The Next Morning III
"Where were you all day?" Ron said, sliding into the seat across from Hermione in the Great Hall. "You just vanished after DADA."
Hermione looked up from the book she was reading. "I was busy." She said simply, returning to her reading.
Ron sighed. "Look I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make light of the situation."
Hermione nodded. "It's okay." She said, closing her book and smiling. "I was kind of overreacting anyway. Sorry about unleashing Ginny on you, though."
Ron glared at her. "That was you? She practically flogged me for making you mad." Ron said, reaching for a plate. He shook his head. "Speaking about floggings did you hear about Malfoy?"
"No. What happened?" Hermione asked, picking out a bun and wincing, as it was still hot.
Ron stared at her. "Do we even go to the same school? I mean everyone's talking about it. Harry beat the crap out of Malfoy before Potions yesterday." He said, shaking his head and cracking a hard-boiled egg.
"What?" Hermione asked shocked. "Was Harry hurt?"
"Yeah. I heard he broke some fingers and hurt his neck or something. That's why he wasn't in class all day. Pomfrey fixed him back up, not a scratch on him now." Ron reached for the plate of bacon, toppling more than a few onto his plate. "The hilarious thing is that no one knew Draco had been beaten up, he was just lying in the corridor knocked our for a hour or so. That's why Snape was so pissed during the end of class." Ron said, grinning. "Damn. I wish I hadn't gotten to class so early."
"Why? What would you have done?" Hermione asked warily.
"What would I have done? I would have helped in beating that git to a bloody pulp." Ron said savagely. "The prat deserves what he got and more. Aw, hell." He cursed, quickly picking up a napkin and wiping off the crushed egg in his hand.
"That's a terrible thing for Harry to do." Hermione said, she shook her head. 'What's gotten in to him?"
"He probably finally had enough with that bastard." Ron said, picking up another egg. Hermione shot him a look. "What? He is a bastard."
Hermione frowned. "That doesn't sound like Harry."
Ron shrugged. "What ever's gotten into him, it looks like it's a change for the better. The way I hear it is that Draco's been hiding out since yesterday. Once Pomfrey healed his wounds, he fled to the Slytherin House and hasn't left yet." Ron grinned, piling bacon and eggs upon a slice of bread.
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.
Ron shrugged. "I dunno." He said over a mouthful of food. "Went to sleep last night and he wasn't back from wherever. Woke up this morning and he'd gone, Neville said he had to run an errand or something. Though he might have been with you, since you didn't come back until late and you were gone early too."
Hermione shook her head. "I was in the library all day and all last night. I haven't seen Harry since we left the Hospital Wing and he was unconscious then." She was quiet for a moment. "I think we should talk to him." Hermione said, slipping her books into her bag. "See if there's anything wrong or if he's okay."
"What? Now? We don't even know where he is. Plus I'm eating." Ron said, waving his sandwich.
Hermione rose to her feet. "Never mind." Hermione said, glancing toward the entrance of the Great Hall.
"What the hell's he doing with her?" Ron said, looking as if he had bitten something sour. "I thought she was with that little git Michael."
Ron and Hermione both watched as Harry walked into the Great Hall with Cho at his side. She was laughing and he was smiling. He saw them and waved at them, but didn't come to their table; instead he sat at the Ravenclaw table and was talking animatedly with Cho and several others. They were all girls and they all laughed at his remarks.
"Looks like he's found new friends." Ron said, his face blank and chewing roughly on his food.
Hermione nodded solemnly. "That's rude." She remarked. "Three weeks we haven't spoken more than three words with him and now he's gabbing with the Ravenclaws?" She frowned fiercely.
Ron just nodded. "I hope Draco got in a few good punches." He said, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. Hermione hesitated a moment, glancing at Harry who was deep in conversation. She shook her head and followed Ron.
"Where were you all day?" Ron said, sliding into the seat across from Hermione in the Great Hall. "You just vanished after DADA."
Hermione looked up from the book she was reading. "I was busy." She said simply, returning to her reading.
Ron sighed. "Look I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make light of the situation."
Hermione nodded. "It's okay." She said, closing her book and smiling. "I was kind of overreacting anyway. Sorry about unleashing Ginny on you, though."
Ron glared at her. "That was you? She practically flogged me for making you mad." Ron said, reaching for a plate. He shook his head. "Speaking about floggings did you hear about Malfoy?"
"No. What happened?" Hermione asked, picking out a bun and wincing, as it was still hot.
Ron stared at her. "Do we even go to the same school? I mean everyone's talking about it. Harry beat the crap out of Malfoy before Potions yesterday." He said, shaking his head and cracking a hard-boiled egg.
"What?" Hermione asked shocked. "Was Harry hurt?"
"Yeah. I heard he broke some fingers and hurt his neck or something. That's why he wasn't in class all day. Pomfrey fixed him back up, not a scratch on him now." Ron reached for the plate of bacon, toppling more than a few onto his plate. "The hilarious thing is that no one knew Draco had been beaten up, he was just lying in the corridor knocked our for a hour or so. That's why Snape was so pissed during the end of class." Ron said, grinning. "Damn. I wish I hadn't gotten to class so early."
"Why? What would you have done?" Hermione asked warily.
"What would I have done? I would have helped in beating that git to a bloody pulp." Ron said savagely. "The prat deserves what he got and more. Aw, hell." He cursed, quickly picking up a napkin and wiping off the crushed egg in his hand.
"That's a terrible thing for Harry to do." Hermione said, she shook her head. 'What's gotten in to him?"
"He probably finally had enough with that bastard." Ron said, picking up another egg. Hermione shot him a look. "What? He is a bastard."
Hermione frowned. "That doesn't sound like Harry."
Ron shrugged. "What ever's gotten into him, it looks like it's a change for the better. The way I hear it is that Draco's been hiding out since yesterday. Once Pomfrey healed his wounds, he fled to the Slytherin House and hasn't left yet." Ron grinned, piling bacon and eggs upon a slice of bread.
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.
Ron shrugged. "I dunno." He said over a mouthful of food. "Went to sleep last night and he wasn't back from wherever. Woke up this morning and he'd gone, Neville said he had to run an errand or something. Though he might have been with you, since you didn't come back until late and you were gone early too."
Hermione shook her head. "I was in the library all day and all last night. I haven't seen Harry since we left the Hospital Wing and he was unconscious then." She was quiet for a moment. "I think we should talk to him." Hermione said, slipping her books into her bag. "See if there's anything wrong or if he's okay."
"What? Now? We don't even know where he is. Plus I'm eating." Ron said, waving his sandwich.
Hermione rose to her feet. "Never mind." Hermione said, glancing toward the entrance of the Great Hall.
"What the hell's he doing with her?" Ron said, looking as if he had bitten something sour. "I thought she was with that little git Michael."
Ron and Hermione both watched as Harry walked into the Great Hall with Cho at his side. She was laughing and he was smiling. He saw them and waved at them, but didn't come to their table; instead he sat at the Ravenclaw table and was talking animatedly with Cho and several others. They were all girls and they all laughed at his remarks.
"Looks like he's found new friends." Ron said, his face blank and chewing roughly on his food.
Hermione nodded solemnly. "That's rude." She remarked. "Three weeks we haven't spoken more than three words with him and now he's gabbing with the Ravenclaws?" She frowned fiercely.
Ron just nodded. "I hope Draco got in a few good punches." He said, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. Hermione hesitated a moment, glancing at Harry who was deep in conversation. She shook her head and followed Ron.