Writing these chapters are breaking my heart lol. I hate it when he is having a fight with his friends. Thankfully it'll be over soon.

Chapter 97: Why Can't We Be Friends?

A few days later, an article written by Rita Skeeter herself had reported Harry saying an awful lot of things that didn't seem like he would say, but I guess things had changed.

I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now...Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it...I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me...

Rita Skeeter had gone even further, and had interviewed other people about him too. One thing that made me very much annoyed.

Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.

Unfortunately for her, Hermione was right beside me when I read the article. And for some reason, I couldn't control my words.

"Something you wanna tell me?" I asked as she put honey into her porridge.

"If you're speaking on the article, then no, I have nothing to say." said Hermione, glaring at me.

"So you two are a thing now?" I said stubbornly. "I understand that Harry and I aren't talking, but you're keeping secrets from me too?"

Hermione slammed her spoon onto the table. "If you believe for one second that I'm actually dating Harry, you're about as dumb as a flobberworm! I should say you're already that dumb because you think I would keep a secret that big from you like that?!" she snapped at me.

Inside I was grinning. I couldn't believe that I was actually worrying about Hermione and Harry dating. But I couldn't let her see my elated relief. So I played it off.

"You're right, Hermione." I said, nodding. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have thought that of you."

"And another thing. When are you going to stop being silly and make up with Harry?"

"Oh I'm the silly one now? It takes two to talk, Hermione. He's being just as silent as I am." I said.

"Oh come off it." said Hermione. "You miss him, admit it."

"The bloody hell I do, Hermione. I don't miss him at all. I feel totally fine not worrying about if I'm gonna die from being the sidekick of Harry Potter." I said, instantly regretting my words.

Hermione could obviously see that I didn't mean to say that because instead of scolding me for a comment like that, she simply sighed and out her hand on my shoulder.

Making me feel even more guilty.

"Look, when he admits that he did it and apologizes for keeping me out of the loop knowing I would have never done that to him, then we can talk." I said firmly.

"Oh honestly Ronald, you're such a git sometimes."

"Why thank you." I said, stuffing eggs in my mouth.

Hermione gave a small, pitiful smile. The ones she would give when she felt sorry for my decisions. But it looked off for some reason. Not a bad off though. Just different.

"You look different." I told her.

Suddenly she got nervous. "What do you mean, different." she said.

I locked onto her face. I had her face completely memorized without even realizing it. I knew every almost invisible freckle, every line that would form when she smiled or frown, every eyelash. So I could tell that something was amiss. However, I let it go. For the time being.

Hermione was dealing with a lot. Jumping back and forth between Harry and I, and now that the article was out, she was getting her fair share of unpleasantness too.

"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy had shrieked the first time she had come face-to-face with Hermione after Rita's article had appeared. "What was she judging against - a chipmunk?"

Times like that I wished I could jump into Hermione's body, so I could get her to punch Pansy in her pug looking face, the ugly bitch.

Whenever Harry was not in the library with Hermione, I was in the library with Hermione. And while Hermione was brilliant, I did indeed miss just goofing around with Harry

Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too, which seemed strange to me. What did a famous Quidditch player need with a library? True enough just because you're an athlete, didn't mean you had to be stupid, but he was always there. And I did mean always from the way Hermione would talk.

She often complained about Krum being there. Not that he ever bothered us (or Harry when they were in there), but because groups of giggling groupies often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.

"He's not even good-looking!" she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum's sharp profile. "They only like him because he's famous! They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky-Faint thing -"

"Wronski Feint," I said, wanting to throw her out onto the Quidditch pitch and teach her a thing or two.

"I know, I know, Harry always corrects me too." sighed Hermione, going back to her notes.

On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione tried to get me to go with her, but I already knew she was going with Harry, so I refused and went with the twins and Lee Jordan instead. Which was fun in a way, but not the same as being with Harry and Hermione.

As we sat down at a table in The Three Broomsticks and ordered butterbeers, Hermione came inside by herself. Or it appeared she was by herself. To others, she looked as if she was more than likely whispering things to herself. But I knew better.

Harry was with her under the cloak.

I wanted to to over there and sit with her, but not if Harry was going to be there. I should've tried to trip his invisible ass.

"Why aren't you over there with your lovely bookworm?" asked Fred.

"Don't call her that." I grumbled.

"Don't call her what? Lovely, or a bookworm? Cuz I mean, she's both."

That instantly rubbed me the wrong way. "You could try calling her by her name." I hissed.

"Hey, keep your shirt on, bruiser." said Fred, putting his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying. I mean you guys seemed so close back at the Burrow, I thought you would have had something established by now."

I felt confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Fred looked at me as if I were stupid. "Never mind then, baby brother. You're not ready yet."

"Not ready for what?"

After a couple more hours of him not explaining shit, I decided to leave and head back to the castle.

