PART TWENTY-FIVE

Disturbance

Hermione and Malfoy…my fifth and sixth visions…Ron's feelings…Malfoy's accident…my nightmares…the letter…everything around me…nothing seemed to be normal anymore. Everything seemed to be changing…and I wanted to scream out loud that I couldn't take it anymore; I didn't want to keep thinking of all these things that made no sense…I was tired…I was exhausted…I've had enough.

 "I better be off," Hermione said hastily, piling her books onto her arms.

Ron grabbed Harry's wrist and they both exited the classroom to catch up with Hermione, who had already gone out the door. "Look, I know you hated that Defense Against the Dark Arts class we just had, considering how those blokes from Slytherin were acting," Ron said, letting go of Harry and falling in step beside Hermione. "But don't mind them, okay? Now let's all go have lunch."

Hermione looked at him and then at Harry. "Thanks for the concern, but I'll just be seeing you in Herbology." And she sped off.

"What's with her?" Harry mused, walking beside Ron as they made their way to the Great Hall.

Ron shrugged. "I have no ruddy idea." He turned to Harry and changed the subject. "So, what did Madam Hooch say about the Final a few weeks ago? Any results yet?"

"Well," Harry sat down and watched as his plate was magically filled with food. "I spoke to McGonagall and I think the Quidditch Final was not counted."

"Come off it, Harry!" Ron took a sip of his drink. "Do you honestly think that they're barking mad enough to do that? Everyone'll freak out! Talk about a bloody commotion."

Harry grinned. "Don't you think everyone's had enough of a commotion already with what I did out there in the field? Even with all the detention I just had for the past weeks, McGonagall says it still isn't enough and that she's still thinking of a more 'proper way' to remind me of the 'severity' of my actions," he sighed. "Too bad that Slytherin git is still in a coma; I would've loved to see him get detention, too. His hexes were mighty painful."

"Hey now, don't say all those awful things about him," Ron countered. "Remember, he's Hermione's…er…boyfriend now…or has always been."

Harry put down his fork and studied the look on Ron's face. Then, carefully choosing his words, he said, "Er…Ron…you're not…jealous, are you? I mean, I know how you feel about Hermione, but…she's got someone else, Ron…she told us weeks ago… "

There was silence between them both for a while, until Ron sighed. "I really don't know what I'm feeling, Harry. I've been obsessed with Hermione for too long…I guess this is what real love is like; knowing she's happy with that Slytherin makes me happy for her, and maybe it's the right thing to do. It hurts like hell, but damn, it feels great at the same time." He shook his head. "That's it; I'm officially nutters."

Harry smiled and patted his back. "You're always pining about her not seeing your mature side. But let me tell you; what you just said right there is just about the most mature thing I've ever heard. Because you are, Ron. And someday, she's going to see that."

"Nah," Ron said, suddenly blushing. "I'm thinking she already has."

"What?"

Ron shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well…you know how you went up to the dormitories ahead of me last night? Well…er…she kind of…stayed behind for a while, too."

Harry grinned again. "Go on…"

"And when she did, well…she kind of…" Ron turned to look at Harry. "…kissed me. On the cheek."

"Wicked!" Harry reached out and ruffled Ron's hair mockingly.

Ron laughed. "She said, 'Thank you for everything, Ron. I mean it.' And I just died right there. That's it. And even though I'd so much rather want her to kiss me somewhere else, knowing she has a boyfriend allowed me not to jump on the opportunity that she was alone with me that night. And there you go. I've gotten what I want—she's finally realized my mature side. I'm just going to have to try to keep my feelings to myself again and try to let her go. God, I'm mature."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't get all cocky, now."

Ron chuckled and the two of them ate their meal in silence for a while.

"Say, Harry," Ron stuffed a piece of chicken meat into his mouth. "I was thinking; if what you said before was true—you know, about how Malfoy is behind all the horrible things that are about to happen—then why was he injured so suddenly and so heavily like that for no reason? The professors aren't too keen about answering our questions and giving us any explanations about how this happened to him, either. I mean, there was Cho's accident which we think is a start of the 'people around you are at stake' thing," he paused and swallowed. "Don't you think that Malfoy's accident is another sign of that? Is Malfoy one of those 'at stake' people? Or is it really just bad karma 'coz of what he did to Cho?"

Harry sighed and drank from his cup. "I'm not really sure, Ron. In fact, I'm not so sure about any of this anymore." He faced him. "And you know what's weird? During the time when Malfoy shed his blood all-out on me and started falling down the ground, I kind of felt…really awkward. I felt like I just…snapped. And when I did, Malfoy started falling faster." Harry rubbed his fingers on his temples. "God, it's just like my fifth and sixth visions…except without the Dark Mark. I feel like it was long predicted to me that this would happen. I don't know what the hell's happening to me…or what any of this is trying to tell me anymore."

Ron kept quiet, as he watched Harry battling with his thoughts and switching from the light-hearted mood a while back to the now distressed and exhausted one.  

"Do you remember that day when the new term started?" Harry continued. "When I missed both History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and came late to the Great Hall because I said Snape made me clean out the dungeons for no particular reason at all?"

Ron cocked his eyebrows. "Yeah, you did mention that. I remember hearing a rumor that you fainted and Cho had to charm you to take you to the hospital wing…" He chuckled. "'Course, that's not possible."

Harry kept silent, and Ron gaped at him. "Hang on, are you telling me that it is true?"

Harry sighed again for the millionth time. "I fainted. At first I didn't know why the hell that happened, but then I realized that before it did, I sort of felt something inside me…and I think that something just snapped at the Quidditch Final."

