A/N: Okay, so far, this story is working for me, what about you? Like it?
Hate it? I dunno..
Disclaimer: gotta love the goddess (JKR) who owns all the wonderful Harry Potter characters.she created such a masterpiece.full of all these rich characters (*sigh*)
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When the students arrived in the Great Hall for the feast, the trio sat at their usual location at the Gryffindor table. However, something was different about the arrangement this year. Instead of Harry being in the middle, Ron found himself there with a friend on either side of him.
Hermione had barely said a word on the trip to the Great Hall, and now as the Sorting began, she relished in the fact that there was no obligation to talk at all.
The students watched as the first years were sorted, one by one into the houses. Each time the Sorting Hat announced a new Gryffindor, Harry and Ron clapped and hollered. It took Ron some time to notice that Hermione didn't share in their enthusiasm. Instead, she feebly clapped her hands at a slow tempo, barely expressing a sound. He watched her, his frown growing with concern.
The sorting ended and then Dumbledore began his speech, informing the first years of the Great Forest and various other out-of-bounds Hogwarts areas. Once finished, he announced the beginning of the feast and heaps of food appeared on the tables in front of the students.
All of the Gryffindor students eagerly reached for serving dishes and large serving ladles, helping themselves to platefuls of food. Ron was starving, and before many could get started on their first, he was on his second helping.
He noticed that Harry was also fervently digging into his dinner. A loud chatter enveloped the table as students caught up with each other, narrating their summer holidays.
Then Ron turned to look at Hermione as he reached for his goblet, full of pumpkin juice. She had framed her plate with little bits of different foods all along the rim, none of it reaching the middle of the plate, as if the different foods were afraid of touching each other. He also noticed that she wasn't eating it. Instead, Hermione prodded at the potatoes on her plate with a fork. Her elbow rested on the table, her hand supporting her chin. This uncharacteristically bad mannerism told him that something must be wrong. Hermione never breached table etiquette.
Her downcast eyes glanced up at his, and she caught him staring at her, his mouth full of turkey. He gave her a lopsided grin, to which she returned a little smile. They both blushed at the awkwardness, but then Ron's robe was tugged at by Harry. The boys were trying to ask him a question about the Chudley Channons.
"Ron!" Seamus called for the fifth time. "We asked you a question! Mr. Chudley Cannons expert my foot!" The boy scoffed.
Ron smiled again at Hermione and then turned his attention to the group of fifth year Gryffindor boys. He made a mental note to talk to Hermione after dinner. He still felt hurt that she hadn't sent him a letter all summer, and now she looked skinny. Too skinny, in his opinion. He wondered what had happened over the summer. Ron felt the anger rising within at the thought that Viktor might have hurt her.
"Yes! The Cannons DID win that game two years ago!" He yelled back at the others and then focused on his dinner.
Disclaimer: gotta love the goddess (JKR) who owns all the wonderful Harry Potter characters.she created such a masterpiece.full of all these rich characters (*sigh*)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When the students arrived in the Great Hall for the feast, the trio sat at their usual location at the Gryffindor table. However, something was different about the arrangement this year. Instead of Harry being in the middle, Ron found himself there with a friend on either side of him.
Hermione had barely said a word on the trip to the Great Hall, and now as the Sorting began, she relished in the fact that there was no obligation to talk at all.
The students watched as the first years were sorted, one by one into the houses. Each time the Sorting Hat announced a new Gryffindor, Harry and Ron clapped and hollered. It took Ron some time to notice that Hermione didn't share in their enthusiasm. Instead, she feebly clapped her hands at a slow tempo, barely expressing a sound. He watched her, his frown growing with concern.
The sorting ended and then Dumbledore began his speech, informing the first years of the Great Forest and various other out-of-bounds Hogwarts areas. Once finished, he announced the beginning of the feast and heaps of food appeared on the tables in front of the students.
All of the Gryffindor students eagerly reached for serving dishes and large serving ladles, helping themselves to platefuls of food. Ron was starving, and before many could get started on their first, he was on his second helping.
He noticed that Harry was also fervently digging into his dinner. A loud chatter enveloped the table as students caught up with each other, narrating their summer holidays.
Then Ron turned to look at Hermione as he reached for his goblet, full of pumpkin juice. She had framed her plate with little bits of different foods all along the rim, none of it reaching the middle of the plate, as if the different foods were afraid of touching each other. He also noticed that she wasn't eating it. Instead, Hermione prodded at the potatoes on her plate with a fork. Her elbow rested on the table, her hand supporting her chin. This uncharacteristically bad mannerism told him that something must be wrong. Hermione never breached table etiquette.
Her downcast eyes glanced up at his, and she caught him staring at her, his mouth full of turkey. He gave her a lopsided grin, to which she returned a little smile. They both blushed at the awkwardness, but then Ron's robe was tugged at by Harry. The boys were trying to ask him a question about the Chudley Channons.
"Ron!" Seamus called for the fifth time. "We asked you a question! Mr. Chudley Cannons expert my foot!" The boy scoffed.
Ron smiled again at Hermione and then turned his attention to the group of fifth year Gryffindor boys. He made a mental note to talk to Hermione after dinner. He still felt hurt that she hadn't sent him a letter all summer, and now she looked skinny. Too skinny, in his opinion. He wondered what had happened over the summer. Ron felt the anger rising within at the thought that Viktor might have hurt her.
"Yes! The Cannons DID win that game two years ago!" He yelled back at the others and then focused on his dinner.