Guess what I found? Another chapter of this story! I was looking over all my Harry stuff and I realized I hadn't posted this chapter yet. I know it's been a awful long time since I updated this one but please forgive me. I've got so many ideas in my head that I just want to write them all right now. And some of them I am thus this one gets pushed back. Being so busy none of them seem to get updated but don't think I'm not working. If I'm not writing, I'm at least coming up with new ideas that you guys are sure to love! I hope you like this chapter and please don't lose faith in me. I'm really trying! Thanks for all the reviews and I hope to see more.-Ace
Chapter 10: An Erupting Storm
After lunch Hermione made her way out of the great hall and headed for the dungeons by herself. Harry had run off to walk Ginny to class and Ron had never showed. When she enter the dungeon that potions class was held, she took a seat at the back of the room where they always sat. The rest of the 6th year Gryffindors and Slytherins continuing with their potion education slowly trickled in. Harry entered a few minutes before Snape and took a seat next to Hermione.
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked as Snape entered the room. He watched the greasy, black haired professor walk to the front of the room. His eyes stopped when they came in contact with a platinuim blond boy. Harry noticed him wink at a girl across the room. Suddenly he looked back. It was like he had felt Harry looking at him. Harry looked away and turned to Hermione, wondering why he even bothered to look at his enemy.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know where he is. He never showed at lunch. I hope he's not sick." And she meant it too. Ron was not a person to skip classes even if he didn't like them. Sickness was usually the only thing that kept him away. Especially away from food.
"Welcome to N.E.W.T level potions. Most of you are lucky to be here." Snape began glaring in Harry's direction. Harry glared back. He had earned his spot here but Snape was still disgruntled that he had. Harry knew Snape didn't like him and Snape knew that Harry didn't like him. "This being N.E.W.T. level potions I expect only the highest level of performance. You are no longer in a simple potions class. This is something extremely different. Many of you will try and fail at many of the potions I put forth for you to do. Many of you will barely survive this class while most of you will fail. Few will pass and continue."
Just then Ron came rushing into the room and made his way toward the table where his friends sat.
"You're late Mr. Weasley. Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape said as he passed in front of the class. "People like Mr. Weasley here, who are tardy to class, will not survive this class. If you have any intention of being late again Mr. Weasley I suggest that you remove yourself from my class immediately."
"No sir I do not. I'm sorry Professor. It won't happen again." Ron said in somewhat of a grumble.
"I should hope not Mr. Weasley." Snape replied then continued to lecture the students on the importance of the class and it's rules.
"Where were you? Why weren't you at lunch?" Hermione whispered taking out a quill and parchment.
"I had something I needed to do. Never mind." He said strongly and reached into his bag and loudly pulled out a quill, parchment, and ink well.
"Mr. Weasley do you take pleasure in disrupting my class?" Professor Snape asked walking down the row of tables nearest to Ron.
"Sorry Professor."
"Five points from Gryffindor." Snape said looking Ron over with his somewhat evil glare. Ron fumed at this and became angry. Hermione watched his face become red as he gripped his quill tightly as Snape began to lecture again. "What is going on with him?" she wondered. She ripped a piece of parchment from her note page and scribbled a short note then slipped it to Ron.
"What is going on with you? You're going to get all of our points taken away on the first day back."
Ron read it and clenched his free fist. He scribbled a note in return.
"It's not like I try to get points taken away!"
Hermione read his scrawling handwriting and frowned. He was turning it back on her.
"I was just reminding you that it is the first day back. And you have lost a lot of points for us."
"Even in writing she can be a smug know-it-all." Ron thought to himself and threw his reply at her. At this Snape noticed the note being passed between the two.
"Hmm what have we here?" he asked walking up to their table and snatching the note before Hermione could grab it. "A love note perhaps between Weasley and Granger." Snape said reading the note. "Hmm... Perhaps you should listen to Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley. Another five points from Gryffindor." Snape said slipping the note into the pocket of his robes and making his way back to the front of the room. Draco sneered with happiness as the Weasel King kept losing points for his house.
