Author's Note: Welcome to Chapter Three. If you've made it this far, I hope
you won't be disappointed. I'm kind of winging it here, so if you have any
suggestions or things you'd like to see happen, feel free to comment.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its affiliates.
Chapter Three: Put me Down.
Ron stood as still as he could -- what else could he do in the face of an angry troll? Harry backed up slowly, reaching into his robe for his wand. The red-haired wizard gently placed his left arm beneath Hermione's upper back and the other under her knees. She stirred a little but did not wake up. Rising to his feet with her in his arms, Ron saw Harry pointing his wand at the troll.
The troll, however, didn't seemed to be afraid of the puny kid and his wand.
"Ron, take Hermione and run. I'll distract this bugger and you get her out of here," Harry whispered to his friend with a heroic aura. Inwardly, Ron scoffed at Harry. 'He always has to be the hero. When's my turn?' he said to himself. But then Ron realized it was to save Hermione -- the unconscious witch. So he swallowed his pride, wished luck to Harry and took off.
Harry heaved a sigh of relief, confidant now that he could take care of the troll without having to worry about the safety of his friends. He smirked and lifted his wand in a dueling position. It had been a while since he had the chance to let loose and for a moment, Harry forgot about the Ministry and their rules. He was defending himself and his friends. Who could punish him for that?
Harry stared down the troll who was now swinging its club around and growling. "I'm ready," he said, the troll almost seeming to understand the words as it rushed toward the wizard.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Ron hadn't stopped running since he had left Harry and by this time, he was exhausted. Who knew Hermione was so heavy? Certainly not Ron when he volunteered to carry her off into the distance. Before long, his legs could carry him no further and Ron stopped by a tree, leaning against it, still holding Hermione up. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.
"Ron..?"
He blinked his eyes open to see a pair of brown ones looking back. Ron gulped, wonder how long she had been awake.
"Yes?"
"I... I just want to say that I..."
Ron's hearty began to pound. This wasn't real, was it? 'I just want to say that I love you, Ron,' he could almost hear her say. But Ron snapped himself out of the stupid daydream and waited for her to finish her sentence.
"I just want to say that I can stand by myself, Ron."
The words echoed in his mind. What did she mean by that? How could he ever like her when all she did was insult him?
"Well, excuse me for trying to help!" he retorted, turning his head away from her. He could almost feel her stare when he looked away. "What?" he asked coldly.
"You can put me down now," Hermione replied, a little confused as to why she was in his arms in the first place. He had better not have tried anything funny! If he did, why she'd have to smack some sense into that boy!
"Fine," Ron huffed, dropping Hermione right where he stood. She landed on the ground with a thud. Hermione cried out when she hit and the shock that he had dropped her almost brought tears to her eyes. She stood, glared at Ron and smacked him as hard as she could across the face. Ron was so taken aback that he didn't know what to say. He was dumbfounded. He covered the spot she hit with his hand and said nothing.
"You're nothing but a complete jerk!" was all Hermione could muster up. Didn't he know how she felt? Didn't he care? Of course not, he was just stupid, insensitive Ron Weasley! She turned away from him and started to run away.
"'Mione, wait!" Ron called out, running after her. Now look at the mess he got himself in! She'd never like him after this! "'Mione! Stop!" he tried again, but she kept running. Why did she have to run? His legs were still sore from running earlier, couldn't she have just walked briskly? Luckily for Ron, though, that he was the faster runner and quickly caught up with her.
"Will you just wait?" he scolded, grabbing her wrist, spinning her around and staring her straight in the eyes. She was crying and trembling, almost afraid of the way he looked at her now. The scowl on Ron's face didn't disappear until he started to speak.
"Look... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You just...," he paused for a second and smiled. "You just came to at a bad time..." Ron scanned her face for reactions. This was harder than he thought, apologizing. "Please forgive me."
It wasn't often that Ron showed his more tender side, displaying the macho, chess-champion image he wanted people to see more than not. It was this side that Hermione was attracted to. Ron kept his grip on her, hoping she would reply soon and relieve the awkwardness he felt.
"It's... It's okay, Ron," she eventually said. Hermione hated giving in, but she couldn't resist the urge to accept his apology. Ron let go of her arm and ran a hand through his hair, much relieved. She brushed off her face and wiped away the tears. "Just don't ever do it again or I'll do much worse than slap you next time!" she stated, trying to cover up her vulnerability. She didn't need Ron to know what kind of effect he had on her.
