CHAPTER TWO - THE MESS
Hermione lay awake that night, thinking about what Harry had told her. She didn't even want to imagine how Harry would act around her now. He had looked so disappointed when she had turned him down... but she just couldn't agree to date him, it wouldn't be fair because of her feelings toward Ron. Ron... she liked him so much but now that Harry had told her he liked her... its was all so complicated. She was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, someone opened the door.
"Hermione!" Ginny said with a nervous voice.
Hermione sat up at once and looked at Giny, who was crying.
"Ginny.. what's wrong?" she said and made a sign to Ginny to sit next to her. Ginny did so and Hermione put an arm aroun der neck.
"What is it?" Hermione asked again.
"It's... It's Ron.." she said almost in a whisper.
Hermione held her breath for a couple of second and looked so worried Ginny could've seen everything she felt for him written in her face, but the light was out and the room was really dark. "Ron?" said Hermione almost crying.
"Malfoy attacked him while he was walking alone... I saw it all happen." started Ginny "After the spell hit him, Crabbe and Goyle started to kick him and punch him. It was horrible.. Oh Hermione and the worst part is that I was there.. I was there and I didn't do anything! I was so worried and shocked, I don't know.. I just couldn't move." she put her head in her hands and started sobbing. "I feel so bad Hermione"
"No Ginny... don't," said Hermione. But she was thinking about Ron. "Is he all right?"
"Yeah... he's downstairs" said Ginny, still crying. "Could you go there please? I don't want him to see me like this."
"Sure" answered Hermione "Will you be okay?"
Ginny smiled and nodded in answer. Hermione put her robe on and went downstairs. She saw Ron sitting alone… she could tell it was late because there was no one in the common room. Ron had a purple eye and looked really bad... although he wasn't complaining. He was just staring at the fire. Hermione went to the couch and sat next to him. Ron turned to look at her and smiled. She smiled back and unconsciously put her hand on his leg. He tried to talk but couldn't. But it was as though if he were trying to tell her something. Hermione put a finger on his mouth as to telling him not to say anything.
"Sh... it's ok." she said to him in a low voice and smiled.
Hermione made a movement with her wand and murmured a spell. Three little towels and a bowl with hot water had just appeared out of nowhere. She grabbed a towel and put a tip of it in the water. She smiled at Ron and put the wet towel on his face, covering the purple eye. He smiled back and looked down at Hermione's hand, which was still resting on his leg. He put his hand on top of hers and rubbed it. Hermione looked down to their hands and didn't understand what was going on. She looked up at found Ron's eyes. He was looking at her with those deep brown eyes that she had loved so much. She could now feel his breath... she closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers. It was the first best kiss a girl could ask for. She never wanted it to end. It was so passionate, but at the same time, sweet.
Suddenly, someone came through the portrait. They stopped kissing almost immediately, but Harry had already seen what had happened. The three of them froze for a second. Harry was looking at Hermione. She wanted to dye. She had just rejected Harry and how here she was, kissing his best friend. Harry looked away and started to walk towards the stairs. Ron couldn't understand what was wrong. He thought Harry should be happy for him and Hermione. Obviously, he had had to know about his feelings for Hermione. Right?
Hermione stood up and blocked Harry's way. "I'm so sorry Harry..." she said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't... I..."
"Don't say anything" said Harry annoyed. "I'm going to bed."
"Who ho ho... what's going on here?" Ron had stood up and looked slightly angry.
Harry didn't say anything and left for the stairs. Ron looked at Hermione then and saw she was crying. "What is it?"
"I... I have to go" she answered and turned to the stairs. She left with Ron staring at her back with his mouth totally opened.
Ron disappeared the towels and the bowl of water with a vanishing spell and went up the stairs to his bedroom. Harry was throwing a pillow angrily to the wall when Ron came in.
"What the bloody hell was that all about?" shouted Ron
"Nothing" replied Harry. He went to his bed and closed the curtains, leaving Ron standing alone, angry and confused once again. Just as Hermione had left him some minutes ago. Ron sat on his bed and stared at Harry's curtains. He had no idea what was going on between Hermione and Harry. But he wasn't going to stay like this, tomorrow first thing in the morning he'd found out what was all this mess about. Because surely Hermione had enjoyed the kiss. But why had she cried when she saw Harry? It was so weird. Ron got into bed and fell asleep thinking about what had happened, over, and over again.
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Hermione ran to her room and to her bed. Where she lay crying for hours. She had been so stupid! Harry had asked her out, she had said no, and then she had kissed Ron, Harry's BEST FRIEND! Hermione felt so bad. She didn't know how she'd look at Ron, and even worse, Harry.
She didn't know if she was still thinking or dreaming when her alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. She turned it off and stayed in bed thinking about yesterday... just then, she remembered it was Friday and she had to go to class.
Hermione got up and looked around. Parvati and Lavander were still asleep. She got ready and looked at herself in the mirror. "Ok, he kissed me," she thought. "That means he doesn't just see me as his friend. But neither does Harry... oh but that was one hell of a kiss." Hermione woke up from her thoughts and realized it was already 7:15. She had to hurry for breakfast. She only hoped that she wouldn't run into Harry or Ron in the Common Room, or the Great Hall.
Hermione came out of the room and went downstairs and saw that there were only a few people there. Mainly 1st. and 2nd. year boys and girls. She walked to the portrait hole and was about to climb it, when someone said her name. She turned and gasped.
"Ron... I... I'm..." Hermione's voice was shaking.
"I need to know what happened yesterday" he said firmly.
