DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. does, and she has every right to do whatever she thinks is best for Harry Potter. I just love writing. So sue me. Wait, seriously… don't.
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A/N:
So far so good. No bad comments yet. Anyway, the last time I posted this story, I only got as far as updating the second chapter. I'll be posting a chapter every day, so watch out for that. Maybe even two chapters per day, who knows….I'll see first how this chapter would fare.
Thanks for reading.
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Ron was still pondering on Hermione's sudden plan when he stepped inside the boys' dormitory. As he closed the door behind him, he couldn't help but think that some time, somewhere in this plan of hers, something was going to go wrong and he shouldn't have agreed to it. But there was something about the way Hermione had asked him that had him agreeing to her request for assistance.
His thinking was cut short, however, the moment he glanced up and spied Harry on his bed.
As he contemplated on an excuse, and a good one at that, to give him, Ron slowly made his way across the room, passing by Seamus and Dean, who were playing chess, and Neville who was sleeping loudly, his mouth hanging open with snores coming out.
Hands in his pocket, he reached Harry's four-poster bed, and gazed at the boy who was lying straight on his back, with his hands under his head and his stretched feet crossed over the other.
Harry glanced at him unenthusiastically, acknowledging his presence, but shifted his gaze back to what he was staring at a moment ago as if Ron's sudden appearance was not important.
Ron disregarded this and went over to sit just across his friend and leaned over, displaying mystery. "Mate, I need to borrow your cloak." He waited until Harry looked up him before continuing. "There's something I have to do and I can only do it tonight. I might get caught without it and get detention. I really don't think they can but--"
"Just take it," Harry muttered before Ron could finish and turned to his side, away from his perplexed friend.
Despite knowing why Harry was behaving this way, Ron still looked at him in displeasure as he stood up, walked over to the end of the bed and opened his trunk to get the cloak.
When he had it in his hands, though, he suddenly felt Harry's blazing stare piercing a hole through his back. Grasping what would be coming next and not in the mood for an unnecessary, heated argument, Ron bolted up and tried to walk away as fast as possible.
Yet, something else was in store for him, he decided hesitantly, as he had no choice but stay when Harry spoke, already getting on his feet.
"I expect that to be returned to me in one piece, Ron. I don't want you ruining my day another time."
Ron stopped, turned about and frowned, unsure if Harry was pertaining to what he saw awhile ago or the one that happened in The Three Broomsticks. It could be the latter. Yet, somehow, Ron knew it also had something to do with the scene in the common room, although he couldn't find any reason for Harry to get mad at that.
Hesitant on what to reply, he settled for a broader answer instead. "About that, Harry--I was only concerned for Hermione and I couldn't do anything else. It was hard not to, she has been so vulnerable and weak lately."
Ron couldn't have been more at loss when he saw that his explanation made Harry even fume more madly.
"Vulnerable, is she?" he spat out venomously. "I barely noticed. But then, how could I, considering the fact that I was busy noticing you two getting along really well. In fact, that's just on top of the things I have noticed. It's also extremely clear to me that that you can't wait to get your hands on her!"
Ron stared at Harry, stunned at what he heard. "Where did that come from?" he asked as he backed away slightly, uncertain of what he might do if Harry was within his arms' reach.
But the boy only shrugged as he slowly closed the distance between him and Ron, obviously provoking him to do exactly what he knew Ron wanted to do. "Since you were hardly off each others' backs today, I figured you'd be planning to have a more private time later. You know, with that something you have to do tonight."
Ron took in a deep breath, all the while eyeing Harry murderously. Around them, all action seemed to have altered: Neville's snores suddenly became silent breaths and Dean and Seamus' game was put to a stop as they realized what was taking place.
"Am I right, Ron?" Harry's voice reverberated across the silent room.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, his fists closing in on his sides.
"What's the matter? Can't put two and two together? Want me to call your dearest Hermione to explain it to you?" Harry met him head-on.
