The Bracelet.
Chapter 8.
AN...Sorry the last chapter wasn't too great. I was tired, and it was a filler-chapter, Just to get across that they got to the Burrow and got Hermione's letter.
The rest of that week passed pretty uneventfully. Harry and Ron didn't speak about Hermione...and Ginny kept giving Harry funny glances: she knew something was wrong, but hadn't tried to talk to him again since the night they got the letter. And Arthur was constantly asking Harry the strangest questions about muggles; "Harry, what do Muggles use this for....?" and "Harry, what's that for...?", under the disapproving eye of Molly.
Harry woke with a start and sat up. It was still dark. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes and fell back onto the bed. He had had the dream again....he and Hermione were in Astronomy and he had knocked her accidentally and she had fallen off...he was watching her falling down to the ground which seemed a lot further down than it really is....and that look in her face...he could hear her voice "You betrayed me Harry. You betrayed me. Look what you've done," ringing in his ears. And then just as she was about to hit the ground...he woke up. He'd had that same dream a few times now, in the last few weeks. His heart was racing. He couldn't get back to sleep now, so he got up and wandered about. It was 4.30am. He walked down to the kitchen and sat at the table, where Arthur's paper was lying from the evening before. Harry picked it up to read, but there was nothing interesting in there...and he couldn't concentrate. The dream had scared him so much. But the kitchen was cold at this time in the morning, so Harry went back up to bed. Ron was snoring lightly. Harry got back under the covers and just lay there, wide awake and waited.
He must have fallen back asleep, because he was woken by Ron standing on his leg.
"Oww!"
"Sorry mate!"
Harry sat up, rubbing his leg. Ron was stumbling over to the other side of the room.
"It's ok."
"You coming down to breakfast? Bill just arrived!"
They got dressed and went down to the kitchen, where Bill was standing talking to Arthur, he stopped and said hello to Ron and Harry, who stood with them. There was a loud crack, and Bill laughed when Harry jumped, looking momentarily petrified. Charlie had just apparated in.
They spent the day talking to Bill and Charlie...hearing all their news and what they had been up to, and Bill was keen to hear about Hogwarts, and asked how Dumbledore and McGonagall were.
In the evening, Harry, Ron, Fred and George went out in the garden for a spot of Quidditch after dinner. It had started snowing, which made it a bit more difficult for Harry, but it was still fun. Harry laughed as Fred confused next-door's cat by flying over him on his broom. It was the happiest he had felt in weeks.
He woke smiling the next morning. He hadn't had the dream about Hermione, and instead dreamt he was playing in the Quidditch world cup, and he had won for his team. He smiled again as he saw the small pile of presents at the bottom of his bed, and looked up at Ron who had started on his own pile.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!"
"Happy Christmas, Ron!"
Harry began opening his presents. There was the usual from Mrs Weasley; a green jumper. But he must be in her good books this year, because there was no large "H" on the front...and she had given him a box of chocolates. He looked over at Ron, who had the same. (Although he had the "R" on his maroon jumper.) There was an extra large box of everyflavour beans from Ron. "Thanks Ron!" he said, smiling as he turned to the other presents. A quick glance over some of the tags showed a present from Ginny, one from the Twins...something explosive or noisy no doubt...and one each from the other Weasleys. Then he noticed the last tag, with Hermione's curly writing on it..."To Harry. Happy Christmas! Love Hermione xx ". With his stomach in knots, he reached for the present...which was wrapped in green paper with pictures of little red bows on it, traditional muggle wrapping paper, her parents probably got her it. He carefully opened it. Inside was another broomstick cleaning kit, much similar to the one she had bought him in second year for his birthday, but this one was especially for a Firebolt, which he now had, and the old kit was no use now anyway and he had been moaning about it since the start of term. There was a note attached to it, "A replacement...I know you miss the last one! Oh and the other present...it's just a small thing really, but I thought you'd like it." Harry looked back at the paper, and sure enough, there was a tiny model broomstick there, which sped about the room when Harry lifted it from the wrapping paper. He looked over at Ron, who was watching the broomstick with a big smile on his face, eating a chocolate frog.
"Wow, that's amazing! I heard they're really hard to buy! Who's it from then? he asked, watching it as it circled around the ceiling, and dived towards his desk.
