Chapter 22
They ran together full speed, not caring about the snow. Ron grabbed her hand and led her down to the Quidditch Pitch. He grabbed his broom and Harry's. He handed her his broom.
"Flying is faster," he said simply. She nodded and off they flew across the snow to the Shack.
They reached it in record time, carrying the brooms in and leaving them in the entrance hall. They took out their wands and headed towards the sound of people talking.
"Be careful," Ron whispered to her. He looked at her, held up three fingers before they burst inside.
No one was there. Except for a tape recorder. Hermione sighed and turned around just in time to see the doors slam shut. She ran over to it and rattled the handle to find it was locked. She tried the unlocking spell and every other spell her brain could think of, but all failed.
"We're stuck," Hermione announced.
"Hey, you guys made it. Well we, Gin and me that is, are here to tell you that we're fine. We made it up. Don't hate us. The spell on the door will release when you two agree to be friends again. And it has to be sincere enough for the spell. You have to work everything out. No hating each other and just saying you'll be friends. Good luck," Harry's voice said at the end of the tape.
Instantly comfy chairs and a couch appeared. Decorations of red and green filled the room and a roaring fire took up the spot in the fire place. Hermione slunk down in the chair, he head in her hands.
Ron, who had been stunned into silence, finally rocked out of his ravine when he heard Hermione's sobs. He turned around and sighed slightly. He walked over to her and placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"At least Gin is alright," Ron said.
"They tricked us!" Hermione wailed.
"But at least Gin's alright," he said again.
"That has nothing to do with it!"
"It has everything to do with it."
"Oh really?"
"Really."
"How would you know?"
"Because I know you."
"You don't know me."
"Yes I do."
"Oh really?"
"Yes oh really. I know everything about you."
"Sure, yet right."
"I know that you love Valentine's day, but you hate the fact that you have never had
anyone special for it."
"How did you. . ."
"And I know that your favorite color is a soft blue."
"How. . ."
"And I know that your favorite candy is Chocolate Frogs, but you can't look at their faces
because you feel sad and then you can't eat them."
"I do not. . ."
"I know that you blush when you think you've done something silly or out of place."
"I do?"
"I know that you crinkle up your nose when you're studying or thinking to hard."
"Do I?"
"And I know that you probably will always hate me."
"I don't hate you."
"Yes you do."
"No I don't."
"Then why did you say all that stuff."
"Because you were acting like a jerk. What about what you said?"
"Well I said it because of what you said first."
"Really mature, Ron."
"Yeah I know."
"What about that girl?"
"I had a girlfriend over the break for two days."
"What was the problem?"
"She wasn't the one I really wanted."
"Who did you really want?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why?"
"Because then you'll tell her."
"I will not!"
"Just drop it, 'Mione."
"Alright, Ron."
"Thanks."
"So you didn't like her?"
"Not the way that I liked this girl."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"I see."
"What about you and Krum?"
"What about that?"
"Did you ever, um, like him?"
"Yes. For a second. Just because I had given up hope that a certain boy realized that I
was a girl."
"Oh. Did he realize afterwards?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Do you like that guy?"
"Very much."
"Who is it."
"I'm not telling you that."
"Understandable."
"Are we friends again, Ron?"
"I really want to be your friend. I can't stand not talking to you."
"Can we be friends?"
"Yeah."
The doors opened and they smiled. They went down the steps and hopped onto the brooms and headed back to Hogwarts.