Chapter Nine: The Way Things Are
August 4, 1995
Hermione suggested that instead of writing our own music we should try to learn songs by other people first. She suggested some different bands, all with very odd names like Blinks152 and Fourth Eye Blind, or something like that. At least Harry and me aren't too lost when it comes to music. Hermione spent the last couple of days trying to teach us all she could about music and I think enough of it rubbed off because Harry can almost figure out what the music notes say without help.
Speaking of Harry he opened Ginny's present in front of the whole family at dinner and she almost had a heart attack! The card she gave him started singing in this dreadful high voice about how great he was and how we'd all be lost without him. I don't think I've ever seen either of them blush so much since Ginny gave him that valentine in second year. Honestly I feel sorry for Ginny fancying somebody that doesn't like her back but I have the same problem in my life so I can't very well spend all my pity on other people. Besides, she's in a no-win situation because if Harry did like her I might have to take his head off, poor bloke.
So back on subject Harry and I have decided what song we want to learn first. It's by some band called America's Hi-Fi or something and the song is called "Flavor of the Week" and it's pretty cool even though we only have the first little bit done. Hermione keeps telling us that the more songs we learn, the easier it'll be to learn more even though I don't understand how that works. Harry and I already have a plan though. We're going to learn how to play as many songs as we can and then we'll see if Dumbledore will let us play in front of the school.
So what if Hermione thinks we're a bit too ambitious? We'll show her and everybody else that we can do it, especially Pavarti. When we finally get the chance to show Hogwarts what we're made of the first song we play will be just for her. Oh I love Pavarti so much that I can't stand it. It seems that nearly every song I listen to makes me think of her in some way or another. That's why I'm going to write songs about her so that I know for sure that they're about exactly what I see them as.
Well I've got to go because Harry wants to get in a little more practice before lunchtime.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ron set down his journal just as Harry walked into the room.
"Ron, I was thinking of get-"
"Getting a little more practice before lunchtime? I know mate, I was just thinking the same thing," Ron laughed as he went to sit at his drums. Drums, he had discovered, were quite a bit harder than they looked. Keeping different beats with both his hands and both feet was quite a challenging endeavor, even for a wizard.
"So how are the drum's working out for you?" asked Harry as he picked up his guitar and strapped it around his neck.
"Not bad but you wouldn't believe how confusing they can get. Honestly, I play the notes on the page but they don't sound like a song to me."
"Not to worry, Hermione said that it might take a while for us to figure things out. Remember she said that once we know a few songs it'll get easier to learn a few more. Crap though, I wish that we could just magic some talent into ourselves so that we wouldn't have to learn it all," laughed Harry as he attempted to tune the guitar.
"You and me both! It would be awesome if we could just up and know how to play!" agreed Ron as he tried in vain to tune his snare. "Who would have thought that drums would need tuning? I was under the impression that you just hit them with sticks and that was that."
"Don't worry mate, when we get back to Hogwarts we can just ask Professor Flitwick for some simple tuning spells and we'll never need bother again!" said Harry just as Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs that it was time for lunch.
"What? But we haven't even started to practice yet!" groaned Ron an annoyance as he got up from behind his drums. Harry and Ron both made their way down the stairs, meeting Hermione and Ginny half way.
"I thought you two were going to practice, I didn't hear a sound from you in the whole twenty minutes that you were up there," said Mrs. Weasley as she laid a platter of sandwiches on the table for them.
"Twenty minutes? It can't have been more than ten! We didn't even have enough time to tune our instruments let alone wait for twenty minutes to pass!" said Ron irritably thought he knew that his mum was probably right. Everyone grabbed a sandwich and went out back to lounge around in the sun.
Nobody said much for a little while and none of them could find it in themselves to get up and go back inside so they just lay there, looking up at the sky and sighing occasionally. Ron thought about everything that had happened within the last month. Even now he cringed slightly about his brief feelings for Hermione and remembered, with some distaste, the day that Vicky had made her cry. Hermione really deserve better than that. She ought to be with somebody like Harry or... well even he, Ron, would be a better choice than Krum.
