Chapter 2
Everyone had washed up and went straight to the kitchen; it was already 8 o'clock, and they'd had an early tea. Naturally, they were aching for Molly's cooking. They all made their way into the dining room and sat down at the large table. An order meeting would be held tonight, but Harry and Ginny were too busy scheming to try to get Ron and Hermione together to care, and Ron, of course, had other things on his mind. His recent discovery was haunting his mind, and he couldn't think of exactly what he was going to say to Hermione.
Sure, Ron thought, there's always the old, "Hermione, I fancy you," but he thought she deserved something better. He was also having second thoughts about asking her at all. Forget deserving a better way to be asked, what if Hermione deserved someone better than him entirely? In the end, he decided to concentrate on food, especially after his mother expressed a concern.
"Are you alright, Ron, dear? You've hardly touched your plate..."
"Yes," agreed Hermione, "you've been acting odd all day."
"I'm fine," mumbled Ron, digging in.
Ginny and Harry exchanged glances. They knew almost for sure that Ron had been thinking about Hermione. Now all they had to do was figure out if Hermione felt the same way.
That night, as they got ready to settle in for the night, Ginny said to Hermione, "What do you think of the way Ron's been acting lately?"
Hermione replied with a sigh, "He's been quite out of it...I'm starting to worry about him! In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he fancied me!"
"Oh," Ginny responded after a pause, "I see. And, do you, ahem, fancy him?"
"Well, I wouldn't say I fancy him exactly. After all, we've been friends for such a long time, it seems impossible that I could ever think of, you know, dating him."
At this point, Ron was passing the girls' room on the way to his own. He paused at the door just in time to hear Hermione and Ginny's conversation. His heart sank as he solemnly proceeded down the hallway, which now seemed longer than ever. Shit. Why do things like this always seem to happen to me? And why does it have to take this long to get to my damn room? All I want is some sleep, but I can't even have that, can I?
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ron reached the door to the room. Pulling it open, he flopped over onto his bed, not even bothering to change into his pajamas, or pull down the bedclothes. Frankly, he just didn't care anymore.
In the bed next to Ron's, Harry appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but in truth, his mind was full of confused thoughts. Why couldn't I just have tried harder with my occlumency? If I had put any effort into it, I wouldn't have gone to the Department of Mysteries that night, and Sirius would still be alive! Another part of him said, What's done is done! There's absolutely nothing you can do about it now! Stop blaming yourself, because it just won't do you any good!
In the end, both boys drifted off to sleep, full of rage and anger, but both with reasons they would keep to themselves.
Everyone had washed up and went straight to the kitchen; it was already 8 o'clock, and they'd had an early tea. Naturally, they were aching for Molly's cooking. They all made their way into the dining room and sat down at the large table. An order meeting would be held tonight, but Harry and Ginny were too busy scheming to try to get Ron and Hermione together to care, and Ron, of course, had other things on his mind. His recent discovery was haunting his mind, and he couldn't think of exactly what he was going to say to Hermione.
Sure, Ron thought, there's always the old, "Hermione, I fancy you," but he thought she deserved something better. He was also having second thoughts about asking her at all. Forget deserving a better way to be asked, what if Hermione deserved someone better than him entirely? In the end, he decided to concentrate on food, especially after his mother expressed a concern.
"Are you alright, Ron, dear? You've hardly touched your plate..."
"Yes," agreed Hermione, "you've been acting odd all day."
"I'm fine," mumbled Ron, digging in.
Ginny and Harry exchanged glances. They knew almost for sure that Ron had been thinking about Hermione. Now all they had to do was figure out if Hermione felt the same way.
That night, as they got ready to settle in for the night, Ginny said to Hermione, "What do you think of the way Ron's been acting lately?"
Hermione replied with a sigh, "He's been quite out of it...I'm starting to worry about him! In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he fancied me!"
"Oh," Ginny responded after a pause, "I see. And, do you, ahem, fancy him?"
"Well, I wouldn't say I fancy him exactly. After all, we've been friends for such a long time, it seems impossible that I could ever think of, you know, dating him."
At this point, Ron was passing the girls' room on the way to his own. He paused at the door just in time to hear Hermione and Ginny's conversation. His heart sank as he solemnly proceeded down the hallway, which now seemed longer than ever. Shit. Why do things like this always seem to happen to me? And why does it have to take this long to get to my damn room? All I want is some sleep, but I can't even have that, can I?
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ron reached the door to the room. Pulling it open, he flopped over onto his bed, not even bothering to change into his pajamas, or pull down the bedclothes. Frankly, he just didn't care anymore.
In the bed next to Ron's, Harry appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but in truth, his mind was full of confused thoughts. Why couldn't I just have tried harder with my occlumency? If I had put any effort into it, I wouldn't have gone to the Department of Mysteries that night, and Sirius would still be alive! Another part of him said, What's done is done! There's absolutely nothing you can do about it now! Stop blaming yourself, because it just won't do you any good!
In the end, both boys drifted off to sleep, full of rage and anger, but both with reasons they would keep to themselves.