CHAPTER TWO - Don't Tell Harry
**Disclaimer - No, I do not own anything J.K. Rowling has created, and all I wish to do is share my reoccurring dreams with all the other Harry Potter fans out there**
Anah Greenshadow = Thanks for the review! Yeah, I stumbled over that sentence a lot. It should be fixed by now. Hope you keep reading!
Araanaz = Thanks! I hope more people review soon!
Purplerks = Oooh, you'll just have to read and find out! ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~
The shock of the sharp winter wind made both Hermione and Ron gasp as they left the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. The joyful and robust sounds from within the pub were quickly muted as the large wooden door swung to a close. Ron and Hermione stood quietly for a moment in the awkward silence, looking anywhere but at each other.
Hermione was the one to break the silence. "Well, where should we go now? Back to Hogwarts?" Her voice was unsure and oddly quiet. She looked completely around Hogsmeade before laying her eyes on Ron. An unintentional, tiny smile sneaked up upon her face when she finally stopped to look at Ron.
Ron had to look down slightly to lock eyes with Hermione. "Naw, I don't want to go back just yet. want to head over to the Shrieking Shack?" His cheeks seemed to go rosier the longer he looked at Hermione, going pink with the cold.
"Sure then. Not for long though. The snow seems to be getting heavier." Hermione said with a smile and a shrug. They then both set off towards the old, decrepit house, arms filled with bags from Honeydukes and Zonkos, their robes dragging behind them in the snow.
~~~
"Is it just me, or does that hill seem to get steeper in the snow?" Ron asked aloud, then laughing to himself as he dropped his bags on the ground and leaned up against a fence post. He looked around and down at Hogsmeade, smiling as he watched the people walking around, nobody else daring to walk up the hill to the haunted house.
"I wouldn't put the idea out of my head, after that climb." Hermione replied, breathing heavily and dropping her bags next to Ron's and leaning on the fence, looking into the yard of the Shrieking Shack. Her breathing slowed down after a moment, and silence crept over the hill of the Shrieking Shack. Neither Ron or Hermione moved, till a sudden wind rushed through the shack, setting off a series of squeaks and groans of the wood moving and settling. Ron and Hermione both jumped looked to each other and laughed.
"I don't think I've ever heard you be quiet so long before Ronald Weasley. I always thought you were the talking and eating machine!" Hermione said with a teasing tone in her voice, followed by a light and airy laugh.
"There's still a lot you don't know about me then." Ron said, with a serious tone of voice, but smiling none the less. Hermione and Ron went silent for a moment, looking at each other, then laughed. Hermione went back to looking out at the shack, bringing the hill into silence once more. Ron turned so he as well was looking out at the shack.
Another sharp wind whistled through the Shrieking Shack, but neither moved at all this time. The silence was everywhere, awkward and dead. Ron began to fidget his balance of weight from one foot to the other, silently. Finally, he broke the silence with one single word. "Hermione.."
Hermione looked over at Ron. "Yes?" she asked questioningly. Ron looked down into her eyes and said nothing for a moment. The two seemed to be frozen in place, their sight locked onto the other's eyes. Another gust of wind blew over the hill, blowing Hermione's hair all over her face. Even this distraction did not break the gaze between Hermione and Ron though. Ron slowly brought his hand up and brushed Hermione's hair behind her ear, his hand lingering against her cheek. Hermione's cheek reddened as the hand remained on her cheek. Ron's fingers then traced down along Hermione's jaw line, his hand then dropping back down to his side. As if in harmony, both Hermione and Ron made a small step towards each other, their eyes still gazing into the others. Ron's face was only inches away from Hermione's. Hermione could feel his warm breath upon her skin.
Ron, still looking deeply into Hermione's eyes, whispered, "I have something I need to tell you.." Ron began to lightly run his fingers up Hermione's arm, tracing his way back up towards Hermione's cheek. Hermione closed her eyes partially and gave a small shiver.
"Yes?" Hermione asked, her voice breathy and no louder than a whisper. Slowly, Ron began to close the gap between his face and Hermione's. Hermione closed her eyes as a soft, velvet kiss was placed upon her lips. Ron pulled back a moment, leaving himself only centimetres from Hermione's lips. She kept her eyes closed, and brought herself towards Ron's lips this time, kissing him softly. Ron's hand that was making it's way up Hermione's arm quickly found it's way back to her cheek, cupping her face in his hand. Hermione's hand quickly glided up Ron's arm and rested on his shoulder, pulling herself in closer towards Ron.
Suddenly, however, Hermione pulled her lips away from Ron's and looked down, as if she'd done something wrong. "What is it Herm?" Ron whispered into her ear.
