A/n: Okay, we come to chapter 8, unbelievably. I was out at a lovely ranch this weekend and I got a brilliant idea for a more exciting plot that includes Voldemort. It's perfect, don't you worry, just keep your focus on the story presently. Anyway, anybody got any idea at all about who's Ron writing to? No? Oh, the plot thickens! And now, Quidditch!
Disclaimer: I adore these characters but, alas, it does not grant me the wish of owning them!
Chapter 8: The Plot Thickens…
Hermione. Hermione Granger. Ron gazed at the sky blankly, taking in this surreal feeling of realization. It was close to midnight when he had stepped outside again after ending his magical evening with Hermione. Hermione. He couldn't believe it. How could it be? I mean, this was Hermione Granger, the know-it-all who he had bickered with for four years.
He liked her.
He, Ron Weasley, fancied Hermione Granger.
How thick had he been anyway? For the love of Merlin, his own thoughts and feelings when he was with her plainly stated how much he cared for her…the dreams, the words, the touches that made him feel like he had swallowed a bucket of flobberworms and at the same time left him in ecstasy. "You thick git," he murmured to himself.
But what did it matter that he liked her? She obviously saw him as her best friend, as someone who was just there. He was but a mere star in her immense galaxy.
To Ron's grand surprise, he felt a tear touch his cheek, icy against the strong September wind. Instead of quickly wiping it away, he allowed more equally sorrowful tears to roll down his cheeks, their bitter taste reaching his mouth. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed like he never had before. He took a deep breath that seemed to sting his very soul as he looked at the brilliant full moon, gazing down upon him like a knowing face full of pity for him.
"Do you ever think of me as I think of you, Hermione?" he whispered to the silent night. "Do you lay in bed and long for me the way I long for you?" He breathed in the frigid breeze that swept around him; at the same time feeling a loss of air, an empty hole in the middle of his heart that would never be filled.
Ron walked to the raven, still lake and looked upon his reflection. A pale, freckled redhead stared up into his sapphire eyes with a look of pain, of an aching heart. "Yup," he said. "We are definitely the same person. But, the question is, who is that?"
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Hermione sighed as she plopped down on her four-poster in the dark room. Ron had been undoubtedly sweet. "It's too bad he will never feel such a strong adoration and desire for me as I do for him," she whispered to herself. For she adored him more than anything. She had cared about him since the day they met, with the carefree attitude and the friendly air. At least, friendly with Harry. When he had finally been a friend to her, she almost burst with joy! But now, what she would give for him to have equal feelings for her, not just as a friend. She shook her head. "It won't happen. I'll just have to live with it that way," she said. Lavender snorted in her sleep. Hermione sniggered and lied in bed for a few minutes, longing to be with Ron for eternity, knowing it was only a dream, no matter how real she wished it be.
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The last weeks of September went by uneventfully, except for one more of Trelawney's exotic predictions about Harry's death; this time he would be captured by a group of Aztec worshippers and be slaughtered brutally as a sacrifice. (What are the chances?!)
The first week of October, a sign was posted in the bulletin board of the Gryffindor common room that brought much commotion to those inhabitants of said common room. So much was the excitement that Professor McGonagall was forced to pay one her rare visits.
"What in Merlin's beard is going on in here?" she bellowed over the ruckus and noise in the room. Then she noticed the house-elves had already posted the announcement. "Oh," she said plainly.
This announcement stated Quidditch tryouts were to be held that week. The team was in need of a new keeper, and this being the only position available, everyone was willing to try out for it.
"Wicked!" was what Ron had to say about it. He had always longed to be on the House team, ever since his brothers came home to tell stories of experiences on the Quidditch pitch.
"Go for it, Ron!" Harry said encouragingly. "You've always played Quidditch at home and you're really good!" Hermione added. Ron had a determined look on his face as he said, "I will try out."
The day of the tryouts Ron couldn't sleep. At breakfast he shoved his porridge aside grudgingly, dark shadows outlining his eyes. Hermione looked at him nervously. Harry said, "All right there, mate?" Ron nodded, looking slightly green.
