Hidden Truths

Hermione and Ginny are in the common room when Harry storms in.  He doesn't even look at them as he rushes up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.  The girls exchange glances, not entirely sure how to react when Ron trudges in slowly.  He looks very hurt and confused.  "Uh, Ron…" Ginny starts.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ron says glumly.  He sits down in a chair across from his sister and best friend.  "What are you doing?"

"Arithmancy homework," Hermione replies.  She puts her books down.  "Ron, I know you don't want to talk, but maybe it would help if you did.  It's easier to sort out a problem once you've got it sorted out in your head."

Ron sneers.  "And who would know better than the brain of the school?  Is the great Hermione Granger going to solve all my problems with a passage from one of her many books?"

Hermione sighs.  "Honestly, Ron.  You can't mean that.  I'm your best friend.  I'm not just going to sit back and let your friendship Harry fly out the window because of a few misunderstandings.  I promised myself I wouldn't get involved but under the circumstances…"

"You're dealing with Ronald Weasley and you know he can't work anything out for himself.  He needs the famous Harry Potter or the genius Hermione Granger to do everything for him," Ron says angrily.

"Ron, you're being unreasonable," Ginny says almost pleadingly.

Ron stands up.  "Of course you'd defend them, wouldn't you, Ginny?  Why not?  You've been striving to be Hermione and get Harry for the past four years.  And now you've got everything the way you want them, don't you?  Hermione stays up hours to help you become as much of a showoff as she is and you're on the Quidditch team, closer to Harry than you've ever been."

Ginny stands up as well, her eyes blazing in her anger.  She's almost as tall as her older brother, her long red hair pulled back into a ponytail to be less of a nuisance during Quidditch.  She walks past her brother, leaving her books scattered across the tables.  "Good night, Hermione, Ron.  Sleep well."

Ginny walks up towards the girls' dorms.  Hermione just watches her go in amazement.  She turns to look at Ron, who looks just as surprised.  "What's with you, Ron?  Last year it was Harry's involvement in the Triwizard Tournament and my seeing Viktor Krum.  This year, it's my grades, Ginny's Quidditch, and who knows what's got you miffed about Harry.  But this is getting really old, really fast.  You're going to lose friends, Ron, if you can't accept that we care about you for you, not for what you can do and offer us.  Good night."

With that, Hermione gathers all the books and leaves Ron to stand by himself.  Ron kicks the chair he'd been sitting in and heads upstairs to his bed.

Harry is reading quietly in his bed, his wand casting a light glow over the pages of Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.  He sneaks a glance at Ron, who just changes quietly and draws the velvet curtains around his bed.  Harry sighs and whispers:  "Nox."  The light in his wand goes out and he falls asleep.

Hermione hears Ginny crying as she puts her books away.  She heads down to the fourth years' dorm and knocks lightly on the door.  "Ginny," she whispers.  "Ginny, come out here and talk to me."

Ginny opens the door and steps outside.  She stands almost a head taller than Hermione, who has a gentle smile on her concerned face.  "Come with me up to my room for a bit.  Lavender and Parvati are out stargazing or some other whimsical assignment Trelawney has given them.  We should have plenty of privacy till they come back.  And we'll hear them from a mile away, giggling like fanatics as they always are."

That gets a smile out of Ginny, who follows Hermione up the fifth year dorm.  She always feels like she's in trouble when she follows behind Hermione, so she steps up more quickly, catching up with her long legs.  She feels so awkward around the older girl, who seems to have her entire life in order.  "Sit down, please."

Ginny chuckles nervously.  "Aren't you afraid I'm going to muss something?"

Hermione shakes her head, smiling.  "I'm not really as fastidious as everyone thinks I am, you know.  And even if I was, I could easily clean up any mess you might make.  So sit down or I'll let you cry all by yourself next time."

They sit together on the bed.  "I'm sorry you heard me.  I shouldn't let Ron get to me like that.  It's just… he has everything he could ever want and yet he always wants more.  He's never satisfied to have great friends, decent grades, and a whole list of wonderful things he's accomplished.  If he hadn't been such a great chess player, you and Harry never would have gotten to Professor Quirrell the way that you did.  And he got recognized for that.  He's known as a stand up guy who'd do anything for his friends, even munch on slugs trying to defend you.  He just doesn't seem to care about any of that."

