A/N: Hey guys! Here's chapter seven for you all! I know the last chapter was kinda sad, but this one's only worse…I know, I know, I'm cruel…but sunshine comes after rain, right? So read, enjoy, and review! And thanks to all of you who just started reading my story, I know Heather put in a good word for me (for which I am very grateful!!! Thanks Heather!!) So I hope you all like this!
Lauren
Disclaimer: Me no know no JK…
Chapter Seven
Well Gee, It's Only Pain…
Hermione walked back the entire trip from Hogsmeade by her lonely, brokenhearted self. She had, for a half second, considered finding Harry and Ginny to walk back with, but quickly decided against it; she was feeling far too surly to be in the company of lovebirds…She felt like being alone, so she could figure out the jumbled chaos that was her brain. She wasn't sure what exactly she had been thinking, imagining Ron still having feelings for her after all this time, after all that mess…
She dragged her feet defiantly across the lush Hogwarts grass, wanting to both see and avoid Ron at the same time. She hadn't stayed around to see him (and probably Padma) depart from Hogsmeade, and thus had no idea where they were now…not that she cared. Part of her was filled with anger, though more at herself for believing that there was the slightest chance they could be together again than at George or Ron. Besides, George had only been trying to help…which was rather odd in itself, Hermione noted. When had George become such an expert on matters of the heart? she wondered. She hadn't asked him when they had been talking, she didn't think it polite, but it didn't keep her from wondering.
The closer she got to approaching the front doors of the castle, the more she could feel tears pressing against the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall, but she was determined not to cry. If there was one thing she hated, it was crying…showing weaknesses was not something she was apt to do, and if she was to cry, people around her would only ask her what was wrong, and this was something she didn't feel like sharing with anyone, particularly Harry or Ron. And if she told Ginny…there was no way it wouldn't get back to Ron, which would only lead to embarrassment and vulnerability, neither of which she would appreciate at the moment, or at any time really. No, this was definitely not something she would be sharing with anyone any time soon.
She walked up the steps to the entrance hall, fingers gripping the sides of her skirt and breath slightly harsh, but her face showing no signs of anguish. She was about to take her usual, automatic turn for the library when she found her feet were leading her elsewhere. She was too tired and upset to protest, so she let herself wander up the several flights of stairs her feet happened to be dragging her up. Finally, she seemed to have reached her destination, as she muttered the password to no one in particular and stepped inside quietly, receiving a sympathetic look from the Fat Lady.
When she walked in, she saw Harry sitting alone in front of the fire. Confused, she walked over to the chair next to his and sank down into it, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Hey Hermione," he said nonchalantly, only half-looking up from his Astronomy assignment and therefore not noticing the sullen expression on her face.
"Hey Harry," she said, and her tone told Harry something was wrong. He looked up into her face and was stricken with the previous events of the day, only then realizing that she must have witnessed the two as well.
"Oh, Herm…I don't think I'd worry too much about it, really, like I told you before, he's just being--"
"Careful, I know, I know…not that anything is wrong with that of course, I mean, moving into new relationships, it's always smart to be careful, don't you think? Think of what happened last time with her; he almost ruined her night at the Yule Ball, remember? So yes, I think it's wise for him to be careful at this point, very wise," she said with an almost scientific note in her voice, as though she were studying Ron in a relationship experiment. Harry looked at her, befuddled, but quickly caught on.
"Herm, I know what you're doing, but I know how you fee--"
"Harry, I think Ron going after Padma is wonderful, I don't know what gave you the idea that I felt otherwise…as for you knowing how I feel…well, never mind. I think I'm going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning?" she said, feigning a yawn and standing up. Harry glanced at her sadly; there was no telling Hermione, she was nearly as stubborn as Mrs. Weasley. So he gave her an agreeing smile and nod, and after Hermione returned the grin, she headed up the stairs to the girls' dorms.
Harry sighed and went back to his Astronomy homework, but after a moment found that it was no use, he couldn't concentrate any more. Dammit, if only Ron wasn't such a bloody prat!
