~Chapter Seven~
Hermione's first, selfish thought was to let go of Ron's hand as quickly as possible. She pulled her small hand out of Ron's large ones and hid it behind her back. Her arms fidgeted and she bit her lip. She had absolutely no idea what to say. She focused on the light of Ron's wand. At that moment Romilda spoke.
"Well Harry I never expected you to be into foursomes."
Hermione's eyes tore away from the wandlight and into Romilda's dimly lit face. How could anybody ever be so stupid? What was Harry thinking? She stared at the green-eyed boy in question. Was this some kind of crazy rebound from Ginny? Could Harry move on that quickly? Was Harry not who she thought he was?
Harry spoke. His voice sounded croaky, as though he hadn't spoken for many years. "I'm not," he said quietly. His eyes found Romilda's. "I'm not," he said again loudly. Hermione looked at him, bemused. Why did he sound so defensive about something that wasn't even close to the truth? Harry balled his fists.
Romilda licked her lips and crossed one leg behind the other. Then she jabbed a thumb in Ron and Hermione's general direction. "Then why are they here?" She put a strand of hair behind her left ear. She said the word "they" as if Ron and Hermione were some sort of insect.
"I don't know," Harry said. "I'm more interested about why you're here!" His last sentence was very loud. He set his jaw and took Romilda by the shoulder. "Why did you take Ginny's paper airplane?" he demanded aggressively.
Romilda looked flustered and a little bit scared. Blinking nervously, she answered. "Ginny's paper airplane? The plane landed next to me and Jimmy - Jimmy Peakes, that is - while we were snogging."
"While you were snogging?" Harry looked outraged. "You were snogging Jimmy Peakes, and you thought that I would send you a letter telling you I liked you?" When Romilda did nothing but blink stupidly, he continued. "You're even more of an airhead than I originally thought."
A little bit confused, Hermione rolled the new pieces of information in her mind. The gears in her brain worked furiously. Okay, so Harry had sent a message with the intent of it reaching Ginny. Romilda saw the message and believed that it was for her. Harry, believing that it was Romilda in the dark, delightedly kissed her. Hermione thought that this was the general idea, but she was sure there was more to it. There was no way Harry would've kissed Romilda and not tell it was Ginny. She wondered if Ron would understand Harry's situation even though he was still really mad about the whole predicament with Ginny. But as she glanced at the stock-still redhead, she believed it would be impossible for Ron to understand.
Ron's large hands were balled into fists so tight that his knuckles were stretched white. His face was even paler than usual, and his lips were in such a thin line that he could've passed for Professor McGonagall. Hermione knew right away that he had not listened to a word exchanged between Romilda and Harry, and if he had, he was deciding to not acknowledge it. Hermione could feel tension leaking out of Ron's body, and tensed her own body up in a way to prepare for the explosion that was coming.
One of Ron's hands loosened and the index finger pointed at Harry. Harry, who had been staring lividly at Romilda, stared at the finger like it was a wand about to perform a deadly curse. Hermione was about to push Ron's hand down but thought against it.
"You - " Ron's unfinished statement sent chills down Hermione's spine. The coldness of that one little word was terrifying. It was the coldness of someone murderous. Ron straightened up and the soft glow of his wand became larger and turned red with Ron's anger. The lighting reminded Hermione of a darkroom.
"You - you try to get with my sister like a filthy - filthy bastard, and just when I'm wondering if - if I was the real prick all along - you're trying to shag another effing girl? What the hell, what in the bloody fiery pits of hell is wrong with you? Do you think you're some sort of bigshot because of that Chosen One bullocks? Well, I think that's a load of rubbish. Inside, you're just as much a jackass as any other boy your age. Stay - stay the hell away from my sister and the hell away from me."
Ron's voice was eerily quiet. His left eye twitched menacingly and his finger shook with every word. Hermione, in disbelief, watching Ron ready himself to walk out the tapestry door. Hermione finally reached out a hand to stop him, but he threw her off the moment she touched him. Hermione followed him blindly to the open tapestry door and watched him climb out. She watched Filch come up the stairway with a furious look, and watched his terrified face disappear down the stairs when Ron Stunned him without a second thought.
Hermione dared a glance at Harry. He hadn't said a word. He looked incredibly hurt and vulnerable. Romilda looked as clueless as always, her huge dark eyes traveling from Harry's to Hermione's quickly and uncertainly. For once Hermione felt uncertain herself. She reached out a hand a touched Harry's shoulder for a moment, and then walked through the portrait hole as if in a trance. She had no idea what to do or what to say. Nothing in her books told her how to get her two best friends in the world back together and happy.
