Chapter 5 - Ron and Harry Want to Know What's Going On

Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor common room, it was deserted. She sighed, she didn't feel like being alone right now, she was hoping to find Ginny so that they could do something. Hopefully something rather pointless and silly but still fun and a good way to kill time. It was still slightly snowy out; perhaps they could have a snowball fight. She needed to get her mind off things. Not wanting to stay all alone in the deserted common, she was about to turn around when a voice stopped her.

"Hullo, Hermione."

Hermione would know that voice anywhere. Perhaps now she would much rather be alone.

It still hurt to look at Ron; she hadn't even tried talking to him. She said nothing and was about to turn and continue with her plan of walking straight out the door when another voice stopped her.

"No, Hermione, don't go." it was the unmistakable voice of Harry Potter. "We kind of wanted to talk to you."

She hesitated for the barest of moments, before walking all the way into the common room and taking a seat on the overstuffed couch that stood across the two plush chairs her two best friends were occupying. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited.

"What's going on, Hermione?" asked Harry. "Why have you been ignoring us?"

Hermione sighed.

"I have been ignoring you because I'm angry with you." she said flatly.

"And why is that?" demanded Ron. "Merlin, 'Mione, after what I said you seemed okay with it, I thought we were okay and then you just blew up on us that day and-"

Hermione could not contain her rage.

"Enough from you." she said darkly. "I don't want to hear another thing pass between those horrible, completely blustering-argh. Keep quiet..."

Ron shut up.

Harry look from him to Hermione then realized something.

"You can't be angry at us over what we were saying about you that day… are you, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione glowered at him, he could be overly perceptive at times.

"Hermione, we were only just joking." he said. "Ron was frustrated and I was being the supportive friend. You know that we don't really mean any of It." he nudged the red head next to him. "Right, Ron? You just needed to get it all out?"

Ron nodded; he was looking at the floor.

Hermione sighed.

"Look, Hermione I'm sorry about that, I didn't think you would be so affected by it." Harry rambled on. "Merlin, I am such an idiot. Really, Hermione we didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. you know me and Ron, we don't think before we act and he was a little frustrated and I wasn't really paying attention so I basically agreed to everything, please don't be mad, 'Mione, really, and I'm babbling aren't I?"

He looked really sheepish.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Harry still did have that tendency if he felt especially stupid or was trying to swallow his pride by getting everything out at once. The way he kept blushing and running his hands though his hair, told her that he was nervous.

"Its okay, Harry." she said. "I'm not really mad at you."

He looked relieved, and then looked from Ron to Hermione expectantly. He looked like he honestly believed that that was all there was to it, apparently Ron hadn't told him about the other part.

Unlike she and Harry, the issue with Ron would not be so easy to resolve. She knew that the nasty things Harry had said about here were merely said so that Ron could get his frustration out of his system. After all, he hadn't really said anything; he simply didn't stand up for her. Now Ron, he had betrayed her in ways that she had never ever thought him even capable off. She knew that eventually she would forgive him, but she didn't know if she could even forget his infidelity. She would never trust him implicitly ever again and nothing would ever be the same.

Nothing could ever make it better.

"Well, Hermione?" Ron said. "Are we friends again?"

She stared at her former boyfriend long and hard.

"no." she said coldly. "No we aren't."

Both boys' faces fell.

"What?" Ron demanded.

Harry looked utterly confused.

Hermione sighed.

"Ron did something bad, Harry." she said. "I'll let him tell you about it."

With that, she stood and strode out of the common intent on finding Ginny and telling her the whole wretched situation. Or perhaps the edited, much shorter version.

What she and Malfoy had discussed earlier would need to be kept secret.