SECRETS UNVEILED

by Prototype 2004

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

03: In The Mind Of She

Hermione closed the door of the room she shared with Ron's sister, Ginny, in a daze. Flopping down her bed wearily, she pulled the blue moth-eaten and faded sheets to her face and closed her hazel eyes. She wished she could have owned a Pensieve; it would have really helped her sort out her puzzled contemplations. Ron and her... what was really going on? That was the essential question. But she did not know the whole answer to it. The brown-haired girl could barely come to terms with her own feelings, let alone trying to grasp the scarlet-haired boy's... Was it just a crush? Was it just teenage hormones acting crazily?

Ah, tonight's going to be a long night, she thought, sighing and leaning back on her pillow.

Just then, muffled footsteps echoed in the second floor hallway. Suddenly, they stopped. A thud was heard near the door -- Hermione started, uneasy and alert. A stifled giggle burst the apprehensive silence. Then the door inched open, allowing Ron's sister, Ginny, to go through and collapse on the smudgy carpet, laughing uncontrollably.

"G-Ginny?" Hermione inquired, taken aback.

The freckled girl shook her head, crawling next to Hermione's bed and holding on to the mattress for support.

"W-what is it? What's so amusing?"

"Goodness, I can't believe how clueless my brother is! Can you believe he was just standing beside the door, trying to decide whether to knock or not?" Ginny stated, as if that had been the dumbest thing in the world.

Hermione blushed. "H-he was? I-I mean, what's wrong about that?" responded she.

Ginny's mouth hung open. "What? Hermione, please don't tell me that you're in the same boat as him!"

"Er, I'm not sure what you mean..." the brunette replied.

"No! Hermione, I thought you were smarter than that!" Ginny exclaimed.

"But -- I just can't fully manage what's going on, that's all," she proclaimed weakly.

"Well, I think you're overreacting. You and Ron --" she pouted.

"I and Ron? What exactly are I and Ron? I'll tell you: we are nothing. Absolutely nothing," Hermione shrieked with renewed energy. Her face was scrunched up in exasperation. It was so very unlike herself to act in such a way, but she had had enough. The Yule Ball last year... the event that had provided her with insight into Ron's "feelings" for her... and now this. Just what did Ginny want her to do? Throw herself in his arms and live happily ever after? She frowned. Matters like this could not and should not be handled so easily. Besides, this was going too fast. All of a sudden, she had another thing to worry about: her relationship with Ron evolving into something so different. And what would happen with Harry? The brown-haired girl did not know what to do.

So many complications, she thought bitterly. "Look, Ginny," she sighed, "I appreciate your advice, but I-- I just can't do this right now. All right?" she smiled apologetically.

"Okay," Ginny replied, avoiding her gaze. "But you can't ignore this forever," she added softly, barely audible.

Hermione pretended not to hear; she busied herself in a thick, weathered book called House-Elves of the 12th Century.

Tried as she did, the clever witch could not escape the firm voice in her head that whispered, "She's right, you know."

To Be Continued...

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate the support. :)

By the way, watch out for chapter 4, "In The Mind of He", later in the week.