Chapter 2: Revelations
Harry decided to walk to Hogsmeade even though it was already the early afternoon. He felt he had a lot to think about. He was so confused, he couldn't get the image of Ginny's rosy cheeks and glare as she stormed out, or how good she had looked wearing a Muggle short skirt and tank top. He had never noticed how slender and muscular her legs were, or how her chest…At that thought he stopped himself. Come on Harry…control yourself! She's your best mate's sister for goodness sake! He tried to tell himself. But it was no use. Images of Ginny flooded his head on his entire walk to Hogsmeade.
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The Hogwarts students were having a blast in Hogsmeade. Nearly everyone was almost drunk already and laughing horribly as people would frequently omit squawks and turn into large canary's or have their tongues grow rapidly into 5 foot blobs since they were all too wasted to think to check for a Canary Cream or Ton-Tongue Toffee hidden in their morsel. A group of Hufflepuff students led by Justin Finch-Fletchley were running up and down the street singing Christmas carols horribly out of tune. Yet surprisingly the crazed Hogwarts students didn't stand out too badly in a town like Hogsmeade near Merfwin Day.
Merfwin Day was something unique to the town of Hogsmeade. Named after Hogsmeade resident Meinrad L. Merfwin, Merfwin day comes about every 13 years and celebrates being odd, like Merfwin was himself. Basically, the town decorates and everyone gets drunk. Merfwin day doesn't actually last a day, in fact it's more like a week. During the weeks leading up to it, the town was bustling with excitement and quite a few more eccentrics than usual. However, as Merfwin week hadn't officially started yet, the Hogwarts staff had been forced to let the students go into the village. They had done so grudgingly and with many lectures about being responsible. Of course no one listened.
Harry found Hermione sitting outside watching the spectacle that was Justin Finch-Fletchley now leading a horrible monkey like dance.
"'Lo, Hermione," Harry said and sat down next to her on the stone bench. "Where's Ron?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'll give you one guess," she said with a touch of anger in her voice.
"He didn't ditch you for a girl did he!"
"Yes he did! And it wasn't just annnyone, nooo…It was Lisa Turpin! That skank of a Ravenclaw! Ugh, it's been all over the school about her and Ernie Macmillan getting caught in an old Charms classroom doing God-Knows-What! Who knows how that girl got into Ravenclaw; she hasn't half a brain…" Hermione mumbled and trailed off. Harry patted her on the back.
"Don't waste your thoughts on Ron, Hermione. You know he'll hit anything that walks. I don't know what happened to him, but since Christmas he's been completely…well, different." It was true, too. Ron was now notorious for getting a girl and then moving on to a different one. Harry didn't know how much action Ron really got because he couldn't ever seem to bring up the subject, but he did know that Ron was always with a new girl. Hermione gulped and looked away. She knew what had happened…
It was a surprisingly warm winter evening as the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione finished up dinner. Mrs. Weasley had Ginny and George (who was visiting with Fred) on dish duty tonight, so the rest of the group left them clearing plates. Fred invited Harry to a game of wizards chess, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley set down in front of the fire, reading. Ron, who had been acting weird all day, all week in fact as Hermione reminisced, mumbled about taking a walk. At first Hermione sat down in the living room to peruse the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7, but finally decided to go after Ron and ask him what was on his mind.
She put on a jacket and wandered towards the creek near the Burrow. She walked along it for a while in the darkening light and finally noticed Ron sitting on a large rock and violently throwing pebbles onto the ice.
"Hey Ron," she said quietly as she approached him. He looked up, startled.
"Hey…hey, Hermione."
"Ron, what's the matter? I can tell something is bugging you. And don't say Nothing because I know you too well and I won't buy it."
"It's nothing," he replied.
"Oh, come ON Ron! You know I won't buy that! I mean, we've been friends for 6 years now, why can't you tell me what's really on your mind! It won't kill me to know!"
"FINE Hermione, you know what! I have just realized that I've waited too long and I've lost you. Yes, you!" he shouted. "I know I'm a fool for not realizing that I've been falling for you all this time, and then I was too chicken to do anything about it. And now you are back with your dear Vicky and it's too late for me! And you come back from your long visit in Bulgaria with him all happy and "Viktor this" and "Viktor that" wearing that damn stone around your neck, and looking so beautiful and happy and what can I do! I've lost my chance! And how can a regular guy like me compete with someone like him? He's a professional Quidditch player, rich beyond all belief, and smart so you say too! I guess I'm not good enough for you, and I'm going to stop waiting to see if you want me! I'm through with all of these feelings, I'm ready to move on," and with that he got up to leave.
"Wait, Ron," Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No, Hermione," he wrestled free of her grip. "Just forget I said anything. I don't want to lose you as a friend too."
"If that's what you want Ron, I will," she began to choke up.
"Yea, that and don't tell Harry," Ron stormed off with that thought.
"Okay," she whispered after him.
Hermione plopped down right where she was standing and put her head between her knees. She was shaking all over. Poor Ron, he had been right. She had flaunted her renewed relationship with Viktor Krum, the Seeker for the Bulgarian National Quidditch team when she returned from her visit with him earlier that break. Viktor had given her this amazing necklace with a blue aquamarine stone surrounded by tiny diamonds. It had probably cost a fortune. And there was poor Ron, left feeling so inferior.
Oh, but why hadn't Ron just told her how he had felt? It was Ron who she had wanted for so long, but she had given up. She finally decided that there was no way he felt the same way about her. Through the years she had waited-hoped-that he liked her in the same way. The moments of jealousy and the occasional awkward silence or situation she encountered with Ron kept her waiting for so long, but finally she had to move on. And what was worse is that now she knew Ron had cared for her, but he didn't want her anymore. She had missed her chance with him. Horrific timing, she thought.
