Chapter 7
"Hermione!"
Hermione turned around and came face to face with Ginny Weasley, whose eyes were flashing.
"What is it?" Hermione asked carefully.
"I want to know what you're trying to do with Harry," Ginny demanded.
"What?" Hermione asked, blinking confusedly.
"You know what I mean. I've noticed that you and him are spending a lot of time together. Are you trying to steal him from me?" Ginny asked.
"No. I would never do that," Hermione said. "Harry and I were just working on a project that was assigned to us by Professor Binns. Didn't he tell you?"
"He did. But still," Ginny said. "I doubt that friendship is all you have to offer to Harry."
Hermione sighed. "Listen, Ginny. Even if I have more to offer to Harry, I'd never do it. You and Harry are together. I could never betray you or Harry."
Ginny's eyes softened a bit and sighed softly. "I hope you're telling the truth. I don't know what I'll do if I find out that you and Harry were doing things behind my back." She gave one last assessing look at Hermione, then walked away.
Hermione was watching Ginny walk away, with some sort of confusion in her eyes when Ron arrived.
"Hey," Ron greeted. Then he noticed her look. "What's up?"
Hermione turned to look at Ron. "Your sister just threatened me."
Ron's eyes became wide. "What did she say?"
"She's jealous of me and Harry working on the project professor Binns assigned us. She thinks there's something going on," Hermione explained.
"Well, is there?" Ron inquired.
"Why are you even asking that, Ron? You know that there can never be anything between me and Harry. He doesn't even feel a thing for me," Hermione said. "I only wish there was something."
Ron looked intently at her. He really felt that Hermione was so in love with Harry that that was the only thing she thinks of and sees. She couldn't see other doors or even windows that are open to her. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to say that."
Hermione took a deep breath. "I have to go."
"Where are you going?" Ron asked.
"To the dorm," Hermione said. "I think I'm going to take a nap." She began walking away.
"Are you mad at me?" Ron called out to her.
Hermione stopped walking and turned around to face him. She placed a hand on her hip and asked, "Do you want me to be?"
Ron grinned and shook his head. He walked towards her. "I don't want you to be mad at me at any time."
Hermione smiled warmly at him. "I don't see the need to be mad at you at all. Why don't you come up with me? I want to have someone to talk to. Is that okay with you?"
"I'd be more than happy to talk to you," Ron answered.
**
Hermione and Ron's laughter could be heard outside Hermione's dorm. Hermione was lying on her bed, clutching her stomach, while Ron was seated on the couch, laughing hard as well. Hermione sat up, wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I don't think I've laughed that hard in ages," Hermione voiced out.
"Yeah. Because you were too busy crying over Harry," Ron said pointedly.
Hermione's smile disappeared. She laid back down and sighed. Ron stood up and laid down beside her.
"I just meant--," Ron began.
"You're right," Hermione interrupted. "I'm too caught up with all things Harry that I can't even realize that there are other important things to me." She turned and faced Ron. "Like you."
Ron turned red. "I didn't say that you forgot me or anything."
"But that's what I do, Ron. I shun you aside just so I could do things for Harry, which doesn't get me anywhere," Hermione told him. She laid on her back again and closed her eyes.
"Hermione," Ron began softly. "Harry doesn't know what he's missing."
She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... He's stupid for doing this to you," Ron clarified.
"Ron, Ginny's your sister," Hermione reminded.
"I know that. But... I don't like seeing you get hurt like this. You don't fall in love very often and it's not a good feeling when you get turned down by the one person you truly love," Ron said.
Hermione chuckled all of a sudden. "Since when did you become an expert on love, Mr. Weasley?"
She expected him to laugh or something, but he didn't. Ron sighed and seriously said, "Ever since it happened to me."
Hermione sat up and began ganging up on him. "What?! When did it happen? Who is it?!"
Ron put his hands up to his face to shield himself. Hermione sat on his stomach and stradled him.
"Ron!" Hermione said. "How come you never told me you were in love? Does Harry know?"
"No one knows," Ron said. "And I want to keep it that way."
"Why?" Hermione said, pouting a little. She was still sitting on his stomach.
"Get off me, Hermione," Ron said.
"No," Hermione said stubbornly. "I won't." She grinned mischievously.
"Aw, come on, Mione," Ron said. He knew she loved being called that. And true enough, Hermione looked pleased. But she shook her head.
