A/N: I decided to write this chapter long, because why not! Special thanks to JeanAndBilius for the amazing feedback. You deserve a free cookie! Anyways, remember that feedback is always appreciated. Now let's get on with the story!
Chapter 4 ~ Through Her Bushy Hair
"Wake up Ron!" Harry threw pillows at Ron until he woke up. Ron slowly opened his eyes feeling groggy. Yesterday, he had stayed up until midnight to finish his bloody homework for Potions and Transfiguration, while Hermione kept on nagging him that he should've done his homework earlier. Ron finally got up and got ready for yet another day.
When they made it to the Great Hall, they were greeted with a lonely Hermione sitting alone reading and reading while she drank a glass of milk. Ron rolled his eyes at the sight of Hermione reading.
"Honestly, how does she bloody do that? One look at a 3 paragraph paper and I get bored easily." Ron whispered to Harry.
"Well, that's Hermione for you.." Harry grinned as the sat kinda close to Hermione. She didn't even notice their present until Ron's stomach grumbled. She looked at him and he looked at her.
"Well, did you finish your homework?" Hermione asked Ron.
"Yea.." Ron looked at her.
"You better have had finished those essays or else Snape will give you detention." Hermione then went back reading, Hogwarts: A History. Ron went back eating his food like a pig not caring if he was going to have a horrible stomachache. Hermione looked at him with disgust trying to avoid looking at him because if she did, she would puke.
After breakfast, they went straight to Potions class with nonother than, Professor Snape. Everyone despised his class, well except the Slytherins of course. Ron sat in the seat next to Harry and Harry sat next to Hermione. Ron hated this class even more because they had Potions with the Slytherins. Snape emerged from the shadows of his bookshelf looking at his class emotionless. Before classes started, Snape collected all the essays. To Hermione's surprise, Ron actually did his essay.
"Page 104, chapter 21.." Snape said coolly as the room was filled with noises of flipping pages. Ron looked at it and instantly got bored. Hermione however, already knew all about the potion.
"Can anyone tell me what are the 3 most crucial ingredients in a forgetfulness potion?" Snape staring at his class to see Hermione raising her hand already. Snape looked at Hermione for a brief second and scowled a little.
"Mr. Potter, can you tell us?" Snape said appearing in front of Harry suddenly. Harry remained silent. Snape sighed.
"Anyone else, besides Miss Granger?" Snape said and looked around the room.
"Fine, I would like an essay about the forgetfulness potion for homework. Get started." Snape went back to his desk to do some paperwork from Dumbledore. Hermione facepalmed herself and went straight to work. Ron just pretended to read the book.
"Mr. Weasley, you better be reading or else I'll have to give you a detention..." Snape said as he did his paperwork. He heard the Slytherins sniggered at him. Ron's ears turned scarlet and went back to reading. Hermione looked at Ron. Deep down, she actually wanted to help Ron with his assignment but he really needed to learn about his responsibilities so Hermione shunned the idea of helping him.
After having Herbology and-and Charms, they went to Flying lessons with Madam Hooch. Today, they were going to know the basics in flying a broom.
"Alright class, I want you to stick out your left arm or right arm and say 'up'", Madam Hooch instructed the class. Ron looked at the crooked old broom and stared at it.
"UP!" Ron said and it went up and hit his face. Harry say it and sniggered at it.
"Shut up Harry," Ron said teasingly with a lopsided grin. Harry smiled back and picked up the broom with ease. Ron looked over at Hermione who had a difficulty with her broom. Deep down, Ron wanted to help her out but he shunned the idea because of how annoying she was to him with all her nagging.
"Now, everyone ride on your broomstick. On a count of three, I want you the kicked off from the ground and you'll start floating." Madam Hooch said and the students went up on their brooms.
