In Love
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Keep them coming...
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 5
"Ron, come on," Ginny pleaded. "You know there's more to your angry moods. Just tell me what's wrong." She followed him around the common room. He was pacing again, as usual, like the way he does when he's upset about something. It was a good thing that he didn't yell like he does before or Ginny would have left him alone.
"I told you, Gin, nothing's wrong," Ron said darkly. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his cool and not do anything stupid. It was good that there was no one in the common room, for everything was out in Hogsmeade, because he didn't want anyone to know that he was acting this way.
"It's no use lying coz I know something's bothering you. And that something has been bothering you ever since the school year started," Ginny said, sitting on the couch and gesturing with her hand. Ron stopped walking suddenly and looked at her. "How did you know?" he asked, staring at her. She was startled by this sudden improvement, but regained her composure. "It was obvious," she said simply. Ron sat down beside her and ran a hand through his hair again.
"Ron, please, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly and pleadingly. "I hate seeing you like this." She paused. "Is it Lavender?" Ron turned his head towards her and snorted.
"Lavender?" he repeated.
Ginny turned a bit red. "Well, I mean, you used to like her..."
"That was a small crush, Gin. How can you think that I'd be acting like this because of a small thing such as that?"
"It could've grown," she said uncertainly.
"No, it's not because of Lavender."
"Then what is it about?" Ginny said, beginning to get frustrated.
Ron sighed. "I can't tell you, Gin. As much as I want to, I can't. It would cause too much ripples to everyone. Besides, I can handle it."
"Yeah, right," Ginny replied, snorting. "This is what you call handling it?"
"Yeah. I can't just do something about it, Gin. It would cause confusion with most people... and pain to others."
After a while, Ginny finally nodded. "Okay. I understand you can't tell me. But if there comes a time that you need to talk to someone about it, I'm here."
Ron smiled gratefully at her. He knew that Ginny is one person whom he knew would always be there for him no matter what. He put an arm around her and kissed her on the head. "Thanks."
**
"Ron!" Hermione called as loud as she can, for Ron was walking towards the Quidditch field and he was already far away. Luckily, Ron heard her and immediately turned to around to see Hermione running towards him, grinning. "Ron," she said, slightly out of breath.
"Hermione," Ron said, "what are you doing here?"
Hermione shrugged. "I was just walking around and well. I saw you. Are you going to practice?"
"Yeah," Ron answered slowly. "Is there a problem? Did you and Harry fight?"
"N - no," Hermione replied, taken a back. "What makes you think that?"
"Nothing," Ron said, shrugging.
"So, um, I guess I'll go ahead. You still have to practice," Hermione said, smiling a little. "I'll just catch up with you later."
"Aren't you going to watch Harry practice?"
"Well."
Ron chuckled. "You don't have to. I know you have a lot to do."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Quidditch isn't really something that I enjoy, you know that."
"Okay, okay. I'll see you later then."
"Bye!"
Ron watched Hermione walk away thinking that that could've been his chance to tell her.
**
After Quidditch practice, some of the members of the team suddenly decided to bring in some Butterbeer from Hogsmeade and drink to a successful match. Harry didn't want to join them at first, but eventually gave in to the insistent cheers of his teammates.
Meanwhile, Hermione was in the common room, waiting for Harry to arrive from practice. She was trying to do her essay for Arithmancy but couldn't concentrate because it was past 7 o'clock and yet Harry still wasn't there.
The portrait opened and Hermione looked up, hoping it was Harry. It was Ron. Hermione sighed, disappointed.
"Hey," Ron said, nodding at her. "Still working?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding. "Where's Harry?"
"Field. They're having a small party over there," Ron said.
"What party?"
"Just a good luck party for tomorrow. Some other Gryffindors are there. Why don't you join them?"
"I didn't know there was a party," Hermione said, a bit upset, fixing her stuff on the desk. "Will you come with me?"
"Sure."
So Ron accompanied Hermione towards the Quidditch field tents. Hermione could here the rowdy cheers and yells of the students. She wondered if Harry was also drunk like the rest of the students.
When they entered the tent, the first thing Hermione saw was Harry sitting down on one of the benches. It looked like he was talking animatedly to someone, but she couldn't be too sure because she was only seeing a part of Harry.
"Excuse me," she said politely to the person who was blocking her view. But as soon as the view was cleared, she stopped in her tracks. Ron immediately held Hermione's hand and squeezed it.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened it again. It really was real. Harry was really there, sitting down and kissing Parvati passionately.
**
People were cheering loudly for them and Harry felt wonderful about it. He always liked the attention even if he never admitted it. But then, suddenly, the whole place became quiet. The cheering was gone. He pulled away from Parvati and looked around.
