A few more days passed as Ron and Hermione pretended like nothing happened. Harry and Ginny's pleading to know what had happened in Dumbledore's office had become a daily routine and also avoiding each other was the only way to keep their hands off each other, at least for a while. Hermione found herself trying to find another interesting book to concentrate on, but then she would always end up staring at Ron in the distance between them. Ron, too tried his best to find something else to do when there wasn't Quidditch practice, but it was difficult for him to go anywhere without his body forcing him to find Hermione's.
What was happening to them? What was making them so attracted to one another? Hermione and Ron both wandered every day, spending at least half of the evening trying to figure out this condition. Every night, both of them tried their best to sleep without thinking of what the other one was doing or they lay in bed thinking about each other. Hermione, being the intelligent one, tried taking a dreamless potion, but even that didn't help. She became worried that something was seriously wrong with her; that even her feelings for Ron weren't normal at this level. For the first time, she couldn't confront Ginny and tell her what happened in Dumbledore's office. There was something missing, something that neither Ron nor Hermione could figure out like it were a buried unsolved mystery.
"Professor! Professor McGonagall," Hermione shouted as she ran towards the old lady with square spectacles almost falling off her face.
"Yes?" Professor McGonagall asked as she turned around, "What is it Miss Granger?"
"I was wondering if I could have a word with you Professor, that is if you have the time," Hermione asked looking towards the ground and then back at McGonagall.
"Of course Miss Granger," She said, "Follow me."
The two ladies entered McGonagall's empty classroom. She took a seat at her desk and Hermione stood uncomfortably beside her desk.
"Please Miss Granger, have a seat."
Hermione sat in a chair in front of McGonagall's desk.
"Now, what would you like to speak of?"
Hermione's face flushed and she looked at her sweaty hands.
"Is this about Mr. Weasley?" asked the Professor as she held her own hands and placed them on her desktop.
"Sort of," Hermione crossed her arms, "Well, yes Professor, it is about Ron."
"I'm well aware that you and Mr. Weasley are experiencing unexpected feelings, Miss Granger," she paused, "But we cannot discuss your desires."
Professor McGonagall stood from her chair with the same anxious look she had when the trio had knocked out the mountain troll.
"But Professor...I really need answers right now and you are the only Hogwarts teacher I can talk to," she paused, "and the only one I really trust."
"Miss Granger..."
"Please Professor," Hermione begged.
The Professor scratched the tip of her finger nails and sat down in the warm wooden chair.
"I won't talk about my desires."
McGonagall continued to dig at her nails before she waved her wand and the giant door shut.
"You may proceed."
Hermione had almost jumped out of her chair. She has been so aching to figure out why her sensitivity for Ron has increased and why her body began to thrive on lust. It was her way of feeling at ease; she needed to know everything and why it happened. She needed resources as if she were writing an essay. Ginny was right. Hermione knew that she was trying too hard to make sense of everything, but it wasn't an easy habit to break.
"I just don't understand how my feelings for Ron could change so quickly."
"I don't understand Miss Granger. You and Mr. Weasley are both at the age where these things are bound to happen."
"I'm starting to believe that someone or something conjured a spell or potion on Ron and me. I read about it in Love Potions book that it was possible. And..."
"Miss Granger, I believe your feelings for Mr. Weasley cannot and will not be tampered with," Professor McGonagall interrupted harshly.
"But Professor, this has never happened before and I don't think Ron and I are really enjoying any of this."
"That is beyond my control. Love is not meant to be explicit or forced; it comes and goes like all things. Sometimes Miss Granger, it is better to let things expand by themselves then to stop it abruptly when it does not want to."
Hermione frowned and stared at her hands, "I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I apologize, but this conversation must end now. Class begins in fifteen minutes and I suggest that you should not deny your feelings; it will only cause impair and destroy a growing passion that neither you or Mr. Weasley should experience yet," McGonagall stood from her chair.
