Ron was sitting in the Quidditch stands, waiting for Harry to come out the
tent with his team mates. At least, he was trying to wait anyway...Ron was
fuming. The bloody stubborn witch, Ron thought angrily. It hadn't even been
an hour into the day and Hermione already began to start a fight with him!
Always the one picking the fights. It was never Ron's fault. Nope, never.
Just Hermione and her "no swearing!" rules and rubbish. She really did
deserve it, you know, Ron assured himself. He still felt a drop of guilt
weighing him down. He grimaced. Boy, did Ron hate apologizing to Hermione.
He'd see that steely glint in her eye from the triumph. She always fussed
about him being late for everything and how he was so disorganized and how
he should comb his hair and- wait a minute. Where is Hermione? She's late.
Ron searched the stands for her brown bushy hair and her Gryffindor scarf.
Nowhere to be seen. Augh, nevermind. Ron sat back down, fuming again. He
wasn't going to look for her! Bloody, bossy, big know-it-all witch...Hermione
could pick the last nerves on Ron. Really, she could. When he got back from
the Quidditch match, he'd enjoy yelling his head off at her and fussing
about her not coming and using Harry as an excuse to yell at her for not
showing up to cheer him-
"Excuse me." Professor McGonagall's voice rang out across the stadium. The entire crowd was hushed into silence almost immediately. Professor McGonagall's voice had that power over people. She cleared her throat from the commentator's box. Jordan Lee was sitting in the corner; his face very pale. "The Quidditch match has been cancelled."
An instant uproar came from the crowd. Several boo's from the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Ron was angry too. Why was it cancelled? They'd better have a re-match. Completely unfair, he'd say. Then, he felt someone touch his shoulder.
"Don't you think it's bloody unfair-" Ron stopped because he staring right into Professor McGonagall's face. He was startled at first since he was figuring out how she'd gotten up here so fast. Oh, wait. Stupid Ron. Apparation!
"Mr. Weasley, I think you'd come with me. Mr. Potter is waiting below.", said Professor McGonagall sternly. Ron felt his face pale and he gulped but he stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the stadium.
Harry joined them walking out of the stadium. Ron mouthed to Harry behind Professor McGonagall's back, "What's going on?". Harry looked just as confused as Ron, and shrugged helplessly. Ron kept wondering where Hermione was. She was missing this! Ron figured she was in the common room, trying to do homework, filling out parchment after parchment, her hair askew. Stubborn witch. She should come outside and get some air. Ron shook off the thoughts. He was supposed to be mad at her, right? He'd better be mad at her.
Professor McGonagall lead them up toward the Hospital Wing. "I think you should see this, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. There's been another attack." Said Professor McGonagall gravely.
Harry took in a sharp intake of breath and Ron looked shocked. "Another attack?" echoed Harry, his eyes wide in shock. Professor McGonagall nodded. She opened the door slowly."Prepare yourselves," she warned. "It was another double attack."
Ron's eyes widened as he saw Penelope Clearwater lying on a bed, still as stone. Her eyes glassy and unblinking. "Penelope Clearwater? Merlin, Percy is going to pass out, Harry...." He said heading to the next bed. "God, Hermione is missing all of this....Wait until she-"
Ron stopped dead as he laid eyes on the next victim. Harry groaned.
It was Hermione.
Ron and Harry had visited Hermione earlier, but Ron had to come back. He had snuck out of the common room, trying to be as quiet as possible. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he had to...had to see Hermione again. He opened the Hospital Wing door quietly, as not to wake Madam Pomfrey. He snuck toward Hermione's bed, and sank into the chair beside her bed.
He stared into her glassy eyes. Her empty, bottomless brown eyes. They were wide open, in shock. In one of her tiny hands, her hands was balled into a fist. Her other hand was just hanging by her side, loosely. He picked it up. It was so empty and frail...and just felt so lifeless. Usually, Hermione's hand were always moving. Always snapping, flicking...but now they were just...laying there. He tried to make conversation with her.
"You missed Harry's match today. Well, uh, not really...since it got cancelled. Harry and I having the worst time with our homework without you here. You should of seen us, trying to write up our Potions homework. You would have been happy to seen it- to know it had taught us a lesson, eh?" Ron laughed uneasily, stroking Hermione's hand as he continued talking softly.
"You know, it's just not the same without you around....mind you, I don't miss the fussing one bit.." Ron laughed weakly, but trailed off, becoming a bit embarrassed since he was talking to myself. His hands tightened a grip on Hermione's hand. He bent toward her face, his eyes staying practically attached in eye contact with Hermione's..
"I know you can't hear me, Hermione...but I have to say this. It's just not the same anymore. Not the same without you. I mean, when you were here, I always had someone to bloody argue with and I could make fun and tease you- but you know I never meant one bit. And to think, I'll never get to argue with you or tease you ever again....." He paused, and briefly stroked Hermione's cold cheek. He shuddered.