"Hmmm, hey Ron?" said Hermione breaking the sleepy silence.
"Yea?" he replied after a few seconds.
"What do you see in Pavarti? I mean, don't get mad, but why Pavarti? What makes her so different from Lavender or Padma or M- or anyone else?" asked Hermione now propped up on one elbow.
"I don't really know what makes her special, all I know is that she is. I mean, every time I think about her I get this funny feeling in my stomach like I'm going into a dive on a broom, or like the ground just dropped out from under me. Or even like that weightless feeling you get when you're floating on the waves in the ocean. Like nothing in the world matters more to me than making her realize that I love her and making her happy. All I want is to be close to her and feel her heart beating with mine because I know that when I do finally hold her, our hearts will beat in perfect unison. Like one heart in two different bodies," Ron sighed as he put his hands behind his head.
"Wow, I wish I knew what it was like to have somebody love me that much. I mean... I know what it's like to be in love like that but he'll never return those kind of feelings to me. He's in love with somebody else," Hermione wiped a stray tear before it could fall. Ron noticed though and sat up to face her.
"Hermione," he said, cupping her face in his hands and wiping her tears, "You're so wonderful, and special, and the smartest girl that I've ever met. Don't cry over that bastard because anyone who doesn't see how wonderful you are must have his eyes in backwards. You're too good for him, you don't deserve anything less than the best and if somebody doesn't realize that you're the most beautiful and special girl in all of Hogwarts then he doesn't even deserve to call himself a man.
"Hermione, I love you. You're my best friend and I love you like you were my sister. Don't ever doubt that I would stand up to anybody who would dare say a harsh word about you. Now wipe away those tears and you and me and Harry can all go to Diagon Alley and get some Ice Cream," Ron came closer to her face and then kissed her forehead before getting up and going inside.
Hermione sat in silence for a moment before bringing her fingers up to touch the place on her forehead where she could still feel Ron's lips.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Well it has been quite a while since I've posted a chapter but I think that this one is worthy of the wait. Please review to tell me what you think of it!
August 4, 1995
Hermione suggested that instead of writing our own music we should try to learn songs by other people first. She suggested some different bands, all with very odd names like Blinks152 and Fourth Eye Blind, or something like that. At least Harry and me aren't too lost when it comes to music. Hermione spent the last couple of days trying to teach us all she could about music and I think enough of it rubbed off because Harry can almost figure out what the music notes say without help.
Speaking of Harry he opened Ginny's present in front of the whole family at dinner and she almost had a heart attack! The card she gave him started singing in this dreadful high voice about how great he was and how we'd all be lost without him. I don't think I've ever seen either of them blush so much since Ginny gave him that valentine in second year. Honestly I feel sorry for Ginny fancying somebody that doesn't like her back but I have the same problem in my life so I can't very well spend all my pity on other people. Besides, she's in a no-win situation because if Harry did like her I might have to take his head off, poor bloke.
So back on subject Harry and I have decided what song we want to learn first. It's by some band called America's Hi-Fi or something and the song is called "Flavor of the Week" and it's pretty cool even though we only have the first little bit done. Hermione keeps telling us that the more songs we learn, the easier it'll be to learn more even though I don't understand how that works. Harry and I already have a plan though. We're going to learn how to play as many songs as we can and then we'll see if Dumbledore will let us play in front of the school.
So what if Hermione thinks we're a bit too ambitious? We'll show her and everybody else that we can do it, especially Pavarti. When we finally get the chance to show Hogwarts what we're made of the first song we play will be just for her. Oh I love Pavarti so much that I can't stand it. It seems that nearly every song I listen to makes me think of her in some way or another. That's why I'm going to write songs about her so that I know for sure that they're about exactly what I see them as.
Well I've got to go because Harry wants to get in a little more practice before lunchtime.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ron set down his journal just as Harry walked into the room.
"Ron, I was thinking of get-"
"Getting a little more practice before lunchtime? I know mate, I was just thinking the same thing," Ron laughed as he went to sit at his drums. Drums, he had discovered, were quite a bit harder than they looked. Keeping different beats with both his hands and both feet was quite a challenging endeavor, even for a wizard.
