Chapter 12.

Promise Me.

Auri ignored Ron throughout the week at every chance she got, earning a few surprised glances from Harry and Hermione. When Ron walked into the room, she would straighten herself and quickly walk out as if at any minute, the room would be contaminated with an unknown and horrendous disease. She was happy that Ron was not in any of her classes because that excluded her chances of meeting with him. When the Common Room was full, she forced herself to stay to minimize possible questions on what happened with her. Then he would stare at her from his armchair and she would sigh because of the lonely, yet furious glint in his eyes that made her feel guilty. She forced her mind to travel to the textbook she was reading, but all the while she felt his eyes on her, and twitched nervously in her chair. The week had gone by quickly, yet tediously, especially for Auri because she suffered terribly from the invisible pressure being extracted from the very walls of the warm, glowing Gryffindor Common Room.

Auri walked swiftly out of the castle on a Saturday evening to clear her mind and forget her troubles and concerns, at least for a brief hour. Hermione silently came up behind her and Auri shuddered when she greeted her.

"You scared me," Auri said crossly.

"I'm sorry," Hermione walked quickly to keep up with Auri's long, savage strides. "I've been meaning to ask you something, but I haven't had the chance because this week was pretty hectic."

Auri walked faster. She was almost running past the frozen, snow covered pumpkin patch now. She had an idea what Hermione wanted to question her about, and she wasn't sure she would be ready to expose her feelings. Hermione snatched her gruffly by the hand and turned to face her.

"Do you mind?" she said, sniffling from the cold.

Auri sighed again, her breath forming tiny ice crystals in the air, and then pulled her lips together.

"Ask away," she said without her usual cheer.

Hermione's face loosened and she said in a friendlier manner, "For instance, why have you been acting so strange around Ron? When he walks in, you walk out. And all of a sudden there's this sad, lonely aura to you." She looked at the sky as if straying from the conversation and then shook her head, "It's just not right."

"Why don't you ask Ron?" Auri replied coldly.

"Because he won't tell me anything!" Hermione said angrily.

Auri sucked in her breath, but didn't say a word.

"And I'm not about to lose a friend!" Hermione continued a little more calmly.

"Lose me? What do you mean?" Auri pretended to look confused.

"Don't be stupid!" Hermione was almost yelling. "You spend less and less time with us, and we're not about to remove Ron just so you can stay in the Common Room!"

"Well, I'm not asking you to!" Auri yelled back and tears rolled down her frostbitten cheeks.

"Are you- are you crying?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Auri turned away to wipe her cheeks and then said in a trembling voice, "I already lost a friend… And I don't think I'm getting him back."

"I don't understand," Hermione replied and swallowed hard. It wasn't everyday that a happy, smiling girl broke into tears.

"Ron tried to kiss me, okay?" Auri was almost screaming now. "Are you happy now?"

"He – what?" Hermione said faintly, her face turning pale.

"We were in the Common Room, and I was- I was tired," Auri said, her voice breaking. "And then he- he pulled me closer to him and tried to- to…" She tried to get the words out, but instead, a helpless cry arose from her chest.

"I t-told him t-to stop," she said, hiccupping. "And he got m-mad and left. I-I don't want to be in the same room as him anymore. He's not a friend. I don't know w-what he is."

Hermione cleared her throat and started to wring her hands nervously.

"And… and do you like him?" she said quietly.

"Ron?" Auri said in disbelief. "Of course not!"

"So what are you going to do?" she said in a composed tone.

"I…" Auri began but then shook her head, and tears rolled down her neck. "I really don't know. And I'm sick of him staring at me like that! I want my friend back."

"This is more complicated than I thought," Hermione said softly. "You'll have to tell him that. Explain. Maybe he will understand."

"I'd rather ignore him, it's more comfortable," Auri said, in what would have been a joke, but nobody laughed.

"If you tell him that, you'll feel better," Hermione said, walking in place to keep warm from the cold.

"You're right," Auri sighed and gazed in the direction of the castle. "And Hermione… I'd appreciate if you kept this quiet."

"Of course!" Hermione replied, her face reddening, and the two of them walked back to the castle. The Common Room was empty and quiet except for the one person Auri feared would be there, waiting.

"I can't do this," Auri said in a deadly whisper, looking at Hermione with fear in her eyes.

"You've got to," Hermione said quietly, pushed her towards the fireplace, and left.

Auri sighed heavily, twiddling with her hands and then cleared her throat. Ron opened his eyes, and stretched. He stared at her and blinked, breathing, "Auri…"

"Yes, it's me," she said, feeling more uncomfortable with every second. "I-I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for ignoring you. This has been… very strange for me."

Ron straightened his back and listened closely.

"This doesn't mean that I automatically… you know, like you," Auri had a great difficulty in choosing appropriate words. "But Ron… oh please, I've been so lonely. Please be my friend again."

"Is… is that it?" he looked disappointed.

She flung herself around his neck and cried, her shoulders shaking, and her cold salty tears rolling down his chest. He pulled her away from him and gently looked into her eyes.

"Auri," he said, smiling sadly. "You don't have to cry anymore."

"Promise me you'll be my friend and nothing more," she said, steadying her uneven breathing. "Promise me!"

"I… I," he began but cut himself off. There was a great moment of silence. Finally, he sighed and nodded, "If you can't be mine, then I'll have to accept you as something less."

She smiled through her tears and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered and walked out of the Common Room. It was nice to have a friend back.