Chapter twenty four- The Owlery
Ron's PoV
I heard Harry get up at about nine, and he said something to me, but I pretended to be asleep. I think he fell for it. I knew where he'd be going anyway- straight to the Hospital Wing, to see if Hermione's OK. Part of me wanted to go, but the larger, more stubborn part of me kept reminding me of the past week, and so I kept my eyes shut.
I got up as soon as he left though, and sat in the Common Room for a while. Harry found me there an hour later, and came and sat down.
"Hermione's fine." He said, before I could make my point by not asking. "I don't think she's being kept in."
I nodded, and looked in the other direction, but I still saw Harry roll his eyes. "Oh come on Ron, what's up with you?" He asked. I shrugged innocently. "Nothing." I lied. Harry raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and Giant Squid teaches Charms." He retorted.
I rolled my eyes like he had done and looked away again.
"Fine, don't tell me." Harry said. "See if I care."
Three, two one..
"Please tell me." Harry whined.
I tried not to grin as I turned back. "Look, I'm fine, I just don't feel up to, well,-"
"What?"
"Talking to her. Not today." I said. To my surprise, Harry looked like he understood. He sat back and nodded. "OK, but you know you'll have to speak to her sometime." He said.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Wanna go and visit Hagrid?" Harry asked.
I thought for a minute and then nodded in agreement. Hermione wouldn't be there, after all, and I couldn't sit here all day.
We didn't stay at Hagrid's for lunch- we daren't, not after that 'talon casserole' last year. We spent a couple of hours talking about last night and discussing horrible punishments for Wormtail, before heading back up to the school for lunch. All over the grounds, especially at the gates, Ministry wizards were patrolling. I could see Percy over by the lake, but as he seemed pretty busy I decided to leave him alone. Plus I was starving hungry- I hadn't had breakfast.
But when we got to the entrance of the hall, I forgot my hunger. Hermione was sitting at the almost-empty Gryffindor table, (it was still early), and my whole I-really-don't-want-to-speak-to-her idea came back in full force.
"Um, I'll eat later." I said quickly at Harry's confused look. "There's something I need to do first- see you later." And I legged it up the stairs.
When I was on the second floor, I thought of something I could actually do, much to my relief. Mum and Dad were probably worried sick, so I decided I'd go and send them a letter. After nicking a bit of parchment from one of the spare classrooms (I had a quill in my pocket) I headed for the Owlery.
I'd barely started my letter when the door opened and Boris walked in. He stopped when he saw me and grinned. "Hi Ron. Are you OK?" He said in Bulgarian.
I grinned back and answered in the same language. "Fine. Are you?"
"Yeah. I was inside the whole time. We were just about to go down when everyone started running back in. Ginny was so worried- me and Greg had to physically hold her back when the older kids started to go out to help."
I smiled. "Yeah, I believe you."
"What are you doing?"
"Writing to Mum and Dad- they've probably heard about the attack now and they'll be wanting comfort."
"Same here. I'm sending one to Aunt Kayla for Greg as well."
There was a bit of silence as Boris chose a couple of owls to send and I got on with my letter.
"So, Viktor and Hermione broke up, right?"
I looked up quickly. "How do you know that?"
"Viktor's been talking about it all morning. He says he dumped her because she was getting too clingy."
My quill broke in my hand and I looked down. That was the second time I'd done that this week. I repaired my quill and kept writing.
"I don't think that's how it happened." I said, as casually as I could.
"Did you tell her?"
"Yes."
"Yesterday?"
"No, on Tuesday. Just after you stopped me pounding his stupid face in."
"But, but why did they only break up yesterday?"
"Because she didn't believe me."
"What! Why?"
"Don't know, but Viktor has a theory."
"Don't listen to a thing that twit says."
"I haven't for the past week."
"Oh, that's why they've been following you everywhere.."
"Yep."
"So, did Hermione dump him instead?"
"I don't know, I haven't spoken to her."
"Oh yeah, she got injured. Is she OK?"
"Harry says she is."