"How stupid can one guy be?" Draco thought as he followed Snape with his eyes, pretending to listen.
Finally potions ended, after a long, boring lecture on the Draining potion, class was dismissed to dinner. Ron rushed out of the dungeon before Hermione or Harry could speak.
"What the hell is with him?" Harry asked, noticing for the first time today that something was wrong with his best friend. "It's like he's got PMS or something."
"Not funny Harry." Hermione said as they walked out of the dungeon and up the stairs to the ground floor. "He's been acting like this since he arrived at Hagrid's for class. Something must have happened to him on his way back. I'm just not sure what."
"Well I haven't talked to him all day except this morning at breakfast." Harry said heading in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. They were going to drop off their bags before they headed for dinner.
"Well I haven't talked to him either. Except for the note I passed in class. He won't talk to me. It seems he doesn't want to talk to anyone." Hermione said climbing the stairs. At one point getting caught passing a note in class would have a big deal to her but now it was just something they did. Over the years she had changed greatly from the way she had been first year. Most of the rules she had once followed closely were now just sort of guidelines. There had been too much of Harry and Ron's influence around that she kind of had to change to fit.
Harry skipped a step and jumped ahead of her on the stairs. "Well then what happened? Why is he being so bloody edgy?" Harry asked somewhat exasperated.
Hermione shook her head. "Damned if I know. You're guess is as good as mine." She replied as they reached the hallway where the entrance to the Gryffindor common room was located. Harry looked over at Hermione.
"You just swore." He stated staring at her. She always caught him and Ron when they did so it was just fair that he get her back.
"Yeah well you two have rubbed off on me." She said hitting him on the arm. Harry laughed at her lame excuse. He knew deep down inside that she wanted to or did swear more then she let on.
They reached the Fat Lady and together they muttered, " Wronski Feint." The door swung open and Harry climbed through with Hermione right behind him. As they entered they were hit by a heated conversation going on in the common room.
"Ron you're being a twit prick." a female voice shouted. Harry and Hermione's eyes followed the voice and found Ginny and Ron, both red in the face from yelling, standing in the heat of what looked to be an argument.
"I'm just trying to take care of you Ginny. You're my younger sister. You can't trust guys. Especially him. I would know. He's my best mate." Ron replied strongly. He knew what the boys talked about after they were in bed. He and Harry had shared many things. They had become brothers over the past five years. Ron knew a lot about Harry, especially where it concerned girls. And he knew what other guys thought about too. Just that alone made him want to protect his sister more.
"Ronald Weasley you can't run my life!" Ginny shouted at her brother. "And you can't tell me if I'm allowed to date or not! So bugger off!" Ginny said and stormed off toward the exit of the Gryffindor common room. Harry watched her go then marched over to Ron. Hermione followed him.
"You! How could you not tell me? She's my little sister." Ron yelled at Harry. He knew he had a temper. It came with his red hair. Every member of the Weasley family had some measure of it. It had been bad enough when Ginny hadn't told him about past relationships but the fact that this time it was his best friend angered him beyond all the others. How could, between the two of them, did he have to find out by a mistake? By catching them in the hallway kissing?
Harry opened his mouth to reply but before he could speak, Ron stomped off up to the dormitory. Harry watched him then turned to Hermione.
"Guess we found out what's bothering him." He muttered throwing his bag on a nearby chair. Hermione watched him as he headed off in the direction that Ginny had left.
"Wait where are you going? Shouldn't you go talk to him? Perhaps explain why neither of you even bothered to tell us that you were a thing. I mean I had my suspensions but you know Ron." Hermione said her hand on her hips.
"I know we should have told him. I had ever intention of it. This morning was our first kiss. I asked her to be my girlfriend right after breakfast. I haven't had a chance to talk to Ron. He's been scarce all day. And right now, I don't think he really wants to talk to me." Harry said staring her in the face. She watched him for a minute then he turned and followed after Ginny.
"Arrgghh! Why do men have to be so stupid?" She mumbled to herself as she staked toward the stairs leading to the male dormitories. Dealing with idiocy had become a daily encounter having two boys as best friends.
