Let the Truth Be Told

By: Trixie009

Disclaimer: Do I really have to disclaim Percy Weasley, Madam Hooch, and Justin Flinch-Fletchey? Seriously. We all know that J.K. Rowling owns it all! There. Satisfied?

A/N: YAY to the reviews I got! -huggles reviewers- YAY to my pencil & notebook! -huggles pencil and notebook- YAY to my computer! -huggles computer- YAY to RENT Soundtrack! -huggles RENT soundtrack- Please review and enjoy reading!

On with the story!

Day Three

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"Aren't you coming with, Harry?"

"With where?"

"To Hogsmeade?"

Harry jumped out of his bed. "Hogsmeade? That's today?"

"Yes, today. Why aren't you ready?"

"Oh, I slept in...I'm really tired...I've been up studying all night, you know...worried about...blimey, today...where are my socks?" Harry was rummaging around his trunk and under his four poster bed as Ron and Hermione stood by, watching.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't go," Hermione suggested. Harry gave her a deadly look. "I mean--you should sleep, you know...get rested, and then you can study a bit more and have a good sleep tonight."

"Why are you even worrying about studying now? It's Christmas break! It's a weekend! A Hogsmeade weekend! Come on; just stop studying for a while, will you?"

Hermione glared at Ron. "No, I think he needs rest."

"I think he needs a bit of fun!"

"He's been studying so hard and caring about his work that he deserves a--"

"A fun weekend with his friends!

"--a restful sleep." Hermione finished, turning to Harry. "You'll need to calm down and relax. We don't want you turning up in the hospital wing with a severe headache."

"He should have some fun!" Ron said, glaring at Hermione, as if the thought of turning down Hogsmeade was the worst of the worst.

"I think I need a bit of both..." Harry said quietly, staring out his window and absentmindedly stroking Hedwig's wing, who sat perched on his arm. "I'll sleep for a while...study...then when you guys come back I'll have fun with your purchases and stories."

Both Ron and Hermione were shocked at his agreement. "Okay," Hermione said.

"Oh, here..." Harry searched through his trunk, turning over books and throwing clothes across the floor. Finally, he found what he was looking for--a pouch containing wizard's money. He grabbed four galleons and shoved them into Hermione's hand. "Get something good from Honeydukes for me...I'm starving."

Hermione smiled and agreed, but Ron's ears turned red. "You don't have to-- "

"No, I do. And with what's leftover, get something for yourself. I don't mind. Really," He added after Ron's attempt to argue. "You guys have fun."

"Okay," they said together as they turned and hurried out of boys' dormitories. Harry, exhausted, plopped onto his bed and fell immediately into a deep sleep.

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"What's your favorite store in Hogsmeade?"

"Honeydukes, obviously. What's yours?"

"Hmm...I don't know. I like the Three Broomsticks, and the Shrieking Shack is good...it reminds me of Sirius...I don't really have a favorite."

Ron and Hermione entered the Honeydukes' Candy Shop and as they were looking through Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans, Hermione asked, "What was the best flavored Bertie Botts' you ate?"

"I don't really know what it was...but it tasted like chocolate, honey and butterscotch all mixed together...it was delicious. What was yours?"

"I really liked the peppermint bean...and I only found it once. Everything else that I ever tried was worse than peppermint. What's the worst you ever got?"

"Pig liver."

"Pig liver?" Hermione asked, shocked.

Ron nodded.

"I thought mine was bad...I had a grass flavored one once..."

"No...pig liver's worse, trust me."

They moved along the store, picking out sugar quills, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Fizzing Whizbees, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Licorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Ice Mice, exploding bonbons, fat, honey-colored toffees, and hundreds of different kinds of chocolates. Soon their arms were full and they walked up to the counter, dropping everything down and digging into their pockets for their money. Hermione laid down Harry's four Galleons, along with some of her own, and Ron pitched in as well.

As the witch behind the counter counted up the total, Ron's eyes wandered to a great display of "Featured Items" and he saw huge cookies that are "Everlasting--eat it and it'll grow back immediately!" He read the flavors: "Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chunk, Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter, and Butterscotch." Ignoring the fact that seven Sickles was a bit expensive, he grabbed a butterscotch cookie and slid it onto the counter without Hermione noticing, along with seven Sickles.

A moment later, Ron and Hermione left the candy store carrying four bags loaded with chocolates and sweets. "I'm a bit chilly," Hermione shivered under her cloak. "How about a butterbeer?"