"We can't." Hermione began to whisper, her voice choking over the words. "We can't do this. Not now." Hermione rested her forehead against Ron's shoulder, and Ron wrapped an arm around her back.
"Why can't we? We seemed to be doing fine." Ron said with a chuckle. Hermione replied with what sounded like a sniffle holding back a sob. The smile on Ron's face quickly disappeared at this sound, and he looked down at Hermione with a look of worry.
Hermione looked up slightly, so her face was looking straight ahead, yet her eyes were looking up into Ron's face. "We can't. This year is complicated enough, with Black and the Dementors and everything. I couldn't handle anything else now." Hermione took a step back, away from Ron, pulling his arm away from around her back.
Ron looked down at Hermione with slight shock and disappointment. "But Herm. we're already best friends. There would be no change there." Ron's voice sounded almost pleading as he spoke, his face looking slack and depressed.
"There would though." Hermione said glumly. "Our best friend is being hunted by a psychotic mass murderer. If anything were to happen between us. Harry would really lose his best friends when he needed them the most. Harry would feel like a third wheel around us, and he doesn't need that." Hermione bent down to pick up her bags. When she stood straight again, she saw that Ron's face had gone from being depressed to angry.
"You're more worried about Harry's feelings than your own?" Ron said, half shouting. "Why are you so worried about if Harry feels like a third wheel? We'd still be his best friends! Harry would never feel like that. He would understand!!" Ron's face had gone red with anger.
"I think the only one who doesn't understand is you Ron!" Hermione sounded upset as she stared at Ron. Turning to go down the hill, Hermione looked over her shoulder and said, "We have to forget about all of this. Pretend it didn't happen. Go back to the way we were before. Nobody has to know this happened."
Ron looked shocked. "Pretend it didn't happen? What if I don't want to pretend?" Ron shouted to Hermione as she started to head down the hill, his voice full of anger. Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned around in a flash.
"You HAVE to pretend!" Hermione said in an explosion of anger and frustration. "If you say anything to anyone, I will deny everything. And who will they believe, you, or me?" Ron stood in shock in this comment, silent. Both knew the answer, and it was clear there was no need to say it aloud. Hermione started to walk down the hill once again.
"What about Harry?" Ron finally asked, shouting down to Hermione as she walked off. Hermione didn't turn around and didn't stop at this question. However, she did reply loudly and clearly as she walked down the hill.
"Don't tell Harry."
**Disclaimer - No, I do not own anything J.K. Rowling has created, and all I wish to do is share my reoccurring dreams with all the other Harry Potter fans out there**
Anah Greenshadow = Thanks for the review! Yeah, I stumbled over that sentence a lot. It should be fixed by now. Hope you keep reading!
Araanaz = Thanks! I hope more people review soon!
Purplerks = Oooh, you'll just have to read and find out! ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~
The shock of the sharp winter wind made both Hermione and Ron gasp as they left the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. The joyful and robust sounds from within the pub were quickly muted as the large wooden door swung to a close. Ron and Hermione stood quietly for a moment in the awkward silence, looking anywhere but at each other.
Hermione was the one to break the silence. "Well, where should we go now? Back to Hogwarts?" Her voice was unsure and oddly quiet. She looked completely around Hogsmeade before laying her eyes on Ron. An unintentional, tiny smile sneaked up upon her face when she finally stopped to look at Ron.
Ron had to look down slightly to lock eyes with Hermione. "Naw, I don't want to go back just yet. want to head over to the Shrieking Shack?" His cheeks seemed to go rosier the longer he looked at Hermione, going pink with the cold.
"Sure then. Not for long though. The snow seems to be getting heavier." Hermione said with a smile and a shrug. They then both set off towards the old, decrepit house, arms filled with bags from Honeydukes and Zonkos, their robes dragging behind them in the snow.
~~~
"Is it just me, or does that hill seem to get steeper in the snow?" Ron asked aloud, then laughing to himself as he dropped his bags on the ground and leaned up against a fence post. He looked around and down at Hogsmeade, smiling as he watched the people walking around, nobody else daring to walk up the hill to the haunted house.
"I wouldn't put the idea out of my head, after that climb." Hermione replied, breathing heavily and dropping her bags next to Ron's and leaning on the fence, looking into the yard of the Shrieking Shack. Her breathing slowed down after a moment, and silence crept over the hill of the Shrieking Shack. Neither Ron or Hermione moved, till a sudden wind rushed through the shack, setting off a series of squeaks and groans of the wood moving and settling. Ron and Hermione both jumped looked to each other and laughed.
"I don't think I've ever heard you be quiet so long before Ronald Weasley. I always thought you were the talking and eating machine!" Hermione said with a teasing tone in her voice, followed by a light and airy laugh.