"Hermione." Harry replied, simply.
They finished opening their presents and went to see the others, and nose at everyone's gifts. Molly prepared the meal for 2pm and everyone tucked into a feast of turkey, sausages, salad...all the usual Christmas food.
After a pleasant Christmas and New Year, Harry was getting more and more anxious to Hermione's arrival. She would be here tomorrow, Harry had been counting down the days. He partly wanted to see her, so much...but partly didn't want to see her again. There were too many feelings for him to cope with, embarrassment, guilt, excitement, anticipation, regret....love? He wasn't sure anymore. He loved her, and constantly punished himself for it. He may have ruined their friendship. With all this swimming in his head, Harry left Ron and the twins in the garden making snow-wizards and went up to Ron's room and saw the mini-broomstick, which was resting on the desk. He picked it up and twirled it about in his hands and sat on the edge of Ron's bed.
"Harry" a voice startled him. It was Ginny, he hadn't noticed her come in. She moved, without a word and sat beside him. Without warning, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He couldn't help it now, the tears were streaming from his eyes onto Ginny's shoulder. She just hugged him silently. And they remained like that for what seemed like ages. When Harry sat up and wiped his eyes.
"I'm sorry...I..." he stammered, embarrassed.
"I know, Harry, its ok. Now, I'm not blind...I know this is about Hermione...What happened between you two that's made you so upset?" she asked.
"I.....I..." He sighed deeply. "I told her that I loved her just as she left on the train."
Ginny smiled sympathetically. "Ah, I thought so.".
Harry looked up at her. How did girls just....just KNOW these things? It had always confused him. He looked back down at the broomstick, sniffing slightly.
"And what did she say?"
"That's just it...she...she...I don't know. I had to go, so I..I just don't know."
"Well she's going to be here tomorrow, and I suggest that you two have a talk...about things."
"I know but....I can't...."
"Harry, you have to."
"I just....this is so awkward and horrible, but I...I still love her." he said, and started crying lightly.
"Of course you do." Ginny answered. She hugged him close again...her shoulder was soaking with his tears, but she didn't care. She just hugged him tightly.
Chapter 8.
AN...Sorry the last chapter wasn't too great. I was tired, and it was a filler-chapter, Just to get across that they got to the Burrow and got Hermione's letter.
The rest of that week passed pretty uneventfully. Harry and Ron didn't speak about Hermione...and Ginny kept giving Harry funny glances: she knew something was wrong, but hadn't tried to talk to him again since the night they got the letter. And Arthur was constantly asking Harry the strangest questions about muggles; "Harry, what do Muggles use this for....?" and "Harry, what's that for...?", under the disapproving eye of Molly.
Harry woke with a start and sat up. It was still dark. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes and fell back onto the bed. He had had the dream again....he and Hermione were in Astronomy and he had knocked her accidentally and she had fallen off...he was watching her falling down to the ground which seemed a lot further down than it really is....and that look in her face...he could hear her voice "You betrayed me Harry. You betrayed me. Look what you've done," ringing in his ears. And then just as she was about to hit the ground...he woke up. He'd had that same dream a few times now, in the last few weeks. His heart was racing. He couldn't get back to sleep now, so he got up and wandered about. It was 4.30am. He walked down to the kitchen and sat at the table, where Arthur's paper was lying from the evening before. Harry picked it up to read, but there was nothing interesting in there...and he couldn't concentrate. The dream had scared him so much. But the kitchen was cold at this time in the morning, so Harry went back up to bed. Ron was snoring lightly. Harry got back under the covers and just lay there, wide awake and waited.
He must have fallen back asleep, because he was woken by Ron standing on his leg.
"Oww!"
"Sorry mate!"
Harry sat up, rubbing his leg. Ron was stumbling over to the other side of the room.
"It's ok."
"You coming down to breakfast? Bill just arrived!"
They got dressed and went down to the kitchen, where Bill was standing talking to Arthur, he stopped and said hello to Ron and Harry, who stood with them. There was a loud crack, and Bill laughed when Harry jumped, looking momentarily petrified. Charlie had just apparated in.
They spent the day talking to Bill and Charlie...hearing all their news and what they had been up to, and Bill was keen to hear about Hogwarts, and asked how Dumbledore and McGonagall were.
