A/N: Heyo! Sorry this took so darned long to get out! But it's finally here! Chapter 6 of Wasted! (the holidays are a nuisance!)
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Mrs. JKR (I hear she got married….)
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The two boys sat together at the chess table near the window of the Gryffindor Common Room. They were the only students in the room at this late hour. Ron eyed Harry critically as the other boy made a fatal move.
Ron smiled as he moved his knight forward. "Checkmate." He glanced up to see the growing scowl coming across Harry's face. "You lose again. Honestly Harry, why do you even bother anymore? You have yet to win."
Harry shot him an indignant look before snapping, "I'm getting better, you know. One of these days I'm gonna beat you. You'll see." The two Gryffindor students moved the chess pieces across the board back into their proper black and white blocks.
Ron stared nervously at the board. He wanted to talk to Harry about it, but it was an uncomfortable subject. He took a deep, calming breath.
"Uh……..Harry?" He almost stuttered as he looked up at his friend.
Harry looked up in response, his eyes curious. "Yeah Ron?" Harry suddenly seemed very serious, as though he knew that Ron hadn't paused to gloat yet again.
"Ha---Harry, have you um noticed something very different about Hermione this year?" Ron's gaze shifted back to the white queen on the board as she rebuilt herself into one whole piece.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked cautiously. A slight hint of knowing and seriousness sounded in his voice.
"Oh please, Harry! As if you haven't noticed! The girl's become a rail! She's so bloody thin, it's scary. Not to mention the running away from Snape. Hermione would NEVER run away from a professor!" Ron blurted out in fury at the feigned ignorance from Harry.
"Oh……that." Harry gulped uncomfortably. His gaze also shifted to the chess board.
"Yeah, that!"
"Well……yes, I suppose I have noticed. Ron, are you worried about her?" Harry looked back up at Ron, concern written across his features. Harry looked quite like how Ron felt. Both the boys were worried about their friend.
"Harry, how can we not be? Didn't you see those scars on her wrists? I think Krum did something to her. Do you think he sliced her wrists?" Ron's eyes misted at the thought of Krum hurting his Hermione. 'No!' He scolded himself. 'She's not my Hermione…she's Hermione.'
"I don't know what happened. I also don't think it's Krum, I trust him, Ron. He seemed like a good enough guy. Maybe a bit misguided, but well enough."
Ron felt anger flaring within him. Harry was defending the enemy! "Harry! How can you defend him? He obviously hurt Hermione! Her hurt her horribly!"
Harry watched his friend's anguished face. Then he gasped a thought slipped through the recesses of his mind. "Ron."
"Yeah?" His voice was tinged with anger.
"You love her, don't you?" Harry watched as Ron's eyes rose to meet his. His eyes gave him away.
"Of course I love her. I love all my friends." Ron and Harry both blushed at the implication.
Harry shook his head. He looked back at Ron again, a seriousness in his tone. "Ron, you're IN love with her. Aren't you?"
A guilty expression spread on Ron's face. "No I'm not." Ron's face grew very pink as the blush spread to his ears.
"Yes, you are, aren't you?" Harry didn't understand how he couldn't see it before. While it kind of grossed him out, he understood. Ron needs her. He wondered if maybe Hermione needed Ron too. Maybe that was cure to this spreading ailment. His eyes flashed with the thought. "Ron, you love her! You might be just what saves her life! Ron, you have to go to her, and help her. Just talk to her."
Ron's face paled at the thought. He remembered yesterday and the vehemence he had seen on her face. He shook his head angrily. "I already tried that. She's too bloody stubborn! I've already given up on her. So what if I love Hermione? It doesn't make a difference because she's in love with that Quidditch oaf."
Harry felt heated fury rising within him. "Ron! Don't be so stubborn! One of you has to be the bigger person here. Ron, she needs help!"
Ron glared at his best friend. "I can't help her."
"Yes you can! Just get over the temper-tantrums and go to her. Tell her how you feel and find out what's happened to her."
"No." Ron retorted crossly.
