Disclaimer: Characters, situations, some of dialogue belongs to J.K. Rowling and her publishers.
Author's Notes: Well, I'm back from vacation. Sort of. It's rather difficult to write now because I'm surrounded by people and fun things to do, whereas before I was stuck in a dingy apartment in a boring town where I had nothing to do and very little in the fridge to cook.
The Trouble With Harry +
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While Harry was wherever he was, Ron, Hermione and Ginny ate a miserable dinner in silence, trying (but failing) to ignore the whispered rumors spreading behind them about why Harry had attacked Malfoy. Dinner was winding down, and most students had long since returned to the common room. However, a few ran back and forth rather than make a definitive exit, in order (as Ron had no doubt) to pass on more gossip. Meanwhile several of the Gryffindors made anxious inquiries to Ron and Hermione, figuring that they would know best what Harry was up to. Most of their questions seemed excited, trusting that Malfoy had at last received his due, however, a few expressed alarm at Harry's conduct and hoped it would not result in a major deduction of House points. In an attempt to avoid such attentions, Ron, Hermione and Ginny left the Great Hall. However, once they were outside, they found the corridors were in an even greater uproar.
Moaning Myrtle had the whole school crying 'murder,' and a white-faced Pansy Parkinson was running through the halls, spinning a story so fraught with tragedy and mayhem for anyone who wanted to listen that a few students began to speculate that Harry would be sent to Azkaban prison.
"Who would guard him?" scoffed Ron, thinking about how the Dementors had defected to Voldemort.
By the time they returned to Gryffindor Tower, they had more or less heard the entire tale. On the way, however, Ron they ran into a group of young Ravenclaws standing around in Gryffindor territory, ostensibly to collect the latest gossip from what they considered to be the most reliable source. They seemed to have become bored with waiting for news, however, and had begun to make it up. Ron ended up giving a detention to a Second Year, who was spreading lies about how Harry's wand had already been snapped in half.
After sending the errant Ravenclaws on their way, Ron whispered the password to the Fat Lady and slunk in through the portrait with the others. Once in the common room, he sank onto the arm chair closest to the stairs and rubbed his eyes with his hands.
It irked Ron that the entire school was so ready to pounce on Harry for every little misdeed, even after Harry had proven himself time and time again to be a good friend, a worthy champion and an ardent fighter of evil. Couldn't they have a little faith? Obviously, Malfoy had done something to deserve Harry's wrath. He must have thrown a curse or hex Harry's way or something. Malfoy must have provoked Harry. Ron repeated this over and over again in order to eradicate that teasonous sliver of doubt that said Harry had gone too far this time with his obsession and had deliberately attacked Malfoy.
However, Hermione, who had been silent up until now, was unable to keep silent. As soon as they set foot in the common room, she began her inevitable rant. "I warned him!" she started. "I warned him about that book, and now he's gotten himself into real trouble."
Ron looked up to find her wringing her hands and pacing around the room.
"He should have gotten rid of that book months ago! I know it's just gossip about Azkaban, but what if he is expelled. If he's caught with that book, it's cheating. Dumbledore won't —"
As Hermione passed near his chair, Ron caught hold of her hands and held her in place. "Calm down," he said, wishing to avoid another lecture on the Prince. Ron didn't think he could take one of Hermione's speeches right now.
"He won't be expelled," said Ginny from her spot by the fireplace. She too was pacing back and forth and despite her confident assertion, Ron thought that she looked worried sick.
Hermione broke away and crashed onto the couch with a sigh. "I warned him," she said again, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm sure Harry had a good reason to attack Malfoy," said Ron, trying to convince her of something he was not entirely sure of himself. "Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the Prince at all."
"Why else would he have asked for your Potions book if it didn't have anything to do with the Prince?"
"Maybe he was afraid of being searched," said Ginny, weakly. Then she turned back to the fireplace and was quiet while Ron considered how slim was the possibility that the incident had nothing to do with the Prince. He turned away from the conversation, which was now dominated entirely by Hermione. She didn't seem to notice, however, and was still talking when the portrait swung open and Harry sauntered in.
Ron gasped at Harry's bedraggled appearance. His head hung low. His face and clothes were covered in dried blood. He looked as if he were going to be sick.
"Harry!" cried Ginny, running to him.
