Chapter 4

~Ron x Hermione ~

Needed.

'Risk it all cause I'll catch you if you fall'

-Owl City

Buckbeak landed safely back in the pen and Ron felt Hermione breathe a sigh of relief. It had been tense when Harry had flown out of sight, they had no way of knowing if he was safe.

"He's okay." Ron announced.

"I was so worried." Hermione replied a little weakly, hugging Ron.

She smelt so good, he took a moment to just appreciate it before he realised what he was doing and remembered he should be replying.

"He's safe now." He finally said. With one final squeeze, they parted as Harry approached.

"Come on, have a go, they're great really!"

Everyone carefully made their way into the paddock. Ron cautiously took Hermione's hand to pull her towards the chestnut coloured Hippogriff. She seemed nervous.

"Ladies first." He said, grinning, as he gave her a slight nudge. She took a few uneasy steps towards the creature, seeming unsure.

"Be confident, you'll do fine." He said reassuringly, being serious once more. It felt good to encourage her, he felt useful, even needed. She had just gained the bow of the hippogriff when they heard Malfoy scream, ruining the moment, the lesson, and the day.

-o-

Hermione was fuming after the three of them returned to the common room after visiting Hagrid in his hut.

"Malfoy is pure evil. It's obviously just a few cuts, Madam Pomfrey could fix him up in no time but he's lying just to hurt Hagrid. I wish Buckbeak had done some real harm." She ranted, pacing back and forth.

"You don't mean that really, Hermione." Harry said gently.

"I do. I do!" she sobbed, falling into an armchair. Harry got up and moved over to her, put a hand on her shoulder and tried to be comforting.

"Hagrid won't get the sack, Hermione, not if Dumbledore has anything to do with it."

"I hope not." She said, before leaving for her dorms.

-o-

Ron lay awake that night, partly worried about what would happen to Hagrid now, partly annoyed that Harry had taken the role of comforting Hermione in the common room. He had liked feeling like she needed him.

-o-

The next time they saw Malfoy, Ron had trouble stopping himself from punching him as hard as he could. If it hadn't been halfway through a lesson and Snape hadn't been in the room, he probably would have done it. The way he came into the classroom late and acted as though he had survived some sort of near fatal injury made Ron fume. He thought he could get no angrier after being forced to prepare ingredients for Malfoy, but then he started to openly provoke them.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he whispered.

"None of your business." Ron snapped.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer, Father's not very happy about my injury-"

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury." He interrupted.

"-He's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this, who knows if my arm will ever be the same again?"

Ron started to get up from his chair but Hermione grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him back into his seat.

"Don't!" she hissed at him.

Malfoy had noticed, and seeming satisfied, smirked across the table without another word. When the lesson was over, Ron couldn't contain his anger.

"What did you do that for?" he asked Hermione, raising his voice.

"I was doing you a favour, if you had hit him, Snape would have made your life hell!"

"I don't care about Snape, did you not hear what Malfoy was saying? He's going to get Hagrid the sack! You know how much he cares about his job, don't you care about him? He's supposed to be your friend, or are you so devoted to being such a good little student that your friendships come in second place?"

"I cannot believe you just said that to me." Was all she said in reply, her eyes shining with tears, before she turned and walked away.

"Hermione, come back!" Harry called after her, but she pretended not to hear him.

For the rest of the day, Hermione sat away from them, and went up to her dorm room as soon as dinner was over. Ron hadn't felt so guilty since the time he had upset Hermione so much she shut herself in the bathroom in the first year. 'Why do I always have to be so mean to her?' he wondered as he sat in the common room with Harry.

"We've got to make up with her." He said.

"You mean you've got to make up with her." Harry replied, before going to bed.

Thanks for reading!