In Love
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character for that matter. The only thing I own is the plot.
Chapter 2
"Hey mate, what's up with you?" Harry asked Ron. Ron merely shook his head. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Ron replied monotonously.
"You've been really quiet for days," Harry continued.
"I said I'm fine," Ron repeated, this time more heatedly.
Harry shrugged. "Okay."
They walked quietly back towards the school. They just had Quidditch practice and they were all dirty and a bit muddy from practice. As soon as they reached the school grounds, Harry saw Hermione sitting on one of the benches, reading a book, waiting for him. He turned to Ron. "I'll go ahead. My girl's waiting for me," he said, grinning widely. He didn't wait for Ron to answer. He just jogged off towards her.
Ron stopped walking and watched Hermione look up as Harry went up to her. She smiled as she stood up and hugged him even though he was dirty all over. Ron scowled a bit, looked away and trudged back to the castle.
**
"How was practice?" Hermione asked as they walked back to the castle. Harry had his one arm around her shoulders, while his other hand was holding his Firebolt.
"Terrible," Harry answered.
"Terrible? Why?"
"It seemed like no one practiced that much over the summer. I feel like we're starting over with drills or maybe the team is just off today. Ron, in particular, had a low performance," Harry explained. "I don't understand why. I mean, Ron has improved immensely since his first game and well..." He shrugged.
Hermione stopped walking and faced Harry, a worried expression on her face. "You're not going to throw him off the team, are you?"
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Harry said, chuckling a bit. He held her on her shoulders. "I'm not going to throw him off the team. His performance may not be good now, but he's the best there is. I'm not just going to chuck him off because of one lousy practice." Hermione looked down, nodding and letting out a sigh of relief. "You thought I was going to throw him out?"
"Well... yeah. I know you really want to win and -," Hermione said.
"Hermione, as much as I want to win, that wouldn't be the way. As I said, Ron's good at being keeper and everyone has off days," Harry said, reassuring her.
Hermione nodded and smiled slightly. "I - I was just worried."
"Well, don't be," Harry assured her.
**
"What's up with you?" Ginny asked as Ron paced around the Gryffindor common room. There was no one around. Everyone was downstairs having dinner. Ron stayed behind and Ginny, sensing that something was wrong with her brother, stayed behind, too.
"Nothing," Ron grumbled, continuing to pace around the room.
"You're going to burn a hole through the floor," Ginny said. Ron looked at her and sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. "So... what are you so upset about?"
"Nothing," Ron repeated.
"Well, why are you so aggravated? You can't be acting like this for no reason at all," Ginny said reasonably. "Or are you telling me that you're losing your mind?"
"I'm not losing my mind, Gin. I'm just upset because I can't do anything about something," he explained. "It's frustrating me."
"Then do something about it," she said.
"I can't. It won't be right," he said.
"Then don't do something about it."
"If I don't, well... I'll keep on being like this."
"Ron, what do you want to do?" Ginny asked crossly.
"I want to do something about it. But doing so would affect a lot of things and I don't want that," Ron explained.
"So you're just going to sit and let whatever you're feeling go to waste? It's obvious you're feeling very strongly about this and well... I'd hate to see you so worked up for nothing," Ginny said. "Please! Just do something about it."
"Fine. I will."
**
"Hermione! Hermione!"
Hermione turned around to see who was calling her. As soon as she saw that it was Ron, she smiled widely and went over to him. "Ron! Hi! What is it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you," Ron said. "I assume Harry told you about our last practice." He shifted his bag on his shoulder and ran a hand through his flaming, red hair. Hermione bit her lip and looked uncertainly at him. "It's okay. You can tell me. What did he say?"
"Everyone has off days, Ron. It's acceptable, what happened," Hermione said. "Besides, there are other practice days. It'll be better." She smiled at him again and touched his arm. "It will get better."
Ron smiled back at her. "I know it will because you said so." Despite herself, Hermione turned a bit pink and felt pleased.
"Well, it's true," Hermione said. "It will get better."
Ron smiled. "It will. So are you going anywhere with Harry today?"
"No. He's off somewhere. Why?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me," Ron said, shrugging. "Just to take a walk or something. It's only if you want to." He was beginning to stutter. Hermione smiled warmly at him.
"Of course I'd go to Hogsmeade with you, silly," Hermione said. "I'm surprised you even had to ask. We're best friends." She took Ron's hand. "Let's go now."
Surprised by Hermione's sudden gesture, he followed her outside of the castle. They walked to Hogsmeade, enjoying the calm and soothing breeze that greeted them. They walked around hand-in-hand around the place, looking through the windows of the shop and laughing with each other. Then after a while of walking around, they decided to go to Three Broomsticks to take a rest and have some Butterbeer. Ron ordered the drinks, while Hermione looked for a table. She chose the one in the corner of the place, so that they could have some privacy. Ron brought the drinks over and sat across Hermione. They drank quietly for a while.
"Thank you for taking me to Hogsmeade today, Ron," Hermione said gratefully. "It made my day."
Ron smiled. "Anything for you, Hermione. Anything."
