Author's Note : This is the second chapter in this story and I really liked writing this chapter. it was fun to write this one, while writing this chapter I realised how I'm going to end this story too. Now a definite ending in mind will certainly help me to write this fic more clearly.
Still this fic is going to be at least novel length. I am aiming for 60-70 Thousand words for this story.
I have already written another chapter which I'll update as soon as I revise it. Until then enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer : It all belongs To JkRolwing.
Chapter Two.
Hermione Granger
Hermione stormed into her dormitory, livid. That boy always managed to get under her skin so easily—it was like first year all over again. He couldn't just accept her help. He couldn't just accept her compliment. People had told her she could be a bit condescending, so she had even made sure not to sound that way, but still, he managed to get offended by her genuine compliment. What made her even more livid was that he was right. Of course, he was right. She wasn't going to admit that in front of him, but her compliment did come from a place of pity. She knew he had worked hard for the position and still failed to get it. He really didn't play that well. There were two better players at the trials, and he had been a nervous wreck. All of those things made him unsuitable for the position, but he had looked so sad. He wasn't his usual carefree self, and she just wanted to make him feel a little better. It didn't matter; she shouldn't have said anything. Maybe she should apologize to him for pitying him or for shouting at him. No, that's embarrassing. It's not like he apologized to you, Hermione, the last time he upset you. Harry did hex him, though. Ugh, those months were horrid. Harry, his friends Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, got into a prank battle with the twins. Obviously, the twins won more than one occasion, but still, those few months were horrid. She just had to let it all go and never try to talk to him again.
Hermione's next few weeks were peaceful enough. Ronald Weasley and she didn't have any more conversations. They just silently did their patrols. On her birthday, Harry, as always, decided to throw a party. It was bigger than the previous ones and wasn't just limited to his dormitory. She was right on schedule, as always, with her study sessions. Classes were good, and she was consistently getting an O on her assignments. September was about to end when she found herself in the library in the late hours. As fifth years and above were allowed a few extra hours in the library, she took full advantage of it. That day, though, she didn't expect to see Ronald Weasley studying in the library. If her memory served her right, she had never seen Ronald Weasley in the library before. That was saying something, as Hermione spent almost all of her free time there. Only on Harry's insistence did she sometimes join him in the common room to do her assignments.
He was reading a huge book. That was not just any huge book—it was "Hogwarts: A History." Why would he read that? Maybe she had been staring at him for too long, as she suddenly met the eyes of Ronald Weasley. He cocked his head a bit, obviously trying to understand why she was staring at him. Hermione, calm down. You know what you have to do. She walked over to his table. He was still looking at her with a questioning gaze.
"I was trying to find 'Hogwarts: A History,'" she lied. Why would she look for this book when she made sure to bring her own copy every year? "Then I saw you have it."
"Oh, that's alright," he said, looking satisfied with her answer. "For the assignment, right?"
"Yes, obviously," she replied. Of course, he was reading it for the myths and legends assignment given by Professor Binns. How could she forget? But of course, she forgot because she had completed it almost a week ago. Why did he postpone writing it for this long?
"Right," Ron said. "I've already written half of it. Maybe another foot or two, and I'll be done."
She craned her neck a bit to look at his parchment. His handwriting was messy, but she still understood it.
"Oh, right," Hermione replied. "So, what legends and myths have you chosen?"
He looked like he would rather be doing anything else than repeating whatever he had researched so far, but he spoke. "Nothing much. I've written about Ravenclaw's Ghost, Gryffindor's secret bathroom, and then there's this funny one—um, right, about Centaurs planning to invade Hogwarts, but then they saw the stars and decided they'd have to wait another millennia or something."
"Yes, I've read about the Centaurs one. It's quite intriguing, actually. And as you put it, quite funny," Hermione said automatically. "The latest reports say that if the myth is true, the Centaurs should be invading any year now."
"You're saying Centaurs could be planning an invasion right now?" Ron asked, looking quite amused by the whole situation.
"It's not amusing, Weasley," Hermione said, berating him. "It's quite a serious situation. Some people interviewed Centaurs a few years ago, and all the Centaurs said was, 'The stars are not aligning.'"
"Oh, yes, right. It's not amusing at all," Ron said, trying to keep a straight face. Okay, she would concede it was a bit amusing—the whole situation. Like planning an invasion a thousand years ago when Hogwarts was just founded, then not doing it. And now, a thousand years later, they're still saying the stars are not aligning. She laughed then, as she thought of the whole situation. She realized Ronald Weasley was laughing with her. When they managed to stop, they both shared a smile.
"Right now, I'm writing about the Chamber of Secrets," Ron said. "Any pointers?"
"About the Chamber of Secrets, there's not much known about it except that it was built by Salazar Slytherin to eradicate Muggle-borns after he left Hogwarts," Hermione said matter-of-factly, trying to keep her voice steady. "It's somewhere in the castle, according to legend, and houses a monster."
"Yes, that bastard," Ron replied with venom. "I'm glad that slimy snake was kicked out of here."
