Hermione stood up as soon as he walked in; he noticed this with interest,
and the small bubble of hope rose in him again. She looked so vulnerable
in that first moment, so absurdly young, that his heart rose in his throat
and he couldn't breathe. He realized how he must be looking at her, and
looked away quickly. He walked over, picked up his bag, and plopped
himself down. "Morning," he mumbled.
**************
Her throat closed up. Could she say it? She forced herself to summon up the bit of voice she had and managed to squeak, "Morning." His tousled, disheveled appearance added even more to his obvious good looks. ******************
She looked disinterested. The bubble deflated. He took out his homework, making as much noise as he could. **********************
She tried to appear as nonchalant as possible, but it was extremely hard. Unfortunately, Ron looked the same and was making a point about doing his homework as loudly as possible. Probably to tell her "serves you right!" She had to bring up the dance. "Ron, about last night......" He looked up swiftly. Could it be? He gulped. "Yeah?" "I just....I wanted to apologize. For what I said. I didn't mean it. I was just mad..." He was still looking at her, wondering.... "And.....I wanted to ask you...." He sat up and gulped again. "Why do you keep jibing me about Krum?" Could he tell her the truth? "Because......" They looked at each other, each one seeing their own expression on the other's face. "Hi......." said Harry uncertainly from the stairs. They both looked up, like guilty school kids, Harry thought. Ron knew Harry wanted to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to care much; not after what had just happened. "Hi Harry," said Hermione, and Ron resisted the urge to look around. But Harry had noticed something, because he was looking from Ron to Hermione curiously. Ron performed his usual cover-up automatically, without thinking. He looked at Hermione and said, as if continuing a conversation: "Yeah, I just thought you were still writing letters to Krum, that's all." Then he gasped and sat perfectly still, wishing the world had a rewind button. *****************
"What?" Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Weren't they just talking about this? Didn't he care? Completely ignoring her feelings for him, she shot out at him immediately, "You think that's funny? Viktor and I had something you'll never have. What we had was special, and you are jealous! I can't believe I'd even consider you changing!" She stood up and stormed off, shoving past some third years just coming down the staircase. ******************************
"Er......." said Harry, not sure how to handle this. "Girls! They're so touchy!" said Ron, throwing himself backward into his chair. "Well, you know, you do keep doing that...." said Harry awkwardly. "Oh, right, take her side, I don't care! You're all against me in this place!" his voice broke, and he turned away to hide wet eyes, hoping Harry thought it had been an adolescent breaking of the voice.
No such luck. Harry corkscrewed his head to look into Ron's face, and said, "Hey, you two have fought before. What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong! What's with the third degree?" Ron stood up and started to pace. "Of course there's something wrong. Tell me, I can keep a secret." "So I'm a bit upset that we fought, we're friends, what d'you expect?" Harry stared at him. "No, it's more than that. And I've got a feeling I know what's wrong. You like her, don't you? As more than a friend, I mean." Ron, too surprised to argue, sat down and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "That's it, isn't it? Wow.....well then, why do you keep starting arguments?" "To put you off the scent. Obviously, it didn't work." "How long have you liked her?" "You mean this way? Since about the end of last year, when we got off the train." Ron saw Harry flinch at the memory of last year's events in the Department of Mysteries, but he didn't particularly care at the moment. "Well.......why on earth didn't you ask her to the ball?" "Because we're friends. She'd probably think it was just weird. She probably hates me anyway. She probably---" "Stop that," said Harry firmly. "You won't get anywhere moping around like that. For one thing, how can you possibly know if you haven't talked to her?" Ron sat up a little straighter. "Well, there have been times when I almost thought....." Harry couldn't help thinking this was a bit weird, but he wanted to help his friend, so he said, "Like when?" "Like at the ball, I could've sworn she was watching me....but maybe she wasn't....and this morning, right before you came down, it was almost like....." He shrugged helplessly. Harry felt awkward. He'd thought he'd interrupted something. "Sorry." "Not your fault. You didn't know." "There's one thing you have to do, though, if you don't want this to end in disaster. Stop starting arguments with her, and don't take the bait if she starts one. There's no need now that I know anyway." "Yeah....I guess so." Harry was about to says something else, but the other students were coming down now, yawning and stretching and rubbing their eyes; the conversation would have to wait.
