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Chapter 8
Hermione bit her lip as she walked in the Charms classroom. She and Ron haven't talked much ever since that incident in her room. She also has been avoiding Harry. She didn't want to discuss what happened to him... or to anyone for that matter.
She quietly slid onto her seat, opened her bag and took out her book and some parchments, hoping to distract herself from the hustle and bustle that was going on in the classroom. Professor Binns hadn't arrived yet, which was unusual because he was usually just there all the time. So Hermione began writing something on one of her parchments and easily forgot everything around her.
She was on the third paragraph of whatever it was that she was writing when someone sat beside her and tapped her on the shoulder. She screamed a little and immediately put a book on top of her parchment.
"Whoa, Hermione, I just meant to say hello and not startle you," Harry said, chuckling.
"You scared me. That's all," Hermione said, calming down.
"What are you writing?" Harry asked, leaning for a look.
Hermione folded the parchment and put it in her bag. "Nothing. Just scribbles. What are you doing here? Isn't professor Binns here yet?" She looked around.
"No, he's not yet here. I don't think he's coming at all, actually," Harry said, studying Hermione for a moment. "Are you avoiding me?"
Hermione faced him. "What? Wh-why would I do that?"
"Aw, come on, Hermione. Don't ask me why or whatever. You know you're avoiding me. Why?" Harry said pointedly.
"I don't really know what you're talking about," Hermione said distantly.
Harry raised his eyebrows at her, showing her that he didn't believe a word that she said. Hermione merely shrugged and avoided his gaze. Harry moved his chair closer to her and leaned towards her.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked softly.
Hermione didn't say anything. She merely stared at her desk and bit her lip. Harry sighed and leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.
"Okay, Hermione. I won't push you," Harry said. He knew that the more you pressure Hermione, the more she won't open up.
"There's just really nothing to talk about, Harry," Hermione said quietly.
"Sure," Harry said, standing up. "You know where to find me if you realize you want to talk." He walked away.
Hermione sighed and buried her face on her arms. *Why did Ron have to kiss me? Wait! I kissed him back! Why did I have to kiss him back? Why why why? Oh why?*
"Uh, Hermione?"
Hermione lifted her head up and Ron's blue eyes. She gasped quietly. "What is it...?" She couldn't even say his name now.
"Class is over," Ron said softly, gesturing around the classroom. Hermione looked around and saw that most of the class has left.
"Oh," Hermione said, gathering her books and putting them in her back. She stood up and started for the door.
"Hermione," Ron called out softly. Hermione slowly turned around and faced him. "Is it going to be this way from now on?"
Hermione looked down and decided to avoid the question. "What's 'this way'?"
"You, avoiding me," Ron explained. "And pretending that the kiss didn't happen," he added, looking down.
"Ron--," Hermione began.
"Hermione!" Parvati called. "Come on!"
"I'll be right there!" Hermione called back. She looked apologetically at Ron, but felt relieved at the interruption. "I'm sorry. I have to go." With this, she left.
**
"Hermione, what's up with you?" Parvati asked
"What?" Hermione asked, looking at her.
"You haven't been yourself lately," Lavender said.
"I--I havent?" Hermione stammered. "What makes you say that?"
"For the obvious reasons," Lavender said knowingly. "You stare off to space during classes and you're very quiet."
"Oh... Well, um, I've--," Hermione said.
"And you don't hang out with Harry or even Ron anymore," Parvati interrupted, making a good point.
Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say? They were right, after all. Lavender and Parvati looked at each other worriedly, now that they confirmed their theories. They stopped walking and turned to Hermione.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Lavender asked, concerned. The three of them were actually pretty good friends, unlike the popular belief that Hermione didn't like them.
"Nothing. I'm fine," Hermione assured them.
"We don't believe you," Parvati said, crossing her arms on her chest. "Something is wrong and you know it. We know it and I know Harry knows it, too."
"Harry doesn't know anything," Hermione said irritably.
"What?" Lavender asked, surprised.
"Nothing," Hermione said at once. "Look. I'm fine. Fine as I can ever be. Don't ask me questions anymore. Not now." She raised her eyebrows at them and walked down the hall.
Lavender and Parvati looked at each other. Lavender broke the silence by asking, "What was that about?"
**
Hermione went in her room and surveyed the surroundings. The dark red room was carpeted with intricate designs with lions all over it. On the right stood her desk with all her books and readings on it, while on her left was the velvety sofa that she loved so much. In the middle was her bed. There were four small pillars towering on the corners, where the drapes hung. The bed where Ron had kissed her. Passionately. And, as much as she hated to admit it, lovingly.