After a quick dinner, I went back to the dorm. Pig was there flying around like a mental case, waiting for me to take the oversized letter from his beak. I took it, passed him a tart that I had gotten from dinner, and opened the letter that was from Bill.

Ronnie,

I didn't tell you because I knew you would appreciate it more if you were surprised. I'm glad that Fred and George didn't get theirs in. They probably wouldn't have been picked anyways. You have to be worthy. Don't tell them I say that, but with them being deceitful, they would have never been picked if they were successful.

So Diggory and Harry are both champions for Hogwarts? That's barmy. What is even more barmy is that you don't believe that he didn't put his name in there. Come on now Ron, is he your best mate or not? As much shit as the two of you get into together, do you honestly think he would leave you out of this? And Hermione. Don't you think he would have made the dumb mistake of telling her too, so she could try to convince the both of you that it's a bad idea? You need to talk to him, Ron. Stop being so prideful and talk to him. You should know your best mate better than that. I'll trust you to do the right thing.

As far as the veela girl, you poor poor child. I wouldn't even dare go down that road, you will be in way over your head. And I'm not saying this because of you. I'm saying this because of her. Veela are known to be very fickle and very misleading when it comes to men. Why? Because they know they can literally attract any man they want. If this veela girl was to become bored with you, you would be crushed. No doubt about that. Try very hard to heed my advice. Stay away from her.

Besides, you need someone close to your age.

Let me know how the first task goes.

Love,

Bill

I read the letter over three more times. Well hang what he said about the gorgeous Fleur, but I did feel rather guilty about Harry. Bill was right, I should know my best mate better than that.

I decided to wait up for him. Maybe we could talk. I ended up dozing off and waking up around 2. I looked over at Harry's bed, but he wasn't there.

I started to get a bit worried. I slipped on my house shoes and left the dorm to go and look for him.

When I opened the door, I heard voices coming from the common room. I went downstairs and saw Harry standing near the fireplace, looking guilty.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked.

"What's that got to do with you?" Harry snarled. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"

"I just wondered where you -" I began to say, but stopped myself. I didn't like his damn attitude. "Nothing. I'm going back to bed."

"Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" Harry shouted.

"Sorry about that. Should've realized you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing for your next interview in peace." I snapped, him pissing me off and totally throwing reconciliations out the window.

Harry seized one of the POTTER REALLY STINKS badges off the table and chucked it, as hard as he could, across the room. It hit me on the forehead. That hurt in more ways than one.

"There you go," Harry said. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you're lucky...That's what you want, isn't it?"

He went past me, up the stairs to the dorm and slammed the door. I felt like total shit. So it had really came to him throwing shit and yelling at me at 2 in the fucking morning?

I went and sat down in front of the fire. A few seconds later,I heard hurried steps from the girls side.

"Hermione? I said when I saw a halo of bushy hair in the dark. "What are you doing up?"

"Hard to sleep when being awakened by arguing." she said as she came and sat down beside me. "Well, out with it. What happened?"

"I didn't start this, Hermione. I came to check on Harry because he wasn't in bed and he was down here, apparently talking to himself or some shit. I asked him who he was talking to, he immediately caught an attitude, and then he threw one of those fucking badges at my head and told me to wear it Tuesday."

Hermione looked surprised. "Oh Ron." she said, looking at my forehead. "Well, you have a small red mark, but you aren't bleeding. You'll live."

"Gee, thanks, I was sure the badge scalped me." I said sarcastically.

"Don't take that tone with me, Ronald Weasley."

"Sorry." I said. And, in a bold move that i really didn't think of until I didn't, I turned and laid in the sofa, my head propped on Hermione's thigh.

Thank goodness it was covered by her pajamas.

"I'm not a pillow." she said, but laughed and kept looking at the mark on my head.

"I was going to apologize, Mione." I told her.

"You were?"

She started running her fingers through my hair. It was extremely relaxing, and if we weren't talking to each other, I would have probably went to sleep.

"Yeah. Bill had written to me and told me how much of a prat I was being. So I was going to talk to him, and apologize. But then this happened. I don't even want to go upstairs." I admitted.

Hermione looked at the fire, her calming fingers massaging my scalp, note than likely absentmindedly. "Well, I do like that you were going to fix things. Just wish it would have happened. I think he snapped at you because you probably interrupted his conversation with Sirius. They were to talk tonight."

"Shit. I didn't even think of Sirius."I said, slapping myself on the forehead.

"Language, Ronald."

"Damn now I really feel like a bloody git."

"It's fine. He should have handled it a bit better, but he is under a lot of stress lately, with the task and worrying about Sirius and those stupid badges. It's taking a toll on him. And on top of that, he misses you Ron. He really does. And frankly, I miss my boys being together too. I miss us all being together."

I sighed. "I miss it too, Hermione. I miss it too."