~*Lean on Me*~
A Ron and Hermione story
(A/N) Hey everyone I hope you all like this chappie. I think its pretty good. Ron's left in the dust though in this one. Poor guy. I wish I could give him a hug! I LOVE YOU RON!!! Oh sorry. I think I lost it for a second there. Anywho ya'll read this chap and I'll be really really happy. Do it for me... and do it for all the Ron's out there! We love you all! Read on...
(Disclaimer) Yes, as always I do not own any characters in this story, including the one and only Ronald Weasley. Why must I torture myself so! WHY? WHY? WHY? ... Oh sorry. I seriously believe that I've gone utterly mad! Help me someone! (He he. Just joking. So don't try to kill yourself in an attempt to saving me okay? Cuss I'm all right, I just get a little crazy sometimes. That's the downer of having split personalities)
Chapter 6: A Meeting with the Headmaster
Hermione woke the next morning feeling a little light headed from her lack of sleep. She had stayed up half the night thinking about her fight with Ron, debating weather or not to forgive him.
How could he, though? Doesn't he realize that I can take care of myself? I definitely don't need him and Harry spying out of every corner at me when I ask for a moment alone with someone. Of course it was really sweet of him to stand up for me when Victor got too pushy, but he had been spying on me in the first place. Why does he care so much? This is why I hate having fights with Ron! I want to forgive him but sometimes he just needs to learn his lesson like he does now. Oh Ron, why DO you care so much? I just don't get it.
Poor Hermione. She was the smartest person in their whole year and could figure out problems Professor Flitwick asked in a heartbeat but when it came down to her own problems she was absolutely clueless.
She hurriedly jumped out of bed and fell back down feeling a little dizzy at the sudden rush to her head.
She carefully selected a nicely pressed Hogwarts school uniform cloak from her perfectly organized closet and her only pair of brown shoes. She quickly but flawlessly brushed her even sparkly white teeth, which was hard not to have when both your parents are dentists. Sitting down at her dressing table she picked up her brush and began brushing roughly through the tangles. Midbrush she stopped and stared at herself for a second in the mirror. I think I'll try something different today, she thought to herself as she finished brushing her hair as smooth and as tangle free as possible with frizzy hair. She then picked up her wand and walked over to the bookshelf, piled with hundreds of books she had read at least twice. She pulled out a long thin gray book from the top shelf labeled "Lesser known spells".
She placed the book down on her dresser as she seated herself in front of the mirror again and picked up her wand.
"Expedio!" she shouted pointing her wand at her wavy hair. A ribbon of gold light sprouted from her wand like a long golden thread and wrapped itself around her head. It slid slowly down every strand of her hair making it smooth and shiny.
Hermione examined her new look. It looked great on her and it was a lot easier than that nasty Sleekeasy Hair Potion she had used for the Yule Ball. It funny she hadn't thought of it earlier.
She looked at her watch. It was already past time for Lavender and Parfait's alarms to go off and they never yet did. She decided to give them a little poke. She wouldn't want them to be late for class. Besides she needed to get another opinion for her hair. Actually it was more that she just wanted to show it off rather than getting their opinion on it because she knew she looked great.
She knelt down by Lavender's bed and poked her forearm lightly. Lavender rolled over towards her and opened her eyes slowly. "What?" she growled at Hermione looking like a ferocious beast due to her lack of make-up and her need for a comb.
"It's time for you to wake up. Your alarm didn't go off this morning." Hermione smiled standing in a way to make sure Lavender at least got a glimpse of her hair. Right on cue Lavender and Parvati's alarms both went off in rhythmic motion.
"Wow, Hermione! I guess you were right. Our alarms didn't go off." Lavender grumbled sarcastically. " Let's think about how that could be possibly be. Hmmm...Maybe its because IT WASN'T TIME FOR THEM TO GO OFF YET!"
"Alright. Alright, I'm sorry." Hermione shushed as Parvati stretched and yawned to the opposite of them.
"Morning all." she said cheerfully. She was definitely a morning person. (A/N: I hate morning people!) "Oh, Wow, Hermione what did you do to your hair. It's so straight and shiny" she gasped in awe when she caught a glimpse of her hair.
"Do you like it?" Hermione asked biting her lip.
"Oh yeah. How did you manage it?" Parvati asked cheerfully as she selected her own uniform from her mainly cluttered closet.
"Just a simple spell I had read about a year ago." Hermione smiled felling proud about her simple solution.
"Really? Well you'll have to teach it to me one day. So tell me, who are you trying to impress?" Lavender asked looking at her reflection carefully in the mirror. "Is it Ron?"
"No! I'm not trying to impress anyone!" Hermione squeaked in fake shock.
"So in other words, you just woke up this morning and thought 'Hey today I'm going to straighten my hair because I just bloody feel like it.' Oh come off it, Hermione." I know it's Ron." Parvati insisted as she tiptoed to reach her skirt at the top of her own closet.