"I know it's hard to understand why he does the things he does.  I just know that he doesn't consider himself great because he's not recognized on such a regular basis the way that Harry, you, and I am.  You just have to be patient with him.  He eventually gets himself in order with plenty of time to save the day in his own way."

Ginny nods.  "I just don't get it.  I wish he understood that he's not the only person with insecurities."

Hermione looks Ginny in the eye.  "And are you insecure about something, Ginny?"

Ginny looks down and picks at a strand from Hermione's quilt.  She sighs.  "Maybe.  I just… I wish I had such good friends the way you Harry, and Ron are.  I wish… Mum and Dad recognized me a bit more than just the baby of the family, their little girl.  I can handle it most of the time, but sometimes it's so hard."

"You have us, Ginny," Hermione says but it's hollow.  She knows that it'll never be the same.  She just isn't part of the group.  Even though she hates to think about it that way, Ginny is more of a tagalong than a good friend.

Ginny smiles.  "Thanks, Hermione," she takes the statement the way it really is, too.  She gets up.  "I'd better go.  Angelina's utilizing every one of our extra practice times and we have one tomorrow morning before classes."

"Good night, Ginny," Hermione watches the younger girl leave.  She wonders what it is that Ginny really needs.  "What is it with the Weasleys anyway?  What a moody bunch!"

The next day at Potions class, Professor Snape can somehow sense the animosity between the normally chummy threesome.  He partners Harry and Ron together and enjoys taking five points from Gryffindor for every snide remark they make to each other.  By the end of class, the two of them alone lost their house almost seventy points.

"Look, this is getting ridiculous," Hermione finally explodes after class.  "You both had better knock this off before you land us owing points to the school!  Snape isn't going to get us down just because you both are too pigheaded to accept each other the way you are!  Now, if you can't work out your differences, you're going to have to figure out a way to treat each other civilly."

Hermione storms away angrily.  The two boys look at  each other in silence for a few minutes.  "Truce?" Harry extends a hand.

"In your dreams, Harry," Ron says.  He starts to walk away and slams into the back of Draco.  "Watch where you're standing, Malfoy."

Draco grins.  "What's the matter, Weasley?  Honeymoon with Potter over after four years?  I honestly hope this lasts.  The way you're going, Slytherin doesn't have to do anything to earn points.  We just have to wait for you to lose all yours!"

"Don' you have somewhere t' be, Mr. Malfoy?" a big voice says suddenly.  Draco turns and glares at Hagrid, the school's groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher.  He watches Draco walk away.  "A' right, boys.  Time to do some explainin'.  I haven' heard Hermione tha' upset in quite some time.  What say we go up to my house and talk things out for a spell?"

The pair follows Hagrid to his hut and they sit as far away from each other as they possibly can.  The distance is killing Harry, who wants nothing more than to have his best friend back.  But he doesn't want to have to keep apologizing for who he is and what he's done.  He doesn't want to have to be a different person for Ron to like him again.

"Who wants t' explain first?" Hagrid asks.  Even sitting, he easily dwarfs the boys.  Having giant blood in him accounts for his unusual size and features.  But unlike his giantess mother, he is a warm, caring individual with an unusual fondness for dangerous creatures.  The more poisonous, the better it would seem Hagrid's motto is.  Last year, they had to take care of Blast-Ended Skrewts, horrible beasts with armor like shells and the ability to burn, sting, and bite its enemy.  It had been an awful experiment.

Harry looks at Ron, waiting for the red head to explain.  It was his issue after all and Harry would like to know just as badly as Hagrid did, what exactly the problem is.  Ron, however, just sits in glum silence.  Hagrid sighs.  "A' right.  I guess there's no use tryin' t' drag it outta ya.  Try t' act a bit more appropriately, though, why don'cha?  Y' don't wanna be the reason Gryffindor loses the House Cup this year.  What will it look like to the Americans if you can't even get along with your own house?"

Harry and Ron leave with that, though both would have liked to stick around and talk to Hagrid alone.  The don't speak to each other on the way back to the castle for their Divination class.  Ron and Harry both get scolded and lose twenty more points from Gryffindor for not being prepared for class again.  Ron's mother hasn't sent him any tea leaves yet and Harry hasn't thought to pick any up.