GoThBaRbIe: thanks so much for the compliments! Unfortunately I can only
update at weekends cause of college and stuff, but please keep reading!
Grimmauld: you're really a loyal reviewer, huh? Thanks! But calm down,
please! Just to make you happy: of course Ron and Hermione will end up
together, but it will get some time, so be patience!
Here you have some more! Enjoy!
Chapter XXVIII
"Hermione, this is awful!" Ginny said, perplexed.
Hermione could not avoid the tears to roll. Her robes sleeves were totally wet. "I know. I didn't tell you before cause I was really ashamed of it. Can you see now why I was so bad that day?"
Ginny sat beside her at the bed. "I'm so sorry. That despicable piece of... Urgh! I can't even think of him!"
"I'm ok, now, Ginny. That day is in my past and I don't think about it anymore".
"But Malfoy does. How could he say those things to you? After five years of disdain and hate? It could only be a trap".
"I don't know, Ginny. I thought that too, but when I saw Parkinson... she was really mad, I'm telling you. That stupid can not act so perfectly. I don't know what Malfoy really intended to do, but she was not party of it, I'm sure".
Suddenly, Ginny smiled.
"Why are you smiling, Ginny?"
"Hermione, didn't you see?"
"See what?"
"That day, when Malfoy did... Urgh!... you know what, we thought you and Ron had a fight".
"And?" Hermione understood nothing.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Ron saw you and Malfoy, that's why he was so down".
"Sorry, Ginny, but it's not. Your brother's problem is a heart problem, not me".
"But, Hermione...." Ginny rose ".... can't you see? Of course it's a heart problem. YOU are his heart problem!"
"No, Ginny, I'm not! Listen, because of that stupid little kiss that Malfoy gave me, Ron made a storm over me. Do you really think that if he had seen Malfoy kissing me... for real... " Hermione made a disgusted face "... he will just look at us and do nothing? Just pretended it never happened? And, worst, if he had seen and I, again, didn't tell him, do you really think he won't go mad at me?"
Ginny didn't know what to say.
"Now you see. He didn't see... that... you know". Hermione was facing her shoes.
"So I don't know why he's broken hearted".
"It's easy. The girl he loves has a boyfriend or, worst for him, she doesn't have a boyfriend but she also doesn't want Ron". Hermione's voice sounded a little shaken this time.
"Hermione, I'm sure he loves you".
"No, he does not... he does not". The cry was now too hard to hold.
"Hermione, please, stop crying".
"You know what hurts more?"
Ginny shook her head.
"Malfoy could have hurt me for hours, a whole day if I exaggerate a little, but just that. My memory of him vanishes in a few hours. And I'm used to Ron yelling at me all the time, his jealousy and laziness, asking me all the time to copy my answers. None of these things hurt me. But to feel Ron getting far from me, treating me like any other girl, like if I don't matter to him, like if I was Parvati or any other Hogwarts student. Ron used to care about me. Every time Malfoy did something to me, Ron was there to defend me. He always felt more insulted than I, every single time I was insulted. I always could count on Ron, and now... She's taking him from me. That girl, she's taking him, and he's not noticing it. Who is she? Who is that girl that makes he suffers, that doesn't care about his feelings... when I love him that much?" Hermione's cry came out stronger than ever. She had never felt so wounded, so miserable, so alone.
"Hermione..." Ginny sat at her side again and embraced her.
Hermione leant her head on Ginny's shoulder and cried.
Ron entered at the common room looking for Hermione. "Where is she?"
"I think she went to her bedroom, Ron".
Ron stepped to the stairs.
"Where are you... it's useless, Ron. Did you forget what happened last year when you tried to enter at the girls' side?"
Ron stopped. "Where's Ginny when I need her?"
"She might be with Hermione".
"Damn!" He turned to Harry. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
"Sure". Harry told him everything about Draco and Pansy, but omitted the last thing Malfoy said.
"But you don't know what the conversation was about".
"No, Hermione didn't have time to tell me. When she saw you was not here..."