"What in Merlin's name is wrong with you?!" Ron asked, finally losing his patience, hitting Harry's shoulders with his hands. Harry didn't answer as he staggered backwards.
Ron inhaled deeply and tried to regain his restraint. "Why are you suddenly insulting Hermione with all these nonsense? Don't be dense--she's our best friend! And I don't even want to know why you're so bothered by your belief that I'm going out with her because I know I'll hate your answer," Ron said.
"What made you think I care whether you're really going out or not?" he asked, his voice bitter, his eyes flashing with anger. "It's not like I can do anything about it, can I?" he added sullenly, but his tone had broken. It didn't take Ron a few seconds to register what he had said.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know. Just--" he took a deep breath. "You know what, forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I tell you."
"Whatever, mate," Ron said, looking at Harry with a disappointed expression. "But you can't expect me to just `forget' what you said. Hermione deserves a lot more from you and you know that. If you only think of her as someone who throws herself to any guy who comes along, then I don't know if you're worthy enough to be her friend."
With these taunting words, Ron left the room, cloak in his shaking hand.
Silence filled the dormitory as soon as the thud of the door was heard by everyone inside. No one wanted to speak, even about something that has nothing to do with what just happened, in fear of further annoying Harry.
But the boy had something too confusing on his mind that he failed to notice the change in the atmosphere. He almost laughed out loud, if not for his and Ron's argument, when he saw the expression on everybody else's faces. He knew they had been staring the entire time, and it was comical the way they all looked away as if scared of him.
He stretched out on his bed as he let out a sigh of aggravation. "Maybe I was little harsh…" he muttered as he began to examine the intricate details of the carved wood on the ceiling.
"I beg your pardon?" Seamus glanced back up at him. "Do you even have an idea on what you're saying?"
"Uh-huh," Harry mumbled; distracted a bit as he continued to look at the ceiling, which was starting to become fascinating to him by the minute. "But, you know, it wasn't entirely my fault. If you saw them, you'd probably think the same thing."
"I wouldn't," Neville, who up until now had remained quiet, sat up and said.
Harry looked at him with questioning eyes, but his mind was still distracted a bit.
"I saw them, too, and as far as I can recall, it wasn't anything to get suspicious at. They were just laughing and having a good time," Neville explained.
"You've got to apologize, Harry," Dean pointed out, throwing him a pillow, hitting him squarely on the face.
"Was that really necessary?!" Harry asked, annoyed.
"You weren't listening," Dean shrugged.
"Admit that you were wrong before it's too late, Harry," Neville chimed in, before standing up and then walking out of the room.
"Ron's furious," Harry muttered.
"And he has every right to be. You betrayed his trust when you said those things about Hermione," Dean threw him a disappointed look. "I don't get it, Harry. How could you say something like that about her?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess I just don't like it when other people get close to her."
Seamus gaped at him as if he had grown too many heads. "Ron had the right. He's also her best friend."
"I just--I just lost my temper and I wanted to be angry."
"With whom?" he asked. "With him or yourself?"
"Why would I want to be mad at myself?" Harry asked, incredulous.
"Oh, I don't know," Seamus said sardonically. "Because you couldn't be there when Hermione needed you? Because you haven't been by her side lately--or maybe because you're just jealous that somebody may already have taken your place. Take your pick."
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A few hours had already passed since their argument but Ron was still in awe of his debate with Harry. The moment he got out of the dormitory, he headed straight for the common room to tell Hermione what happened. But she wasn't there when he arrived and it had been a good thing, he realized soon after, because he didn't know how she would react to the news. She would have gotten hurt, which wouldn't have been a surprise, but who knows what other things she might have done.
He couldn't focus on anything else since then and though he really wanted to close his eyes and sleep, he couldn't, as he was still trying to uncover the truth to Harry's sudden grudge against him and Hermione. It wasn't like him to let go of such words and the truth of his real feelings had been clearly written on his face.