"The thought just scares the hell out of the me, Hermione. Scares the bloody hell out of me. Look, you may think we all don't like you or you annoy us- and you bloody do sometimes- but that's....that's not completely true. You're smart, and clever and...and...-he gulped- and beautiful. You're a good bird, 'Mione. Harry needs you...Neville needs you-the bloke needs all the help he can get-...Ginny needs you...." He looked at the floor, and edged close to her face. His breath was in her ear now, but he wasn't sure if she could feel it.
" I need you."
Ron held a rustling from Madam Pomfrey's bed. He quickly dropped Hermione's hand. "Come back. I need you, Hermione." He whispered into her ear. Then he whisked away from her bed, out of the Hospital Wing, wandering down the halls back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Excuse me." Professor McGonagall's voice rang out across the stadium. The entire crowd was hushed into silence almost immediately. Professor McGonagall's voice had that power over people. She cleared her throat from the commentator's box. Jordan Lee was sitting in the corner; his face very pale. "The Quidditch match has been cancelled."
An instant uproar came from the crowd. Several boo's from the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Ron was angry too. Why was it cancelled? They'd better have a re-match. Completely unfair, he'd say. Then, he felt someone touch his shoulder.
"Don't you think it's bloody unfair-" Ron stopped because he staring right into Professor McGonagall's face. He was startled at first since he was figuring out how she'd gotten up here so fast. Oh, wait. Stupid Ron. Apparation!
"Mr. Weasley, I think you'd come with me. Mr. Potter is waiting below.", said Professor McGonagall sternly. Ron felt his face pale and he gulped but he stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the stadium.
Harry joined them walking out of the stadium. Ron mouthed to Harry behind Professor McGonagall's back, "What's going on?". Harry looked just as confused as Ron, and shrugged helplessly. Ron kept wondering where Hermione was. She was missing this! Ron figured she was in the common room, trying to do homework, filling out parchment after parchment, her hair askew. Stubborn witch. She should come outside and get some air. Ron shook off the thoughts. He was supposed to be mad at her, right? He'd better be mad at her.
Professor McGonagall lead them up toward the Hospital Wing. "I think you should see this, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. There's been another attack." Said Professor McGonagall gravely.
Harry took in a sharp intake of breath and Ron looked shocked. "Another attack?" echoed Harry, his eyes wide in shock. Professor McGonagall nodded. She opened the door slowly."Prepare yourselves," she warned. "It was another double attack."
Ron's eyes widened as he saw Penelope Clearwater lying on a bed, still as stone. Her eyes glassy and unblinking. "Penelope Clearwater? Merlin, Percy is going to pass out, Harry...." He said heading to the next bed. "God, Hermione is missing all of this....Wait until she-"
Ron stopped dead as he laid eyes on the next victim. Harry groaned.
It was Hermione.
Ron and Harry had visited Hermione earlier, but Ron had to come back. He had snuck out of the common room, trying to be as quiet as possible. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he had to...had to see Hermione again. He opened the Hospital Wing door quietly, as not to wake Madam Pomfrey. He snuck toward Hermione's bed, and sank into the chair beside her bed.
He stared into her glassy eyes. Her empty, bottomless brown eyes. They were wide open, in shock. In one of her tiny hands, her hands was balled into a fist. Her other hand was just hanging by her side, loosely. He picked it up. It was so empty and frail...and just felt so lifeless. Usually, Hermione's hand were always moving. Always snapping, flicking...but now they were just...laying there. He tried to make conversation with her.
"You missed Harry's match today. Well, uh, not really...since it got cancelled. Harry and I having the worst time with our homework without you here. You should of seen us, trying to write up our Potions homework. You would have been happy to seen it- to know it had taught us a lesson, eh?" Ron laughed uneasily, stroking Hermione's hand as he continued talking softly.
"You know, it's just not the same without you around....mind you, I don't miss the fussing one bit.." Ron laughed weakly, but trailed off, becoming a bit embarrassed since he was talking to myself. His hands tightened a grip on Hermione's hand. He bent toward her face, his eyes staying practically attached in eye contact with Hermione's..
"I know you can't hear me, Hermione...but I have to say this. It's just not the same anymore. Not the same without you. I mean, when you were here, I always had someone to bloody argue with and I could make fun and tease you- but you know I never meant one bit. And to think, I'll never get to argue with you or tease you ever again....." He paused, and briefly stroked Hermione's cold cheek. He shuddered.
"The thought just scares the hell out of the me, Hermione. Scares the bloody hell out of me. Look, you may think we all don't like you or you annoy us- and you bloody do sometimes- but that's....that's not completely true. You're smart, and clever and...and...-he gulped- and beautiful. You're a good bird, 'Mione. Harry needs you...Neville needs you-the bloke needs all the help he can get-...Ginny needs you...." He looked at the floor, and edged close to her face. His breath was in her ear now, but he wasn't sure if she could feel it.
" I need you."
Ron held a rustling from Madam Pomfrey's bed. He quickly dropped Hermione's hand. "Come back. I need you, Hermione." He whispered into her ear. Then he whisked away from her bed, out of the Hospital Wing, wandering down the halls back to Gryffindor Tower.