Hermione felt the blood rush to her face. She found Ron's eyes and held them for a minute. She took her's away as soon as she felt tears filling them. She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out of it.
"Please" said Ron "I don't understand why you cried and why was Harry so mad. I don't understand ANYTHING that happened yesterday" He looked puzzled. And for a moment, there was total silence. Ron didn't know how to express what he wanted to say. He had never been good at that. "I... I mean... you... you didn't cry because... because... you didn't cry because I kissed you, did you?"
It was enough, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She felt tears running down her cheeks and wasn't able to stop them. "No... of course not" she said sadly She wanted so badly to tell him everything she felt for him, she wanted to tell him she wished they could be more then friends, that, and much more, but unfortunately, she couldn't.
"Then what was it?" asked Ron sounding desperate. "Come on Hermione. Please, tell me"
Hermione shook her head "It's just that... I mean... I... I'm just... " She had to think of something to tell him. But she just couldn't. Not with him looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes. She started to sob and she covered herself so he wouldn't see her, but it was useless. She just wanted to tell him everything, but knew that it was impossible.
Ron didn't know what to do. He looked at her and wrapped her in his arms. He wanted her to feel safe. "Oh Hermione, please don't cry. At least tell me what's wrong. Please." Ron said sounding really worried. He patted her back and hugged her more tightly.
Hermione closed her eyes and tried to calm down. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes when she did, she thought she'd die. There he was, standing looking at her with those green eyes. Hermione pushed Ron away and looked at Harry very sadly. Ron turned and saw him standing there. He looked from Harry to Hermione and when he saw how she was looking at Harry, he understood everything, or at least he thought he did.
Hermione noticed Ron looking at her and looked at him. Then at Harry, and back to Ron. She closed her eyes and a single tear came down.
"This is unbelievable" said Ron looking at Hermione. "I should've known."
Hermione opened her eyes quickly and saw that Ron looked mad. "What do you mean?" asked Hermione
"You two... you're... you're together. That's why you cried when you saw him right?" asked Ron with a very mad voice
Harry made a sarcastic gesture without meaning to and both Ron and Hermione turned to look at him.
"What?" snapped Ron
"Nothing" said Harry angrily
"Ron that's not true. How can you think that?" said Hermione
"It's not entirely false Hermione. Come on, tell Ron the truth. So you can both go and have an endless talk." said Harry emphasizing the last two words.
"Harry, don't make things up! We're not together and you know that! Just because I said no to you doesn't mean you have to act like this. I thought you liked me. You're hurting me, you know that?" Hermione said confused. She couldn't understand what was wrong with Harry.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? Will anybody tell me?" yelled Ron
"Oh please. Hermione don't be so pathetic. I mean... It's ok. You fancy Ron. You could've just told me." said Harry matter of factly.
"Shut UP!" shouted Hermione "You're just saying those things because you're mad. You're acting like an asshole Harry!"
By now, some students were starting to leave the common room. They were afraid of all the yelling.
"Ok If someone doesn't' tell me what's going on right now, I don't respond for what I might do." grunted Ron.
Hermione looked at him and thought that he really deserved an explanation. But she couldn't tell him with Harry here.
"Come with me Ron." she said to him.
Ron looked at Hermione, two seconds had passed and he was standing by her side. Hermione turned and climbed the portrait hole. Ron and Harry followed her and when they were outside the common room, Ron threw an angry look at Harry, who turned and went down the stairs, to the Great Hall.
Hermione started to walk away and Ron had to run to catch up with her. They walked for about 5 minutes without saying anything. Hermione had led him down the stairs to the 4th. floor and to an empty classroom. They went in and Hermione closed the door behind her. She sighed and turned to face Ron.
She looked at him and thought of the best way to start. How was she going to tell him what Harry had told her? It was going to be extremely hard to tell Ron the right things.
"There are some things you should know Ron"
"Oh really?" he answered sarcastically "I thought we were here to play Quidditch."
"At least try to be mature and stop making this harder ok?" Hermione was starting to lose her patience now.
"Fine. Say whatever it is you have to tell me."
Hermione eyed him for a little while. She took a deep breath and started to tell him how it had happened. How Harry had asked her out while they were in detention, and how she had refused to.
"So, let me get this straight. You actually said no to Harry?" asked Ron surprised.
"Yeah..." said Hermione looking down to the floor.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because... well... I couldn't agree to go on a date with Harry when... when I... like somebody else." Hermione managed to say and then blushed madly, still looking down at the floor.
"Oh... right... yeah..." said Ron and looked out the window. He looked as if he was thinking about something. "But then... why did you k..." he stopped right in the middle of the sentence and opened his eyes wide in astonishment, he then turned to look at Hermione "Is it... I mean... I..."
Hermione looked up at Ron and smiled when he saw the confused look on his face.
"Hermione... do you... err... do... um..."
Ron's eyes turned red and he looked at Hermione with a suspicious look.
"That's why I cried when Harry saw us kissing, because I felt bad for him and well... we..."
"Hermione I... I didn't know... I mean..."
Now that she had said it all, Hermione felt so much better. "It's ok Ron" she said and then looked at her watch and noticed it was almost 8:00 a.m. "We'd better get going. We have to get to Transfiguration." She smiled at Ron and walked to the door. She opened it and turned to Ron. "Coming?" she asked with a smile on her face.
"Uh yeah..." said Ron in a weird tome. He followed Hermione outside and when they were on the corridor, he placed a light kiss on Hermione's cheek. He smiled and left Hermione standing there alone. She knew where Ron was going. To the Common Room to get his stuff, which he had forgotten, as usual. She smiled to herself and went on the opposite direction, heading for Transfiguration.