"Language," she reprimanded him lightly—old habits die hard. "I'm glad too. He was a cruel man. He made a chamber just because he couldn't stand another human being. Sometimes it's hard for me to understand how someone could wish death upon someone just for existing."
"Yeah, sorry," Ron replied. She saw he was still angry, but not at her. "Yes, he was a cruel man, and the world is better without people like him."
"Yes, the world is better now, but the pureblood bigotry still exists. As long as people like Malfoy keep spewing hate, it's never going to truly change," Hermione said. She was actually surprised with herself—and with Ron Weasley. He was being sensible. This conversation had been nothing but mature and sensible. She was surprised with herself because she was letting out her personal feelings too.
"Yes, quite understandable, Granger," Ron replied. "Malfoy's a piece of crap, and sooner or later, he'll realize he's nothing but an arsehole—sorry."
"It's alright." She wanted to scold him for using such crude language again, but she didn't want to ruin this little peace between them. They both sat silently, with him just writing on his parchment again, writing quickly. Maybe she should stand up and go do her work. She was about to do just that when—
"What do you think the monster is?" Ron asked.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, caught quite off guard.
"The monster in the chamber," Ron repeated. "What do you think it is?"
"Oh, that," Hermione said thoughtfully, as she digested the question. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about it. The first time she read about the chamber was in her third year. Then she devoured every bit of information she could find about it. There was little to be found, but she did, and she came to a conclusion about so many things, which she was sharing for the first time with someone. Who would've thought it would be Ron Weasley of all people? "Actually, I think it's some kind of snake, or at least something that can be controlled by Salazar. But what's better than a snake to him? He was a Parselmouth; it wouldn't be difficult for him to communicate with a snake."
"Wow—Hermione," Ron said, looking amazed. She blushed. He had used her first name without even realizing it. "That's kind of reasonable."
"Yes, it's not that difficult to deduce. Anyone can figure it out—all they have to do is research properly," Hermione replied, because it really wasn't that big of a deal. If Ron Weasley researched, he would've come to the same conclusion as her.
"But Hermione, that's the thing. You did the research, looked at it from every angle, and came up with a conclusion. That's amazing," Ron said, as if making her understand she truly did something amazing. He used her name twice consecutively without even realizing it. For some reason, she wanted more compliments, so she started sharing more.
"Actually, there's more. I mean, this is just my speculation," Hermione said. "But I think it's a basilisk. A basilisk can kill you with just a look."
"See, I told you. You're brilliant," Ron said, beaming at her.
"You can use it in your assignment—my speculations," Hermione said. She had never given anybody her help like this; she didn't even let Harry use her research for his homework.
"It's alright," Ron said as he got back to his assignment. "It's your work, not mine."
"You can, though," Hermione insisted. What's gotten into her? "It's not like I can use it. I mean, I didn't even write about the Chamber in my assignment."
"Thanks, Hermione, but no," said Ron, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Okay," she said, smiling at him. She didn't want to force him.
"Wait a minute," Ron said, confused. "I thought you hadn't written your assignment yet," he pointed at *Hogwarts: A History*.
"Um – I'm going to write it," Hermione said. Really, it slipped her mind that she was lying from the beginning of this conversation. "I meant I do not plan on writing about the Chamber."
"Okay," Ron said. He looked like he didn't quite believe it, but he didn't push her any further. "You should write about the Chamber, though. Your research is good."
"Yes, of course," Hermione replied. Great, now I'll have to write about the Chamber tonight. Another foot or two, as Ron graciously put it. It won't hurt me. Professor Binns sometimes makes us swap our assignments among students. It's better to be safe than sorry. What if her assignment ends up in the hands of Ron Weasley? She sat there awkwardly, thinking over everything that had happened in the last fifteen or so minutes. She could hear the quill scratching over the parchment as Ron was still writing.
"I'm done," Ron said, quite pleased with himself, as he pushed Hogwarts: A History toward her. "All yours."
"Thanks," she replied, bemused by the whole situation. Soon enough, Ron Weasley left the library. She sat there with a copy of Hogwarts: A History in her hands.
Ron Weasley
Ron walked out of the library as quickly as possible after giving Hermione the book. That was barmy, he thought. How could he let himself get so out of control? He called her amazing and brilliant multiple times; now she must think he's some kind of idiot for overreacting over such trivial matters. For him, guessing everything like that wasn't trivial. Hermione just sat there and speculated, making such good guesses that Ron was sure if there's any chamber in this castle, it will be holding a basilisk within it because that made sense. She really was brilliant. Today, she wasn't even being condescending; she was just being knowledgeable, not like Percy. Percy liked being smart, being better than anybody else. It was in his voice. She, on the other hand, didn't seem that way at all today, not even when she was eleven years old. She seemed like someone who loved reading and being smart. She loved talking about smart things, just as he loved playing Quidditch. Maybe she didn't read just to be better than everyone else. Maybe she just read this much because she loved it. Aren't you supposed to do what you love the most?