As she reached the top of the stairs she found the door leading to Ron's dormitory closed. She walked up to it and knocked.
"Ron it's me. I'm coming in whether you want me to or not." She stated opening the door. She found Ron sitting on his bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and staring at the floor. He looked up as she entered.
"What the hell do you want?"
"I came to see if you're okay," she said striding over to where he sat. "And to tell you that I didn't know either."
"Yeah that's doubtful. You know everything. You probably figured it out for yourself. I was just too dense to realize it." Ron said somewhat depressed, looking back down at the maroon colored carpet.
Hermione watched him. She had thought that Harry and Ginny were getting closer but she wasn't going to tell Ron that. "No. I didn't. But Ron you can't hate Harry for not telling you. I think he was afraid you'd act the way you did."
Ron shot up. "But if he couldn't tell me then why didn't she? She's my sister and so damn out spoken. She just went off and told me to butt out. She used to tell me everything." Ron said turning around and walking toward the night stand that rested next to his bed.
"I know Ron. It's part of her personality. She is strong willed and so are you. It runs in your family." Hermione said with a smile.
He looked over at her and glared. "But what about Harry? He's my best friend Hermione and he didn't even tell me. He didn't tell me that he was dating my sister. That he even liked her." He said with a sigh. "I know he doesn't talk to anyone anymore. Not since Sirius disappeared through the veil, but I thought that if something like this happened he'd at least be considerate and tell me. I thought I was his best mate."
Hermione walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know Ron and you are his best mate. But for some reason he found it easier this summer to talk to Ginny. They became close and it eventually evolved into something more then a friendship." She said walking around to look him in the face.
"Do you think he'll be good to her? I mean it is Harry and all that limelight he gets and just so much more I've heard him talk about. I just don't think he's good for her." Ron revealed looking into Hermione's soft brown eyes.
"How could you say a thing like that Ronald Weasley?" She said removing her hand from his shoulder and moving toward the door. Ron sighed. He knew that she was going to scold him.
"It's only the second time today that someone has used my full name." He thought and waited for her to continue.
"He's your best friend Ron. Harry's a nice guy and he will treat your sister well. Better then any other guy in this building and you know it." She said exiting the room. Ron sighed and fell back on his bunk.
He knew Hermione was right. "She's always right." Ron said to himself beginning to feel sorry for how he had acted.
Hermione entered the great hall and took her seat across from Harry and Ginny. "I'm happy for both of you. I'm glad you've found someone you can confide in." She said pouring pumpkin juice into her goblet.
"Thanks Hermione." Harry said letting go of Ginny's hand. Ginny glanced over at him for a second, noticing he was talking to Hermione then turning back to her friend. "How is he?"
"Fine. I think he's disappointed that you didn't tell him in the first place that you liked her. I also think he's disappointed in the way he handled it. You know you're going to have to talk to him sooner or later. He needs his best friend Harry. Even if you can't tell him about how you're feeling about Sirius being gone, you have to tell him some things. He doesn't feel like a best mate anymore and you know he doesn't really have anyone but you and me." Hermione said as she buttered a piece of bread.
"I know Hermione. I'll talk to him after dinner." Harry said looking his bushy brown haired friend in the face. "I'm glad you understand about the whole Sirius thing."
"I know it's hard for you Harry. He was the only real family you had but Ron and I are trying to be family too. He thinks of you as a brother."
Harry sighed. He was feeling bad about what had happened with him and Ron. "I know. I do too."
With that he looked at his plate and decided he was done. "Ginny I'll meet you later in the common room," he said leaning over and brushing his lips across Ginny's cheek. She nodded in reply, glancing up at him with her eyes. "I'll see you later Hermione. And thanks for understanding." With that the raven haired boy with the lightening bolt scar on his forehead stood up and headed for the exit to the hall.
Harry entered the Gryffindor common room and found it empty. He grabbed his pack that he had left on a chair, and headed up the dormitory that he shared with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. He found the door open a crack and pushed it open as he entered. He saw Ron laying on his back upon his bed. Harry walked over to his bed and threw his book bag on top of his trunk. With the clunk, Ron looked up.