"Hey, what's --?" But Harry was cut off by a gasp from Parvati. He followed her gaze and saw Hermione standing there, tears in her eyes, with Ron by her side, looking angry. He stood up and walked towards them. "Hermione -." Hermione turned her back on him and hurriedly left the tent. "Ron, you know I -."
"You're a bastard, Harry! I don't know how you can do such a thing to her," Ron said calmly, but angrily and hurried after Hermione out of the tent.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe." He sighed.
"Harry." Parvati began. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Parvati. I shouldn't have. It's my fault. What have I done?"
**
"Hermione!" Ron called. "Hermione, wait! Hermione." He grabbed her arm, making her stop.
"Do I deserve that, Ron? After everything's that's happened, after all he's said." Hermione sobbed.
"Of course you don't deserve that," Ron said, hugging her. "Harry didn't respect you and you have every right to be mad at him."
Hermione sobbed on his chest. "I can't believe he'd do this to me. He told me he loved me."
"Ssh. It's okay," Ron said soothingly.
"It is not okay, Ron!" Hermione said, pushing him back angrily. "No matter how many times people say that it's okay, it's not! People think that I'm so lucky that I'm Harry's girlfriend because he's the perfect guy. Well, guess what? He's not." She shook her head. "I can't believe I fell for him of all people."
"Hermione, maybe Harry didn't mean it," Ron said, forcing himself to do the right thing and get them back together.
"Did you see how he kissed her?!"
"I - I did."
"Then what are you defending him for?"
"Harry might've been drunk."
"I don't care. I'm never forgetting this. Ever." With this, Hermione walked back towards the castle.
Ron, not knowing what to do, returned to the tent, where everyone was just now sitting down and talking about what just happened. Harry saw him enter and stood up to talk to Ron.
"Ron, where's -?" But Harry didn't finished because Ron hit him hard on the face and fell on the floor. Harry felt his lip and saw blood. He stood up slowly, his temper starting to rise. "Ron, you know I didn't mean it."
"Yeah. But you still did it. You don't know how much you've hurt her," Ron said. "You've hurt her before and she forgave you. How do you think she's taking this right now?"
"She'll forgive me. I know she will," Harry said, trying his best to believe it.
"I won't be so sure if I were you."
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Keep them coming...
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 5
"Ron, come on," Ginny pleaded. "You know there's more to your angry moods. Just tell me what's wrong." She followed him around the common room. He was pacing again, as usual, like the way he does when he's upset about something. It was a good thing that he didn't yell like he does before or Ginny would have left him alone.
"I told you, Gin, nothing's wrong," Ron said darkly. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his cool and not do anything stupid. It was good that there was no one in the common room, for everything was out in Hogsmeade, because he didn't want anyone to know that he was acting this way.
"It's no use lying coz I know something's bothering you. And that something has been bothering you ever since the school year started," Ginny said, sitting on the couch and gesturing with her hand. Ron stopped walking suddenly and looked at her. "How did you know?" he asked, staring at her. She was startled by this sudden improvement, but regained her composure. "It was obvious," she said simply. Ron sat down beside her and ran a hand through his hair again.
"Ron, please, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly and pleadingly. "I hate seeing you like this." She paused. "Is it Lavender?" Ron turned his head towards her and snorted.
"Lavender?" he repeated.
Ginny turned a bit red. "Well, I mean, you used to like her..."
"That was a small crush, Gin. How can you think that I'd be acting like this because of a small thing such as that?"
"It could've grown," she said uncertainly.
"No, it's not because of Lavender."
"Then what is it about?" Ginny said, beginning to get frustrated.
Ron sighed. "I can't tell you, Gin. As much as I want to, I can't. It would cause too much ripples to everyone. Besides, I can handle it."
"Yeah, right," Ginny replied, snorting. "This is what you call handling it?"
"Yeah. I can't just do something about it, Gin. It would cause confusion with most people... and pain to others."
After a while, Ginny finally nodded. "Okay. I understand you can't tell me. But if there comes a time that you need to talk to someone about it, I'm here."
Ron smiled gratefully at her. He knew that Ginny is one person whom he knew would always be there for him no matter what. He put an arm around her and kissed her on the head. "Thanks."
**
"Ron!" Hermione called as loud as she can, for Ron was walking towards the Quidditch field and he was already far away. Luckily, Ron heard her and immediately turned to around to see Hermione running towards him, grinning. "Ron," she said, slightly out of breath.
"Hermione," Ron said, "what are you doing here?"
Hermione shrugged. "I was just walking around and well. I saw you. Are you going to practice?"