"Ron, if you don't, she might die." The look on Harry's face sent chills down Ron's spine.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Mrs. JKR (I hear she got married….)
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The two boys sat together at the chess table near the window of the Gryffindor Common Room. They were the only students in the room at this late hour. Ron eyed Harry critically as the other boy made a fatal move.
Ron smiled as he moved his knight forward. "Checkmate." He glanced up to see the growing scowl coming across Harry's face. "You lose again. Honestly Harry, why do you even bother anymore? You have yet to win."
Harry shot him an indignant look before snapping, "I'm getting better, you know. One of these days I'm gonna beat you. You'll see." The two Gryffindor students moved the chess pieces across the board back into their proper black and white blocks.
Ron stared nervously at the board. He wanted to talk to Harry about it, but it was an uncomfortable subject. He took a deep, calming breath.
"Uh……..Harry?" He almost stuttered as he looked up at his friend.
Harry looked up in response, his eyes curious. "Yeah Ron?" Harry suddenly seemed very serious, as though he knew that Ron hadn't paused to gloat yet again.
"Ha---Harry, have you um noticed something very different about Hermione this year?" Ron's gaze shifted back to the white queen on the board as she rebuilt herself into one whole piece.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked cautiously. A slight hint of knowing and seriousness sounded in his voice.
"Oh please, Harry! As if you haven't noticed! The girl's become a rail! She's so bloody thin, it's scary. Not to mention the running away from Snape. Hermione would NEVER run away from a professor!" Ron blurted out in fury at the feigned ignorance from Harry.
"Oh……that." Harry gulped uncomfortably. His gaze also shifted to the chess board.
"Yeah, that!"
"Well……yes, I suppose I have noticed. Ron, are you worried about her?" Harry looked back up at Ron, concern written across his features. Harry looked quite like how Ron felt. Both the boys were worried about their friend.
"Harry, how can we not be? Didn't you see those scars on her wrists? I think Krum did something to her. Do you think he sliced her wrists?" Ron's eyes misted at the thought of Krum hurting his Hermione. 'No!' He scolded himself. 'She's not my Hermione…she's Hermione.'
"I don't know what happened. I also don't think it's Krum, I trust him, Ron. He seemed like a good enough guy. Maybe a bit misguided, but well enough."
Ron felt anger flaring within him. Harry was defending the enemy! "Harry! How can you defend him? He obviously hurt Hermione! Her hurt her horribly!"
Harry watched his friend's anguished face. Then he gasped a thought slipped through the recesses of his mind. "Ron."
"Yeah?" His voice was tinged with anger.
"You love her, don't you?" Harry watched as Ron's eyes rose to meet his. His eyes gave him away.
"Of course I love her. I love all my friends." Ron and Harry both blushed at the implication.
Harry shook his head. He looked back at Ron again, a seriousness in his tone. "Ron, you're IN love with her. Aren't you?"
A guilty expression spread on Ron's face. "No I'm not." Ron's face grew very pink as the blush spread to his ears.
"Yes, you are, aren't you?" Harry didn't understand how he couldn't see it before. While it kind of grossed him out, he understood. Ron needs her. He wondered if maybe Hermione needed Ron too. Maybe that was cure to this spreading ailment. His eyes flashed with the thought. "Ron, you love her! You might be just what saves her life! Ron, you have to go to her, and help her. Just talk to her."
Ron's face paled at the thought. He remembered yesterday and the vehemence he had seen on her face. He shook his head angrily. "I already tried that. She's too bloody stubborn! I've already given up on her. So what if I love Hermione? It doesn't make a difference because she's in love with that Quidditch oaf."
Harry felt heated fury rising within him. "Ron! Don't be so stubborn! One of you has to be the bigger person here. Ron, she needs help!"
Ron glared at his best friend. "I can't help her."
"Yes you can! Just get over the temper-tantrums and go to her. Tell her how you feel and find out what's happened to her."
"No." Ron retorted crossly.
"Ron, if you don't, she might die." The look on Harry's face sent chills down Ron's spine.