"So you and Ron really aren't doing anything for Valentine's Day?" Lavender asked incredulously. "He really is a prat, now isn't he?"
"You really deserve to go out on Valentine's Day, Hermione, after all the studying you do. Don't just sit there and tell us you don't want to," Parvati chimed in. Hermione rolled her eyes. It's just like her two irritating roommates to get so hung up on what she thought was a ridiculous holiday.
"I don't want to," sighed Hermione as she continued to scribble in her notebook. She found it exhausting to argue with them about something so obviously none of their business.
"Have you got a date for Valentine's Day?" Lavender asked Parvati, bouncing onto her bed. She shook her head.
"I know you've got one with Seamus," said Parvati said coyly, raising an eyebrow. Lavender giggled.
"Yep. We're having a nice picnic lunch. It's really simple, not like that big blowout you had last year."
"I did not have a big 'blowout', it was just a nice gathering - "
"Will the both of you shut up?" shrieked Hermione. They turned to stare at her for a moment. Lavender opened her mouth to say something, but Parvati gave her a look.
"She's just tiffed. I would be too if I were in her situation," Parvati whispered to Lavender sympahtetically.
"Alright, out, out!" demanded Hermione, practically throwing them down the stair case as she coralled them outside the dorm. Lavender rolled her eyes, and Parvati huffed, but they eventually left as Lavender called back,
"Fine then, mum."
"It's like they share one brain stuffed to the brim with hair and beauty and boys, and there isn't enough to go around," muttered Hermione. She turned back to her parchment, but realized there was nothing else left to do. She considered reading, but for the first time since...ever, that seemed boring. Maybe that's because all the books she had in her suitcase or on her nightstand she knew by heart. She thought about going down to the library, but even that seemed like a chore too. She wondered if Ginny wasn't doing anything. Then she remembered it being Valentine's Day, she was probably spending the day with Dean. With a sigh, she walked over to the window and looked out. Thinking about Valentine's Day made her feel lonely, which never did before. She sat on Lavender's bed, which was right under the window, and sat in the sunlight pouring through. It was lightly breezy outside; she could tell by the slight swaying of the trees in the Forbidden Forest and around the castle. Tapping her fingers against the pane, she lost track of time as she tried to keep herself occupied by thinking. She didn't even hear Ginny come in and sit on her bed.
"Hermione?" Ginny said quietly when she realized Hermione hadn't noticed her. Hermione turned slowly from the window and jumped to see Ginny sitting across from her.
"What are you doing here?" asked Hermione excitedly, suddenly realizing how bored she'd been. Ginny smiled weakly. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in concern and hopped over to her bed so she could sit next to Ginny. Ginny crossed her arms awkwardly and turned away from Hermione to sniffle. Hermione rest a hand on the shoulder of Ginny's closest to her. She tried to turn her head back to look at her, but Ginny just jerked away.
"What's wrong?" she finally demanded. Ginny sniffled again and breathed deeply to hold in a good cry. She crawled onto Hermione's bed and sat criss-crossed like she used to do when she was a kid. She couldn't take Hermione's stare anymore and broke down. "Oh, Ginny," she said frusteratedly to herself. Ginny, unlike Hermione, could control her tears better and sucked them down.
"Dean and I broke up. It's nothing, really," Ginny she muttered. Hermione shot her a comforting smile. Ginny shrugged. "It wasn't his idea. It was mine, and I'm still crying about it," she added with a bitter laugh.
"Forget Dean," ordered Hermione. Ginny shrugged. "You'll find another date for the Yule Ball. After all, it's not like you really liked - " Hermione stopped there. Ginny snapped her head up at her and glared at her briefly. Hermione bit her lip and backed away slightly from Ginny. "I didn't mean that you used - "
"Nevermind, then, alright?" interrupted Ginny snappily, uncrossing her legs and swinging them over the side of the bed. "You're right. You're absolutely right. I will, I will find another date for the Yule Ball," she added determinedly. Hermione nodded.
