Shout

Chapter 3: Not-So-Happy Days

Summary: When Hermione leaves for Mexico, it leaves Harry and Ron with their enemies.

Cho's understanding of a situation leaves Harry silent and bruised.

"Okay, I'll owl you three times a week and you'd better owl me back or else!" Hermione said. "But TRY and have fun when I'm away, alright? Don't die of boredom." Hermione was about to hop onto the train. "Oh, and Harry," she added as she hung her head out of the door. "Be careful." Harry grinned and nodded. "Have fun," he said. Hermione hugged Harry and Ron before claiming her seat in the compartment nearest to the door. "Love ya, boys!" she said in a fun-loving tone. That was one of the small moments when Hermione acted like life wasn't about books or school. Like it was summer or something. Harry and Ron waved as the train left for King's Cross.

"I'm gonna miss her," Harry said. Ron nodded. The two plotted their break. The beginning: snow. Harry and Ron built a large wall, and then made a door that would open and close when they wanted it to out of the white powder. (Don't start thinking crack here.) Draco, Cho, and Ernie obviously had a lot to do; they continuously walked by. Harry accidentally hit Dumbledore with a snowball. He looked around, laughed and continued walking. Harry and Ron broke out into uncontrollable fits of laughter. When Cho walked by for what seemed like the hundredth time, Harry climbed onto Ron's shoulder and hit Cho square in the face. She started to cry, but they both felt that she deserved it. The girl ran away crying. "Oh, poor Cho," Harry said sarcastically.

Later that night, Harry and Ron split rooms. Dumbledore lifted the charm that protected boys from entering the girls' dormitory because all of the girls left for the holidays. "I'm sleeping in the girls' dormitory," Ron said. "I'll sleep on one of their beds. They'd be so mad if they found out." Harry simply slept in his own bed.

"'Night, Ron," Harry said. "I'll...see you if and when I wake up." When Harry was finally able to get to sleep, he woke up a few minutes later. "Dammit," he muttered to himself. He walked down to the common room. About an hour later, he heard talking outside the painting. He walked over and put his ear up to the painting. He could only hear the Fat Lady's voice. He pushed her open slightly. "Oh, Harry, there you are," a familiar, feminine voice said. "I wanted to talk to you since this is the first night we have...alone."

Harry shrugged and pushed the painting open. Cho continued into the room. "So. Harry. How was your summer?" Cho asked simply. Harry honestly wished that Cho would leave. He didn't want to be rude by telling her to shut the hell up and go to bed. If he was anything like Ron or Draco, he knew he would've. "Fine," Harry said flatly. Cho sat next to Harry on the couch. She rested her hand on Harry's knee. Harry uncomfortably moved to the very side of the couch.

"Come on, Harry. What's the problem? You want me, just admit it," Cho said seductively. She stood up and leaned behind the couch. "I'm better than Hermione. I'm... just... better. And Harry, I know she's your friend, but that's all she wants to be---your friend. She doesn't care about you; she cares about your money, your fame. Don't you want someone who cares about more than that? I care about more than that. I care about you, about how you feel, about... you. I don't care about your money or your fame." Cho finished and began rubbing Harry's shoulders. His body froze. "Of course," she added, now rubbing small circles on his neck with her thumbs, "who wouldn't want you? You're hot."

Harry's blood stopped flowing. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Hermione. Not Cho. But he knew he wasn't the rude type, and he didn't hit girls. Nobody had ever called him hot before, and Cho was really kind of--- but she was the one that wanted his money and fame. Hermione wanted him... didn't she? Of course she did! What was he thinking? Nothing at the moment. Harry closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Tension getting to you, Harry?" Cho asked sympathetically. Harry shook his head. Suddenly, Harry felt like he couldn't breathe. It was like taking a cold shower. He began to hyperventilate.

His chest heaved as he breathed for safe air. Cho sat next to him and put a hand in the middle of his chest. That reminded him of what Hermione would've done, and it relaxed his breathing only slightly. "Calm down, Harry. It's okay. Just calm yourself," Cho said quietly. "I knew you wanted me. It just got worse." Harry looked over at Cho while he was still hyperventilating. Harry had an idea. He struggled up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He made his way to Parvati's bed, where Ron lay passed out. He managed Ron's name a few times before he actually woke up. Ron gave him some water, which he drank. Harry's breathing leveled, and pretty soon, he dropped a foot to the floor (he was kneeling.)

