Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and I don't.
Chapter 16 - Feelings (The Sequel)
Ginny stalked towards Hogwarts to find Hermione and talk to her, eyes narrowed and walking with a quick jog, going fast enough so that even Malfoy couldn't insult her before she was gone. Malfoy, as a matter of fact, was providing some comic relief to the whole situation - calling Hermione 'Mudblood' really wasn't valid anymore, and he was having trouble thinking up a new nickname. At first he came up with the brilliant idea 'Beaverface' before realizing that Hermione's teeth had been shrunk quite a long time ago.
Inside, Ginny was raging at Hermione. How could she treat Ron so callously? Sure, she was going through a tough time, but they had all been through many tough times before. Ron never dreamed of treating her like that when he was kidnapped and tortured by Voldemort, which, in Ginny's opinion was far worse than what Hermione was going through. She knew Ron was still suffering lingering effects from the kidnapping.
Ginny found herself at the library and quickly scanned it for possible places where Hermione would be, but didn't find her. She stormed up to the Gryffindor common room - the vast majority of people giving her a wide berth on the way and went into the Gryffindor common after giving the password (Rubber Soul - apparently Dumbledore was delving into Muggle music as well). She scanned everywhere but Hermione was nowhere in sight. Ginny finally found her in the 5th year girl's dormitory, reading a book (surprise.
"Hey Gin, how's it going?" A side effect of the fight was that Hermione was no longer in her trance-like state anymore, and was acting normally again. Except for being a complete prat to Ron, Ginny reminded herself.
"I just had a talk with Ron and Harry," Ginny said in a dangerously low voice. "So, Hermione, why don't you tell me your point of view?"
Hermione suddenly started stumbling and struggling over her words. "Ron was being a git - thinking he could understand - being a self-centered, stupid, arrogant -"
"Shut up, Hermione!" Ginny intoned angrily, interrupting her. "You're wrong and you know it."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock, her arrogant perfectionist part of her coming to surface. "I am not," she hissed slowly back to Ginny. Ginny suddenly started yelling.
"RON'S NOT THE SELF-CENTERED ONE HERMIONE, YOU ARE, YOU JUST WON'T ADMIT IT. RON WOULD NEVER VALUE HIS PRIDE OVER HIS FRIENDS, BECAUSE HE ADMITS WHEN HE'S WRONG - SO DOES HARRY - SO DO I. YOU, THOUGH? YOU'RE NOT USED TO IT. AND IT'S PRETTY SELFISH TO VALUE YOUR OWN PRIDE OVER YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Ginny stormed out, leaving a shocked and thinking Hermione in her wake, but suddenly encountered Professor Flitwick outside of the portrait hole.
"Miss Weasley, if you would come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office."
Ron was walking lazily with Harry to Hogwarts from the lake. With the recent events, they hadn't had much time to talk as of late, and were catching up. Suddenly an owl flew towards Ron - it was Pig, bearing the Daily Prophet.
"Strange - they don't usually have editions of the Prophet on Saturday's."
Ron gasped as he read the headline. Harry leaned over and pulled back in horror at the headline: 29 MUGGLES KILLED IN VICIOUS DEATH EATER ATTACK IN ROMANIA - NINE WIZARDS KILLED PROTECTING THEM - TEN WIZARD CASUALTIES. A sub-heading read: 6 Death Eaters Captured.
"Wait - ROMANIA?"
Ron immediately started scanning the list of dead wizards furiously. Harry was about to ask him before he figured it out - Charlie. Ron suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's alive."
Harry suddenly pointed at the casualty list.
"But he's in the hospital."
"Mr. Weasley." The two suddenly turned around at McGonagall's voice. "I think you should accompany me to the Headmaster's office."
Ron were escorted to Dumbledore's office once again. This time, Ginny was there, sitting on a conjured couch - similar to the one Harry, Hermione, and Ron had sat on last time. Ron settled in comfortably next to Ginny, who obviously had not heard of the attack.
"Professor Dumbledore, what's going on?" Ron showed her the newspaper and pointed to the casualty list. Ginny gasped in horror - first at the headline, then at Charlie's name.
"How badly is he hurt, Professor?" Ron and Ginny asked simultaneously.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, please calm down. Charlie is unable to be diagnosed - he seems to have been hit with a strange combination of spells that has a had an inauspicious effect. You can see him for yourself in a moment, but he won't be able to respond to you, I'm afraid."
Hermione was looking desperately everywhere for Ron. That's why she was slightly disappointed to see Harry wandering through the corridors without Ron.
"Harry," she said, slightly breathless. "Where's Ron?"
"Dumbledore's office," Harry replied glumly. "There's been a Death Eater attack in Romania." Harry winced as he remembered the exact numbers. "Twenty-nine Muggles dead, Nine wizards killed, ten wizards injured. Oh yeah, six Death Eaters captured. And Charlie's one of those injured."
Hermione gasped in shock. "When's Ron coming back?"
"Don't know."
"But I need to apologize!" Harry smiled upon this.
"So I see Ginny's talk worked." Hermione suddenly looked at the ground shamefacedly, before responding with a very soft 'yes'. Harry grinned at his friend.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Ron will forgive you once you apologize."
"Do you really?" Harry nodded. Hermione grinned.
"So, Hermione, how about some wizard's chess?"
"Alright."
"Good, I'm tired of losing to Ron, but at least I've got a sure win now..."
"Hey!"
Well, an interesting chapter, to say the least. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time. Oh yeah, the chapter title is in reference to Chapter 3.