"Hey, ickle Ronnie!" chorused Fred and George. "Good luck today!"
"You'll do just fine," assured Ginny.
Indeed he did. Ron arrived at the common room late in the afternoon with a smug smirk on his face. "Colin Creevey actually tried out! Bloody hell, he wasn't a foot above the ground before he tumbled off that friggin broom!" he told Harry, Ginny, and Hermione. The former glared at him and said, "That's not very nice." Ron defended himself with his notions of the truth. Hermione couldn't deny it; Colin was a bit unorthodox.
"So you're feeling pretty confident?" she asked. Ron nodded and grinned. "I can't wait for the results to come in!"
The anticipated results arrived the very next day. Surprisingly, Ron was nowhere to be found. Harry was with the team along with Fred and George, so Hermione and Ginny went up to the dormitory in search of the redheaded individual. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, writing intensely over a rather long piece of parchment.
"Ron!" Hermione's urgent voice broke his concentration. He looked up and quickly slammed a book on top of the parchment where neither of the girls could see it. "Yes?" he said, sounding irritated. Ginny ignored his tone of voice and grabbed his hand, dragging him downstairs. "Try out results!" was all she said to explain.
Hermione, however, did not follow. Gingerly, she sat on Ron's bed and lifted the book thrown above the parchment. With trembling hands, she picked up the parchment and read the single line written there:
I miss you a lot.
Hermione started breathing fast. Who was this letter for? Was it the same person he had sent the other letter to?
"He's been writing a lot," said a voice from the corner; Neville.
"I beg your pardon?" said Hermione, utterly bewildered.
"Yeah. He's sat there most nights with a piece of parchment and scribbling animatedly to Merlin-knows-who. There was one night when he came back really late and was, er, sniffling like he had been crying," Neville explained thoroughly.
"How do you know all that, Neville?" Hermione asked.
"I can't never sleep. You know, nightmares," he said shrugging.
Feeling pity for the poor boy, Hermione couldn't help feeling anger at the same time. What in the world was Ron doing? And why was he hiding it from her?
Hermione walked downstairs, a vexed look on her face, where Fred and Angelina stood on a table. George was trying to shove Angelina off and join his brother to no avail.
"Our new captain is," Fred said, then paused for dramatic effect. "Angelina!" The common room burst into applause. "And our Keeper is," Angelina said, following Fred's example of hesitation. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath; Ron was dancing around like a toddler in need of a bathroom visit. Angelina grinned and said, "Ron Weasley!"
The reaction was a mix of groans of disappointment from those who had tried out and cheers and whoops from those who were supporting Ron. The aforementioned Weasley was gaping at Angelina and Fred, who were both nodding in reassurance. Ron grinned and hugged Ginny. Harry slapped him on the back. Ron turned to Hermione and hugged her as well. Hermione, however, stood rigid with her arms at her sides. Ron noticed this and said, "Aren't you happy for me?" Hermione nodded, her lips as thin as McGonagall's when she was angry, and said nothing. Ron was taken aback for a moment but joined in the celebration more than half the common room was starting up.
Standing alone, still idle, Hermione couldn't stop thinking: Don't you trust me, Ron?
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The first Quidditch match was to be held two Saturdays after the try-out results were announced; Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Dumbledore had bought Ron a Nimbus Two-Thousand and Two (the latest in the Nimbus model) because, "We need a quick and witty Keeper, eh?" Ron had begun training with the rest of the team daily and accordingly to Angelina's strict training. Apparently, she had a competitive spirit to match Wood's. Hermione kindly helped her best friends catch up their homework, no copying, of course. Ron complained about this one night after a rough practice.
"Hell, Hermione, you just don't know what it's like. Angelina's bloody mad, if you asked me!" he had said, groaning occasionally.
"It still doesn't give you an excuse to copy my answers, tired as you may be," Hermione had lectured.
Ron had known better and shut up.