Her throat closed up. Could she say it? She forced herself to summon up the bit of voice she had and managed to squeak, "Morning." His tousled, disheveled appearance added even more to his obvious good looks. ******************
She looked disinterested. The bubble deflated. He took out his homework, making as much noise as he could. **********************
She tried to appear as nonchalant as possible, but it was extremely hard. Unfortunately, Ron looked the same and was making a point about doing his homework as loudly as possible. Probably to tell her "serves you right!" She had to bring up the dance. "Ron, about last night......" He looked up swiftly. Could it be? He gulped. "Yeah?" "I just....I wanted to apologize. For what I said. I didn't mean it. I was just mad..." He was still looking at her, wondering.... "And.....I wanted to ask you...." He sat up and gulped again. "Why do you keep jibing me about Krum?" Could he tell her the truth? "Because......" They looked at each other, each one seeing their own expression on the other's face. "Hi......." said Harry uncertainly from the stairs. They both looked up, like guilty school kids, Harry thought. Ron knew Harry wanted to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to care much; not after what had just happened. "Hi Harry," said Hermione, and Ron resisted the urge to look around. But Harry had noticed something, because he was looking from Ron to Hermione curiously. Ron performed his usual cover-up automatically, without thinking. He looked at Hermione and said, as if continuing a conversation: "Yeah, I just thought you were still writing letters to Krum, that's all." Then he gasped and sat perfectly still, wishing the world had a rewind button. *****************
"What?" Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Weren't they just talking about this? Didn't he care? Completely ignoring her feelings for him, she shot out at him immediately, "You think that's funny? Viktor and I had something you'll never have. What we had was special, and you are jealous! I can't believe I'd even consider you changing!" She stood up and stormed off, shoving past some third years just coming down the staircase. ******************************
"Er......." said Harry, not sure how to handle this. "Girls! They're so touchy!" said Ron, throwing himself backward into his chair. "Well, you know, you do keep doing that...." said Harry awkwardly. "Oh, right, take her side, I don't care! You're all against me in this place!" his voice broke, and he turned away to hide wet eyes, hoping Harry thought it had been an adolescent breaking of the voice.
No such luck. Harry corkscrewed his head to look into Ron's face, and said, "Hey, you two have fought before. What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong! What's with the third degree?" Ron stood up and started to pace. "Of course there's something wrong. Tell me, I can keep a secret." "So I'm a bit upset that we fought, we're friends, what d'you expect?" Harry stared at him. "No, it's more than that. And I've got a feeling I know what's wrong. You like her, don't you? As more than a friend, I mean." Ron, too surprised to argue, sat down and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "That's it, isn't it? Wow.....well then, why do you keep starting arguments?" "To put you off the scent. Obviously, it didn't work." "How long have you liked her?" "You mean this way? Since about the end of last year, when we got off the train." Ron saw Harry flinch at the memory of last year's events in the Department of Mysteries, but he didn't particularly care at the moment. "Well.......why on earth didn't you ask her to the ball?" "Because we're friends. She'd probably think it was just weird. She probably hates me anyway. She probably---" "Stop that," said Harry firmly. "You won't get anywhere moping around like that. For one thing, how can you possibly know if you haven't talked to her?" Ron sat up a little straighter. "Well, there have been times when I almost thought....." Harry couldn't help thinking this was a bit weird, but he wanted to help his friend, so he said, "Like when?" "Like at the ball, I could've sworn she was watching me....but maybe she wasn't....and this morning, right before you came down, it was almost like....." He shrugged helplessly. Harry felt awkward. He'd thought he'd interrupted something. "Sorry." "Not your fault. You didn't know." "There's one thing you have to do, though, if you don't want this to end in disaster. Stop starting arguments with her, and don't take the bait if she starts one. There's no need now that I know anyway." "Yeah....I guess so." Harry was about to says something else, but the other students were coming down now, yawning and stretching and rubbing their eyes; the conversation would have to wait.