In the evening, Harry, Ron, Fred and George went out in the garden for a spot of Quidditch after dinner. It had started snowing, which made it a bit more difficult for Harry, but it was still fun. Harry laughed as Fred confused next-door's cat by flying over him on his broom. It was the happiest he had felt in weeks.
He woke smiling the next morning. He hadn't had the dream about Hermione, and instead dreamt he was playing in the Quidditch world cup, and he had won for his team. He smiled again as he saw the small pile of presents at the bottom of his bed, and looked up at Ron who had started on his own pile.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!"
"Happy Christmas, Ron!"
Harry began opening his presents. There was the usual from Mrs Weasley; a green jumper. But he must be in her good books this year, because there was no large "H" on the front...and she had given him a box of chocolates. He looked over at Ron, who had the same. (Although he had the "R" on his maroon jumper.) There was an extra large box of everyflavour beans from Ron. "Thanks Ron!" he said, smiling as he turned to the other presents. A quick glance over some of the tags showed a present from Ginny, one from the Twins...something explosive or noisy no doubt...and one each from the other Weasleys. Then he noticed the last tag, with Hermione's curly writing on it..."To Harry. Happy Christmas! Love Hermione xx ". With his stomach in knots, he reached for the present...which was wrapped in green paper with pictures of little red bows on it, traditional muggle wrapping paper, her parents probably got her it. He carefully opened it. Inside was another broomstick cleaning kit, much similar to the one she had bought him in second year for his birthday, but this one was especially for a Firebolt, which he now had, and the old kit was no use now anyway and he had been moaning about it since the start of term. There was a note attached to it, "A replacement...I know you miss the last one! Oh and the other present...it's just a small thing really, but I thought you'd like it." Harry looked back at the paper, and sure enough, there was a tiny model broomstick there, which sped about the room when Harry lifted it from the wrapping paper. He looked over at Ron, who was watching the broomstick with a big smile on his face, eating a chocolate frog.
"Wow, that's amazing! I heard they're really hard to buy! Who's it from then? he asked, watching it as it circled around the ceiling, and dived towards his desk.
"Hermione." Harry replied, simply.
They finished opening their presents and went to see the others, and nose at everyone's gifts. Molly prepared the meal for 2pm and everyone tucked into a feast of turkey, sausages, salad...all the usual Christmas food.
After a pleasant Christmas and New Year, Harry was getting more and more anxious to Hermione's arrival. She would be here tomorrow, Harry had been counting down the days. He partly wanted to see her, so much...but partly didn't want to see her again. There were too many feelings for him to cope with, embarrassment, guilt, excitement, anticipation, regret....love? He wasn't sure anymore. He loved her, and constantly punished himself for it. He may have ruined their friendship. With all this swimming in his head, Harry left Ron and the twins in the garden making snow-wizards and went up to Ron's room and saw the mini-broomstick, which was resting on the desk. He picked it up and twirled it about in his hands and sat on the edge of Ron's bed.
"Harry" a voice startled him. It was Ginny, he hadn't noticed her come in. She moved, without a word and sat beside him. Without warning, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He couldn't help it now, the tears were streaming from his eyes onto Ginny's shoulder. She just hugged him silently. And they remained like that for what seemed like ages. When Harry sat up and wiped his eyes.
"I'm sorry...I..." he stammered, embarrassed.
"I know, Harry, its ok. Now, I'm not blind...I know this is about Hermione...What happened between you two that's made you so upset?" she asked.
"I.....I..." He sighed deeply. "I told her that I loved her just as she left on the train."
Ginny smiled sympathetically. "Ah, I thought so.".
Harry looked up at her. How did girls just....just KNOW these things? It had always confused him. He looked back down at the broomstick, sniffing slightly.
"And what did she say?"
"That's just it...she...she...I don't know. I had to go, so I..I just don't know."
"Well she's going to be here tomorrow, and I suggest that you two have a talk...about things."
"I know but....I can't...."
"Harry, you have to."
"I just....this is so awkward and horrible, but I...I still love her." he said, and started crying lightly.
"Of course you do." Ginny answered. She hugged him close again...her shoulder was soaking with his tears, but she didn't care. She just hugged him tightly.