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It seemed that Hermione had just found out about ¡®the other side¡¯ of Ron that she never knew before. She just sat there, with her hand placed on her swollen cheek and not believing it was Ron who just did that to her. Meanwhile, Ron walked out of the Common room, not even looking back once.

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