Chapter V
Ginny found Hermione sitting on her bed, face buried in her hands. "Hermione!" She passed her nightgown sleeves on her face, but didn't turn to see Ginny. Ginny sat beside her. "What's wrong? Why you didn't have breakfast with us? Why were you crying? Was it Ron's fault?"
Tears rolled on Hermione's face.
"Tell me." Ginny begged.
Hermione took a deep breath. "It was your brother, but it's not only his fault."
"You mean Malfoy, Hermione?"
Hermione looked at her, wide eyes.
"He told Harry. something."
"What did he say?"
"To say the truth, he just mentioned it."
"Ginny, tell me, what really did he say?"
"Well, when Harry asked him what happened to you, he said that Harry should ask Malfoy. Of course Harry understood nothing. and so do I."
Hermione's face went red and she started to look to her feet.
"Hermione, will you tell me what happened or not? Maybe I can help."
"Ok, I will, but I doubt you can help me."
"At least I'll try."
Hermione smiled.
Harry found Ron sitting near the lake, a little far from the castle. Ron was throwing stones at it. Harry sat near him, but decided he was not going to be the first to talk. Ron didn't turned to see him, or even did something to show that he knew Harry was there. It took several minutes for him to talk. "Do you think I can bother the octopus throwing rocks at the lake?"
"I don't know."
"It would be pretty fun to see its tentacles."
"Maybe."
Silence fell again between them. Ron threw a rock stronger this time. "Why she did that?"
Harry knew Ron was talking about Hermione, but said nothing.
"Why she let him do?"
"Ron."
"That rogue! I'll kill him!"
"Ron!"
He stopped at Harry's call.
"What happened, Ron? About whom are you talking about?"
"Malfoy." He said, staring at the lake.
"And what he did this time?"
"He. she. sh*t!"
"Ron, calling names now won't help."
Now Ron was looking at his shoes. "Hermione. Malfoy. he. he kissed her."
"WHAT?!" Harry didn't intend to speak so loud, but the surprised scream came out before he could think of it. "What? I mean. it must be a mistake. You're mistaken. It. she."
"I saw, mate. Nobody told me, I saw it happening."
"But, how. where. I."
"At our stairs to the common room."
"Ron, are you sure? I mean. it's impossible!"
"I thought it was. I couldn't believe my eyes, trust me."
"But, wait a minute. Where were you at that moment? You told me you would be at the common room, in front of the fireplace."
Ron got red. "Yeah, I said. But it was late and I began to get worried about Hermione. You know.. every kind of odd thing happens in this school and You-Know-Who's around and Hermione's a muggle born."
Harry noticed it was getting hard to his friend to talk about the true reasons to him to be preoccupied with Hermione and just nodded.
"So I decided to look for her and then." Ron stopped.
"Then what?"
"I saw her talking to Malfoy. I was going to help her, but then she started to get closer him and then. he kissed her."
"That's why she pissed off, though."
"I don't think so."
"What do you mean? She must be furious."
"She was ok when she entered the common room yesterday. I thought she would enter crying or screaming or cursing him. I was only there to care for her, but. she acted like nothing had happened. So I got furious, furious at her. I asked her if she met somebody, trying to make her talk, but she didn't. She tried to hide it. Do you know the first thing she told me?"
Harry shook his head.
"'How was the quidditch practice?' Can you imagine that? She might be furious and not ask me that as if nothing had happened." Ron threw another rock at the lake. "And she did nothing to him, nothing! Just looked at him and he blinked to her! Damn!" He threw another one, really stronger this time.
"Ron, we should talk to Hermione."
"What for? I talked to her yesterday and she explained nothing. I just wonder" how long it has been happening, right in front of our noses. And I. idiot!
"C'mon, Ron, let's get inside."
"I prefer to stay here."
Harry nodded. "But don't forget, we have quidditch practice in half an hour."
"Don't worry. Meet you there."
Harry left him. "I need to talk to Hermione. She'll have to explain me that".