"Haven't you seen her?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"No reason."
"Yeah right."
"Does it matter, in the grand scheme of things, if I'm not talking to Hermione?"
"It does if you're this irritable."
"I'm *not* irritable."
"Yes you are. Maybe you should talk to her."
"You sound like Harry"
"Is that bad?"
"No comment."
Boris laughed and threw the two owls he'd picked out the window.
"Seriously though," He said, turning back to me, "I know you must be annoyed because she didn't believe you, understandably, but everyone can get a bit stupid when it comes to their boyfriends. Did you know that Olivia stopped talking to me for three months because I didn't like her boyfriend, and it ended up with him cheating on her?"
I looked up in surprise. Olivia was Boris' older sister by about two years, and they'd always been good friends. Boris nodded.
"Yeah, and I really wanted to rub it in, but I didn't and she actually listens to me now, if you can believe that."
"I'm not rubbing it in." I grumbled.
"I know, but eventually it'll just get to the point where it's petty to ignore her, and you will be. And believe me, I'm pretty sure that the fact she didn't believe you in the first place is making her feel bad enough already."
I shrugged, but didn't reply. Boris shrugged as well.
"Oh well, I tried." He said.
"Yeah, and it was a good try." I joked.
"Say hi to Aunt Molly and Uncle Arty will you?"
"Sure thing. See you Boris."
"Oh- have you seen Greg anywhere?"
"No, not since yesterday."
"OK. Bye Ron."
"Bye Boris."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The deep, dark, sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter-
That guy is demented. He can't avoid her forever! And where's she going? Fine, I'll just eat lunch by myself, fine. Oh, there's Greg and Myra, at least *someone* wants to talk to me.
Dear Diary, Still didn't find out who that letter was for. I thought I'd stolen it, but it was a bit of parchment saying 'try harder next time Ginny' on it, and then something else underneath it in Bulgarian. I wish I'd learnt it as well as Ron- I can't string two words together. Ron's so lucky that he stayed with Grandma when he was younger and got to learn it. Love Ginny xxx
Ron's PoV
I heard Harry get up at about nine, and he said something to me, but I pretended to be asleep. I think he fell for it. I knew where he'd be going anyway- straight to the Hospital Wing, to see if Hermione's OK. Part of me wanted to go, but the larger, more stubborn part of me kept reminding me of the past week, and so I kept my eyes shut.
I got up as soon as he left though, and sat in the Common Room for a while. Harry found me there an hour later, and came and sat down.
"Hermione's fine." He said, before I could make my point by not asking. "I don't think she's being kept in."
I nodded, and looked in the other direction, but I still saw Harry roll his eyes. "Oh come on Ron, what's up with you?" He asked. I shrugged innocently. "Nothing." I lied. Harry raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and Giant Squid teaches Charms." He retorted.
I rolled my eyes like he had done and looked away again.
"Fine, don't tell me." Harry said. "See if I care."
Three, two one..
"Please tell me." Harry whined.
I tried not to grin as I turned back. "Look, I'm fine, I just don't feel up to, well,-"
"What?"
"Talking to her. Not today." I said. To my surprise, Harry looked like he understood. He sat back and nodded. "OK, but you know you'll have to speak to her sometime." He said.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Wanna go and visit Hagrid?" Harry asked.
I thought for a minute and then nodded in agreement. Hermione wouldn't be there, after all, and I couldn't sit here all day.
We didn't stay at Hagrid's for lunch- we daren't, not after that 'talon casserole' last year. We spent a couple of hours talking about last night and discussing horrible punishments for Wormtail, before heading back up to the school for lunch. All over the grounds, especially at the gates, Ministry wizards were patrolling. I could see Percy over by the lake, but as he seemed pretty busy I decided to leave him alone. Plus I was starving hungry- I hadn't had breakfast.
But when we got to the entrance of the hall, I forgot my hunger. Hermione was sitting at the almost-empty Gryffindor table, (it was still early), and my whole I-really-don't-want-to-speak-to-her idea came back in full force.
