Chapter 6
The term sped past, and before anyone knew it, it was December and the castle was being decorated for Christmas. The term was certainly in full swing; the new first years had settled in, and had even become somewhat cocky.
Harry and Cho's late night meetings had carried on happening sporadically. It was always Cho who controlled them; she seemed to be in two minds about the situation, as if she was not sure that this was what she wanted. She, however, was always the more enthusiastic during their meetings; Harry had still not forgotten Cedric, he couldn't help but wonder that if Cedric were still alive, he and Cho would most likely not be having these secret dates.
Harry enjoyed the mystery of it all; the suggestive smiles in corridors, and the thrill of getting caught. There was not much chance they could get caught though, Harry assumed Cho made up feasible excuses, and Ron and Hermione assumed he was meeting with the teachers. They left him alone a lot these days, as they knew it was what he wanted. It was sad that they weren't joined at the hip anymore, but this was the way it was meant to be. They were still best friends of course, but Harry didn't like being around people constantly anymore. He spent vast amounts of time sitting in his dormitory mulling things over in his brain; occasionally Ron would come up to check on him, and they would chat for a few minutes, but Ron would always retreat back downstairs after long, because he knew it was what Harry wanted. There were no hard feelings; Hermione and Ron both imagined that they would want the same thing if they were in a situation the same as Harry's, so left it alone.
Ron got frustrated occasionally, though. They never did find out exactly what the prophecy had said, and so were still somewhat in the dark about the full extent of their friend's destiny. Harry would sense Ron getting angry sometimes, and he would feel bad, but he knew that neither Ron nor Hermione should know what had to take place. He was sure they would have pretty much guessed it a long time ago, but not the exact details.
Hermione had asked Harry if he wanted to talk about Sirius a few times; naturally he had declined, but was genuinely grateful for her concern. Harry enjoyed his time with Hermione; occasionally Ron would go to practice Quidditch, or sometimes he would just disappear completely, and Harry and Hermione would be left alone. Harry supposed that it was because Hermione was a girl that she was so good at understanding things, and generally seemed cheerful. This was why it was such a shock one day when she entered the common room looking half heart broken and half livid.
"Hi, Hermione" Harry had not yet fully noticed her woeful expression, having been engrossed in his DADA homework.
"What the fuck's going on with him?" Hermione kicked the chair softly; a few people looked up. She noticed the stare, and sat down. Harry had had her full attention since she said the word 'fuck'. Hermione was more partial to swear now than she had been three years ago, but it was a rare occasion to hear a word like that pass her lips.
"Who?" Despite his attention, Harry hadn't a clue what the girl was on about.
"Who d'you think?" She shot a venomous look at him. Harry knew this wasn't good, but he was still completely in the dark about what she was trying to convey.
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, mate, but I've got no idea what you're on about" Harry knew he was pushing her, but this was going to get nowhere if he didn't find out soon, and Hermione looked close to breaking point.
"I just walked in on something which I – well, put it this way, I shouldn't have done."
"Go on..." Harry was interested to know what was going on, although he had half guessed it already.
"Well I was just coming back from the library, when I saw Ron walking down a corridor near the Charms rooms, you know?" Harry nodded his head slowly. "And, well, I saw him go into a classroom, and I did call his name, but he obviously didn't hear me, so I followed him." Harry knew his first assumptions had been correct by now, and he tried to stop himself from smiling, still acting as though he was as clueless as he had been previously.
"Yeah... and?"
Hermione looked as if the words weren't coming all that easily. After a few seconds she came out with "And, well, I looked through the glass on the door, and I saw Ron, I saw Ron, with Padma Patil."
"You saw him with her?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Well, they were... Oh Harry, they were kissing!" Harry suppressed a small laugh; he knew Hermione did not see this situation as an amusing one.
"Right... and what's so wrong with that?"
"Good God, Harry, did you know?
"What? Of course I didn't, I'm just not all that surprised."
"Not all that surprised? What? How could you say that? He never mentioned it to either of us, and anyway, I always thought he had his eye on someone else." Hermione's tone quietened and she lowered her eyes to her knees.
"Hermione, did you ever consider the possibility that just maybe he never thought the other person liked him back?"
Hermione looked as of she was thinking intently. Both she and Harry knew exactly who this other mystery person was; her. Harry went back to scanning his essay, and smiled inwardly. He was glad that Ron had gone off and found someone else, maybe this would finally make him realise how much he loved the broken hearted girl sitting in front of Harry.
"What I don't understand is, why Padma? At the Yule Ball they hardly even talked to each other, they never hit it off!"
"Mate, he's a seventeen year old boy, and, believe me, he would have anyone at the moment."
Hermione did not seem contented by the last comment; Harry supposed she couldn't understand it, and she probably couldn't. What he wasn't expecting, however, was her next comment.