"I'm not getting off you until you tell me who it is," Hermione said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"Get off me or I might do something we'll both regret," Ron said warningly.
"Try me," Hermione said huffily.
"Okay. You asked for it," Ron said. He grabbed Hermione's waist, put her up a little and threw her on the bed. He then went on top of her. Hermione screamed a little, but she was smiling.
"Ron, get off me," Hermione ordered.
Ron shook his head and grinned mischievously. "You asked for this, remember?"
"Ron!" Hermione groaned. "You're...heavy." Ron didn't say anything. "Please, Ron. Just get off me. I can't breathe. What if I die now? I don't want you to feel guilty about my death. I don't want that kind of burden when I die, knowing that my bestfriend is guilty of killing me. I--."
"Shut up, Hermione," Ron said good-humoredly.
"Make me," Hermione snapped, plastering a closed smile on her face.
Ron did the only thing he could think of to make her shut up. He leaned down and kissed her.
**
Hermione's mind went black as soon as Ron's lips caught her own. Then she felt the searing passion that embodied his kiss, which wakened up something inside her. Responding to him, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, bringing him closer. Ron noticed this and took the opportunity to part her mouth and plunge his tongue in, gaining a moan from Hermione. He smiled inwardly and began kissing her, almost senseless.
When Ron finally moved away from Hermione, her eyes were still closed, her lips tingling from the intense kiss they just had. She opened her eyes and looked at Ron in a whole new way. Ron cleared his throat uncomfortably and got off her, laying down beside her instead. Both weren't intent on breaking the silence when...
"That was something, wasn't it?"
Hermione and Ron both sat up at once and gasped in horror. Harry was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed on his chest, smirking at them. "Well?"
Both opened their mouths to say something, but Ron spoke first. "What are you doing here?" Ron asked huskily.
Harry grinned at the state of Ron's voice. "I was coming to visit Hermione. I didn't know you'd be here. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come." He smiled again.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Um... what is it that you went here for?"
"Nothing in particular. Just wanted to ask how you were," Harry answered, shrugging. "I guess I'll go now, seeing that you are perfectly fine."
Hermione turned red as Harry left.
"I... I should probably go, too," Ron said quietly, standing up. Hermione stood up, too, and nodded.
"Hermione!"
Hermione turned around and came face to face with Ginny Weasley, whose eyes were flashing.
"What is it?" Hermione asked carefully.
"I want to know what you're trying to do with Harry," Ginny demanded.
"What?" Hermione asked, blinking confusedly.
"You know what I mean. I've noticed that you and him are spending a lot of time together. Are you trying to steal him from me?" Ginny asked.
"No. I would never do that," Hermione said. "Harry and I were just working on a project that was assigned to us by Professor Binns. Didn't he tell you?"
"He did. But still," Ginny said. "I doubt that friendship is all you have to offer to Harry."
Hermione sighed. "Listen, Ginny. Even if I have more to offer to Harry, I'd never do it. You and Harry are together. I could never betray you or Harry."
Ginny's eyes softened a bit and sighed softly. "I hope you're telling the truth. I don't know what I'll do if I find out that you and Harry were doing things behind my back." She gave one last assessing look at Hermione, then walked away.
Hermione was watching Ginny walk away, with some sort of confusion in her eyes when Ron arrived.
"Hey," Ron greeted. Then he noticed her look. "What's up?"
Hermione turned to look at Ron. "Your sister just threatened me."
Ron's eyes became wide. "What did she say?"
"She's jealous of me and Harry working on the project professor Binns assigned us. She thinks there's something going on," Hermione explained.
"Well, is there?" Ron inquired.
"Why are you even asking that, Ron? You know that there can never be anything between me and Harry. He doesn't even feel a thing for me," Hermione said. "I only wish there was something."
Ron looked intently at her. He really felt that Hermione was so in love with Harry that that was the only thing she thinks of and sees. She couldn't see other doors or even windows that are open to her. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to say that."
Hermione took a deep breath. "I have to go."
"Where are you going?" Ron asked.
"To the dorm," Hermione said. "I think I'm going to take a nap." She began walking away.
"Are you mad at me?" Ron called out to her.
Hermione stopped walking and turned around to face him. She placed a hand on her hip and asked, "Do you want me to be?"
Ron grinned and shook his head. He walked towards her. "I don't want you to be mad at me at any time."