Ron faced the ground. "I didn't think my presence was so important to her. And I also thought that... forget it". He looked at the stairs. "Do you think she will come down?"
"I don't know. I think Ginny will, but..."
"I'll wait". Ron seated on a chair near the stairs.
Chapter XXVIII
"Hermione, this is awful!" Ginny said, perplexed.
Hermione could not avoid the tears to roll. Her robes sleeves were totally wet. "I know. I didn't tell you before cause I was really ashamed of it. Can you see now why I was so bad that day?"
Ginny sat beside her at the bed. "I'm so sorry. That despicable piece of... Urgh! I can't even think of him!"
"I'm ok, now, Ginny. That day is in my past and I don't think about it anymore".
"But Malfoy does. How could he say those things to you? After five years of disdain and hate? It could only be a trap".
"I don't know, Ginny. I thought that too, but when I saw Parkinson... she was really mad, I'm telling you. That stupid can not act so perfectly. I don't know what Malfoy really intended to do, but she was not party of it, I'm sure".
Suddenly, Ginny smiled.
"Why are you smiling, Ginny?"
"Hermione, didn't you see?"
"See what?"
"That day, when Malfoy did... Urgh!... you know what, we thought you and Ron had a fight".
"And?" Hermione understood nothing.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Ron saw you and Malfoy, that's why he was so down".
"Sorry, Ginny, but it's not. Your brother's problem is a heart problem, not me".
"But, Hermione...." Ginny rose ".... can't you see? Of course it's a heart problem. YOU are his heart problem!"
"No, Ginny, I'm not! Listen, because of that stupid little kiss that Malfoy gave me, Ron made a storm over me. Do you really think that if he had seen Malfoy kissing me... for real... " Hermione made a disgusted face "... he will just look at us and do nothing? Just pretended it never happened? And, worst, if he had seen and I, again, didn't tell him, do you really think he won't go mad at me?"
Ginny didn't know what to say.
"Now you see. He didn't see... that... you know". Hermione was facing her shoes.
"So I don't know why he's broken hearted".
"It's easy. The girl he loves has a boyfriend or, worst for him, she doesn't have a boyfriend but she also doesn't want Ron". Hermione's voice sounded a little shaken this time.
"Hermione, I'm sure he loves you".
"No, he does not... he does not". The cry was now too hard to hold.
"Hermione, please, stop crying".
"You know what hurts more?"
Ginny shook her head.
"Malfoy could have hurt me for hours, a whole day if I exaggerate a little, but just that. My memory of him vanishes in a few hours. And I'm used to Ron yelling at me all the time, his jealousy and laziness, asking me all the time to copy my answers. None of these things hurt me. But to feel Ron getting far from me, treating me like any other girl, like if I don't matter to him, like if I was Parvati or any other Hogwarts student. Ron used to care about me. Every time Malfoy did something to me, Ron was there to defend me. He always felt more insulted than I, every single time I was insulted. I always could count on Ron, and now... She's taking him from me. That girl, she's taking him, and he's not noticing it. Who is she? Who is that girl that makes he suffers, that doesn't care about his feelings... when I love him that much?" Hermione's cry came out stronger than ever. She had never felt so wounded, so miserable, so alone.
"Hermione..." Ginny sat at her side again and embraced her.
Hermione leant her head on Ginny's shoulder and cried.
Ron entered at the common room looking for Hermione. "Where is she?"
"I think she went to her bedroom, Ron".
Ron stepped to the stairs.
"Where are you... it's useless, Ron. Did you forget what happened last year when you tried to enter at the girls' side?"
Ron stopped. "Where's Ginny when I need her?"
"She might be with Hermione".
"Damn!" He turned to Harry. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
"Sure". Harry told him everything about Draco and Pansy, but omitted the last thing Malfoy said.
"But you don't know what the conversation was about".
"No, Hermione didn't have time to tell me. When she saw you was not here..."
Ron faced the ground. "I didn't think my presence was so important to her. And I also thought that... forget it". He looked at the stairs. "Do you think she will come down?"
"I don't know. I think Ginny will, but..."
"I'll wait". Ron seated on a chair near the stairs.