Thanks, Mate

Chapter three; Remind Me

"Finally!" Harry hissed as Ron scurried into the class and sat beside him. "Where've you been? It's already halfway through the class! If you're late for one more class then you'll land yourself in detention!"

"I can't help it! I still can't find her." Ron retorted, pulling his Potions book from his bag. "Damn her. . . Where the hell could she. . ."

"Ah, Mr. Weasley." Professor Snape drawled, coming up to Ron's desk. "How nice of you to join us. And you're a bit late, I see? That will be 10 points." Ron returned the professor's generous reward with a dirty scowl. Seeming satisfied in Ron's displeasure, Snape continued to the front of the room to continue the lesson.

Ron growled. "Bastard." hehad just managed to open his book to the proper page when an explosion from the table beside him erupted, and, since his adrenaline was already pumping, the explosion made him jump in his seat. With an agitated look in his eyes, he spun around and started to scold his classmate. "NEVILLE! HOW MANY BLOODY TIMES HAS HERMIONE TOLD YOU NOT TO COMBINE MANDRAKE LEAVES WITH DRAGON'S SCALE? WRITE IT DOWN, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE! AND GOD DAMNIT, HARRY, LET ME GO!" he replied rudely to his friend's warnings that Snape was staring right at him. When Ron had finally realized, he looked at Snape's highly amused face (and Malfoy's replica of the expression from across the room), grabbed his stuff, and left the room angrily, knowing if he had stayed, he might've strangled them both to death.

Ginny sighed and dropped her bag beside her bed, plopping down sleepily. She had only lunch period to nap, but she had a feeling that if she closed her eyes now that she might not get up until dinner. She was so tired, she could've sworn she heard herself crying.

Only she wasn't crying. And that wasn't her voice.

Ginny opened her eyes, listening closely. She was sure she heard it. But who was it? Everyone was at lunch, and Ginny was just about the only person who would ever give up her lunch period for a nap. Maybe she wasn't, after all. She got up from her bed with a sigh and followed the sound of the cries to the dormitory next door. She opened the door a crack and stepped in as quietly as possible, but the crying continued. Funny, though; she didn't see anyone.

"Hello? Anyone there?" she called. With a gasp, the crying instantly stopped. Silence filled the room so awkwardly that Ginny decided to take another step. "Hello?"

"Ginny? Is that you?" a shaky voice answered. The voice was familiar, but its shaky tone made it difficult to decipher.

Ginny continued through the room and opened the door at the other end, and answered; "It's me! Where are you?"

"Right here."

Ginny spun around, her eyes instantly going into shock. There was Hermione, kneeling on the side of her bed, with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and the blanket was soaked with tears. Ginny raced beside her to help, asking frantically, "What happened? Are you hurt?"All Hermione could manage was a violent shake of the head before she grabbed onto Ginny's arms to start crying again. Ginny sighed and brought her friend close to her, letting her sob into her shoulder. "It's alright." She cooed. "I'm right here. Everything's okay."

"No it's not." she sobbed. "Ginny. . . whatever you're thinking right now. . . it's worse." Ginny's brow wrinkled in confusion, but she didn't speak. She just let Hermione go on talking. "It's all gone wrong. . . All of it. . . I don't know what I'm supposed to do. . . It wasn't supposed to be like this!" she wailed, shaking back and forth as if she were going crazy.

Ginny instantly grabbed her by the arms as she started to rock, shaking her frantically to get her to calm herself. "Hermione! What are you talking about? Get a hold of yourself!" Hermione closed her eyes tightly and slowly stopped crying, but she continued to shake. It really was quite the spectacle. Ginny had never seen her like this, and she could have almost sworn that even Ron hadn't ever seen her like this.

"Now there." Ginny said softly. "What's wrong?"

Hermione inhaled and exhaled very slowly before answering. "I want to tell you, Ginny, I really do. . . But. . . I don't want you to think I'm. . ."

"It's alright!" Ginny assured her. "I won't judge you; honest,I won't." Hermione looked up into her friend's eyes and sighed. She wasn't lying. Then again, Ginny had probably never told a lie in her life; it just wasn't a Weasley's nature.

"Alright." she said quietly. "But you have to swear you won't tell a soul." Ginny nodded loyally, waiting with patient eyes as Hermione tried to form words in her head.

But Hermione quickly realized that it just wasn't possible. She couldn't think of anything to say. Not a single word. There really was only one way she could tell her.

Sighing heavily, she reached into her robe with a shaky hand and slowly pulled out her wand, with its blue tip dully resonating. Ginny's hand flew to cover her mouth, and Hermione closed her eyes to shield herself from seeing any further reaction, thrusting her wand back into her robe in shame. Even if she couldn't see Ginny's face, she could still hear her silent whimpering.

Not wanting the situation to be forgotten, Ginny gently ran her fingers across Hermione's face until she looked at her and saw her mouth the words "Oh my God."

Hermione swallowed hardly and asked in a quiet voice, "So you know what it means, then?" Seeming a bit puzzled by the question, she looked around in paranoia before answering, "I thought all witches did." Not really sure that she wanted to admit she hadn't known, Hermione only nodded and let silence fill the air.

After a few awkward moments, Ginny squeezed her hand before she asked the question that they both knew was coming; "Is it Ron?"

Hermione's expression didn't change. "There's no one else it could be."

"And he doesn't know, I suppose?" Hermione nodded feebly. "And he doesn't suspect it?"