Harry barely looked at her. Ron thought he seemed dazed and confused. He had only seen Harry look this way after the Tri-Wizard tournament and last year after Sirius —
Could it be possible that Malfoy was really dead and Harry was going to Azkaban?
"What happened?" he heard Ginny say.
Harry glanced up, apparently surprised to see the three of them standing in the common room. "Er…I was in the bathroom." he began, stiffly. At first, Ron wondered why Harry was bothering to tell them they he had gone to use the loo, until he realized that Harry was referring to the scene of his attack on Malfoy.
"What happened, Harry?" asked Ginny, very gently.
"I used this hex from my book…" Harry trailed off and, although Ron had not thought it possible, he turned whiter than before. "I didn't know how much blood there would be."
So, Hermione had been right. It had been the Prince's book. Suddenly, Ron remembered how Harry had stormed into the common room, demanding his Potions book with a hand drenched in blood. "Why did you do it?" Ron blurted out. "Did Malfoy attack you?"
To Ron's relief, Harry gave a short nod. "I think he tried to use the Cruciatus Curse."
Ginny and Hermione both gasped. Ron merely felt satisfied. He had known Harry would never attack anyone unless provoked, and he felt vindicated now in his faith.
"What did you use?" asked Hermione with pointed curiosity.
"Sectumsempra," said Harry. "I just didn't think...so much blood..." Harry was unable to go on. In fact, when he faced Ginny, he looked like he might cry. "Snape gave me detention every Saturday."
"But Quidditch — !" she exclaimed.
Harry collapsed onto the nearest armchair and buried his face in his hands like a man who has just witnessed his own death. Whether Harry was more upset over what had happened in the bathroom or the loss of his Quidditch privileges, Ron could not say. What was clear, however, was that he was terribly upset over both.
For a long time nothing more was said. All three of them simply watched Harry, perhaps searching for the right thing to say. Ought they try to comfort him, or would it be best to say nothing at all?
Hermione spoke first, pouncing headlong onto the silence without regard for the fragility of the moment. "I won't say 'I told you so,'" she said, her voice bitter.
Ron realized where this was leading and mentally groaned. This was not the appropriate moment to chastise Harry.
"Leave it, Hermione," he warned her. However, Hermione refused to listen. She narrowed her eyes at him as if he were Judas and barged on.
"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person, and I was right, wasn't I?"
"No, I don't think you were," said Harry, flushing red.
Hermione shot to her feet. Ron waited for the fireworks.
"Harry, how can you still stick up for that book when that spell —"
"Will you stop harping on about that book!" cried Harry. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"
Ron watched the pair of them panting like boxers, red-faced and furious, and felt as miserable as he did helpless. He was beginning to understand how Harry felt when he and Hermione were fighting like dogs. He definitely had an opinion on the matter: Harry was entitled to do as he pleased, even if "as he pleased" was questionable. But how could he say so without risking the wrath of both friends?
He looked at Hermione, recalling their argument a few weeks ago that had resulted in her stalking off to the girls' dormitories. Yes, it was definitely in his best interests to remain silent.
Hermione was fuming now. "You're actually defending —"
"I'm not defending what I did!" roared Harry at the top of his lungs. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good'—he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else..."
Hermione stalked towards Harry, practically breathing fire in his face as she shouted. Ron had never seen her so angry at Harry in all their years together. She looked as if she had never quite understood Harry's character until that moment.
"Are you telling me that you're going to go back — ?"
"And get the book? Yeah, I am. Listen without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have —"
"—got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve..."
"Give it a rest, Hermione!" cried Ginny, suddenly coming to Harry's rescue. Ron almost gasped with surprise, for like him Ginny had only been a passive listener up until now. Even so, Ron was grateful that someone other than him would be the peacemaker. "By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgiveable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"
"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" said Hermione. "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match —"
"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quiddtich! You'll only embarrass yourself."
And that was the end of it. Ginny had won cleanly in two strokes, whereas Ron hadn't figured out how to win an argument with Hermione in six years. He wondered what the consequences would be, and whether he would be at the receiving end of Hermione's abuse. Nervously, he glanced at Harry, wondering if he shared his confusion over how the argument had been put down so quickly.
Then his eyes drifted to Hermione, whom he found to be staring at him, looking like she expected him to say something. If she did expect this, however, she was too proud to ask for his intervention when it did not occur. Ron simply picked up his book and pretended he'd never witnessed any part of the argument.
