A/N: At least someone cares. Thanks, Masau. I really liked all your reveiws on my other fanfictions. I just wish more people would read this one. I like it. I thought more other people would too.
ONLY HOPE by Lina Shay
Chapter four: Adversity
Hope did not sleep well. The bed was comfortable, but it was not her own. And she could not be at ease with four boys in the room. So Hope tossed and turned until all hours of the night. She thought of Dumbledore's plan and how insane it was. Why couldn't Dumbledore have just told everyone that Harry was dead, but they still had Hope? Dumbledore said that he didn't want to upset people. Maybe he thought no one would accept Hope as their savior because she was a girl. Hope didn't believed she could save anyone either. At times, she wondered if she just survived the curse because Harry was there and somehow protected her. Hope was not brave and she wasn't powerful. How could she help anyone?
When morning came and she was shaken to get up, Hope glanced up into two beautiful green eyes and a lots of wonderful freckles. That was the way she wanted to always wake up. That face, that brilliant red hair, that perfectly warm voice...Wait, he had said something. What had he said?
"I'm sorry, Ron," Hope muttered. "I didn't hear you."
Ron shook his head. "Get up, Harry. You'll be late for class."
"Oh!" Hope exclaimed, jumping from her bed and running over to get her clothes from her trunk. She almost stripped right there, but remembered Ron's presence and thought better of it. She stared at Ron shyly. Ron stared back, questioning. His stare softened suddenly. Hope didn't know why.
"I'll...uh...wait for you downstairs," Ron insisted, looking oddly nervous.
He made good time leaving the room. Hope raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was all about. Shrugging it off, Hope changed into clean robes and made her way down to the common room. Ron was reading something over Hermione's shoulder. Hermione tried to pull it away, but he kept adjusting so he could continue reading it. As Hope approached, Ron busted up laughing.
"Oh, Harry," Ron whooped. "You should read this. Krum said...he he ho he...He said that he..he he he...He said that he breathes her words or something. What the heck does that mean, anyway?"
"Viktor was talking about when he reads my letters," Hermione explained. "He breathes in the words like his first breathe."
Hope smiled. This Krum must be a really romantic guy.
"Sounds like meaningless hogwash to me," Ron announced, folding his arms adamantly.
"It doesn't matter what you think it sounds like," Hermione insisted. "You shouldn't be reading my letter anyway. It's really none of your business."
Hermione put her nose in the air and started toward the portrait hole. Hope went to follow, but saw that Ron was lingering, his head down. Thinking he might want to talk or had other plans than class, Hope waited with him.
"Ron?" Hope asked in a whisper.
"What?" Ron said suddenly, raising his head and smiling. "Let's go to class."
He went on after Hermione. Hope could tell that his smile wasn't real. There was something the matter with him. She wished she could ask, but knew she couldn't be that bold even if Harry would be. Hope followed Ron and Hermione out of the common room. They all went down to the dank dungeon. Hope watched around them cautiously. This didn't seem like a place to have a lesson. They entered a dark room where a man with greasy, black hair glared down on them as they took their seats. From the cauldrons already set up in front of them, Hope supposed this was Potions class.
"Turn to page five fifty-two," the Professor announced, glaring at Hope in particular. "We will be studying the Abrogo Potion. Mr. Potter, tell me what the Abrogo potions does."
Hope looked up from her potion book, horror-struck. She hadn't studied this potion yet. Hermione seemed to have since she had her hand in the air.
"Uh," she sputtered, looking over the ingredients as if that would tell her something. She shook her head.
"You don't know, Mr. Potter? Pity," the Professor smirked.
Hope knew immediately that she hated that smile. She hated the tone of his voice when he spoke to her. Especially, she hated the way he called her MR Potter.
Throughout class, he seemed to pick on her. He always walked by and said how her potion was wrong in the tiniest ways, like being aqua instead of teal, or saying that her wrist was bent wrong when she stirred. It was getting really annoying how he constrantly looked over her shoulder, waiting for her next mess up.
"That guy has to be the most abhorrent person I've ever met," Hope announced as she, Ron and Hermione headed up to their next class.
"He always has been," Hermione told her.
"RONALD!"
"Oh Holy bezoar! Not her!" Ron groaned, his hands covering his face.
"What? Who?" Hope asked, looking where the yell had come from.
A little blonde girl came bounding up. She had to be the oddest little girl. She wore a bottle cap necklace and held her wand behind her ear. Also, she was wearing a t-shirt that had a picture of Ron's face on it.
"Ronald," the blond began, out of breath, "I was looking for you on the train. I wanted to show you what I made." She pointed to her shirt. The Ron on her shirt winked at Hope.
"That's great, Luna," Ron muttered.
"I can make one with anyone's face on it," Luna told him, blushing, "like one with my picture on it, if you wanted one."
