Chapter 4:
Two Best Friends
Harry spent his week at Hermione's house doing things he had never done before. They had, as she called it "Muggle fun." They went to a concert, and then to the movies.
Harry enjoyed the zoo the most. Hermione dragged him to the snakes and had him interpret everything they said.
Harry also noticed more about Hermione. He realized that she was a lot of fun. (He had always viewed her as much less fun than his other best friend.) She could be a normal eighteen-year-old girl when she wanted to. It was unbelievable that she had only ever had one boyfriend.
Harry would've been in heaven if only Ron were there. All through the week Ron had been on the back of his mind, coming forward when he tried to fall asleep. He knew Hermione felt the same way.
Why does something awful happen to everyone I care about? Harry thought angrily, as he tossed and turned. School would be starting in three days, but Ron was still missing. He wondered if Hermione noticed how upset he was.
And why did everything come back to Hermione? True, Hermione was one of his best friends, but still...he didn't get it. It wasn't until the night before school started that the truth hit him with full force.
Harry had been lying awake puzzling the mystery of his two best friends, when he gasped and sat up in bed. He had finally found out why Hermione was such a major factor; his feelings toward her had grown. This was the same way he had felt about Cho-before she dumped him.
"You don't have a crush on Hermione." He told himself aloud, but it was useless. "This must be a temporary moment of insanity," he muttered.
Harry lay back down, now thinking about Ron and Hermione. He remembered when the two of them had been going out last year. That pang of sadness had to be that Ron was gone, not that he had gone out with Hermione, right?
Harry blinked back tears. This, on top of Ron's disappearance, was too much. Harry told himself that he was eighteen, to old to cry. His emotions, however, overtook his reason. He buried his head into his pillow and cried.
* * *
The next morning Harry didn't feel any better. He didn't cry, (he had never let anyone see him cry) but he walked around like a zombie. Unlike the previous night, however, he was much more upset about Ron than his new found crush on Hermione, although it was still there, nagging on the back of his brain.
Hermione was acting in an almost identical manner. She walked around, occasionally bumping into things into plain view. She even forgot to polish her Head Girl badge, a ceremony she had preformed every morning since the owl from Hogwarts that brought it.
The ride to King's Cross was an uncomfortable and, at least between Harry and Hermione, silent affair. The Granger's occasionally made brave attempts at conversation, but Harry and Hermione replied in the shortest possible answers, and sometimes not at all. Eventually they gave up and talked to each other about the fine art of dentistry.
Harry stared out the window. The weather had committed a horrible sin by being absolutely wonderful. The sun in the clear blue sky sent rays of golden light to earth, making the would-be-not-so-great scenery breathtaking. Harry felt that he would make a large and terrible thunderstorm if he could.
Platform 93/4 was packed with happy, chattering students. Harry stared at them, wondering how on earth they could be happy. How dare they be in a good mood!
Harry and Hermione found an empty compartment and lugged their trunks into it. No one bothered them, all their friends knew about Ron, and left them alone.
As the train started to move Harry looked out the window again at the depressingly bright and sunny day. "Just like the day I got Ginny's letter," Harry thought miserably. He glanced over at Hermione.
His heart went out to her when he saw that she looked how he felt. She was staring at her shoes, and Harry noticed a wet spot on the ground. He looked at her face, and was surprised to see that it was glistening with tears. She was silent, and if Harry hadn't looked he would've never known she had been crying. Harry decided that he would have to be optimistic, for Hermione's sake. He walked across the compartment and sat down next to her.
"Hey," he said gently. "It's okay." She looked up at him and for a moment that lasted an eternity she melted into his eyes, as if it would bring Ron back. Then she broke down completely, sobbing on Harry's shoulder.
Two Best Friends
Harry spent his week at Hermione's house doing things he had never done before. They had, as she called it "Muggle fun." They went to a concert, and then to the movies.
Harry enjoyed the zoo the most. Hermione dragged him to the snakes and had him interpret everything they said.
Harry also noticed more about Hermione. He realized that she was a lot of fun. (He had always viewed her as much less fun than his other best friend.) She could be a normal eighteen-year-old girl when she wanted to. It was unbelievable that she had only ever had one boyfriend.
Harry would've been in heaven if only Ron were there. All through the week Ron had been on the back of his mind, coming forward when he tried to fall asleep. He knew Hermione felt the same way.
Why does something awful happen to everyone I care about? Harry thought angrily, as he tossed and turned. School would be starting in three days, but Ron was still missing. He wondered if Hermione noticed how upset he was.
And why did everything come back to Hermione? True, Hermione was one of his best friends, but still...he didn't get it. It wasn't until the night before school started that the truth hit him with full force.
Harry had been lying awake puzzling the mystery of his two best friends, when he gasped and sat up in bed. He had finally found out why Hermione was such a major factor; his feelings toward her had grown. This was the same way he had felt about Cho-before she dumped him.
"You don't have a crush on Hermione." He told himself aloud, but it was useless. "This must be a temporary moment of insanity," he muttered.
Harry lay back down, now thinking about Ron and Hermione. He remembered when the two of them had been going out last year. That pang of sadness had to be that Ron was gone, not that he had gone out with Hermione, right?
Harry blinked back tears. This, on top of Ron's disappearance, was too much. Harry told himself that he was eighteen, to old to cry. His emotions, however, overtook his reason. He buried his head into his pillow and cried.
* * *
The next morning Harry didn't feel any better. He didn't cry, (he had never let anyone see him cry) but he walked around like a zombie. Unlike the previous night, however, he was much more upset about Ron than his new found crush on Hermione, although it was still there, nagging on the back of his brain.
Hermione was acting in an almost identical manner. She walked around, occasionally bumping into things into plain view. She even forgot to polish her Head Girl badge, a ceremony she had preformed every morning since the owl from Hogwarts that brought it.
The ride to King's Cross was an uncomfortable and, at least between Harry and Hermione, silent affair. The Granger's occasionally made brave attempts at conversation, but Harry and Hermione replied in the shortest possible answers, and sometimes not at all. Eventually they gave up and talked to each other about the fine art of dentistry.
Harry stared out the window. The weather had committed a horrible sin by being absolutely wonderful. The sun in the clear blue sky sent rays of golden light to earth, making the would-be-not-so-great scenery breathtaking. Harry felt that he would make a large and terrible thunderstorm if he could.
Platform 93/4 was packed with happy, chattering students. Harry stared at them, wondering how on earth they could be happy. How dare they be in a good mood!
Harry and Hermione found an empty compartment and lugged their trunks into it. No one bothered them, all their friends knew about Ron, and left them alone.
As the train started to move Harry looked out the window again at the depressingly bright and sunny day. "Just like the day I got Ginny's letter," Harry thought miserably. He glanced over at Hermione.
His heart went out to her when he saw that she looked how he felt. She was staring at her shoes, and Harry noticed a wet spot on the ground. He looked at her face, and was surprised to see that it was glistening with tears. She was silent, and if Harry hadn't looked he would've never known she had been crying. Harry decided that he would have to be optimistic, for Hermione's sake. He walked across the compartment and sat down next to her.
"Hey," he said gently. "It's okay." She looked up at him and for a moment that lasted an eternity she melted into his eyes, as if it would bring Ron back. Then she broke down completely, sobbing on Harry's shoulder.