Hermione stood and headed for the door.
"Thank you Professor," Hermione said facing her professor before turning back around to leave.
"You're surely welcome Miss Granger," the Professor said eyeing Hermione suspiciously when she departed from the classroom.
Apricot Tumbleweed began to encounter stronger feelings for this not-so-perfect red head boy with hand-me downs and ruffled hair. The days had passed and she swore Harry and Ginny had been her best friends forever; like she was a part of the 'Harry Potter Squad'. Apricot has many friends and most of the school seemed to accept her except for, of course, Slytherin. Hermione Granger, however, was her only real enemy at Hogwarts and Apricot began to realize she wasn't the only one that fancied Ron Weasley.
Many Gryffindors said that Hermione and Ron has been practically a couple for the past six years and that nothing could or will get in between their feelings for one another. Most Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws agreed that it was best to leave them alone, but Apricot knew that her feelings for Ron weren't going to let her off easily. So she decided to keep trying.
Ron never noticed. He never noticed why Hermione always wanted to leave when Apricot was around and he never noticed when Apricot took him by the arm and how it broke Hermione's heart. He never really paid attention to this 'feud' going on between these two distinct girls; it wasn't something that he was good at. Harry and Ginny knew something was wrong and they thought it was Hermione. She began to avoid Ron when ever she could and she was always harsh toward Apricot. Harry saw Ron's jealously over Viktor Krum all over again and he knew this was going to be twice as bloody as the other.
Apricot popped her head into the common room and found Harry and Ron talking with Ginny.
"Hello," she said as she sat down beside Ron.
"Hey," Ron responded looking down at his hands.
"Hi," Ginny and Harry replied.
"What'up?" Apricot asked still staring at Ron.
"Nothing really," Ron stated.
Harry and Ginny looked at Apricot and then at each other.
"Are you alright Ron?"
"Uh...yeah I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Is something wrong Ron?"
"No," Ron said quickly, "Nothing."
Apricot looked at Harry and Ginny for answers, but they just talked amongst themselves.
"Did something happen at Quidditch practice?"
"No...I said everything was fine. Do you think you could stop biting at my throat?" Ron said angrily.
"Ron I was just trying to..."
"Just leave me alone right now Apricot," Ron said as he rushed out of the stiff room.
Apricot frowned and ran upstairs to the girl's dormitories.
Ron ran down the changing stairs, tripping over his large feet and almost fell down off the marble stairs. His fists clutched his pants and his face pink with anger. His legs were throbbing pains and his head dizzy from staring at the stairs descend.
Hermione's quill moved stiffly with confidence as her essay started to form. It only paused once or twice to refill itself with ink. Hermione's long curly hair tied up into a bun with strands sticking out from random places made her look stressed. Different potion books surround her as if they were a wall blocking everything, but it could easily fall down with the tip of a finger. Her hand jolted when Ron's steps grew louder.
"What do you want?" Hermione rolled her eyes and continuously licked her finger trying to smudge the blotch of black ink away.
"What did you do to me?" Ron yelled as he pounded his fists on her books.
She looked up at him.
"I would greatly appreciate it if you would get your sweaty hands off my books."
Ron stared at her and slowly removed his hands.
"Answer me," Ron, Hermione knew, was just as frustrated as she was.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Just tell me Hermione!"
"What do you want me to tell you?"
"Have you been mixing love potions?"
Hermione stared at Ron.
"Why on earth would I of all people, mix a love potion?"
"Because...because."
"Honestly Ron I've told you a million times already."
"Then explain why..." Ron stopped himself.
"Explain what?" Hermione responded annoyingly.
Silence fell upon them.
"Tell me why I like Apricot," he muttered then surprised by what he said he tried to take it back, "I mean why she..."
"Oh I don't know Ron...maybe because she's beautiful and that's what you like?" Hermione said backing her tears.
"Well...I also like smart girls," he stuttered.
