Chapter III
Hermione went mumbling at the common room.
"So. where were you?"
She jumped cause of the shock. "Ron? You frightened me." She was not seeing him. "Where are you?"
"Here. in front of the fireplace."
She went towards him. "I was at the library." She sat beside him. "How was the quidditch practice?"
"Wet."
She took a look around. "Where are the others?"
"Guess they're sleeping."
Hermione looked at him. "Why are you here, though?"
"I was waiting for you." He said, not looking at her.
"Waiting. for me? Why?"
"Can't I?"
"Of course you can. It's just that. it's odd."
"Why?"
"I. I don't know." Noting that Ron was not looking at her, she touched his arm, which was lying on the sofa. "Ron, is there any problem? Do you want to tell me something?"
"I think it's you who have to tell something."
"Me?" She asked, surprised.
"Met somebody at the way to the common room?"
"No. Everybody was supposed to be at their houses."
"Hum. met somebody downstairs?"
"Ron, you're strange. What's going on?"
"Met. one of the prefects?" He asked, still not looking at her.
Finally, Hermione understood. "Were you following me?"
He turned to her. His eyes were full of fury. "So, you met one of the prefects."
"Yeah, I met, almost all of them. They were patrolling the corridors."
"You know what I mean!" Ron raised his voice.
"No, I don't. Make yourself clear."
"Alright. You met Malfoy downstairs."
"I told you I met almost all the prefects!"
"But you kissed all of them?!" Ron said, while getting up.
"WHAT?!" Hermione yelled.
"You heard me!"
"You. you were following me."
"No, I wasn't. I saw you and Malfoy getting along well when I decided to loo." Ron's face got red.
"Decided what?"
"Decided to. to patrol the corridors, yeah. So, when I was leaving the common room, what did I see? You and Malfoy having a kiss!"
It was Hermione who got a red face now. "You. what? Look, Malfoy. Can you see the scratches on my face? He pushed me."
"Oh! So that's why you got closer to him, though!" He said, ironically.
"No! Ron, don't be so stupid! Are you really. are you really thinking that. I just."
"What did you say to him? Ok, it's not needed, I can imagine."
"Ron, I just got closer to show him that I'm not afraid of him!"
"Ok." He said, sounding distrustful.
"He. I don't know why he kissed me. And it was a slight kiss after all."
"You're upset about that? Don't worry. I'm sure that if you ask him, he'll give you a better one!"
Hermione could not believe in her ears. "Ron, you're thinking. ARE YOU CRAZY? I HATE HIM!"
"THAT WAS NOT WHAT I SAW DOWSTAIRS!"
"How can you." Her eyes started to get dim. She could feel the tears rolling over her face. Hermione caught her rucksack and ran towards the girls' bedroom. She was so perturbed that she forgot the books on the table.
Ron just heard her steps. He didn't turn to see her getting in her bedroom. The image of Malfoy and Hermione together just couldn't get off of his mind. He sat again in front of the fireplace, his hands on his face.
Hermione went mumbling at the common room.
"So. where were you?"
She jumped cause of the shock. "Ron? You frightened me." She was not seeing him. "Where are you?"
"Here. in front of the fireplace."
She went towards him. "I was at the library." She sat beside him. "How was the quidditch practice?"
"Wet."
She took a look around. "Where are the others?"
"Guess they're sleeping."
Hermione looked at him. "Why are you here, though?"
"I was waiting for you." He said, not looking at her.
"Waiting. for me? Why?"
"Can't I?"
"Of course you can. It's just that. it's odd."
"Why?"
"I. I don't know." Noting that Ron was not looking at her, she touched his arm, which was lying on the sofa. "Ron, is there any problem? Do you want to tell me something?"
"I think it's you who have to tell something."
"Me?" She asked, surprised.
"Met somebody at the way to the common room?"
"No. Everybody was supposed to be at their houses."
"Hum. met somebody downstairs?"
"Ron, you're strange. What's going on?"
"Met. one of the prefects?" He asked, still not looking at her.
Finally, Hermione understood. "Were you following me?"
He turned to her. His eyes were full of fury. "So, you met one of the prefects."
"Yeah, I met, almost all of them. They were patrolling the corridors."
"You know what I mean!" Ron raised his voice.
"No, I don't. Make yourself clear."
"Alright. You met Malfoy downstairs."
"I told you I met almost all the prefects!"
"But you kissed all of them?!" Ron said, while getting up.
"WHAT?!" Hermione yelled.
"You heard me!"
"You. you were following me."
"No, I wasn't. I saw you and Malfoy getting along well when I decided to loo." Ron's face got red.
"Decided what?"
"Decided to. to patrol the corridors, yeah. So, when I was leaving the common room, what did I see? You and Malfoy having a kiss!"
It was Hermione who got a red face now. "You. what? Look, Malfoy. Can you see the scratches on my face? He pushed me."
"Oh! So that's why you got closer to him, though!" He said, ironically.
"No! Ron, don't be so stupid! Are you really. are you really thinking that. I just."
"What did you say to him? Ok, it's not needed, I can imagine."
"Ron, I just got closer to show him that I'm not afraid of him!"
"Ok." He said, sounding distrustful.
"He. I don't know why he kissed me. And it was a slight kiss after all."
"You're upset about that? Don't worry. I'm sure that if you ask him, he'll give you a better one!"
Hermione could not believe in her ears. "Ron, you're thinking. ARE YOU CRAZY? I HATE HIM!"
"THAT WAS NOT WHAT I SAW DOWSTAIRS!"
"How can you." Her eyes started to get dim. She could feel the tears rolling over her face. Hermione caught her rucksack and ran towards the girls' bedroom. She was so perturbed that she forgot the books on the table.
Ron just heard her steps. He didn't turn to see her getting in her bedroom. The image of Malfoy and Hermione together just couldn't get off of his mind. He sat again in front of the fireplace, his hands on his face.