The weekend passed rather quietly, in spite of Ron and Hermione's quarrel.
They seemed to have come to a silent mutual agreement not to bring it up
again. Ron still had no idea what was bothering Hermione but decided to
leave it alone.
It was Christmas morning at Hogwarts. Many of the students had left that weekend leaving only a small handful of students behind. Harry of course stayed at the school. The Weasley's and Hermione also stayed behind to keep Harry company.
The Gryffindor common room was quite. Harry and Ron crept down the stairs still in their pajamas carrying the gifts they got and their gifts to give to one another. Ginny met them at the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas and bathrobe.
"Is anyone else in the girls' dorm?" Harry whispered.
"Lavender is the only other one in her year that is still here," Ginny replied. "And she's in the common room."
"Is she still asleep?"
"Lavender said she was."
Ron looked around nervously. "You better peek in first just to make sure."
Ginny rolled her eyes. She slowly opened the Year fifth girls' dorm door and poked her head in. She turned around and gave the boys the 'OK'.
Harry tiptoed to the left side of the bed and Ginny stood at the foot. Ron looked around nervously again and began to walk towards the other side of the bed.
"Ron!" Hermione called sharply.
The three of them froze in place. Ron began to backup slowly towards the door. "We're really sorry. We just."
Hermione rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around her. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't apparate and disapparate on school grounds!"
Ginny covered her mouth trying to smother the urge to giggle. Harry also tried not to laugh.
"She even tells you off in her sleep!" he whispered.
Ron's ears turned a bright shade of pink. "Shut-up Harry".
He walked over to the other side of the bed. "Come on, let's get this over with. On the count of three. One.two." He and Harry leaned in closer over Hermione, "three!"
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!"
"AHH!!" Hermione shot straight up in her bed. She looked around. "What are you doing in here? This is the girl's dormitory!"
"Why does this sound familiar?" Harry held up a present. "So I guess you don't want these? Can I have them?"
Ginny and Ron laughed. Hermione tried to look mad, but failed miserably. "Give me that."
They opened their gifts in record time. The sounds of ripping paper and 'Ohh!'s, 'Aww!'s and 'Not maroon again!'s echoed through the dormitory.
Ron opened his gift from Hermione. "Oh! Wow! This is great!" He held up the orange and yellow Chudley Cannons scarf. He wrapped it around his neck, "Thanks Herm! I love it." Ron than looked rather uncomfortable about something.
Just then Lavender poked her head in the door. "Hey guys! Happy Christmas!"
"Happy Christmas!" they called happily.
"Hey, Ron? Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Umm, sure. Just give me a sec," Ron said as he gathered his things, "I'll meet you out there in a minute."
As Ron got up to leave he looked relieved, "I'll see you guys later, ok? Thanks for the great stuff."
When Ron left there was a long silence. Ginny looked about nervously, "I'm going to go put my stuff away. I'll see you later too." She got up and left quickly.
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked.
"Umm?" Hermione looked a little upset and was searching through the mountain of wrapping paper for something.
"What's wrong with you?"
"ahh.nothing", Hermione tried to put on a small smile. "Say? What did Ron get you?"
"Oh! Umm.where.here it is! A Chudley Cannon poster and a couple of boxes of Chocolate Frogs. What about you?"
Hermione's smile left her face. "Nothing."
~*~
Harry began to look through the paper himself. "Are you sure? Maybe you just didn't open it up yet."
"Probably." she sounded doubtful.
"Well, keep looking. It's bound to show up when we clean up this mess. I have to get dressed and put my stuff away. I'll help you later, ok?"
Hermione nodded.
Harry left, leaving Hermione time to think.
*Did I really just not see it? Or open it and not remember?* No that couldn't be it; she always remembered what she received from friends and family. She looked gloomy at the neat pile of gifts: the stocking full of tooth care items and charm bracelet from her parents, the new green and blue quill with four different inks from Harry, the usual rock cakes from Hagrid, and a container of Sleekeasy from Ginny. Nothing from Ron.
Nothing. Not even the usual box a Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans, no card. Nothing. *It's like he totally forgot about me* Hermione thought about this for a minute, and then a thought stuck her. What if he didn't forget about her, what if he did it intentionally? She had been pretty horrible to him the other day.
Hermione smiled to herself *I'll fix this! I'll go ask for forgiveness!* with new determination she hurried to get dressed in her new skirt and blouse her grandparents had sent.
~*~
Hermione checked her hair one more time, than laughed at herself. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's just Ron!" She shook her head at herself for being so silly and headed towards the door.
As she opened it she could hear two people talking. She peered through the door. Standing just inside the portrait entrance was Ron and Lavender.
Lavender went up on tiptoe and kissed Ron softly on the cheek. "Happy Christmas Ron." She smiled at him.
Ron blushed crimson. "Happy Christmas Lavender."
Hermione quickly shut the door to hide herself. She opened it again, just a crack. She could hear Lavender.
"I'll meet you outside the great hall after the feast. Say...nineish?"
"Sounds fine with me," Ron replied.
"I'll see you later then." Lavender left the common room shutting the portrait behind her.
Hermione peered out the door for a minute. When she thought it was 'safe' she opened it.
Ron looked over and smiled sheepishly. "Hello Hermione." He frowned in concern when he saw her face. "Is there something wrong?"
Hermione shook her head, swept passed him and exited through the portrait, lip trembling.