"Who?" she asked abruptly. Ginny stared at her blankly. "Who? Who are you going to go with?"Hermione repeated.
"What do you mean who?" she huffed. "I just broke out of a relationship. How fast am I supposed to get into one?" One thought raced through her mind, but she pushed it away, knowing it was never going to happen. Hermione smiled.
"Well you don't need to think about it right now. It's not for a while," Hermione said dismissively. Her slightly aloof behavior was starting to make Ginny nervous.
"Why aren't you doing anything for Valentine's Day?" she asked Hermione teasingly to cut the tension she was feeling. Hermione glared at her for a moment.
"Ron and I don't have a date for today because I didn't want a Valentine's Day date," she said sternly. "Valentine's Day is a sad excuse for a holiday, if you ask me. Why should there be a special day set aside for love? That's just what girls need, another excuse to feel desperate for a boy."
"You're right," Ginny agreed. She felt a bit hypocritical that there used to be a time when she would have done anything for a Valentine's Day date. That time had been around seven that morning. She also felt guilty that she sort of was desperate for a boy to like and for them to like her back.
"Didn't Hermione tell you it was Valentine's Day?" Seamus asked Ron as they played wizard's chess in the common room. Ron narrowed his eyes at him.
"Knight to B7. Hermione protests this holiday. She didn't want to go out on a date. Would you just shove off?" Ron snapped. "Besides, I don't see you with a date, let alone a girlfriend." Seamus laughed.
"I do have a date. Lavender. Rook to B3." Ron stared at him.
"You better have just called me Lavender," Ron demanded. Seamus shrugged.
"Sorry, I have a date, a Miss Lavender Brown," Seamus chuckled. "Hope Hermione has fun with her date - likely a book. Beats you, now doesn't it?" Ron chuffed and shook his head.
"Hermione does not have a date with a book," he muttered lamely. "Knight to D4."
"She sure doesn't have a date with you."
"Just shut up and play chess."
"Seamus, are you ready?" Lavender Brown herself demanded to know, sauntering over to the table they were at seemingly from out of nowhere.
"Ready?" he asked confusedly. Ron smirked.
"You know, prepared to spend the day - "
"I know what she means," Seamus mumbled, getting up from the chair. Lavender grabbed his arm sternly and directed him away from the table.
"I win by default!" declared Ron as Seamus followed Lavender out of the common room.
"I beg to differ," called back Seamus.
"Shut up and get the bloody hell out of here!" Ron called back feigned-bitterly just before they were out of sight. Ron stared down at the chess board and summoned the pieces back to their original places. He sat in silence, anxiously tapping his fingers on the table. He was waiting for someone even though there wasn't anyone coming down the steps anytime soon, that he knew of. Harry had gotten up early that morning, so Ron hadn't seen him since the day before in Hogsmeade. He had thought about hanging out with Hermione, but she had specifically said she didn't want to go on a date just because it was Valentine's Day. She hadn't said she didn't want to go out on a date at all, but Ron wasn't going to push her. You have two choices... he though silently to himself. You can either go find Harry or go find Hermione. After much debate, he decided to go with the first which posed more oppurtunities then watching Hermione read.
He hadn't any idea where Harry would be, getting up so early and all. It wasn't as if there was any place to go, except outside in the slowly-warming weather of mid-February. Ron suddenly realized that's just the place he best first check.
Ron stood on the outskirts of the inside of the castle. Harry had Hedwig on his arm and was stroking the owl's feathers lightly. Harry shuffled his feet absently as he smiled sadly at the owl. He was facing Ron but didn't see him leaning against the wall. He looked up slightly from Hedwig on his arm and froze when he caught a glimspe of Ron. Harry began to let down his arm abruptly so Hedwig, irritated, fluttered around him a bit before settling on his shoulder. Ron smiled a greeting in Harry's direction and lifted his hand slightly as a wave. Harry began walking toward Ron, so Ron stood by the wall until he reached him.
"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked boredly, not seeming to pay much attention to what was really going around him.
"Looking for you," he replied as he stood up straight. Harry shrugged.
