Hermione decided not to risk letting her feelings for Ron show, so she just smiled at him and said hello.
The three of them boarded the train and found an empty compartment. Ron was being unusually silent, and the few times ht looked up at either Harry or Hermione he looked slightly sad, Hermione noticed.
"Ron, is everything ok?"
He looked up at her sadly. "Yeah, everything's fine.." But his flat voice and his face gave him away.
"You're one of my best friends, Ron, you can tell me!"
"Yeah.. one of your best friends. Not your best friend," he muttered to himself, as he turned to glare slightly at Harry.
Harry's eyes widened. "What did I do?"
"Nothing.." Ron sighed and looked at the floor.
The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence until there was a knock at the door and Ginny walked in.
"Harry," she said, blushing, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
Harry glanced worriedly at Ron and then back at Ginny. He smiled and then got up and followed Ginny out.
After the door closed behind them, Hermione giggled. "I wonder when they'll figure out they like each other?"
Ron's head snapped up. "What? She.. she doesn't like him! I mean, I know she used to, but.. not anymore? Does she?" His face fell at the look on her face. "And don't worry.. he probably doesn't like her."
Hermione looked at him curiously. "What are you talking about? Why shouldn't I worry? What do I have to worry about?"
"Well, I know you two like each other, so don't worry about him liking Ginny, she's nothing compared to you. I mean, she's wonderful, but.. don't worry, if he has any brains, he'll choose you."
Hermione didn't speak for a moment, as she tried to sort out what Ron had said. She looked at him. "You don't think Harry and I fancy eachother, do you?" Ron's silence gave her his answer. "Ron, I'm quite sure he doesn't feel that way about me." Ron didn't look any less devastated. "And I *know* I don't feel that way about him."
"You don't?" he asked, hopefully.
"I promise you, I don't fancy Harry."
"So.. umm.. do you.. y'know.. fancy anybody else?" he mumbled.
Her cheeks flushed. "Actually, I do.."
"Oh. Lucky Viktor," he said bitterly.
"What does Viktor have to do with it?" Hermione almost laughed. His reply was so typically.. Ron. "Just because he and I went to the ball together, it doesn't mean I care about him like that. I just said yes to him because I thought the person I really liked would never ask me to go with him anyway. But then he did. Of course, he didn't mean it." Now she looked sad.
Ron got angry. "Who wouldn't mean it? Who wouldn't want to go to a ball with you? He must be crazy!" His eyes flashed.
Hermione giggled. "Yes, I think he is crazy." She paused. "You don't know who I'm talking about, do you?"
"No."
She bit her lip.
*If you think Hermione should tell Ron who she fancies (as if it's not completely obvious anyway!), go to Chapter 8.
*If you think Hermione should not tell Ron who she fancies, go to Chapter 9.
*If you want to find out what Harry and Ginny are up to, go to Chapter 10.
The three of them boarded the train and found an empty compartment. Ron was being unusually silent, and the few times ht looked up at either Harry or Hermione he looked slightly sad, Hermione noticed.
"Ron, is everything ok?"
He looked up at her sadly. "Yeah, everything's fine.." But his flat voice and his face gave him away.
"You're one of my best friends, Ron, you can tell me!"
"Yeah.. one of your best friends. Not your best friend," he muttered to himself, as he turned to glare slightly at Harry.
Harry's eyes widened. "What did I do?"
"Nothing.." Ron sighed and looked at the floor.
The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence until there was a knock at the door and Ginny walked in.
"Harry," she said, blushing, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
Harry glanced worriedly at Ron and then back at Ginny. He smiled and then got up and followed Ginny out.
After the door closed behind them, Hermione giggled. "I wonder when they'll figure out they like each other?"
Ron's head snapped up. "What? She.. she doesn't like him! I mean, I know she used to, but.. not anymore? Does she?" His face fell at the look on her face. "And don't worry.. he probably doesn't like her."
Hermione looked at him curiously. "What are you talking about? Why shouldn't I worry? What do I have to worry about?"
"Well, I know you two like each other, so don't worry about him liking Ginny, she's nothing compared to you. I mean, she's wonderful, but.. don't worry, if he has any brains, he'll choose you."
Hermione didn't speak for a moment, as she tried to sort out what Ron had said. She looked at him. "You don't think Harry and I fancy eachother, do you?" Ron's silence gave her his answer. "Ron, I'm quite sure he doesn't feel that way about me." Ron didn't look any less devastated. "And I *know* I don't feel that way about him."
"You don't?" he asked, hopefully.
"I promise you, I don't fancy Harry."
"So.. umm.. do you.. y'know.. fancy anybody else?" he mumbled.
Her cheeks flushed. "Actually, I do.."
"Oh. Lucky Viktor," he said bitterly.
"What does Viktor have to do with it?" Hermione almost laughed. His reply was so typically.. Ron. "Just because he and I went to the ball together, it doesn't mean I care about him like that. I just said yes to him because I thought the person I really liked would never ask me to go with him anyway. But then he did. Of course, he didn't mean it." Now she looked sad.
Ron got angry. "Who wouldn't mean it? Who wouldn't want to go to a ball with you? He must be crazy!" His eyes flashed.
Hermione giggled. "Yes, I think he is crazy." She paused. "You don't know who I'm talking about, do you?"
"No."
She bit her lip.
*If you think Hermione should tell Ron who she fancies (as if it's not completely obvious anyway!), go to Chapter 8.
*If you think Hermione should not tell Ron who she fancies, go to Chapter 9.
*If you want to find out what Harry and Ginny are up to, go to Chapter 10.