Chapter XXI
When Hermione entered the common room, Ginny ran towards her and told her the good news. Hermione smiled and hugged her, then looked to the fireplace. Harry was smiling also, but his cheeks, nose and ears were totally red. But, for her surprised, Ron was beside him and he was also smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Ron's smile. Her heart started to beat faster and she wished she could run to and hug him. Ginny held her hand and felt it was cold as ice. Turning her face to the fireplace, she realized why. "Maybe, we can fix this problem today too" Ginny thought. "Come, Hermione" She said, smiling.
Hermione followed her. "Congratulations, Harry. But I knew it will end like this"
"Alright, Hermione, so you should take Professor Trelawney place"
She laughed. "No, thanks, I'm not starving yet to take a job like that" She was struggling against herself to look at Harry and not at Ron. "But. when did it happen?"
"Well. today" Harry answered.
"A couple of hours ago, indeed" Ginny said.
"Couple of hours?"
"Ron caught us" Ginny pointed at him.
"I entered and saw both, Harry's holding Ginny by her waist. So romantic!"
"He's talking to me!" She thought. Hermione didn't smile because of the scene Ron saw or because of his joke, but because it was too good to hear his voice again, loud and clear. "You. you seem to be really happy, Ron" She tried to sound normal.
"Yeah, I am. Now I know Ginny is dating a nice guy. Anyway, it will be easier to watch them, as Harry is my mate and all, don't you think so?"
"Yeah" She smiled, almost laughing. Ron was talking to her, like the old times. She felt she was about to cry, her joy was suffocating her. She hugged Harry, trying to disguise her emotional state. "I'm really glad for you"
"Thanks, Hermione"
Harry was quiet, but Ginny seemed to be plugged somewhere. She made Ron and Hermione sat, side by side, and told them how everything happened. Harry was blushing all the time, and so was Ginny, but she kept talking.
The students started to arrive at the common room. Harry and Ginny were holding hands and several people saw them, as they saw Ron was in a good mood. Parvati went towards them. "What is this all about?"
Ginny stopped talking and blushed harder than ever. Harry was facing the ground, but maintained Ginny's hand in his.
"I'll have to tell her?" Ron asked, smiling.
"Me. we. I and Harry."
"We're dating, Parvati" Harry looked at her.
Parvati eyes were wide. "Is that so?"
"Yes"
"So. congratulations. I mean. what a nice surprise"
"Thanks"
And she left. Soon they started to hear whispers all over the place.
"Now it's it. Everybody knows" Harry said, a little ashamed.
Seamus and Neville were the first to come to them and make a compliment. Seamus went back to the other guys and Neville went to the boys' dormitories. Really fast, the other students stepped towards them to ask if it's true then left Harry and Ginny greeting. It was really embarrassing when Dean came to talk to them. "Congratulations, Harry"
"Thanks, Dean"
Dean turned to Ginny. "So, you didn't waste your time, did you? Finally you got who you ever wanted"
Ginny was facing her shoes.
"You're wrong, Dean" Harry was looking at him. Dean sustained the look. "It was me who didn't waste my time and hers anymore"
"Alright then. It's the same to me" He left them with a smirk.
"I never thought he would behave like that" Ginny said, disappointed.
"He's hurt in his pride, that's all" Hermione smiled to her. "Don't worry".
"Thanks, Hermione" Ginny smiled back.
"Tomorrow will be harder, you know. You'll face the whole school"
"That's a really good thing to say, Ron. The commentaries will pass faster, you'll see. Soon they will find another thing to talk about"
Ron got up. "Alright, I'll take a bath"
"But you. will you come back? I mean." Hermione asked in a hurry, almost not thinking about it.
Ron looked at her. Her cheeks were pink. "Well. I'm tired, so I thought I'd better go to bed"
"Yeah. alright, it's just that. forget it" She looked at the ground.
"And you'd better do the same. It's almost midnight" He went towards the stairs.
"But our first class is Divination tomorrow. I doubt you will wake up on time" Harry said, looking at him.