"Sure," Ron agreed as they stepped into the Three Broomsticks. After they were seated and had paid for their butterbeers, Ron said, "Er--I got you something," he blushed, digging into one of the Honeydukes' bags. He pulled out the Everlasting Cookie and set it on the table.

"A--cookie?"

Ron nodded. "It's butterscotch. Your favorite."

Hermione smiled and ripped off a chunk of it and put in her mouth. The cookie magically grew back to its regular size, making Hermione gasp.

"It's--er...everlasting," Ron said.

"This must have been expensive, Ron," Hermione said seriously.

He shrugged it off, "Well, I knew you would have liked it, so..."

"Oh, I love it! I looove butterscotch cookies..." Hermione then cut the cookie down the middle and gave one half to Ron. "It's your favorite, too."

Ron, beaming, took a bite of it, which grew back to the half it once was. "Thanks."

"No, thank you, Ron."

"You're welcome," they said together. After a short pause, they caught eye contact and burst into laughter. No one but them would understand what was so funny. Other costumers slightly smiled at the cute, oblivious pair, and others gazed dreamily, wanting what Ron and Hermione had.

After two butterbeers each and some of their Honeydukes' sweets, Ron and Hermione agreed to have a stop at Zonko's Joke Shop. They didn't get anything but a few Dungbombs. According to Ron, Fred and George's business is booming, causing Zonko's to lose some of its customers.

"Shall we go to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Sure."

Shivering, Ron and Hermione stood outside the entrance to the "haunted" building.

"What's the worse feeling in the world? In your opinion, I mean," Hermione asked.

"Er...rejection, I suppose. Maybe loneliness..."

"Rejection? Of what?"

"Of anything, really. I just...I'm afraid to do some things in fear of being turned down."

"What kinds of things?" Hermione inquired.

"Lots of things, really. In our fourth year, I was afraid to ask anyone--especially you--to the Yule Ball, because I didn't want to be rejected. And sometimes...well, there's this...this thing...that I want to do, but...but I don't want to be...rejected."

"Do what?"

"I don't want to answer that right now," Ron muttered, his ears turning a shade of red.

"What do you mean 'right now'? Would you answer some other time?"

"I'm not sure, Hermione. I'm not even sure I'm going to do anything about it."

"I'm sure I'm being really nosy and curious, but maybe I can help."

"Er--no," Ron said, looking down at her. "You probably couldn't."

Hermione, looking a little hurt, mumbled, "Your turn."

"Dooufanseeneeone?"

"What?" Hermione asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Do you...fancy anyone?"

"Er...yes, I think so," she answered, not moving her gaze. "Do you?"

"Yes."

"Is that what you're afraid of being rejected of?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." Hermione whispered.

"Can I ask you how long you have fancied him?"

"I suppose you can."

"Okay. How long have you fancied him?"

"I'm not sure...three years, maybe."

"So...since our third year?"

"It could have been the year before that...I don't really know. How long have you f--"

"Wait. That means..." Ron said, thinking hard. "That means...that it...it couldn't be Krum."

"Er...yeah...it isn't him," Hermione whispered.

Ron looked as though Christmas had come early. Hermione, however, was once again staring towards the Shrieking Shack, and did not see his reaction.

"How long have you fancied this...this girl?" Hermione asked.

"Er...since our...second year, probably..."

It was a long time before either said anything. They were both thinking over everything that they had just shared and found out about each other. Finally, Ron said, "Okay. My turn...what's your favorite...favorite...pie?"

Hermione, relieved it wasn't too personal, sighed and dropped her arms to her side. "Pumpkin pie. What's yours?"

"Blueberry...of course."

Hermione smiled and shivered from the wind.

"What's your--er, are you cold?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded.

"Shall we get back to the castle, then?"

"Sure."

They stepped out of the Hogsmeade village and walked towards Hogwarts, its vastness towering high above them, casting a shadow across the grounds.

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A/N: Ha! :D Big smile. Whoever reviews gets a big huggle! -huggles- And you get an Everlasting Cookie!

Hey--I have a question for you all. I'm working on this story that's going to be about Ron and Hermione's oldest child, a girl. She's going to have red hair and blue eyes. The problem is, I can't decide her name. I'm thinking either Scarlett, with one or two 't's, or Alexandria and she'll have tons of nicknames. Her parents will call her Lex, her friends will call her Lexie, and her best guy friend can call her Al. What do you think? Scarlett, Scarlet, or Alexandria? Please help!

That is all for now.