Truth be Told By:
HP Storyteller
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter.
Ron's blue eye's looked shocked, as he got lost in her Cinnamon brown ones,
"Hermione! Wha?" He helped her out of the table, and up onto the cushioned seat, where he sat next to her.
"Hey Hermie." said Harry; a little less enthusiastic then the others, something most be bothering him.
"Er, Hey." She said sheepishly; not looking up from the table to look at his friends, she was embarrassed that she had been found under a dirty table none other then eavesdropping - it was something Malfoy would do, but not her.
Ginny was the only one to speak after Hermione's pathetic hello,
"She was hiding from you, Ronald. She heard everything." She added toward her brother.
Hermione gave Ginny a stare that would make a dementor's blood run cold, then Ronald spoke;
"Uh, yeah - is that true?"
"Of course not!" Hermione said softly, twirling a strand of her curly locks around her index finger, a habit since she was about nine. "Why would I be hiding from you - your only a boy." Ron's ears grew pink; Hermione looked up at him finally and almost melt, 'Oh god - that stupid smirk is on his face again.' Mione had always adored that funny smile Ron had, there was just something about It.
"No - I mean did you really hear what I said 'bout you?" He looked nervous.
"Bloody 'ell Ron, it's not like I turned off my ear's of course I heard"
Ron turned his stare away from Hermione's warm cinnamon eyes, it was just too painful.
"Well, I… I didn't mean to embarrass you Mione…" He carried on with his attempt of an apology, "I just kinda wanted a picture of you…"
Hermione shook her head, "I don't even what to think of what you have been doing with that picture Ronald." She said coldly, "Let's just end that subject now, alight then?"
"-Hermione" Said Ron with a pause, "y'kno' I really do like you."
Granger felt quite awkward, was Ronald going to actually tell her finally that he had feelings for her? She frankly thought it would be more romantic then sitting in a pub, gum stuck in her hair and everybody all around staring at the strange girl who had climbed from out from under a table.
"Mhm." She mustered to say, not trusting her shaking voice.
"And you know that your one amazing witch…" He added this time his voice starting to shake.
Hermione's cheeks grew hot once more; Ron thought she was an amazing witch? Wow.
"Um, um, m'yeh?" She said shaking her head, "Ur, a gr-great wizard to Ron."
The tension at the table began to grow; Ginny felt it and she elbowed Harry in the side.
"Maybe we should, err go…" She whispered into his ear, the boy nodded and they slipped out of the booth and out the door, leaving the red head and Hermione along together. Ronald turned toward Hermione, taking his hands into hers. Hermione started to shake, this was it! This is what she had been dreaming about since second year, her wait was over. Ron licked his lips and slowly started to talk.
"Mione"
"Yes"
"Hermione.. You're a really great friend, ya'kno?"
"You are too, Ron." She said with a huge grin on her face.
"And ya'kno' Harry is a great friend too.."
Bloody hell! Why was he mentioning Harry when he was confessing his love for me? Hermione thought, 'He sure has a strange way of showing his emotions.'
"Yeah, Harry's a great friend." Hermione said with a monotone voice, she wished Ron would just hurry it up and kiss her.
"That's why… I really think me and you…"
'This is it… This is it!' Screamed Hermione in her head.
"That's why… I really think me and you and Harry should all go to the states."
Hermione's mouth hanged open; Ron had a strange expression on his face; like he about to get hit. She turned back toward the table, slamming her fist hard against the top of it, Ron just looked at her blankly trying to figure out what the bloody hell he had said to cause such a reaction.
"I…I mean, I just don't want to be stuck at the Burrow all summer." Ron said quietly, looking down at his own feet.
"I…I, Cant believe you Ronald - you're the thickest they come." She shouted as she pushed past him and toward the door.
Ron got up and laid some sickles on the table to pay for the butterbeer and chased after the girl he thought had went mental. "Hermione wait up." he said out of breath as she was about to run out of the door, "What the bloody matter is wrong with you?" He retorted, girls could be so confusing. "I just wanted to spend time with my best friends over the summer." He yelled, where everybody in the pub could hear him.
Hermione just shook her head and ran out of the door.
"Mione!" Ron said yelling after her as he chased her down the street.
"Go away Ronald, you thick tomato!" She shouted as she searched around for the sign of Ginny or Harry.
"Thick tomato?" He said hurt, "At least I'm not the one acting like a basket case over a simple conversation."
Hermione stopped in her tracks, 'simple conversation.' bounced around in her head, bunching her hands into a fist she wanted to just sock him silly, but controlled herself - kinda.