"Yeah," Ron answered slowly. "Is there a problem? Did you and Harry fight?"
"N - no," Hermione replied, taken a back. "What makes you think that?"
"Nothing," Ron said, shrugging.
"So, um, I guess I'll go ahead. You still have to practice," Hermione said, smiling a little. "I'll just catch up with you later."
"Aren't you going to watch Harry practice?"
"Well."
Ron chuckled. "You don't have to. I know you have a lot to do."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Quidditch isn't really something that I enjoy, you know that."
"Okay, okay. I'll see you later then."
"Bye!"
Ron watched Hermione walk away thinking that that could've been his chance to tell her.
**
After Quidditch practice, some of the members of the team suddenly decided to bring in some Butterbeer from Hogsmeade and drink to a successful match. Harry didn't want to join them at first, but eventually gave in to the insistent cheers of his teammates.
Meanwhile, Hermione was in the common room, waiting for Harry to arrive from practice. She was trying to do her essay for Arithmancy but couldn't concentrate because it was past 7 o'clock and yet Harry still wasn't there.
The portrait opened and Hermione looked up, hoping it was Harry. It was Ron. Hermione sighed, disappointed.
"Hey," Ron said, nodding at her. "Still working?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding. "Where's Harry?"
"Field. They're having a small party over there," Ron said.
"What party?"
"Just a good luck party for tomorrow. Some other Gryffindors are there. Why don't you join them?"
"I didn't know there was a party," Hermione said, a bit upset, fixing her stuff on the desk. "Will you come with me?"
"Sure."
So Ron accompanied Hermione towards the Quidditch field tents. Hermione could here the rowdy cheers and yells of the students. She wondered if Harry was also drunk like the rest of the students.
When they entered the tent, the first thing Hermione saw was Harry sitting down on one of the benches. It looked like he was talking animatedly to someone, but she couldn't be too sure because she was only seeing a part of Harry.
"Excuse me," she said politely to the person who was blocking her view. But as soon as the view was cleared, she stopped in her tracks. Ron immediately held Hermione's hand and squeezed it.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened it again. It really was real. Harry was really there, sitting down and kissing Parvati passionately.
**
People were cheering loudly for them and Harry felt wonderful about it. He always liked the attention even if he never admitted it. But then, suddenly, the whole place became quiet. The cheering was gone. He pulled away from Parvati and looked around.
"Hey, what's --?" But Harry was cut off by a gasp from Parvati. He followed her gaze and saw Hermione standing there, tears in her eyes, with Ron by her side, looking angry. He stood up and walked towards them. "Hermione -." Hermione turned her back on him and hurriedly left the tent. "Ron, you know I -."
"You're a bastard, Harry! I don't know how you can do such a thing to her," Ron said calmly, but angrily and hurried after Hermione out of the tent.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe." He sighed.
"Harry." Parvati began. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Parvati. I shouldn't have. It's my fault. What have I done?"
**
"Hermione!" Ron called. "Hermione, wait! Hermione." He grabbed her arm, making her stop.
"Do I deserve that, Ron? After everything's that's happened, after all he's said." Hermione sobbed.
"Of course you don't deserve that," Ron said, hugging her. "Harry didn't respect you and you have every right to be mad at him."
Hermione sobbed on his chest. "I can't believe he'd do this to me. He told me he loved me."
"Ssh. It's okay," Ron said soothingly.
"It is not okay, Ron!" Hermione said, pushing him back angrily. "No matter how many times people say that it's okay, it's not! People think that I'm so lucky that I'm Harry's girlfriend because he's the perfect guy. Well, guess what? He's not." She shook her head. "I can't believe I fell for him of all people."
"Hermione, maybe Harry didn't mean it," Ron said, forcing himself to do the right thing and get them back together.
"Did you see how he kissed her?!"
"I - I did."
"Then what are you defending him for?"
"Harry might've been drunk."
"I don't care. I'm never forgetting this. Ever." With this, Hermione walked back towards the castle.
Ron, not knowing what to do, returned to the tent, where everyone was just now sitting down and talking about what just happened. Harry saw him enter and stood up to talk to Ron.
"Ron, where's -?" But Harry didn't finished because Ron hit him hard on the face and fell on the floor. Harry felt his lip and saw blood. He stood up slowly, his temper starting to rise. "Ron, you know I didn't mean it."
"Yeah. But you still did it. You don't know how much you've hurt her," Ron said. "You've hurt her before and she forgave you. How do you think she's taking this right now?"
"She'll forgive me. I know she will," Harry said, trying his best to believe it.
"I won't be so sure if I were you."