One of Ginny's vivid dreams was interrupted by someone grabbing her by the collar of her robes and shaking her. Annoyed, Ginny shoved the unknown person. She was awoken by a loud shout. She opened her eyes sleepily and was face-to-face with Ron.
"What do you want?" Ginny snapped. She hadn't spoken to Ron since he'd walked in on her and Harry kissing. She was sure her brother was not mature enough to apologize; therefore he could only be here to tell her off or to put a nonsensical point across. She stood up and stretched, yawning.
Ron stood up too, his tall frame towering over Ginny's. "I just wanted to tell you that you should get to bed. It's past midnight." When Ginny scowled, Ron added, "And I wanted to tell you something about Harry."
"What? That's he's not good enough for me or something? Only you've been friends with him for six years? I don't really give, Ron. I make my own decisions." Ginny glared at her brother, outraged.
"All right," Ron said, unabashed. "But if you won't hear it from me, go talk to your friend Romilda Vane. I'm sure she'll be happy to explain." He spoke the last sentence through gritted teeth. Ginny watched in bewilderment as her brother walked away. What on earth could he possibly mean?
Why would Romilda Vane of all people know anything to do with what had happened? Why would she know something about Ginny, Harry, and Ron, that Ginny herself didn't even know? Sleepy and tired, Ginny didn't feel like brooding over what happened. She wasn't sure she would even bother asking Romilda anything; after all, Ron might just be behaving childishly to put Ginny on edge. Yawning again, she moved to go upstairs when the portrait hole opened.
Hermione climbed in quickly and walked fast to the girls' dormitories. "Hermione - " Ginny called, but Hermione was long gone. Ginny was distracted again when Harry climbed in, followed by Romilda Vane.
Ginny quickly put two and two together; Ron had said to ask Romilda about what he was going to say about Harry; Harry had disappeared out of the common room half an hour ago; Harry came back inside the Tower with Romilda Vane; obviously something was going on here. Biting her lip in disbelief, Ginny processed the information in her mind. Harry - had Harry done something with Romilda Vane? Was that why Ron was acting so strangely? Was this some kind of trick; were Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Romilda all in on the joke?
Hurt, confused, and angry, Ginny just gave Harry the dirtiest look she could manage and stomped upstairs. She had some serious talking with Hermione to do.
Ginny shoved open the door that said SIXTH YEARS and saw Hermione sprawled on her four-poster bed. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were sitting on the same bed, twirling their pigtails and talking in low tones. The dormitory was set in dim light by a few candles on a chest of drawers. Ginny marched over to Hermione's bed and shook her.
"What?" Hermione spat, her voice small and annoyed. She pushed some hair out of her face and gave a furtive glance to Lavender and Parvati behind her. "It's late, Ginny, and I want to sleep."
"Well, I want to talk," Ginny insisted. She dropped onto Hermione's bed. "I need to ask you about what's going on with you and Ron and Harry - "
Hermione silenced her with a look. She glanced back at Lavender and Parvati who were no longer talking and were subtly listening to the conversation. Hermione gave them a dirty look. She flicked her wand and the curtains around the bed closed with a bang. Hermione muttered, "Muffliato," and gave Ginny a nod.
Ginny began again. "Hermione, I want to know what's going on with you and Ron and Harry - and Romilda. Ron told me to ask Romilda something about Harry. Then I saw Romilda and Harry climb into the common room together! What is going on? And why have you been avoiding me? Not only have I wanted to ask you about Harry, I wanted to know about what's going on between you and Ron." Ginny finished her proclamation with a huff and flipped her hair over one shoulder.
Hermione rubbed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Half of it I don't even understand," she said slowly. "After Ron walked in on you and Harry kissing, he felt angry with you and betrayed by his best friend. This morning, Ron and I were caught in the prefects' bathroom - " Ginny gasped " - and we were given punishment by Professor McGonagall. On our way back from the common room we decided to stop in the secret tapestry room. We were there for a while until Harry sneaked in with Romilda."
Ginny's eyebrows raised so high that she felt a forehead tense up. She looked at Hermione's face for some sign of what she was going to say, but all Hermione's face said was "tired and worried." Ginny focused on her yellow toenails and was overcome with a sense of longing. Why did she have to more or less reject Harry the other day? Why did she give him the impression that she didn't like him anymore? And why did Harry try and do something with Romilda so quickly?
