Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
AN: I know it's been awhile, but here it is, finally the 8th chapter. Thanks to my wonderful beta, Kitty Rose, who has managed to take the painful Americanisms out of here! And thanks to my reviewers, you guys rock! And now on with the R/H.
Chapter 8: Confessions and Lessons
Ron sat at lunch with Hermione waiting for Harry to arrive. Ron had not been awake when Harry had come into their dormitory, but Harry was there when he woke up. He really was lucky that they did not have any morning lessons. Something funny was going on and Ron wanted to get to the bottom of it. Hermione was a lot less interested and this seemed rather suspicious. Did she know what Harry was doing during the late night hours and was just not telling him? Perhaps Harry just needed the time alone. At that moment, Harry sat down next to him silently.
"Late night last night?" Ron asked cheerfully, attempting to hide his overall annoyance.
Harry merely nodded weakly and went back to his pumpkin juice. This did not satisfy Ron's curiosity. "So…what were you doing?" Harry stopped shovelling Shepard's pie in his mouth and stared down at his plate.
Ron waited for a moment, but there was no response. "Well?" He prodded further. "Care to explain? Because Hermione and I were wondering where the heck you were for half the night!"
Harry mumbled something incoherent.
"What was that?"
"I said!" Harry yelled, now blushing scarlet, "I went somewhere with Ginny!" Ron gaped, not expecting that answer at all. He thought Harry had been sending late night letters, or wandering around for no apparent reason, or possibly visiting the house elves. The rest of the Gryffindors had turned around in their seats to stare at Harry, for he had screamed quite loudly. Harry's face was completely red now and he resembled a tomato. Ron resisted the urge to snicker at someone else's face looking like that for once and focused on the problem at hand.
"Why were you somewhere with Ginny?" Ron asked feeling his patience ebb away.
Harry rolled his eyes and Ron pretended not to notice. "We're friends Ron and with you and Hermione snogging each other constantly, I have to find something else to do!" He finished his rant and got up from the table angrily. Ron very much doubted they were just friends. He watched Harry go, wondering if he had been a bit too overbearing. Hermione had stayed quiet throughout this exchange, but spoke up now.
She sighed loudly. "Good going, Ron! Now everyone knows that we…er…are…you know." Hermione blushed and turned away while Ron tried not to smirk.
"He'll get over it," Ron muttered. He went up to North Tower for his Divination lesson while Hermione went to Arithmancy. Harry was already sitting at their usual table. He still seemed quite annoyed, and Ron figured it was his job to try and make amends. "Hey. Er…sorry about before. I don't care if you're hanging out with Ginny...just…um…don't hurt her."
Harry's eyes flew open at this remark and Ron realized his assumption had been correct. Harry and Ginny were not just friends. "What do you mean, hurt her?" Harry asked, feigning ignorance. But Ron was not stupid, far from it actually. Harry's reaction to his comment just proved he was right.
"I know you're not just friends with her. I don't mind I guess. Just don't hurt her." He forced a pained smile and Harry grinned in return. Ron could get used to the idea of Harry and Ginny. It would just take some time. Okay, maybe a lot of time.
Professor Trelawney had begun lecturing them on the importance of the crystal ball. "I will now expect you to be able to interpret more advanced patterns in your crystal ball," She said airily. "You may begin." Ron stared into the now familiar shape of the crystal ball. They had been working with it for the past two months and he was already more sick of it than he was last year.
"So, Harry?" He asked, making conversation. "Have you seen anything in this crystal ball since we began?"
Harry smirked. "Nope, and I'm sure I'm not about to have some sudden apparition." He stared back into the crystal ball, apparently lost in thought. Ron did the same. They had not said a word for about five minutes when Professor Trelawney came over to their table.
"What have you seen?" She asked, sounding a bit impatient.
"Er…not much," Ron muttered, not really in the mood to humour her. "This crystal ball must be defective." Harry seemed to be stifling the urge to laugh while Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted at the thought that her Divination equipment might be faulty.
"The crystal ball is fine. Should I read it for you, Mr. Weasley?" She stared into the depths of the crystal ball for a few seconds and then spoke softly, "I see a star, which shows that you will have good fortune in the future and the bow of Cupid, Mr. Weasley, indicating that you have been struck by love." She sounded extremely disappointed that Ron's fortune seemed to be a good one. Ron, however, was feeling slightly embarrassed. He could feel his cheeks burning. Struck by love? Did she have to announce his…thing…with Hermione to the entire class? Perhaps he was being slightly paranoid, because it seemed that no one had heard the prediction except for Harry.
