The Bracelet
Chapter 7.
Harry barely slept that night, but pretended to be asleep when Ron, Dean and Seamus came up to bed. The next morning passed in a blur. They packed their trunks and went to the platform in an awkward silence. They had tried to make small conversation, but things were still weird. They found seats on the train and sat facing each other in silence, which suited Harry.
"So, um...about last night...." Ron started. Harry just stared at the ground. "I...um...you know, wondered if you want to, you know...talk....about it?"
Harry raised his eyes to Ron and stared at him. He considered it, he'd love someone else's opinion to help him through this...but he changed his mind. He half smiled and shook his head.
"No Ron, I'm ok. Thanks though".
They turned to see the lady with the food cart at the carriage door. Both boys were thankful for the interruption and bought some sweets. After she had gone, Harry opened his chocolate frog.
"Can't wait for this Christmas! It's going to be really busy though, what with all of us, and Bill and Charlie...dunno where they're gonna sleep! Mum'll probably kick Fred and George out onto the sofas...she'd never dream of moving Percy...the favourite. I want to see his face when I'm head boy and I'm the new favourite!"
Harry laughed. "But you don't want to follow in his footsteps, surely? Head boy, prefect...lined up for a job in the Ministry...you'd have to beat Hermione at that rate!"
Both of them paused at the mention of her name.
"Yeah, you're right." Ron agreed, breaking the tension. "I don't want to be a stuck up pig like him thank you very much!"
The journey seemed to fly in after that. Harry and Ron stuffed the sweet wrappers into their pockets, took their trunks and dragged them to the platform, where they were met by Molly and Ginny.
"Nice journey? How are you Harry? Ron, clean the chocolate off your cheek. You better not have stuffed yourself with sweets when you're going home for your dinner! Harry, dear, are you hungry?" Molly said.
"Yeah, hi mum. Ginny, how's the arm?" Ron asked, for Ginny had missed the last few weeks at school because she had broken her arm falling down the stairs at Hogwarts, and was due to have been cared for in the hospital wing, but as soon as Molly had heard, she had sent for her to come home.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She gestured to the bandage on her arm. "It's just a broken arm...but it got me out of school for two weeks!" She added in a whisper to Harry and Ron as Molly busied herself with Harry's trunk.
Harry laughed, and followed Molly, Ginny and Ron out of the station.
"Your father had to work but he's sent us a car from the ministry to get home with the trunks." Molly told them.
They walked out to the black car and bundled the trunks into the boot. The four of them all managed to sit in the back seat comfortably. Harry suspected there had been a charm on it to make it larger on the inside.
A while later, after a car journey full of Molly fussing, they arrived at The Burrow. Harry and Ron took their trunks up to Ron's room, where a spare bed had been made up for Harry.
"Half an hour till dinner!" Molly called up the stairs.
Harry and Ron spent the time unpacking. Harry hated the silence between them, all the more so because he knew it was his fault, and it wasn't like they weren't speaking because they had fallen out.
"Look Ron" Harry started, turning to face him. "Let's not make this awkward. I'm feeling bad enough as it is."
"Yeah mate, it's ok. It's just...Hermione!"
"Yeah. I know."
"It's ok. It was just a bit of a shock that's all. Come on, we'd better get down to dinner!"
They went down and sat at the table. Arthur had come home from work and was sitting at the table opposite Ginny.
"Harry! How are you!" Arthur exclaimed.
"Hi Mr Weasley!" Harry smiled.
Molly set out all the plates for dinner. She had made a buffet...there were bowls of chicken...bowls of salad...loads of stuff. They talked about general things...school, Ginny's arm...things Mr Weasley had done at work that day...when Molly addressed Harry and Ron.
"So how is Hermione?"
Ron and Harry glanced at each other momentarily.
"She's fine" Harry said shortly.
They finished their meal and helped clear plates. Later on that evening, Ginny stopped Harry on his way back from the bathroom.
"Hey."