"Aren't you going to have dinner? After all you missed lunch." Harry asked walking over to Ron's four poster bed.
"Not hungry." Ron replied his head falling back against the maroon coverlet with the Gryffindor crest upon it.
"You lie."
Ron sat up and looked at Harry who stood in front of him. "And how would you know?" His face contained some hurt.
Harry sighed. "I know you Ron. You're always hungry," he said leaning up against the bed post of Ron's bed and folding his arms across his chest.
"I'm still growing." Ron retorted pathetically.
Harry sighed again. "Look Ron we both know that's not the reason I'm here. It's about Ginny and me." Harry paused for a minute. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I liked your sister. Every time I thought about it, it just seemed too weird of a conversation topic and Ginny didn't think you needed to know. She says her love life has nothing to do with you. As for the kiss I'm assuming you saw this morning, that was our first. After breakfast I walked her to class and asked her to be my girlfriend. I was going to tell you during class but you were kind of scarce and silent. I'm sorry Ron I should have told you earlier. Can we still be best mates even if I'm dating your sister?"
Ron looked up at Harry and saw that he meant everything he had just said. He knew he couldn't be mad at Harry for not telling him that he liked Ginny. He himself couldn't tell Harry about his obsession with Hermione and the intense, strange dreams he had been having lately. It was just too weird of a situation to have with him. The three of them where as close as family but there was still a tiny gap. Ron had always felt that it would be like telling Harry that he had a crush on his sister. So in this situation Ron had to forgive Harry. Besides he was glad to not be mad at his best friend anymore.
Ron nodded. "Of course mate. As long as you treat her right. If you don't I might have to use one of the spells imposter Moody taught us." He grinned slyly and Harry smiled back.
"Gotcha ya."
" So when did you first start to like Ginny?" Ron asked nonchalantly.
"Well it's kind of hard to say but probably right after my birthday. She gave me that black dog statue and it reminded me of how much I missed Sirius. I had been trying to block out everything but with the sight of the figure the pain slipped through and I felt horrible. I wanted to talk to someone I just didn't know who. Since she gave me the figure I guess I thought she might understand. Not that you or Hermione wouldn't, but it was different. I wanted to talk to someone who wouldn't try to comfort me or talk back. I just wanted someone to listen and I guess I didn't think you or Hermione would be the greatest listeners. I don't really know when exactly I began to like Ginny. We just sort of fell together. I can actually talk to her Ron and not hold things back about Sirius."
" You can't talk to me?"Ron interrupted standing up to be eye level with his famous friend.
"It's different with her. I don't know why or how but it is. I don't know what she's done to me or why I can only manage to confide in her, I just know I do. I care about her Ron. I really do." Harry tried to explain but he didn't know how to put his reaction and feelings into a sentence that would explain fully what he meant. He couldn't explain why he could talk to Ginny. He didn't know himself, he just knew that when he talked with her things just fell free.
Ron nodded. "I think I understand. And I'm sorry about being a git about it all. It's just Ginny's my younger sister and the only one I actually connected with when I was little. I guess I just have some of that older brother protection issues in me."
Harry smiled. " You wouldn't be a good older brother if you didn't feel the need to protect your younger siblings. Sometime I wish I wasn't an only child." Harry said with wanting in his voice.
"You're not. You've got Hermione and the rest to look after." Ron said playfully hitting Harry's shoulder. " But mind you if that be the truth about feeling the need to protect your younger siblings, it just holds more proof that Fred and George aren't good brothers." He chuckled lightly. Harry smiled.
"Friends again mate?" Ron stuck out his right hand.
"Friends." Harry said shaking Ron's hand. "You know, I think if we hurry we can still get some dessert down in the great hall."
Ron grinned widely. "Well what are we waiting for?" He moved toward the door and a smiling Harry followed him. Together they walked down to the great hall discussing quidditch and how horrible Snape had been to Ron earlier that day.
