A/N: Oh, I got lots of reveiws. Thank you everyone. Estella luna, you have some great ideas. I wish I had someone like you when I was still in the planning process. Now, I already have everything pretty much figured out, so I won't be able to use your suggestions. Irk, I will be writing much more, so don't worry about that. I haven't left a fanfiction unfinished yet, and I don't plan to. Blueflamerose, GinnyHarryP, and Estella luna, you guys gave me great explinations of a Mary Sue. Thank you so much. And that one reveiwer, thanks for finding me so funny.
ONLY HOPE by Lina Shay
Chapter three: Words of Strain
After some announcements, Dumbledore commenced the feast. Hope didn't feel like eating, being as nervous as she was. So she just sat there and twirled the short ends of her hair around her finger. Ron looked at her. She turned her eyes to him, wondering why he looked at her like that.
"You look different, Harry," Ron told her, sitting back and looking Hope over.
"I do?" Hope asked nervously.
She hoped that he didn't see that her sweater was a little fuller up top than it should be.
"Yeah," Ron mused, picking up a chicken wing. "I can't put my finger on what it is."
Hope shifted her weight. She couldn't be found out. It would ruin everything.
"It's new glasses or-" Ron began. "Maybe your hair."
"Uh, no," Hope insisted, wishing she hadn't made Luphenda make her hair a little longer in back.
"Well, I'll think of it," Ron focused his attention back on his food.
Hope leaned forward on her elbow, covering her face with her hand. When did it get to warm in this room? She looked back at Ron. He dug his teeth into a chicken wing, getting grease on his lips. Would he think it weird if she reached over and wiped it off for him? Would he go nuts if she ran her fingers through his brilliant red hair?
"I can't wait until Quidditch season," Ron announced. "I've been practicing over the Summer, and I think that we'll be the best team again."
"Uh-huh," Hope sighed, just nodding as she gazed at Ron.
"How can you honestly think about Quidditch when we have our NEWTs this year?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"And I guess you're studying," Ron said, looking over her shoulder at what she was reading. Hermione tried to hide it, but Ron saw and made a disgusted expression. Hope tried to see, but she was too far away to make anything out but a piece of parchment with writing on it.
"You're not still writing Krum, are you?" Ron asked.
Krum? Who was Krum?
"So, what if I am?" Hermione shot at him, looking away with her nose in the air.
"Krum is a dolt," Ron exclaimed.
Hermione ignored him and went back to reading her letter. Ron got this strange, sad look on his face that he hid from Hermione. Then he turned to Hope.
"Bet you're excited to get on a broom after all that time in the muggle world," Ron said.
"A broom?" Hope repeated in panic. "I've never been on a broom."
Ron laughed.
"I'll never get your guy jokes," Hermione insisted.
After the feast, all the Gryffindors made their way up to Gryffindor tower. Hope stuck with Ron and Hermione, still worrying about Quidditch. She knew about Quidditch, what witch-raised girl didn't, but she didn't know how to actually play it. She didn't know what position she played, and she couldn't ask. Ron would just think she was joking again, and he wouldn't answer.
All the Gryffindor's went through the portrait hole with the new first years and made themselves comfortable in the common room. Hope followed Ron and Hermione to a seat in the corner.
"So, tell us what the Death Eater attack was like," Ron requested of Hope.
"Oh, well," Hope muttered, "there were spells being cast and screams. And, uh, one of them grabbed me, but I warded him off and stuff. And...er...then Dumbledore came and him and people got rid of the Death Eaters. We had to look among the fallen for...survivors. And there was some."
Hermione raised her eyebrow at Hope. Ron just nodded, smiling. His smile was so warm and nice. She loved to watch his lips move when he talked. Before she knew it, Ron had asked her a question and she hadn't been paying attention to his words.
"What?" Hope asked, coming back to reality. "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening."
Ron looked a little disgruntled. "I said that Neville, Seamus and Dean are going to bed and asked if you wanted to also."
Hope gasped. She hadn't thought about sharing a room with a bunch of boys. What if they slept naked or something? Some people do.
"You know, I think I'll stay down here a while," Hope insisted.
Ron gave her a suspicious look.
"Well, I'm off to bed as well," Hermione told them. "So, Harry, you'll have to stay here by yourself."
"I had someone I wanted to talk to," Hope said.
"Ok," Ron shrugged.
"See you tomorrow," Hermione assumed.
The two headed up to the dormitories. Hope sat back in the chair, wondering how she was going to keep this up all term. She looked around the room. The fire was burning cheerfully in the hearth and several people talked pleasantly in the dim light. It was such a cozy place. Harry must have loved it here. Who wouldn't? Hope lowered her head. If only she had been here with him for the past five years. She would have gotten to know him. She would have gotten to know Ron as herself, as a girl. Why didn't Dumbledore just let her stay at the Dursley's with Harry? Why couldn't he have just let them know each other, let her know anyone? As Luphenda would say, "'E must 'ave 'is reasons." Hope just wished she knew these reasons.
After some time had gone by, Hope decided that the boys had had sufficient time to get into their pajamas. Hope got up from her thinking spot and went up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. As she walked down the corridor, she wondered which of the doors led to her room. Then she heard Ron's voice, such a wonderful sound, and went up to that door. She knocked lightly.
"What d'you want?"
"Is everyone decent?" Hope asked.
There was silence for a minute.
"Yeah, Harry, 'course," came Ron's voice.
Hope opened the door and went in. The boys all sat on their beds in pajamas, staring at her oddly. She slightly smiled, then went over to the only unoccupied bed. The boys continued to watch her.
"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked. "You've been acting kind of off today."
"I had a rough Summer," Hope muttered, loosening her tie.
"Oh, yeah, the Death Eaters!" Ron exclaimed. He proceeded to tell the other boys about the Death Eater attack.. He told it much better than Hope had, and added in odd things like a dragon and an army of houselves. The other boys seemed very interested, though somewhat doubtful. This gave Hope the opportunity to change without them all watching her. Just to be on the safe side, she pretended to drop something on the other side of her bed. When she bent down to pick it up, she quickly changed the important areas. No one had even noticed her with Ron's story going on. She settled herself under her sheets just as Ron closed the story.
"Did it really happen that way, Harry?" the black boy asked.
"Just about," Hope said.
After that, they all settled down and went to sleep.
A/N: I am absolutely terrible at naming chapters, so don't go flaming because my chapter titles are strange.
Estella luna: I know you've reveiwed another story of mine, but I can't seem to remember which one it was. Please remind me so I won't be sitting here wondering. Was it A Christmas Holiday's Nightmare?
