Two
That summer was torment for me. I spent it in France, where romance was in the air. Everywhere I turned, I saw something that reminded me of Ron. If I could have rid myself of him, I would have, but I couldn't.
And right now you are probably thinking that I am some obsessive compulsive stalker freak, but I'm not. It's just that he's different. And I can't help but pray that he'll be mine again someday.
Yes, again.
Because in my third year, something extraordinary happened.
"Hermione, may I . . . er, speak with you a moment?" Ron asked one day, the day before we were about to go to Hogsmeade. At this point in time, Harry was hoping that he could get his permission slip signed by Professor McGonagall, and I was putting on a show that I hoped so, too. Don't get me wrong, I loved Harry's company, it's just that I'm never alone with Ron – it's always me, alone, studying and Ron and Harry hanging out together, and when that wasn't the case, it was me, Ron and Harry. He is great company and he's like a brother to me, but at the same time, it's sort of like the brother that won't go away but you can't help but love him anyways.
"Yeah, of course, Ron," I said. He grabbed my arm and began to drag me over to a small corner, but turned around and said to Harry, "Be right back," before doing so.
"Well, Hermione, I was just thinking . . . d'you think McGonagall will actually let Harry go to Hogsmeade without having his form signed?" he queried.
I sighed and said, "To be perfectly honest, no. I mean, it's Professor McGonagall, Ron. Has she ever been known to break the rules? She's not Harry's parent or guardian. Even though all of the teachers have a soft spot for him, it's not like she'll go out of her way and do things for him that she wouldn't do for others. Professor Dumbledore might, but not Professor McGonagall, especially right now, what with Sirius Black on the loose and all."
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," Ron said simply. Was it just me, or did I see a flicker of relief on his face?
After a moment of silence, he broke the stillness by saying, "Er, we better get back to Harry. He's probably wondering where we went and what we were doing there."
I was thoroughly disappointed. I had hoped that he was going to say something along the lines of, "Do you want to stop in that café place with all of the little cherubs and stuff?" It wasn't exactly a place a guy would like, though – it was basically a café for couples, were little enchanted naked babies flew around and threw stuff down on your heads, like little cut-out hearts. In fact, it was fairly stupid, but for a girl, it meant a lot – any guy who took her there was fairly devoted.
But, of course, he said nothing of the sort.
The whole rest of the day, we waited anxiously to see if Harry was going to be allowed to go to Hogsmeade. After Transfiguration, he went up to ask Professor McGonagall if she could sign it for him. Ron and I waited outside with bated breath. His breath was bated because he wanted Harry to come. Mine was bated because I didn't.
After he came outside, he had a somber look on his face.
"Damn that Professor," he murmured.
"Harry!" I scolded. "What did she say?"
"Take a wild guess," he said irritably.
"I'm sorry mate. It won't be the same without you," Ron said.
Harry sighed. "It's alright, guys. Just go ahead on your own. You can fill me in later."
That whole night, my heart was pounding in my ears in anticipation. Finally, an entire day alone with Ron! And it could happen maybe every visit for the rest of our Hogwarts careers! Of course, I had to try and hide my emotions – if either Ron or Harry noticed, I could lose my best friends. But, you know, that was just my luck.
The next day, I tried not to overdo my choice of clothing, but I didn't dress in crap, either. I picked something cute and comfortable, brushed out my hair, and pulled it back so it didn't fly in my face.
As I walked out into the Common Room, I was greeted by Ron, who was smiling, and Harry, who wasn't.
"I hope you guys have fun," he mumbled.
"Not as much as if we were with you," I half-lied.
"Yeah. Wish you could come, mate," Ron added.
As if he had just remembered, Harry said, "Oh, Hermione, could I speak with you a moment?"
"Yeah, I suppose so . . ." I said. For the second time in two days, I was lead into a quiet corner, where no one could hear us.
"I just wanted to warn you – Ron's sort of been waiting for this day for, like, a year now, and he's so excited. So if he does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't freak out, alright?" he said quickly.
"What do you mean?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"If he, you know, does anything – like if he tries to hold your hand or something –"
"Wait – why would he do that?" I said.
Harry sighed and whispered, "He likes you, Hermione. I can't believe you haven't noticed. But anyways, now that you're alone, he might do things he never thought he would have the chance to, so . . . just be warned."
And with that, Harry walked away.
I just stood there, my mouth partly open, staring at where he used to stand. I must have looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. I was too happy to care.