CHAPTER FIVE- PROBLEMS
"Ron must be really ill!" exclaimed Seamus, throwing his arms about wildly, as Harry and Neville stood blinking at him. "'E's gone to bed and 'e won't speak to us. And that's very bad for Ron!"
"Aw, hogwash," Harry declared, approaching Ron's bed. The canopy had been drawn, so there was no way to look in.
"Oy, Ron! It's Harry!" He pulled the velvet canopy open (even though Dean and Seamus shouted 'NOOOO'), revealing a lump of blankets.
Harry poked at the lump, which groaned, thrashed about, and yelled," Leave me alone!"
"We only want to talk to you!"
"But I don't want to talk to YOU! Just get away from me, okay, Harry?"
Harry sighed. "Please don't be mad at Neville. You've no reason."
The heap did not reply.
"Fine, Ron! Have it your own bloody way!" Harry jerked the canopy back into place.
"Well, at least he spoke to you," Dean said, shrugging. "But it seems like more than a stomach ache is bothering him."
"HA!" shouted the voice behind the canopy. "Stomach ache! That's real original! What a crock!"
"I thought it fit your character," Harry responded sharply.
"Oh, SHUT UP."
Neville began to cry. He had a very low tolerance for confrontations.
Suddenly, Ron ripped open the canopy and jumped out in his worn, tight, paisley pajamas.
"'Ello, Ron!" Seamus cried out. "How are ye?"
"Mind your own business," instructed Ron. "You too, Dean."
Harry tried to sound as fierce as Ron as he said," Don't blame it on them. I've asked you loads of times: Now WHAT is your problem?"
"I don't have a problem."
"Then, why have you gone in and out sanity all day?" questioned Harry. "Why did you scream in the hall? Why did you run toward Neville like a banshee on call back in commons when Hermione said she kissed him?"
Ron's face reddened even more, if that was possible. "Hermione DID NOT kiss Neville. NEVILLE kissed HERMIONE." His angry eyes flickered over to Neville. "How dare you act so innocent and then go around making out with people!"
"Hold on," Dean interrupted with a look of bewilderment upon his dark face. "Neville was smooching with Hermione Granger?"
Seamus looked mortified. "Neville Longbottom? Hermione Granger?" He shook his head and looked as though he might start to hyperventilate.
"Go ahead, Neville. Tell us what really happened. And Ron: You'd better listen," shot Harry.
"Keep your trousers on, I will."
Neville, whose tears had subsided into quick gasps, looked around at his dorm mates: Harry, with his understanding smile; Seamus with his wild, spiky hair; Dean, still confused; and Ron, wearing a glare.
"I- I-" stammered Neville. "I asked her to kiss me, so she did."
"Ohhhhh," nodded Seamus and Dean, finally understanding how Neville had managed to get kissed before they had.
"Does she like you?" Ron inquired. "As in, boyfriend, I mean?"
"No, probably not," replied Neville, and then looked cheerful. "But she's so nice!"
Harry had been studying Ron's reactions for the entire day. He spoke slowly:
"Ron. I know you fancy Hermione. So just admit it, please."
Seamus sniggered and elbowed Dean. Neville stared.
Ron looked at the four faces and sighed. "I don't really want to discuss it."
Harry shook his head. "It isn't that complicated, mate! When you're ready, just talk to me, okay?" With that, Harry changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. The others followed his example.
"Ron must be really ill!" exclaimed Seamus, throwing his arms about wildly, as Harry and Neville stood blinking at him. "'E's gone to bed and 'e won't speak to us. And that's very bad for Ron!"
"Aw, hogwash," Harry declared, approaching Ron's bed. The canopy had been drawn, so there was no way to look in.
"Oy, Ron! It's Harry!" He pulled the velvet canopy open (even though Dean and Seamus shouted 'NOOOO'), revealing a lump of blankets.
Harry poked at the lump, which groaned, thrashed about, and yelled," Leave me alone!"
"We only want to talk to you!"
"But I don't want to talk to YOU! Just get away from me, okay, Harry?"
Harry sighed. "Please don't be mad at Neville. You've no reason."
The heap did not reply.
"Fine, Ron! Have it your own bloody way!" Harry jerked the canopy back into place.
"Well, at least he spoke to you," Dean said, shrugging. "But it seems like more than a stomach ache is bothering him."
"HA!" shouted the voice behind the canopy. "Stomach ache! That's real original! What a crock!"
"I thought it fit your character," Harry responded sharply.
"Oh, SHUT UP."
Neville began to cry. He had a very low tolerance for confrontations.
Suddenly, Ron ripped open the canopy and jumped out in his worn, tight, paisley pajamas.
"'Ello, Ron!" Seamus cried out. "How are ye?"
"Mind your own business," instructed Ron. "You too, Dean."
Harry tried to sound as fierce as Ron as he said," Don't blame it on them. I've asked you loads of times: Now WHAT is your problem?"
"I don't have a problem."
"Then, why have you gone in and out sanity all day?" questioned Harry. "Why did you scream in the hall? Why did you run toward Neville like a banshee on call back in commons when Hermione said she kissed him?"
Ron's face reddened even more, if that was possible. "Hermione DID NOT kiss Neville. NEVILLE kissed HERMIONE." His angry eyes flickered over to Neville. "How dare you act so innocent and then go around making out with people!"
"Hold on," Dean interrupted with a look of bewilderment upon his dark face. "Neville was smooching with Hermione Granger?"
Seamus looked mortified. "Neville Longbottom? Hermione Granger?" He shook his head and looked as though he might start to hyperventilate.
"Go ahead, Neville. Tell us what really happened. And Ron: You'd better listen," shot Harry.
"Keep your trousers on, I will."
Neville, whose tears had subsided into quick gasps, looked around at his dorm mates: Harry, with his understanding smile; Seamus with his wild, spiky hair; Dean, still confused; and Ron, wearing a glare.
"I- I-" stammered Neville. "I asked her to kiss me, so she did."
"Ohhhhh," nodded Seamus and Dean, finally understanding how Neville had managed to get kissed before they had.
"Does she like you?" Ron inquired. "As in, boyfriend, I mean?"
"No, probably not," replied Neville, and then looked cheerful. "But she's so nice!"
Harry had been studying Ron's reactions for the entire day. He spoke slowly:
"Ron. I know you fancy Hermione. So just admit it, please."
Seamus sniggered and elbowed Dean. Neville stared.
Ron looked at the four faces and sighed. "I don't really want to discuss it."
Harry shook his head. "It isn't that complicated, mate! When you're ready, just talk to me, okay?" With that, Harry changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. The others followed his example.
