Chapter 3: Hermione's Surprise
He sat stroking the ring with utmost desire. He wanted to remind himself that she wouldn't leave, that she'd be returning to his arms in only a matter of time. He pined to see her sparkling brown eyes, to hear her tender voice, to feel her warmth against him when he held her. Harry was no help; he didn't understand. In fact, he probably couldn't care less whether or not Hermione ever laughed again. Wait, what was he thinking? Of course Harry would care. She's one of his best friends and he would be devastated if he never saw her smile again.
Why were these thoughts running through his head? Ron didn't know. He didn't care. He was too preoccupied with waiting for his love to return. He was sweating profusely and his flaming red hair was pasted to his forehead. The ring kept slipping on and off his finger as he twisted it around in his hand nervously. Where was Harry? He should have been there by now. They had agreed to meet in the entrance hall so they could be there the moment she walked through the big oak doors. Ron was going to be the first one to see her, the first one to hold her.
"Ron!" The tall red-head turned quickly when he heard his name being called behind him, "Harry! Where've you been? I've been standing here forever!"
"Sorry," Harry panted, jogging up to his best friend. "Colin wanted to get an autographed photo to send to his cousin, and then he wanted me to
meet some new friends he made."
Usually Ron would have screwed up his face trying to hide his jealousy at this remark, but he was too distracted. "Oh" was all he managed to say. The two friends turned back around to face the front doors as silence hit them. Harry couldn't stand it, though - not talking. It was too awkward to just stand there.
"So, Ron..." he said. Ron tilted his head toward Harry, but didn't take his eyes off the doors. "Yeah?" he mumbled.
"Er...it's gonna be great once she gets here, huh?"
"Yeah."
Harry cleared his throat before continuing the forced conversation, "you must really miss her right now."
"Yeah."
"So, you do?
"Yeah."
Harry decided that because of Ron's monotonous replies, he would mess with him a little. "But, you don't want her to come back?"
"Yeah."
"Oh! So, you don't ever want Hermione to come back again?"
"What?" At the mention of Hermione's name, Ron turned to look at Harry with a puzzled look on his face, snapping out of his trance. "Of course I want her to return!! What kind of sick game are you playing, Harry??" Ron yelled, horrified at what his friend had just asked him.
"No, Ron! I didn't mean it like that! I just - I mean, you just - well, never mind," Harry replied.
"Fine then," Ron said, pursing his lips and turning away from his best friend.
A few moments of silence pierced the awkwardness between them, but Harry intended to end it.
"Ron, I – "
"I don't want to hear it. I'm waiting for Hermione, so if you don't mind, I would greatly appreciate it if you shut your mouth for a while," Ron interrupted coldly.
"Fine," said Harry, moving to the opposite wall of the corridor.
"Fine," Ron muttered under his breath. He stood staring at the great oak doors leading to the winter wonderland outside, as if he was attempting to break them down with his glare. Any minute now, he thought. She'll be waltzing through those doors with a smile on her face, ecstatic to see me. Only me. Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and Hogwarts students from every year hurried inside to escape from the bitter cold. A third year from Ravenclaw joined her friends in a corner, exchanging hugs and "I missed you"s; a Hufflepuff fifth year distributed gifts to his friends before heading off to their common room; and Draco Malfoy rejoined his cronies in the dungeons after smirking at Harry. Ron searched the crowd with his eyes, looking for the bushy brown hair and rosy cheeks he had been dying to see since holiday started. But the packed corridor soon became empty and there was no Hermione. Harry rejoined Ron against the stone wall, and waited with him for hours. "Where is she?" Ron asked in an unnaturally quiet and shaky voice. "I don't know," Harry answered, with great effort. He felt as though a rope was tied around his throat, preventing him to speak or even draw breath. "She said she would be here." "I know." "Do you reckon we missed her?" Ron's voice was starting to sound panicky and high. "Maybe..." Harry didn't want to cause Ron a nervous breakdown by telling him that they, in fact, could not have missed her. She would have seen them anyway. "Ron, she could be in the common room. Why don't we have a go there?" "No. I'll wait for her here. I told her I would." "Are you sure?" "Yes," Ron said, keeping his gaze on the front doors. "Alright." Harry clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder before heading off to the Gryffindor common room. Maybe Ron's right, he thought. Maybe she's in the common room. But these thoughts were everything but comforting to him. He knew she hadn't come through those doors. But where was she? She promised.
