Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Snow days! Gotta love 'em! Another day off from work, another chapter! My yard looks like an ice skating rink! Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter…
Chapter Seven
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
"It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word"
(Elton John/Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word)
The following Monday morning, Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand into the Great Hall. At first no one seemed to notice. Until Draco Malfoy chimed in with "Look, everyone, Potter and the Mudblood."
"Just ignore him, Harry," Hermione whispered, when he tightened his grip on her hand. "He's not worth it."
Harry nodded, and looked coldly in Malfoy's direction. It took every ounce of willpower Harry had not to walk over and slap that smug smirk off Malfoy's face.
They finally made their way to their house table and took seats across from Ron, who was eying their intertwined hands somewhat suspiciously.
"Hang on, one moment," Ron said, looking at them both. "Hang on one moment, here. What's going on with you two?"
"Breakfast. Great Hall," Hermione said coyly. "What's going on with you?"
"Don't give me that," Ron said. "What's with the handholding?"
"What handholding?" Harry asked. He looked conspiratorially at Hermione. "Were we holding hands, Hermione?"
"I don't think so," Hermione said, fighting off the urge to dissolve into giggles. "I would have remembered that, I think."
"No, no, no," Ron protested, shaking his head. "Back the hippogriff up, okay? The two of you walk in here with smiles plastered on your faces and holding hands. Now, I know I wasn't the only one who saw it! For Merlin's sake! Malfoy practically announces it to the entire hall!"
"Should we put him out of his misery?" Harry asked Hermione.
Hermione crinkled her nose and looked deep in thought. "But, it's so much to watch him get all flustered like this, Harry."
"Hermione," Ron said, warningly.
Hermione laughed and suddenly became acutely aware that the rest of the Gryffindor table was looking at them, taking in every single word.
"Okay," Harry said, also noticing this. "Okay, Ron. Hermione and I are dating."
"Since when?" Ron asked.
"Since this weekend," Hermione said simply. "But, to be honest, we've had feelings for each other for a long time."
Ron looked, in disbelief, back and forth between his two best friends.
"Say something, Ron," Hermione said.
"I don't think he's able to speak," Harry said, looking at his friend in amusement. He watched in disbelief as Ron pushed his plate of food away.
"My goodness," Hermione said, shocked. "Mark the date and time down. Ron Weasley actually pushed away a plate laden with food. I never thought I'd see the day. I wonder what you'd do if we told you we were getting married."
Ron focused his attention at those words. "WHAT?"
"Shhhhhh!" Harry exclaimed. "Keep your voice down, Ron!"
"You're not really getting married, are you?" Ron asked.
"No, of course not," Hermione said, with a laugh. "I was only being facetious. The look on your face just now, though…priceless. Honestly, Ron. We're just dating. That's all. No need to go out and pick up the wedding gifts."
"Yet," Harry chimed in.
Hermione looked at him with a smile. He winked back at her.
"So, how do you feel about this? Are you okay with it?" Harry asked; a serious tone to his voice.
"Yeah," Ron said after a moment's hesitation. "Yeah, of course. It just took me by surprise, that's all. It's not everyday that your two best friends come in and announce they're dating."
Harry and Hermione both exhaled in relief. "We were worried about how you'd react."
"No need to worry," Ron said, pulling his plate back in front of him. "I'm happy for you. About damn time if you ask me."
Hermione beamed at him. "Thanks, Ron."
Harry nodded in agreement.
"So, what did you do this weekend?" Hermione asked a little while later.
"Nothing much," Ron said. "I, um, hung out you know with some people."
"Some people?" Harry asked. "Now look who's hiding something. Who were these people you hung out with?"
Ron looked away from his friend's penetrating gaze. He took a bite of toast and then drained his glass of juice.
"You know, different people," Ron said evasively. "I just hung out. That's all."
At that very moment, Luna Lovegood came walking over to their table. Harry wondered if it was his imagination that Ron's cheeks reddened somewhat.
"Good morning, Harry," Luna said warmly. "Good morning, Hermione."
"Good morning," Harry said. "How are you doing, Luna?"