But before Ron could agree, Harry showed up, running usually fast toward them with his wand in his hand, not seeming to be slowing down.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its affiliates.
Chapter Three: Put me Down.
Ron stood as still as he could -- what else could he do in the face of an angry troll? Harry backed up slowly, reaching into his robe for his wand. The red-haired wizard gently placed his left arm beneath Hermione's upper back and the other under her knees. She stirred a little but did not wake up. Rising to his feet with her in his arms, Ron saw Harry pointing his wand at the troll.
The troll, however, didn't seemed to be afraid of the puny kid and his wand.
"Ron, take Hermione and run. I'll distract this bugger and you get her out of here," Harry whispered to his friend with a heroic aura. Inwardly, Ron scoffed at Harry. 'He always has to be the hero. When's my turn?' he said to himself. But then Ron realized it was to save Hermione -- the unconscious witch. So he swallowed his pride, wished luck to Harry and took off.
Harry heaved a sigh of relief, confidant now that he could take care of the troll without having to worry about the safety of his friends. He smirked and lifted his wand in a dueling position. It had been a while since he had the chance to let loose and for a moment, Harry forgot about the Ministry and their rules. He was defending himself and his friends. Who could punish him for that?
Harry stared down the troll who was now swinging its club around and growling. "I'm ready," he said, the troll almost seeming to understand the words as it rushed toward the wizard.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Ron hadn't stopped running since he had left Harry and by this time, he was exhausted. Who knew Hermione was so heavy? Certainly not Ron when he volunteered to carry her off into the distance. Before long, his legs could carry him no further and Ron stopped by a tree, leaning against it, still holding Hermione up. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.
"Ron..?"
He blinked his eyes open to see a pair of brown ones looking back. Ron gulped, wonder how long she had been awake.
"Yes?"
"I... I just want to say that I..."
Ron's hearty began to pound. This wasn't real, was it? 'I just want to say that I love you, Ron,' he could almost hear her say. But Ron snapped himself out of the stupid daydream and waited for her to finish her sentence.
"I just want to say that I can stand by myself, Ron."
The words echoed in his mind. What did she mean by that? How could he ever like her when all she did was insult him?
"Well, excuse me for trying to help!" he retorted, turning his head away from her. He could almost feel her stare when he looked away. "What?" he asked coldly.
"You can put me down now," Hermione replied, a little confused as to why she was in his arms in the first place. He had better not have tried anything funny! If he did, why she'd have to smack some sense into that boy!
"Fine," Ron huffed, dropping Hermione right where he stood. She landed on the ground with a thud. Hermione cried out when she hit and the shock that he had dropped her almost brought tears to her eyes. She stood, glared at Ron and smacked him as hard as she could across the face. Ron was so taken aback that he didn't know what to say. He was dumbfounded. He covered the spot she hit with his hand and said nothing.
"You're nothing but a complete jerk!" was all Hermione could muster up. Didn't he know how she felt? Didn't he care? Of course not, he was just stupid, insensitive Ron Weasley! She turned away from him and started to run away.
"'Mione, wait!" Ron called out, running after her. Now look at the mess he got himself in! She'd never like him after this! "'Mione! Stop!" he tried again, but she kept running. Why did she have to run? His legs were still sore from running earlier, couldn't she have just walked briskly? Luckily for Ron, though, that he was the faster runner and quickly caught up with her.
"Will you just wait?" he scolded, grabbing her wrist, spinning her around and staring her straight in the eyes. She was crying and trembling, almost afraid of the way he looked at her now. The scowl on Ron's face didn't disappear until he started to speak.
"Look... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You just...," he paused for a second and smiled. "You just came to at a bad time..." Ron scanned her face for reactions. This was harder than he thought, apologizing. "Please forgive me."
It wasn't often that Ron showed his more tender side, displaying the macho, chess-champion image he wanted people to see more than not. It was this side that Hermione was attracted to. Ron kept his grip on her, hoping she would reply soon and relieve the awkwardness he felt.
"It's... It's okay, Ron," she eventually said. Hermione hated giving in, but she couldn't resist the urge to accept his apology. Ron let go of her arm and ran a hand through his hair, much relieved. She brushed off her face and wiped away the tears. "Just don't ever do it again or I'll do much worse than slap you next time!" she stated, trying to cover up her vulnerability. She didn't need Ron to know what kind of effect he had on her.
But before Ron could agree, Harry showed up, running usually fast toward them with his wand in his hand, not seeming to be slowing down.