By the end of the evening, the silence in the common room had become noticeably uncomfortable, but no one was willing to leave. Ron sensed that for the girls, leaving meant defeat. As for himself, leaving the room meant going to bed and waking up in the morning to face the reality of a Quidditch team without a Seeker. His only comfort was that it could be worse. After all, Umbridge might have returned and sacked the whole team.
On the following morning, no one on the Gryffindor Team remembered that they had been in worse spots before; not even when Harry reminded them of their triumph over Ravenclaw last year, snatched despite the absence not only of their premiere Seeker, but also their best Beaters. Even though Ron was certain that all his teammates were pleased that Malfoy was lying in the infirmary, no one was happy that Harry had put him there. Only Dean Thomas seemed to be pleased with the arrangements, since Harry's absence meant he would be able to play Chaser. There was a great deal of grumbling during the team meeting in the common room, so much that Ron almost felt insulted that no one showed any faith in his sister's ability as a Seeker.
He confided in Hermione later after Potions. "It's pretty bad, I suppose, but they don't have to be so dismal about it. Ginny caught the Snitch last year. She's more than competent as Seeker."
To this, Hermione answered with only an offended huff, indicating that she had not forgotten Ginny's slight against her. When Ron pressed on into a discussion of the team's new strategy, Hermione wheeled on him, saying, "As I don't understand anything about Quidditch, maybe you should direct this conversation to someone who does."
Ron blushed red and bit back a stinging retort about how Hermione should get over her fight with Ginny because Ginny had been right anyway about the Prince, and it wasn't Hermione's business to tell Harry what to do with his possessions. Fortunately, Hermione didn't notice his quick flash of anger and went back to her reading without another word, leaving Ron to wonder whether Hermione was angrier with Ginny or with him. And if she was angry with him, what had he done to make her so?
On Saturday, however, Ron was relieved to see Hermione and Ginny laughing together. It seemed that they had made up or come to some sort of understanding. Their joking didn't seem to have any of the superficiality so common between feuding females. At any rate, when he walked with the team onto the Quidditch pitch, Hermione cheered equally for him and for Ginny, although Ron suspected that Hermione had not kissed Ginny on the cheek as she had done for him before he'd entered the changing room.
The sight of Hermione rooting for him from the stands was immensely comforting, especially after Ron spied Lavender glaring at him next to Parvati. When he heard Hermione cheering his name, Ron knew that Gryffindor would win. But for all his optimism, the match began poorly. The Ravenclaw Keeper blocked every shot the Chasers attempted, and the Bludger struck Ron on the ear, stunning him and causing him to allow the Quaffle through the center hoop.
In the middle of the match, however, Peakes took a lesson from the Ravenclaw Beaters and sent the Bludger whizzing at the Keeper's face. Ron felt justly avenged and cheered for his teammates from the opposite end of the pitch as he watched the Quaffle soar into the Ravenclaw hoops. From then on, there was no stopping the Gryffindor Chasers. The Quaffle remained on Ravenclaw's side of the pitch for such long periods that Ron had very little to do.
Most of Ravenclaw's goals for the remainder of the match were scored on breakaways. Yet never once did Ron lose his confidence. He was consistently able to execute perfect saves, the last one of which he managed while hanging upside down in order to dodge a Bludger.
Two hours into the match, when Gryffindor was still racking up their points in pursuit of the Quidditch Cup and Ravenclaw had all but ceased to try, Cho Chang spotted the Snitch and took off for it in a desperate bid to end the misery. She was too late by far, however, as Ginny was much closer. Ginny had caught it before Cho got within five meters.
The players descended to the field where their Housemates closed in upon them, slapping their backs and showering them with magically-conjured water and confetti.
"We did it!" cried Ron when Hermione embraced him. She brushed some confetti out of her hair and pulled back, beaming.
"That last save was just brilliant, Ron!" she said, so sincerely that Ron decided he would kiss her right then and there. He was only prevented from it by a splash of cold water coming from a transfigured bucket positioned over his head. Irritated, he looked around to locate the culprit, but there was too much confusion for him to see.
His teammates, meanwhile, were pulling him out of Hermione's arms towards the dias where they would receive the Cup. All the while they sang "Weasley is Our King," which sported a new verse specially written for Ginny.
"I'll see you in the common room!" he shouted to Hermione as Peakes and Ginny dragged him away.
Hermione blew him a kiss, which no one noticed in all the celebration. Ron positively melted.