"Whoa," Ron held up one hand. "Are you telling me that this is what Godric said he was experiencing in that letter you read to us?" He shook his head disbelievingly. "I reckon you've gone mad, alright. Suppose there is something in you, something that's been waiting to be released which let's say happened to be set free during the Quidditch Final, then wouldn't hell have broken loose? I mean, that's what the letter said, right? The reason the people are at stake is because of the chaos the release of that thing inside would bring. Now let me ask you: was there any chaos? Were the people 'at stake'?"

Harry stared at his plate for a while. "Well, Malfoy did get mortally injured."

Ron shook his head again. "Look, you felt like you snapped after Malfoy started going ballistic and shooting blood everywhere. That doesn't make any sense. I admit everything you just said sort of explains the lot about your fifth and sixth visions and that letter of Godric's. But whatever is up, this is not the reason why Malfoy is now in a coma. If you ask me, Harry, I think you're thinking too much."

After a few moments of silence, Harry bobbed his head in a sort of determined way. "Right; I am thinking too much. I swear I'll get to the bottom of this."

"That's the spirit! Sorry I asked," Ron grabbed another chicken leg. "Now enough of all this talking and let's get eating!"

Hermione fiddled with her books in hand, looking around skeptically, thankful that everyone was most probably at the Great Hall at the moment and there was no one around to start mocking her again. She really needed to get away from it all.

At last, the door in front of her opened, and Hagrid poked his head out, looking worriedly at her. "Hermione!" he exclaimed, stepping aside to let her in. "Problem?"

Hermione stepped inside and sat at Hagrid's table. She put down her books and sighed. "Hagrid? Can I come live with you here for the remainder of the school year?"

"What?" Hagrid poured her a cup of tea and sat down across from her. "What d'yeh mean?"

"I can't stand any more of this, Hagrid," Hermione placed both hands on the cup. "I've been tolerating all this torture for weeks now, and I can't even have Draco by my side…I can only take so much oppression on my own."

Hagrid shook his head. "Yer not alone, Hermione. Yeh've got Harry and Ron and Ginny and Cho and all the other Gryffindors who are inside yer inner circle, the three of yeh. Not everyone's abandoned yeh, mind."

"I know that, but they're not getting any of this torment like I am! It's different; I can't take this anymore," Hermione buried her face in her hands.

Hagrid kept silent for a while, petting Fang who had snuggled on the floor beside his chair. He looked at Hermione and smiled. "I've known it all along, yeh know."

Hermione looked up at him. "What?"

"You an' Malfoy," said Hagrid. "I've known yeh both bin havin' a relationship. Ever since that night in detention."

"What do you—" she shook her head. "We weren't together yet at that time, you know. We—"

"I know yeh weren' yet, but I saw the look in yer eyes that evenin' an' I knew it'd happen pretty soon," he grinned.

Hermione looked out the window and up the castle, wondering if Malfoy was doing any better by the minute. "I really love him, Hagrid…I've tried not to but I just can't…"

"That's me point, see?" he replied, making Hermione turn back to him. "Yeh know, I once tried ter woo this girl back when I was studyin' in Hogwarts. Everyone started ter tease her about it, me bein' a half-giant an' all. I couldn' take it; I didn' wan' her ter feel bad and I didn' wan' it affectin' her life. But the thing was, I had no guts ter stand up fer this girl. In the end, she got fed up with 'em ruddy insults, and there never became an 'us'. We never got the chance."

Hermione kept silent, staring at Hagrid as he spoke. She'd never heard him talk about his past love life in school before.

"What I'm sayin' is, if Malfoy really loves yeh, he wouldn' wan' yeh ter be feelin' this way. He wouldn' wan' yer life affected by any of this. Malfoy's not like me; if he were up an' about he'd probably punch the bloody blokes who'd try ter tease yeh. Yeh remember what happened at the Three Broomsticks," grinned Hagrid. "So be strong, Hermione! If yeh really love him as well, yeh'd do what he'd fight for if he weren' in a coma: an' that's fer yeh ter live a normal life, without bein' bothered by all these insults."

Hermione looked down at the cup of tea in her hand, processing everything Hagrid had just said. In an instant, she felt tears stinging her eyes. God, she missed Malfoy so much…and knowing that everything Hagrid had just told her was true, made her want to cry right then. He was right. Hagrid was so, so right.

She sniffed to hold it all back, and looked teary-eyed at him. "Hagrid…" was all she said, but he understood everything. He reached over to give her a hug, and Hermione finally broke down and cried.

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Hey it's me again! Well, just as I promised, this installment is a bit longer than the previous one. I hope it's good enough:D God, the third movie was sooo cool! No offense to Christopher Columbus—because he made an awfully wonderful and excellent foundation for all the Harry Potter movies—but the third movie is waaaay better than the first two:D Plus, the best part of it all is that Tom Felton is so damn hot! And he's really cute when he gets all wimpy hahaha . Anyways, my summer's about to end already (darn it, I don't want to go back to school yet!!!) in about three days, so maybe I won't be able to update much again…but I promise, definitely no more three-month-long absences!!! I'm going to try really hard to keep updating once a week like I'm doing now, or once every two weeks or something. The longest will probably be once a month, but I'll try not to do that :D Anywaaaaaay, before I get all upset about the end of summer, I just want to thank everyone again for your continuous support!!! I will not let you down (I hope!!!.) Please continue R&R-ing!!! Love y'all!!!