Chapter 2: A little shorter now
*A/N- Thanks to everyone who told me to keep writing! *breaks down sobbing because people like her* Anywho, this chapter is better than the last, which was really more of an introductory chapter. Enjoy~*
That day at lunch the three friends took their food and went to sit under a tree in the back yard. They caught up on what had happened so far that summer. Ron was careful to steer the conversation away from the events of the previous year. He wanted to cheer Harry up and felt like bringing back painful memories would just cause problems.
"Yeah, the summers been pretty boring so far," Harry said, "at least the Dursley's have been halfway decent, because of what your dad and the rest said before I left last year."
They all grinned at these words. "That's good, I guess. Its nice to have you here now, though." Ron replied. "What about your summer, Hermione?"
"It was pretty good, I went to visit my Aunt in Italy. She lives by the beach. That's when I got my tan! Before that I pretty much stayed at home. Pretty boring except for when..." but Hermione stopped herself mid sentence.
"Except for what, Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." she said back quickly.
"Come on, what happened?"
"Well, if you really want to know..." Hermione said, then paused. "Viktor came to visit for a few days." She finished quickly.
Ron looked and felt stunned. What had that stupid prat Viktor been doing visiting Hermione. Better yet, what dad he done visiting Hermione. Ron was about to say something back to Hermione, but, seeing the worried look on Harry's face, he bit his tongue. This was supposed to be the time when Harry could be cheered up. Another row with Hermione was not going to help. Still, the thought of Hermione still hanging out with that annoying git had caused yet another paroxysm of pain in his stomach.
Ron swallowed hard. "Did you have a good time with him?" he forced.
Hermione smiled at him, causing Ron's stomach to tighten again. "Yeah..."
"Good. Um, Harry, you want to go play some quiditch?" Ron asked.
They spent the rest of the day playing quiditch, only stopping for dinner and when it had gotten too dark to play.
That night Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat up in Ron's room before they went to sleep. They talked for a while, and Ron and Hermione had a few strained conversations before Harry suddenly stood up. "Damn it! I left my other bag downstairs! I'll be right back."
"All right, mate." Ron said to Harry as Harry left the room.
Ron looked back at Hermione and gulped. "So..." he said nervously, "did you and Viktor go anywhere good?"
"Actually... we went and saw Pride and Prejudice at the cinema."
"What?"
"Oh, right." Hermione replied. "Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite muggle books; they made it into a movie which is basically like TV, only longer. You do know what TV is?"
"Yes, I'm not stupid!" Ron replied, muttering under his breath "but sometimes I wonder about you."
"What was that? Did you just call me stupid?!?" Hermione said loudly.
"No," said Ron, but at the scathing look on Hermione's face he continued. "Well, its just that sometimes I really wonder if you really understand what Viktor is doing with those dates of yours!"
"What he's doing! What do you think he's doing."
"Well, it's really more of what he wants to do..."
"I can't believe you Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Do you really think that I would... How can you believe that we are... WE'RE JUST FRIENDS RON! IF YOU CAN'T GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD!"
"Right, Hermione! Vicky and you are really just friends! That little date of yours was just for kicks. He doesn't want any thing more than the pleasure of your company! Hermione, you don't know how guys think! He doesn't just want to be friends!" At this Ron finally took a breath and looked at Hermione again. His stomach once more did a particularly painful flip. Hermione had her face in her hands and was sobbing. "What... what... are you okay, Hermione?" Ron suddenly felt horrible. He might have made Hermione cry before, but not like this. She was standing there in the middle of the room, shaking with each sob. Ron had no idea what to do. "Um, Hermione, do you want to sit down?"
He saw Hermione give a little nod of her head. Taking her arm, Ron helped her over to his bed. They both sat down, but Hermione showed no signs of stopping. "Hermione, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
"Oh, Ron, it's not you, it's just that, well... you were right."
"I was what?" Ron gulped, looking shocked.
"You were right. Viktor didn't just want to be friends. He asked me out on his last day visiting, but I, well, I said no."
"Ron just sat dumbfounded at these words.
