Nearly a whole week had passed since the incident in the common room. The
atmosphere between the two Gryffindors was not much improved either. Harry
spent his time avoiding Hermione, and Hermione, after trying pointlessly to
talk to Harry, had begun to retreat inside herself. Ron was confused beyond
all description. His two best friends weren't talking to each other, and
neither would clue him in as to what has going on.
The Christmas holidays were almost here. The Great Hall was being decorated spectacularly as usual, with the seven Christmas trees all lined around the walls. The icicles dangled from the banisters of the stairs and mistletoe hovered above the corridors. Holly and ivy were draped around the castle towers from the outside, giving the castle a festive appearance. The snow outside glistened as it showered lightly from the sky, coating the ground in a frosty carpet.
It should have been nearly impossible to be depressed in these circumstances, but Harry and Hermione managed it quite well. Each was so caught up in their own misery, that they found nearly no joy in the Christmas season. Ron had given up trying to make them merry, and had begun to hang around with Seamus more.
Hermione had been keeping to herself for a lot of the past week. She had decided to return home for Christmas, only to find that her parents were going on holidays, assuming that she'd want to spend her last Christmas at Hogwarts. She was stuck at the beautiful castle with Harry and Ron for the whole two-week break with nearly no one else around. What on earth was she going to do?
As Christmas neared, she found it not so hard to deal with. No classes were being held, so she had full days to herself. The first day of the holidays was marvelous. She spent it down with Hagrid in his little cottage. He'd been delighted to see her, having not run into her often apart from classes because of their busy schedules.
However, Christmas Day would go down in Hermione's head as one of the most memorable days ever. She had gotten up early on the day to avoid being in the common room with Harry, Ron and Seamus, who had also decided to stay at Hogwarts. Apparently Ron had told Harry about his relationship with Seamus, because the three of them seemed to be quite amiable together, and Ron and Seamus weren't at all awkward around each other.
Hermione sat down in the snow, shivering with the cold. The scenery was splendid. Watching the snow drifting lazily from above, she felt the most relaxed she had in ages. Then she caught sight of a black figure walking towards her. As it neared, the shape became distinguishable. It was Ron, coming to talk to her.
When he reached her, he smiled and sat down in the snow beside her. "You all right?" he asked her. Giving him a watery smile in return, she nodded. He handed her a little package wrapped in pretty blue paper, adorned with only a silver ribbon.
She took the gift and hugged him. "Ron, thank you. You didn't have to get me anything!"
He chuckled and said, "Well, I figured you deserved something, you know, you've been a great friend to me. And besides, that Chudley Cannons book was definitely incentive for me to give something in return." Winking at her, she laughed and unwrapped the gift.
Inside was a framed photograph. The frame was silvery and frosted with magical snow. The photo inside was a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione all together in the Hogwarts grounds. It appeared to have been taken earlier that summer, when they'd all been friends.
She let a small sigh escape her as she looked happily into Ron's photographic face. It captured his laughing expression perfectly, and he waved from behind the glass. Watching herself smiling and hugging the two boys, she felt a small stab of hurt in her stomach as she wondered if she'd ever have those two so close to her ever again. Then she looked more closely at Harry. She saw those beautiful green eyes in the photo, and the messy black hair was rippling in the slight breeze coming from the lake. He was laughing too, but he was looking at the photographic Hermione, and there was something in his expression that Hermione couldn't read.
She smiled up at Ron. "Thank you. Oh, Ron, this is wonderful. I love it!"
He patted her on the back as she hugged him again, and then he glanced in the other direction. She followed his gaze, and saw a distant figure walking vaguely in their direction, clearly not having noticed them. The outline of a bird was evident on his shoulder. Hermione took a short, sharp breath. Harry was coming towards them.
Ron looked to Hermione. He saw the longing in her expression. "Why don't you just go and talk to him?" he asked her.
Hermione let all her breath out at once in a deep, long sigh. "Because he wont listen to me."