"Fine," Luna said. "Ron, here's that book we were talking about this weekend. I thought I'd bring it to you. You said you thought it sounded interesting, so I checked it out of the library for you. Madame Pince said you could keep it out for a week."
Ron sheepishly took the book. He tried not to acknowledge Harry and Hermione's somewhat amused expressions.
"Thanks, Luna," Ron said, taking the book. "I appreciate it."
"You're quite welcome," Luna said happily. "Well, I better head on back to my table. Busy day ahead. So, I guess I'll see you later, Ronald?"
Ron mumbled something which Luna apparently heard and she nodded and with a wave to Harry and Hermione, walked away.
The table was quiet for a few moments as Harry and Hermione stared knowingly at their red-headed friend, whose cheeks were practically glowing red.
"So," Harry said. "Luna Lovegood would be the people you hung out with this weekend, huh?"
Ron mumbled something under his breath that neither Harry nor Hermione caught.
"What was that?" Hermione asked, leaning across the table.
"I said that I may have gone for a walk with her," Ron said, a little more audibly.
Hermione smiled. "Ron, that's great."
"Why?" Ron asked. "So, you can have a go with me on this?"
"No," Hermione said sincerely. "I think it's great. She really likes you Ron."
"I'm not dating her, if that's what you're implying, Hermione," Ron said, finally looking up from the table.
"Well, I think it's a big step that you're now at least willing to talk with her," Hermione said. "I mean, that's something."
"I'm not dating Luna Lovegood," Ron said, a little more loudly than he'd intended. "I'm not that hard up for a date, you know?"
"That's not what I was saying-", Hermione interjected.
"I would never, ever date Luna Lovegood, okay?" Ron said. He got up to leave, but he noticed the stricken expression on Hermione's face. He turned around slowly to see Luna standing right behind him.
"I, um," Luna stammered. "I wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch today, but I guess you wouldn't."
Ron was about to say something when Luna walked quickly away.
"Nice job, Romeo," Harry said scathingly to his friend.
"Ron, that wasn't very nice," Hermione said softly.
"It's your fault," Ron said angrily. "You were the ones getting on me about seeing her this weekend."
"No, we weren't," Harry protested. "We were just asking you about it and you were the one who got all defensive."
Ron sank back down on his seat. "Now, I feel like shit."
"You should," Hermione said. "You hurt her feelings, Ron."
"How long was she standing there?" Ron asked.
"Long enough," Harry said.
"I should probably try and find her and apologize," Ron said, looking at the floor.
"You probably should," Hermione agreed. "It would be the mature thing to do, Ron."
"Yeah," Ron said, nodding his head. "I'll, um, see you guys later, alright?"
Harry and Hermione watched as Ron hurried out of the Great Hall.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Finding Luna wasn't as easy as Ron would have thought. For one thing, he had no idea how here schedule was. For another thing, he had to worry about getting to his own classes. It didn't help that in nearly all of his classes, he had either Harry or Hermione or both of them asking if he'd found Luna yet to apologize.
He'd even thought about looking for Ginny, who happened to have some classes with Luna as they were in the same year. Finding his sister was nearly an impossible job as well.
He was relieved when lunch time finally arrived. He was making his way toward the Great Hall, when he heard his sister's voice in the corridor. He turned back around and as he got closer, he heard her voice more clearly.
"I shouldn't have," he heard her saying. "It wasn't right to-"
As he turned the corner, he saw that Ginny wasn't alone; she was talking to…Draco Malfoy.
"Oi!" Ron called out to them, startling the unlikely pair. "What are you doing skulking about my sister, Mafloy?"
Malfoy sneered.
"None of your damn business, Weasley," Malfoy said scathingly. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"You do when you're bothering my sister," Ron said, stepping closer to them. He looked to his sister. "Gin, you okay?"
Ginny simply nodded. "Fine, Ron."
"If I see you near my sister again, you'll regret it," Ron said warningly. "Count on it."
"I'm quaking in my robes," Malfoy said, laughing as he walked away. "See you later, Red."
Ron watched in disbelief as Malfoy arrogantly walked away.