"I can't wait to tell Harry!" exclaimed Ginny later on when they reached the changing room. "He was so afraid we'd lose and it would be his fault."
Ron felt embarrassed because Hermione's blown kiss had erased from his mind all memory of Harry being on the team. Even if Harry had not been present, much of the victory belonged to him. He had been their Captain and had been responsible for choosing each of the players and training them.
"Yeah, he'll be ecstatic!" said Ron, covering up his memory lapse. When he turned around he found Dean Thomas yanking off his Quidditch robes, glowering as he did it. The expression on Dean's face was similar to the one Lavender had shot him earlier, but Ron pretended not to notice.
The whole team then proceeded back to Gryffindor Tower, taking turns holding the Cup and speculating out loud over what sort of celebration would await them upon entering the tower. Along the way, they passed Crabbe and Goyle, who seemed strangely naked without Malfoy to lead them. The pair watched the procession of Gryffindors with an eerie calm, but Ron felt he was the only one to notice.
A sense of foreboding came over him then, even when Ginny shoved the Cup into his hands. The feeling did not abate until he stepped once more through the portrait and into the Tower to find kegs of Butterbeer, courtesy of Professor McGonagall, awaiting him behind his fellow Gryffindors.
He found Hermione instantly. She was sitting on the couch, conversing with Cormac McLaggen with a faintly bored expression on her face. McLaggen seemed so frustrated that Ron was unable to muster a single ounce of jealousy, especially when Hermione jumped to meet him as soon as she saw him.
She shoved a Butterbeer into his hands and suddenly there was no Crabbe and Goyle, and no wounded Malfoy. He clanked his mug against hers and took a deep swig. "To victory!" he said, this time raising his glass and the Cup toward all his teammates. "Cheers!"
Just then, Harry stepped through the portrait hole and stared at the festivities in disbelief.
"We won!" yelled Ron, holding up the Cup as proof. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"
This statement didn't seem to register with Harry, who looked around dumbly at the crowd of grinning, drinking Gryffindors. Suddenly, Ginny broke through and ran to Harry, throwing her arms around him.
Ron was completely baffled by what happened next. So baffled that he had to blink his eyes a few times in order to discern whether or not Harry and Ginny were actually kissing in the middle of the common room.
He looked to Hermione as if to confirm it, but she was too busy watching. What finally tipped him off, however, was the sound of broken glass. When Ron whirled around to see what had happened, he saw Dean Thomas glaring at the scene before them, holding a shattered mug. His robes were spattered with Butterbeer. Ron recognized the jealousy in Dean's face and sympathized. Moreover, he understood that yes, Harry had indeed kissed his sister…and was still kissing her.
…And was still doing it.
But they seemed pretty happy and well as long as Harry didn't make a habit of this public snogging thing, him and Ginny didn't seem to be a bad idea. So when Harry finally broke away and looked at him, silently asking for his approval, Ron gave it with a little shrug. After all, if Ginny were going to end up with anyone, Harry wasn't such a bad bloke.
Ron supposed Harry would do.
-----
Since Harry was going out with Ginny, and since Ginny never lost the opportunity to blab about Ron, and since Hermione told Ginny everything, Ron was certain that Harry knew what was happening between him and Hermione. There were even a couple of moments when a look was exchanged or something was said, but nothing was ever definitively discussed. If Hermione and Ginny had been two different girls, it was possible that Ron and Harry might have swapped stories. However, Harry knew that Ron would prefer not to hear of his exploits with Ginny, and Ron figured that Harry felt the same way about Hermione.
Ron wished sometimes that Harry and Ginny would keep their relationship a little less public. They tried, but Harry attracted so much attention and, as Hermione had told him, Ginny's relationships were heavily monitors by hordes of jealous Hogwarts boys, meaning it was difficult for them to escape the gossip mongers. Nevertheless, Ron still felt Ginny could have done a better job of keeping her affairs private. He was positively fuming over the information she had given to Romilda Vane about Harry's alleged tattoo.
And now everyone thought Ron had a Pygmy Puff inked somewhere on his body… How humiliating. Whenever he saw Lavender now, she was always smirking at him as if the knowledge that he had a stupid tattoo was suddenly the key to getting over him.
Oh, why couldn't he have been the last Weasley of his generation?