Ron shook his head. "Is either of you ever going to tell me what the hell is going on between you?"
Hermione shook back her hair and grinned at him. "It's nothing you need to know. Honestly, you're better off not knowing. How's Seamus?" she asked, winking at him.
He shoved her shoulder playfully and blushed slightly. "He's good..." he said slyly.
"Oh no you don't!" replied Hermione. "What's happened between you?"
He chuckled happily and sat back against the tree trunk. "He's such a great guy, Hermione. I really like him." He turned his head to look at Hermione. "And he likes me too. We make a good couple."
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, Ron." She laughed lightly. "At least one of us can have an untangled love life."
Ron put his arm around her and said, "You know, you and Harry can't keep each other in the dark forever. I think I've got a vague idea of what's going on. And I don't understand why you don't just go over there and make him listen to you."
Hermione buried her face in her arms. "I told you before, he won't listen to me!"
Ron stood up. "Then make him listen, my dear Hermione." He waved and walked away to the castle, in the direction of Harry and Hedwig. Hermione watched as the two boys drew nearer each other and exchanged a hug. Ron appeared to be comforting Harry, resting his chin on top of the slightly shorter boy's head. A lone tear rolled down Hermione's cheek as she realized she wanted more than anything to be the person to comfort Harry when he was upset.
Ron continued to walk towards the castle, and Harry continued to wander closer to Hermione. He still hadn't noticed her sitting there. Hedwig took off from Harry's arm and circled around his head. Harry was close enough for Hermione to almost make out his expression. For the moment he looked happy. He was laughing, every one of those beautiful white teeth showing in a gorgeous white smile. Hermione decided to get up from her idle state and take Ron's advice. She was going to talk to Harry.
His back was turned to her now as he watched Hedwig flying around. She walked as quietly as she could until she was no more than ten metres away. She was still deciding whether or not to go talk to him when Harry turned around.
His face went through a range of expressions when he saw her standing there. Each lasted for too short a moment for her to get a good idea of how he was feeling. She watched him struggle to keep his face blank, and as she waited for him to speak, she realized there was no hint of a smile on his face now.
Hermione's heart fell.
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Thank you to all who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it. Please review this chapter so I can update to your liking!
The Christmas holidays were almost here. The Great Hall was being decorated spectacularly as usual, with the seven Christmas trees all lined around the walls. The icicles dangled from the banisters of the stairs and mistletoe hovered above the corridors. Holly and ivy were draped around the castle towers from the outside, giving the castle a festive appearance. The snow outside glistened as it showered lightly from the sky, coating the ground in a frosty carpet.
It should have been nearly impossible to be depressed in these circumstances, but Harry and Hermione managed it quite well. Each was so caught up in their own misery, that they found nearly no joy in the Christmas season. Ron had given up trying to make them merry, and had begun to hang around with Seamus more.
Hermione had been keeping to herself for a lot of the past week. She had decided to return home for Christmas, only to find that her parents were going on holidays, assuming that she'd want to spend her last Christmas at Hogwarts. She was stuck at the beautiful castle with Harry and Ron for the whole two-week break with nearly no one else around. What on earth was she going to do?
As Christmas neared, she found it not so hard to deal with. No classes were being held, so she had full days to herself. The first day of the holidays was marvelous. She spent it down with Hagrid in his little cottage. He'd been delighted to see her, having not run into her often apart from classes because of their busy schedules.
However, Christmas Day would go down in Hermione's head as one of the most memorable days ever. She had gotten up early on the day to avoid being in the common room with Harry, Ron and Seamus, who had also decided to stay at Hogwarts. Apparently Ron had told Harry about his relationship with Seamus, because the three of them seemed to be quite amiable together, and Ron and Seamus weren't at all awkward around each other.
Hermione sat down in the snow, shivering with the cold. The scenery was splendid. Watching the snow drifting lazily from above, she felt the most relaxed she had in ages. Then she caught sight of a black figure walking towards her. As it neared, the shape became distinguishable. It was Ron, coming to talk to her.