"He has some nerve!" Ron exclaimed. He turned his attention back to his sister.
"Did he hurt you? Did he say anything to you?" Ron asked. "You don't have to be afraid of him, you know that? If he did anything, all you have to do is say the word and he's toast."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "He didn't do anything, Ron. Quit playing the big brother routine. I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Ron said. "I've been worried about you for a long time. You haven't seemed yourself these past few weeks."
Ginny looked up at her brother.
"Really, I'm fine," she said, placing a hand on his arm. "Really. I've just been studying too
much. You don't have to worry about me."
"Well, you know that if there was anything wrong, you could talk to me?" Ron asked her, his eyes full of concern. "I mean, I've always thought of you and I as a team."
Ginny smiled warmly at her brother. "We are a team. And you're a wonderful brother to worry about me, but you needn't bother. I'm okay."
Ron looked unconvinced. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No," Ginny said. "Honestly. He was just being his usual Slytherin self. I can handle Draco-Sodding-Malfoy."
"Okay," Ron said, smiling at his sister; seemingly convinced. "Now, how about you and I go and get some lunch."
"Always thinking of your stomach, aren't you?" Ginny said, with a laugh.
"Of course," Ron said, walking alongside Ginny toward the Great Hall.
"Listen, have you seen Luna today?" Ron asked Ginny.
"As a matter of fact," Ginny said. "Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing her in class. I think Rebecca Brandon said she saw her in the girls' bathrooms on the second floor. I think she'd said she'd been crying."
Ron looked crestfallen.
"What?" Ginny asked him.
"On second thought, I need to go check on something," Ron said. "Can you save me a seat?"
"Sure," Ginny said, nodding. "Is everything alright?"
Ron started to run down the halls. "I hope so!" he called back to her.
Ron made it to the second-floor girl's bathroom in nearly breakneck speed. He was going so fast that he didn't see someone coming out of the bathroom; he bumped into her, knocking both he and the girl to the floor.
"Ow, you know, you should watch where you're going!" he exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.
"Me?" the girl said, looking up. "You?"
Ron focused his attention and saw that the girl in question was Luna!
"Luna?"
"Yes," she said, dusting herself off. "What were you doing running into the girl's bathroom?"
Ron got to his feet and looked a little embarrassed as he said, "Looking for you."
"Well, you obviously found me," she said, starting to walk away.
"Please, wait!" Ron called to her.
"Why should I?" Luna asked him. "I guess its okay to walk around the lake with me when no one can see, but when you're with your friends, you forget that you even know me?"
"I'm sorry, Luna," Ron said. "I was a jerk. Does that make you happy? I was a complete, insensitive arsehole who doesn't deserve to walk the earth."
"You forgot pig-headed, stubborn, infuriating, and too wrapped up in what other people think," Luna finished for him.
"I was getting to that," Ron said, smiling at her. "You just didn't give me time."
Luna smiled.
"I have a bad habit of sending girls crying into the girls' lavatory," Ron said.
"Oh," she said. "You have that effect on girls, do you?"
"I sometimes tend to let the first thing I think of out of my mouth before thinking," Ron said. "It's a bad habit of mine. I really should work on that."
"Yes, you should." Luna teased. "Among other things."
"I'm really sorry, Luna," he said. "I didn't mean to say the things I said."
"You hurt my feelings," she said, looking at him.
"I know," he said, his eyes pleading with her for forgiveness. "I'll make it up to you."
"Yes, you will," she said.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked her.
"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out at a later time," Luna said.
"So you forgive me?" Ron asked hopefully.
Luna looked a little dreamy-eyed at him.
"I forgive you," she said.
Ron beamed at her.
"So, how about you're eating lunch with me?" Ron asked her, extending his hand. "I mean, I know you might not want to be seen with a pig-headed, stubborn, infuriating, insensitive jerk, but I'm kind of hungry."
"I guess we could eat lunch together," Luna said with a sly smile at him. "But, don't you go getting any ideas, Mr. Weasley. I do have a reputation to protect after all."
"Duly noted," Ron said, taking her hand. "Duly noted, Miss Lovegood."