"Hey Ginny"
"What's up Harry? I noticed you were a bit...off at dinner?" She asked. But Harry didn't want to discuss this again, least not with Ginny.
"Nothing, I'm ok."
"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to..I can be a bit better at it than Ron." She smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks." Harry replied, and returned to Ron's room.
The next morning, Harry and Ron made their way down to the breakfast table. They helped themselves to toast and just as Harry was spreading butter on his...a strange brown owl flew into the kitchen and landed on the table next to Ron.
Ron took the note from his leg.
"Ah wnderf hoo ish fwomth?" He said, through a mouthful of toast. He studied the letter for a while. "Oh it's from Hermione! She's asking how we are...blah blah...how was the train...oh, mum, Hermione is coming over two days before we leave back to school, is it ok?"
"Of course, dear. It would be lovely to see her again." Molly smiled.
Harry didn't share her sentiments. Ron looked at him.
"You ok mate?" He asked, under his breath.
"Yeah."
Ron leapt to a drawer by the cooker and got out a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing a reply to Hermione. Harry excused himself and ran up to Ron's room and sat on his bed. Ron followed up a few minutes later.
"Hey, I...um...there was another piece to her letter...I didn't want to show you it down there..." he handed him a separate piece of parchment. It was small, and folded in half, addressed to Harry. Ron stood aside while he opened it.
Harry read it. It was very short. "To Harry. I'm sorry what happened happened. I can't write things in here. I need to talk to you in person. I still love you as a friend. I hope you're ok. Love Hermione xx"
What did that mean? "I'm sorry what happened happened?" does that mean she's sorry he had to have feelings for her? Or that she's sorry the prefect took him away at that moment? And "I still love you as a friend." Does that mean she's accepted the news, but wants things to stay the same? Oh god. He lay back on Ron's bed while Ron stood at the side of the room awkwardly.
"I didn't read it." He said in the silence.
"Yeah, it's ok." Harry said. What difference would it have made anyway? Now he had to prepare to see her again two whole days earlier than planned. This was going to be a tough Christmas.
Chapter 7.
Harry barely slept that night, but pretended to be asleep when Ron, Dean and Seamus came up to bed. The next morning passed in a blur. They packed their trunks and went to the platform in an awkward silence. They had tried to make small conversation, but things were still weird. They found seats on the train and sat facing each other in silence, which suited Harry.
"So, um...about last night...." Ron started. Harry just stared at the ground. "I...um...you know, wondered if you want to, you know...talk....about it?"
Harry raised his eyes to Ron and stared at him. He considered it, he'd love someone else's opinion to help him through this...but he changed his mind. He half smiled and shook his head.
"No Ron, I'm ok. Thanks though".
They turned to see the lady with the food cart at the carriage door. Both boys were thankful for the interruption and bought some sweets. After she had gone, Harry opened his chocolate frog.
"Can't wait for this Christmas! It's going to be really busy though, what with all of us, and Bill and Charlie...dunno where they're gonna sleep! Mum'll probably kick Fred and George out onto the sofas...she'd never dream of moving Percy...the favourite. I want to see his face when I'm head boy and I'm the new favourite!"
Harry laughed. "But you don't want to follow in his footsteps, surely? Head boy, prefect...lined up for a job in the Ministry...you'd have to beat Hermione at that rate!"
Both of them paused at the mention of her name.
"Yeah, you're right." Ron agreed, breaking the tension. "I don't want to be a stuck up pig like him thank you very much!"
The journey seemed to fly in after that. Harry and Ron stuffed the sweet wrappers into their pockets, took their trunks and dragged them to the platform, where they were met by Molly and Ginny.
"Nice journey? How are you Harry? Ron, clean the chocolate off your cheek. You better not have stuffed yourself with sweets when you're going home for your dinner! Harry, dear, are you hungry?" Molly said.