Chapter 16 - Feelings (The Sequel)
Ginny stalked towards Hogwarts to find Hermione and talk to her, eyes narrowed and walking with a quick jog, going fast enough so that even Malfoy couldn't insult her before she was gone. Malfoy, as a matter of fact, was providing some comic relief to the whole situation - calling Hermione 'Mudblood' really wasn't valid anymore, and he was having trouble thinking up a new nickname. At first he came up with the brilliant idea 'Beaverface' before realizing that Hermione's teeth had been shrunk quite a long time ago.
Inside, Ginny was raging at Hermione. How could she treat Ron so callously? Sure, she was going through a tough time, but they had all been through many tough times before. Ron never dreamed of treating her like that when he was kidnapped and tortured by Voldemort, which, in Ginny's opinion was far worse than what Hermione was going through. She knew Ron was still suffering lingering effects from the kidnapping.
Ginny found herself at the library and quickly scanned it for possible places where Hermione would be, but didn't find her. She stormed up to the Gryffindor common room - the vast majority of people giving her a wide berth on the way and went into the Gryffindor common after giving the password (Rubber Soul - apparently Dumbledore was delving into Muggle music as well). She scanned everywhere but Hermione was nowhere in sight. Ginny finally found her in the 5th year girl's dormitory, reading a book (surprise.
"Hey Gin, how's it going?" A side effect of the fight was that Hermione was no longer in her trance-like state anymore, and was acting normally again. Except for being a complete prat to Ron, Ginny reminded herself.
"I just had a talk with Ron and Harry," Ginny said in a dangerously low voice. "So, Hermione, why don't you tell me your point of view?"
Hermione suddenly started stumbling and struggling over her words. "Ron was being a git - thinking he could understand - being a self-centered, stupid, arrogant -"
"Shut up, Hermione!" Ginny intoned angrily, interrupting her. "You're wrong and you know it."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock, her arrogant perfectionist part of her coming to surface. "I am not," she hissed slowly back to Ginny. Ginny suddenly started yelling.
"RON'S NOT THE SELF-CENTERED ONE HERMIONE, YOU ARE, YOU JUST WON'T ADMIT IT. RON WOULD NEVER VALUE HIS PRIDE OVER HIS FRIENDS, BECAUSE HE ADMITS WHEN HE'S WRONG - SO DOES HARRY - SO DO I. YOU, THOUGH? YOU'RE NOT USED TO IT. AND IT'S PRETTY SELFISH TO VALUE YOUR OWN PRIDE OVER YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Ginny stormed out, leaving a shocked and thinking Hermione in her wake, but suddenly encountered Professor Flitwick outside of the portrait hole.
"Miss Weasley, if you would come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office."
Ron was walking lazily with Harry to Hogwarts from the lake. With the recent events, they hadn't had much time to talk as of late, and were catching up. Suddenly an owl flew towards Ron - it was Pig, bearing the Daily Prophet.
"Strange - they don't usually have editions of the Prophet on Saturday's."
Ron gasped as he read the headline. Harry leaned over and pulled back in horror at the headline: 29 MUGGLES KILLED IN VICIOUS DEATH EATER ATTACK IN ROMANIA - NINE WIZARDS KILLED PROTECTING THEM - TEN WIZARD CASUALTIES. A sub-heading read: 6 Death Eaters Captured.
"Wait - ROMANIA?"
Ron immediately started scanning the list of dead wizards furiously. Harry was about to ask him before he figured it out - Charlie. Ron suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's alive."
Harry suddenly pointed at the casualty list.
"But he's in the hospital."
"Mr. Weasley." The two suddenly turned around at McGonagall's voice. "I think you should accompany me to the Headmaster's office."
Ron were escorted to Dumbledore's office once again. This time, Ginny was there, sitting on a conjured couch - similar to the one Harry, Hermione, and Ron had sat on last time. Ron settled in comfortably next to Ginny, who obviously had not heard of the attack.
"Professor Dumbledore, what's going on?" Ron showed her the newspaper and pointed to the casualty list. Ginny gasped in horror - first at the headline, then at Charlie's name.
"How badly is he hurt, Professor?" Ron and Ginny asked simultaneously.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, please calm down. Charlie is unable to be diagnosed - he seems to have been hit with a strange combination of spells that has a had an inauspicious effect. You can see him for yourself in a moment, but he won't be able to respond to you, I'm afraid."
Hermione was looking desperately everywhere for Ron. That's why she was slightly disappointed to see Harry wandering through the corridors without Ron.
"Harry," she said, slightly breathless. "Where's Ron?"
"Dumbledore's office," Harry replied glumly. "There's been a Death Eater attack in Romania." Harry winced as he remembered the exact numbers. "Twenty-nine Muggles dead, Nine wizards killed, ten wizards injured. Oh yeah, six Death Eaters captured. And Charlie's one of those injured."
Hermione gasped in shock. "When's Ron coming back?"
"Don't know."
"But I need to apologize!" Harry smiled upon this.
"So I see Ginny's talk worked." Hermione suddenly looked at the ground shamefacedly, before responding with a very soft 'yes'. Harry grinned at his friend.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Ron will forgive you once you apologize."
"Do you really?" Harry nodded. Hermione grinned.
"So, Hermione, how about some wizard's chess?"
"Alright."
"Good, I'm tired of losing to Ron, but at least I've got a sure win now..."
"Hey!"
Well, an interesting chapter, to say the least. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time. Oh yeah, the chapter title is in reference to Chapter 3.