The Next Morning V
"Are you alright?' Ron asked, settling down in the seat across from Hermione.
She looked up, trying to smile, but failing. "No." She replied.
Ron was quiet for a moment. "Did you see Harry?" Hermione nodded and Ron sighed. "I did too. He yelled, he cursed me, and practically chased me out of the Hospital Wing."
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked.
Ron shrugged. "He's grieving. What I heard is that its just more than losing Sirius, it's all the pain in his life. He's facing it all again."
Hermione gasped. "Who told you?"
Ron grinned sheepishly. "Yesterday I went to see Harry and Dumbledore happened to be there. I overheard him talking with Madam Pomfrey. I also heard other things too." Ron shook his head, frowning slightly.
Hermione sighed. "We're going to have to help him through this." She said. "We're going to have to be there for him, now more than ever."
Ron was nodding. "Yeah, who knows what he's capable of doing when the pain gets too bad for him."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
Ron shook his head. 'Nothing. It's just we can't let him go off by himself anymore. He's facing more hurt and pain then he ever has and there's a lot of things that could happen to a person who's in that kind of situation."
Hermione looked at him. "What are you saying, that he'd hurt himself?" She asked.
Ron only nodded.
Hermione sighed heavily, dropping her head into her hands. "We just have to do what we can." She said finally.
Ron nodded again.
"What's this? What are you two crying about?" A drawling voice sneered.
Hermione glanced up and glared, Draco Malfoy was standing at their table.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron said coldly.
Draco only grinned. "I hear that Potter's in the Hospital Wing. That he's crying like a little baby." He gloated.
Hermione glared at him. "Go back to your table." She said angrily.
Draco grinned again. "I don't take orders from Mudbloods."
"Shut it, Malfoy." Ron snapped.
"What are you going to do, Weasley?" Draco smirked; Crabbe and Goyle suddenly appeared at his side. Both looking like they'd enjoy a nice fight.
Ron just glared at him. "Yes, act like you're tough. But we all know that you couldn't even fight off Harry. You're nothing but a little bully, tough when you're backed up by those two, but a weeping coward when you're alone.'
Malfoy clenched his fist. "You'd better watch how you speak to me, Weasley. You'd better watch your back from now on, too.' With that he got up and stormed off.
"That bastard." Ron snarled.
"You shouldn't provoke him. Not when he's backed by those two." Hermione said.
Ron snorted. "He wouldn't do anything. Its not his style. He's a damn Slytherin and they don't do things in the open. He'll wait until I'm alone, then he'll summon up the courage to face me."
"Then don't be alone."
Ron looked at her, a small smile forming. "I don't' want to be." He said, watching her.
Hermione looked down at the table, feeling herself flush. "I...we...I have to get to class." She said hastily, grabbing her bag and leaving.
Ron watched her leave. He shook his head, feeling ashamed that he was attempting to betray a friend while he was injured, a little angry that Hermione still picked Harry, and a little excited for there was a brief moment where something sparked between them.
Ron grabbed a plate. There was just too many emotions, too many things that he tried making sense of. He felt horrible about still trying to pursue Hermione, but he knew if the chance came again he would take it.
"Are you alright?' Ron asked, settling down in the seat across from Hermione.
She looked up, trying to smile, but failing. "No." She replied.
Ron was quiet for a moment. "Did you see Harry?" Hermione nodded and Ron sighed. "I did too. He yelled, he cursed me, and practically chased me out of the Hospital Wing."
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked.
Ron shrugged. "He's grieving. What I heard is that its just more than losing Sirius, it's all the pain in his life. He's facing it all again."
Hermione gasped. "Who told you?"
Ron grinned sheepishly. "Yesterday I went to see Harry and Dumbledore happened to be there. I overheard him talking with Madam Pomfrey. I also heard other things too." Ron shook his head, frowning slightly.
Hermione sighed. "We're going to have to help him through this." She said. "We're going to have to be there for him, now more than ever."
Ron was nodding. "Yeah, who knows what he's capable of doing when the pain gets too bad for him."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
Ron shook his head. 'Nothing. It's just we can't let him go off by himself anymore. He's facing more hurt and pain then he ever has and there's a lot of things that could happen to a person who's in that kind of situation."
Hermione looked at him. "What are you saying, that he'd hurt himself?" She asked.
Ron only nodded.
Hermione sighed heavily, dropping her head into her hands. "We just have to do what we can." She said finally.
Ron nodded again.
"What's this? What are you two crying about?" A drawling voice sneered.
Hermione glanced up and glared, Draco Malfoy was standing at their table.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron said coldly.
Draco only grinned. "I hear that Potter's in the Hospital Wing. That he's crying like a little baby." He gloated.
Hermione glared at him. "Go back to your table." She said angrily.
Draco grinned again. "I don't take orders from Mudbloods."
"Shut it, Malfoy." Ron snapped.
"What are you going to do, Weasley?" Draco smirked; Crabbe and Goyle suddenly appeared at his side. Both looking like they'd enjoy a nice fight.
Ron just glared at him. "Yes, act like you're tough. But we all know that you couldn't even fight off Harry. You're nothing but a little bully, tough when you're backed up by those two, but a weeping coward when you're alone.'
Malfoy clenched his fist. "You'd better watch how you speak to me, Weasley. You'd better watch your back from now on, too.' With that he got up and stormed off.
"That bastard." Ron snarled.
"You shouldn't provoke him. Not when he's backed by those two." Hermione said.
Ron snorted. "He wouldn't do anything. Its not his style. He's a damn Slytherin and they don't do things in the open. He'll wait until I'm alone, then he'll summon up the courage to face me."
"Then don't be alone."
Ron looked at her, a small smile forming. "I don't' want to be." He said, watching her.
Hermione looked down at the table, feeling herself flush. "I...we...I have to get to class." She said hastily, grabbing her bag and leaving.
Ron watched her leave. He shook his head, feeling ashamed that he was attempting to betray a friend while he was injured, a little angry that Hermione still picked Harry, and a little excited for there was a brief moment where something sparked between them.
Ron grabbed a plate. There was just too many emotions, too many things that he tried making sense of. He felt horrible about still trying to pursue Hermione, but he knew if the chance came again he would take it.