Harry was sniggering so hard that he almost fell out of his chair.
Ron glared. "It's not funny, Harry." This simply made him laugh harder. "Fine," Ron muttered and raised his hand. Harry stopped laughing and looked at Ron curiously.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Trelawney came rushing over. "What can I do for you? Having trouble interpreting the depths of the crystal ball once again?"
Ron nodded. "We can't seem to figure out what's in store for Harry." Ron resisted the urge to laugh at the alarmed look on Harry's face.
"Very well, very well," Professor Trelawney said. "Mr. Potter, the crystal ball has given you the goblet, which shows that you have been recently found a lifelong friend. And also the tear drop, which is a symbol of your heart aching for love." Her tone was again of disappointment as she sauntered away to predict the fortune of someone else.
When she was out of earshot, Ron pointed at Harry and laughed. "Are you aching for love, Potter?" He said teasingly.
Harry grinned. "Oh yeah? Who's the one who was struck by the arrow of cupid?" He said in a high voice. They both snickered and were still laughing when the class ended and they met Hermione outside the Arithmancy room.
"What's so funny you two?" She asked.
"Nothing," Ron and Harry said together. She looked at them suspiciously, but shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't want to know. "Where are you going, Harry?" He had just started wandering away form them.
"I'm going to find…Ginny," he said, his face turning a pale pink. He hurried off and Ron and Hermione were left alone.
"I can't believe that git," Ron said in a playful tone. "Ditching us for Ginny. I see how it is."
Hermione smiled. "Leave him alone. That's nice that he's friends with Ginny."
Ron snorted. "Friends…right. He told me they're not just friends."
Hermione nodded. "I guessed that. He and Ginny are good together you know. They both need each other-"
"Can you shut up? I don't need to here of the developing romance between my best friend and my sister!" Hermione giggled as if she had done it on purpose. "You're not funny." He said.
She laughed. "I think I am."
Ron looked at her. "You think you're funny? Well you know what I think is funny?" He began walking towards her with his arms outstretched. Hermione did not seem to know what he was going to do and let out a terrified shriek when he grabbed her and began tickling her.
"Ron...Stop!" she breathed in between fits of laughter. He let her go and she stopped walking, trying to regain a normal pace of breathing. Ron stood next to her and rubbed his hand on her back soothingly. She slapped him on the back of the head.
"Hey! What was that for?" He asked indignantly.
"For tickling me!" She said.
"Hey, that's what I thought was funny." Ron grinned and Hermione couldn't help, but smile.
"Do you want to head back to Gryffindor?" She asked. Ron thought for a moment. He didn't really want to go back to Gryffindor. What he wanted to do was get a room alone with Hermione and make up for lost time. However, he was having trouble thinking of where they could go. Hermione stared at him. "Well?"
And then it hit him. "Actually," he said, "I need to send an owl to Mum. Do you want to go to the Owlery with me?"
"Sure," she said nonchalantly. Ron couldn't believe his luck. He linked his hand with hers and she smiled at him. They headed to the Owlery in silence and Ron was amazed that he could be so content with a person. It was wonderful. When they arrived at the Owlery, Pidwidgeon was not there. This was not surprising to Ron, because he had just sent a letter to his mother yesterday.
"Fred and George must have used him," he said shrugging when Hermione asked where the owl was.
"Well that's not very nice. He is your owl. They could have at least asked for your permission. What if you had had an important letter to send? What if you had promised to lend him to someone else? Fred and George should really learn some manners. I suppose you'll just have to use one of the school-"
She stopped abruptly when Ron's lips landed on hers. He was very thankful that he now had an effective way of shutting her up when she began her rants. She kissed so well…it was the best feeling in the world. Better than Quidditch, better than galleons, better than ice cold pumpkin juice on a hot day at the Burrow. He didn't mind sacrificing Fred and George's reputation in the slightest to kiss her.
Half an hour later, two slightly dishevelled teenagers left the Owlery, both content with the world.
Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please Review! Next Chapter: H/G!