Hermione plopped herself on her bed and reached underneath it, pulling out her bag. She placed it in her lap and from it retrieved her Arithmancy book, dropping the bag back onto the floor and propping the book open across her lap. She was just delving into her reading assignment when she heard a light tapping on the window; she looked over and saw a beautiful light gray and white speckled owl hovering above the windowsill. She crawled over to the window, opening it and letting in the elegant bird, which surprisingly landed on her bed. Thinking it was quite odd for Viktor to be writing her still, she took the letter kindly from the owl and slipped her finger under the seal. But what she saw was not a letter from Viktor…
Dear Hermione,
I just wanted to say that I'm so incredibly sorry about what happened today…I had no idea my brother was such a prat. I mean, of course I knew, I've known all along, after all, he's my brother, but I never thought it would escalate to such a disturbingly horrid degree. If it makes you feel any better, well actually I can't really think of anything that could make you feel better at the moment, but when I do, I'll be sure to let you know.
She chuckled at this, imagining George literally sitting down to write to her the instant he came up with something.
Anyway, let me know when your next Hogsmeade trip is so I can give you your present…but if it's not any time soon, I suppose I could send it by owl, though that may prove to be difficult. Send Harry and Ginny my best, and while you're at it, could you slap Ron for me or something equally punishing? It may just make you feel better. And anyway, it won't take Ron long to realize what a jerk he is and snap out of it. Until then, hang in there.
Yours truly,
George
With a small smile, she folded the letter back up and slipped in into the back of her Arithmancy book. She reached over her bed for her bag, pulled out some parchment and a quill, and settled herself into the chair by her night table. With a thoughtful sigh, she pressed the quill to the parchment and began to write.
Dear George,
Thank you so much for your letter. You know well that I don't blame you whatsoever for what happened, so don't be sorry. It was really no one's fault, it just happened that way, so please don't feel bad. And I eagerly await whatever it is that you will soon think up to make me feel better. Anyway, the next Hogsmeade date is in about four weeks, but I'm not exactly sure. I'll send you another owl naming the exact date as sure as I know it. And thank you again so much for the present; you really didn't have to get me one, you know! Well, I hope all is well with the preparations for next weekend with your grand opening. Let me know how it goes!
Yours truly,
Hermione
She read over the letter once more, checking for any errors, and folded it up, gently tying it to the owl that had just been nestling comfortably on the end of her bed. She took it to the window, and with a soft twitch of her arm, sent it out into the darkening sky, too busy watching the sun setting to notice the very subject of her letter sitting down in the grass below her.
Ron was plucking aggressively at the grass in front of him, cursing himself for being such a jerk, and at the same time convincing himself that it was the right thing to do. In the first place, he had no idea Hermione was the one upset; he was only aware that Sarah had given him odd looks at dinner, and so had Ginny. He had noted how uncannily identical their looks had been, but more shocked at receiving them from someone other than his sister or his best friends. He could understand why Sarah had been mad, which is why he was cursing himself for being a jerk to begin with. Yes, it's true, he was addicted to flirting, and today he had been ostentatiously flirtatious with Padma. It really hadn't been that hard, it wasn't like she was unattractive, but it seemed now that that was the problem. He didn't even like her, he barely knew her for heaven's sake, but just as he had seen her smile that sweet smile, the little switch inside him marked 'Weasley charm' just flicked itself on without warning. If only he could learn how to turn that damn thing off…
But he knew it was for the best. Hermione had broken up with him, and that told him clearly that there was nothing more she felt for him than friendship. It was taking a lot of work, convincing himself to drop his feelings for her, but the fact that they had failed once seemed to instill upon him the reality that trying again would only bring about the same results. Frustrated, he pulled another handful of grass from the ground and threw them a few feet in front of him. He looked up to see the last of the sun descend behind the mountains and sighed, telling himself to return to the common room but not listening. He knew just seeing her face would spark feelings he didn't want sparked, so he remained in the grass until the sky became completely dark, and he realized the air had grown cold and unwelcoming.