Also, her relationship with Viktor was good. It wasn't amazing, but she did find him interesting. She had basically agreed to see him again because she felt that waiting for Ron was like waiting for pigs to fly. (Which she reminded herself was a very quick thing in the Wizarding world, however she was still muggle-born, so…) She had figured he would never feel the same about her so she had pursued other options. And she would probably dump Viktor in a heartbeat if Ron had asked, but he hadn't. So there they were. Apart, still. Hermione dried her eyes and began to walk back to the house. When she arrived she said her goodnights and went up to her room. As she lay down to sleep she undid the clasp on her necklace and set it on the nightstand.
Hermione was sure that this was the reason Ron had become such a womanizer. She had inadvertently broken his heart and now he was on some sort of quest to prove he didn't need her. She sighed. She wished he would just quit already and notice her again. Her relationship with Viktor had ended finally, but Ron hadn't even realized. He was so busy with other girls and trying to be completely friendly to her to notice. She realized Harry had just said something to her.
"Huh?"
"I said, would you like to go up to the Weasley's? I want to see their new store," Harry replied.
"Oh, yea…Of course!" Hermione replied and the two set off up the street.
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The Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was packed with Hogwarts students, but Fred and George spotted Harry and Hermione quickly.
"Harry, 'ole mate! Good to see you! As you can tell, business is booming!" George said putting his arm around his shoulders as Fred gave him a wink. The Weasley twins could never forget Harry's generous donation of 1000 Galleons to get their initial business started. The twins gave them a quick tour and then pulled them upstairs into the loft area above the store. There was a small group already there sitting comfortably on the couch and a couple of chairs pulled out from behind desks.
"Angelina!" Harry spotted former the Hogwarts student and Gryffindor Quidditch captain sitting on a desk and went to go talk to her. When he passed Ginny who was sitting on the couch his stomach gave a lurch. He noticed her eyes were red. Hermione brushed past him and sat next to Ginny. She had noticed that Ron was there, but that Lisa was nowhere to be found. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Where's Lisa?" she asked Ron who was seated in a chair directly across from her.
"Sorry I left you, Hermione," he mumbled. She rolled her eyes in response. He started to stare at the ceiling but then did a double take back to Hermione. There she was wearing a low cut blue tank top, but her neck was bare.
"Hermione, where's your necklace?" he blurted. She raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't been wearing it since Viktor and I broke up," she said casually.
"You and Krum did what! When!" said Ron, his voice cracking a bit.
"We…broke…up…About two months ago," she said slowly for Ron's benefit. She took a truffle out of the box on the table next to her, and inspected it for hidden objects as Ron stared at her open-mouthed.
"All clear Hermione," Fred said with a wink. She eyed him suspiciously but at the chocolate anyway.
Harry and Angelina were talking rapidly about her aspiring Quidditch career. She had followed in Oliver Wood's footsteps and been drafted to the Puddlemere United Reserve team. Harry's attention turned, however, when he heard Hermione say "Hey, Gin, what's wrong? I noticed you looked a little…" and then shut up with a glare from Ginny. Harry too had noticed her eyes looked red from crying, but since then he had been trying to avoid her eye contact. He didn't know what he was feeling or trust himself around her. Quickly he tried to get back on subject.
"So Angelina, what brings you to Hogsmeade this time of year?" he asked.
"Well…" she paused, searching for an answer. Finally she sighed and simply said "Fred. We've been seeing each other since school ended. Came here to support the opening." She shook her head. "Who'd have thought I'd end up with him?" she said laughing. Fred came over with a look of mock-anger on his face, but instead of speaking he simply swept her up in a long kiss.
"I think that's our cue to go," Hermione said in a very audible whisper. The twins and Angelina laughed, but they said their goodbye's and went downstairs.
Once outside, Ron and Hermione wanted to go visit the shrieking shack for old times sake, but Ginny said she just felt like going home.
"What about you Harry?" Ron asked.
"Actually, I'm still feeling not 100. Would you mind if I leave you two?" Harry lied.
"Sure Harry, no worries! I hope you're feeling better!" Hermione said, and she and Ron walked up the street.
Harry and Ginny began the walk back to Hogwarts in silence. Harry didn't know why but he had just felt like being with her. About 20 times he tried to speak, but nothing interesting formed in his head. As he pondered what to say he realized that Ginny was sniffling and silent tears were running down her cheeks.
"Gin?" he said softly, stopping walking.
"Mmm…" she said and swallowed.
"Ginny, Gin-look at me…Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing really…it's just that Dean and I are through. And I'm not that sad about that, I just am completely humiliated because he was cheating on me with Lavender, his old girlfriend…" she continued blabbing and crying about Dean and their troubles all the way to Hogwarts and into the common room, with Harry nodding and mhmm-ing all the way. To their surprise, the common room was full of students, and somehow a lot of liquor too. They sat on a small couch in a corner as Ginny continued.
"…and it's not like he couldn't have just told me, because I can take that kind of stuff, it's just so horrible to have someone else come and tell you that you need to see this and then that thing is the guy who you've put your trust and faith in…"
"Hey Gin, you look like you could use a pick me up!" Seamus interrupted and handed her a large bottle of a clear liquor with a fancy label that read "Madam Victoria's Vivacious Vodka."
"Ginny, I'm not sure if you really should…" Harry started, but broke off as Ginny chugged half the thing. With a wink Seamus left another bottle of the stuff on Harry's lap.
"Where was I?" Ginny continued. "Oh, yeah well he just could have respected me more, you know? And to think that I even considered…" Oh yeah…It's gonna be a long afternoon…Harry thought and took a big swig from his bottle.