"I'm worried about Harry and Ginny," said Hermione as he was pondering this. They were sitting at the dinner table, which the parties in question had just left in order to have some private time out on the grounds.
"Why?" asked Ron, feeling sheepish that she had read his mind.
"I think Ginny isn't studying enough for her O.W.L.S. Harry is obviously distracting her."
On second thought, Ginny's exams had been the farthest thing from what Ron had actually been thinking that he laughed out loud.
"What?" asked Hermione. "You don't think it's a valid concern?"
"Harry's in detention most evenings. I think Ginny has plenty of time to study."
Hermione screwed up her face and took a bite of her lamb. Ron considered asking her what was wrong, but before he could she breezed on to a new topic. She didn't mention Ginny's exams again for several days, although Hermione's moods proved unpredictable at times. She took up a new project in the library, but refused to tell him what it was. She couldn't be studying for exams, for they had no important tests in Sixth Year. All the information he could wrench from her was that she wasn't working on SPEW.
Ron couldn't begin to guess what was the matter. In fact, he didn't hit on it until one evening when Hermione dropped into the common room where he and Harry were studying. Ron stretched idly, happy to see her sitting beside him, even if the dusty smell of books still lingered on her robes. However, Hermione did not greet him or even acknowledge his presence. She said, "I want to talk to you, Harry."
From the business-like way in which she spoke, Ron could easily guess what was coming next. Probably, more blabber about Ginny and the O.W.L.S.. Ron clutched his quill more tightly, determined once more not to participate.
"What about?" asked Harry, dreading the exact same thing.
Hermione drew herself up with a sniff. "The so-called Half-Blood Prince."
Ron and Harry both groaned.
"Will you please drop it?" Ron heard Harry say. Ron heartily agreed with him, and wondered whether this was what Hermione had been doing all week while in the library. He had almost forgotten the Prince, for Harry had not gone back to get the book from the Room of Requirement and thus in Ron's mind it had ceased to be a concern.
But Hermione had brought it up and was now insisting that she knew the identity of the Prince, even though Ron had no idea what knowing who had owned the book before would be of any importance to a person who really wanted to use it. Dutifully, he leaned over to look at the newspaper article that Hermione had just slapped down on the table.
It displayed a girl a bit younger than himself, not particularly pretty and completely unimpressive. Whoever she was, she looked unhappy. Ron glanced at the caption long enough to see that the girl's name was "Eileen Prince." He skimmed the article for a while before his neck got tired and he got bored. Then Ron sank back into his seat and attempted to read the fascinating blurb in his book about Galloping Mushrooms and their many unconventional uses. It seemed to him that Hermione, not Harry, was the one who was obsessed with the Prince. Ron was irritated that Hermione had wasted so many evenings that they might have spent together researching this stupid Prince girl when Harry had all but forgotten his Potions book. Now Harry would probably retrieve it just to spite her.
Meanwhile, Hermione's talk with Harry was not proceeding as she would like it to. She got up from the table and ran off for the library. Ron watched her go, feeling more slighted than ever that she hadn't said good-bye.
"She's just never got over you outperforming her in Potions," he said, believing it completely. He felt strongly that Hermione was simply trying to take Harry down a notch, maybe by proving his hero was actually a girl or simply by showing Harry that she knew more about the book than he did.
"You don't think I'm mad, wanting that book back, do you?" asked Harry beside him.
"Course not," said Ron. "He was a genius, the Prince. Anyway…without his bezoar tip…I wouldn't be here to discuss it, would I?"
Yet Ron couldn't help thinking of Harry coming in through the portrait smeared with blood, outstretching his hand... "I mean, I'm not saying that spell you used on Malfoy was great —"
"Nor am I," said Harry, cutting him off.
From there the conversation turned towards Harry's detentions, and Ron thought of Hermione, slaving away in the library for a hopeless cause. Harry would never admit that keeping the book had been a bad idea. It was enough that he had not gone to retrieve it. Ron hoped that if he could make Hermione understand this, she'd stop going to the library so much.
Ron smiled at the prospect of having things back the way they had been before. He began to relive a few of his favorite moments alone with Hermione and barely noticed when Jimmy Peakes handed out a message to Harry from Dumbledore.
Harry left in a rush, and Ron closed his book and headed to the library. He didn't make it even halfway before he stumbled upon Hermione, who was sauntering through the corridor ahead of him, looking very tired indeed. She had apparently not made it to the library, and at the pace she had chosen, she wasn't likely to get there before tomorrow.
