Chapter XXXIV
"You can ONLY be kidding!" Harry was almost screaming.
"No, Harry, I saw it" Ron lowered his head. "Why is always me who sees them together?"
"Ron, that's impossible! That must be another reason. Hermione can not be in love with Malfoy!"
"If she's not, why she let him kiss her? Do you think Hermione would do a thing like that just for fun?"
"Of course not, but there's something terribly wrong here. I doubt... I don't believe Hermione's in love with that... with that..."
"I know what you mean. But Harry, everything fits. That day when I saw them together, when Hermione got closer him for no reason at all and then he kissed her. Days after I saw both alone in a place where nobody goes and this time is a real kiss. She goes to talk private with him and Parkinson attacks her cause of jealousy. And today..."
"What happened today?"
"When I went after Hermione, Malfoy grabbed my arm and warned me... that rogue!..." Ron closed his fist "... warned me to be out of the way".
"Out of the way? What way?"
"The way between him and Hermione, of course".
"I can't believe this".
"See? Malfoy wants her. It's not only from Hermione. He knows, mate, he knows she loves him". Ron was fighting his feeling to stay calm. He was only sad outside, but inside he was bleeding.
"But, Ron, if it was true, she might be happy, after all, his giving love back".
"You don't know Hermione. She's too proud. Malfoy insults her since our first year here, you know that. And she also has sense of right and wrong. His father's a Death Eater and so Malfoy will be someday. And I think she doesn't trust him, not totally. Can you imagine all those things passing through her mind? Heart and mind having a fight like that? I don't know how she's handling it".
Harry could not believe his ears. First because he could not accept that Hermione could be in love with Malfoy, even the evidences being so clear. Second because that boy who was walking by his side didn't sound like Ron at all. Where did he get so much maturity? "Ron, I..."
"Now you know, Harry. I just ask you to not say it to anyone, even to Ginny. Hermione will tell us, when she thinks it's appropriate" He looked at Harry. "You promise?"
Harry nodded.
"It's almost dinner time. We'd better return and take a bath. What do you think?"
"That's ok for me".
They turned and went towards the castle.
"I could bet you're the girl he was talking too" Ginny said, looking at Hermione.
"You wish I was. It's different. Ginny..." she blushed a little "... sorry for that little show I gave yesterday"
Ginny smiled. "Don't worry about that".
"You know, it was really nice to hear Ron saying that he cares about me, that he missed me. At least, he likes me as a friend".
"Something's wrong here. I know he loves you, I know it".
"You know I wish it was true, Ginny".
Ginny looked at the door. "What are they talking about? You already told me what happened. I don't know why Ron is taking too long".
"Well, maybe Harry is talking about you, didn't you think about that?"
Ginny turned to Hermione. "Talking about me? What he..."
"Shh!" Hermione said, putting a finger in front of her mouth. "They're getting in".
Ron and Harry were smiling. They went towards the girls.
"So, you can help Ginny with her lessons, but you can't help me" Ron said, grinning.
"C'mon, Ron, I always help you. The problem is that you want me to do your lessons and not to help you"
"Well, but that's a kind of help, don't you think so?"
Everybody laughed, even Hermione.
"I'm going to take a bath. See you later". Ron went upstairs.
Harry sat beside Ginny. He kissed her cheek. Hermione rose.
"Hermione, where are you going? We didn't finish the lesson".
"Do you really think I will play the hanging lamp to you, Ginny? No way! Besides, Harry is pretty good in Transfiguration. I think he can help you. I'll meet you here, so we can go dinner". She left them.
"Long conversation, huh? What did you talk about?" Ginny asked.
"So you'll pretend you don't know?"
"I have an idea".
"Hermione, of course".
"And Ron told you something new?"
For a moment, Harry thought to say everything to Ginny; after all, she was Hermione's friend and might know something. "Nothing, besides that he and Hermione sorted out their problems".
"Who's that girl Hermione insists he's in love with?"
Harry kept silence.
"Harry, what that silence means?"
"Means that I can not tell you".
"So there IS a girl".
Harry nodded.
"And it's... Hermione?
Harry wished he had not promised to Ron to not tell anything. "I can tell you nothing, Ginny, so please stop asking".
She looked at him and noticed it was useless to ask anything more. She gave him a slight kiss and went to the girls' room.
