**
**
Ron cleared his throat loudly. This was not an attempt to be subtle on his part, he merely felt a cloying rage block his throat and had to cough lest it choke him.
"All that trouble we went to…" he said mockingly to Harry's back.
Hearing his voice, the two parted and looked happily to their friend.
"Ron - you're back!" said Hermione.
"How'd it go with McGonagall" asked Harry.
"All that trouble" repeated Ron "and you were planning on giving her the best gift any witch in the kingdom could ask for - The Boy Who Lived!" His rage had dulled somewhat, but the icy fury behind his words had set his face into a barely recognizable snarl.
Taking a small gift-wrapped package from his pocket he threw it at Hermione's feet.
"Happy Birthday" he spat, and stalked off.
Harry and Hermione stared after him in amazement. Neither of them had seen such an expression on his face before. Harry watched as tears veiled Hermione's eyes and she bent to pick up the gift.
"What's going on?" she muttered sadly.
"I don't know" said Harry, though he had a pretty good idea. "I'll go after him - hey, aren't you supposed to be having morning tea with Hagrid?"
"Well, we all are…" she said.
"You go and I'll bring Ron along later, I promise."
"Thanks Harry. I don't understand what's wrong with him."
**
As Hermione walked slowly off towards Hagrid's cabin, Harry turned to chase after Ron. He caught up with him in a few minutes.
"Ron!" he called. But Ron ignored him and kept moving away.
"RON!" shouted Harry frustrated, grabbing an elbow.
"Get out of my bloody way" snarled Ron.
Harry fought to stay calm.
"Look, Ron, I don't know what your problem is but you need to put it behind you."
"Oh" said Ron, nodding his head slowly, "is that all? Listen Harry, I just wish that one of you could have had the guts to tell me yourselves."
"What?" said Harry
"And what about Cho? I guess she was just a passing crush huh?"
The mention Cho's name, and the immediately thoughts of Cedric sent a wince across Harry's face. Ron saw this but couldn't bring himself to back down.
"What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?" cried Harry frustrated.
"You and Hermione" said Ron, bitterly. "I just officially became a third wheel."
"Are you insane?" asked Harry "Hermione and me are friends - is this about the Daily Prophet?"
"Dean told me."
"Told you what?"
"That you and Hermione went for a romantic walk together alone! Neville heard you."
Harry sighed.
"That's almost entirely true" he said, "except for the 'romantic' part! Ron, for goodness sake, it's Neville!"
A blush was starting to creep over Ron's face. Stubbornly he continued "And what about that hug?"
"She'd helped me out! Stop being such a bloody prat Ron and admit you're wrong!"
"Wasn't" he mumbled mutinously. "Alright, maybe I'm sorry, but it looked dodgy!"
"pfffft" said Harry.
"So there's nothing going on between you two?" asked Ron in a much meeker voice.
"RON!"
"Alright, alright" he said, holding up both hands and taking a step back. "Just making sure…" Ron punctuated this attempt at an apology with a sudden sharp exclamation that would have shocked his mother.
Harry looked at him questioningly.
"Hermione." Said Ron in explanation. "I ruined her day didn't I?"
"Well I doubt you'll make the selected highlights but it's nothing permanent" joked Harry. "I told her we'd meet her at Hagrid's…"
As Harry turned to walk off in the direction of Hargrid's hut a sudden wave of dizziness knocked him to his knees. His eyes watered and the grassy meadows of Hogwarts were reduced to a moist blur. A steady buzz filled his ears, like the tuning noise of a muggle radio. A bright flash of light seared his retina and he could see a roaring fire in front of him, a second flash later and he was back on the ground. Dizzy, he wiped his eyes. Gradually sensation was restored and he became aware of his surroundings filtering one at a time into his bewildered mind; The tweet of birds, the smell of earth, the feel of Ron's hand on his shoulder.
"It's happening again isn't it?" he asked worried.
Harry shook his head clear. "It's nothing. Come on, let's go. And Ron, don't tell Hermione about this."
**
When Hermione answered the knock at Hagrid's hut (Hagrid was swearing in a low voice over a special 'Birthday' batch of rock cakes that had refused to rise and were merely solid disks) she was greeted by the sight of Ron on his knees. He bent low, as though to kiss her feet, and began to speak imploringly; "Oh Hermione. Queen of the Library and all associated realms. Lord High Priestess of Research, Friend to book and quill, Empress of my heart." He raised his hands towards her face once more and then bent low, hunched at the door."
Harry, watching at a distance, had to admire this approach. Hermione was already giggling, and although she still looked a little haughty, Ron seemed to have worked miracles.
"Get up you fool and get in here. First step in the 'Appease Hermione' plan is to eat some of Hagrid's food."
Ron promptly rose and began to back away.
"Oh no you don't" she said, grabbing his sleeve. "Hagrid!" she called inside "Ron says he's really hungry so he'll have one of those cakes…"
Ron was shaking his head maniacally. "I take it back, I take it back" he protested. "It was all Harry's fault…" Gasping these traitorous comments, he disappeared inside the hut. Harry followed at a distance, wary of meeting the same punishment.
The warm glow of the fire in Hagrid's home lent a cosy atmosphere to the tiny space. Hagrid was hunched in front of the fire, his huge frame casting a substantial shadow across the opposing wall. Hermione was sitting at the table, sipping tea from a huge cup (Harry couldn't see her face) and Ron was watching with wide-eyed terror as Hagrid straightened up and came towards them with a huge pile of 'cakes'.
"…and 'Ermione tells me that yer a big fan o' me cakes Ron. I never knew I'll tell yer. If I 'ad a known, I'd a certainly sent the odd basket up to t'castle! Well, we'll make up for it now!"
Ron reached out a shaky hand for a flat cake, roughly the consistency of a pebble, as Harry sat down beside him.
"One for you mate?" he asked, desperately, holding out the cake.
"Sorry Ron" smiled Harry "I had a really big breakfast."
Ron began to spread a layer of jam atop his cake. With the entire area covered, he raised it to his lips and bit down. He bit down again. And again. He removed the cake, undamaged in every respect save a little smearing of the jam, from his mouth and set it back onto his plate.
Hagrid's beaming face shone across the table. "My own recipe" he boasted proudly.
"Delicious" said Ron.
Hermione snorted into her tea.