Chapter VIII
Ron and Hermione walked side by side without saying a word till they got to the lake.
"I think we can stay here. Is there any problem?"
"No, it's fine to me, Ron."
He sat, straight legs. She sat beside him. "Ron, will you keep not looking at me?"
He didn't answer.
"Alright then. I don't know what you really saw last night, but."
"I saw you and Malfoy having a kiss." He said harshly.
"If it was the only thing that you saw, so you know only half story". She was staring at him.
Ron felt that, but pretended nothing was happening. "So tell me the whole story though".
Hermione turned her head. Now she was looking at the lake too. She told him she was coming back from the library and how Malfoy pushed her. At this part Ron mumbled something. Hermione smiled at this but carried on. Then she said Malfoy had called her a mudblood, but, for the first time, it didn't sound so terrible.
"Mudblood. that rogue!"
Ron mumbled again, but this time she could hear what he said. She smiled again. "Then, as I said last night to you but you didn't want to listen, I wanted to show him that I was not afraid of him, that's why I got closer. I asked him to call me mudblood again and ."
"What?" Now Ron looked at her, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Hermione felt her heart accelerating. She never knew how important it was to her Ron's blue eyes looking at her.
"You did what? Why?"
"I. cause I wanted to be sure that it doesn't matter to me anymore, and I wanted him to know also. You should have seen his face. Malfoy yelled "what?" just like you". Hermione smiled. "It was funny".
Ron turned his face to the lake again. "And the kiss? If it was really what you told him, why he kissed you?"
Hermione stopped talking.
"So?"
She took a deep breath. "I don't know, Ron. I remember telling him to find something else to call me now, cause mudblood doesn't work anymore. And then."
Ron was staring at her now. He could see Hermione's cheeks getting pink and she was facing the ground.
"Then he kissed you".
"Yeah". Hermione felt her eyes getting dim. "I will not cry now, no way!" she thought.
"That makes no sense".
"But it's true. I think he. he thought it was the worst thing he could do to me at the moment. and he was right. I was so disgusted, I. I couldn't think of anything to say or do. and he kept smiling at me, telling me that been kissed by him is more than what I deserve". She could not avoid a tear to roll down her face. She dried it as fast as she could, but Ron noticed it.
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"I. I was afraid you could do something stupid. Anything is a motif for you to punch Malfoy. I didn't want to put you in trouble". Now the tears were rolling in abundance.
"Her. Hermione, I'm sorry. I was. I got mad when I saw you and Malfoy together. I was going to help you when I saw you getting closer and I didn't understand why. Please, forgive me. I shouldn't."
She turned to him. Her eyes were all wet, as was her face.
"Hermione."
She leant her head on Ron's shoulder. He passed his arms around her. Ron felt his face getting hot and his heart beating faster, but he never felt his body so light before, like he could fly.
For the first time, being embraced never looked so good to Hermione. She could stay like that for ages, feeling his warmth and his smell.
"Now, now. what do we have here?"
They jumped, surprised.
Ron and Hermione walked side by side without saying a word till they got to the lake.
"I think we can stay here. Is there any problem?"
"No, it's fine to me, Ron."
He sat, straight legs. She sat beside him. "Ron, will you keep not looking at me?"
He didn't answer.
"Alright then. I don't know what you really saw last night, but."
"I saw you and Malfoy having a kiss." He said harshly.
"If it was the only thing that you saw, so you know only half story". She was staring at him.
Ron felt that, but pretended nothing was happening. "So tell me the whole story though".
Hermione turned her head. Now she was looking at the lake too. She told him she was coming back from the library and how Malfoy pushed her. At this part Ron mumbled something. Hermione smiled at this but carried on. Then she said Malfoy had called her a mudblood, but, for the first time, it didn't sound so terrible.
"Mudblood. that rogue!"
Ron mumbled again, but this time she could hear what he said. She smiled again. "Then, as I said last night to you but you didn't want to listen, I wanted to show him that I was not afraid of him, that's why I got closer. I asked him to call me mudblood again and ."
"What?" Now Ron looked at her, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Hermione felt her heart accelerating. She never knew how important it was to her Ron's blue eyes looking at her.
"You did what? Why?"
"I. cause I wanted to be sure that it doesn't matter to me anymore, and I wanted him to know also. You should have seen his face. Malfoy yelled "what?" just like you". Hermione smiled. "It was funny".
Ron turned his face to the lake again. "And the kiss? If it was really what you told him, why he kissed you?"
Hermione stopped talking.
"So?"
She took a deep breath. "I don't know, Ron. I remember telling him to find something else to call me now, cause mudblood doesn't work anymore. And then."
Ron was staring at her now. He could see Hermione's cheeks getting pink and she was facing the ground.
"Then he kissed you".
"Yeah". Hermione felt her eyes getting dim. "I will not cry now, no way!" she thought.
"That makes no sense".
"But it's true. I think he. he thought it was the worst thing he could do to me at the moment. and he was right. I was so disgusted, I. I couldn't think of anything to say or do. and he kept smiling at me, telling me that been kissed by him is more than what I deserve". She could not avoid a tear to roll down her face. She dried it as fast as she could, but Ron noticed it.
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"I. I was afraid you could do something stupid. Anything is a motif for you to punch Malfoy. I didn't want to put you in trouble". Now the tears were rolling in abundance.
"Her. Hermione, I'm sorry. I was. I got mad when I saw you and Malfoy together. I was going to help you when I saw you getting closer and I didn't understand why. Please, forgive me. I shouldn't."
She turned to him. Her eyes were all wet, as was her face.
"Hermione."
She leant her head on Ron's shoulder. He passed his arms around her. Ron felt his face getting hot and his heart beating faster, but he never felt his body so light before, like he could fly.
For the first time, being embraced never looked so good to Hermione. She could stay like that for ages, feeling his warmth and his smell.
"Now, now. what do we have here?"
They jumped, surprised.