"You can ONLY be kidding!" Harry was almost screaming.
"No, Harry, I saw it" Ron lowered his head. "Why is always me who sees them together?"
"Ron, that's impossible! That must be another reason. Hermione can not be in love with Malfoy!"
"If she's not, why she let him kiss her? Do you think Hermione would do a thing like that just for fun?"
"Of course not, but there's something terribly wrong here. I doubt... I don't believe Hermione's in love with that... with that..."
"I know what you mean. But Harry, everything fits. That day when I saw them together, when Hermione got closer him for no reason at all and then he kissed her. Days after I saw both alone in a place where nobody goes and this time is a real kiss. She goes to talk private with him and Parkinson attacks her cause of jealousy. And today..."
"What happened today?"
"When I went after Hermione, Malfoy grabbed my arm and warned me... that rogue!..." Ron closed his fist "... warned me to be out of the way".
"Out of the way? What way?"
"The way between him and Hermione, of course".
"I can't believe this".
"See? Malfoy wants her. It's not only from Hermione. He knows, mate, he knows she loves him". Ron was fighting his feeling to stay calm. He was only sad outside, but inside he was bleeding.
"But, Ron, if it was true, she might be happy, after all, his giving love back".
"You don't know Hermione. She's too proud. Malfoy insults her since our first year here, you know that. And she also has sense of right and wrong. His father's a Death Eater and so Malfoy will be someday. And I think she doesn't trust him, not totally. Can you imagine all those things passing through her mind? Heart and mind having a fight like that? I don't know how she's handling it".
Harry could not believe his ears. First because he could not accept that Hermione could be in love with Malfoy, even the evidences being so clear. Second because that boy who was walking by his side didn't sound like Ron at all. Where did he get so much maturity? "Ron, I..."
"Now you know, Harry. I just ask you to not say it to anyone, even to Ginny. Hermione will tell us, when she thinks it's appropriate" He looked at Harry. "You promise?"
Harry nodded.
"It's almost dinner time. We'd better return and take a bath. What do you think?"
"That's ok for me".
They turned and went towards the castle.
"I could bet you're the girl he was talking too" Ginny said, looking at Hermione.
"You wish I was. It's different. Ginny..." she blushed a little "... sorry for that little show I gave yesterday"
Ginny smiled. "Don't worry about that".
"You know, it was really nice to hear Ron saying that he cares about me, that he missed me. At least, he likes me as a friend".
"Something's wrong here. I know he loves you, I know it".
"You know I wish it was true, Ginny".
Ginny looked at the door. "What are they talking about? You already told me what happened. I don't know why Ron is taking too long".
"Well, maybe Harry is talking about you, didn't you think about that?"
Ginny turned to Hermione. "Talking about me? What he..."
"Shh!" Hermione said, putting a finger in front of her mouth. "They're getting in".
Ron and Harry were smiling. They went towards the girls.
"So, you can help Ginny with her lessons, but you can't help me" Ron said, grinning.
"C'mon, Ron, I always help you. The problem is that you want me to do your lessons and not to help you"
"Well, but that's a kind of help, don't you think so?"
Everybody laughed, even Hermione.
"I'm going to take a bath. See you later". Ron went upstairs.
Harry sat beside Ginny. He kissed her cheek. Hermione rose.
"Hermione, where are you going? We didn't finish the lesson".
"Do you really think I will play the hanging lamp to you, Ginny? No way! Besides, Harry is pretty good in Transfiguration. I think he can help you. I'll meet you here, so we can go dinner". She left them.
"Long conversation, huh? What did you talk about?" Ginny asked.
"So you'll pretend you don't know?"
"I have an idea".
"Hermione, of course".
"And Ron told you something new?"
For a moment, Harry thought to say everything to Ginny; after all, she was Hermione's friend and might know something. "Nothing, besides that he and Hermione sorted out their problems".
"Who's that girl Hermione insists he's in love with?"
Harry kept silence.
"Harry, what that silence means?"
"Means that I can not tell you".
"So there IS a girl".
Harry nodded.
"And it's... Hermione?
Harry wished he had not promised to Ron to not tell anything. "I can tell you nothing, Ginny, so please stop asking".
She looked at him and noticed it was useless to ask anything more. She gave him a slight kiss and went to the girls' room.