Hermione shook her head. "He only thinks that I'm a bit sick,that's all." Ginny nodded softly, and once again, the room fell into an ill-at-ease silence.

Then, suddenly, Hermione began to whimper again, and Ginny immediately held on to her to comfort her. "Oh Hermione . . . Now what?" she asked sympathetically.

Hermione shook her head furiously. "I don't want him know. I don't want it."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What? How do you expect to hide something like that?"

"Ginny, I don't want him to know! I don't want anything to change! He'll think I'm a whore, or something!"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, whore? Who got who pregnant?" Hermione shuddered at that word. How was it that Ginny could say it so easily? "Look, I know my brother isn't the best guy in the world, but I think I know him well enough to say that he'd never even think of that. He really loves you, Hermione." She paused."Sure, I think he'd be shocked, but he wouldn't just leave you like that. I know he wouldn't. And you know it better than I do."

Hermione shook her head again. "Ginny, no. . . You don't understand! It doesn't just work like that! If you were . . . you know . . . and you told Harry, wouldn't you be scared out of your mind?"

"No, I wouldn't; because I believe in him."

Hermione stopped. "Believe in him?" she repeated.

"My heart didn't choose Harry for experience. My heart chose Harry because it just knew that. . . he was the one." Anyone who knew anything about Ginny Weasley would know that she could be quite shy at times, which was why Hermione expected to see a bashful expression on Ginny's face after she spoke those words, and she was quite surprised to find that she wasn't embarrassed at all. There she was, confident as she ever was, with a fond smile on her lips and soft, warm eyes. She really meant it. Every word. "And I know that. . . deep down. . . you know that that's how you feel for Ron." she whispered. Hermione bit her lip and let a single tear travel down her cheek. Ginny was exactly right; she loved Ron more than anything. And Ron put her before everything in his life.

"I'm not forcing you to tell him." Ginny continued silently. "Tell him whenever you think is the right time. Just don't let him find out the hard way. I don't want you to get hurt like that." Ginny smiled in such a confident way that Hermione felt almost compelled to do the same, and she instantly felt at peace again.

Just then, an angry-sounding school bell rang, signaling Ginny that it was time for her to take her leave. She stood up and affectionately touched Hermione on the head before leaving, knowing that her work there was done. Hermione would be alright without her.

By the time dinnertime rolled around and the usual noisy crowd shuffled into the great hall, Hermione was feeling so much better that she decided to turn up for dinner again, which made Ron completely animated and cheery for the whole meal. He, of course, tried to hide it, buteveryone could tell he was utterly thrilled. (He even made an effort to try and remember the names of all the potions they'd done in class that week to bring her up-to-date.)

Then, after Ron, Harry and Ginny managed to shove mountains of food down Hermione's throat (just in case she decided to stop eating for a week again), the tired Gryffindors filed back into the common room, filling in every chair from the fireplace to the back of the room. Then, in perfect sync, everyone in the common room reached under their chairs, pulled out their schoolbags they had left behind before dinner, and continued on with their homework as if their peculiar harmony was commonplace.

Just as Ron opened up his bag and started pulling out books, Hermione bit her lip and tugged on his arm. "Ron. . . We need to talk." Ginny looked up from her Herbology essay just long enough to confirm she had heard right, and then dropped her head to her paper, immersed in thought.

Before Ron had enough time to process her words and reply, a vile smell erupted from his bag, which made him drop it and clasp his nose. Then, with an angry growl, he stood up and started storming off to the first year's corner, Hermione curiously in tow.

"Alright, where's Tom?"he boomed at an innocent first year, earning a round of laughs from two boys directly in back of her. Ron pulled one of them up to his feet, which caused the ink bottle he was holding to smother all over his Potions book.

"Ron, you git!" he shot back angrily. "Look what you made me do!"

"You filled my bag with stink pellets again, didn't you, you little cretin?"

"So what if I did?"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "Stop it! Just leave him alone!"

"Leave him alone? He does this Every blooming day, Hermione!"

"Get over it, Weasley!" The first year remarked. "You're such a prick!"

"Am I, now?" Ron growled. The two looked ready to lunge, and the only things stopping them where Hermione and another first year.

"Ron! You're making a scene! Stop it!" Hermione pleaded, feeling everyone's eyes on them.

"Alright, let's break it up, gentlemen!" a loud voice came as a fifth year girl with her prefect's badge shining entered the circle.

"He filled my bag with stink pellets again!" Ron said accusingly.

Unfazed, the girl turned on her heel to him with her hands on her hips. "Well, then, Weasley, maybe he can amuse himself by shoving a few more in there while you're in detention for harrasing a first year, and you're in detention for egging him on! How's that sounding, boys?"

Knowing he'd loose if he said a word more, Ron grunted and unwillingly started to walk back to his seat with Hermione. "Remind me to never have kids." he said quietly, his voice still sounding agitated. Hermione stopped dead. Noticing her slow of pace, he asked gently, "What's wrong?"

When he received no answer, he waved his hand in front of her eyes, saying her name repeatedly until she sprung back to life. "Oh! hm?"

"Are you alright? You don't look well." he asked gently, causing her to nod quickly. He raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Erm, did you want to talk about something?"

This is it, Hermione! She thought to herself. Now's your chance! Just say it! But, for the first time in her life, Hermione chose not to rely on her mind. "No." she said quietly. "Nevermind."

hey everyone! sorry it took so long to update! I don't remember who asked it, but NO, they did NOT just randomly have sex, that will be explained around chapter 5. Hope you liked it! Please review! -Suki

formatting updated July 26, 2006