"For what. It's Valentine's day. Shouldn't you be with Hermione," Harry said, never changing his monotone. Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I want to know why you needed to get up so early," Ron asked, sounding genuinely interested. Harry shrugged and began to walk back into the castle. Ron knew to follow.
"I didn't get a particularly pleasant sleep. I feel too guilty to sleep," he whined. Ron looked at Harry and stopped walking as he cocked his head.
"What?" he asked. "Guilty about what?" Ron stopped and turned towards Ron.
"About punching Dean," Harry shouted, trying to jog Ron's memory. Ron laughed.
"You haven't been in enough trouble before, and you're just now feeling guilty about punching him in the jaw?"
"I don't exactly have a guilt-free conscious besides," Harry said darkly. Ron nodded. "At least before, I've had reasons, right? Well, I had no reason to punch Dean just because he's going out with Ginny and I'm not." Ron had to bite his lip at this to keep from laughing. Although he knew, Harry had never admitted he liked his sister and Ron didn't want to get him mad by chuckling.
"Well, at least you didn't get suspended," Ron reasoned. "Good thing too. Hermione and Ginny were mighty worried about you when they heard. Well, I suppose Ginny more mad then worried." Harry stared at Ron.
"Are you mental? How do you not fall down more?" he demanded to know. When Ron shot him a confused expression, Harry just rolled his eyes frusteratedly. "I suppose Ginny would have found out anyway."
"Don't worry about a thing, Harry," said Ron, trying to cheer Harry up. "Ginny obviously wasn't too mad with you if she brokeup with Dean for you." Since Ron did not notice Harry's complete disistance of movement, he kept on walking until he finally realized he was alone. By then, he was already a good five meters ahead of Harry. "Er, Harry?" Ron asked hesitantly, "Are you coming? Your erm, not showing any vital signs." Harry snapped his head up to look at Ron. With slight reluctance, he started to walk too-casually along with Ron. Ron decided against saying anything else.
"She what?" he asked evenly. His voice showed no evidence of worry or anger.
"She and Dean. Done. No more," Ron repeated quietly. Harry nodded.
"When." His tone never varied.
"Last night," Ron said, beginning to feel awkward.
"Oh."
"Did you get breakfast?" Harry stared at Ron strangely at his suddenly irrelevant question.
"No. Did you?"
"No. Did you?"
"Ron, you just asked me that."
"Right. You want, then?"
"Fine." The two boys dashed inside quicker then before and headed for the kitchen.
"Just two weeks for the ball," declared Ginny excitedly. The two girls were seated on Hermione's bed, their barefeet hanging off the sides and swinging. the Hermione's distracted expression seemed to brighten. Her glow faded a bit when she asked,
"What about the cancelation?" Ginny guffawed.
"They wouldn't do this to us. I honestly don't think all the students in this school are going to droptheir just because of a dance," Ginny reasoned. Hermione nodded and smiled wider.
"I don't know. I'm loosing my head a bit. Those dress robes were expensive!" giggled Hermione. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Hermione, those stupid Latin books I have cost more then that dress," Ginny said sarcastically. Hermione glared at Ginny, then scooted on the bed closer to her.
"Speaking of those books, what are you doing with them?" Hermione asked somewhat irritatedly. Ginny slid off the bed slowly and stood up so that she was on the side of the bed opposite Hermione.
"Reading them," she said quickly. She was twisting the fringe of her sweatshirt with her palm.
"Right. Ginny, I'm not a moron. I know that you aren't using those books for conjugating spells," said Hermione firmly. There was certain understanding in her voice that made Ginny take another step back in nervousness. "If you're failing arithmancy, I can help you." Ginny kept her distance, but stamped her foot indignantly.
"I'm not failing arithmancy," muttered Ginny. Hermione shrugged.
"Alright Ginny. But Ron is not the only one whom I go through their papers for." Ginny sighed and started to turn away.
"Not a moron...okay," she said, thinking only she herself could hear.
"Ginny, I heard sarcasm," snapped Hermione. Ginny whipped around to see Hermione, who had climbed over the bed, walking towards her.
