(CoS) CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: WORDS FAIL
"Glad you could make it," said Oliver sarcastically when Harry, Fred, George, and Ellie arrived at the Quidditch pitch about fifteen minutes later.
"Sorry, Ollie," said Ellie on behalf of the group. "Won't happen again."
He held her gaze for a moment as if debating whether to be harder on her, then settled for one of his trademark smug grins instead. Ellie caught Fred and Harry both rolling their eyes as Oliver said, "Forgiven. Now, then. Everyone ready? They postponed it a few minutes and told us to wait here, but any minute now I expect we'll be heading to our start marks."
But when McGonagall approached them a moment later, it wasn't to usher them onto the field.
"Everyone, this game has been cancelled," she shouted to both teams. "Please make your way to the stands to join the rest of your Houses back to the dormitories."
"What?" demanded Oliver, horrified. "Surely you're joking!"
"Would that I were, Mr. Wood," said McGonagall, looking bleak.
"What's happened, Professor?" asked Harry.
"There's been another attack."
Several of the Slytherins including Draco snickered at that as they headed back to the stands, but none of the Gryffindors moved. "Who?" Ellie demanded.
McGonagall held her gaze for a moment, and Ellie knew in that moment that it was someone close to her. She reached instinctively for Harry's hand, surprising herself; it was the first time she could ever recall not reaching for Fred's.
"Everyone except Potter and Prince," McGonagall said then, "go on to join your Houses. You two—come with me."
Ellie glanced heavily at Fred, who looked half-panicked and half-pissed that he wasn't being invited to join her. She gave him and George each a quick but tight hug before following McGonagall and Harry away from the others.
As soon as they were out of hearing range, McGonagall explained herself.
"It's Miss Granger."
Ellie stared at McGonagall with her lips parted, not daring to speak. Harry stiffened, staying just as still. From off in the distance, Ron approached them, being led by an anxious-looking Madam Hooch.
"She's in the hospital wing?" Ron demanded as soon as he reached them. "What are we doing standing here? C'mon!"
"She's only been Petrified," explained McGonagall as they picked up the pace again. Madam Hooch took her leave of them. "She and Miss Clearwater both. They're not allowed visitors, but—"
"What?" Ron shouted.
"—but you three, of course, are the exception," McGonagall finished calmly. "I've already informed Madam Pomfrey."
Ron nodded, then picked up the pace even faster toward the hospital wing.
"Hey, 'Mione," Ellie greeted her Petrified friend ten minutes later as she took her stiff, cold hand. "How're you doing?"
There was something beautiful and delicate about the way Hermione's face looked. Ellie glanced at Ron and smiled sadly to herself as she deduced that he was thinking the same thing.
"We'll get you out of here in no time," Harry said to Hermione, gently pulling a small mirror from her other hand and holding it. "And then we're never letting you go to the library alone again."
Ellie laughed a little at that. She felt desperate to cry, but wanted to stay strong for Harry and Ron, who were undeniably closer with Hermione than she was.
"We should talk to Hagrid tonight," said Ron suddenly, eyes darker than Ellie had ever seen them. "I don't care how innocent we all think he is—we're out of other leads, and we can't keep doing nothing."
"Sure, mate," said Harry gently. He didn't seem to think Hagrid was any more responsible than he had before—same as Ellie—but he seemed willing to do whatever made Ron happy in that moment. "Do you want some time with her?"
Ron nodded his head a fraction of an inch, and Harry glanced at Ellie. "Want to go somewhere?"
She nodded wordlessly and followed him out of the hospital wing.
They didn't have to walk far before reaching the Charms courtyard, a small, well-manicured spot Flitwick had designed himself. Ellie took a seat on a bench, and Harry next to her.
"Surreal," she muttered, letting her hair out of its ponytail and leaning against the back wall.
He nodded, leaning back, too. "I always wondered, in the back of my mind, whether they'd try an attack on her. I'm sure she did, too."
"It's not fair—making people live in fear like this. Something has to be done about it, Harry."
"I know. We'll start with Hagrid."
"He never would have hurt Hermione, though. If Aragog did it, it wasn't on his command."
He smiled softly. "Of course, not. But we should still talk to him."
She sighed. "Yeah. You're right."
The pain in his eyes was back, but for the first time, Ellie saw something else in them: desire. It wasn't that physical, sexual desire that Oliver so often eyed her with, though. It was a desire for all sorts of things—comfort; love; support; strength.
It was a desire for more.
And she felt it, too.
"Harry," she said softly, reaching a hand out to touch his cheek. "I…"
But she didn't know what to say. Whatever words she might come up with would sound so… thirteen. And in this moment, she didn't feel thirteen at all.
"Me, too," Harry said softly.
And that was when she kissed him.
It wasn't like her kisses with Oliver had been. There was undeniable passion between them, but there was also innocence and tenderness that had been entirely absent from those. The way his hand found its way to her hair, brushing it ever so softly behind her ear—the way his lips moved slowly and gently against hers, coaxing them open without assaulting her with his tongue—it all just felt… right.
They kissed for almost a minute, seeming to both find comfort in it. When they finally pulled away, it was mutual.
"Wow," Harry said softly, chest rising and falling ever so slightly. "I…"
But he didn't seem any more sure of what to say than she had a minute ago.
She smiled ever so slightly back at him, rose to her feet, and said, "Me, too."
"I can't believe it," George said that evening when Ellie told him and Fred about Hermione. "She always seemed so… invincible."
"She's just Petrified," said Fred firmly, giving Ellie an encouraging smile. "She'll be healed in no time. Right?"
"Right." Ellie bit her lip. "Listen—we're going to Hagrid's hut tonight after dark, and I don't want you to come."
She really should have chosen better words, she supposed; don't want seemed to have wounded both of their prides. "Why not?" George demanded.
"You can't fit under the cloak," she reminded him. "And with the most recent attack, the teachers will be on higher alert than ever. Even with the Map to guide you, it's too risky."
"We're not exactly averse to risk," Fred reminded her. "Especially when it comes to making sure you're safe, El. What's this really about?"
What was it really about? Was it possible that, for the first time in her life, she actually wanted some distance from the twins? She didn't know what exactly was going on between her and Harry, but she feared that she'd never be able to find out if she kept Fred so close to her. Even now, hearing him go on about his concerns for her safety, she was having a hard time managing her feelings.
"Look," she said, forcing herself to look Fred in the eye. She could find a way to be honest without being too honest, couldn't she? "Harry and I… we… have some things we need to figure out. And whatever they are, I need to do them alone."
"Alone?" George repeated, sounding confused. "Isn't Ron going?"
But Fred didn't look confused. Fred understood exactly what Ellie was saying; she could see it written all over his face.
He was hurt. But he understood.
"Okay," he said softly. "Just… be careful, El. And take the Map with you."
Lots of new developments in this chapter! Any Harry-Ellie shippers out there, or is everyone just impatient for her and Fred to wake up and smell the romance-scented roses? Love to hear your thoughts - and don't worry, the excitement will keep on coming with the next chapter, "Hagrid's Great Escape!"
