Chapter Three
Trouble at Hand
The next morning Harry awoke with a smile. "What are you so happy about?" as the two made their way to breakfast. "Oh, nothing." Harry replied. Ron had a suspision that it had something to do with last night.
When the boys arrived in the great hall, they noticed Hermionie already sitting at Gryffindor table. "Morning!" She cried cheerfully. "What has gotten into you both?" Ron asked, sitting down and helping himself to some eggs. "Nothing. Why do you ask Ron?" Hermionie said, puzzled. "You're both really happy, and perky, its kind of scary." Ron took a bite of eggs. Harry looked at Hermionie and shrugged, though the smile on his face was very involuntary. Harry, Ron, and Hermionie finished breakfast. They made their way to their first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had a great lesson.
Days went by, and Harry and Hermionie were as happy as ever. (Which still freaked out Ron.) Harry noticed during his and Hermione's nighttime visits in front of the fire, we're spent alone. Some nights he noticed Ron peeking at them from the staircase. Harry didn't act like he saw him, but he knew he was there. He also noticed how Ron seemed to be spending a lot more time alone than usual.
One lunch break, Harry was walking with Ron to the Great Hall. "Snape seems to be giving us more and more work, and so does all the other professors for that matter!" Ron complained. "O.W.L.'s are coming up Ron. That's why. Next thing you know, Hermionie is going to be drawing up schedules for us again." Harry commented. As the boys entered the Hall, Ron said, "Speaking of Hermionie, where is she?" Harry looked around. She is always here before we are. He thought. "Dunno," Harry said, "Lets sit down and eat, maybe she'll show up later." And the boys did so. But even when they had finished their last tuna sandwich, Hermionie was still nowhere to be found. If she doesn't show up soon, she is going to be late for Charms, Harry thought.
Harry and Ron headed toward the Charms corridor, wondering out loud, "Where could she be?" Ron asked. "Above all places, lets check the library. Like I said, she's probably drawing schedules for us." Harry said. "Yea." Ron replied, "but Harry, we're going to be late. You go tell Flickwick I'll be there in a second. I'll check for her." "Okay." Harry said, raising an eyebrow, and then he said a quick bye to Ron and sprinted up the hall.
Ron pushed the door to the library open and looked among the rows of books. No Hermionie. He checked the tables, and behind large stacks of books set on these tables. Finally he looked near the back of the library, and a table in the corner. There she was. Her head was down, and she looked like she was sleeping. Ron approached quietly. "Hermionie?" He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped. "Oh, Ron, its you." She sniffed. He sat down by her and noticed her puffy red eyes. "What wrong Hermionie?" He asked. "Nothing," She sniffed again and whipped her face, "Nothing, Ron, leave, I don't want you to see me like this." "Hermionie." He placed a hand on her back, "I'm your friend, and I'm concerned. What's wrong?" He said soothingly. Hermionie berried her face in her arms. "Nothing, go away!" "Hermionie, come on. I can't leave you here like this." Ron said, now rubbing her back with his hand. She looked up at him and sniffed. "M-malfoy!" She stammered. "What!?" Ron said, "What did he say? What did he do?" Ron was filling with anger. "H-he pushed me up against a wall." He started. I'll kill him, Ron thought. She continued, "And he.he, started to kiss me, I tried to push him off, but he wouldn't go.He kept going, and kissing me, I was trapped. He was kissing my neck and my cheeks, and my-my lips if he could.. Oh Ron!" She got close to him and was crying on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and rocked her slowly. Now I'm really going to kill him.Ron thought. "When did this happen?" Ron asked. "W-when I was heading to lunch." She sobbed. "Shhhh" He comforted her. She sobbed on him for a long while. After she got it out of her system, she said, "Thank you Ron.You're such a good friend" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Anytime." He said, hugging back. She sniffed and got up. Ron got up with her and checked his watch. Oh great. "There is only about 5 minutes left in class. I'll take to you the tower. Harry will probably meet us there." He said. I can't believe I spent an entire class period holding her. Ron Thought.
He walked her there in silence, he helped her though the portrait hole, and sat with her on a couch near the staircase. Soon Harry came though and saw them. He ran over to her, seeing her sad expression. "What happened Ron?" Harry asked. He knelt down in front of Hermionie, his hands on her knees. "You alright?" "Yea." she sniffed, and gave him a small smile. He places a hand on her cheek, "You sure?" He asked. "Harry, come here with me," Ron said, tapping Harry shoulder. Harry got up and gave Hermionie one last look.
Hermionie watched, and she knew what Ron was telling him.
"HE DID WHAT?!" Harry screamed after Ron had told him. Harry turned to go back to Hermionie, when Ron grabbed his arm. "She's fine. I stayed in the library with her," Ron said. Dare I tell him I held her the whole time? Ron thought. "Oh?" Harry asked, looking back at her, "She looks like she's been crying." "Well, yea. She was very upset Harry. She needed someone, I happened to be there." Ron said, looking at his feet. "Okay, well right now she needs me." Harry said. Ron was hurt at this. "Look, Harry, I just comforted her! I was being a friend!" Harry just looked at him. "She cried a lot, and I just.held her. She needed someone. I was just there." Ron said looking at his feet again. Harry ran back to Hermionie, acting like he hadn't heard a word Ron said. Ron just sulked as he watch Harry put his arm around her and hug her. Ron walked up the staircase, sad and feeling a little unappreciated and lonely.