"Hey," he greeted her, jogging to the place she stood.
"Hey," she answered, barely looking up. She seemed glum, no doubt because of the earlier debate with Harry, so Ron put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. When he looked down to see what she was holding, he noted she still had in her hands the tattered article on Eileen Prince, the picture of whom was glaring up at him with a sour expression on her face that could rival Snape's. Ron laughed at the girl's pathetic gesture.
All of the sudden, Hermione pushed out of his arms and faced the wall in a pout. "It's not funny, Ron."
He balked with exasperation. "What did I do now?" he said.
Hermione gaped at him. "What did you do? You just…you…" she sputtered.
"All I did was laugh."
This statement caused Hermione to grow redder than before. She wheeled on him faster than a whirling dervish. "But that's just it, don't you see? The only thing you ever do is laugh at me! You could have defended me," she spat. "I know I'm only your girlfriend, but surely you could have supported me."
"About what, the Prince?" he cried, absolutely incredulous that she was asking him to take sides against Harry. None of them had ever dragged the third person into an argument solely involving the first and second. It didn't matter if Hermione was his girlfriend or not.
"Ginny defends Harry all the time!" shouted Hermione. "The least you could do is look interested in what I say about the Prince. You don't have to scoff or roll your eyes the way you do."
Ron couldn't recall a single instance in which he had rolled his eyes at Hermione. And why did she care so much what Ginny did? Hermione wasn't going out with Ginny.
"Why do you care so much about the Prince?" demanded Ron. "Does it really matter who he is?"
"Or she," insisted Hermione.
"Or she?"
"Yes, Ron, I'd say it does because we both know that Harry is just using this book because he thinks it's a link to his father."
"What!" cried Ron. "He never said anything like that! He…"
"He said his father used one of the spells in the book."
"But that doesn't mean Harry actually believes that the Prince was his father. You're just trying to make him feel bad about using it because…"
"Don't tell me that I'm just jealous of Harry's Potions grade!" Hermione stomped on the stone. She was crying now, which stopped Ron in an instant. He felt like an oaf for making her cry, even if he didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
"Stop crying," he mumbled, wanting her to stop and be happy so they could go snog somewhere like he'd originally planned.
"You never take me seriously," she sniffed. "You and Harry both. He never listens to me. Not this year about the book or last year about Sirius... What use am I at all if Harry won't listen and goes to get himself in trouble anyway?"
Something snapped into place then. Ron suddenly felt that he knew why Hermione was jealous of Ginny and why she was so angry about Harry's refusal to listen. And all this talk about how Hermione was Ron's girlfriend? Maybe that was just to make Harry jealous. After all, she'd used Cormac McLaggen to anger him. Hermione wasn't above subterfuge. So after everything, Ron felt like a pawn.
He meant to say something really nasty to Hermione to make himself feel better. Or maybe tell her it was over between them and they could still be friends, but when he looked up at her and saw her reddened eyes and the tears streaming down her face Ron couldn't believe she'd really used him. He was just being ridiculous again. He remembered the last time he'd seen her crying this hard, when she'd been sitting at his bedside in the infirmary.
Maybe girls made you weak, thought Ron as he moved to embrace Hermione. She turned in his embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder, still crying softly. Yes, maybe girls made men weak, but Ron didn't care.
"I wonder sometimes why I bother, but Ron, how can I not?" Hermione asked him. "I have to worry about these things because…because Harry never will."
Ron sighed and just held her, feeling both awkward and scared to have Hermione so close. But at the same time, he felt incredibly happy. His anger over her accusations was forgotten. It seemed she had only wanted someone to listen.
"Just because you can't make Harry listen doesn't mean you shouldn't try," he conceded at last. "I mean, you could be right about the Prince. He could be a she."
"You don't really believe that," she said, pulling away and wiping at her face.
"Well…no."
He expected the fight to begin anew, but to his surprise, Hermione remained quiet. "Do you think I'm mad, harassing Harry about the book all the time?"
"Well…" Ron began, searching for the correct answer. It was the second time today that he'd been asked to comment on someone's sanity. "Not mad…"
"But you think I should leave off, don't you?"
"Er…yes?" answered Ron, cautiously. "Harry hasn't gone back to get the book, you know."
Hermione considered this for a moment. She sniffed again and wiped at her eyes. "Okay."