"There's still a lot you don't know about me then." Ron said, with a serious tone of voice, but smiling none the less. Hermione and Ron went silent for a moment, looking at each other, then laughed. Hermione went back to looking out at the shack, bringing the hill into silence once more. Ron turned so he as well was looking out at the shack.
Another sharp wind whistled through the Shrieking Shack, but neither moved at all this time. The silence was everywhere, awkward and dead. Ron began to fidget his balance of weight from one foot to the other, silently. Finally, he broke the silence with one single word. "Hermione.."
Hermione looked over at Ron. "Yes?" she asked questioningly. Ron looked down into her eyes and said nothing for a moment. The two seemed to be frozen in place, their sight locked onto the other's eyes. Another gust of wind blew over the hill, blowing Hermione's hair all over her face. Even this distraction did not break the gaze between Hermione and Ron though. Ron slowly brought his hand up and brushed Hermione's hair behind her ear, his hand lingering against her cheek. Hermione's cheek reddened as the hand remained on her cheek. Ron's fingers then traced down along Hermione's jaw line, his hand then dropping back down to his side. As if in harmony, both Hermione and Ron made a small step towards each other, their eyes still gazing into the others. Ron's face was only inches away from Hermione's. Hermione could feel his warm breath upon her skin.
Ron, still looking deeply into Hermione's eyes, whispered, "I have something I need to tell you.." Ron began to lightly run his fingers up Hermione's arm, tracing his way back up towards Hermione's cheek. Hermione closed her eyes partially and gave a small shiver.
"Yes?" Hermione asked, her voice breathy and no louder than a whisper. Slowly, Ron began to close the gap between his face and Hermione's. Hermione closed her eyes as a soft, velvet kiss was placed upon her lips. Ron pulled back a moment, leaving himself only centimetres from Hermione's lips. She kept her eyes closed, and brought herself towards Ron's lips this time, kissing him softly. Ron's hand that was making it's way up Hermione's arm quickly found it's way back to her cheek, cupping her face in his hand. Hermione's hand quickly glided up Ron's arm and rested on his shoulder, pulling herself in closer towards Ron.
Suddenly, however, Hermione pulled her lips away from Ron's and looked down, as if she'd done something wrong. "What is it Herm?" Ron whispered into her ear.
"We can't." Hermione began to whisper, her voice choking over the words. "We can't do this. Not now." Hermione rested her forehead against Ron's shoulder, and Ron wrapped an arm around her back.
"Why can't we? We seemed to be doing fine." Ron said with a chuckle. Hermione replied with what sounded like a sniffle holding back a sob. The smile on Ron's face quickly disappeared at this sound, and he looked down at Hermione with a look of worry.
Hermione looked up slightly, so her face was looking straight ahead, yet her eyes were looking up into Ron's face. "We can't. This year is complicated enough, with Black and the Dementors and everything. I couldn't handle anything else now." Hermione took a step back, away from Ron, pulling his arm away from around her back.
Ron looked down at Hermione with slight shock and disappointment. "But Herm. we're already best friends. There would be no change there." Ron's voice sounded almost pleading as he spoke, his face looking slack and depressed.
"There would though." Hermione said glumly. "Our best friend is being hunted by a psychotic mass murderer. If anything were to happen between us. Harry would really lose his best friends when he needed them the most. Harry would feel like a third wheel around us, and he doesn't need that." Hermione bent down to pick up her bags. When she stood straight again, she saw that Ron's face had gone from being depressed to angry.
"You're more worried about Harry's feelings than your own?" Ron said, half shouting. "Why are you so worried about if Harry feels like a third wheel? We'd still be his best friends! Harry would never feel like that. He would understand!!" Ron's face had gone red with anger.
"I think the only one who doesn't understand is you Ron!" Hermione sounded upset as she stared at Ron. Turning to go down the hill, Hermione looked over her shoulder and said, "We have to forget about all of this. Pretend it didn't happen. Go back to the way we were before. Nobody has to know this happened."
Ron looked shocked. "Pretend it didn't happen? What if I don't want to pretend?" Ron shouted to Hermione as she started to head down the hill, his voice full of anger. Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned around in a flash.
"You HAVE to pretend!" Hermione said in an explosion of anger and frustration. "If you say anything to anyone, I will deny everything. And who will they believe, you, or me?" Ron stood in shock in this comment, silent. Both knew the answer, and it was clear there was no need to say it aloud. Hermione started to walk down the hill once again.
"What about Harry?" Ron finally asked, shouting down to Hermione as she walked off. Hermione didn't turn around and didn't stop at this question. However, she did reply loudly and clearly as she walked down the hill.
"Don't tell Harry."