Ron picked him up and set him on Hermione's bed.

Harry woke the next morning. His forehead had a small, wet cloth on it, keeping him cool. He heard a door open on his left. Ron emerged from the bathroom. He had a towel around his waist. His red hair was weighed down by water. "Hey, mate, you're finally up," he said cheerfully. "You freaked me out last night." Harry gave Ron a confused look. "You know, when you were hyperventilating?" Harry gave him another look, only this time with understanding.

The next night, Harry was sleeping peacefully in his dormitory. Suddenly, he heard the door open, and someone was whispering his name. He put on his glasses. He was hardly able to make out a silhouette in the pale moonlight. "Cho? What do you want this time?" he said groggily. "I was just thinking," she began. "That since we have this whole room to ourselves, and you've got that whole, king-size bed..."

Harry slept in the next morning. He wasn't really sleeping, but he felt he couldn't get up. He didn't want to. He just lay there in his bed, and stared at the wall across the beds. He was cold but didn't feel as though he had the strength to get his sheets and pull them up to warm himself. Ron came in at around noon. "Harry, mate, why aren't you up yet?" he asked. "You're always up by this time." Harry was silent. He didn't think he should have to say anything to Ron of all people. He lay there and swallowed. "Harry," Ron repeated, walking around to face him. He knelt down on the ground in front of Harry and looked at him in the face. His once-green eyes were now a pale blue and his face was pale. His eyes were blank and he looked as though he were blind. Ron waved his hand in front of his face. Then, he began shaking Harry by one shoulder.

"Okay, Harry. Fine. If you don't want to get up, then don't. I'll have all the fun today. But it would be nice if you came to lunch with me, at least." Harry's heart raced at these words and he blinked. "Fine, I'll get up. But don't expect too much out of me again. Ever." Harry stood up and got dressed. He combed his hair down, but it's not as if it helped at all.

When Ron finished eating, he asked, "Why are you so quiet?" Harry shrugged. He looked around. He caught sight of Cho. She smiled. Harry was still for a minute. "Harry," Ron said loudly. "Are you going out with Cho... again?" Harry shook his head immediately. Ron figured he was lying. Harry wouldn't want to tell Ron if he was dating someone like Cho. Harry sighed and stood up. He went back to bed. Ron shrugged off the matter. He didn't think it was a big deal. He was probably just tired.

Two weeks later, Hermione was back. Ron went down alone to meet Hermione at the entrance. "Hey, Ron. Where's Harry?" she asked curiously. Ron sighed. "He didn't want to come down. He hasn't left Gryffindor Tower since you left. I think he misses you," Ron said simply. Hermione scoffed. "Well, it's not as if he's ever acted like he's missed me all the other times I left," she said. Hermione and Ron walked up to Gryffindor Tower. When they got to the common room, Ron went upstairs. Harry looked at Hermione as she sat beside him on the couch. After a minute, he wrapped his arms around her neck silently. Hermione hugged him back. "How've you been lately?" she asked. Harry sighed sadly. "Fine," he lied. He didn't want to tell Hermione right away. In fact, he didn't want to tell her at all, but knew he would have to eventually.

"I missed you," Harry said quietly. "I missed you, too," Hermione said. "You didn't owl me like you said you would." Harry shook his head. "I know. I was... busy." Hermione scoffed. "I'd like to see how that's possible," she said angrily. "Ron tells me you've been here all Christmas break." She looked at Harry expectantly. Harry looked blankly at her, trying to figure out what to say, if anything. After a few minutes, he got up and left. He only went up to his dormitory, but it was easy enough to be quiet, and Hermione was still worried about him.

She then decided that she and Ron would have to devise a plan to figure out what his problem was. It would take a good plan to figure this one out. It wasn't about Sirius this time.

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WILL UPDATE SOON. OKAY? THIS WAS...CHAPTER THREE, I THINK. SO, I'LL BE... TYPING AGAIN SOON. LATER!!