The next morning, the only person surprised by Hermione's absence at the breakfast table was Ron, who was almost sure he had helped her change her ways. But as he learned he in fact hadn't, he sighed disappointedly and began eating his toast. He was thinking about what it was Hermione was doing instead when he noticed someone waving at him in the distance. When his eyes focused, he could see it was none other than Padma, who, conveniently enough, was sitting right next to the glaring Sarah. Smiling uncomfortably, he reluctantly waved back, feeling an awful burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. What the bloody hell have I gotten myself into??
Upstairs, Hermione was writing frantically, working nonstop on a Muggle Studies essay she knew wasn't due for another week, but was the only thing she could do to keep herself busy. If she needed to, she would go to the library and check out a slew of books, just so she would have something to keep her constantly occupied. Of course, half of these books would no doubt be used to help her study for her N.E.W.T.s, but that wasn't the point…
Some time later, she looked up as she heard the portrait hole swing open and did all she could not to blush as she saw Ron enter and take a seat next to her. Instead, she began writing at the speed of a tornado, giving Ron the impression that she really did not want to talk to him. He looked at his hands and sat quietly, nervous about speaking, but after a while the silence greatly annoyed Hermione.
"Ron, what is it?" she asked huffily. The sudden presence of her voice made him jump uneasily.
"What? Oh, nothing, I was just wondering why you didn't come to breakfast, but I suppose I can see why now…why eat when you can work on a—what is that?—oh, a Muggle studies essay?" he asked with a shy smile.
"Well, you know me, I'm just trying to get it out of the way…N.E.W.T.s are coming soon you know, it's never too early to start studying…"
Ron chuckled, and for the split second Hermione chuckled back, she realized she had let her guard down. Struggling to pull it back up, she touched on a different subject, one that made her uneasy, but one that would make her look supportive. He was, of course, her best friend, why shouldn't she be?
"So Ron, how's Padma?" she asked, producing a smile so fake it looked real; this startled Ron.
"Padma? What about her?"
"Oh Ron, I saw you two yesterday, it was so cute! I think it's sweet that you two have made up, what after the Yule Ball and everything…so, do you like her?" Those last four words made fire flicker up into her throat, but she maintained a calm that surprised even her.
"Like her? Mione, I barely know her, I've just started talking to her yesterday, so…she seems very nice though," he finished, not sure what he was saying.
"Well, if I may say so myself, I think you two looked so sweet together, what with your arm around her…it wouldn't be too hard doing that everyday, would it? Not with her, she's definitely pretty, Ron," she said, the fire growing hotter and more fierce as she refused to look up from her paper.
"What? What are you saying?" he asked, now utterly confused by her words.
"Well, isn't it obvious? I'm saying you should get to know her better…I think you'd make a nice couple," she said, keeping herself from nearly breathing the fire that was now almost unbearable. Her hand was writing with such incredible speed that the tip of her quill was close to ripping the parchment. Ron gulped…there was no denying it now, she had just confirmed his very qualm…
"Oh, really? Well um, maybe I will then…you really think so?" he asked, attempting to look gladdened by the news.
"Yeah, really. She's smart, pretty, and by what you've said, she's nice…what's not to like?" Sounds like you, he thought. "And I'm sure her liking you won't be a problem, it doesn't take much to fall for you…that is, if she hasn't already," she added quickly, covering up what she had just mistakenly slip. She thought she had seen Ron's eyes flicker for a moment at her previous words, but she felt her stomach drop disappointedly as she realized that it was only because of what she had said after.
"Well, since you put it that way, I think I'll go see her now," he said, putting on a smile as he stood up. "Thanks 'Mione!" And with that, he walked through the portrait hole and out into the corridors.
Hermione felt her heart sink lower than she ever thought imaginable at the realization of what she had just done, but she was determined not to care. With fierce resolution, she immersed herself into the paper in front of her, not bothering to remove the stray tear sliding freely down her cheek.
Ron walked down the several flights of stairs to the library quite frustrated indeed. He knew now for certain that she felt nothing for him as he did for her. But all of that was about to change…
It was no coincidence that it happened to be Padma he ran into on his way to the library, and it wasn't the library he had come from late that night when he plopped himself on a chair in front of the fire at two in the morning either…
Review! Please? I know, that chapter was hard for me to write…but if you want to see what happens, you've got to review!!!
