A/N: Please R&R.
15
The Next Step
Ron stood in front of the window, contemplating how painful it would be if he jumped and didn't die. He paced for a moment or two then stopped and began staring out the window again. "If I were to jump far enough, maybe the wind would blow me into the lake, and they wouldn't be able to find me," he said, seriously considering taking the plunge. He knew that he wouldn't do it though. How could he when he knew how much he might hurt Hermione? Even if she only loved him as a friend.
Ron shook his head. He was tearing himself apart in every way. He knew he couldn't do this much longer. Too much more of this torture, and he just might stop caring how much it might hurt others if he jumped.
"Ron," Hermione's voice suddenly said.
Ron looked up and around before finally realising that the voice was coming from inside his head.
'Ronald, you'd better answer me,' Hermione snapped.
Ron sighed. 'I'm here. What do you want?'
'I want to know what your problem is, Ron. You've been acting very strange lately. I'm getting worried.'
Ron felt a pain in his gut as his stomach knotted itself up and then fussed about trying to get the knot undone. 'Didn't Harry tell you?'
' "You're overwhelmed."? Ron, that explains nothing. Tell me how you really feel."
The knot that had just been untied was wound up again but this time, didn't go away. He couldn't think of anything to say, or think rather, to Hermione. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't make him seem like a complete oaf, so he decided that a nice change of subject would suit him just fine. 'We've moved past eye contact," he thought.
Hermione didn't reply for a while. 'I suppose we have.'
Harry entered the boys' dormitories just then. "Ron, you'd never believe . . . You all right?"
Ron snapped into reality and looked Harry in the eye. "Just fine. What wouldn't I believe?"
"Malfoy thinks of his relationship with Hermione as a fling," Harry said.
Ron gaped, though he could and did believe it. "Why wouldn't I believe that? Malfoy's a prat."
"We should tell Hermione; right?" Harry asked.
Ron shook his head. "You know she wouldn't believe us if we did," he said, a melancholy frown spreading over his countenance.
Harry nodded. "You're right, but we have to do something."
"Malfoy usually does what he aims to. I don't think there is anything we can do this time."
"I'll think of something," Harry said, biting his lip in uncertainty.
'Ron, are you still there?' Hermione asked.
Ron frowned. 'Yes.'
Harry watched Ron's gaze became vacant and inward. He decided not to ask and hurried back down the stairs.
Hermione was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at her open book. What was going on? Everyone seemed to be staring at nothing in particular.
Harry shook his head and began to go for the portrait hole. He swung it open to see Draco running towards him, bleeding profusely from the nose.
"Let me in, Potter," he commanded.
Harry made no move to unblock the entrance. "Hermione," he called instead, "you've got a visitor."
Hermione glanced up from her book. 'Draco's here, Ron,' she thought and blocked her mind. She jumped up and hurried to get to Draco. She gasped at his dishevelled appearance. "Harry, let him in," she ordered.
Harry shook his head. "He can stay out there," he said.
"Harry," Hermione warned.
Harry sighed. "Students from other houses aren't allowed in the Gryffindor common room."
"Harry, he's bleeding."
Draco shook his head. "I'll stay out. I've got to get to the hospital wing anyway," he said, turning away.
"Harry, look what you've done," Hermione said, rushing past Harry huffily.
Ron came running down the staircase at that moment. He took one look at Harry, who was standing in the portrait hole with his arms crossed, and realised that he was far too late to say anything more to Hermione.
Harry turned and saw him. "She doesn't even realise that he's got an ulterior motive," he sighed.
Ron nodded. "There are a lot of things she doesn't notice . . . Are you up for a game of wizard chess?"
Harry shrugged, and he and Ron sat down to play.
A/N: Please review.