The Saturday of the Quidditch match arrived rather quickly. Both Ron and Harry had the "No-eat, No-sleep" routine going on. Hermione was exasperated with both of them and said if they kept it up they may as well be killed during the game. This did not improve the situation.
The boys slumped towards the changing rooms with the rest of the Gryffindor team, their broomsticks over their right shoulders. Angelina was so worried about her first game as captain that she barely uttered a word before beckoning for them to follow her outside.
The crowd roared as the Gryffindor House team made it's way towards the middle of the field where Madam Hooch stood looking slightly impatient. Signs of scarlet and gold bearing the Gryffindor lion and names of team members flashed against the blue cloudless sky. From the green-and-silver side of the immense raised stadium came the boos.
"And heeeeere they are!" boomed Lee Jordan's voice around them. "New captain Angelina Johnson, who's looking mighty pretty tod—I mean, who is also a Chaser—along with Chasers Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet. Next come Beaters Fred and George Weasley—how'ya doin', guys?—here comes Harry Potter, our extremely talented chaser who leaves Draco Malfoy in the dust—Professor, it's the truth!—and finally, the latest addition to the Gryffindor clan, Ron Weasley as Keeper!" The crowd screamed itself hoarse.
"On the down side, here comes the Slytherin team," Lee's voice came in an unenthusiastic tone. "They're some of the foulest-looking bunch of jacka—sorry, Professor—players in this school. I won't bother with their names."
"JORDAN! One more time…" Professor McGonagall's magnified voice warned Lee.
Madam Hooch had barked the usual instructions of the game, scowling. With the strong October wind whipping her face, she flung the Quaffle straight into the air. It stopped midway up and began descending rapidly. Angelina and Warrington of Slytherin zoomed right at it.
"OH! Johnson swerves and misses hitting Warrington in the face by inches, thank God—er, she races to the Slytherin goalposts with Spinnet and Bell at her sides—GET OUT OF THE WAY, MONTAGUE!!" Lee was bellowing into the megaphone. Professor McGonagall was visible behind him stuffing her pinkies into her ears.
Montague, Chaser for Slytherin, had shot straight into Angelina and snatched the Quaffle from her arms. She looked indignantly at him as he flew towards Ron.
"Weasley is an excellent Keeper—STOP THAT RUDDY BALL, RON!!" Lee screeched at Ron, who was wet with cold sweat and stared in horror at the approaching Chaser. Hermione, in the stands, clasped her hands and bit her lip. Her leg was twitching as Ron dove and threw his arms around the Quaffle before it went through the post. The crowd roared with cheers and Ron gave an inaudible sigh. Hermione was jumping about and hugged a seventh year Gryffindor she had never seen before.
Harry clapped from where he was high above the crowd; in front of him, Malfoy sneered in disgust in Ron's direction.
"And Spinnet in possession—she zooms past Montague and Warrington—here's the Slytherin goal posts—C'mon Katie!!"
Katie swiftly threw the Quaffle through the highest goal post as the crowd clamored in pleasure.
"SHE SCORES! Excellent demonstration of skill from the Gryffindor team. HA! WE'RE WINNING YOU SLEAZY SCUMBA—"
"Careful, Jordan--!"
The crowd sniggered.
"Bell in possession of the Quaffle—Fred or George, get that Bludger out of her way!"
Fred slammed his club against the black ball speeding towards Katie. The Bludger zoomed towards Derrick, a Slytherin Beater. He screwed up his face as he swung with all his might. Bole, the other Beater, found the other Bludger and blasted it in the same direction Derrick's had gone.
At the same time, a scarlet blur was dashing across the stadium, a tiny glint of gold visible just ahead of it. Malfoy was following at great speed but to no avail.
"Harry!" Hermione was practically tearing the ends of her robe apart in anticipation. Harry had just accelerated past her when he held up the Snitch in his left arm.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS IN A MATTER OF MINUTES! POTTER HAS THE SNITCH! How 'bout that, eh, Malfoy?"
The crowd howled with joy as Harry grinned and Malfoy smirked in pure annoyance. Oddly, the crowd was also "oohing." Hermione stopped squealing and practically fainted when she saw why.