"He left still sorta mad at me, and I don't know if we can still be friends. I really like him, but just not in that way."
Ron still had no idea what to say. Almost instinctively he did the first thing that popped into his head. Ron gave Hermione a big hug. She seemed startled at first, but then set her head on Ron's shoulder, falling deeper into the embrace. They sat there, Ron rubbing her back lightly, Hermione hiccuping into Ron's shoulder, still trying to catch her breath and dry her eyes. Ron was surprised at how comforting it was, sitting there hugging his friend. Then Hermione sniffed once more, then let go on Ron. She stood up, wiped her eyes, then said "Ron, I gotta go to bed now, but I feel better now. Thanks."
"Sorry for upsetting you 'Mione. Goodnight."
"What was that? 'Mione?"
Ron blushed, "Sorry... it's getting late." he replied.
"No, I like it. Night Ron."
Hermione opened the door and saw Harry and Ginny out in the hallway just saying good night. "Oh, hi Harry. Goodnight," Hermione said as she joined Ginny walking to their room.
Ron realized then that Harry had been gone the entire time. "Geese, it took you long enough!" He said with a grin.
"Well, I would have come back sooner, but I heard you two going at it again!" Harry said with a grin at the suddenly stricken look on Ron's face. "So, Ginny and I went for a cup of tea, you know, to give you two a little time to finish up."
"Oh..." Ron said, obviously at a loss for words.
"So, are you two on speaking terms still?" Harry asked with a tone of concern.
"Yeah!" Ron answered a little too enthusiastically.
Harry looked at Ron oddly, then grinned. "Good for you mate! Your fights are getting shorter now."
"Yeah, I guess so." Ron said in a slightly dazed voice.
Harry's grin widened a bit. Ron wished he would stop, but Harry only smiled more and said triumphantly "I get it now! Ha ha, Ginny was right!"
"What?" said Ron who had just realized he had been staring out his window for some time.
Harry continued with a laugh. "Ginny just told me about this, but I didn't believe her. She was right though!"
"About what?!" Ron said. Harry could be so annoying.
"That you fancied Hermione!" Harry Replied.
*A/N- Thanks to everyone who told me to keep writing! *breaks down sobbing because people like her* Anywho, this chapter is better than the last, which was really more of an introductory chapter. Enjoy~*
That day at lunch the three friends took their food and went to sit under a tree in the back yard. They caught up on what had happened so far that summer. Ron was careful to steer the conversation away from the events of the previous year. He wanted to cheer Harry up and felt like bringing back painful memories would just cause problems.
"Yeah, the summers been pretty boring so far," Harry said, "at least the Dursley's have been halfway decent, because of what your dad and the rest said before I left last year."
They all grinned at these words. "That's good, I guess. Its nice to have you here now, though." Ron replied. "What about your summer, Hermione?"
"It was pretty good, I went to visit my Aunt in Italy. She lives by the beach. That's when I got my tan! Before that I pretty much stayed at home. Pretty boring except for when..." but Hermione stopped herself mid sentence.
"Except for what, Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Nothing." she said back quickly.
"Come on, what happened?"
"Well, if you really want to know..." Hermione said, then paused. "Viktor came to visit for a few days." She finished quickly.
Ron looked and felt stunned. What had that stupid prat Viktor been doing visiting Hermione. Better yet, what dad he done visiting Hermione. Ron was about to say something back to Hermione, but, seeing the worried look on Harry's face, he bit his tongue. This was supposed to be the time when Harry could be cheered up. Another row with Hermione was not going to help. Still, the thought of Hermione still hanging out with that annoying git had caused yet another paroxysm of pain in his stomach.
Ron swallowed hard. "Did you have a good time with him?" he forced.
Hermione smiled at him, causing Ron's stomach to tighten again. "Yeah..."
"Good. Um, Harry, you want to go play some quiditch?" Ron asked.
They spent the rest of the day playing quiditch, only stopping for dinner and when it had gotten too dark to play.
That night Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat up in Ron's room before they went to sleep. They talked for a while, and Ron and Hermione had a few strained conversations before Harry suddenly stood up. "Damn it! I left my other bag downstairs! I'll be right back."