She sat on the edge of the bed, letting her hands travel on the fabric. She didn't know what to do or think at the moment. She knew she had feelings for Harry, but for Ron? That she didn't know... or even comprehend. Ron's her bestfriend. He's someone who used to argue with her all the time, someone who used to make her so mad.
*He's also the one who's always been there for you,* a part of her mind said.
Hermione sighed, rested her head and shoulder on one of the bed pillars and closed her eyes. She couldn't understand any reason why this was happening. It confused her to think that maybe she hadn't had any feelings for Harry after all.
"Why is this happening?" Hermione asked out loud.
"Er, I don't know," someone answered.
Hermione wildly turned around in shock and stood up, gripping her skirt. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, um, well... Ron and Harry are actually looking for you," Ginny replied meekly. She knew that Hermione was probably upset with her for what she told her the other day. She didn't really mean it. It was some sort of defense mechanism. She didn't want Harry to leave her. She didn't want to be left alone. "And since they can't go up here because--."
"Why can't they?" Hermione interrupted.
"You're mad at them, aren't you?" Ginny said carefully.
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. They think she's mad at them? "I'm not... mad," she said finally.
"You aren't?" This time it was Ginny who looked surprised.
"Why would I be?"
"I figured that you were, since you've been avoiding them and everything. Harry says you don't hang out with him any--."
"How could I?" Hermione snapped, her eyes blazing. "I can't, right? According to you."
Ginny looked down guiltily. "I know I said that, Hermione. And... I take it back."
"What?" Hermione asked, clearly surprised.
"I take it back," Ginny repeated. "It wasn't really my place to say that. I know you and Harry are bestfriends and well, I can't take that away. Not from him. Not from you." Ginny took a step forward in an effort to apologize more. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I was just scared. I don't want Harry to leave me. I--."
"Harry would never leave you," Hermione said, looking into her eyes. Ginny blinked. "He loves you."
They became silent for a while. Ginny didn't know what to say to that. She knew Hermione meant what she said and she believed her. She had always trusted Hermione, and she didn't know why she had gone off her like that about Harry. Ginny knew that Hermione wouldn't do that. Ginny cleared her throat.
"So, are you going to talk to Harry and Ron?" Ginny asked.
"To Harry," Hermione said with a tone of finality.
"What about--?"
"I don't know what to say to him."
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Chapter 8
Hermione bit her lip as she walked in the Charms classroom. She and Ron haven't talked much ever since that incident in her room. She also has been avoiding Harry. She didn't want to discuss what happened to him... or to anyone for that matter.
She quietly slid onto her seat, opened her bag and took out her book and some parchments, hoping to distract herself from the hustle and bustle that was going on in the classroom. Professor Binns hadn't arrived yet, which was unusual because he was usually just there all the time. So Hermione began writing something on one of her parchments and easily forgot everything around her.
She was on the third paragraph of whatever it was that she was writing when someone sat beside her and tapped her on the shoulder. She screamed a little and immediately put a book on top of her parchment.
"Whoa, Hermione, I just meant to say hello and not startle you," Harry said, chuckling.
"You scared me. That's all," Hermione said, calming down.
"What are you writing?" Harry asked, leaning for a look.
Hermione folded the parchment and put it in her bag. "Nothing. Just scribbles. What are you doing here? Isn't professor Binns here yet?" She looked around.
"No, he's not yet here. I don't think he's coming at all, actually," Harry said, studying Hermione for a moment. "Are you avoiding me?"
Hermione faced him. "What? Wh-why would I do that?"
"Aw, come on, Hermione. Don't ask me why or whatever. You know you're avoiding me. Why?" Harry said pointedly.
"I don't really know what you're talking about," Hermione said distantly.
Harry raised his eyebrows at her, showing her that he didn't believe a word that she said. Hermione merely shrugged and avoided his gaze. Harry moved his chair closer to her and leaned towards her.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked softly.
Hermione didn't say anything. She merely stared at her desk and bit her lip. Harry sighed and leaned back on the chair he was sitting on.
"Okay, Hermione. I won't push you," Harry said. He knew that the more you pressure Hermione, the more she won't open up.
"There's just really nothing to talk about, Harry," Hermione said quietly.
"Sure," Harry said, standing up. "You know where to find me if you realize you want to talk." He walked away.
Hermione sighed and buried her face on her arms. *Why did Ron have to kiss me? Wait! I kissed him back! Why did I have to kiss him back? Why why why? Oh why?*
"Uh, Hermione?"
Hermione lifted her head up and Ron's blue eyes. She gasped quietly. "What is it...?" She couldn't even say his name now.
