Ch 6- The Hogwarts Express
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"Hermione. Hermione. Hermione, wake up! We have to leave in a half an hour! Wake up!"
Hermione felt someone gently shaking her. She opened her eyes and saw the blurry outline of Ginny. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she remembered what had happened the night before.
"Oh. Ok. I'm up." Hermione said sitting up. Ginny nodded and went back downstairs. Hermione got up and brushed her hair. She looked in the mirror. She looked horrible. Her face was pale from lack of sleep and there were feint tear marks on one side of her cheeks. Just then Ginny came in.
"Hermione! You look horrible!"
"Gee thanks, Gin. But you're right, I do look dead."
Ginny sighed and walked over to her trunk.
"Well, come here then!" Ginny told her. Hermione half-heartedly walked to where Ginny was and sat down next to her. Ginny began applying blush and glitter to Hermione's face. After about five minutes, she held up a mirror to Hermione.
"Well, I look a whole lot better than I feel." Hermione snorted.
"Oh come on," Ginny said "why don't you just apologize to him? Not that you did anything wrong!" she added quickly after receiving a glare from Hermione.
"I mean, you guys can't stay mad at each other forever." Ginny said.
"I suppose your right…" Hermione breathed.
Then they got up and began to drag their trunks downstairs. Hermione sat in between Harry and Ginny at the breakfast table. She didn't shoot Ron angry glares luckily for all of them. But to Ron's sadness, she didn't look at him at all. "Why won't she just look at me? If she would just look at me then I'd apologize. But she won't even look at me!"
(Later that Day, on the Hogwarts Express.)
The four teenagers sat in silence. Ron was staring out the window Harry and Ginny were playing a game of hang-man, and Hermione was indulged in Hogwarts, a History.
"E." Ginny said.
"You win. Harry said. His hangman bored which originally started out as '/ , now read "I'm bored." Ginny took the paper from Harry and scribbled something down and passed it back to Harry. He read it.
"I need to talk to you alone."
"About what?" He scribbled back.
"Ron and Hermione."
"Ok."
Harry looked at his new watch which read 12:00.
"Uh…don't you guys have to go do some prefect work or something?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.
"Oh, yeah." Ron said as he followed Hermione out the compartment door. "See ya." And he closed the door behind him.
"Ok, what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked Ginny.
"Ron and Hermione."
"Yes, I know that, but what about them?"
"I think they fancy each other. No, actually, I don't think, I know they fancy each other." Ginny stated.
"What?" Harry said with a shocked, unbelieving grin on his face.
"You heard me." Ginny said.
"Yes, your right. I did hear you. Ginny, I'm sorry but you are absolutely mental! They hate each other! No one in their right mind would believe they fancy each other!" Harry was now slightly laughing. "What in the name of Merlin makes you think they fancy each other?"
"Harry, look at the signs!"
"What signs?"
"Harry, I can not believe you are this thick! The signs! The basic facts! Haven't you ever wondered why they always argue about the silliest things? Haven't you ever seen them locked in a trance as they stare at one another? Or how they blush scarlet when the other catches them doing so?"
Harry stared at Ginny contently, thinking. After about five minutes, lost in thought, Harry looked up, his face now full of understanding. Ginny noticed this change in thought of Harry's and she smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow.
"Ginny, you're not mental, you're absolutely brilliant!" Harry said. Ginny beamed and blushed a bit.
"That's why they always argue about those stupid things. No wonder Ron always gets mad whenever Krum comes up! He's jealous! Hey wait, speaking of Krum…I thought Hermione fancied him?"
"No, she told me that they're only friends and…well…don't tell Hermione but you know that letter she got last night?"
Harry nodded.
"How could I forget?"
"Well, you see, after Hermione cried herself to sleep I…I…well, I sort of read it. It was an accident!"
"Ok sure Ginny, whatever you say. The letter just magically popped out of the envelope and used its evil powers to force you to read it!" Harry taunted her laughing.
"Yes, something along those lines" Ginny replied now giggling with him.