"SIMPLE CONVERSATION? SIMPLE?" She yelled then hysterically laughing as if it was some hilarious joke. The whole of Hogsmead stared at the two; they had started quite the scene.
"Hell Ronald, I don't see why I thought you would, confess finally…" She said trailing off at the last two words; she looked hurt; Ron was nothing other then a fly to her anymore.
"Confess? Confess to what?" He asked horrified, did she know?
"Yes Ronald confess, Bloody hell." She said as she started to walk away again, pushing herself through the crowed.
"Fine, I'll confess." Ronald said, "I'm the one who dressed crookshanks up in Mrs. McGonagals underclothes, I thought it be funny."
Hermione's cheeks burned redder now as Hogwart students started to laugh uncontrollably.
"You did… WHAT?" She asked in a fiery voice as she clenched her wand inside her cloak pocket.
"I dressed your cat in Mrs… McGon-"
"I heard that Ron." She said fuming.
Ron gulped, 'I guess that wasn't the confession she wanted.' He started to step backwards, "I'm… I'm sorry?" He said sweetly.
"Ronald screw the cat, I'm mad because you can't realize I'm in, I'm in lo-love with you.."
"Ur wha-what?" He said with a high voice, as he backed into a wall as Hermione grew closer.
"Ron Don't be deaf, you bloody well know what I said." She was only inches from him, mixed emotions running through her; I wanna kiss him - No I wanna sock his lights out.
"Wha?" He continued to ask, his eyes opened wide like he was just beginning to see what she had meant.
"Oi, you two take it elsewhere." Shouted the storekeeper of the store they were standing in front of, "You're scaring the bussiness away."
"S-sorry." Mione said embarrassed as she ran through the crowed leaving Ronald Weasley all on his own.
Hour later
"Hermione get over the git, he isn't really even a great kisser."
Granger had been so distraught that she had found comfort in no other then Lavender Brown, the girl who had snatched Ron from her in their sixth year.
"Lavender, Ron is far more then just snogging…" She said angrily. Why was she sticking up for the boy who had just crushed her heart?
"Whatever you say.." Lavender said dryly, as she sat down on the edge of her bed; up in the girls dormitories.
"It's true; he may be thick sometimes but.. But he's. He's perfect." She words just seemed to slip out through her lips.
"Malfoy is perfect, Ron's just a git." Lavender said with a dreamy face, everybody knew that Lav was crushing on Draco. Hermione couldn't take it anymore, if Lavender started talking about Malfoy again she thought she might hurl. Walking out of the Dormitory and down the steps she ran into another girl, this one she was more then happy to talk to.
"Ginny!" She said enthusiastically as she pulled the girl close and hugged her, wet salty tears leaking onto the red head's cloak, "I seriously messed it up."
"I know." Said Ginny patting Hermione's back, "Ron's been awestruck since you left him at Hogsmead, then simply he disappeared."
Ginny wasn't one for being able to lie to comfort a friend, Hermione felt even worse now.
"He what?" She asked panicking.
"He's gone." She said simply.
"To bloody where?" Hermione asked; her heart beating in her ears.
"If I knew he wouldn't be missing, would he?" Ginny said plainly.
"Ginny, he could be hurt!" Hermione said, her maternal instincts taking over, "I've got to find him."
Running down the rest of the steps she walked into a almost deserted common room, Neville was playing exploding snaps with Seamus, who seemed like he was winning; because Neville was hiding under a table.
Hermione ventured over, "Guys." She said softly.
The two boy's turned around and looked at her, Hermione must have been a sight for sore eye's, she had been crying ever since leaving Hogsmead.
"Woah, what happened to you mate?" Seamus asked, looking up at her tear stained cheeks, "Got hit by a bus eh?"
"Oh shut up." She snapped as she sat down on the table that Neville was still hiding under, "Have you seen Ronald?"
"Yeah." Neville said, his voice shaking, "He came looking for me when he realized he never picked up the wand.. I broke." He said sickly. "He told me that he was going to go hang out with Hagrid, or something." He added.
"What time did he leave?" Hermione said immediately.
"About fourty-five minutes." Neville squeaked, as Seamus set off another exploding snap, "He seemed upset." He added.
"I must go." She said quickly, "Thanks Neville." She started to run for the porthole out into the corridor's.
"Wait, I've seen it all." Snickered Seamus, "It's past curfew and Hermione Granger is going out?"
Hermione just rolled her eyes and ran out into the darkened corridor's, praying that she wouldn't run into anybody on her way to Hogwart's, but she did. Draco Malfoy.
"Well, Well, Well.. Granger we meet again.." He said coldly…
A/N This is where I leave you.
Please read and review, If you wanna see what Draco is going to do!.
-Still lots more to come.