Emerald eyes fluttered open to meet the filtered sunlight that shone
through the gauzy white curtains surrounding Harry's hospital bed. The
light was a brilliant red with orangey undertones. Must be sundown, thought
Harry, the rest of the school was probably at dinner then. The sound of
muted snoring reached Harry's ears, Ron sat in the chair beside his bed,
his head flopped forward and leaning against his chest. Harry leaned over
and gave Ron a swat on the arm.
Ron woke with a start," Oi mate! What was that for?"
"For your bloody snoring problem, gods you're loud." Harry cracked a smile and Ron glared at him. "Fine, fine," Harry threw his arms up," I'll buy earplugs then. Anyway, what happened?"
Ron's face turned a brilliant red,"What do you mean what happened? You bloody smacked me for something I can't even control! You try breaking your nose twice and not snoring! Ridiculous really Harry-"
"Ron!" Harry broke in.
"-I mean seriously-"
"Ron!" yelled Harry once more.
"Oh what now?" Ron demanded, exasperated.
"I meant, how did I get here? Last thing I remember is Malfoy and his lot laughing in a corridor." Harry's mouth suddenly felt dry, like cotton had sucked up all the moisture within it. "And could you hand me that glass of water on the side table there?"
Ron obliged, handing Harry the water and sitting back," You mean you don't remember the duel?"
Harry looked at him questioningly as he took a large gulp of his water. "Mm- mm", he mumbled a negative through a mouthful of water.
"Nothing?" Ron asked taken aback.
"Would I say no in the first place if I remembered?" Harry asked, obviously annoyed. He handed the glass back to Ron who set it on the table again.
"Calm down, I was just surprised. You would think a guy would remember one of his best friends double-crossing him." Ron shrugged and tipped his chair back on the hind legs, teetering while in thought.
"Come again?" Harry looked severely confused.
"Oh...well, you and Malfoy were dueling again right? Well, right when you were about to finish the bastard off Hermione hexed you. A wonder you wouldn't remember that. Then she tried to play it off like she did it because she was worried about you or something but I think she's got something going with Malfoy behind our backs. I mean, no one actually spends that much time at the library." Ron rocked back and forth on the chair's two spindly hind legs while Harry gaped at him in disbelief.
"You've got to be mistaken, Hermione wouldn't do that." Harry shook his head," She just wouldn't."
"That's what I thought and look where we are mate" Ron sounded matter-of- fact.
"No, no, not Hermione." Harry was still trying to grasp the facts but his mind just wouldn't hold to it.
"Yep, and she hasn't come back to visit you for two days. I know just where she's been too, she's probably whooping it up with Malfoy in some hidden away room in the dungeons." The chair Ron had been teetering on suddenly slipped from under his bottom and he went straight to the floor on top of it, crashing his spine into the seat. "Ow!" he yelled in pain. He cradled his side with his arms for a moment before slowly pushing himself up, setting the chair back up as he did so.
"You alright Ron?" Harry asked. He was sitting upright in his bed, a look of concern on his face.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Ron sat back down on the chair, rubbing his side with a hand. "So anyway, now you know."
"Ron, I really don't think Hermione would...I mean..." Harry trailed off. His best friend deceiving and betraying him like this? What was he even going to say to her when he saw her again? If what Ron says is true then, then...then he couldn't be friends with her anymore. Who's he going to talk to when he needs a girl's point of view? Who's going to help him with his homework? Who'll be the brains of his adventures? How could she do that to him?
"Harry, hey Harry, are you all there mate?" Ron tapped Harry's arm. He snapped back to attention at the touch.
"Yeah, I'm here, I'm here. Just kind of disappointed." Harry looked down and stared at his bed sheets, ready to get lost in thought again.
"Here, have a sip of water, you don't look so well." Ron handed Harry the glass again.
"Thanks Ron," Harry swigged the rest of the water down," Hey, if you don't mind I think I'm going to go back to sleep. I just, I think I need some more rest." Harry turned on his side away from Ron and stared at the white curtains.
"No problem, it's about time for me to go to dinner anyway. See you soon I guess." Ron stood and reached to pull open the curtains.
"Pomfrey said I'll probably be out in time for breakfast tomorrow morning." Harry mumbled.
"Brilliant, I'll see you then." Ron stepped out of the curtains and Harry listened to the clip clop of his shoes as they receded from the hospital area. A sudden bout of tiredness washed over him and he yawned widely. Blackness bled into his vision as his eyes drooped. Before he thought he was completely asleep he could've sworn he heard Hermione's voice.