"Who's yours then?"
"My what?"
"Your girl."
"Sorry?" Harry knew he would have to end up revealing all, but had a small portion of hope left inside him telling him that if he acted as though he didn't have a clue what she was on about, she would leave it. Unfortunately Hermione could never leave anything,
"Oh, Harry, I've known you too long for this. I'm not stupid, just tell me."
Harry swallowed hard, "Cho"
"Ah, so it did finally happen for you two?"
"It seems so."
"Harry, I don't mean to be horrible or anything, but, just be careful."
Harry knew Hermione hadn't meant to be malicious by the last comment, but could not help feeling slightly offended. He knew to what she was referring; last year's debacle with Marietta had caused Hermione not to trust Cho. Harry, however, liked her a lot, and so decided to ignore Hermione's words.
Looking back at her, Harry realised Hermione was still very upset, and was just about to get her to read his Potions essay in an attempt to cheer her up, when Ron came marching through the portrait hole towards them.
"Evening all" Harry couldn't help smiling at Ron's good mood.
"Alright? Where have you been?" Harry loved seeing Ron squirm.
"Library, so much homework these days, you know how it is." Harry nodded, stifling a chuckle.
"That's odd, I didn't see you there." Hermione was seriously pissed off with Ron, and she equally wanted to make him uncomfortable.
"Oh, well, I must have been at the other end, and I left early, had to talk to Ginny."
"Right, well I'm going to bed." Hermione got up, dusted herself down, and strode towards the girls' dormitories.
"Ron sat down in her seat and watched her walk away. "It's a bit early for her to be going to bed, isn't it?"
Harry just threw Ron an exasperated look and smiled at his book.
**^^**
Later on, whilst lying in bed, Harry smiled. He knew that this thing with Padma was purely animal, and that Ron would realise sooner or later that he loved Hermione. With a frown at his last thought Harry rolled over, was his and Cho's relationship purely animal?
What he didn't realise was, this thing with Cho was causing him to miss the blindingly obvious: Ginny.
~~**~~
Well, that was my next chapter.
I know there's been lots of Harry recently, but the next few bits will be mainly Ginny, so don't think it's all going to be about Harry.
Mithrandir – thank you for the review, yeah, I really think the Cho thing is important, and so had to include it.
Dementorchic – Thank you! I hate Cho too... she's a biatch...
Thanks to the other reviewers. – Keep doing it!
Thanks,
Nine Alternatives.
The term sped past, and before anyone knew it, it was December and the castle was being decorated for Christmas. The term was certainly in full swing; the new first years had settled in, and had even become somewhat cocky.
Harry and Cho's late night meetings had carried on happening sporadically. It was always Cho who controlled them; she seemed to be in two minds about the situation, as if she was not sure that this was what she wanted. She, however, was always the more enthusiastic during their meetings; Harry had still not forgotten Cedric, he couldn't help but wonder that if Cedric were still alive, he and Cho would most likely not be having these secret dates.
Harry enjoyed the mystery of it all; the suggestive smiles in corridors, and the thrill of getting caught. There was not much chance they could get caught though, Harry assumed Cho made up feasible excuses, and Ron and Hermione assumed he was meeting with the teachers. They left him alone a lot these days, as they knew it was what he wanted. It was sad that they weren't joined at the hip anymore, but this was the way it was meant to be. They were still best friends of course, but Harry didn't like being around people constantly anymore. He spent vast amounts of time sitting in his dormitory mulling things over in his brain; occasionally Ron would come up to check on him, and they would chat for a few minutes, but Ron would always retreat back downstairs after long, because he knew it was what Harry wanted. There were no hard feelings; Hermione and Ron both imagined that they would want the same thing if they were in a situation the same as Harry's, so left it alone.
Ron got frustrated occasionally, though. They never did find out exactly what the prophecy had said, and so were still somewhat in the dark about the full extent of their friend's destiny. Harry would sense Ron getting angry sometimes, and he would feel bad, but he knew that neither Ron nor Hermione should know what had to take place. He was sure they would have pretty much guessed it a long time ago, but not the exact details.
Hermione had asked Harry if he wanted to talk about Sirius a few times; naturally he had declined, but was genuinely grateful for her concern. Harry enjoyed his time with Hermione; occasionally Ron would go to practice Quidditch, or sometimes he would just disappear completely, and Harry and Hermione would be left alone. Harry supposed that it was because Hermione was a girl that she was so good at understanding things, and generally seemed cheerful. This was why it was such a shock one day when she entered the common room looking half heart broken and half livid.
"Hi, Hermione" Harry had not yet fully noticed her woeful expression, having been engrossed in his DADA homework.
"What the fuck's going on with him?" Hermione kicked the chair softly; a few people looked up. She noticed the stare, and sat down. Harry had had her full attention since she said the word 'fuck'. Hermione was more partial to swear now than she had been three years ago, but it was a rare occasion to hear a word like that pass her lips.
