The Next Morning IV
She was alone again. The morning light filled the Great Hall, the smell of food hung heavy in the air and there was a low buzz of conversation. Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, staring at the empty plate before her.
Hermione sighed, rubbing her weary eyes. She hadn't slept well. Worry, questions, and all the things that had been happening kept replaying in her mind. Harry was still in the Hospital Wing, his memories recently brought back. Ginny giving her cold glances, for hurting Ron and for choosing Harry. Hermione hadn't even realized she had chosen Harry over Ron, it wasn't until she truly examined her feelings about it. About who she would like to be beside more, and it happened to be the boy sleeping peacefully in a bed in the Hospital Wing.
And then there was Ron. He continued to ignore her, walking by her and ignoring the attempts she had made to try to talk to him, to try and sort things out. But it would be of no use, Ron had already declared that he could not stand to see Harry and her together, she didn't know if time or an effort on their part would make him come around again, or was that the end of their friendship? Hermione shook her head; they had been friends for nearly five years. It couldn't end just like that.
She could handle the usual reasons for fighting among their small group. The imagined betrayals, the misinterpreting of words, petty jealousy, but now things had changed. She didn't know if things could be patched back together. Hermione dropped her head into her hands, clenching her eyes shut.
Ginny had been right when she said that the only way to solve this mess was giving up Harry. It was the most logical choice, but Hermione didn't want to. Then again Ron had been right in that one date didn't constitute a relationship. She could walk away from this and no one would say anything about it, it's not like they were in a long relationship.
It was all getting complicated, things were far better when they had just all been friends. Hermione sighed, she had no one to blame but herself. She said yes and now she had to face all the consequences that resulted from that.
"Can I sit down?" Someone said.
Hermione looked up, shocked to see Ron. "Yeah, go ahead." She said.
Ron nodded and sat down upon the seat before her. He looked as bad as she felt, his eyes were bloodshot, his hair rumpled, and he looked half asleep. They sat there in silence for a while, Ron staring at the tabletop and Hermione trying to look anywhere but toward Ron.
"How's Harry?" Ron asked.
"He's doing fine, or he was when I left him last night. Pomfrey wouldn't let me see him this morning." Hermione said cautiously.
Ron only nodded. "That's good."
"Yeah."
Ron suddenly sighed, rubbing his eyes fiercely and taking a deep breath. "Look. I know what I said, I know how I reacted. I know it was stupid of me to say those words and to suddenly announce things at that time." He said quickly, holding up at hand to stop Hermione's response. "We've been friends for a long while now. I still want us to be friends, if it's okay with you."
Hermione smiled tentatively. "I still want to be friends with you also, Ron."
Ron smiled weakly. "Good. Then let's just forget all about what happened Saturday night, 'kay?"
"Yeah." Hermione responded.
Ron sat there looking at his hands. He quickly glanced up at her and looked away. "I'm going to be late for Potions." He muttered and left.
Hermione watched him leave, shaking her head slightly. It was a start, but she knew there would have to be a long struggle to get back where they use to be. She pulled out her Potions book, contrary to Ron, Potions didn't start for another thirty minutes.
She was alone again. The morning light filled the Great Hall, the smell of food hung heavy in the air and there was a low buzz of conversation. Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, staring at the empty plate before her.
Hermione sighed, rubbing her weary eyes. She hadn't slept well. Worry, questions, and all the things that had been happening kept replaying in her mind. Harry was still in the Hospital Wing, his memories recently brought back. Ginny giving her cold glances, for hurting Ron and for choosing Harry. Hermione hadn't even realized she had chosen Harry over Ron, it wasn't until she truly examined her feelings about it. About who she would like to be beside more, and it happened to be the boy sleeping peacefully in a bed in the Hospital Wing.
And then there was Ron. He continued to ignore her, walking by her and ignoring the attempts she had made to try to talk to him, to try and sort things out. But it would be of no use, Ron had already declared that he could not stand to see Harry and her together, she didn't know if time or an effort on their part would make him come around again, or was that the end of their friendship? Hermione shook her head; they had been friends for nearly five years. It couldn't end just like that.
She could handle the usual reasons for fighting among their small group. The imagined betrayals, the misinterpreting of words, petty jealousy, but now things had changed. She didn't know if things could be patched back together. Hermione dropped her head into her hands, clenching her eyes shut.
Ginny had been right when she said that the only way to solve this mess was giving up Harry. It was the most logical choice, but Hermione didn't want to. Then again Ron had been right in that one date didn't constitute a relationship. She could walk away from this and no one would say anything about it, it's not like they were in a long relationship.
It was all getting complicated, things were far better when they had just all been friends. Hermione sighed, she had no one to blame but herself. She said yes and now she had to face all the consequences that resulted from that.
"Can I sit down?" Someone said.
Hermione looked up, shocked to see Ron. "Yeah, go ahead." She said.
Ron nodded and sat down upon the seat before her. He looked as bad as she felt, his eyes were bloodshot, his hair rumpled, and he looked half asleep. They sat there in silence for a while, Ron staring at the tabletop and Hermione trying to look anywhere but toward Ron.
"How's Harry?" Ron asked.
"He's doing fine, or he was when I left him last night. Pomfrey wouldn't let me see him this morning." Hermione said cautiously.
Ron only nodded. "That's good."
"Yeah."
Ron suddenly sighed, rubbing his eyes fiercely and taking a deep breath. "Look. I know what I said, I know how I reacted. I know it was stupid of me to say those words and to suddenly announce things at that time." He said quickly, holding up at hand to stop Hermione's response. "We've been friends for a long while now. I still want us to be friends, if it's okay with you."
Hermione smiled tentatively. "I still want to be friends with you also, Ron."
Ron smiled weakly. "Good. Then let's just forget all about what happened Saturday night, 'kay?"
"Yeah." Hermione responded.
Ron sat there looking at his hands. He quickly glanced up at her and looked away. "I'm going to be late for Potions." He muttered and left.
Hermione watched him leave, shaking her head slightly. It was a start, but she knew there would have to be a long struggle to get back where they use to be. She pulled out her Potions book, contrary to Ron, Potions didn't start for another thirty minutes.