"Harry, you're my best friend, I would never betray you."
Then Harry drifted completely into his dreamworld and he was gone.
Ron woke with a start," Oi mate! What was that for?"
"For your bloody snoring problem, gods you're loud." Harry cracked a smile and Ron glared at him. "Fine, fine," Harry threw his arms up," I'll buy earplugs then. Anyway, what happened?"
Ron's face turned a brilliant red,"What do you mean what happened? You bloody smacked me for something I can't even control! You try breaking your nose twice and not snoring! Ridiculous really Harry-"
"Ron!" Harry broke in.
"-I mean seriously-"
"Ron!" yelled Harry once more.
"Oh what now?" Ron demanded, exasperated.
"I meant, how did I get here? Last thing I remember is Malfoy and his lot laughing in a corridor." Harry's mouth suddenly felt dry, like cotton had sucked up all the moisture within it. "And could you hand me that glass of water on the side table there?"
Ron obliged, handing Harry the water and sitting back," You mean you don't remember the duel?"
Harry looked at him questioningly as he took a large gulp of his water. "Mm- mm", he mumbled a negative through a mouthful of water.
"Nothing?" Ron asked taken aback.
"Would I say no in the first place if I remembered?" Harry asked, obviously annoyed. He handed the glass back to Ron who set it on the table again.
"Calm down, I was just surprised. You would think a guy would remember one of his best friends double-crossing him." Ron shrugged and tipped his chair back on the hind legs, teetering while in thought.
"Come again?" Harry looked severely confused.
"Oh...well, you and Malfoy were dueling again right? Well, right when you were about to finish the bastard off Hermione hexed you. A wonder you wouldn't remember that. Then she tried to play it off like she did it because she was worried about you or something but I think she's got something going with Malfoy behind our backs. I mean, no one actually spends that much time at the library." Ron rocked back and forth on the chair's two spindly hind legs while Harry gaped at him in disbelief.
"You've got to be mistaken, Hermione wouldn't do that." Harry shook his head," She just wouldn't."
"That's what I thought and look where we are mate" Ron sounded matter-of- fact.
"No, no, not Hermione." Harry was still trying to grasp the facts but his mind just wouldn't hold to it.
"Yep, and she hasn't come back to visit you for two days. I know just where she's been too, she's probably whooping it up with Malfoy in some hidden away room in the dungeons." The chair Ron had been teetering on suddenly slipped from under his bottom and he went straight to the floor on top of it, crashing his spine into the seat. "Ow!" he yelled in pain. He cradled his side with his arms for a moment before slowly pushing himself up, setting the chair back up as he did so.
"You alright Ron?" Harry asked. He was sitting upright in his bed, a look of concern on his face.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Ron sat back down on the chair, rubbing his side with a hand. "So anyway, now you know."
"Ron, I really don't think Hermione would...I mean..." Harry trailed off. His best friend deceiving and betraying him like this? What was he even going to say to her when he saw her again? If what Ron says is true then, then...then he couldn't be friends with her anymore. Who's he going to talk to when he needs a girl's point of view? Who's going to help him with his homework? Who'll be the brains of his adventures? How could she do that to him?
"Harry, hey Harry, are you all there mate?" Ron tapped Harry's arm. He snapped back to attention at the touch.
"Yeah, I'm here, I'm here. Just kind of disappointed." Harry looked down and stared at his bed sheets, ready to get lost in thought again.
"Here, have a sip of water, you don't look so well." Ron handed Harry the glass again.
"Thanks Ron," Harry swigged the rest of the water down," Hey, if you don't mind I think I'm going to go back to sleep. I just, I think I need some more rest." Harry turned on his side away from Ron and stared at the white curtains.
"No problem, it's about time for me to go to dinner anyway. See you soon I guess." Ron stood and reached to pull open the curtains.
"Pomfrey said I'll probably be out in time for breakfast tomorrow morning." Harry mumbled.
"Brilliant, I'll see you then." Ron stepped out of the curtains and Harry listened to the clip clop of his shoes as they receded from the hospital area. A sudden bout of tiredness washed over him and he yawned widely. Blackness bled into his vision as his eyes drooped. Before he thought he was completely asleep he could've sworn he heard Hermione's voice.
"Harry, you're my best friend, I would never betray you."
Then Harry drifted completely into his dreamworld and he was gone.