"Well, anyways, apparently in the last letter he sent her, he asked her if they could be a couple. She must have let him down because in this letter, he said that he was disappointed at her answer but has no choice but to accept it and wishes that they could still be friends."
"Ooh." Harry said.
"Yeah…and if I'm not mistaken, I think Hermione might be playing it up a bit, just to get Ron jealous."
Harry thought for a moment or two and then turned back to Ginny.
"So what are we going to do? We've gotta get them together or something, because I can't stand their arguing anymore. Besides, if we don't do something, I think they just might kill each other." Harry said.
"Well, we'll just have to start a little something I like to call "Operation R and H." Ginny said mischievously. Harry returned this devilish smile to her.
(With Ron and Hermione while Harry and Ginny have this oh so climatic conversation)
Ron and Hermione walked silently to the other end of the train where their prefect meeting was to be held. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they both spoke at once.
"Ron."
"Hermione"
They both laughed a little.
"You go first" Hermione said
"You sure?" Ron asked her. She nodded.
"Ok, well I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about last night. It's not my business what goes on between Vicky- I mean Viktor and you." He finished, looking at his feet. Hermione just stared at him. At last she spoke.
"No, Ron, I'm sorry."
"But you didn't do anything!"
"Well, I-, here, I want you to see something." She pulled out the manila envelope from her back pocket and handed it to Ron.
"Hermione, I can't read it, I just said, it's none of my business."
"No, Ron, I want you to read it." Hermione said.
"But Hermi-"
"Ron, please, just read it?" She asked him hopefully.
Ron glanced at her and then took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it. Then, he read it. Hermione stood still watching his sky blue eyes racing back and forth along the paper. She waited, with her eyes transfixed on him, studying his expression. She hated that at times, she could see right through him, and at other times, like now, she could read a single word from his face.
Ron looked up from the letter. Hermione continued to stare at him, trying to read him.
"So, you're not interested him in that way? You're just friends?" Ron asked with a slight note of happiness in his voice.
Hermione nodded.
"Ron, I still don't understand why you care so much if I'm dating him or not, and I don't know if I ever will…but, well, now you know."
"Hermione?" Ron said
"Hmm?" Hermione asked snapping out of her thoughts.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For showing me this." Ron said holding up the letter and giving it back to her.
"Your welcome."
Half-an-hour later, Ron and Hermione came back into the train compartment in a heated discussion about electricity.
"Ok, so let me get this straight. You flip a switch on and this light bulb lights up? And then you flip it off, and the light bulb goes out? You don't even have to say lumos or anything?"
"No Ron, you don't have to say anything. They even have these lights that when you clap, the light turns on, and when you clap again, the light turns off."
"Amazing!" Ron said.
"Haha, you sound like your father Ron." Hermione laughed
"Oh please," Ron said "I don't collect plugs!"
"Haha, yes that's true."
Harry and Ginny looked at each other disbelievingly.
"Well, I see you two have finally made up!" Ginny said cheerfully. Ron and Hermione shrugged their shoulders and nodded.
"We always do don't we?" Ron said.
"Yeah, you do." Harry said suspiciously.
They spent the rest of the train ride chatting or playing games, eating sweets or sleeping. Harry and Ginny would burst into laughter every time they caught Ron or Hermione blush because of one another. When Ron and Hermione asked what they were laughing at, they innocently replied, "Nothing!" and hastily turned their laughing into coughing fits. Finally, they arrived at Hogwarts. As Harry followed Ginny off the train, she held him back for a second.
"We really have to get them together. Did you see how many times they blushed on the train!" She asked him.
"Yeah, that was hilarious." Harry said
"Yes, that's another thing Harry, we really have to try and not laugh when things like that happen! They're going to get suspicious! Just if they do something like that, don't look at them or me, because that's what makes us laugh- when we know that both of us noticed it."
"Right." Harry said. "So, when are we going to start planning this "Operation H&R" thing? Harry asked her.
"Right after the feast. They'll have to go and show the first years around and we can brainstorm in the common room until they get there." Ginny told him.