"One, two-", Madam Hooch was interrupted with a student crying out for help. It was Neville Longbottom. That klutzy made himself fly on his broom without control over it. He started flying around without control of his broom and he ended up injuring himself. The whole crowd of first years went around the injured student and Madam Hooch went up to carry him to Madam Pomfrey.
"I'll be right back class, if I see anyone riding their broom they'll be out of Hogwarts!" Neville's groaning can be heard as it echoed through the halls of the castle. Draco saw an odd looking sphere and picked it up. Ron quickly sensed it and turned around to see Draco looking at it as he smirked.
"Oi, Malfoy! Give back Neville's rememberall!" The weird transparent tennis ball shaped that contained a mystical smoke was Neville's rememberall.
"Why should I listen to you, Weasel?" Draco then launched himself into the air. Harry went and flew on his broom chased Malfoy.
"That idiot.." Ron heard Hermione mumbled as he looked at Harry and Draco as they flew around. After a few minutes of flying Malfoy threw the sphere up in the air. It came falling down in a flash, Harry snatched it but she accidentally let it slip away from his sweaty palms. Ron came running in a flash catching the sphere he threw it up in the air and Harry firmly caught it again.
Harry came down to to the crowd of students cheering for him. Harry blushed from all the attention he was getting and looked at Ron with a big smile. Ron smiled back and felt someone gripping onto his shoulder.
"How did you run that fast?" Draco looked at Ron with a confused expression on his pale face.
"Well, I'm the fastest runner in my family so. Yeah," Ron said lying to him.
"I got an eye on you, Weasel.." Malfoy then walked away from him. Ron sighed in relief and went to join the crowd of people complimenting Harry. His triumph was quickly subsided when Professor McGonagall came busting out of the big and sturdy wood doors.
"Mr. Potter, please come and follow me.." Harry gulped fearing for the worst. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle looked at Harry and with smirked. Ron gave Draco and his "friends" a murderous glare and they stopped smirking.
"He said he would be here," Harry said clearly frustrated. The trio, Harry, Ron and Hermione were at the Trophy Room awaiting Malfoy's arrival for the midnight duel.
"I guess he chickened out," Ron said and smirked.
"Or maybe, he tricked Harry into coming here so he would get in trouble.." Hermione said to Ron. Ron opened his mouth to retort back to Hermione, but he smelled a man with a really bad odor.
"Who's there?" Filch said with his lantern looking around. Ron swore under his breath as the three of them ran swiftly and quietly. They were then, stopped on their tracks to the end of the corridor, where they saw a locked door. Filch's footsteps came closer to them and saw the lantern illuminating his way into them. Hermione quickly took out her want.
"Alohomora.." Hermione whispered and the door was unlocked. The three of them hurried inside not knowing that a giant three-headed dog was upon them drooling and growling. They both yelled out in fear. Ron, however, looked at the beast straight in the eye and growled at it. Ron's eyes turned into a darker shade of his crystal blue eyes. The beast then started to whimper at the sight of Ron. Hermione saw the whole thing looking so confused on how Ron managed to scare Fluffy.
After screaming out in fear, they ran out fast as their little legs could carry them. Well, Ron had an advantage because of how tall and lanky he was. Somehow, they were at the Gryffindor Common room safely. They panted and took deep breaths. They could've been killed back there!
"Well, I'll go and get a good night rest. Hope I don't get nightmares.." Harry said and cringed as the image of Fluffy appeared in his head. Ron followed him but stopped halfway to his dormitory. He heard someone sitting down crying a bit. Ron heard this and stood still.
"Why am I so lonely? Is it because I'm just misunderstood?" Ron knew that voice. It came from the bushy know-it-all witch. She kept on sobbing while running up to stairs to her dormitory as she tried to stop crying. Ron never heard someone so tore down before in his 11 years.
Ron laid down on his bed looking at the ceiling thinking about Hermione and how it must feel like being an outcast. Ron felt a tear fighting to falling down but quickly wiped it away. He moved to his sides and closed his eyes.