Chapter Ten
A/N: Here it is, another chapter. All rejoice! Hehee. Not really. It's just a chapter. So enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I had my way I would have come up with the brilliant idea for Harry Potter first. . . but I didn't. . . J.K. Rowling did.
"Whoa." Ron, Harry, and Hermione all walked into the Great Hall for breakfast on Christmas Eve. It was completely empty, save for all of the Professors.
"Good morning!" Professor Dumbledore called to the three of them.
"Good morning, Professors." Hermione said, attempting a weak smile. This was odd, even for her.
"Please, please, sit down." Dumbledore pointed to three empty seats. All of the Professors were sitting at one of the house tables. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sat down as they had been instructed. "Amazing, though it may seem, you are the only students who have opted to stay for the holidays." Dumbledore said, looking pointedly at Harry.
It was by far the most awkward breakfast the three of them had ever had at Hogwarts. The Professors spoke quietly amongst themselves, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat mute.
"Er. . . Professor McGonagall, could you pass me the jam, please?" Ron said, the total awkwardness of the situation surrounding him.
Soon, the three of them found some excuse to get them out of the Great Hall.
"Yes, yes, lots of homework to do. Never hurts to get a jump start." Hermione babbled as they made their way out of the door.
"Well, there's something I never hoped to have done." Ron said.
"Yeah. After that joke Flitwick told, I don't think that I'll ever look at him the same again." Harry agreed.
"What are we going to do for two weeks with just us and the Professors?" Ron asked, suddenly alarmed,
"Homework?" Hermione suggested.
"Homework?! Only YOU would be thinking of doing homework during the holidays."
"I was just suggesting."
"Sure. I bet the next thing you'll suggest that we work on spew."
"It's S.P.E.W. and I was not going to suggest it. But since you brought it up. . ."
"Oh no! Now way am I spending my Christmas Holiday working on spew-"
"S.P.E.W!"
"You are impossible, you know that?"
"I am NOT!"
Harry groaned inwardly. It was going to be a very long holiday if Ron and Hermione weren't on speaking terms and the only other form of being in the castle were the teachers. "I'm leaving before you guys kill each other. . ."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" They both yelled after him in unison.
Harry, however did not answer, he just continued to walk
Ron stared at Hermione. "What's he on about?"
"Oh who knows!?" Hermione snapped, fuming.
"What's the matter with you?"
"Me?! What's that matter with ME?! You're the one standing here criticizing my ideas!"
"Oh! I'm so sorry I insulted spew."
"S.P.E.W!" Hermione shrieked.
"Why do you always have to bring that up anyway!"
"I. . . you. . . but. . . Arg!"
"Calm down Hermione, before you blow a gasket."
"You look here, Ronald Weasley!" she cried at him, finger pointing him in the chest. "I have planed on having a very nice holiday here in the castle, and YOU are not. Going. To. Ruin. It. For. Me!" with each word she poked him with her extended finger.
"I didn't mean to. . ." Ron began.
Hermione stopped him with a hand close to his face. "I don't want to hear it." And with that she turned on her heal and left Ron standing outside the open door of the Great Hall.
Ron peered inside and saw all of the teachers looking at the open door where he and Hermione had just been fighting. The instant they saw him they all began to go about their business. Ron grumbled and began to walk slowly to the Gryffindor common room when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Ron?"
"Hi, Professor Lupin." Ron said very flatly.
"What was all that about?"
"What was all what about?"
Lupin gave him a knowing look.
"It was nothing."
"You haven't learned anything, have you?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You still keep shooting off your mouth."
"Your point being?"
"It's going to hurt you really bad one day when you say something that you can't take back or make better, Ron. One day, if you're not careful, you're going to say something that Hermione will never forgive you for."
Ron thought about this. It was true that he had always spoken his mind around Hermione, and that it had gotten him into his fair share of rows. . . The thought of Hermione never speaking to him again, though, was incentive enough for him to try and stop. "So all I have to do is keep quiet?"
"And not be such a git."
"Professor-!"
"Ron, please." Professor Lupin held up a hand to silence him as Hermione had done only moments before. "Just keep your mouth shut until your brain learns what is bad to say."
Ron was about to protest that his brain knew very well when enough was enough, but thought better of it. "Yeah, okay."
Lupin smiled. "Good. Besides, it would be a very lonely holiday for Harry with the both of you fighting."
Ron made his way to Gryffindor Tower slower than he usually would. Today, he needed time to think. Fighting with Hermione never made him feel very good. Fighting with her during the Christmas holiday didn't seem to make it any better. Ron mentally kicked himself for always being able to put his foot in his mouth. Lupin was right, he did have to learn when to shut it. Ron then began to think about what else Lupin was right about. . . If he wasn't careful, he could lose his friendship with Hermione forever. . . and he wasn't entirely sure he could handle that.
Ron's finger traced the scars along him arm from where the brain had attached itself to last year. Hermione had been in trouble then. She had nearly died. And Ron was too stupid to do anything about it. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he had lost her. Ron shuttered.
His pace quickened. Wherever Hermione was, he was going to apologize. However painful though it may be for him to admit that he was wrong. . . the thought of losing Hermione forever for being so careless pained him even more.
Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room, staring into the fire. Ron was so thick. Only he could make her feel this bad during Christmas. Christmas was supposed to be a happy occasion, and Ron managed to turn it into just another day. He really was a git. . .
"Hermione!" Ron came though the portrait hole.
"I'm not speaking to you."
"Then can you at least listen to me?"
Hermione put her fingers in her ears and began to hum loudly. Childish, yes. But this was Ron she was dealing with.
Ron grabbed her wrists and lowered her hands from her ears. "Please?"
Hermione crossed her arms in front of her and looked at Ron through narrowed eyes. "Go."
"I. . . well. . . the thing is. ."
"Oh just spit it out!"
"I'm sorry!" Ron yelped.
Hermione sat there, her eyes wide. Had Ron Weasley just apologized to her? The incredibly proud and infuriating Ron Weasley? "What?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said all that stuff. I didn't mean it."
"You're sorry?"
"Yeah. I really don't hate spew-"
"It's S.P.E.W, Ron." Hermione said quietly.
"Right. I really don't think S.P.E.W. is a stupid idea. And I really didn't mean all those things I said. I'm probably the biggest git ever, huh?"
"No, you're not." It was impossible for Hermione to remain mad at the groveling red-head in front of her.
"I'm not?" Ron said, hope in his voice.
"No, you're not."
"Friends?" Ron stuck out his hand in the form of a truce.
"Friends." Hermione grasped Ron's hand before flinging her arms around him and giving him a hug.
A/N: Hurrah! All Ron / Hermione fans rejoice! Ron is finally not being stupid! Okay, so now that I have a, somewhat, bit of direction, I can probably get these chapters out faster. Although, school might see to it that I am inhibited a bit. But have no fear! I shall update.
And. . . in the meantime. . . you can all be hip and review!