Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I can pretend for a short five pages, that they really live in my head and heart, not J.K. Rowling's, right?
Chapter 10: An Uneasy Truth
Hermione gathered all of her research quickly, pulling it all into the bag. They weren't under Amara's curse. They couldn't have been. Carmen would be dead and Katie would be nearly dead.
Scrambling out of the library she ran into the same old foul Malfoy she had been running into for going on six years. He was easy enough to ignore when Ron wasn't around. "Watch it Mudblood!" he spat out scathingly. "Your Weasel boyfriend isn't here to save you this—
But Hermione was out of earshot before he finished his threat, and she didn't care. They had been wrong. She had been wrong. She had failed. The first thing she had ever failed at and it was quite possibly a matter of life or death.
"Hermione!" Ron's voice shouted from behind her. She skidded to a halt and spun around to see Ron and Harry catching up to her at a rapid speed. Both were breathless. "Hermione, they aren't—
"Under the Umbra Visius," she finished for him quietly. Ron gulped and nodded. Hermione blushed. Harry looked away uneasily.
"So then what is it?" he asked quietly.
She twirled a long strand of bushy brown hair absent mindedly. Her eyes were worried. "I don't know what it is. We've missed something. I've missed something," she replied quietly.
Ron opened his mouth to say something but closed it quite as quickly. "Never mind," he mumbled with a blush painting his cheeks.
"Wait, how did you two know it wasn't the Umbra Visius?" she asked pointedly, directing the question at Harry, who hadn't said two words since they caught up with her.
Harry looked Hermione directly in the eye. A shiver ran down his spine with the truth of how wrong they actually were. "Dr. Braddock found us on our way to dinner. You weren't in dinner tonight…Gin said you were in the library doing homework. You weren't doing homework, were you?"
Ron threw his hands into the air. "Great! The first time Hermione Granger skives out on homework and it's over something like this!"
Hermione and Harry looked each other in the eye, rolled their eyes, and then groaned. "Whatever Ron!" Harry exclaimed.
"Well then, what did Dr. Braddock tell you?" she asked, returning to their original conversation.
Harry shrugged. "He didn't really say anything we didn't already know. Actually, Snape told him Ron and I were the nosiest students in school and that's why he came up to talk to us. He said he would have liked to speak with you too, but you were doing homework," Harry reminded her with a fond smile.
"Not that it helped any," she replied sadly. "I still don't know what's wrong with them. There was no new information." She proceeded to rub her temples. "Honestly! I don't know why I can't find any information! You guys know I practically live in the library! I know every corner of that library…including the Restricted Section! I should know where to find whatever curse is on them, shouldn't I?"
Ron looked at Harry, obviously concerned for their friend. She'd never doubted her researching skills before. They didn't doubt her researching skills.
"Hermione, the reason they're sick has nothing to do with you," Ron said in a firm voice. He then surprised both Hermione and Harry by enveloping her in a hug.
Hermione slipped her arms around Ron, who blushed slightly. Harry silently congratulated his friend for not turning into a human tomato. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and Harry noticed the peaceful look that over powered the look of self-doubt and apprehension. She looked as if she belonged there. "Thank you Ron," she whispered sincerely, tickling his ear with her breath.
He squeezed her gently, lifting her off of her feet slightly and then set her back on her feet again. There wasn't even a trace of redness on his cheeks as he looked down at her. "You're welcome." He mock bowed and red hair splashed into his eyes. Hermione giggled and Harry was relieved to see that Hermione appeared to be feeling better.
"Ron's right Hermione; it isn't your fault they're sick. And it's not your fault if anything happens to them in the future, or anyone else," Harry put in. He meant every word and she seemed to know it too.
Hermione put her arms around him and hugged him gently. She pulled away nearly as quickly. "Thanks Harry," she said through a smile.
Hermione looked down at the wristwatch she was wearing and then she yawned. "Guys, it's really late. You should go to bed," she said looking pointedly at Ron.
"What about you?" he protested.
She blushed. "I don't have Quidditch tryouts in the morning," she reminded Ron.
"Well what are you going to do?" he asked curiously. Harry had to grin at his best friend's blatant interest in their best girl friend. He'd have to mention it later tonight. Or maybe tomorrow after Quidditch tryouts.
Yawning, she shrugged. "I don't know. I may go back to the library and recheck the shelves to see if there is anything I've missed, although I can't imagine there is." She yawned again. "But then again, I might just go to bed too. I am rather tired." Hermione flashed them a pretty smile. "It's been a long day."
"You should go to bed," Ron advised.
Hermione smiled again. "I promise I'll be at your tryouts tomorrow Ron. I know how important they are to you," she promised.
Ron blushed then. He seriously blushed.
He leaned down on impulse and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He kissed her on the cheek. Hermione smiled nervously and looked up at the tall boy standing in front of her with shining eyes. Harry had the distinct feeling this was one of those private moments he wasn't really privy to watch.
"Just don't get sick alright? Remember Third Year?" Ron reminded her gently.
Hermione laughed. "Yes Ron, I remember Third Year." She shoved him playfully. "Go to bed Ronald Weasley!"
Ron laughed and then looked at Harry. His eyes fell and he was obviously embarrassed again. "Oh, sorry mate."
Harry shrugged easily. "It's 's alright." He waved in Hermione's direction. "Night Hermione! See you at the Quidditch Pitch!"
"Goodnight you two!" she replied, waving and smiling; she felt better than she had in a long time…of course, that was probably due to Ron's impromptu kiss on the cheek. Smiling at the memory, she wheeled around to walk to the library again.
There was still some time before Filch could do anything to her for being out in the halls. It wasn't past curfew yet and there was still hard to believe the truth that the curse was yet unknown. Least of all her worries was that unknown counter-curse. It was going to be another long evening in the library. She wasn't necessarily looking forward to it. She much would have rather reflected on that kiss…
Well? What do you think of chapter 10? It took me a bit and a few conversations in between to think of what ought to happen. I'm so sorry there wasn't a whole lot in the way of plot in this chapter (although I had loads of fun writing the Ron/Hermione part—I'm the hopeless romantic)…and I promise you'll know the truth about the curse by chapter 13, unless I lie that is, in which case you may not know until much later. Please review and that whole bit and thanks so much for reading!
