Three weeks have gone by since that night in the common room and Ron is still feeling neglected. He didn't know too much about anything going on all he knew was that Remus was dead and Harry no longer spoke to him except during Quidditch he was always with Hermione these days, doing homework, doing rounds and everything else. It bothered him deeply and he wanted his friends back. He wanted to be let into Harry's life much like Hermione had. He sat on his four poster bed and put his head in his hands.
Meanwhile, in the library sat a confused Harry Potter. He was now curious about what Remus had wanted to talk to him about. he just couldn't get it out of his head, was it about the message on the wall? he would never know...unless...Harry got up quickly causing Hermione to jump a foot in the air and look at him curiously. "Harry what are you doing?" she asked in a wisper, they were in the library after all. "I have to see Dumbledore" he said hastily putting all his books and parchement in his bag and running out of the library. hermione only took a slight second to follow him. They got to the old man's desk and Hermione smiled, Harry on the other hand just nodded, he had only been in the office for three seconds when he qickly said " I need to know what Re- re-Remus wanted to talk to me about...I need to know!" he left no room for objections. "Well Harry, i do not know all the details I'm afraid." "I don't care!" he yelled "just tell me what it was about!" He sat down outraged that Dumbledore was holding it and stalling.
"Well Harry... Remus wanted to talk to you about training, because he wanted to help you win by yourself, because according to the message on the wall I won't be around too much longer"
he trailed off. "What are you kidding? You'll be around very long Sir. Don't worry" he looked thoughtfull "I do want to know how to fight though, i want to be able to win without needing to be saved by someone all the time." "Harry it would be an honor to train you...meet me here at 7:30 tomorrow night and we will begin bring you wand
and wear comfortable clothes as I will not be the only one training you." Harry nodded "Sure" he said "Can I tell anyone, can anyone train with me? what are the conditions of this?" he asked eagerly "you may tell only the ones you choose to train with and may I suggest Ron and Hermione?" Harry considered this..."Good idea thanks" he got up out of his chair and
left the office he slowly walked back towards the library. nearly walking right past hermione whom had finaaly escaped the torturing lecture the librarian, Ms. Pince 's lecture on behavior in the library. "Hi!" they greeted each other, and giggled 'Oh she is so cute! she is really beautiful why didn't I see it before?' Harry mentally asked himself while at the same time
Hermione was thinking 'I hope that kiss actually meant something...' They walked along in silence letting their feet carry them to the common room. As they entered they were numbly aware that people were watching them, what they hadn't realized was that they were holding hands.
Ron hadn't been himself lately and Hermione had noticed. "Ron!" she yelled out to him from down the hall "Ron! RON! RRRROOOONNNN!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Yes Hermione? Don't give anymore little midgets heart attacks!" he laughed as she neared him "Ron" she scowlded "don't call them 'midgets"
he laughed and asked "so why are you howling my name?"
" Oh that just felt like talking to you about..um...well...see i know guys don't like talking about this stuff but your feelings..." she said quite quickly at long intervals. "Um Hermione are you feeling well?"he asked carefully "Oh, Ron i'm fine! I just need to know how you're feeling about
Harry not coming to you exactly when he needs a friend...he comes more to me-" she was saying but got cut off by Ron putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "It's fine" he said matter of factly with a look of sincerity in his eyes that made Hermione believe him." You're better at this than I am but just don't forget to hang out to laugh with me so much.
because I am good at making both you and Harry laugh" she laughed lightly and walked all the way to Gryffindor tower with him. He had not told her the whole truth, he did infact feel jealous of them both..Harry for being so near to Hermione and Hermione for being such good friends and so close to HIS best friend! all in all he wanted the bond they had.
he missed the years when it was the trio ...now it was a duo and he was uno..alone.
They spent most of the evening together, all three of them doing homework and such. Ron felt like he was back in the trio. He knew he wasn't being purposely left out it would just happen. He knew that he should try to help Harry through this death and that he hadn't been very supportive of his best friend when he needed him the most. He resoluted to tell Harry how he was feeling for the past while and then he could support him and be there for him forever. He therefore walked up to the dormitory later that evening to sleep knowing that tomorrow would be the day he made peace.
Harry and Hermione sat down near the common room fire for ages doing homework and not saying a word to each other. After a while Hermione looked up and saw that Harry was writing furiously on his parchement while his essay lay on the floor a few feet away. 'Now what could he be writing if he's already done his work?' She thought to herself. 'Better yet how can he already be done' she asked herself but the other little voice in her head told her 'Well he didn't spend half of the past two hours looking up at his bestfriend!' She quickly looked down as she came out of her reverie and noticed he was looking at her, now trying to hide his parchement from her. A little while after Hermione anounced that she was going to bed and that she was going to see Harry the next morning.
