Disclaimer: Own ziip! Absolutely nothing.
This is were it'll get fluffly. As I said in Chapter Ten's A/N, I'm always welcome for you guys' ideas! Chapter 12'll probably be quite fluffly as well. Sorry this took so long to post, I had to rewrite Ten completely and rewrite the last half of this Chapter. I'm a perfectionist, what can I say? Hope you guys like it.
Just Friends? :: Chapter Eleven - Hermione
"150 points? But professor!"
"Another five, Miss Granger! All of you, get to your dorms!"
Hermione ran towards Gryffindor Tower Ron was close behind her. In the Common Room, Hermione was in tears.
"Oh, Mione. I'm so sorry." Ron said, as he took her in her into his arms and kissed her on the top of her wavy hair.
"What is the rest of the House think? Oh dear." She was sobbing now, shaking violently against Ron's solid chest.
"It's okay, Mione. We don't have to tell anyone how we lost those points." He swayed back and forth, trying to sooth Hermione's sobs. They were silent after several minutes.
"I wonder why Harry was out of bed."
"He says he was looking for me, so I suppose that's why he was out of bed."
"He's seemed out of it lately. I hope he's okay. I hope he's not dwelling on Sirius' death."
"I'll talk to him in the morning, I'm sure it's not that. I'm sure he's just a little tired or something, you know how he is."
"Did you hear that?" Hermione said, as she lifted her head from Ron's chest. Just behind them was a faint croaking sound.
"Malfoy?" Malfoy the frog came hoping into the room.
"Where's he been?"
"I have no idea, I assumed Harry had taken him to McGonagall or at least the hospital wing." Ron picked up the boy-frog and set him on the arm of the couch.
"What shall we do with him?"
"I say we set him free." Ron said with a smirk playing on his face. Hermione tried to shield a laugh.
"He's not a real frog, Ron!"
"Well, he might as well be. He's slimy like a real frog, even more so as a human."
"I know, he's a prat, he's a git. But what about his schooling, his family?" God, I love her. She was always so reasonable. So unselfish. Ron thought.
"He's probably going to be a Death Eater, his mother is... evil and his father is Death Eater. I'm just going to set him off somewhere, if he shows up, he shows up. I'm not too worried." Some times, Hermione could not believe Ron's behavior. Some times, the things Ron did infuriated her, but now, it was hard to stay mad at him for long. Which is funnily said, because in all the years past, she always argued with him. She always pretended to be upset with him because it was much easier. There was no chance to let him know she liked him that way. She didn't need to worry about that now, which was a relief for her.
xXx
Hermione spent this Saturday with Ron, and only Ron. Harry hadn't talked to them since that night in the empty classroom. They were down at the lake, it was beginning to become a favorite spot for the two. Hermione planned on doing some studying, but Ron had a different agenda.
"Oh Mione, we can study later." Ron said, kissing Hermione at the nape of her neck.
"Ron, please." Hermione liked this, she did, she wasn't sure exactly how much self control she had. She let him kiss her passionately before pushing him off of her.
"Please. Let's stop."
"Okay." Ron said, sitting up and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Did you talk to Harry?"
"No." Ron hung his head, he had told her he would.
"Ron, you have to talk to him. I don't think he'll listen to me, and he seems a bit lonely lately. Promise me you'll talk to him." Her eyes were intense. He loved this about her, how she always seemed to put everyone before herself, but she never forgot about herself.
"Okay." He said, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame.
"Can we please study now?" She asked, with puppy dog eyes.
"Okay. Let's study." Hermione was glad he stopped when she asked, that he respected her. That was one of the things she wasn't afraid of, being pushed by Ron farther than she wanted to go.