Ron's smile vanished. "Well, mate, I don't think anymore that Trelawney is a total fraud. Goodnight" And he left.
"What is he talking about?"
"I think that I know why Ron is so down these passed days" Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione. "He's got a broken heart" She said in a whisper.
"But he told that he's not in love with anybody, Hermione"
She gave Harry a half-hearted smile. "Did you ever think that he could be lying?"
Harry opened his mouth, but said nothing. Hermione rose. "I think Ron's right. See you tomorrow"
"Bye, Hermione"
They watched her going, till she reaches the stairs.
"Of course I knew he was lying"
"So you also think he fancies Hermione"
"Yeah, but that old fraud must be wrong, I mean, I doubt Hermione did anything that could break Ron's heart. She talks to you, do you know something?"
"No, Harry, and Hermione never talked to me about boys. In fact, it was me who always filled her ears with problems and complains"
"That makes no sense"
"Do you think we can do something?"
"No, as long as we don't know what is really happening"
She kissed his cheek.
Even being so hurt inside, Ron felt a real happiness while talking to Hermione. To look at her face was still wounding, but, finally he could manage it well. He never thought how her smile was so important to him, or how her perfume had the power to make him breathe faster wanting for more. And the sound of her voice, how it was beautiful and magical. He laid and closed eyes, but just to fix her face in his mind. "I don't care if you're in love with Malfoy, Hermione. After all, we can not control our feelings. So I will keep you by my side, even knowing you will never be in love with me, cause I need you near. I need you near" he thought a few minutes before falling asleep.
Hermione entered the girls' room with tears in her eyes. She was so happy to hear Ron's voice again and, to destroy her happiness, she discovered by his own mouth that he was in love with someone, "but who is she?" was the question she was doing to herself all the time. She could not think of anyone. Ron was the kind of guy who plays the fool when around the girl he likes, but he never acted like that with any of the Hogwarts' girls, only with Fleur, but it was two years ago and she wasn't around. She decided she'd better go to sleep, as she wouldn't figure out who the girl was late at night, but it was not easy to sleep that night.
When Hermione entered the common room, Ginny ran towards her and told her the good news. Hermione smiled and hugged her, then looked to the fireplace. Harry was smiling also, but his cheeks, nose and ears were totally red. But, for her surprised, Ron was beside him and he was also smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Ron's smile. Her heart started to beat faster and she wished she could run to and hug him. Ginny held her hand and felt it was cold as ice. Turning her face to the fireplace, she realized why. "Maybe, we can fix this problem today too" Ginny thought. "Come, Hermione" She said, smiling.
Hermione followed her. "Congratulations, Harry. But I knew it will end like this"
"Alright, Hermione, so you should take Professor Trelawney place"
She laughed. "No, thanks, I'm not starving yet to take a job like that" She was struggling against herself to look at Harry and not at Ron. "But. when did it happen?"
"Well. today" Harry answered.
"A couple of hours ago, indeed" Ginny said.
"Couple of hours?"
"Ron caught us" Ginny pointed at him.
"I entered and saw both, Harry's holding Ginny by her waist. So romantic!"
"He's talking to me!" She thought. Hermione didn't smile because of the scene Ron saw or because of his joke, but because it was too good to hear his voice again, loud and clear. "You. you seem to be really happy, Ron" She tried to sound normal.
"Yeah, I am. Now I know Ginny is dating a nice guy. Anyway, it will be easier to watch them, as Harry is my mate and all, don't you think so?"
"Yeah" She smiled, almost laughing. Ron was talking to her, like the old times. She felt she was about to cry, her joy was suffocating her. She hugged Harry, trying to disguise her emotional state. "I'm really glad for you"
"Thanks, Hermione"
Harry was quiet, but Ginny seemed to be plugged somewhere. She made Ron and Hermione sat, side by side, and told them how everything happened. Harry was blushing all the time, and so was Ginny, but she kept talking.
The students started to arrive at the common room. Harry and Ginny were holding hands and several people saw them, as they saw Ron was in a good mood. Parvati went towards them. "What is this all about?"