"Class is over," Ron said softly, gesturing around the classroom. Hermione looked around and saw that most of the class has left.
"Oh," Hermione said, gathering her books and putting them in her back. She stood up and started for the door.
"Hermione," Ron called out softly. Hermione slowly turned around and faced him. "Is it going to be this way from now on?"
Hermione looked down and decided to avoid the question. "What's 'this way'?"
"You, avoiding me," Ron explained. "And pretending that the kiss didn't happen," he added, looking down.
"Ron--," Hermione began.
"Hermione!" Parvati called. "Come on!"
"I'll be right there!" Hermione called back. She looked apologetically at Ron, but felt relieved at the interruption. "I'm sorry. I have to go." With this, she left.
**
"Hermione, what's up with you?" Parvati asked
"What?" Hermione asked, looking at her.
"You haven't been yourself lately," Lavender said.
"I--I havent?" Hermione stammered. "What makes you say that?"
"For the obvious reasons," Lavender said knowingly. "You stare off to space during classes and you're very quiet."
"Oh... Well, um, I've--," Hermione said.
"And you don't hang out with Harry or even Ron anymore," Parvati interrupted, making a good point.
Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. What could she say? They were right, after all. Lavender and Parvati looked at each other worriedly, now that they confirmed their theories. They stopped walking and turned to Hermione.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Lavender asked, concerned. The three of them were actually pretty good friends, unlike the popular belief that Hermione didn't like them.
"Nothing. I'm fine," Hermione assured them.
"We don't believe you," Parvati said, crossing her arms on her chest. "Something is wrong and you know it. We know it and I know Harry knows it, too."
"Harry doesn't know anything," Hermione said irritably.
"What?" Lavender asked, surprised.
"Nothing," Hermione said at once. "Look. I'm fine. Fine as I can ever be. Don't ask me questions anymore. Not now." She raised her eyebrows at them and walked down the hall.
Lavender and Parvati looked at each other. Lavender broke the silence by asking, "What was that about?"
**
Hermione went in her room and surveyed the surroundings. The dark red room was carpeted with intricate designs with lions all over it. On the right stood her desk with all her books and readings on it, while on her left was the velvety sofa that she loved so much. In the middle was her bed. There were four small pillars towering on the corners, where the drapes hung. The bed where Ron had kissed her. Passionately. And, as much as she hated to admit it, lovingly.
She sat on the edge of the bed, letting her hands travel on the fabric. She didn't know what to do or think at the moment. She knew she had feelings for Harry, but for Ron? That she didn't know... or even comprehend. Ron's her bestfriend. He's someone who used to argue with her all the time, someone who used to make her so mad.
*He's also the one who's always been there for you,* a part of her mind said.
Hermione sighed, rested her head and shoulder on one of the bed pillars and closed her eyes. She couldn't understand any reason why this was happening. It confused her to think that maybe she hadn't had any feelings for Harry after all.
"Why is this happening?" Hermione asked out loud.
"Er, I don't know," someone answered.
Hermione wildly turned around in shock and stood up, gripping her skirt. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, um, well... Ron and Harry are actually looking for you," Ginny replied meekly. She knew that Hermione was probably upset with her for what she told her the other day. She didn't really mean it. It was some sort of defense mechanism. She didn't want Harry to leave her. She didn't want to be left alone. "And since they can't go up here because--."
"Why can't they?" Hermione interrupted.
"You're mad at them, aren't you?" Ginny said carefully.
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. They think she's mad at them? "I'm not... mad," she said finally.
"You aren't?" This time it was Ginny who looked surprised.
"Why would I be?"
"I figured that you were, since you've been avoiding them and everything. Harry says you don't hang out with him any--."
"How could I?" Hermione snapped, her eyes blazing. "I can't, right? According to you."
Ginny looked down guiltily. "I know I said that, Hermione. And... I take it back."
"What?" Hermione asked, clearly surprised.
"I take it back," Ginny repeated. "It wasn't really my place to say that. I know you and Harry are bestfriends and well, I can't take that away. Not from him. Not from you." Ginny took a step forward in an effort to apologize more. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I was just scared. I don't want Harry to leave me. I--."
"Harry would never leave you," Hermione said, looking into her eyes. Ginny blinked. "He loves you."
They became silent for a while. Ginny didn't know what to say to that. She knew Hermione meant what she said and she believed her. She had always trusted Hermione, and she didn't know why she had gone off her like that about Harry. Ginny knew that Hermione wouldn't do that. Ginny cleared her throat.
"So, are you going to talk to Harry and Ron?" Ginny asked.
"To Harry," Hermione said with a tone of finality.
"What about--?"
"I don't know what to say to him."