When he reached her, he smiled and sat down in the snow beside her. "You all right?" he asked her. Giving him a watery smile in return, she nodded. He handed her a little package wrapped in pretty blue paper, adorned with only a silver ribbon.
She took the gift and hugged him. "Ron, thank you. You didn't have to get me anything!"
He chuckled and said, "Well, I figured you deserved something, you know, you've been a great friend to me. And besides, that Chudley Cannons book was definitely incentive for me to give something in return." Winking at her, she laughed and unwrapped the gift.
Inside was a framed photograph. The frame was silvery and frosted with magical snow. The photo inside was a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione all together in the Hogwarts grounds. It appeared to have been taken earlier that summer, when they'd all been friends.
She let a small sigh escape her as she looked happily into Ron's photographic face. It captured his laughing expression perfectly, and he waved from behind the glass. Watching herself smiling and hugging the two boys, she felt a small stab of hurt in her stomach as she wondered if she'd ever have those two so close to her ever again. Then she looked more closely at Harry. She saw those beautiful green eyes in the photo, and the messy black hair was rippling in the slight breeze coming from the lake. He was laughing too, but he was looking at the photographic Hermione, and there was something in his expression that Hermione couldn't read.
She smiled up at Ron. "Thank you. Oh, Ron, this is wonderful. I love it!"
He patted her on the back as she hugged him again, and then he glanced in the other direction. She followed his gaze, and saw a distant figure walking vaguely in their direction, clearly not having noticed them. The outline of a bird was evident on his shoulder. Hermione took a short, sharp breath. Harry was coming towards them.
Ron looked to Hermione. He saw the longing in her expression. "Why don't you just go and talk to him?" he asked her.
Hermione let all her breath out at once in a deep, long sigh. "Because he wont listen to me."
Ron shook his head. "Is either of you ever going to tell me what the hell is going on between you?"
Hermione shook back her hair and grinned at him. "It's nothing you need to know. Honestly, you're better off not knowing. How's Seamus?" she asked, winking at him.
He shoved her shoulder playfully and blushed slightly. "He's good..." he said slyly.
"Oh no you don't!" replied Hermione. "What's happened between you?"
He chuckled happily and sat back against the tree trunk. "He's such a great guy, Hermione. I really like him." He turned his head to look at Hermione. "And he likes me too. We make a good couple."
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, Ron." She laughed lightly. "At least one of us can have an untangled love life."
Ron put his arm around her and said, "You know, you and Harry can't keep each other in the dark forever. I think I've got a vague idea of what's going on. And I don't understand why you don't just go over there and make him listen to you."
Hermione buried her face in her arms. "I told you before, he won't listen to me!"
Ron stood up. "Then make him listen, my dear Hermione." He waved and walked away to the castle, in the direction of Harry and Hedwig. Hermione watched as the two boys drew nearer each other and exchanged a hug. Ron appeared to be comforting Harry, resting his chin on top of the slightly shorter boy's head. A lone tear rolled down Hermione's cheek as she realized she wanted more than anything to be the person to comfort Harry when he was upset.
Ron continued to walk towards the castle, and Harry continued to wander closer to Hermione. He still hadn't noticed her sitting there. Hedwig took off from Harry's arm and circled around his head. Harry was close enough for Hermione to almost make out his expression. For the moment he looked happy. He was laughing, every one of those beautiful white teeth showing in a gorgeous white smile. Hermione decided to get up from her idle state and take Ron's advice. She was going to talk to Harry.
His back was turned to her now as he watched Hedwig flying around. She walked as quietly as she could until she was no more than ten metres away. She was still deciding whether or not to go talk to him when Harry turned around.
His face went through a range of expressions when he saw her standing there. Each lasted for too short a moment for her to get a good idea of how he was feeling. She watched him struggle to keep his face blank, and as she waited for him to speak, she realized there was no hint of a smile on his face now.
Hermione's heart fell.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank you to all who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it. Please review this chapter so I can update to your liking!