Chapter 9: Realizations

Hermione gathered and carried all of her stuff from one dorm to another. She couldn't spend another hour with Ginny present. After their fight, Ginny had stormed off and she was left with a black eye, a busted lip, and a hurt ego. Ginny had kicked her ass twice before storming out.

Hermione knew she had been wrong to blame Ginny for her indiscretion. What did she think? She knew that Ginny couldn't keep secrets before she told her, and yet she had blamed Ginny for gossiping about something that she didn't know for sure was a fact, but which she confessed anyway. After a trip to Madame Pomfrey for a healing charm, Madame Pomfrey hoped that it would heal the scaring, though it was very doubtful, she labored back and forth to the room next to hers, levitating and carrying her personal objects.

She was now in a room with three first years whom she didn't know. They threw her furtive glances every time she entered and exited the room; neither one of them offered to help. After her last trip she finally settled in her room with all her stuff lying on the floor. She was too tired to organize it.

She glanced at the clock and it read 12:58 pm. She had a lot of homework to finish and she needed to visit the library to do some research. She gathered her book bag and left the room, and before she closed the door she heard the eager whispers of her talkative roommates erupt. She closed the door and frowned to herself. Everyone thought she was the bad guy. And in a way she was. She had never been wrong about anything, and this had to be the first. Why did she assume that Ron was gay? He had told her repeatedly that he wasn't, yet she ignored him. She entered the common room, and saw that Lavender, Parvati, Angelina, and Katie were huddled together. She was about to leave the room, when they swarmed around her.

"Hermione, wait up. We need to talk to you!" they chorused. She turned on the spot and glared at them.

"What?" she asked. Lavender grabbed her hand and yanked her toward the sofa. She pushed her down into it, and they all positioned themselves around her.

"Have you spoken to Harry or Ron lately?" Parvati asked. Hermione thought this an odd question for everyone knew that they were no longer talking.

"No!" she replied. They all looked around at each other, and some unspoken language passed between them.

"I just talked to Harry," said Lavender. Hermione wandered why she was telling her this.

"Okay, and your point is?" she asked.

"He told me that you guys weren't talking anymore. So, I asked him to explain why, and he said that you are a gossipy slut and a stuck up bitch!" She paused after this to let the words sink in. Hermione looked at her in amazement and her eyes started to tear up. The girls took this opportunity to comfort her.

"Did he really say that?" Hermione asked. All four girls nodded in unison.

"It's okay though, because you're better off without him. You should move on," said Katie.

Hermione didn't want to hear this. She pushed them all way from her and stormed out of the common room. She couldn't believe that Harry would say something like that about her. Hot tears streamed from her eyes and own her face, and she let them. What did she do to him that would make him hate her so much? She thought that of all people, Harry would not have taken sides. She guessed that she didn't know him as well as she thought. She whipped the tears away from her cheeks and proceeded to the library.

Lavender and her group of girls screamed with delight after Hermione left the room. They had succeeded in making the situation between the Potter clan more difficult.

"Did he really say that about her?" asked Katie. Lavender smirked.

"Well, something like that…" she replied. "Actually he told me he was talking to Ginny, but who cares?"

"What happened to you Parvati?" asked Angelina. Parvati was pulling some straw and paper out of her hair. She looked up at them all.

"Ron shoved me out of his room. He's so mean," she said.

"Yeah, but so damn hot!" added Lavender. They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"So let's get this straight. He told you that Potter was gay, right?" asked Lavender.

Parvati thought back, and smiled to herself. "Well, not exactly. When I asked if Harry was gay, he called me a stupid bitch and pushed me from the room!" she concluded.

They all looked at her.

"Well, who cares if he is gay or not? I'll just assume he is," said Lavender. "It makes my life easier. What's hotter than Ron banging Potter?" she asked. They all looked at her confused. She rolled her eyes at them.

"Potter banging Malfoy, duh!" she added. "You guys are so dense."

They all looked at each other and threw each other that "she's- such –a- bitch" look, then laughed about two minutes too late. Lavender cursed herself for being seen in their company and suggested that they go spy on Malfoy. They all agreed, so they left the common room.

Harry sat on Ron's bed and was holding Ron in his arms. He let him get all his frustrated tears out before he spoke.

"Are you okay?" he asked

"Yeah, I'm a little better. Parvati came up and accused you of being gay; so I pushed her out the room," he laughed.

"Yeah, I saw her. She had straw and paper in her hair. I wondered what was up?" added Harry. Ron laughed and rested his head on Harry's shoulder. If he had to be with anyone right now, Harry would be who he would pick. He closed his eyes to rest them. Harry kissed him on the top of his head, and then rested his head on his.

"I'm so tired of the attention being on us," Ron whispered. "It would be good if it was admiration or something, but this plain sucks." Harry sat up and turned Ron around to face him.

"Stop thinking about it, okay. No one knows our secret, they just think they do," said Harry as he rubbed Ron's cheek.

"They aren't even accusing you of being gay, just me. We should come out to stop all this gossip," said Ron. Harry thought about this for a moment then he agreed. He seemed rather nervous when he answered.

"Tomorrow we'll come out okay; if that'll make you feel better." Ron smiled and leaned in for a kiss at the same moment that Seamus walked in. Seamus was struck dumb. Was Ron about to kiss Harry?

"What in the world," he yelled out.

Ron pulled back and looked around at him; Harry stood up and looked between Ron and Seamus. Ron was about to explain, when he was punched hard in the face. He reached a hand up to cover the spot where the fist had collided, when he realized that Harry was the one who had hit him. He was stunned.

"I'm not a queer, "yelled Harry; whose eyes darted nervously from Seamus to Ron. He pushed Ron to the floor and left the room running. Seamus looked after him, and then spun around to look at Ron, who still lay on the floor.

"So, you are a fag?" he yelled as he started to laugh. Ron didn't know what to say. He couldn't get pass what had just happened. Seamus had left the room, and Ron was thrown in complete darkness. Harry had hit him; but why? The only thing that came to mind was that he didn't want people to know that he was gay. But, he had said he would come out. Had he been joking and just saying that so that Ron would feel better. He hated Harry then, he would never trust him again. He got off the floor and stood up; his body trembled and his head rung. He reached around to the back of his head and he felt something wet. He pulled his hand back and saw blood there. He turned to the side table; there was blood there too on the pointed edge. Oh God, he thought. His eyes were getting heavy and his legs were getting weak. He tried to call out, but no sound escaped him. All he could see was pure blackness before his body collapsed.