What came over me back there?? Harry wondered. He hadn't wanted to ever let go of her hand, and it felt good to stroke her cheek. He shook his head and tried to clear the jumbled thoughts and emotions threatening to engulf him.
"Hey, Harry!" Ron ran up behind him. "Come on, we have to find Hermione so we can eat!"
Harry rolled his eyes and followed his friend. They found Hermione in the library. No surprise there.
Ron ran up to her.
"Hermione, aren't you hungry?" he laid a hand on her shoulder and she turned slightly pink.
"Uh..." Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door. There was no doubt about it: Hermione was definitely red. And just before they disappeared around the corner towards the stairs, Harry saw the bright red tips of Ron's ears. He chuckled. When would they realize that they were so obviously in love with each other? He knew Ron's reason, but what was Hermione's? He decided to talk to Ginny about it later.
Ginny...just the thought of her made Harry feel warm and safe all over. What pained him was that he knew that she had once liked him, but now she showed no sign of it. It tore him apart knowing that he had missed his chance to grab her and hold her tight. Cursing silently, he followed Ron and Hermione to the Great Hall. When he arrived at the Gryffindor table, they were already deep into yet another argument. Sitting a ways away was Ginny, looking very exasperated. He sat next to her, silently reprimanding his heart.
"Hey,"
She looked at him and smiled. "Hi."
He jerked his head to Ron and Hermione. "What's this one about?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "They came in and sat down; Ron started stuffing his face, exclaiming he was starving." she snorted. "Hermione asked why would he ever think he should mimic Dudley." she paused while Harry laughed. "Dudley's your fat cousin, right?"
"Right," choked Harry.
"I thought so."
Ginny gazed off into the distance, giving Harry some time to pull himself under control again.
"Hey Ginny?"
"Yeah?"
"Why doesn't Hermione realize that Ron likes her? Ron just doesn't want to admit it because he's still sore about the whole Victor Krum thing and he's in denial about her liking him back, but what about her?"
Ginny sighed. "She thinks that he doesn't like her and never will. I once asked how she knows he doesn't like her and she said that he wouldn't argue with her if he did. She doesn't realize that since they care so much about what the other thinks of them that in result they're always tense around each other trying not to make mistakes. As a result, they often end up fighting."
"Yeah." they sat together in silence for a while, listening to their friends fighting.
"I DID NOT say that Ronald! I simply said--"
"Well if you had been minding your own business--!"
"How could I ignore it?! You were spraying food all over, how was I supposed to IGNORE that? You're so immature!"
"Immature, am I? Then what about YOU?!"
"WHAT about me?"
"About how you're so stuck-up!"
Ron froze, realizing what he had just said. Hermione, Ginny, and Harry froze as well.
"...Stuck up?" Hermione's voice was faint and small.
"Hermione, I..."
"Stuck up?! You think I'm stuck up?!" Hermione's voice grew shrill. "Who's the one who checks your homework? Who's the one who helps you learn spells? Who's the one who cares about you and Harry? And you call me stuck up?! Despite all that?!" Her voice grew quiet again, and deadly. "I am sick and tired of you always depending on others, using me, and making a mountain out of a molehill, Ronald Weasley. Guess what? You can do your own homework now. You and Harry can be best friends again, just like it used to be." tears were running down her face as she spoke. "If I'm so stuck up, then it's no wonder I won't have any friends. Sound familiar?" with that, she got up and swept out of the Great Hall. Ron stared after her in shock.
"Oh dear. See you around, Harry." Ginny muttered, and followed Hermione.
"...Harry?" Ron's voice was small and hesitant, and his face was white.
"Yeah?"
"...What's making a mountain out of a molehill?"
Harry sighed. "Making something out of nothing. And...Hermione's kinda right you know." Ron stared at him.
"Just saying, mate."
Ron looked at his plate for a minute, then got up and walked outside. Harry shook his head.
"Hey Neville, could you pass me those mashed potatoes?"
I called her stuck up...I said she was stuck up...Ron sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. I'm so stupid...
He'd been fighting with Hermione for as long as he could remember. Why, he wasn't sure. But whenever he and Hermione were together it always seemed to end up bad. She probably hates me now... He didn't use her...did he?
Oh, Hermione...He loved her, loved everything about her. Her hair, her eyes, her personality, the way she said "Oh, Ron...", even the way she fought with him. He couldn't look at her without the tips of his ears growing red.
But what had she meant by talking about having no friends? Ron gasped. Was she going to back off? Distance herself from them? He could never see her again! Ron grit his teeth. He was going to solve this once and for all.