The next couple of days were quite normal for Ron. As he went from class to class, he did see Hermione Granger. In class, sometimes in the hallways, and obviously in the evening at dinner, but never in the morning. She was probably an early riser. By the time she was finished eating, he was trying to get out of his pajamas. He didn't try to talk to her, he didn't even try to look at her. Then there was yesterday afternoon in History of Magic class. Professor Binns made them swap their assignments around. He got Dean Thomas's, but he didn't know who got his. Then he heard Seamus speaking.
"Blimey, Hermione, that's wild."
"Can you let the whole class know what's wild, Mr. Finnigan?" Professor Binns said with an annoyed tone.
"Right – Here, everybody. Hermione solved the mystery. According to her, the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk," Seamus said proudly, beaming at Hermione. He saw Hermione blushing hard. Ron felt a bit annoyed at bloody Finnigan but was happy for Hermione. Now everyone's going to know she's brilliant.
"What's the Chamber of Secrets?" someone shouted.
"What's a basilisk?" he heard a girly voice, most probably Lavender Brown.
"That's just a legend, Mr. Finnigan," Professor Binns's voice came floating.
"But still, what's the secret of the Chamber of Secrets?" It was Dean Thomas who was rambling now, and Ron looked around and saw Hermione looking uncomfortable with the whole situation. He'd had enough. "Really – All of you don't know what the bloody Chamber of Secrets is?" he shouted.
"You tell us what's the bloody secret then!" It was a Ravenclaw who shouted at him. Wow! A Ravenclaw is asking him a question. Aren't they supposed to be smart?
"All of you, that's enough of this nonsense. There's nothing about the Chamber of Secrets because it doesn't exist. It's nothing but a legend. We here only talk about facts," Professor Binns shouted again. "The nonsense with the myths and legends assignment – it's a nonsensical part of the curriculum, but it's part of the curriculum nonetheless, and I have to follow that."
That was the end of the class. After it ended, everyone circled around Hermione, asking questions. Ron left the class.
Now he was getting ready for his prefect duty. It had been two days since he talked to Hermione Granger. He walked out of the common room through the portrait of the Fat Lady. He encountered an unusual sight: Hermione Granger was nowhere to be seen. He looked at his watch on his wrist and realized he was five minutes early. Hermione came out of the Gryffindor common room in just the next two minutes.
"You're on time," Hermione said, surprised to find him already out there. His ears burned a bit; he was always late, right?
"Actually, not on time, a bit early," Ron replied, smiling.
"Yes, early," Hermione said. She looked tired. Does this girl ever rest? He was sure she was in the library before this, then came back to the common room in a hurry, got refreshed in whatever short time she had, and now she was walking alongside him. Does she ever rest? Does she ever relax?
"I'm sorry," he said. He was sorry for yesterday's event. He knew she got upset over everything that happened in class.
"For what?" she said, confused by his apology.
"For yesterday. If I hadn't given you the idea to write about the Chamber in all its glory, you might not have gotten upset over everybody's reaction," Ron explained.
"It's alright. After all, I should share what I've found, right? They were all quite impressed by my research," Hermione said, beaming at him. She quickly added, "I wasn't upset."
"You were – I mean, the way Binns responded," Ron said. He saw the look on her face, crestfallen when a teacher told her she was just wasting her time by researching legends.
"No, I was not. Professor Binns was quite right about the facts–"
"Come on, Granger. I know you were upset. You can badmouth a teacher," Ron said as he came to a halt. So did she.
"I was not upset by any of his statements, and I'm not going to badmouth a teacher, neither should you," Hermione replied as she started walking again. He just quietly followed her, not saying anything, as she checked the empty classrooms. Their patrolling was about to come to an end when he decided to speak again.
"Teachers' opinions matter to you, and him saying that your research was a waste of time did upset you."
She turned around, looked at him for a minute, and sighed. "Alright, I was upset over what he said. Professor Binns and my opinions quite don't align anymore."
"That's your way of badmouthing – 'our opinions don't align anymore,'" Ron said jokingly.
"Quite right, Ronald," she said without looking at him as she was walking ahead of him.
"Can I badmouth him for you?"
She looked like she was considering it. Then with a sigh, she said, "Alright, just once."
"Professor Binns believes in facts so much that he is afraid of becoming a myth. That's why he's still teaching here; he doesn't want to become a myth so that a century later, someone can say there was once a teacher who was boring. Because everybody knows whoever teaches history is always interesting," Ron finished his poor attempt at a joke.
Hermione looked like she was trying to understand it. After a couple of minutes, she said, "A very poor joke, Ron. I don't think it's even a joke."
"A good joke should be as transparent as Professor Binns, right?" Ron joked.
"Another poor attempt," she said despite herself, smiling. Then she added, "I never gave you permission for another one, though."
"Miss Granger, I apologize for my transgression," Ron said as he bowed his head.
"Apology accepted, Mr. Weasley," she said and then laughed.
to be continued