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character for that matter. The only thing I own is the plot.
Chapter 2
"Hey mate, what's up with you?" Harry asked Ron. Ron merely shook his head. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Ron replied monotonously.
"You've been really quiet for days," Harry continued.
"I said I'm fine," Ron repeated, this time more heatedly.
Harry shrugged. "Okay."
They walked quietly back towards the school. They just had Quidditch practice and they were all dirty and a bit muddy from practice. As soon as they reached the school grounds, Harry saw Hermione sitting on one of the benches, reading a book, waiting for him. He turned to Ron. "I'll go ahead. My girl's waiting for me," he said, grinning widely. He didn't wait for Ron to answer. He just jogged off towards her.
Ron stopped walking and watched Hermione look up as Harry went up to her. She smiled as she stood up and hugged him even though he was dirty all over. Ron scowled a bit, looked away and trudged back to the castle.
**
"How was practice?" Hermione asked as they walked back to the castle. Harry had his one arm around her shoulders, while his other hand was holding his Firebolt.
"Terrible," Harry answered.
"Terrible? Why?"
"It seemed like no one practiced that much over the summer. I feel like we're starting over with drills or maybe the team is just off today. Ron, in particular, had a low performance," Harry explained. "I don't understand why. I mean, Ron has improved immensely since his first game and well..." He shrugged.
Hermione stopped walking and faced Harry, a worried expression on her face. "You're not going to throw him off the team, are you?"
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Harry said, chuckling a bit. He held her on her shoulders. "I'm not going to throw him off the team. His performance may not be good now, but he's the best there is. I'm not just going to chuck him off because of one lousy practice." Hermione looked down, nodding and letting out a sigh of relief. "You thought I was going to throw him out?"
"Well... yeah. I know you really want to win and -," Hermione said.
"Hermione, as much as I want to win, that wouldn't be the way. As I said, Ron's good at being keeper and everyone has off days," Harry said, reassuring her.
Hermione nodded and smiled slightly. "I - I was just worried."
"Well, don't be," Harry assured her.
**
"What's up with you?" Ginny asked as Ron paced around the Gryffindor common room. There was no one around. Everyone was downstairs having dinner. Ron stayed behind and Ginny, sensing that something was wrong with her brother, stayed behind, too.
"Nothing," Ron grumbled, continuing to pace around the room.
"You're going to burn a hole through the floor," Ginny said. Ron looked at her and sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. "So... what are you so upset about?"
"Nothing," Ron repeated.
"Well, why are you so aggravated? You can't be acting like this for no reason at all," Ginny said reasonably. "Or are you telling me that you're losing your mind?"
"I'm not losing my mind, Gin. I'm just upset because I can't do anything about something," he explained. "It's frustrating me."
"Then do something about it," she said.
"I can't. It won't be right," he said.
"Then don't do something about it."
"If I don't, well... I'll keep on being like this."
"Ron, what do you want to do?" Ginny asked crossly.
"I want to do something about it. But doing so would affect a lot of things and I don't want that," Ron explained.
"So you're just going to sit and let whatever you're feeling go to waste? It's obvious you're feeling very strongly about this and well... I'd hate to see you so worked up for nothing," Ginny said. "Please! Just do something about it."
"Fine. I will."
**
"Hermione! Hermione!"
Hermione turned around to see who was calling her. As soon as she saw that it was Ron, she smiled widely and went over to him. "Ron! Hi! What is it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you," Ron said. "I assume Harry told you about our last practice." He shifted his bag on his shoulder and ran a hand through his flaming, red hair. Hermione bit her lip and looked uncertainly at him. "It's okay. You can tell me. What did he say?"
"Everyone has off days, Ron. It's acceptable, what happened," Hermione said. "Besides, there are other practice days. It'll be better." She smiled at him again and touched his arm. "It will get better."
Ron smiled back at her. "I know it will because you said so." Despite herself, Hermione turned a bit pink and felt pleased.
"Well, it's true," Hermione said. "It will get better."
Ron smiled. "It will. So are you going anywhere with Harry today?"
"No. He's off somewhere. Why?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me," Ron said, shrugging. "Just to take a walk or something. It's only if you want to." He was beginning to stutter. Hermione smiled warmly at him.
"Of course I'd go to Hogsmeade with you, silly," Hermione said. "I'm surprised you even had to ask. We're best friends." She took Ron's hand. "Let's go now."
Surprised by Hermione's sudden gesture, he followed her outside of the castle. They walked to Hogsmeade, enjoying the calm and soothing breeze that greeted them. They walked around hand-in-hand around the place, looking through the windows of the shop and laughing with each other. Then after a while of walking around, they decided to go to Three Broomsticks to take a rest and have some Butterbeer. Ron ordered the drinks, while Hermione looked for a table. She chose the one in the corner of the place, so that they could have some privacy. Ron brought the drinks over and sat across Hermione. They drank quietly for a while.
"Thank you for taking me to Hogsmeade today, Ron," Hermione said gratefully. "It made my day."
Ron smiled. "Anything for you, Hermione. Anything."