Ron was confused. Was this some sort of acceptance of his advice? He didn't think it was possible that Hermione would take his advice. Maybe she was only pretending to take his advice, but she was really plotting to take matters into her own hands. Ron pictured her searching for the Room of Requirement in order to find the Potions book and burn it.
"But you know," he quickly amended his earlier statement, "that doesn't mean you shouldn't worry about Harry because he does do some stupid stuff once in a while, like getting detentions before a match or pissing off sadistic teachers."
"Okay," she said again, but this time she was smiling.
-----
That evening as Ron sat with Hermione in the common room, Harry burst through the portrait looking panicked. He flew past them and up the stairs to the dormitory while Ron shared a look with Hermione. The words "stupid stuff" echoed through his mind.
Harry reappeared a minute later and explained. "I've got to be quick. Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen, I'm going with him to find one of the Horcruxes."
"Wha…" said Ron, startled by the suddenness of the announcement. "Right now?"
But Harry blustered on, "He wouldn't listen to me about Snape and Malfoy, but I ran into Trelawney and she said she heard whooping. That means something good just happened to Malfoy, and his plan… No, Hermione, I know he's up to something. And Dumbledore keeps talking about the Horcrux and how I have to obey him and stay invisible even if he's in danger, and I don't know how long this is going to take."
"Why go now?" Ron interrupted him again.
"…so you see what this means? Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to."
Hermione shook her head. "Harry, I don't think that Malfoy…"
"No, listen to me! I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. You've got to watch him and you've got to watch Snape too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up form the D.A…."
Ron just stared numbly down at the Marauder's Map that Harry had shoved into his hands. He cared less about Malfoy than he did about Dumbledore's orders to Harry that he should obey even if Dumbledore's life were in the balance. His mission must be dangerous, then. Perhaps Ron would never see Dumbledore again. Perhaps Ron would never see Harry again. But surely Dumbledore would not take a student on a dangerous mission… He wouldn't, would he?
"I haven't got time to argue," Harry was saying. "Take this as well —"
Ron felt a ball of socks being shoved into his hand. "Thanks. Er—why do I need socks?"
"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny too. Say good-bye to her for me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting."
Ron couldn't muster a good-bye for himself. How was he supposed to say good-bye for Harry? What would he tell Ginny if Harry died?
He stared at the ball of socks even as Harry swept out the door. Beside him, Hermione was shaking. "He wouldn't let us go," she whispered.
"Should we follow him?" asked Ron.
"No. It doesn't sound like Dumbledore wants us there. He would have told Harry to bring us."
Ron threw the potion to the floor angrily. Still rolled up in the socks, it bounced a little and came to rest at Hermione's feet.
"What are we supposed to do here? Malfoy isn't really planning anything," said Ron. "Not anything that requires this, at any rate." He motioned to the socks.
Hermione said nothing, but took the map from him and tapped it. "Malfoy isn't on here," she said, quietly. "Snape is in his office. They're not together, at least."
"Do you think Harry's right?"
Hermione tapped the map again and folded it up. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make sure."
A silent understanding passed between them. Ron nodded. "I'll fetch Ginny from the library. You round up the rest of the D.A."
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PsychoHaired: Oh, I think every 17 year girl who is in love with a boy is the type of girl to sneak off and snog.
NormalGirl: Well, ok, I'll admit, it's not really as if I like criticism. I don't wake up in the morning and think, "Oh gee, I hope people found something in my stories that they didn't like! How many spelling errors can I fix today?" Criticism is always painful. However, when it is fair and intelligently put (or if there is in fact a typo), I appreciate it. Although, I do have that automatic two second reaction where I think, "WHAT!" Then I have to think about a comment for a while to see whether I'm in denial about something or whether I was right to begin with.
lalaine: I don't know about a sequel. I was actually thinking about a project about the Black girls: Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda. I started thinking about it after watching a documentary on A&E about the Charles Manson girls. Yes yes, I realize that's not as interesting as Ron and Hermione, but if I do anything with Harry Potter before the school year begins, that'll probably be it.
Abvi: I'm confused. You're not an R/Hr shipper? That's ok. I suppose I'm still a D/Hr shipper, although I don't like Draco much in the books. I'd be sad if any guy who behaved like him snagged a good girl like Hermione. I like AU Draco, where he reforms and becomes good. Also, I don't mind long reviews. I hope you like this latest chapter.