"Yeah, hi mum. Ginny, how's the arm?" Ron asked, for Ginny had missed the last few weeks at school because she had broken her arm falling down the stairs at Hogwarts, and was due to have been cared for in the hospital wing, but as soon as Molly had heard, she had sent for her to come home.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She gestured to the bandage on her arm. "It's just a broken arm...but it got me out of school for two weeks!" She added in a whisper to Harry and Ron as Molly busied herself with Harry's trunk.
Harry laughed, and followed Molly, Ginny and Ron out of the station.
"Your father had to work but he's sent us a car from the ministry to get home with the trunks." Molly told them.
They walked out to the black car and bundled the trunks into the boot. The four of them all managed to sit in the back seat comfortably. Harry suspected there had been a charm on it to make it larger on the inside.
A while later, after a car journey full of Molly fussing, they arrived at The Burrow. Harry and Ron took their trunks up to Ron's room, where a spare bed had been made up for Harry.
"Half an hour till dinner!" Molly called up the stairs.
Harry and Ron spent the time unpacking. Harry hated the silence between them, all the more so because he knew it was his fault, and it wasn't like they weren't speaking because they had fallen out.
"Look Ron" Harry started, turning to face him. "Let's not make this awkward. I'm feeling bad enough as it is."
"Yeah mate, it's ok. It's just...Hermione!"
"Yeah. I know."
"It's ok. It was just a bit of a shock that's all. Come on, we'd better get down to dinner!"
They went down and sat at the table. Arthur had come home from work and was sitting at the table opposite Ginny.
"Harry! How are you!" Arthur exclaimed.
"Hi Mr Weasley!" Harry smiled.
Molly set out all the plates for dinner. She had made a buffet...there were bowls of chicken...bowls of salad...loads of stuff. They talked about general things...school, Ginny's arm...things Mr Weasley had done at work that day...when Molly addressed Harry and Ron.
"So how is Hermione?"
Ron and Harry glanced at each other momentarily.
"She's fine" Harry said shortly.
They finished their meal and helped clear plates. Later on that evening, Ginny stopped Harry on his way back from the bathroom.
"Hey."
"Hey Ginny"
"What's up Harry? I noticed you were a bit...off at dinner?" She asked. But Harry didn't want to discuss this again, least not with Ginny.
"Nothing, I'm ok."
"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to..I can be a bit better at it than Ron." She smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks." Harry replied, and returned to Ron's room.
The next morning, Harry and Ron made their way down to the breakfast table. They helped themselves to toast and just as Harry was spreading butter on his...a strange brown owl flew into the kitchen and landed on the table next to Ron.
Ron took the note from his leg.
"Ah wnderf hoo ish fwomth?" He said, through a mouthful of toast. He studied the letter for a while. "Oh it's from Hermione! She's asking how we are...blah blah...how was the train...oh, mum, Hermione is coming over two days before we leave back to school, is it ok?"
"Of course, dear. It would be lovely to see her again." Molly smiled.
Harry didn't share her sentiments. Ron looked at him.
"You ok mate?" He asked, under his breath.
"Yeah."
Ron leapt to a drawer by the cooker and got out a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing a reply to Hermione. Harry excused himself and ran up to Ron's room and sat on his bed. Ron followed up a few minutes later.
"Hey, I...um...there was another piece to her letter...I didn't want to show you it down there..." he handed him a separate piece of parchment. It was small, and folded in half, addressed to Harry. Ron stood aside while he opened it.
Harry read it. It was very short. "To Harry. I'm sorry what happened happened. I can't write things in here. I need to talk to you in person. I still love you as a friend. I hope you're ok. Love Hermione xx"
What did that mean? "I'm sorry what happened happened?" does that mean she's sorry he had to have feelings for her? Or that she's sorry the prefect took him away at that moment? And "I still love you as a friend." Does that mean she's accepted the news, but wants things to stay the same? Oh god. He lay back on Ron's bed while Ron stood at the side of the room awkwardly.
"I didn't read it." He said in the silence.
"Yeah, it's ok." Harry said. What difference would it have made anyway? Now he had to prepare to see her again two whole days earlier than planned. This was going to be a tough Christmas.