~*~ END PART 2
A/N: sorta short chapter humm? I wanted to write the story in two chapters but I thought I would be more fun to play with your minds ^_~
It was Christmas morning at Hogwarts. Many of the students had left that weekend leaving only a small handful of students behind. Harry of course stayed at the school. The Weasley's and Hermione also stayed behind to keep Harry company.
The Gryffindor common room was quite. Harry and Ron crept down the stairs still in their pajamas carrying the gifts they got and their gifts to give to one another. Ginny met them at the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas and bathrobe.
"Is anyone else in the girls' dorm?" Harry whispered.
"Lavender is the only other one in her year that is still here," Ginny replied. "And she's in the common room."
"Is she still asleep?"
"Lavender said she was."
Ron looked around nervously. "You better peek in first just to make sure."
Ginny rolled her eyes. She slowly opened the Year fifth girls' dorm door and poked her head in. She turned around and gave the boys the 'OK'.
Harry tiptoed to the left side of the bed and Ginny stood at the foot. Ron looked around nervously again and began to walk towards the other side of the bed.
"Ron!" Hermione called sharply.
The three of them froze in place. Ron began to backup slowly towards the door. "We're really sorry. We just."
Hermione rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around her. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't apparate and disapparate on school grounds!"
Ginny covered her mouth trying to smother the urge to giggle. Harry also tried not to laugh.
"She even tells you off in her sleep!" he whispered.
Ron's ears turned a bright shade of pink. "Shut-up Harry".
He walked over to the other side of the bed. "Come on, let's get this over with. On the count of three. One.two." He and Harry leaned in closer over Hermione, "three!"
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!"
"AHH!!" Hermione shot straight up in her bed. She looked around. "What are you doing in here? This is the girl's dormitory!"
"Why does this sound familiar?" Harry held up a present. "So I guess you don't want these? Can I have them?"
Ginny and Ron laughed. Hermione tried to look mad, but failed miserably. "Give me that."
They opened their gifts in record time. The sounds of ripping paper and 'Ohh!'s, 'Aww!'s and 'Not maroon again!'s echoed through the dormitory.
Ron opened his gift from Hermione. "Oh! Wow! This is great!" He held up the orange and yellow Chudley Cannons scarf. He wrapped it around his neck, "Thanks Herm! I love it." Ron than looked rather uncomfortable about something.
Just then Lavender poked her head in the door. "Hey guys! Happy Christmas!"
"Happy Christmas!" they called happily.
"Hey, Ron? Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Umm, sure. Just give me a sec," Ron said as he gathered his things, "I'll meet you out there in a minute."
As Ron got up to leave he looked relieved, "I'll see you guys later, ok? Thanks for the great stuff."
When Ron left there was a long silence. Ginny looked about nervously, "I'm going to go put my stuff away. I'll see you later too." She got up and left quickly.
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked.
"Umm?" Hermione looked a little upset and was searching through the mountain of wrapping paper for something.
"What's wrong with you?"
"ahh.nothing", Hermione tried to put on a small smile. "Say? What did Ron get you?"
"Oh! Umm.where.here it is! A Chudley Cannon poster and a couple of boxes of Chocolate Frogs. What about you?"
Hermione's smile left her face. "Nothing."
~*~
Harry began to look through the paper himself. "Are you sure? Maybe you just didn't open it up yet."
"Probably." she sounded doubtful.
"Well, keep looking. It's bound to show up when we clean up this mess. I have to get dressed and put my stuff away. I'll help you later, ok?"
Hermione nodded.
Harry left, leaving Hermione time to think.
*Did I really just not see it? Or open it and not remember?* No that couldn't be it; she always remembered what she received from friends and family. She looked gloomy at the neat pile of gifts: the stocking full of tooth care items and charm bracelet from her parents, the new green and blue quill with four different inks from Harry, the usual rock cakes from Hagrid, and a container of Sleekeasy from Ginny. Nothing from Ron.
Nothing. Not even the usual box a Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans, no card. Nothing. *It's like he totally forgot about me* Hermione thought about this for a minute, and then a thought stuck her. What if he didn't forget about her, what if he did it intentionally? She had been pretty horrible to him the other day.
Hermione smiled to herself *I'll fix this! I'll go ask for forgiveness!* with new determination she hurried to get dressed in her new skirt and blouse her grandparents had sent.
~*~
Hermione checked her hair one more time, than laughed at herself. "I don't know why I'm so nervous. It's just Ron!" She shook her head at herself for being so silly and headed towards the door.
As she opened it she could hear two people talking. She peered through the door. Standing just inside the portrait entrance was Ron and Lavender.
Lavender went up on tiptoe and kissed Ron softly on the cheek. "Happy Christmas Ron." She smiled at him.
Ron blushed crimson. "Happy Christmas Lavender."
Hermione quickly shut the door to hide herself. She opened it again, just a crack. She could hear Lavender.
"I'll meet you outside the great hall after the feast. Say...nineish?"
"Sounds fine with me," Ron replied.
"I'll see you later then." Lavender left the common room shutting the portrait behind her.
Hermione peered out the door for a minute. When she thought it was 'safe' she opened it.
Ron looked over and smiled sheepishly. "Hello Hermione." He frowned in concern when he saw her face. "Is there something wrong?"
Hermione shook her head, swept passed him and exited through the portrait, lip trembling.
~*~ END PART 2
A/N: sorta short chapter humm? I wanted to write the story in two chapters but I thought I would be more fun to play with your minds ^_~