"So how are the drum's working out for you?" asked Harry as he picked up his guitar and strapped it around his neck.
"Not bad but you wouldn't believe how confusing they can get. Honestly, I play the notes on the page but they don't sound like a song to me."
"Not to worry, Hermione said that it might take a while for us to figure things out. Remember she said that once we know a few songs it'll get easier to learn a few more. Crap though, I wish that we could just magic some talent into ourselves so that we wouldn't have to learn it all," laughed Harry as he attempted to tune the guitar.
"You and me both! It would be awesome if we could just up and know how to play!" agreed Ron as he tried in vain to tune his snare. "Who would have thought that drums would need tuning? I was under the impression that you just hit them with sticks and that was that."
"Don't worry mate, when we get back to Hogwarts we can just ask Professor Flitwick for some simple tuning spells and we'll never need bother again!" said Harry just as Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs that it was time for lunch.
"What? But we haven't even started to practice yet!" groaned Ron an annoyance as he got up from behind his drums. Harry and Ron both made their way down the stairs, meeting Hermione and Ginny half way.
"I thought you two were going to practice, I didn't hear a sound from you in the whole twenty minutes that you were up there," said Mrs. Weasley as she laid a platter of sandwiches on the table for them.
"Twenty minutes? It can't have been more than ten! We didn't even have enough time to tune our instruments let alone wait for twenty minutes to pass!" said Ron irritably thought he knew that his mum was probably right. Everyone grabbed a sandwich and went out back to lounge around in the sun.
Nobody said much for a little while and none of them could find it in themselves to get up and go back inside so they just lay there, looking up at the sky and sighing occasionally. Ron thought about everything that had happened within the last month. Even now he cringed slightly about his brief feelings for Hermione and remembered, with some distaste, the day that Vicky had made her cry. Hermione really deserve better than that. She ought to be with somebody like Harry or... well even he, Ron, would be a better choice than Krum.
"Hmmm, hey Ron?" said Hermione breaking the sleepy silence.
"Yea?" he replied after a few seconds.
"What do you see in Pavarti? I mean, don't get mad, but why Pavarti? What makes her so different from Lavender or Padma or M- or anyone else?" asked Hermione now propped up on one elbow.
"I don't really know what makes her special, all I know is that she is. I mean, every time I think about her I get this funny feeling in my stomach like I'm going into a dive on a broom, or like the ground just dropped out from under me. Or even like that weightless feeling you get when you're floating on the waves in the ocean. Like nothing in the world matters more to me than making her realize that I love her and making her happy. All I want is to be close to her and feel her heart beating with mine because I know that when I do finally hold her, our hearts will beat in perfect unison. Like one heart in two different bodies," Ron sighed as he put his hands behind his head.
"Wow, I wish I knew what it was like to have somebody love me that much. I mean... I know what it's like to be in love like that but he'll never return those kind of feelings to me. He's in love with somebody else," Hermione wiped a stray tear before it could fall. Ron noticed though and sat up to face her.
"Hermione," he said, cupping her face in his hands and wiping her tears, "You're so wonderful, and special, and the smartest girl that I've ever met. Don't cry over that bastard because anyone who doesn't see how wonderful you are must have his eyes in backwards. You're too good for him, you don't deserve anything less than the best and if somebody doesn't realize that you're the most beautiful and special girl in all of Hogwarts then he doesn't even deserve to call himself a man.
"Hermione, I love you. You're my best friend and I love you like you were my sister. Don't ever doubt that I would stand up to anybody who would dare say a harsh word about you. Now wipe away those tears and you and me and Harry can all go to Diagon Alley and get some Ice Cream," Ron came closer to her face and then kissed her forehead before getting up and going inside.
Hermione sat in silence for a moment before bringing her fingers up to touch the place on her forehead where she could still feel Ron's lips.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Well it has been quite a while since I've posted a chapter but I think that this one is worthy of the wait. Please review to tell me what you think of it!