((A/N: Okay, guys, I know I haven't updated in forever. I know. But my computer seriously SUCKS. So I found a way to do it here, at my grandparent's house. At one thirty in the morning. Er, so here it is! Reviews will be next chapter I SWEAR, and they will be lengthy. Next chapter will be up either later today or in the next two days. I am SO sorry for the long wait, and if you have anything to bring up with me, please do so at my e-mail address, , or on AIM at PuReBlOoDaNgElZ. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I think that I like it a lot. Also, it's not my longest chapter, but chapter five more than makes up for it. So, happy reading!
Toodles,
-Starr
PS -- I really, REALLY hope that this works! The compy's acting up...))
Chapter Four
Mad and Glad
Harry gave his head a slight shake, ending his thoughts, and followed everyone else outside the train. As he stepped outside, he greatly wished he had used impervius to shield himself from the rain, but even as the thought occurred to him, it was no good; he was immediately soaked.
Ron and Hermione had lost Neville and Ginny in the crowd and were walking through the mud towards the carriages. They were both getting soaked and casting around for something to do, Ron found himself holding his hand over Hermione's head. She gave him a curious look and he smiled uneasily.
"Just... I was trying to help you stay dry." He said, now looking at his feet.
Hermione laughed. I'm glad it's dark. she thought. I haven't blushed this much since ... Well, the last time Ron talked to me.
They sloshed through the grounds, walking towards the waiting carriages. They stood in line while students got into carriages and set off towards the castle. They were almost to the front of the line when Ron glanced around and noticed that they were still alone. The same thought seemed to have struck Hermione. They looked at each other through the dark night and smiled at each other, although their grins were rather unsettled. A carriage pulled up and the door swung open; Ron and Hermione gazed around and realized that they were not only still alone, but also next in line. Blusing lavishly, Ron helped Hermione into the carriage, before getting in himself.
The carriage set off shakily. The ride up to the castle, much like the train ride, seemed to take quite a bit more time than most years. Ron would look at Hermione, then look away, and vice versa, and then they'd look at each other and blush a bit. Ron put his head up to the carriage window. It was still raining, but the moon shone through the sky nevertheless, a beacon of hope that brighter times would come. Ron hoped this was true, because as it were, he felt he'd like nothing more than to go try and have a chat with Aragog at the moment. He sighed and his breath fogged up the window. He looked at the moon once again, wishing for something to break the silence. Then he turned his gaze to the ground. The grass on either side of the carriage was doused in rainwater pouring down from the heavens. At least the sun isn't out. Ron thought. Ruins everything, it does.
Ron and Hermione honestly did try to start a conversation, but every time that they did, their words were punctured by loud silences that made Ron wince and Hermione wish that she could go have a chat with a Basilisk instead of sit through this torture. When they weren't sittng there in awkward embarrassment, their speech kept finding its way back to words such as "Err..." "So..." and "Umm..." Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long ride up to the castle. Ron was right back on the train; they must have moved Hogwarts.
And so it was. However, finally, the carriage set up the last and most bumpy bit of slope before they reached the castle. When the carriage stopped, Ron got out first and held open the door for Hermione. She swept some loose strands of hair away from her face and took a calming breath. Okay, Hermione, remain calm. Why am I so jittery, I wasn't even this nervous for my O.W.L.s! Ugh being head over heels for someone sucks. All the blood is constantly rushing to my head when he touches me! Ron reached into the carriage and extended a shaky hand to Hermione, and gently pulled her out. Like now! Hermione inwardly sighed.
She continued to scold herself, telling her to remain calm, Ron was just helping her out of the carriage, while they walked towards the oepn doors leading into the Entrance Halls. However, as Hermione breathed deeply and gave herself mental commands, she lowered her eyelids to concentrate on her thoughts. This meant that she forgot about the steps you had to climb in order to get to the palace doors. This meant that she fell. Painfully.
"Ow!" Hermione exclaimed after knocking into a step and falling painfully.
"'Mione, are you alright?" Ron asked worriedly, kneeling down whilst he bit his lip.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Hermione gasped, clutching her ankle. "Just a bit clumsy."
Hermione smiled at Ron who returned a concerning half grin. Hermione pushed herself to her knees, which caused her to gasp in pain as she hadn't realized that she had scraped her left knee. The gash wasn't deep, but it was bleeding. Hermione proceeded to stand up, which quite aside from relieving her pain, made it much more apparent in her face. She bit her lip and her eyes watered up. She tried to take a few wobbly steps, but didn't exactly succeed (that is, she nearly fell again and it was evident that she shouldn't be walking up the steps into the castle), so Ron, with such anxiousness that his knees became wobbly, bent down (where Hermione was bending over, grabbing on to and rubbing her ankle again) and gathered Hermione in his arms. He lifted her up and she put her arms around his neck as he walked up the steps.
As they walked up the steps, Ron looked around, hoping that Hermione couldn't feel his heartbeat against her. It was going wild! Urgh, stupid heart! That's next to go! I'll rip it out and chop it up... Wait.... Hermione as well was rather shaken up. Oh my gosh, please don't let my heart jump out my moth! My insides feel all jumbled, and ... Oh no! I hope that he can't feel my heart beating against his chest. That would be so embarrassing!
Ron walked over the threshold with Hermione a moment later, and...
Wait.
Ron gaped and looked back at the doorway. Then he looked at Hermione. Doorway. Hermione. Him. Holding. Hermione. Walking over that... That strip of doorway thingy! Bah!
Ron heard fits of laughter from somewhere to his left. Standing off to the side were Harry, Ginny, and Neville, and they seemed to catch on to what Ron had just noticed. In between gasps of laughter, they struggled out words.
"Didn't even invite us to the wedding..." Harry said, shaking his head.