"Who?" Despite his attention, Harry hadn't a clue what the girl was on about.
"Who d'you think?" She shot a venomous look at him. Harry knew this wasn't good, but he was still completely in the dark about what she was trying to convey.
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, mate, but I've got no idea what you're on about" Harry knew he was pushing her, but this was going to get nowhere if he didn't find out soon, and Hermione looked close to breaking point.
"I just walked in on something which I – well, put it this way, I shouldn't have done."
"Go on..." Harry was interested to know what was going on, although he had half guessed it already.
"Well I was just coming back from the library, when I saw Ron walking down a corridor near the Charms rooms, you know?" Harry nodded his head slowly. "And, well, I saw him go into a classroom, and I did call his name, but he obviously didn't hear me, so I followed him." Harry knew his first assumptions had been correct by now, and he tried to stop himself from smiling, still acting as though he was as clueless as he had been previously.
"Yeah... and?"
Hermione looked as if the words weren't coming all that easily. After a few seconds she came out with "And, well, I looked through the glass on the door, and I saw Ron, I saw Ron, with Padma Patil."
"You saw him with her?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Well, they were... Oh Harry, they were kissing!" Harry suppressed a small laugh; he knew Hermione did not see this situation as an amusing one.
"Right... and what's so wrong with that?"
"Good God, Harry, did you know?
"What? Of course I didn't, I'm just not all that surprised."
"Not all that surprised? What? How could you say that? He never mentioned it to either of us, and anyway, I always thought he had his eye on someone else." Hermione's tone quietened and she lowered her eyes to her knees.
"Hermione, did you ever consider the possibility that just maybe he never thought the other person liked him back?"
Hermione looked as of she was thinking intently. Both she and Harry knew exactly who this other mystery person was; her. Harry went back to scanning his essay, and smiled inwardly. He was glad that Ron had gone off and found someone else, maybe this would finally make him realise how much he loved the broken hearted girl sitting in front of Harry.
"What I don't understand is, why Padma? At the Yule Ball they hardly even talked to each other, they never hit it off!"
"Mate, he's a seventeen year old boy, and, believe me, he would have anyone at the moment."
Hermione did not seem contented by the last comment; Harry supposed she couldn't understand it, and she probably couldn't. What he wasn't expecting, however, was her next comment.
"Who's yours then?"
"My what?"
"Your girl."
"Sorry?" Harry knew he would have to end up revealing all, but had a small portion of hope left inside him telling him that if he acted as though he didn't have a clue what she was on about, she would leave it. Unfortunately Hermione could never leave anything,
"Oh, Harry, I've known you too long for this. I'm not stupid, just tell me."
Harry swallowed hard, "Cho"
"Ah, so it did finally happen for you two?"
"It seems so."
"Harry, I don't mean to be horrible or anything, but, just be careful."
Harry knew Hermione hadn't meant to be malicious by the last comment, but could not help feeling slightly offended. He knew to what she was referring; last year's debacle with Marietta had caused Hermione not to trust Cho. Harry, however, liked her a lot, and so decided to ignore Hermione's words.
Looking back at her, Harry realised Hermione was still very upset, and was just about to get her to read his Potions essay in an attempt to cheer her up, when Ron came marching through the portrait hole towards them.
"Evening all" Harry couldn't help smiling at Ron's good mood.
"Alright? Where have you been?" Harry loved seeing Ron squirm.
"Library, so much homework these days, you know how it is." Harry nodded, stifling a chuckle.
"That's odd, I didn't see you there." Hermione was seriously pissed off with Ron, and she equally wanted to make him uncomfortable.
"Oh, well, I must have been at the other end, and I left early, had to talk to Ginny."
"Right, well I'm going to bed." Hermione got up, dusted herself down, and strode towards the girls' dormitories.
"Ron sat down in her seat and watched her walk away. "It's a bit early for her to be going to bed, isn't it?"
Harry just threw Ron an exasperated look and smiled at his book.
**^^**
Later on, whilst lying in bed, Harry smiled. He knew that this thing with Padma was purely animal, and that Ron would realise sooner or later that he loved Hermione. With a frown at his last thought Harry rolled over, was his and Cho's relationship purely animal?
What he didn't realise was, this thing with Cho was causing him to miss the blindingly obvious: Ginny.
~~**~~
Well, that was my next chapter.
I know there's been lots of Harry recently, but the next few bits will be mainly Ginny, so don't think it's all going to be about Harry.
Mithrandir – thank you for the review, yeah, I really think the Cho thing is important, and so had to include it.
Dementorchic – Thank you! I hate Cho too... she's a biatch...
Thanks to the other reviewers. – Keep doing it!
Thanks,
Nine Alternatives.