"Deal." Harry said.
They then caught up with Ron and Hermione and climbed into the Carriage with them. The threstals began to trot, and then picked up speed pulling them up to the castle.
(After the feast in the common room with Harry and Ginny)
Harry and Ginny sat in the common room alone. Everyone else had gone to bed. The first years, along with Ron and Hermione were due back in about 15 minutes.
"Ok, so what's the plan?" Harry asked Ginny.
"The plan is…well, come up with a plan."
"Brilliant! I would have never thought of it!" Harry joked.
"Hmm…." Ginny said. "Well, lets brainstorm.
"Ok, there's always that idea of locking them in a broom closet and starving them, and not letting them out until they admit it." Harry suggested.
"That's a possibility, but once we let them out after them finally admitting it, they'll probably deny it and say that they only said it because they were going to pee their pants or something."
"True. Hmm…" but, just then the portrait hole opened, and a tall red-haired boy emerged from it, followed by a brown-haired girl who was about a head shorter than him, who was followed by a group of frightened-looking first-years.
"Girls dormitories, up and to your left, boys, same on your right. You will find that all of your belongings are already there. Off you go now!" said Hermione.
Then, Ron and Hermione sat next to each other on the couch opposite of Harry and Ginny.
"What have you two been up to?" asked Ron.
"Nothing!" They said a little too quickly. Ron and Hermione eyed them, but decided to ignore it.
"Well, I'm going to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow." Hermione said.
"Yeah, I'm going up too. You comin' Harry?" Ron asked.
"Nah, I'll be up in a few minutes."
"Ok. G'night."
"Night."
As soon as Hermione and Ron disappeared into their respective dormitories, Harry and Ginny began brainstorming again.
"I think that maybe, we should try and get them to admit it to us, before we try and force them to admit it to each other." Ginny said.
"Ok, but why?"
"Because they are in denial Harry! Besides, it will make it a lot easier for everyone, if they admit it to us first."
"How so?"
"Well, for one, instead of having to trick them into doing stuff, we could just tell them to!" Ginny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Ok. I see what you mean. I've got a plan on how to make Ron confess to me, but I think Hermione's too clever for it." Harry said.
"That's alright, I've got a plan of my own."
"Brilliant, so, when do we strike?"
"Well, my plan is going to take about a couple months in the working, so-"
"A couple of months?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Harry, you know how Hermione is! The only way to make her admit it is to ask her right out front, because she's to damn clever to trick! Unless you have a plan that it…"
"No, I guess I don't. Geese, it'll be Christmas by the time we even get them to admit it to us let alone each other!" Harry said.
"I'll bet you 5 galleons that I'll get Hermione to admit it to me, by or before Christmas Day." Ginny offered.
"Deal." Harry said, and they shook on it.
"So, how long do you think it will take you to make Ron confess to you?" Ginny asked.
"Uh, probably like 2 days, 3 tops." Harry told her.
"Ok, in that case, you should start on him a week before Christmas Day."
"Sounds good. I'm goin' to bed." Harry said as he yawned.
"M-m-me to" Ginny said back as she too stifled the contagious yawn.
Both of them got up and headed up to their dorms.
"This is gonna be great." Ginny thought. "Not only am I doing a good cause for Ron and Hermione, but I hope it's getting Harry's mind of Sirius. Poor bloke."
As Harry climbed the stairs, excited to drop onto his warm, soft four-poster, he too thought along some of the same lines as Ginny.
"I can't wait until the week before the holidays. This is going to be fun. For me anyways…maybe not so much for Ron. But I am doing good…he'll thank me for it later when he's sitting in the common room snogging Hermione…haha, what a funny site…pleasant…yet disturbing…ok, enough with that…hmm…maybe this year won't be so bad after all…" and Harry drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Hmm… sorry, I just noticed, about four (including this one) of the 6 chapters I've written end with someone falling asleep…I never was very good with conclusions…oh well, you'll have to deal with it! ;-P Review please!