"Uh huh," Ginny started.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm missing something?" Hermione demanded, putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow at Ginny. Ginny shook her head.
"Nothing, Hermione, please don't."
"Don't what?" Hermione asked interestedly. Ginny was shaking her head wildly now and slammed her hands over her mouth.
"Don't make me blab! You can't say anymore! I'll just - I can - I mean, if you tempt, me, I'll just say anything! Oh, and Ron will just kill me!" shouted Ginny. She rolled her eyes at herself and slammed her fists down. She stomped frusteratedly as she let out a "Goddammit!" Hermione's eyes, on the other hand, widened with immense interest.
"Ron? What does he have to do with anything?" she asked flusteredly. Ginny, who had her hands still clasped over her nose and mouth, began to breathe out of pattern and ran towards the stairs out of the dorm. "Ginny, you wait - " Both Hermione and Ginny, however, had to stop short. Lavender Brown had come into the room, clutching a trembling bag close to her body.
"Lavender," said Ginny, her voice muffled because her hands still covered her mouth. Hermione turned slowly as she watched Lavender fall onto her own bed.
"Oh," Lavender gasped in reply, obviously not paying attention to either of them.
"Uh, Lavender, what's wrong?" asked Hermione politely, looking from Lavender to Ginny expectantly. She came from her spot by Ginny and sat on the side of her bed closest to Lavender's.
"Boys," Lavender began, "are. Idiots." Hermione nodded.
"What?" asked Ginny with a snort, unable to believe Lavender Brown was saying this.
"Idiots," Lavender repeated, sitting upright and staring directly at Ginny. She held the bag she clutched so tightly even closer to her. "That's what boys are. Don't tell me you don't think the same, Weasley! Why else would you have broken up with Dean?" Ginny gaped at Lavender.
"How do you know about that?" Ginny demanded. Lavender rolled her eyes wtih an accompanying shrug.
"Please. Big school, fast line of communication," chuffed Lavender simply. Ginny crossed her arms and huffed to herself.
"Enough man-bashing, Lavender. What is really wrong with you today, after all that you gave me about Valentine's Day," Hermione said.
"I can't find Seamus anywhere! We were outside, enjoying a picnic, and I was telling him about the excitement of the dance and I turn around and he wasn't there and - " Lavender blurted. Hermione calmed her down.
"Did you even look for him?" scoffed Ginny. Lavender turned quickly to Ginny and glared at her briefly.
"Of course I did. I found him, eating outside and laughing with Harry and Ron!" Lavender laughed bitterly. Hermione and Ginny looked from Lavender the each other quickly.
"What?" they both said.
"Sorry, Hermione," said Lavender sympathetically.
"Shove off, Brown," snapped Hermione. She crossed her arms and paced in a small circle by her bed. "I can't believe he's having a better day then I am on Valentine's Day."
"I thought you said it was a stupid holiday?" asked Ginny teasingly. Hermione rolled her eyes and surrendered with a shrug.
"I changed my mind. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I had a date," mumbled Hermione, embarrassed. Lavender smiled and clasped her hands together after tossing her bag to the end of the bed. "Don't laugh Ginny. You're the one who came to my dorm whining this morning."
"I was not whining!" cried Ginny. Lavender got off her bed and put her palms up in the air.
"I'm sorry I brought this up," she said, exhasperated. The other two girls stared back at her again.
"You didn't even need to come up here!" shouted Ginny. "Why didn't you just stay with Seamus?"
"It's my dorm!" shouted Lavender.
"Alright, calm down," said Hermione. "Let's just go out there and spend the rest of the day doing something other then yelling at each other."
The boys had been surprised to be interrupted by Lavender, Ginny, and Hermione, but after Seamus stutteringly apologized for getting distracted, Lavender gigglingly agreed to go back inside. Hermione and Ginny on the other hand, stayed with the two boys and walked along the castle.
"I can't believe we have to leave here," Hermione said quietly. Ron made a grab for her hand unsuavely, and Harry had to huff a little bit to himself at this.