"Um, I'll eat later." I said quickly at Harry's confused look. "There's something I need to do first- see you later." And I legged it up the stairs.
When I was on the second floor, I thought of something I could actually do, much to my relief. Mum and Dad were probably worried sick, so I decided I'd go and send them a letter. After nicking a bit of parchment from one of the spare classrooms (I had a quill in my pocket) I headed for the Owlery.
I'd barely started my letter when the door opened and Boris walked in. He stopped when he saw me and grinned. "Hi Ron. Are you OK?" He said in Bulgarian.
I grinned back and answered in the same language. "Fine. Are you?"
"Yeah. I was inside the whole time. We were just about to go down when everyone started running back in. Ginny was so worried- me and Greg had to physically hold her back when the older kids started to go out to help."
I smiled. "Yeah, I believe you."
"What are you doing?"
"Writing to Mum and Dad- they've probably heard about the attack now and they'll be wanting comfort."
"Same here. I'm sending one to Aunt Kayla for Greg as well."
There was a bit of silence as Boris chose a couple of owls to send and I got on with my letter.
"So, Viktor and Hermione broke up, right?"
I looked up quickly. "How do you know that?"
"Viktor's been talking about it all morning. He says he dumped her because she was getting too clingy."
My quill broke in my hand and I looked down. That was the second time I'd done that this week. I repaired my quill and kept writing.
"I don't think that's how it happened." I said, as casually as I could.
"Did you tell her?"
"Yes."
"Yesterday?"
"No, on Tuesday. Just after you stopped me pounding his stupid face in."
"But, but why did they only break up yesterday?"
"Because she didn't believe me."
"What! Why?"
"Don't know, but Viktor has a theory."
"Don't listen to a thing that twit says."
"I haven't for the past week."
"Oh, that's why they've been following you everywhere.."
"Yep."
"So, did Hermione dump him instead?"
"I don't know, I haven't spoken to her."
"Oh yeah, she got injured. Is she OK?"
"Harry says she is."
"Haven't you seen her?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"No reason."
"Yeah right."
"Does it matter, in the grand scheme of things, if I'm not talking to Hermione?"
"It does if you're this irritable."
"I'm *not* irritable."
"Yes you are. Maybe you should talk to her."
"You sound like Harry"
"Is that bad?"
"No comment."
Boris laughed and threw the two owls he'd picked out the window.
"Seriously though," He said, turning back to me, "I know you must be annoyed because she didn't believe you, understandably, but everyone can get a bit stupid when it comes to their boyfriends. Did you know that Olivia stopped talking to me for three months because I didn't like her boyfriend, and it ended up with him cheating on her?"
I looked up in surprise. Olivia was Boris' older sister by about two years, and they'd always been good friends. Boris nodded.
"Yeah, and I really wanted to rub it in, but I didn't and she actually listens to me now, if you can believe that."
"I'm not rubbing it in." I grumbled.
"I know, but eventually it'll just get to the point where it's petty to ignore her, and you will be. And believe me, I'm pretty sure that the fact she didn't believe you in the first place is making her feel bad enough already."
I shrugged, but didn't reply. Boris shrugged as well.
"Oh well, I tried." He said.
"Yeah, and it was a good try." I joked.
"Say hi to Aunt Molly and Uncle Arty will you?"
"Sure thing. See you Boris."
"Oh- have you seen Greg anywhere?"
"No, not since yesterday."
"OK. Bye Ron."
"Bye Boris."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The deep, dark, sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter-
That guy is demented. He can't avoid her forever! And where's she going? Fine, I'll just eat lunch by myself, fine. Oh, there's Greg and Myra, at least *someone* wants to talk to me.
Dear Diary, Still didn't find out who that letter was for. I thought I'd stolen it, but it was a bit of parchment saying 'try harder next time Ginny' on it, and then something else underneath it in Bulgarian. I wish I'd learnt it as well as Ron- I can't string two words together. Ron's so lucky that he stayed with Grandma when he was younger and got to learn it. Love Ginny xxx