((Ron's POV)) I stopped breathing. I walked with Hermione in my arms across a threshold. First cops, now this? Wait, no, what I'm searching for is first I look like I'm proposing and now this? Everyone's going to think I'm weird! I have to get out of this situation quickly. Ummm what can I do. They can't know I like Hermione, it's getting almost to the point where one of my friends could pick up on it! Ron bit his lip and then an idea popped into his head.
And then Ron let go of Hermione.
((Hermione's POV)) Oh my goodness. If this all does not cease and desist this moment I swear I will see everything I have eaten today on this marble floor along with my stomach, heart, and other necessary internal organs. Hermione freaked as she realized what Harry, Ginny, and Neville were chuckling about. But hey, she thought, smiling, At least I won't have to ruin my shoes in my vomit because Ron's holding me! Rooon issss hoooolding meee! She chanted in her mind. Then: No! Oh no stop smiling Hermione, you know it's almost to the point where Harry and Ginny could pick up that you liked Ron! Okay, breathe Hermione, breathe...
Hermione's breathing was interrupted, however, when she hit the floor hard when Ron let go of her.
"Ouch!" She exclaimed.
Quite apart from being satisfied and dropping the idea that Hermione and Ron liked each other, the three spectators collapsed into helpless giggles. Ron's face reddened in embarrassment; Hermione's, anger.
Rubbing her back, she got shakily up, glaring at everyone.
"Thanks, Ron, because my ankle didn't hurt enough, I was just hoping for a bruised back."
With a scathing look at all of them, she turned on her heel and limped into the hall.
Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes and down her face as she sniffled and staggered to the Gryffindor table. She sat down and rubbed her ankle for a moment. It really hurt, even more so now with her back in pain. However, as she saw Harry, Ron, Neville, and Ginny enter the Great Hall, she took her hands off of her ankle and picked up her napkin, with which she dabbed at her eyes. She placed her napkin on her lap and picked up her knife and fork. Hermione stared straight ahead of her with perfect posture, a stony expression upon her face. Her expression did not change as she noticed Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Neville making their way towards her out of the corner of her eye, nor did she flinch as they all sat down with worried looks on their faces. Ginny spoke up first.
"Hermione, are you alright?" Ginny asked.
Hermione did not reply, nor did she incline her head towards Ginny to indicate that she had heard her. When she remained silent, the group's visage increased with unease. Ginny tried again.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ginny asked, eyeing the utensils in Hermione's hands.
Hermione sighed inwardly for the umpteenth time that night, it seemed. She didn't want to be mad at Ron ever, and she couldn't just ignore her best friend. Ginny always talked to her even when she was cross. She should show her the same respect.
"Waiting for dinner." Came Hermione's tense reply. Her voice was oddly controlled, and even though it was steady, you could detect a quiver masquerading behind her sullen face and composed vocals.
"Dinner's not for a while, Hermione. We've still got to sit through the sorting and Dumbledore's speech." Harry commented.
"You're my friend, Harry, you should know by now that I like to get ahead in things. I'm just waiting." She said in a monotone voice.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Neville once again exchanged glances. Then Ron turned to her, biting his lip. She saw him for an instant out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be contemplating how to say something. He also seemed to be very distressed. Good. It's not that she didn't love him, she really did, but why did he have to do that? She had the extreme urge to cry but struggled to hold her tears back.
"Hermione..." Ron said, his voice breaking.
Hermione sighed. She hated him yet loved him at the same time and was on the fence about which one to display to him.
"Yes Ronald." Hermione said coldly, still deciding what to do.
Ron took a deep breath. "Hermione, please don't be cross with me. We've been best friends for like ever. Okay, well, not really, but for a really long time and I don't want to lose one of the best friends I've ever had. I know I shouldn't have dropped you. It was an accident. Sorry, and, well, I hope you're not too mad, and I hope your back and your ankle and your knee are all alright. And your head, if you bumped that too, I'm not sure. Or whatever else you hit. You know what, I hope whatever you hurt is alright, because I don't know what the bloody hell I made you whack. And... Um, yeah, I'm really sorry and I'd give up all the chocolate frog cards in the world if you'd forgive me. And, erm, that's all." He finished.
Hermione felt all her anger dissolve right there on the spot. He'd give up chocolate frog cards for her! She nearly swooned. However, she had to keep up an appearance of some sort and she settled for just sighing contentedly and looking at Ron.
"I forgive you." She said.
"Really?" Ron said, a smile creeping upon his lips.
"Mmhmm." Hermione replied, setting down her knife and fork.
However, when she set down her fork, she set it too close to the table's edge; consequently it fell off. Ron and Hermione both bent down under the table to retrieve it. As they both bend down, their cheeks bumped against each other and their hands clasped over each others. They looked at each other and both blushed. Hermione grabbed her fork and sat up. Ron, still looking where Hermione had been only a moment before, against his cheek, began to sit up as well, and as he did so, he bumped his head painfully against the table. As he rubbed his head, Ron felt the weight of another's hand upon his scalp. He looked over and saw Hermione looking at him with a look of concern on her face.
"Ron, are you alright?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, fine, 'Mione." Ron said with an odd guffaw.
Hermione raised an eyebrow while Ron became infuriated with himself. Why did he laugh so stupidly like that? Well, he knew it was because she had been concerned about him. But couldn't he have held that in?! He continued to point out everything that he had done wrong in the past short while. Meanwhile, Hermione was doing something very similar, and making mental notes on how best to improve in the future. Neither of them noticed, as they were lost in their own reveries, that the hall had become very silent as Professor McGonagall placed a stool and a very old, tattered hat on a stool. The sorting then began, but neither lovesick student paid much attention, although Ron did think he heard the word 'spork' come up somewhere. He was lost in thoughts of her, and she wanted to think of nothing but him.