Bole and Derrick's Bludgers had been aimed at Ron. With everyone's attention on Harry, the heavy black balls had hit him, one in the stomach, the other on his cheek.
"Weasley's hit! YOU BLOODY BASTARDS!"
Professor McGonagall was screaming things at the Slytherin beaters that no one heard owing to the fact that Lee was practically jumping out of the commentating booth.
Hermione was racing towards Ron, followed closely by a concerned Harry. Bole and Derrick stood nearby, listening to Madam Hooch screech at them. Hermione bent over Ron and said gently, "Ron! Oh, please be all right, please…"
"It was an accident," Bole was saying in a very dull and unconvincing voice. Hermione rose, her eyes ablaze, and looked up at the enormous figure that was Bole.
"How dare you! You don't know what you did to him, you bloody assholes! Don't you ever say such a damn thing as 'It was an accident' about something you know you fucking meant!" Harry was staring open mouthed at his disgruntled best friend. Ron had raised his head slightly and managed to chuckle before wincing and laying his head back down. Hermione ran back to him, the Beaters gaping at her retreating back.
"Hermione!" Ron muttered.
"Shush, Ron, you'll be all right soon enough," she responded, her face flushed. Gingerly, she slipped her small hand into his rather large one and gripped it tightly in reassurance.
Professor McGonagall magicked Ron onto a stretcher and took him to the hospital wing, Harry and Hermione never leaving his side. The somber-looking Gryffindor team followed them all the way.
Madam Pomfrey was outraged to find a student in such condition. "As if he hasn't had enough!" she added, glancing at Harry, who was also very well known in the hospital wing. "Out! Out, out, out!" she squeaked at the Gryffindor team. Harry and Hermione opened their mouths to say something but Madam Pomfrey said, "Hold on one minute. Only one of you can stay." Harry looked at Hermione, who looked like she would be shot before parting with Ron, so he said, "You stay, Hermione."
"Thank you, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, hugging Harry briefly before turning back to Ron. She sat at the foot of his bed and held his hand in both of hers. Harry looked at the two of them and smiled. They really do love each other…even thought they don't admit it. I can't find one good thing about their stubbornness, both of them. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts as he left the room.
Ron was trying to sit up but Hermione clicked her tongue lively. "Relax," she said, pushing his chest back to a lying position. She looked at Ron anxiously. "Are you all right?"
"Hermione, you've asked me 15 trillion times! Yes, I'm fine," Ron said hoarsely. Hermione smiled and sniffed. "Oh, c'mon, Herm, don't waste your tears on me," Ron said sarcastically, thinking, Like I do for you. Hermione looked away. Something in his voice sounded…hurt. He was always sarcastic about things when they hurt him.
Hermione leaned down and hugged him the best she could while he was lying down. She held him for what felt like an eternity and then planted a kiss on his cheek. Ron winced as she did so, for the Bludger had hit him square on the cheek. Hermione gasped and asked, "What's wrong? Did I do something?"
Ron shook his head and explained. "Oh," Hermione murmured. She lifted a finger and gently touched his injured cheek delicately. Ron flinched once more and moaned softly. The pain he was feeling inside overthrew his hurt outside. Just the touch of her tender finger made his heart burn with desire for her but at the same time healed all the agony he felt. "Shh…I'm here, don't worry," she murmured. She looked into his eyes, their vision locked. They both thought, Could this be—love?
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The cold, high-pitched laugh that the ghostly figure emitted gave the short, bald man chills up and down his spine. The man gazed at his master with his beady eyes in frozen horror, quivering. His master twiddled with his long, white fingers as he said, "Get this worthless piece of crap away from me, Wormtail." He pointed a skinny finger to the crystal ball hovering in front of him.
"Worthless?" Wormtail squeaked; his master had just used it.
"Yes, you stupid sack of worm vomit," barked the other man. "Take it away so I can concentrate on formulating a perfect plan to finally rid myself of Potter and his disgusting aid Dumbledore. His foolish Order of the Phoenix will not prevent me from ruling the wizarding world in the Dark times once more."