He sat stroking the ring with utmost desire. He wanted to remind himself that she wouldn't leave, that she'd be returning to his arms in only a matter of time. He pined to see her sparkling brown eyes, to hear her tender voice, to feel her warmth against him when he held her. Harry was no help; he didn't understand. In fact, he probably couldn't care less whether or not Hermione ever laughed again. Wait, what was he thinking? Of course Harry would care. She's one of his best friends and he would be devastated if he never saw her smile again.
Why were these thoughts running through his head? Ron didn't know. He didn't care. He was too preoccupied with waiting for his love to return. He was sweating profusely and his flaming red hair was pasted to his forehead. The ring kept slipping on and off his finger as he twisted it around in his hand nervously. Where was Harry? He should have been there by now. They had agreed to meet in the entrance hall so they could be there the moment she walked through the big oak doors. Ron was going to be the first one to see her, the first one to hold her.
"Ron!" The tall red-head turned quickly when he heard his name being called behind him, "Harry! Where've you been? I've been standing here forever!"
"Sorry," Harry panted, jogging up to his best friend. "Colin wanted to get an autographed photo to send to his cousin, and then he wanted me to
meet some new friends he made."
Usually Ron would have screwed up his face trying to hide his jealousy at this remark, but he was too distracted. "Oh" was all he managed to say. The two friends turned back around to face the front doors as silence hit them. Harry couldn't stand it, though - not talking. It was too awkward to just stand there.
"So, Ron..." he said. Ron tilted his head toward Harry, but didn't take his eyes off the doors. "Yeah?" he mumbled.
"Er...it's gonna be great once she gets here, huh?"
"Yeah."
Harry cleared his throat before continuing the forced conversation, "you must really miss her right now."
"Yeah."
"So, you do?
"Yeah."
Harry decided that because of Ron's monotonous replies, he would mess with him a little. "But, you don't want her to come back?"
"Yeah."
"Oh! So, you don't ever want Hermione to come back again?"
"What?" At the mention of Hermione's name, Ron turned to look at Harry with a puzzled look on his face, snapping out of his trance. "Of course I want her to return!! What kind of sick game are you playing, Harry??" Ron yelled, horrified at what his friend had just asked him.
"No, Ron! I didn't mean it like that! I just - I mean, you just - well, never mind," Harry replied.
"Fine then," Ron said, pursing his lips and turning away from his best friend.
A few moments of silence pierced the awkwardness between them, but Harry intended to end it.
"Ron, I – "
"I don't want to hear it. I'm waiting for Hermione, so if you don't mind, I would greatly appreciate it if you shut your mouth for a while," Ron interrupted coldly.
"Fine," said Harry, moving to the opposite wall of the corridor.
"Fine," Ron muttered under his breath. He stood staring at the great oak doors leading to the winter wonderland outside, as if he was attempting to break them down with his glare. Any minute now, he thought. She'll be waltzing through those doors with a smile on her face, ecstatic to see me. Only me. Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and Hogwarts students from every year hurried inside to escape from the bitter cold. A third year from Ravenclaw joined her friends in a corner, exchanging hugs and "I missed you"s; a Hufflepuff fifth year distributed gifts to his friends before heading off to their common room; and Draco Malfoy rejoined his cronies in the dungeons after smirking at Harry. Ron searched the crowd with his eyes, looking for the bushy brown hair and rosy cheeks he had been dying to see since holiday started. But the packed corridor soon became empty and there was no Hermione. Harry rejoined Ron against the stone wall, and waited with him for hours. "Where is she?" Ron asked in an unnaturally quiet and shaky voice. "I don't know," Harry answered, with great effort. He felt as though a rope was tied around his throat, preventing him to speak or even draw breath. "She said she would be here." "I know." "Do you reckon we missed her?" Ron's voice was starting to sound panicky and high. "Maybe..." Harry didn't want to cause Ron a nervous breakdown by telling him that they, in fact, could not have missed her. She would have seen them anyway. "Ron, she could be in the common room. Why don't we have a go there?" "No. I'll wait for her here. I told her I would." "Are you sure?" "Yes," Ron said, keeping his gaze on the front doors. "Alright." Harry clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder before heading off to the Gryffindor common room. Maybe Ron's right, he thought. Maybe she's in the common room. But these thoughts were everything but comforting to him. He knew she hadn't come through those doors. But where was she? She promised.