The next morning dawned a bright december morning, the first of december. As Harry woke to a blur of colors and light stretching his hand towards his bed side table to find his glasses he felt s piece of parchment, very messy, crinkled parchment.
He put on his round glasses and openned the note instantly recognizing the writing as Ron's
Harry,
Good morning mate, how about you and I go for a short fly on the pitch? If you want to, just bring your broom to breakfast. KNowing me, i'll still be there
Ron.
Harry chuckled a bit at his friend's note it was purely Ron...funny and full of quidditch and food. He sat up in bed it was sunday, he'd have to do some more homework for the next day not only to please the teachers but to please Hermione as well. He got dressed quickly and took his broom down with him. After all a short fly wouldn't bother Hermione, would it?
As Harry decended the many staircases and walked down various hallways he kept thinking about Hermione...not that that was new. Her hair would always fly around behind her as she walked the halls and her eyes would brighten up any dark room. She was pure gold to him.
As he snapped out of his day-dream he noticed he was at the bottom of the marble staircase 'wow!' he thought ' I'm there already?' he laughed lightly as he crossed the hall and entered the noisy Great Hall.
Ron had been glad to see Harry enter with his broom and Harry was pleased that they would spend some time on their flying skills they were after all the new team...Ron(keeper), Ginny, Katie and Olivia (chasers), Seamus and Darren (beaters) and himself were improving quickly as a team. As they walked out to the pitch Harry looked around, 'perfect' he thought 'the weather is great'
When they had both done a few laps around the pitch Ron landed on the ground. "Oy! Ron, what are you doing?" asked Harry as he landed next to his best friend "Harry we need to talk" he said looking slightly nervous or anxious (harry really couldn't tell) "Alright" Harry said although he could hear Fred and George's voice in his head ( Oh no! Ickle Ronniekins is breaking up with us) he nearly laughed until he remembered
that they hadn't actually said that. Well not today anyway. They sat down idian style on the slightly wet grass, the frost had just melted as it was almost noon.
"Well...er...I noticed that hermione and you have been spending alot of time together" Ron said awkwardly "Yes i suppose we have" answered Harry still confused 'Oh no I hope he's not telling me to back off because if he likes her too i don't know what i'll do' Harry was thinking at full speed. "Well..er...see...um..."he started "i just wondered why you two never spend time with me anymore" he finished ' OH! ' harry thought ' he just feels left out. I can't blame him' "I'm sorry Ron. It's just that Hermione and I well we can talk about all the trouble, you know all the death" he said in a small voice as Ron nodded "I didn't mean to leave you out so much, I swear! i guess i just needed her help to get through it. I think i'm better though and we really should spend some more time together...right?" His bestfriend nodded furiously "Of course mate, now enough of this mushy felly stuff...lets get to lunch, I'm starving!" And with that he lifted himself up and starte doff towards the school.
The weekend being over the classes inevitably restarted. The next few weeks would come and go with nothing unusual for Harry Potter, the boy who lived. The only thing now on his mind was Hermione and the prophecy. 'I should tell them, i know but really do they want to know?' He couldn't get the possibilities out of his mind finally he decided he had to tell them. It was their right to know. On friday the 13th of december, he sat down with his friends and asked them a crucial question, the one that had been eating at his mind for the past two weeks ever since that nice little reunion with the whole trio.
They sat down in the room of requirement, some tables and armchairs the only things present in the room. "Harry, what's this all about?" Ron asked curiously "Well i have things to ask and things to tell you, they cannot be overheard" "well go on then" Hermione put in "Alright then." Harry said "If your futur was decided for you or someone you care about, would you want to know?" "You mean like a prophecy?" asked Ron "Yeah" AHrry replied not quite cheerfully "It's a load of rubbish! Prophecies! hmph!" Hermione said "Well Hermione, still would you want to know?"
"Yes i suppose. What are you trying to say Harry?"
"I know what was in the prophecy from the ministry"he said gloom filling him
All that could be heard was the sudden intake of air as Hermione gasped
"But you said it was smashed!"Ron said slightly scared
"It was" answered Harry "But Dumbledore is the one who originally Heard it and he told me what it said when he sent be back"
"oh" came the reply from both his friends "Tell us" Hermione said "what was in it?"
He then told them the words that haunted his dreams and loomed big and dark infront of him.
"So you're telling me that either you kill V-V-Volde...I can't say it! or he kills you?"Ron asked his ears turning red
"Basically" he answered
"But when is the time up?" Hermione asked
"Come again?" he asked, confused at what his friend was coming at
"It says that neither can live if the other survives does that mean that if one of you doesn't kill the other by a certain time that you will both die?"
"I dunno" he answered dumbly "Dumbledore hasn't told me"