The look of regret he had been wearing during the latter part of their argument, which Ron was sure he didn't know he had on, was enough for him to let things be and slightly understand Harry. But when he had decided to let Harry have it his way for the time being, Ron couldn't find it in himself to get rid of the confusion.
What he found the most puzzling was the reason Harry had been that furious to slander Hermione's reputation. Was it the scene in Hogsmeade or the incident he had walked on earlier that evening? It was slightly reasonable if it was the former one. But, what if his anger had something to do with Hermione? Was he jealous of them? If so, then why?
"You look tired," Hermione suddenly appeared behind him as he sat on the lounge, making him jerk in surprise. "And jittery--what's up?"
"Nothing," Ron muttered, stifling a yawn and stretching out. "I was just startled."
She eyed him suspiciously. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not," Ron replied almost too quickly, earning a frown from her. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to be defensive. "Come on, Hermione. It's midnight! What do you expect from me? A cheer dance?"
"Never mind," Hermione shrugged it off and stomped off, knowing full well that Ron was indeed keeping something from her.
Ron followed her, with the Invisibility Cloak tucked in his arm. As soon as they were out of the tower, Ron put the cloak on himself and Hermione, who had somehow decided to give him the silent treatment.
They walked hurriedly, but silently, up the stairs to the library's floor. They were careful not to be so noisy, but it was too quiet and Ron was getting quite annoyed that his palms began to get itchy and his tongue threatened to go against his wishes. After a few more halls of nothing but footsteps ringing in his ears, Ron opened his mouth and said the very first thing that came into his mind.
"This--this book. What does it look like?" he attempted a conversation far from the subject she wanted to discuss, but it seemed that Hermione wouldn't take any of it.
"Have you noticed how Ginny's been acting lately? She's kind of getting mysterious, hasn't she?"
When Ron still couldn't pry anything out of her, he hung his head in defeat. "Fine, you win."
This time, Hermione inclined her head in his direction.
"Harry and I had a--talk--earlier, when I went up to get his cloak."
This more than caught Hermione's attention, it disrupted her sense of balance that she missed a step and landed a foot on his left. "What did he say?"
"Apology accepted," Ron said sarcastically.
"Don't start, Ronald."
`Uh, oh--the full name,' Ron thought comically. `Better not risk it.'
"Well?" Hermione goaded.
"He thinks we're dating and sleeping together."
"What?" Hermione hissed and missed another pace, stepping on Ron's foot once more.
"Shh," Ron placed a finger to his lips, all the while giving her his I-told-you-so look.
But Hermione was beyond careful now.
Her blood boiled in rage as her mind registered what he had said. Ron watched her fume and silently breathed a sigh of relief as he congratulated himself for not telling the exact words Harry used.
"That's the lowest, unimaginative nonsense I've ever heard," he heard her say quietly, almost only a whisper.
Ron glanced at her for a second, slightly surprised that her tone was actually calm. But he didn't know whether he was to be relieved to hear she only spoke that way, or be alarmed that something else, something catastrophic, might be coming.
"Well, I did correct him after that," Ron supplied helpfully in hopes of cooling her down.
"And I'm sure that he didn't really pay attention to you," she replied gloomily.
"No, actually, he did," he seemed thoughtful, surprising him as well over his sudden insight. "Or at least I thought he did. But so what, at least he looked like he saw sense."
"But there's no difference at all since there's nothing you or I can do if he thinks of me that way, is there?" Hermione asked.
Before Ron could disagree, they reached the library entrance and the thoughts of the argument disappeared in Hermione's fretful mind as they found their way in discreetly.
Many bookshelves and desks Hermione and Ron passed through to find their way towards the Restricted Section. The entry to the bars isolating the other sections of the library from the Restricted Section creaked as they unbolted it with the Alohamora spell.
They sifted through the hundreds of books, looking for the one they needed, and after some time, Hermione saw the hard leather bound book that she was looking for. She took it, wiped away the dust covering it and flipped through the pages until she saw the one with the potion she needed. Its ingredients and instructions were written just below the image of the final product.