"Don't go on about that, Hermione. You're going to get me all teary-eyed," Ginny said. Hermione and Ron had been leading the way, Harry close behind, and Ginny sort of wandering by Harry.
"You're not even leaving next year," said Harry. Ginny shrugged.
"It's still sad. All my best friends will be gone, and I'll have to start finding out what I want to do," Ginny said profoundly.
"Oh, don't worry, we'll still be there. Well, Hermione and Ron at least. Who knows where I'll be." Harry smiled towards Ginny. Ginny blushed but laughed at his small joke. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and nodded. Harry and Ginny, who were laughing at something neither Ron nor Hermione had heard, didn't seem to notice Ron lead Hermione in another direction.
"Happy Valentine's Day," said Ron, beaming. Hermione nodded. "What made you come out here? I would have thought you'd be half way through a section of the library by now." Hermione shrugged and looked mesmorized by her feet stepping against the grass.
"I don't know. I guess that I shouldn't be so against something to the point where I can't be with my boyfriend on Valentine's Day." Ron smiled.
"You called me your boyfriend," he said, as if this was something to make fun of Hermione for. Hermione looked at him oddly.
"What? You're not my boyfriend?" she asked. Ron shook his head.
"I just never heard you say it."
"Well, you are my boyfriend and I do love you," Hermione said seriously. Suddenly she had to catch her breath. Ron's smile dropped from his face.
"You who?"
"Huh?" she breathed.
"You said love," he said, nodding. Hermione stared at him briefly, then slowly nodded.
"Yes, Ron. I did." Ron smiled.
"Thanks."
"Thanks?" she said loudly, bewildered.
"I mean, I love you too," Ron said with a laugh. He pulled her in for a hug, and standing in the rays of the sun all they could hear was breathing and an occasional loud voice from somewhere by or in the castle. Suddenly, though, Hermione broke the silence.
"Ginny brought up something I've been thinking about for a while," Hermione said, not looking up at Ron but looking with squinted eyes up at the sky. Ron stopped breathing for a moment, afraid or excited by what she might be talking about. "What...what do you think will happen to us, you know, after we grow up?" Ron sighed.
"Grow up? Well seeing as that may take a while, I expect our kids will be graduated by then," Ron joked. Hermione laughed through her nose and pulled away from his hug.
"Really, Ron," Hermione said. "You're going to have to start thinking about what you want to do with your life." Ron though he'd had a pretty good idea, but nothing Hermione was asking about.
"Hermione, I have months and months to even start thinking about it," he said dissmissively. Hermione wouldn't take it. She turned around and shook her head. "Hermione," Ron continued to whine, "what do you want from me?"
"I want you to realize that life isn't about living in this school and breaking the rules. You're going to have to start taking things seriously if you want to keep up with the rest of us," spat Hermione. Ron stood up straighter indignantly.
"You mean you want me to be something I'm not? Just to be with you?" Ron yelled back in response. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Ron, come off it," she grumbled, cross her arms. "All I want you to do - "
"All you want me to do?" shouted Ron. "All you want me to do is whatever you say, right? Get a job. Take things seriously. You're turning into my mum." Hermione dropped her arms at her side. She looked at him with a certain flame in her eyes. Her fingers twitchingly played with the pockets of her pants. Her facial expression didn't change from the upset look she had, but her hands went from steady to stuttering as they tried to find a place to rest on her body. Finally she closed her eyes and put her hands out in front of her. She waved them as if to cease the argument. She didn't say anything more though. She let her arms back to postion by her side and walked from their spot in the sun and the grass and stormed up back inside the castle. Ron, who had just watched her walk away and stood with his jaw slightly open, rolled his eyes and slammed his palm to his forehead.
"You're an idiot. A damned idiot. That is what you are," muttered Ron to himself as he made his way into the castle. He was trying to find Hermione, which was something he didn't usually do after he got her mad. She would stay mad at him until she got tired of sitting up in her dorm room. She never actually forgave him for much of what he did. He debated the chance of actually apologizing honestly to her working in his head.