Hermione smiled warmly at him. "I don't see the need to be mad at you at all. Why don't you come up with me? I want to have someone to talk to. Is that okay with you?"
"I'd be more than happy to talk to you," Ron answered.
**
Hermione and Ron's laughter could be heard outside Hermione's dorm. Hermione was lying on her bed, clutching her stomach, while Ron was seated on the couch, laughing hard as well. Hermione sat up, wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I don't think I've laughed that hard in ages," Hermione voiced out.
"Yeah. Because you were too busy crying over Harry," Ron said pointedly.
Hermione's smile disappeared. She laid back down and sighed. Ron stood up and laid down beside her.
"I just meant--," Ron began.
"You're right," Hermione interrupted. "I'm too caught up with all things Harry that I can't even realize that there are other important things to me." She turned and faced Ron. "Like you."
Ron turned red. "I didn't say that you forgot me or anything."
"But that's what I do, Ron. I shun you aside just so I could do things for Harry, which doesn't get me anywhere," Hermione told him. She laid on her back again and closed her eyes.
"Hermione," Ron began softly. "Harry doesn't know what he's missing."
She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... He's stupid for doing this to you," Ron clarified.
"Ron, Ginny's your sister," Hermione reminded.
"I know that. But... I don't like seeing you get hurt like this. You don't fall in love very often and it's not a good feeling when you get turned down by the one person you truly love," Ron said.
Hermione chuckled all of a sudden. "Since when did you become an expert on love, Mr. Weasley?"
She expected him to laugh or something, but he didn't. Ron sighed and seriously said, "Ever since it happened to me."
Hermione sat up and began ganging up on him. "What?! When did it happen? Who is it?!"
Ron put his hands up to his face to shield himself. Hermione sat on his stomach and stradled him.
"Ron!" Hermione said. "How come you never told me you were in love? Does Harry know?"
"No one knows," Ron said. "And I want to keep it that way."
"Why?" Hermione said, pouting a little. She was still sitting on his stomach.
"Get off me, Hermione," Ron said.
"No," Hermione said stubbornly. "I won't." She grinned mischievously.
"Aw, come on, Mione," Ron said. He knew she loved being called that. And true enough, Hermione looked pleased. But she shook her head.
"I'm not getting off you until you tell me who it is," Hermione said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"Get off me or I might do something we'll both regret," Ron said warningly.
"Try me," Hermione said huffily.
"Okay. You asked for it," Ron said. He grabbed Hermione's waist, put her up a little and threw her on the bed. He then went on top of her. Hermione screamed a little, but she was smiling.
"Ron, get off me," Hermione ordered.
Ron shook his head and grinned mischievously. "You asked for this, remember?"
"Ron!" Hermione groaned. "You're...heavy." Ron didn't say anything. "Please, Ron. Just get off me. I can't breathe. What if I die now? I don't want you to feel guilty about my death. I don't want that kind of burden when I die, knowing that my bestfriend is guilty of killing me. I--."
"Shut up, Hermione," Ron said good-humoredly.
"Make me," Hermione snapped, plastering a closed smile on her face.
Ron did the only thing he could think of to make her shut up. He leaned down and kissed her.
**
Hermione's mind went black as soon as Ron's lips caught her own. Then she felt the searing passion that embodied his kiss, which wakened up something inside her. Responding to him, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, bringing him closer. Ron noticed this and took the opportunity to part her mouth and plunge his tongue in, gaining a moan from Hermione. He smiled inwardly and began kissing her, almost senseless.
When Ron finally moved away from Hermione, her eyes were still closed, her lips tingling from the intense kiss they just had. She opened her eyes and looked at Ron in a whole new way. Ron cleared his throat uncomfortably and got off her, laying down beside her instead. Both weren't intent on breaking the silence when...
"That was something, wasn't it?"
Hermione and Ron both sat up at once and gasped in horror. Harry was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed on his chest, smirking at them. "Well?"
Both opened their mouths to say something, but Ron spoke first. "What are you doing here?" Ron asked huskily.
Harry grinned at the state of Ron's voice. "I was coming to visit Hermione. I didn't know you'd be here. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come." He smiled again.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Um... what is it that you went here for?"
"Nothing in particular. Just wanted to ask how you were," Harry answered, shrugging. "I guess I'll go now, seeing that you are perfectly fine."
Hermione turned red as Harry left.
"I... I should probably go, too," Ron said quietly, standing up. Hermione stood up, too, and nodded.