"For the last time, I don't like Ron like that. Besides we had a well... disagreement yesterday and I wouldn't be in the right mood to impress him even if I did sort of fancy him.... But I don't!"
"Yes you would. You'd want to show him what he's missing. I do it all the time to my old boyfriends." Parvati sighed applying her mascara.
"Oh whatever. It doesn't even matter because I don't fancy him and..." she paused. "Why do I have to tell you this! I don't have to. That's right I don't and I'm not going to either! Good-bye girls. I'm going to breakfast."
"Good luck with Ron." she heard Lavender yell out before Hermione slammed the door behind herself.
The truth was that she had been thinking about that exact thing. She kept thinking to herself about how Ron would react to her new look. Would he like it? She had to know. It was going to be hard to see him this morning. How was she supposed to act towards him? She loved him so much, so how was she supposed to act like she was mad him right now? She was mad just not as mad as most people would be had their best friends been spying on them.
She slid downstairs to the almost empty common room but she could hear voices and knew that one of them could be Ron's. She sneaked against the wall and peeked around the corner. Sure enough there he was next to the fire trying to finish off his homework. He looks so cute when he's trying to understand his homework; so serious and yet so confused at the same time. She watched him for a short while until he looked up expectantly at the stairway to the girl's dormitory. She twirled out of sight again flat against he wall. The first thought that came to mind was He saw me. But then the thought of how foolish she was behaving slipped into he head. This is childish. She thought silently. I have to confront him some day. I can't hide here forever.
She straightened giving herself some sort of confidence and ran a hand nervously through her soft hair. I can do this. She walked bravely down the stairs looking him directly in the eye although her legs were quaking with fear. Here goes nothing.
~*~
Ron looked up from his History of Magic essay and saw Hermione walking down the stairs. She looked just as beautiful but something was different about her and he just couldn't figure out what it was. (A/N Poor Ron he always was clueless, but that's what I love about him. Awwww he's so precious. Oh yeah...back to the story...)
Dean and Seamus looked from Hermione to Ron and left out of the portrait hole. This left the room empty to just themselves.
"Hermione, I wanted to talk with you." Ron said looking at a button threaded into the chair.
"Really well..." Hermione said sitting next to him in a chair beside his own. This made Ron gulp loudly from nervousness. He had been waiting all morning to apologize and now that he had the chance he had to clam up. Just say it. He would repeat over and over in his head but it was easier said than done.
"Well, um, I just wanted to say is... well what I mean to say is... I'm sorry, Hermione. I never meant to hurt you." he said this time gaining enough confidence to look her directly in the eye but shivering at her stare.
"Ron...I'm sorry; I really am, but I just can't accept that. You can't just hurt me like you did and expect to get away with it. I'm sorry." Hermione said looking away. A hurtful tear ran down her cheek and fell.
Ron could feel his heart melt and sink to his knees. He always hated to make her cry and he realized he did it often. Of course it was always unintentional but he always had the knack of screwing things up. Now he had hurt her so bad that she wasn't even going to forgive him. "Hermione please, just hear me out." he stammered starting to panic. He couldn't just stop being friends with her. That was his only connection to her, despite that he was in most of her classes.
"Ron, don't you see what you are doing? You always have and excuse because you keep on hurting me. And I just can't take it anymore. I've cried enough, Ron. I'm really tired of crying." Hermione whispered as tears came in steady streams now down her beautiful face.
"No, Hermione! No, please!" Ron begged frantically getting down on his knees pulling at the hem of her robes. She couldn't just leave him like this, could she?
"I'm so sorry." she sobbed pulling away from him and ran from the room.
He just sat there alone in the middle of the room still on his knees for a few seconds. He felt his heart break into a thousand pieces. He had messed it all up. Everything he hoped for was gone. He hung his head in defeat and stood up from the ground only to be almost knocked down again by a full blow by a small body colliding into him with a huge embrace
"Oh, Ron!" Ginny screamed in sobs as she squeezed Ron with all her might. "I just heard it all from the stairs just now. I didn't mean to but I couldn't move. I heard every thing! I had left to remind Hermione about her meeting with McGonagall tonight and I... Oh Ron I'm so sorry! I know how you feel about her and... Are you okay?"
She said this all so fast and she let loose some tears of pity on Ron's chest. He couldn't help but hug her in return. What would he do without her? She always knew just when to barge in to help people feel better.
"I'm alright, except for the fact I can't breath right now and I think you just broke my neck." Ron said trying to think a little more cheerfully and somehow managed a small smile. He had to do it for her; after all she had done for him. He had to be strong for her. "I'm just going down to breakfast. Want to come with me? Harry still sleeping though so you won't be able to flirt with hi this time, if that doesn't bother you."
She gave him a sharp sibling punch in the arm, and started laughing. "Will the abuse never end?" he laughed rubbing the spot where she had just struck him.