"She's also smart," Hermione not noticing what he said.
"Bloody hell will you just tell me why you have been mixing love potions?"
"Ron I already told you I wasn't and why would I make you fall in love with her?" she said as she stood picking up her books one at a time.
"You want to see me suffer?" Ron too began to pick up Hermione's books.
"I highly doubt that Ron."
"Well you wanted me to before."
"I never wanted you to suffer. I just wanted you to appreciate things for what they are," she said trying to take the books from Ron.
"I do," Hermione rolled her eyes, "I do sometimes."
"Can you let go of my books? I need to go somewhere."
"Where are we going?"
"Oh fine," Hermione began to walk back to Hogwarts.
Ron smiled at himself as he followed Hermione with her books in his arms.
"So where are we going?"
"The library."
"You do like to torture me."
Hermione smiled at him and kept walking, "You said you wanted to come."
"I never said I wanted to..."
Ron and Hermione suddenly stopped and dropped everything in their grasps. A tall figure with black robes and a dark face stood before them, a hood covering the man's face. It was much too tall to be a woman. Ron swallowed hard and stepped in front of Hermione's small body and she grabbed his arm holding herself close to him.
"I will kill Harry Potter," the tall figure whispered, "I will kill him. Tell me where he is."
"Go to hell!" Ron shouted scaring Hermione.
"Ron..."
"Tell me where Harry Potter is."
"Kiss my arse you bastard!"
"TELL ME WHERE HARRY POTTER IS!"
"Ron where's Harry?" Hermione said grabbing Ron's arm tighter.
"Who are you?" Ron asked; his voice trembling with terror.
"I will kill her," the man said pointing to Hermione.
"Get away from her!" Ron shouted as his wand shook with panic in front of the figure, "Don't come near us!"
"EXPELLIARMUS! NOW WHERE IS HARRY POTTER!"
"Ron, tell him where Harry is."
"Go to hell!"
"Crucio!"
Ron immediately fell to the floor screaming in pain as if he had just been shot by a muggle gun. Hermione stared at Ron not knowing what to do as he grabbed the pit of his stomach. His eyes stung with horror and his body twitched tensely.
"Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!" The man laughed out loud.
Ron's screams terrified Hermione as she stood. They grew louder as the spell was cast and his body shook with throbbing pain. His breathing was unsteady and his voice cracked as it got more exhausted. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand.
"Incendio! Impedimenta! Mobilicorpus! Obliviate!" Hermione threw out every single spell or charm she could remember, "Rictusempra! Silencio! Stupefy!"
She widened her eyes as the tall figure disappeared and she was once again alone with Ron. Who was that?
"Ron! Are you alright?" Hermione asked frantically as she kneeled down and wrapped her arms around Ron, "Ron answer me!"
Ron just stared at her still holding his body hoping the pain will decreased.
Hermione's hands cupped his face and her face drew closer to Ron's, "Please answer me."
"Hermione..." Ron managed to whisper; her tears were crystal clear through the blur in his eyes.
Hermione held Ron tightly in her arms and lifted his head onto her legs. Ron's hand gripped hers firmly.
"Someone help!" Hermione shouted through her stuffed tears, "Someone please help!"
"Who's there?" Somebody said from around the corner; it was Professor Snape.
"Professor Snape? Please Ron's hurt!"
An anxious Snape rushed towards the two of them.
"What happened Granger?"
"Please help him," Hermione said leaning her head onto Ron's shoulder, "Please."
"Granger shut your mouth. Madam Pomfrey will fix this," the Professor said as he called for the rest of the teachers.
A/N: This chapter was short and I don't really like it...please let me know what you guys think...that would be awesome...Bhekie- I love suspense...hehehe
AmyChris- Thank you...I love your reviews...you defiantly know how to make a person happy!
fUnKy MaGiCk- Cliffys suck don't they.... )- I'm trying to get in the habit of updating every Friday...so check back here every Friday