Ginny found Hermione sitting on her bed, face buried in her hands. "Hermione!" She passed her nightgown sleeves on her face, but didn't turn to see Ginny. Ginny sat beside her. "What's wrong? Why you didn't have breakfast with us? Why were you crying? Was it Ron's fault?"
Tears rolled on Hermione's face.
"Tell me." Ginny begged.
Hermione took a deep breath. "It was your brother, but it's not only his fault."
"You mean Malfoy, Hermione?"
Hermione looked at her, wide eyes.
"He told Harry. something."
"What did he say?"
"To say the truth, he just mentioned it."
"Ginny, tell me, what really did he say?"
"Well, when Harry asked him what happened to you, he said that Harry should ask Malfoy. Of course Harry understood nothing. and so do I."
Hermione's face went red and she started to look to her feet.
"Hermione, will you tell me what happened or not? Maybe I can help."
"Ok, I will, but I doubt you can help me."
"At least I'll try."
Hermione smiled.
Harry found Ron sitting near the lake, a little far from the castle. Ron was throwing stones at it. Harry sat near him, but decided he was not going to be the first to talk. Ron didn't turned to see him, or even did something to show that he knew Harry was there. It took several minutes for him to talk. "Do you think I can bother the octopus throwing rocks at the lake?"
"I don't know."
"It would be pretty fun to see its tentacles."
"Maybe."
Silence fell again between them. Ron threw a rock stronger this time. "Why she did that?"
Harry knew Ron was talking about Hermione, but said nothing.
"Why she let him do?"
"Ron."
"That rogue! I'll kill him!"
"Ron!"
He stopped at Harry's call.
"What happened, Ron? About whom are you talking about?"
"Malfoy." He said, staring at the lake.
"And what he did this time?"
"He. she. sh*t!"
"Ron, calling names now won't help."
Now Ron was looking at his shoes. "Hermione. Malfoy. he. he kissed her."
"WHAT?!" Harry didn't intend to speak so loud, but the surprised scream came out before he could think of it. "What? I mean. it must be a mistake. You're mistaken. It. she."
"I saw, mate. Nobody told me, I saw it happening."
"But, how. where. I."
"At our stairs to the common room."
"Ron, are you sure? I mean. it's impossible!"
"I thought it was. I couldn't believe my eyes, trust me."
"But, wait a minute. Where were you at that moment? You told me you would be at the common room, in front of the fireplace."
Ron got red. "Yeah, I said. But it was late and I began to get worried about Hermione. You know.. every kind of odd thing happens in this school and You-Know-Who's around and Hermione's a muggle born."
Harry noticed it was getting hard to his friend to talk about the true reasons to him to be preoccupied with Hermione and just nodded.
"So I decided to look for her and then." Ron stopped.
"Then what?"
"I saw her talking to Malfoy. I was going to help her, but then she started to get closer him and then. he kissed her."
"That's why she pissed off, though."
"I don't think so."
"What do you mean? She must be furious."
"She was ok when she entered the common room yesterday. I thought she would enter crying or screaming or cursing him. I was only there to care for her, but. she acted like nothing had happened. So I got furious, furious at her. I asked her if she met somebody, trying to make her talk, but she didn't. She tried to hide it. Do you know the first thing she told me?"
Harry shook his head.
"'How was the quidditch practice?' Can you imagine that? She might be furious and not ask me that as if nothing had happened." Ron threw another rock at the lake. "And she did nothing to him, nothing! Just looked at him and he blinked to her! Damn!" He threw another one, really stronger this time.
"Ron, we should talk to Hermione."
"What for? I talked to her yesterday and she explained nothing. I just wonder" how long it has been happening, right in front of our noses. And I. idiot!
"C'mon, Ron, let's get inside."
"I prefer to stay here."
Harry nodded. "But don't forget, we have quidditch practice in half an hour."
"Don't worry. Meet you there."
Harry left him. "I need to talk to Hermione. She'll have to explain me that".