"Shut up you twit! I don't like Harry that way! But yes I will go to breakfast with you." Ginny laughed aloud happy to see Ron smiling again.
Ron was smiling but he felt inside like he was being stabbed with millions of sharp daggers straight into his lower stomach. Well this is the start of one hell of a day.
~*~
Hermione hadn't attended breakfast knowing that even if the world was about to end Ron would still show up for his last meal before he died. Instead she made herself useful in the green houses until her class came shuffling in or their morning lessons.
She had already drained her Scorpion fern of the stinging sap she was supposed to be collecting but she still made sure to "get something" off the table every once in a while so she could get a glance at Ron. He still seemed so upset. But then again who wouldn't be after loosing their best friends. She realized that if she didn't know she was going to make up with him sooner or later she would be really upset too. But somehow it seemed almost wrong not to forgive him because actually she was also punishing herself. But he needs to learn his lesson...right? Yes of course so!
Harry just looked between them bewildered as they bent low over their work without saying a word at all, the entire class period. "Am I missing something?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Hermione shook her head and grabbed another vial to scoot towards herself.
"Nothing what so ever."
~*~
"Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, come in." Professor McGonagall said opening the door to her office as they trailed in for their Head Boy and Girl meeting. "Take a seat, please. No then, when need to discuss a recommended event from the Headmaster that should take place a while after the holiday maybe a little before Easter break." she started in a business like manner as she reclined comfortably in her chair.
"Professor, what is it exactly?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well, Professor Dumbledor suggested that we host another dance this year for the fourth through seventh years as a sort of break before the cramming, as it will take place before the exams.
Hermione and Harry exchange eager yet very surprised looks with each other behind the Professor's back.
"How do you feel about this?" she asked
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Professor. It would be a nice thing to do before we need to really start studying for the upcoming tests." Hermione exclaimed ecstatically.
"Very well then. We will start planning the arrangement around the month of March. Does that sound alright to the both of you?"
"Perfect!"
"Well then it's settled. You may leave now."
"Is that all, Professor?" Harry asked curiously expecting more.
"Yes. Yes, that is all."
"Okay."
Before either of them could reach the door knob the door flung open to reveal Colin Creevy the Gryffindor Prefect sounding as though he had ran all the way there.
"Excuse me, Professor, but Professor Dumbledor requested that Harry and Hermione report to his office immediately." he breathed sounding terribly at loss of breath.
"What's the matter?" she asked surprised at the sudden intrusion and leapt up from her desk. Colin handed her a small slip of parchment sealed with a red Hogwarts crest. She looked at it suspiciously a few seconds then ripped it open.
"He just told me to bring that to you. I don't know any more." Colin wheezed as he left the room again. Professor McGonagall's eyes scanned the letter a few seconds then went deadly pale.
"Oh my." she breathed falling back into her chair again.
"Professor!" Hermione shrieked. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"
"Do you need help?" Harry asked politely rushing to her side.
" Y-yes." she stuttered shakily. " I will be escorting you to the Headmaster's office, but first will you kindly help me up, please?"
Harry helped her stand clumsily to her feet then she lead the way quickly down the many corridor until they reached the stone gargoyle that concealed his office behind it. "Ch-Chocolate frog." she stammered raising a handkerchief to her tearing eyes. "I'm so terribly sorry." she whispered then walked away slowly as the spiraling staircase was revealed before their eyes.
Harry and Hermione climbed together up to the oak door that withheld the Headmaster's office. He opened the door slowly and cautiously peeking in sneakily. To his and Hermione's surprise, seated at the front of Dumbledor's desk were Ron and Ginny Weasley.
"Good evening. Do come in." the Professor said politely from his desk. Harry and Hermione stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind themselves. Hermione stared into Dumbledor's usually cheerful face. It scared her to see that it was hard and serious and his eyes didn't hold their usual twinkle. She felt more nervous than before and her stomach twisted itself into a revolting knot. She took a quick glance at Ron and Ginny then at Harry. She could plainly see that they all had the same puzzled expression she was undoubtedly wearing.
"Please be seated." Professor Dumbledor beckoned to them as he summoned to chairs beside Ron and Ginny.
Hermione thought inwardly to herself, This cannot be good.
~*~
(POLL) PLEASE RESPOND!! What do you think suggested suicide should be rated PG13 or R? Its not really attempted but it more of a reference to it. I have to know guys!
(A/N) Hey guys! So what ya think? Cliffhanger huh? Sorry bout that, but I love leaving people in suspense. I know I'm evil aren't I? Well I want some review so ya'll tell me what ya think. The sooner you review the sooner I'll post more. Deal? Well until next time (whenever the hell that maybe) ~Love from Lizzie.
~*~
(Short Summary) Well let's just say that the meeting with Dumbledor didn't go very well and Hermione ends up in the Hospital wing. Sorry but I'll just have to leave you with that. I don't want to spoil it.
~*~
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