Wormtail avoided his master's abhorrent gaze as he pushed the crystal ball aside. The other man set his fiery red eyes to his outstretched fingers and began muttering in an intimidating tone. "What was it that Potter found so ridiculously important? Ah, yes, it was love." He spat the word "love" as if it were a bitter taste on the tip of his tongue. "Well, brave Harry Potter will finally get a taste of his own medicine." He laughed menacingly. "Wait till he finds his little friends in the middle of all his troubles…my, my, won't he be upset?" Wormtail cowered as his master snapped, "The crystal ball, you imbecile!" Wormtail raced to find the dreaded divination device once again, trying with all his might not to utter a cry of fear that was threatening to escape his lips. The stout man placed the ball in front of him once more.
In the crystal were reflected two figures, staring into each other's eyes. The girl gripped the boy's hand as her chocolate brown eyes mesmerized him.
"Wormtail! What are their names?" snarled the man.
Wormtail lifted his gaze to the two figures reluctantly. "Ron and Hermione," he muttered.
His master laughed his high-pitched mocking laugh once more. "Then, Ron and Hermione, you will be the center of my brilliant plan and shall be cursed." His thin fingers wrapped around his wand, which he lifted to point directly in between the figures in the crystal ball. "Portkey Kissianso!" he said. Red light exploded out of the end of his wand and encircled the entranced silhouettes. Wormtail dared not asked what his master had done.
"Soon, Wormtail, Potter will once again suffer the agony of love, now for his friends and his friends' love for each other. He will suffer the wrath, more powerful than ever, of Lord Voldemort."
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A/n: ?? Is that better than my last chapter? Hopefully you liked it and didn't think it was cheesy or something…and I'm sorry if I suck at writing Quidditch. On the last chapter, the "kiss" was a brilliant idea contributed by ltnikki, who demanded credit and I think she deserves it 'cause that was pretty funny. Anyway, it hurts me so bad to hurt Ron but I'm sick and tired of R/Hr stories that mainly focus on Hermione's pain and stuff like that. I really love Ron so tough if you think it's stupid that I think that way. On with the comments to those of you who have not given up on my little talent.
Mikki- Thank you…I am desperate to let you know what is gonna happen…
Angel610- More compliments…you are sweet…hope you liked this chapter (???)
Ketchum- Oh how I've come to love your reviews! Does this chapter help with the Ron writing thing? If not, it really wasn't supposed to, just get you more intrigued :::wink:::
Hermione-G-Weasley- I still can't believe you are my reviewer…remember, I am forever grateful, I try so hard to please all of you and myself. Your update was fantastic!! OMG, I practically burned my computer and neutered my brother when they didn't kiss…you're too talented to describe (everyone read this girl's story!!). And like I told you, perfect gross image!!
Adnap Nottap- Kat, I haven't talked to you in ages, thanks to my bloody schoolwork! Have I told you how much I love your reviews???!!! :::wink::: I know, it's like, get up and get it through your head! At least Ron came to his senses that he loves this woman! Don't worry, I have a great ending and plenty in-between. I would never put you under any wrath, Addy! You know, my brother has this adorable panda and every time I see it, I think of you. Yes, you succeeded in being the longest reviewer and this is the longest comment! Hehe…well, guess who came into my story (although you were only trying to please the fanfiction nazis)? No need to kill anyone 'cause here it is!! I will write to you ASAP so don't despair!!
EvilFireWitch- Yes, don't we all? :::sigh::: Tell me, was this chapter worth it?
coolone007- I think it's the only way to go :::wink:::
therowlingpiercewriter- Oh, a fave! Woo-hoo!!!
Rupert Fan- I am another obsessed R/Hr Fan and if you want a good fanfic read When Things Start To Change because Hermione-G-Weasley is really amazing! Thanx for taking the time to read my fic!
ltnikki- You are relentless! You are evil! And I gave you credit now! Don't worry, no more you-know-what names for you. I won't even say his name because I'm in mortal danger of being skinned alive…