"Ron, this is the potion," she hissed at him.
He stepped closer and looked at the words on the page and found it difficult to understand the ingredients. The page was torn, color brown and had a funny smell. It was completely aged and seemed like it hadn't been used for quite some time.
And as Hermione read the potion items, eight all in all, she grimaced in anticipated exhaustion, realizing that these ingredients were scattered all over Hogwarts. Although a couple of them were with her already, she'd still have difficulty finding the other six.
She shook her head and took a deep breath as she shut the book.
So what?
She wasn't going to give up on this plan.
As soon as Ron and Hermione closed the portrait hole of the Gryffindor Tower, they breathed twin sighs of relief. With no more than a few sidetracks of Mrs. Norris' unwanted patrolling, they had managed to get back to the common room alive and well.
Not able to stop herself, Hermione tenderly clutched the book to her chest.
Until now, she couldn't believe the answer to her problems was just right here, held within her arms…
`This is the key to get another chance with Harry,' she thought triumphantly.
But the moment they walked deeper into the Common Room, the sight that greeted them made Hermione's hope drain from her senses as well as the blood from her face.
"Had fun?" Harry muttered.
He was sitting on the couch, heel propped on his knees, an unreadable expression on his face. Apparently, he had been waiting for them.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione blurted out; instantly hiding the book she was holding.
"Waiting - seeing - confirming."
It didn't take Hermione to realize what he was talking about and immediately got defensive. "We're not sleeping together. We're not even dating."
"I see he told you about our little talk a while ago," Harry sneered with pure malice. "I'm not surprised. It seems to me that he tells you everything, no matter how personal it is."
Harry stepped closer, stopping just three feet away from them. He crossed his arms and gave Hermione a burning stare. She flinched. "So--not dating," he mused, his eyes looking hurt and bewildered. "Tell me first what happened tonight, and then we decide whether what you're saying is true or just another pathetic excuse for me to leave you alone."
"Nothing happened tonight!" Hermione hissed.
"Nothing?" he smirked weakly. "Why do I find that hard to believe?"
"Because you're too busy being a malicious dimwit to see there's nothing wrong with something innocent."
"Innocent?" he said and threw back his head in silent laughter, as if just having heard something funny. "You almost had me there, Hermione."
"What? Why won't you believe me?" Hermione asked him quietly.
"I dunno. The time, the place? But let's not talk about that. I'm sure you can relieve your memories where I'm not concerned some other time. For now, I want to know why you're lying to me."
"Haven't you been listening?" Ron interjected. "We are not lying to you. We haven't been going out."
"Who asked you?" Harry said smugly.
"I'm letting myself in this conversation whether you like it or not. I may not be her boyfriend, but I'm still her best friend and it's not only her that your issue is concerned with. I'm also involved in your sick hallucination, in case you have forgotten."
"Suit yourself," Harry said but turned right away to Hermione. "You haven't answered my question yet; why did you lie about this?"
"You're unbelievable, Harry! Just unbelievable!" she shook her head in incredulity. "I told you the truth, but you keep on insisting that I'm lying. What else should I do? Beg?"
"Try explaining," Harry suggested blandly. "What did you do?"
This caused Hermione to stop and flash Ron a troubled look. "I c-can't tell you."
"You can't or you won't? See. That's just what I'm talking about, Hermione. How can I believe you when you can't even give me a reason to?"
"I can't." She spoke in a soft voice, her eyes forming tears she didn't want to fall, her voice breaking into a tone she didn't want him to hear. "And it's not my problem if you don't want to believe me because you are one hardheaded person! If you don't want to accept what I'm giving you, I can't do anything about it. I can't because I won't and because I'm choosing not to. But if there's ever a reason for me to offer, it's the reason why you should trust me."
"Why should I trust you, then?"
Hermione looked up at this and what Harry saw made him turn pale. "Because I'm your friend? Whatever happened to that unspoken cause, Harry?"
