Chapter XXX
It was Wednesday, which meant Potions class day. Harry and Ron got up but both with a bored look in their eyes.
"I should have chosen anything, but being an Auror" Harry complained.
"C'mon, Harry, you should be really happy for having so many O.W.L.s in Potions. I myself was amazed when I saw mine".
"You chose an Auror career also, didn't you?"
Ron's cheeks got pink. "Well, yeah, what else could I say to McGonagall after what Vo-Vold-Volde-mort did to my father?"
Harry smiled at Ron's attempt to say You-Know-Who's name. "Alright, Ron, we'd better be going".
They went down. Hermione and Ginny were waiting for them near the entrance. Ron looked at Hermione and lowered his eyes. Harry walked a little faster and stopped in front of Ginny. She kissed him slightly on the lips.
"Good morning, Hermione".
"Good morning, Harry". She smiled.
Harry held Ginny's hand. "Let's go, I'm starving".
The Fat Lady picture moved. Harry and Ginny were the first to leave, followed by Hermione and, a little far, Ron. He didn't have courage to even say a 'good day' to Hermione. They got to the common room and took their seats. Ron had to seat beside Hermione because there were no place left at Harry's or Ginny's side. He was so nervous that he wasn't eating. Hermione didn't seem to be hungry either.
"Harry" Ginny whispered.
"What?"
"I think we should leave now"
"Why?"
Ginny moved her eyes at Ron's and Hermione's direction.
"Ok". Harry got up.
"Did you finish?" Ron asked.
"Yes".
Ginny got up too. "We... hum... you know" she blushed.
"That's ok. See you at class, Harry". Hermione smiled.
They left. Hermione and Ron said nothing to each other. A few minutes later, Hermione rose and turned to the entrance of the great hall, but Ron was still seated. "Will you not come?"
He looked at her. She was not smiling, but was not looking at him like he was a vermin, and she didn't sound upset or angry, but normal. "Yeah, I... I will... I'm just finishing breakfast".
"Finishing? But you didn't touch your food. I think if you want to finish it you'll spend all morning eating. I bet Snape will be really glad giving you a zero".
He could not believe his ears. "I... alright, I was not hungry after all". He got up. "Let's go?"
Hermione smiled and went towards the stairs. Ron followed her.
Draco was watching everything from his table. Hermione didn't even look at his direction. His brain was burning in anger and jealousy, but his heart was aching more than he ever felt in his life. After Hermione's and Ron's departure, he rose and went to his class, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
Ron and Hermione walked side by side in a total silence.
"Hermione..." he called near the Snape's dungeon.
She looked at him. "What?"
"Ginny... Ginny said you were crying yesterday".
She blushed. "Yeah, I did".
"What... what Malfoy did to you?"
"Nothing... thanks to Harry".
Ron could not handle her eyes and lowered his. "Sorry I was not there".
"That's ok".
"I didn't think you'll need help as you said you could deal with him".
"Parkinson attacked me at my back".
"Are you upset at me?"
She didn't answer and stopped to look at him.
"May I understand this as a 'yes'?"
"I will not lie to you. Yes, I'm upset".
Ron froze. Suddenly, he felt like the ground had disappeared under his feet.
"But it's not at you only. I'm upset at me also. I was really dumb to think that I could trust Malfoy".
It was an innocent phrase, but to Ron it was the confirmation that Hermione was really in love with him. "But, Hermione, maybe it was not a trap, I mean; Parkinson might has gone crazy when she saw you leaving with him".
Hermione turned to Ron. "Are you defending Malfoy?"
"No, I just... you see... he said to you it was private. If it was not, why did you leave with him?"
"Ron, you..." She felt her eyes getting dim. Hermione noticed she was about to cry again, so she decided to end the conversation saying nothing more. She turned her back at Ron and entered at the dungeon.
Ron opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He then followed Hermione. Snape entered right after him. "Faster, Weasley. I don't have time to wait for you". Ron forced himself into the dungeon. Hermione was seated beside Harry, but there was no place for him beside her, so he seated at Harry's left side. He gave a quick look at her, but she was facing the blackboard. "Hey, mate".
"What, Ron?" Harry whispered.
"I think I made things worst between me and Hermione".
"How you..."
"So, you think you got so many O.W.L.s that you don't need to pay attention. Maybe, both of you can teach too as long as my presence is not needed anymore. Am I wrong, Mr. Potter?"
Harry faced him. "Sorry, Professor".
"Mr. Weasley?"
"I'm sorry".
"'I'm sorry' what?"
"I'm sorry, Professor".
"Let's hope you keep your mouth shut, or I will be forced to take some points from Gryffindor and it will be a pity, won't it?" Snape smirked.