"Harry and Romilda started... well, they started snogging." Hermione avoided Ginny's eyes as she spoke. Her small hands wound uncomfortably in her lap. "I don't know exactly why. But I have a theory." She paused, and surveyed Ginny's face. Then she continued. "I think Harry meant to send you a message but Romilda received it by mistake and went to meet Harry when he really wanted to meet you. In the dark and confusion Harry didn't realize it was Romilda he was kissing and not you. I mean, that's what I think."
Ginny rolled her eyes and bit her bottom lip. Did Hermione really think the situation was that simple? "That all may be true, Hermione, but you can't sit there and tell me that Harry kissed Romilda and didn't know it wasn't me. How could he not tell? Do I really not affect people that much? I mean, I obviously didn't make much of an impression if he - if he couldn't even tell the difference between me andRomilda." Against her control, tears filled Ginny's eyes. She's liked Harry for so long, and when she'd finally gotten his attention, she'd gone and screwed it up.
"Oh," Hermione murmured, and she enveloped Ginny in a warm hug. "Ginny, please don't cry. Don't cry over Harry. Boys aren't worth crying over. Merlin knows I know that." She patted Ginny's hair clumsily and sighed. Then she pulled away and held her hands comfortingly on Ginny's shoulders. "You know I don't know much about boys, Ginny, but I think the only thing you can do right now is just talk to Harry."
Ginny nodded and thanked Hermione without a word, too afraid she might start crying. She walked out of the sixth year dormitory and into the fifth years'. What she needed right now more than anything was a good night's sleep. She finally had had her girl talk and knew what to do, but the information had come just a little bit too late.
Neville's snoring was not the only thing that kept Harry awake. He had begun to think that the past few weeks, aside from anything to do with Voldemort, had been the worst of his life. His lips felt tainted from kissing Romilda when the only person he wanted to kiss was Ginny. The way she'd looked at him when he came into the common room with that girl. Oh, how horrible he'd felt. He wished he could just change everything that had happened to him. Harry rolled onto his side and stared at Ron's closed bed curtains, wishing that the two of them could stay up late and talk like they used to.
He was just beginning to fall asleep when the door of the dormitory squeaked open and soft footsteps walked across the room to his bed. Harry bolted upright, holding his lit wand in one hand and straightening his glasses in the other. The footsteps stopped outside his bed and, after a pause, jerked the curtains open. Harry was face-to-face with Ginny. He was still trying to fix his glasses.
"Ginny - wha - ?" Harry blubbered. The redheaded fifth year girl was in skimpy pajamas; she was wearing a tight white tank top and women's boxers. In fact the tank top was rather - flattering in some areas. Staring at Ginny, Harry gulped and felt his Adam's apple jump.
"I'm sorry," Ginny said immediately. She played with her elbow restlessly. "I'm sorry for letting my stupid brother influence my feelings. I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for avoiding you the past few days. And I'm sorry I kissed you, because it's made everything so damn complicated." She sighed heavily. "But you need to apologize to me as well."
As Ginny spoke, Harry was rubbing the round lenses of his glasses onto his T-shirt. He looked up at the blurry shape of Ginny and shoved his glasses on hastily. He wasn't sure what to say. It's okay? It's all right you avoided me, it's just fine. It's fine that you made my life miserable the past few days. Harry hoped that Ginny didn't expect Harry to apologize for what happened with him and Romilda. That was a horrible mistake. He rolled his lips around just thinking about it - the fact that he'd kissed Romilda, the vile girl, made him feel tainted.
"Harry, it took a lot of guts to come up here, so I'd appreciate it if I got an answer, thanks." Ginny crossed her arms and eyed Harry fiercely. Harry was overcome with intimidation.
"I'm sorry too," Harry said finally.
"For?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"For...?" Harry paused. "I'm sorry for... for kissing Romilda Vane."
Ginny looked as though she was expecting Harry to say this, but surprised all the same. Her eyebrows disappeared into her hair and her ears went red. She bit her lip so hard Harry thought she might draw blood. He suddenly felt as though he were in the vicinity of Mrs. Weasley after Mr. Weasley had done something rather stupid. He withdrew into the covers of his bed and stared up at Ginny warily.
"You - you kissed her?" Ginny's voice trembled.
Harry nodded without looking at her. He was startled to feel blood ooze out of a cut in his hand; he'd been squeezing it so tightly with his fingernail that he'd broken skin. Judging by the look on Ginny's face, he was afraid her hair might catch fire, or worse, she might explode. He'd never seen anybody so angry before in his life, besides that one time he'd dropped pudding on a guest at the Dursley's.