Trouble at Hand
The next morning Harry awoke with a smile. "What are you so happy about?" as the two made their way to breakfast. "Oh, nothing." Harry replied. Ron had a suspision that it had something to do with last night.
When the boys arrived in the great hall, they noticed Hermionie already sitting at Gryffindor table. "Morning!" She cried cheerfully. "What has gotten into you both?" Ron asked, sitting down and helping himself to some eggs. "Nothing. Why do you ask Ron?" Hermionie said, puzzled. "You're both really happy, and perky, its kind of scary." Ron took a bite of eggs. Harry looked at Hermionie and shrugged, though the smile on his face was very involuntary. Harry, Ron, and Hermionie finished breakfast. They made their way to their first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had a great lesson.
Days went by, and Harry and Hermionie were as happy as ever. (Which still freaked out Ron.) Harry noticed during his and Hermione's nighttime visits in front of the fire, we're spent alone. Some nights he noticed Ron peeking at them from the staircase. Harry didn't act like he saw him, but he knew he was there. He also noticed how Ron seemed to be spending a lot more time alone than usual.
One lunch break, Harry was walking with Ron to the Great Hall. "Snape seems to be giving us more and more work, and so does all the other professors for that matter!" Ron complained. "O.W.L.'s are coming up Ron. That's why. Next thing you know, Hermionie is going to be drawing up schedules for us again." Harry commented. As the boys entered the Hall, Ron said, "Speaking of Hermionie, where is she?" Harry looked around. She is always here before we are. He thought. "Dunno," Harry said, "Lets sit down and eat, maybe she'll show up later." And the boys did so. But even when they had finished their last tuna sandwich, Hermionie was still nowhere to be found. If she doesn't show up soon, she is going to be late for Charms, Harry thought.
Harry and Ron headed toward the Charms corridor, wondering out loud, "Where could she be?" Ron asked. "Above all places, lets check the library. Like I said, she's probably drawing schedules for us." Harry said. "Yea." Ron replied, "but Harry, we're going to be late. You go tell Flickwick I'll be there in a second. I'll check for her." "Okay." Harry said, raising an eyebrow, and then he said a quick bye to Ron and sprinted up the hall.
Ron pushed the door to the library open and looked among the rows of books. No Hermionie. He checked the tables, and behind large stacks of books set on these tables. Finally he looked near the back of the library, and a table in the corner. There she was. Her head was down, and she looked like she was sleeping. Ron approached quietly. "Hermionie?" He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped. "Oh, Ron, its you." She sniffed. He sat down by her and noticed her puffy red eyes. "What wrong Hermionie?" He asked. "Nothing," She sniffed again and whipped her face, "Nothing, Ron, leave, I don't want you to see me like this." "Hermionie." He placed a hand on her back, "I'm your friend, and I'm concerned. What's wrong?" He said soothingly. Hermionie berried her face in her arms. "Nothing, go away!" "Hermionie, come on. I can't leave you here like this." Ron said, now rubbing her back with his hand. She looked up at him and sniffed. "M-malfoy!" She stammered. "What!?" Ron said, "What did he say? What did he do?" Ron was filling with anger. "H-he pushed me up against a wall." He started. I'll kill him, Ron thought. She continued, "And he.he, started to kiss me, I tried to push him off, but he wouldn't go.He kept going, and kissing me, I was trapped. He was kissing my neck and my cheeks, and my-my lips if he could.. Oh Ron!" She got close to him and was crying on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and rocked her slowly. Now I'm really going to kill him.Ron thought. "When did this happen?" Ron asked. "W-when I was heading to lunch." She sobbed. "Shhhh" He comforted her. She sobbed on him for a long while. After she got it out of her system, she said, "Thank you Ron.You're such a good friend" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Anytime." He said, hugging back. She sniffed and got up. Ron got up with her and checked his watch. Oh great. "There is only about 5 minutes left in class. I'll take to you the tower. Harry will probably meet us there." He said. I can't believe I spent an entire class period holding her. Ron Thought.
He walked her there in silence, he helped her though the portrait hole, and sat with her on a couch near the staircase. Soon Harry came though and saw them. He ran over to her, seeing her sad expression. "What happened Ron?" Harry asked. He knelt down in front of Hermionie, his hands on her knees. "You alright?" "Yea." she sniffed, and gave him a small smile. He places a hand on her cheek, "You sure?" He asked. "Harry, come here with me," Ron said, tapping Harry shoulder. Harry got up and gave Hermionie one last look.
Hermionie watched, and she knew what Ron was telling him.
"HE DID WHAT?!" Harry screamed after Ron had told him. Harry turned to go back to Hermionie, when Ron grabbed his arm. "She's fine. I stayed in the library with her," Ron said. Dare I tell him I held her the whole time? Ron thought. "Oh?" Harry asked, looking back at her, "She looks like she's been crying." "Well, yea. She was very upset Harry. She needed someone, I happened to be there." Ron said, looking at his feet. "Okay, well right now she needs me." Harry said. Ron was hurt at this. "Look, Harry, I just comforted her! I was being a friend!" Harry just looked at him. "She cried a lot, and I just.held her. She needed someone. I was just there." Ron said looking at his feet again. Harry ran back to Hermionie, acting like he hadn't heard a word Ron said. Ron just sulked as he watch Harry put his arm around her and hug her. Ron walked up the staircase, sad and feeling a little unappreciated and lonely.