"That would be...nice, Luna, but I don't wear t-shirts," Ron insisted, rolling his eyes.
"Oh," Luna said disappointedly. "That's perfectly all right, Ronald. I have to read the new issue of the Quibbler anyway. I wouldn't have had time to make you a shirt. See you at lunch."
Luna looked rather sad as she walked away. Hope had to feel sorry for the poor little girl. After all, who could not love Ron? Hope also had little hope of getting him.
"I wish she would leave me alone," Ron announced. "Hermione, how do you get a girl to realize that you don't like her?"
"Each girl is different," Hermione told him, vaguely.
"Why not try telling her straight?" Hope blurted. "I mean, you don't want her mooning over you forever. And it's best for her to know so that she can get over you and move on."
"I can't just go up and tell her I don't like her," Ron insisted.
Hope admired his concern for Luna's feelings.
"Hey, Harry," Ron began, smirking at her, which made Hope feel dizzy for a moment. "Would you tell her for me?"
"Me?" Hope exclaimed.
"I couldn't do it, and it was your idea to lay it out straight," Ron rationalized.
"Coward," Hermione muttered.
Hope ran her fingers through her short hair, thinking. It would be best if Ron told her himself. What if Luna didn't believe Hope? What if Luna started bawling over him? Of course, Hope would be more sensitive to Luna's feelings. Guys didn't understand how deep girl's feelings went. Besides, Hope really liked Ron, too. She would better know what it would take to help if the same thing had happened to her. Still, it was Ron's problem. He needed to face it like a man.
"Ron, I don't think-" Hope began, but stopped when Ron took her hand. Her heart started pounding and she looked up into his wonderful, green eyes.
"Please, Harry," Ron requested.
Hope half-smiled. How could she refuse?
At lunch, Hope went over to the Ravenclaw table, where Luna sat. As Hope approached, Luna was drawing Ron's face in her mashed potatoes with the end of her wand. Hope shook her head. Poor, poor Luna.
"Hello, there," Hope greeted.
Luna jumped in surprised. She looked around, saying, "Oh, hullo, Harry."
"Mind if I sit with you?" Hope asked.
"By all means," Luna offered. "There's lost of room."
Hope looked around at Luna's lack of company. She, then, sat down next to her.
"Luna, I need to tell you something," Hope began, feeling guilty already.
Luna looked wide-eyed at her.
"See, it's about Ron," Hope muttered, avoiding Luna's gaze. "He doesn't really...Well, he's not...er...Ron..."
Hope glanced at Luna, whose expression hadn't changed. She couldn't do it. She couldn't hurt this poor girl. Why did Ron have to ask her to do this? Hope took a breath. How would be the best way to break it to herself? Hope took Luna's hands in her own, which surprised Luna.
"Look," Hope began softly, "you are a wonderful person. You're sweet and sensitive and a very pretty girl."
Luna bit her lip.
"Ron thinks this of you as well," Hope assumed. "It's just that he doesn't feel that special warmth in his heart when it comes to you. He cares for you as a person and he wants to be your friend, but he can't care for you the way you want him to. You don't want him to pretend that he does, do you?"
Luna lowered her eyes and shook her head.
"Luna," Hope went on, "out there is a man who will feel that special feeling when he looks at you. He will ache to hold you and will devote himself to making you happy. Don't waste any more tears on Ron, because he's not that man. Keep looking for him, Luna. He's looking for you as well."
Luna stared at Hope in this weird way. Hope assumed this meant that she understood. At least she wasn't crying. Hope gave her a smile, squeezed her hand, then went back to the Gryffindor table.
"Did you do it?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Hope muttered, sitting down next to Hermione, across from Ron.
"How'd she take it?" Ron asked. "Did she blubber?"
"No," Hope said simply, sadly. "You shouldn't have asked me to do it."
Ron looked surprised.
"I completely agree!" Hermione exclaimed, slamming her book on the table. "You are a selfish coward, Ron."
She got up and left the table.
"What...What did I do that was so wrong?" Ron queried sadly.
Hope wanted to yell at him for dropping Luna on her. She wanted to cry because he was so oblivious. She wanted to run away from him. But she saw how sad he was. That compelled her to stay with him.
"Oy, Harry, Ron!" called a dark-skinned girl down the table.
Hope looked over there.
"We have practice tonight," the girl informed. "I want everyone preforming their best this year."
"All right, Angelina, we'll be there," Ron assured her.
"Practice?" Hope muttered to herself. "Quidditch practice?"
"Yeah," Ron said matter-of-factly.
Hope groaned.
A/N: If you finding it a little slow or something, I can assure you that it does pick up more later.
A/N2: I'm not sure how long it will take to put up the next chapter. My computer crashed and my brother has to restore the hard drive before I can access any of the other chapters that I already wrote. I hope you will be patient and look for my next chapter when it comes. I know my brother can get them. It's just a manner of time.
