Chapter XVII
Harry got up and Ron was not in bed. He changed clothes and went to the common room. Ron was not there either.
"Good morning, Harry"
He turned to see who it was. "Good day, Hermione"
She smiled. "Ron is still sleeping?"
"No. I thought I would see him here, but it seems he didn't wait for us"
"Strange"
"Hermione?"
"What?"
"Did you. did you and Ron have a fight yesterday?"
"No. I told you I didn't meet him. Why?"
"Nothing, it was just a thought"
They left to the great hall. Ron was already at the table, as so was Ginny. Harry looked at her, but she pretended she did not see him. Ginny smiled to Hermione and turned back to her friend. Harry frowned. He sat beside Ron and Hermione sat in front of them.
"Good morning, Ron" She said, happily.
"Hi" He answered, not looking at her.
Hermione noticed that he was not well. "Ron, what's the problem?"
"None"
"I know you maybe better than you know yourself. What's the matter?"
"It's nothing, Hermione" He caught his rucksack. "See you at class" Ron left them, walking really slowly and looking at the ground.
"Harry."
"I don't know what happened to him. I asked yesterday but he didn't tell me"
"It's not normal of Ron. When he's in a bad mood he yells and everything is fine. I never. never saw."
"I'm also worried, Hermione"
"Now I understand why you asked if we had a row. He never got like this before cause of me, Harry. And I doubt he will someday" She lowered her eyes.
"We'd better go to the class. McGonagall will not be happy if we get late"
Hermione nodded. They entered the room and saw Ron seated with arms crossed over the table and head over them. Harry sat beside him. "Ron?"
"Yeah?" He answered without raising his head.
"Are you ok? Are you ill?"
"No, I'm fine"
Hermione was sat at the table beside theirs. "Ron."
Ron's body shacked at the sound of Hermione's voice.
"Good morning, class" Professor McGonagall arrived at the class. Ron raised his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me"
Harry looked at Hermione. Both faces were showing confusion.
Ron didn't talk during the class and also didn't look at Hermione either. Harry tried to make his friend speak but it was useless. Same happened at Professor Flitwick's class. Harry and Hermione didn't know what to do. Even the other classmates of them were noticing Ron's dismay. They left to the great hall for lunch, and Ron was mute. He didn't eat as well, what made Hermione and Harry more worried.
"Ron, you should see Madam Pomfrey" Harry said.
"I said I'm ok"
"No, you're not. You didn't even eat" Hermione said, touching his hand with hers. Ron took off his arm over the table quickly. The warmth of Hermione's skin made he wants to cry. Hermione didn't understand why he removed his hand so desperately of hers, but it made she fell unhappier than she already was. She was staring at him, asking for a reason.
He turned his face to the entrance of the great hall, ignoring Hermione's eyes. "Don't worry about me" He grabbed his things. "See you at the common room. or at class. Bye" And left them.
Harry kept his mouth open, but no word was coming out of it. Hermione's heart was punching her and it was almost impossible to disguise her sadness. She could handle Malfoy's evilness, but not Ron's disdain.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy was watching what was happening between those three. He knew that Ron was acting strange, because he heard other students' commentaries, and he had seen it with his own eyes at lunch. A slight smile had been in his face since he saw Ron, but now it vanished. After Ron's departure, Draco looked at Hermione. He noticed how sad she was, and it could not be because of him anymore. He saw when they entered at the great hall and she was alright. Now, she could only be so sad because of Ron. Draco could not tell what he was feeling. It was a mixture of fury and despair: fury at Ron and despair at Hermione. He stared at her till she leaves the hall. There was another person looking at Hermione too, but not only to Hermione. Pansy was dividing her looks between Malfoy and Granger.
Harry got up and Ron was not in bed. He changed clothes and went to the common room. Ron was not there either.
"Good morning, Harry"
He turned to see who it was. "Good day, Hermione"
She smiled. "Ron is still sleeping?"
"No. I thought I would see him here, but it seems he didn't wait for us"
"Strange"
"Hermione?"
"What?"
"Did you. did you and Ron have a fight yesterday?"
"No. I told you I didn't meet him. Why?"
"Nothing, it was just a thought"
They left to the great hall. Ron was already at the table, as so was Ginny. Harry looked at her, but she pretended she did not see him. Ginny smiled to Hermione and turned back to her friend. Harry frowned. He sat beside Ron and Hermione sat in front of them.
"Good morning, Ron" She said, happily.
"Hi" He answered, not looking at her.
Hermione noticed that he was not well. "Ron, what's the problem?"
"None"
"I know you maybe better than you know yourself. What's the matter?"
"It's nothing, Hermione" He caught his rucksack. "See you at class" Ron left them, walking really slowly and looking at the ground.
"Harry."
"I don't know what happened to him. I asked yesterday but he didn't tell me"
"It's not normal of Ron. When he's in a bad mood he yells and everything is fine. I never. never saw."
"I'm also worried, Hermione"
"Now I understand why you asked if we had a row. He never got like this before cause of me, Harry. And I doubt he will someday" She lowered her eyes.
"We'd better go to the class. McGonagall will not be happy if we get late"
Hermione nodded. They entered the room and saw Ron seated with arms crossed over the table and head over them. Harry sat beside him. "Ron?"
"Yeah?" He answered without raising his head.
"Are you ok? Are you ill?"
"No, I'm fine"
Hermione was sat at the table beside theirs. "Ron."
Ron's body shacked at the sound of Hermione's voice.
"Good morning, class" Professor McGonagall arrived at the class. Ron raised his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me"
Harry looked at Hermione. Both faces were showing confusion.
Ron didn't talk during the class and also didn't look at Hermione either. Harry tried to make his friend speak but it was useless. Same happened at Professor Flitwick's class. Harry and Hermione didn't know what to do. Even the other classmates of them were noticing Ron's dismay. They left to the great hall for lunch, and Ron was mute. He didn't eat as well, what made Hermione and Harry more worried.
"Ron, you should see Madam Pomfrey" Harry said.
"I said I'm ok"
"No, you're not. You didn't even eat" Hermione said, touching his hand with hers. Ron took off his arm over the table quickly. The warmth of Hermione's skin made he wants to cry. Hermione didn't understand why he removed his hand so desperately of hers, but it made she fell unhappier than she already was. She was staring at him, asking for a reason.
He turned his face to the entrance of the great hall, ignoring Hermione's eyes. "Don't worry about me" He grabbed his things. "See you at the common room. or at class. Bye" And left them.
Harry kept his mouth open, but no word was coming out of it. Hermione's heart was punching her and it was almost impossible to disguise her sadness. She could handle Malfoy's evilness, but not Ron's disdain.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy was watching what was happening between those three. He knew that Ron was acting strange, because he heard other students' commentaries, and he had seen it with his own eyes at lunch. A slight smile had been in his face since he saw Ron, but now it vanished. After Ron's departure, Draco looked at Hermione. He noticed how sad she was, and it could not be because of him anymore. He saw when they entered at the great hall and she was alright. Now, she could only be so sad because of Ron. Draco could not tell what he was feeling. It was a mixture of fury and despair: fury at Ron and despair at Hermione. He stared at her till she leaves the hall. There was another person looking at Hermione too, but not only to Hermione. Pansy was dividing her looks between Malfoy and Granger.