Ginny stopped talking and blushed harder than ever. Harry was facing the ground, but maintained Ginny's hand in his.
"I'll have to tell her?" Ron asked, smiling.
"Me. we. I and Harry."
"We're dating, Parvati" Harry looked at her.
Parvati eyes were wide. "Is that so?"
"Yes"
"So. congratulations. I mean. what a nice surprise"
"Thanks"
And she left. Soon they started to hear whispers all over the place.
"Now it's it. Everybody knows" Harry said, a little ashamed.
Seamus and Neville were the first to come to them and make a compliment. Seamus went back to the other guys and Neville went to the boys' dormitories. Really fast, the other students stepped towards them to ask if it's true then left Harry and Ginny greeting. It was really embarrassing when Dean came to talk to them. "Congratulations, Harry"
"Thanks, Dean"
Dean turned to Ginny. "So, you didn't waste your time, did you? Finally you got who you ever wanted"
Ginny was facing her shoes.
"You're wrong, Dean" Harry was looking at him. Dean sustained the look. "It was me who didn't waste my time and hers anymore"
"Alright then. It's the same to me" He left them with a smirk.
"I never thought he would behave like that" Ginny said, disappointed.
"He's hurt in his pride, that's all" Hermione smiled to her. "Don't worry".
"Thanks, Hermione" Ginny smiled back.
"Tomorrow will be harder, you know. You'll face the whole school"
"That's a really good thing to say, Ron. The commentaries will pass faster, you'll see. Soon they will find another thing to talk about"
Ron got up. "Alright, I'll take a bath"
"But you. will you come back? I mean." Hermione asked in a hurry, almost not thinking about it.
Ron looked at her. Her cheeks were pink. "Well. I'm tired, so I thought I'd better go to bed"
"Yeah. alright, it's just that. forget it" She looked at the ground.
"And you'd better do the same. It's almost midnight" He went towards the stairs.
"But our first class is Divination tomorrow. I doubt you will wake up on time" Harry said, looking at him.
Ron's smile vanished. "Well, mate, I don't think anymore that Trelawney is a total fraud. Goodnight" And he left.
"What is he talking about?"
"I think that I know why Ron is so down these passed days" Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione. "He's got a broken heart" She said in a whisper.
"But he told that he's not in love with anybody, Hermione"
She gave Harry a half-hearted smile. "Did you ever think that he could be lying?"
Harry opened his mouth, but said nothing. Hermione rose. "I think Ron's right. See you tomorrow"
"Bye, Hermione"
They watched her going, till she reaches the stairs.
"Of course I knew he was lying"
"So you also think he fancies Hermione"
"Yeah, but that old fraud must be wrong, I mean, I doubt Hermione did anything that could break Ron's heart. She talks to you, do you know something?"
"No, Harry, and Hermione never talked to me about boys. In fact, it was me who always filled her ears with problems and complains"
"That makes no sense"
"Do you think we can do something?"
"No, as long as we don't know what is really happening"
She kissed his cheek.
Even being so hurt inside, Ron felt a real happiness while talking to Hermione. To look at her face was still wounding, but, finally he could manage it well. He never thought how her smile was so important to him, or how her perfume had the power to make him breathe faster wanting for more. And the sound of her voice, how it was beautiful and magical. He laid and closed eyes, but just to fix her face in his mind. "I don't care if you're in love with Malfoy, Hermione. After all, we can not control our feelings. So I will keep you by my side, even knowing you will never be in love with me, cause I need you near. I need you near" he thought a few minutes before falling asleep.
Hermione entered the girls' room with tears in her eyes. She was so happy to hear Ron's voice again and, to destroy her happiness, she discovered by his own mouth that he was in love with someone, "but who is she?" was the question she was doing to herself all the time. She could not think of anyone. Ron was the kind of guy who plays the fool when around the girl he likes, but he never acted like that with any of the Hogwarts' girls, only with Fleur, but it was two years ago and she wasn't around. She decided she'd better go to sleep, as she wouldn't figure out who the girl was late at night, but it was not easy to sleep that night.