It was Wednesday, which meant Potions class day. Harry and Ron got up but both with a bored look in their eyes.
"I should have chosen anything, but being an Auror" Harry complained.
"C'mon, Harry, you should be really happy for having so many O.W.L.s in Potions. I myself was amazed when I saw mine".
"You chose an Auror career also, didn't you?"
Ron's cheeks got pink. "Well, yeah, what else could I say to McGonagall after what Vo-Vold-Volde-mort did to my father?"
Harry smiled at Ron's attempt to say You-Know-Who's name. "Alright, Ron, we'd better be going".
They went down. Hermione and Ginny were waiting for them near the entrance. Ron looked at Hermione and lowered his eyes. Harry walked a little faster and stopped in front of Ginny. She kissed him slightly on the lips.
"Good morning, Hermione".
"Good morning, Harry". She smiled.
Harry held Ginny's hand. "Let's go, I'm starving".
The Fat Lady picture moved. Harry and Ginny were the first to leave, followed by Hermione and, a little far, Ron. He didn't have courage to even say a 'good day' to Hermione. They got to the common room and took their seats. Ron had to seat beside Hermione because there were no place left at Harry's or Ginny's side. He was so nervous that he wasn't eating. Hermione didn't seem to be hungry either.
"Harry" Ginny whispered.
"What?"
"I think we should leave now"
"Why?"
Ginny moved her eyes at Ron's and Hermione's direction.
"Ok". Harry got up.
"Did you finish?" Ron asked.
"Yes".
Ginny got up too. "We... hum... you know" she blushed.
"That's ok. See you at class, Harry". Hermione smiled.
They left. Hermione and Ron said nothing to each other. A few minutes later, Hermione rose and turned to the entrance of the great hall, but Ron was still seated. "Will you not come?"
He looked at her. She was not smiling, but was not looking at him like he was a vermin, and she didn't sound upset or angry, but normal. "Yeah, I... I will... I'm just finishing breakfast".
"Finishing? But you didn't touch your food. I think if you want to finish it you'll spend all morning eating. I bet Snape will be really glad giving you a zero".
He could not believe his ears. "I... alright, I was not hungry after all". He got up. "Let's go?"
Hermione smiled and went towards the stairs. Ron followed her.
Draco was watching everything from his table. Hermione didn't even look at his direction. His brain was burning in anger and jealousy, but his heart was aching more than he ever felt in his life. After Hermione's and Ron's departure, he rose and went to his class, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
Ron and Hermione walked side by side in a total silence.
"Hermione..." he called near the Snape's dungeon.
She looked at him. "What?"
"Ginny... Ginny said you were crying yesterday".
She blushed. "Yeah, I did".
"What... what Malfoy did to you?"
"Nothing... thanks to Harry".
Ron could not handle her eyes and lowered his. "Sorry I was not there".
"That's ok".
"I didn't think you'll need help as you said you could deal with him".
"Parkinson attacked me at my back".
"Are you upset at me?"
She didn't answer and stopped to look at him.
"May I understand this as a 'yes'?"
"I will not lie to you. Yes, I'm upset".
Ron froze. Suddenly, he felt like the ground had disappeared under his feet.
"But it's not at you only. I'm upset at me also. I was really dumb to think that I could trust Malfoy".
It was an innocent phrase, but to Ron it was the confirmation that Hermione was really in love with him. "But, Hermione, maybe it was not a trap, I mean; Parkinson might has gone crazy when she saw you leaving with him".
Hermione turned to Ron. "Are you defending Malfoy?"
"No, I just... you see... he said to you it was private. If it was not, why did you leave with him?"
"Ron, you..." She felt her eyes getting dim. Hermione noticed she was about to cry again, so she decided to end the conversation saying nothing more. She turned her back at Ron and entered at the dungeon.
Ron opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He then followed Hermione. Snape entered right after him. "Faster, Weasley. I don't have time to wait for you". Ron forced himself into the dungeon. Hermione was seated beside Harry, but there was no place for him beside her, so he seated at Harry's left side. He gave a quick look at her, but she was facing the blackboard. "Hey, mate".
"What, Ron?" Harry whispered.
"I think I made things worst between me and Hermione".
"How you..."
"So, you think you got so many O.W.L.s that you don't need to pay attention. Maybe, both of you can teach too as long as my presence is not needed anymore. Am I wrong, Mr. Potter?"
Harry faced him. "Sorry, Professor".
"Mr. Weasley?"
"I'm sorry".
"'I'm sorry' what?"
"I'm sorry, Professor".
"Let's hope you keep your mouth shut, or I will be forced to take some points from Gryffindor and it will be a pity, won't it?" Snape smirked.