Author's Note: Here's Chapter Twelve. Please enjoy.
12
Harmless Lies
Harry tromped down the staircase, meeting Hermione's expectant eyes with the sobered face of a lectured child.
"Well?" Hermione asked eagerly, closing the book that she had been reading.
"He's feeling overwhelmed," Harry lied. It was what Ron had told him to say, and if a bit of harmless lying to one friend was going to protect the other, he would do it in an instant, but the one question he was asking himself was: Was the bit of lying harmless?
Hermione's gaze wavered and then flew back to the book, which she immediately reopened. "That's all he said?" she asked as Harry sat down.
"Yea," Harry murmured, running a hand through his hair.
"Nothing else?"
"No," Harry lied again, feeling very low for lying, even if it was for a good cause.
"He's not a very deep person," Hermione said to herself as much as to Harry
"I wouldn't say that," Harry said, feeling even more culpable.
Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes, grateful that she could hide behind her book. "I would."
She buried her face even deeper into the old, yellowed pages and hardly noticed when Harry sighed and left the room.
Author's Note: I'm extremely sorry for the short chapter, but I will make it up to you by posting this and three others. Please review.