"Do you have any thoughts on what you want to do?" Ginny asked, brushing the leaves of a bush with the tips of her fingers as she walked by. After Hermione and Ron had left them, Ginny and Harry had continued to walk around the castle in the early afternoon sun. Harry looked up at her, as he'd been watching his feet, and shrugged.
"I don't really have any ideas. I guess...I guess honestly, I didn't picture myself graduating," said Harry calmly and honestly. Ginny nodded in response. They walked a little farther when Ginny stopped. "What are you doing?" asked Harry. Ginny sat down in the grass, right in the middle of a patch of sun.
"Come on, Harry, sit! It's rarely this sunny on a February morning," said Ginny cheerfully. Harry shrugged and hesitantly sat next to her. Ginny crossed her legs and proceeded to remove her shoes.
"Wait, what are you doing?" asked Harry cautiously. Ginny just looked at him as she continued to untie the shoelace.
"Taking off my shoes. I'm going to walk barefoot in the grass," stated Ginny simply. Harry shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"Take off your shoes?"
"What?" Ginny asked again, this time with a laugh. She pulled off her last shoe and tossed in by her side next to the other.
"Nobody needs that," Harry joked. Ginny scowled in fun and slapped him on the shoulder.
"You are in a good mood today," observed Ginny. Harry nodded.
"You are too, considering you just broke up with your boyfriend," Harry said, apparently in such a casual way that Ginny froze. Her expression didn't change but she didn't make any movement. With a sigh, she srugged it off. "I didn't mean that - "
"What couldn't you have meant?" asked Ginny quietly. "You didn't leave much space for you to not mean something. Unless, well, but...nevermind." Harry looked down at the ground again and decided to stand back up. "Where are you going?" she demanded.
"I think I should leave," Harry said quickly. Ginny guffawed.
"Where? Where do you need to go on a Sunday?" she asked. Harry shrugged and made hand gestures Ginny didn't understand. By the time she'd put her shoes and socks back on and began to get up, Harry had already bolted ahead of her. "Harry, you...stupid moron," she muttered exhasperatedly and sprinted to catch up with him.
Harry had finally stopped running and was just fast-walking. He didn't know that Ginny was only a step behind him. As he turned back to see so, he almost fell with surprise.
"I know you didn't mean anything, Harry," Ginny cried. Harry slowed down and returned to a normal pace so Ginny could catch up.
"It's nothing personal, Ginny," Harry began, "but I don't feel comfortable being around you right now."
"Me?" Ginny shrieked. "I demand to know why." She realized how stubbornly forceful she was being and resorted to just crossing her arms and listening. Harry laughed an eerie laugh that made Ginny nervous.
"Don't be an idiot, Ginny. You just...you just can't avoid...this. What this is," Harry blurted. "I am tired of this; either your just going to say it or you're going to shut up and stop bothering me. Seeking me out for torture, that's what you do. You flirt with me then you drag poor Dean around right in front of me." Ginny dropped her jaw open in shock, but she continued to act patient.
"Say what? What are you expecting I say to you?" As vague as they both were being, they both knew what was really going on. Ginny, however, still did not know how she was supposed to act around him anymore.
"I'm tired, Ginny, so very tired. You have worn me down," Harry said, acting pathetically exhausted. "I am going to the common room, where the world makes sense." Ginny watched Harry run back towards the castle as she stood still, arms still crossed.
"We're magic. Since when has the world made sense to us?" Ginny said outloud to herself. She smiled a little at her wit, then, looking around as she realized how dumb that might look to a bystander, uncrossed her arms and walked the same direction Harry had run.
A/N: I had to delay the day I thought I would "publish" this a lot. I'm sorry, it's kind of a lame chapter (no matter how much I write o.O) but I couldn't get to a point as quickly as I thought I would...well, I'm on mid-winter break (it's really just an excuse for us to get out of school, but I honestly don't mind) so I expect the next chapter to get out by the end (the 22nd of Feb.)! Which, a point will be revealed, so yeah, just wait...P
