Chapter 17 – Ripple Effect
Harry found Ron in the common room, early on Friday staring at the notice board. Harry furrowed his brow and walked over to discover what Ron had found so captivating.
First Saturday of January will be the first Hogsmeade visit for students in 3rd year.
Professor McGonnagal.
"Oho."
Ron jumped and spun around to look at Harry.
"Planning a date with Hermione?" Harry smirked at his friend.
Ron's face instantly turned a deep shade of scarlet.
Before Harry could embarrass Ron further he heard voices approaching them.
"Morning," Neville greeted stepping towards them with Dean and John.
"Morning," Harry replied as they walked out of the common room, he looked over his shoulder just as he was stepping out of the room and he saw John and Ron smile at each other.
Harry frowned at this.
"Hi," Ron greeted Hermione.
"Hi."
There were a few moments of silence before either of them spoke.
"Um, breakfast – we should – " Ron said as he stepped towards the portrait.
Hermione simply nodded and followed Ron.
Every now and then Hermione would glance at Ron and wonder what his reaction would be if he knew that the girl that he almost kissed was the same person walking with him now down to the Great Hall.
"So have you asked her yet?"
Hermione looked up at Harry who had waited for them outside the Gryffindor tower.
"Shut up Harry," Ron mumbled before they all headed to the Great Hall.
Hermione felt her heart pounding nervously.
"Who are you talking about?" she asked Harry nervously.
"Oh, Ron and your cousin are dating now, didn't you know?" Harry said looking at her curiously.
Hermione thought she heard Ron groan from in front of her.
"Dating?" she said in barely a whisper.
'Are we dating?' she wondered to herself as they headed down to breakfast.
"Well, I was just asking if Ron's decided to ask Hermione to Hogsmeade," Harry continued.
Hermione stopped mid-step and stared at Harry. She regained her composure and looked at Ron who was to her surprise looking at her intently.
"What do you think?" he asked her his face draining of all color.
Hermione stopped herself from jumping in delight and screaming at the top of her lungs that she would love to go on a date with Ron, instead she shrugged and kept walking.
"You should ask her," Hermione said walking away from Ron with a smile on her face.
Ginny looked at Hermione in concern. Her friend was staring off into the distance with a goofy smile on her face.
"What's with you?"
"Oh nothing, just waiting for the mail."
"Ah, waiting for a love letter from Ron huh? Well I wouldn't get my hopes up because a poet Ronald Weasley is not," Ginny said as she ate her cereal.
Hermione gasped when Hedwig flew in from the window and dropped a letter in her lap.
Ginny balked when she saw that it was from Ron.
"Well, well," Ginny said to herself.
She looked at Hermione and a warm smile spread across her face.
'I guess she's good influence on my brother.'
"How far did you get with him Lav?"
Ginny smile disappeared and so did Hermione's when they heard the girls near them gossiping.
"Well I never kiss and tell but he definitely has his wild side," Lavender replied fluffing her hair before flinging it behind her shoulder, "He is Harry Potter's best friend after all."
The girls around Lavender squealed in delight and looked at her enviously.
Ginny felt her mouth fall open at this and she looked at Hermione in concern.
"I'm sure she's not talking about Ron," Ginny said hastily.
Hermione however continued looking at Lavender.
"And was it like you'd imagined it?" Parvati questioned.
Again Lavender smiled, she obviously enjoyed the spotlight.
"Well I'll tell you this I wouldn't be surprised if he asks to see me again soon."
Another eruption of voices and giggling followed this statement and Ginny felt anger course through her.
'Doesn't she ever learn? Still making up rumors,' Ginny thought bitterly to herself.
Ginny turned to see Hermione's confused expression.
"She's lying," Ginny said instantly.
"I suppose," Hermione said after a moments pause though she was biting her lip, "I better get to class."
Ginny watched Hermione walk out of the Hall in concern. She swung back to look at Lavender Brown smiling as those around her sat in rapt attention to her story.
'Oh, you'll regret this,' Ginny thought darkly to herself.
Ron stuffed his charms book into his bag and ran to catch up to the short brown haired head bobbing down the halls.
"John!" Ron yelled over the noise of the crowd.
He thought he saw John pause in his step before walking – no – running to their history of magic class. Ron furrowed his brow. Did he just imagine that?
Ron slid breathlessly beside John when he had arrived in History of Magic. Out of the corner of his eyes he thought he saw John cringe and turn slightly away from him.
Ron raised his eyebrows in surprise but Professor Binns began the lesson before he could question John.
The instant the lesson was over Ron turned to talk to his friend but found himself staring at an empty chair. Turning he saw the back of John's head disappear out the door.
"What's going on?" Ron wondered aloud.
"Ron, hurry up."
Ron grabbed his books, hastily threw them into his bag and followed Harry to their DADA lesson.
When they had arrived Ron found John standing near Neville. He walked over to John, certain that he had misunderstood his strange behavior.
"Hey," Ron greeted.
To his surprise John completely ignored him and began intently reviewing his notes, which was ridiculous on several levels, firstly this lesson was a practical and secondly John knew the theory backwards.
Ron felt a strange feeling spread through him, he wasn't sure what it was. He felt a cold aching feeling in his lungs before it gradually becoming a burning heat inside his chest. He wanted to scream, he wanted to hit something, he wanted to hurt someone.
"Ron you alright?"
Ron turned to see Harry looking at him in concern.
"Fine," Ron mumbled.
"You don't look it," Harry said looking at his face intently.
Ron let his eyes drop to the ground.
"You look like you might be sick or something," Neville commented his voice concerned as well.
Ron shrugged and looked across the room and saw Malfoy laughing at his friends. He narrowed his eyes.
"Stupid git," Ron spat.
"What?!" Harry jumped when Ron suddenly spoke.
"Malfoy," Ron grumbled before looking away.
"Okay," Harry said slowly and Ron caught the nervous look he shot at Neville.
'I need to hurt something,' Ron thought to himself, 'Malfoy preferably, though that chair looks like it needs a makeover as well.'
"Morning all," Remus cheery voice interrupted Ron's plans to snap the legs of the nearby chair one piece at a time.
All eyes turned to Remus.
"I have a special treat for you all today," Remus smiled, "So let's start the lesson. Everyone follow me."
Without further explanation Remus lead them all out of the classroom.
A few murmuring voices wondered what Remus was up to before hastily following the teacher out of the room.
Ron saw John run for the door but he was quicker. His hand reached out and gripped onto John's arm, perhaps a little harder than was necessary.
"I need to talk to you," Ron said in a low whisper directly into Johns ear.
John didn't turn around and instead tried to twist his arm free.
"Well, I don't want to talk to you," John finally replied turning around and pushing Ron away.
Ron's grip slackened from shock when he heard the vicious tone and saw the expression on his friends face. He watched in confusion as John disappeared with the rest of the students.
Harry narrowed his eyes. He had been watching the interaction between John and Ron and he didn't like it one bit. What could he mean by suddenly giving Ron the cold shoulder?
What he hated the most was the pained expression that had crossed Ron's face when John had walked away from him.
Harry clenched his fists angrily. He saw John walking near Remus ahead of him and Ron and gritted his teeth.
'I'm going to find out what you're hiding even if it kills me to do it.'
A/N: Short I know, but you guys are just so sweet I couldn't bear to keep this from you. Look forward to more soon!