"All right, mate." Ron said to Harry as Harry left the room.
Ron looked back at Hermione and gulped. "So..." he said nervously, "did you and Viktor go anywhere good?"
"Actually... we went and saw Pride and Prejudice at the cinema."
"What?"
"Oh, right." Hermione replied. "Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite muggle books; they made it into a movie which is basically like TV, only longer. You do know what TV is?"
"Yes, I'm not stupid!" Ron replied, muttering under his breath "but sometimes I wonder about you."
"What was that? Did you just call me stupid?!?" Hermione said loudly.
"No," said Ron, but at the scathing look on Hermione's face he continued. "Well, its just that sometimes I really wonder if you really understand what Viktor is doing with those dates of yours!"
"What he's doing! What do you think he's doing."
"Well, it's really more of what he wants to do..."
"I can't believe you Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Do you really think that I would... How can you believe that we are... WE'RE JUST FRIENDS RON! IF YOU CAN'T GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD!"
"Right, Hermione! Vicky and you are really just friends! That little date of yours was just for kicks. He doesn't want any thing more than the pleasure of your company! Hermione, you don't know how guys think! He doesn't just want to be friends!" At this Ron finally took a breath and looked at Hermione again. His stomach once more did a particularly painful flip. Hermione had her face in her hands and was sobbing. "What... what... are you okay, Hermione?" Ron suddenly felt horrible. He might have made Hermione cry before, but not like this. She was standing there in the middle of the room, shaking with each sob. Ron had no idea what to do. "Um, Hermione, do you want to sit down?"
He saw Hermione give a little nod of her head. Taking her arm, Ron helped her over to his bed. They both sat down, but Hermione showed no signs of stopping. "Hermione, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
"Oh, Ron, it's not you, it's just that, well... you were right."
"I was what?" Ron gulped, looking shocked.
"You were right. Viktor didn't just want to be friends. He asked me out on his last day visiting, but I, well, I said no."
"Ron just sat dumbfounded at these words.
"He left still sorta mad at me, and I don't know if we can still be friends. I really like him, but just not in that way."
Ron still had no idea what to say. Almost instinctively he did the first thing that popped into his head. Ron gave Hermione a big hug. She seemed startled at first, but then set her head on Ron's shoulder, falling deeper into the embrace. They sat there, Ron rubbing her back lightly, Hermione hiccuping into Ron's shoulder, still trying to catch her breath and dry her eyes. Ron was surprised at how comforting it was, sitting there hugging his friend. Then Hermione sniffed once more, then let go on Ron. She stood up, wiped her eyes, then said "Ron, I gotta go to bed now, but I feel better now. Thanks."
"Sorry for upsetting you 'Mione. Goodnight."
"What was that? 'Mione?"
Ron blushed, "Sorry... it's getting late." he replied.
"No, I like it. Night Ron."
Hermione opened the door and saw Harry and Ginny out in the hallway just saying good night. "Oh, hi Harry. Goodnight," Hermione said as she joined Ginny walking to their room.
Ron realized then that Harry had been gone the entire time. "Geese, it took you long enough!" He said with a grin.
"Well, I would have come back sooner, but I heard you two going at it again!" Harry said with a grin at the suddenly stricken look on Ron's face. "So, Ginny and I went for a cup of tea, you know, to give you two a little time to finish up."
"Oh..." Ron said, obviously at a loss for words.
"So, are you two on speaking terms still?" Harry asked with a tone of concern.
"Yeah!" Ron answered a little too enthusiastically.
Harry looked at Ron oddly, then grinned. "Good for you mate! Your fights are getting shorter now."
"Yeah, I guess so." Ron said in a slightly dazed voice.
Harry's grin widened a bit. Ron wished he would stop, but Harry only smiled more and said triumphantly "I get it now! Ha ha, Ginny was right!"
"What?" said Ron who had just realized he had been staring out his window for some time.
Harry continued with a laugh. "Ginny just told me about this, but I didn't believe her. She was right though!"
"About what?!" Ron said. Harry could be so annoying.
"That you fancied Hermione!" Harry Replied.