"Why?" Ginny said finally. "Why would you kiss her? I thought - I thought you liked me, I thought you felt what I felt - "
"I do," said Harry firmly. "I do feel the same way you do. I've felt it for a while - I just didn't know until recently. I sent a message to you - but Romilda got it instead, and she met me when I thought I was meeting you." Harry looked down at his bed-sheets and then closed his eyes; he was too scared, too scared to see Ginny's reaction, too scared to answer questions he didn't even know the answers to. He already felt so guilty, so dirty after what he'd done, and he felt so terrible for making Ginny feel exactly how he did when Cho went with Cedric at the Yule Ball. Harry didn't know what to expect; if Ginny would be angry, or annoyed, or sad, or - what? When it came to Ginny, he didn't know, she was feisty and strong-willed and understood him, and he was so stupid to not notice it until now, and so stupid to potentially ruin chances before they could even blossom.
"Harry," said Ginny, "Harry, how could you be so dumb? How could you send a note to me, and not even make sure that it reached me safely? How could you kiss Romilda Vane, and not even realize it wasn't me? Have I - have I made that little of an impression on you that you don't even notice - "
"Ginny, please!" Harry cut her off. "I know I'm a stupid git, I know I'm so clueless, but I made a mistake, a really dimwitted one at that, but it was because I really really like you - and people make mistakes, don't they? You've made a huge impression on me, Ginny, I haven't stopped thinking about you for months, you're everywhere to me. I have no decent excuse for kissing Romilda, but I can't handle you being mad at me. I'm so sorry, Gin, I really am, I just wish I could do this whole week over - "
It was Ginny now who had cut him off; she had launched herself passionately at him and kissed him on the cheek. Startled, Harry jumped and his glasses remained crooked on his nose. He felt his cheeks burn where Ginny had kissed him. The curtains of Harry's bed shut with a loud swish; both Harry and Ginny jumped when Neville gave a huge snore a few beds over.
"How did you do that?" asked Ginny, perplexed. The curtains had shut without either of them casting a charm or lifting a wand.
"Dunno," said Harry quietly, his face still hot and flushed. He quickly cast a Muffliato charm. He leaned back onto his pillows slowly, hardly daring to believe his luck. Ginny believed him! She'd forgiven him, and everything was all right with the world - except for with Ron of course. Just thinking about him made Harry's insides squirm. He couldn't believe that, less than a week ago, he and Ron had been the best of friends. They were laughing, joking, doing homework together, copying Hermione's History of Magic notes - Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. It seemed that any romance that had happened between them all had all but torn them apart.
Ginny crawled across the bed to Harry and placed her head on his chest. She let out a small sigh and Harry closed his eyes happily yet warily. If Ron woke up, if he suspected anything and walked over the open the bed curtains, well, Harry was screwed.
Ginny turned her head and faced Harry, smiling. She reached over, and Harry's breath hitched in his throat - she was going to kiss him again. He closed his eyes before Ginny's soft lips met his - he sighed heavily against her. It felt so good, to be kissing Ginny. He couldn't breathe, he really couldn't. Ginny leaned over him and rolled herself over him so she was somewhat straddling Harry. She left Harry's lips for a moment and Harry took in a rattling breath. Then Ginny leaned forward again and kissed him gently. Harry couldn't take it anymore. He deepened the kiss with a soft gasp and held Ginny by her back. As they snogged, all thoughts of Ron's wrath left his mind.
Yahh! Happy ending. In my opinion this was a rather short chapter.
Wow. It's been nearly a month since I last updated. I'm sorry about that, but this time I had no decent excuse. I was just either really lazy, really stressed, or really busy.
The reason why I think this is such a short chapter is because of the absence of Ron and Hermione fluff. I promise I'll try to work on that next chapter. Next chapter will be full of Romione togetherness and some Ron-Harry drama. Yahh for drama!
I am once again so sorry for the chapter delay. Hopefully next chapter will come up soon. As the chapters get longer it becomes harder to write them quickly. Thanks for the support of this story, and thanks for all your nice reviews.
So I want at least one, long detailed review. I want one that tells me everything bad about this chapter and/or story, ways to improve it, and all the things that you like about it. Thanks so much for reading.
P.S. So I signed the last few chapters with my penname, Heartwin. That's no longer my penname. I know I change my penname a lot. I'm sorry but I'm really indecisive. Aishybird sounded good when I wrote it, but I think it really sucks now. But until I come up with a better one that shall remain my name. If anyone really wants to keep up with me, go to my profile and memorize my user ID or something. Thanks for reading again.