But instead of letting it go at that, Harry went out of control. "It just went down the drain along with everything that we had."
Hermione recoiled, looking terribly hurt.
"You've gone too far, Harry," Ron intervened again.
"Stay out of this, Ron." Harry said coldly, not affected by what he said to Hermione. "It's only my business with her."
"If you only knew--" Ron started to say, but Harry wasn't up to letting him finish.
"That's the problem," He crossed his arms. "I - don't - know."
Ron opened his mouth but Hermione spoke up in a tone that surprised both him and Harry. "It's all right, Ron. I've just realized that nothing had really gone down that drain. At least not anything important."
"What are you talking about?"
"This friendship has long been over," she matched Harry's burning stare. "We just didn't see it until now."
"What?" It was Harry's turn to have a voice break.
"I can't stand your promises anymore, Harry. I'd been sick of them for a long time but I didn't stop believing that you'd keep at least one of them. I didn't need a reason to go on hoping. Our friendship had been enough for me to have faith in you. But I guess my waiting has come to an end. And it ends right here, right now."
"You can't just throw away seven years of friendship," he claimed arrogantly.
"Six years, Harry," Hermione corrected. "And why not? You threw it away the moment you began going out with Cho."
"You make it sound as if she's the cause of what is happening right now," Harry said defensively, and then his eyes narrowed into slits. "This is what it's all about, isn't it? My going out with Cho."
"Don't be so stuck up on yourself," Hermione suggested blandly, growing weary of their dispute. Her energy had run out and she felt as if her knees would suddenly give in.
"Am I?"
Hermione ignored this, desperately wanting to end the conversation. She furiously wiped away the tears that were falling on her cheeks. "I have every reason right now to hex you, to give you the beating you deserve. But I don't have the heart to do it. Because if I did, I would be proving to you and to myself that I'm really not the good friend I thought I was. Because even as friends make mistakes, they understand. They forgive and forget."
She shoved him out of the way, stopping just beside him. "But you know what? Right now, I'm not your friend. And right now, Harry, I can't forgive nor can I forget."
With that being said, Hermione finally made her way up the Girls' Dormitory while
Harry watched her retreating back with mixed emotions.
He had waited until midnight to talk and apologize but was told she wasn't in their dormitory by Lavender who was more than kind enough to have told him to shut up after pounding on their door a few times.
Having no other choice, he had sat for a few minutes on the couch in the common room and right after he was settled on it did he recall what Ron said earlier that evening. The moment he got himself to calm down, he realized what he had assumed was far from untrue because the proof was right there in front of him. He was about to call it a night and let it go at that when he had heard the portrait swing open and sensed sighs coming from that direction.
And that was when it had all begun.
He had no intention of finding out what he had and losing their friendship like he had tonight, but it had happened. And here he was now, staring at where Hermione had been a moment ago with another infuriated friend, breathing hard right next to him.
"Haven't you caused her enough pain, Harry? Decided she needed a little more damage?" Ron asked him.
"I had no idea she was hurt."
"That's your problem. You haven't been paying attention. All your senses have been focused on Cho and you forgot that she still exists, I still exist. And what were you doing here anyway? You didn't have enough trust to leave us alone, did you?" he asked.
"All I wanted was to apologize and see if everything could go back to how it was." Harry admitted.
"Yes, well, you did a good job doing just the opposite," Ron mocked heatedly. "I can't understand you, Harry. Why couldn't you just have done what you had been intending to do? At least, it would have gotten you what you wanted."
"I don't know," he muttered with profundity. "It just came out and I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me," Ron muttered. "I'm not sure if I can forgive you now. You're different and you need to see it. You may not have changed the Harry we know, but you've covered him with someone he's not. Lose it, Harry, or lose her forever."
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A/N:
Another update….hahaha…I hope this one's better. I've edited a few lines. But the essence of the 15 year-old me is still here.
I hope I haven't scared you away just yet.
Please tell me what you think.
Thanks!
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