Feallan Steorra
Chapter 8: Complicated
Author's jibberish: Hermione and Orion kissed!! Agh! Trust me, this is an H/H but they just got to hit a few bumps…or brick walls along the way. Nothing in Harry's life is perfect, right?
It had been a week after New Years. Every evening, Hermione was walked back to the Gryffindor tower by Orion. Ron would sit, snarling behind a textbook as Harry would pray for peace. But one day, the peace broke.
Ron and Harry were in the common room, charting their fate for Divination. Seamus, Dean, Neville, Lavender and Parvati were sitting at the dining table.
Hermione came in. "Did Morell carry your books for you?" Ron growled over his chart.
Hermione placed her books on the coffee table. "What's a matter with you?"
"Nothing; just wondering how long you and he have been exclusive," Ron said.
"For your information, Ron, we're not dating--."
"So you let just anybody kiss you?"
Hermione's ears were red. "Were you spying on me?" Ron shook his head, looking back to his chart. "What do you have against Orion?"
"Listen, Hermione--," Harry said.
"I don't like him! Something's not right about him!" Ron exclaimed.
"What do you know about him? You know his name and his house but nothing about him--."
"He's a Slytherin! Every bad wizard who attended Hogwarts came from Slytherin!" Ron pointed out.
"That's discrimination," she crossed her arms.
"That's truth," Ron responded.
Everyone was watching.
"You can be so small-minded Ron!" Hermione was starting to become blue in the face.
"Why him? What's so good about him?"
"He's a good person, obviously something you've never seen!"
"If he's such a good person, why didn't you tell us?"
"Does it matter? Do you honestly care who I'm with?"
Ron held his finger to Harry. "What about Harry? Did you at least ask how he feels about all of this?"
"Uh, Ron, don't bring me--," Harry stammered.
The spectators' heads moved back and forth, as if watching a tennis match. By now, the whole house came downstairs, crowded the staircase and balcony to watch the argument unfold. None of the three seemed to notice the audience.
"I doubt Harry would mind me spending time with a new friend--."
"I'm sure you're right…Well, you sure treat friends differently. If he's just a friend, why did you kiss him?"
"He kissed me!"
"Did you pull away?"
Silence.
"Then that means you didn't mind it," Ron declared. "I thought you would've at least told Harry."
"And why is that?" Hermione flopped on one of the chairs.
"Because for the time I've known you, we have been alone here late at night many times, but never once had we stayed up all night talking," Ron explained. "You managed to have an all night chat with Harry; that's not something you would do with just anybody; it's important--."
"Ron," Harry warned him. "Stop this--."
"How many times must I say this?" Hermione yelled. "Orion isn't my boyfriend!"
Ron turned back to his charts. "Whatever."
Hermione dashed out of the room.
"Hermione!" Harry ran after her as she dashed out of the portrait hole and into the halls. He had to chase her down the staircase before he grabbed her arm. "Hermione, please talk to me!" He pulled her into an empty corridor.
Hermione was quickly wiping her tears.
"Look, Ron…" Harry tried to explain, "Thinks something is wrong with Morell. There's a reason why the Hat put him in Slytherin--."
"It's not because he's a bad person! It's because of circumstances!"
"What circumstances?"
Hermione sniffed. "I'm not sure I should say…"
"Ron cares about you. He just has a certain way of showing it. Ron and me walking in on you two kissing was an accident," he told her. "But from what it looked like, it was as if you liked him. So we waited for you two to tell us. We thought you were going out and even I was hurt…that you didn't tell us…"
Hermione shook her head. "Harry, don't look at me like that. I can't stand it…" she began to turn and walked away.
"Wait!" Harry exclaimed, holding onto her hand.
"What else is there to talk about?" Hermione asked. I told you already: I'm not with Orion. I can't be--."
"Can't? Why not?" he asked.
Hermione's tear-streaked face went pale. She gulped. Without speaking a word, she yanked her wrist from his grasp and ran away.
Two weeks passed and Hermione and Ron were on formal speaking terms. During meals, Hermione would sit with a book in front of her, by herself while Harry would sit next to Ron. He felt awful, being in the middle.
"I understand," she told him a couple of days ago. "Don't worry about me, Harry."
How could she say that? He was still her friend, how could he not care?
'I'm happy to have friends like you…'
Harry started feeling worse. He looked down the table. Hermione wasn't in sight; she must have been in the library or the tower.
Ron finished his lunch. "I got to go get my book for Lupin's class." He stood.
"Ok, I'll be right there." Harry finished his chicken pie and downed his water. He closed the book in front of him, tucked it under his arm and walked out of the hall. Suddenly, Harry stopped in his tracks, his head pounding.
Ron and Orion were standing about 4 years from Harry, with Ron's back to him. He stopped; their conversation seemed tense. Harry could see Ron's hands ball into fists, then he caught sight of Orion's face. He told Ron something in a devilish sneer that made chills run through Harry's blood. Harry spotted Hermione standing on the opposite side, about the same distance away. She was facing Orion's back, looking straight at him and Ron. Orion said something else; that was the last straw Ron took.
"Stupefy!" Ron cast, pointing his wand to Orion.
Orion flew back a few feet in response to Ron's spell.
"Ron!" Harry ran up to him. "What's the matter with you?!"
"He…he…"Ron's temper was flaming, eyes glaring at Orion.
Hermione ran to Orion's side to help him up. "Orion, are you ok?" She held him by the arm and pulled him up.
"I'm alright," he said, looking up.
Hermione gasped. "You have a black eye!"
Orion's fingers gently touched the skin around his right eye. He winced.
Hermione pulled his hand away. "Let's go to Madam Pomfrey." She turned over her shoulder to Ron. "And you! Just…stay away." The two walked away.
Ron's mouth dropped. "Wh…wh…Why can't she see through him?!"
"You better be happy no teacher saw you," Harry said. "What's the matter with you?"
"Orion 'Sneak' Morell, that's what! If only you could have heard what he said!"
"What did
he say?"
"Sneaky little evil git…"
"What did he say?" Harry asked again.
Ron looked at him, anger and worry crossing his eyes. "'Get used to not talking to her…I'm going to make it permanent…' That's what he told me."
Harry gulped.
"Why won't she listen? You believe me don't you Harry? I mean, you must have seen his face: it was like looking at evil." Ron turned down the hall, towards the direction of the hospital wing.
"We have to tell her," Harry said, reading Ron's mind.
"She won't believe me if I tell her!" Ron exclaimed.
"I'll tell her," Harry offered. "She has to believe us. She just has to…"
