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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"Is she all right?"
It was the first thing Ron had inquired when he saw Harry emerge from the waters. Though he was surprised that he didn't ask anything that remotely concerned what Harry was waiting for, he answered.
"I can't tell. She's still unconscious…" He said with a tone of uneasiness. Then he flashed a worried look on her before forcing himself to look at Ron with hope plastered on his face before he spoke. "But I reckon she'll be fine."
`And I'll make sure she always is.' Surprise seeped through him as he realized what he had thought of and was at lost as he tried to think of where it came from.
"Do you want me to carry her?" Ron asked, approaching him and at the same time, breaking his train of thoughts.
"No. I can manage." Harry shook his head and glanced quickly at Hermione fondly. He sighed and added. "Besides, I want to."
He felt something churn inside him as he said this. It was strong. As strong as his will to be the one to take her to the castle and be the first one to be ensured of her safety. He yearned for that assurance. But not as much as his need to be able to tell her how sorry he was that he couldn't be there to save her right away.
Ron, however, had something different going on in his mind. He wasn't sure whether to feel anger for Harry or gratitude for saving Hermione that evening. He wanted to be mad at him and yell at him for being so meddlesome with their business, but he also wanted to hug him in relief because if he weren't there, he might have been a second too late for Hermione's sake.
But even as that thought continued to flow through his brain, he couldn't stop the fact that he was also brimming with emotions about what Harry had said, `Besides I want to.'
Why did he say that? This words persisted on playing on and on in his senses that he couldn't think clearly at the moment.
Does this mean…? If it does, then Hermione doesn't need to go back anymore. But if he would ask Harry, then he would risk telling everything to him up to the point that he will need to confess to him Hermione's secret. No…it was better if this matter would just be ignored. And what was he thinking? Of course Harry wanted to carry his best friend to safety!
And as Harry looked at him, Ron felt that he was on the verge of losing control because of all the questions flooding his confused mind right now so he decided to break the ice with a little compliment to remove his thoughts on what had just happened. "It was good to see you weren't too scared to rescue her on your own, Harry."
`Oops! Was that the right thing to say?' Ron mentally slapped himself.
"It reminds me, what was she doing down there?" Harry asked, his voice full of confusion.
`It was definitely NOT the right thing to say!' Ron concluded.
"Much better if we don't talk about it." Ron said, his voice was full of unease and was on the brink of pacing back and forth.
Harry, however, looked up and stared, doubting Ron, not sure if he should believe that he really felt glad about saving Hermione, especially because he followed it with an unsure and relenting manner.
Ron had his hands on his pockets, but his eyes were on a blue flower that he noticed Hermione was holding. Though he couldn't see his face clearly, Harry could see that his eyes were gloomy. Not with anger, but only with sheer exhaustion.
"Why not?" Harry asked as he walked to the shore with Hermione under his arms.
She was nearly bare and all Harry could do was stare straight ahead. He stumbled forward as he reached down for his robes and had managed to balance his body to save himself from a nasty fall. He spread out his robes and slipped it on her.
"Just because..." Ron muttered before walking off.
Harry followed him, tucking Hermione comfortably beneath his hold.
"I also know you followed us this afternoon." Ron muttered reprimanding, when Harry caught up with him. Somehow, Harry didn't look perturbed by this.
"I didn't." He even looked confused when his eyes met Ron's. "Where did you go anyway?"
"I…" Ron shook his head, his mind still confused over this. "Never mind."
"Er…Ron. You wouldn't tell Hermione, would you? I mean, she doesn't have to know that I was the one…" Harry began to ask but suddenly looked alarmed as Hermione began to stir.
"I don't know…" Ron answered truthfully, falling into step beside Harry, unknown to him that Hermione was beginning to regain her stupor. "She's got to. After all, she has the right."
Harry suddenly reddened, but didn't say anything, thinking the girl beneath his arms would be able to hear him easily. But as he caught sight of her with the corner of his eyes, Hermione had fallen asleep once again. Deciding it was the best time to give Ron his piece of mind, Harry asked with his voice rising.
"Why didn't I have the right to know what you were up to last night, then?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it." Ron shook his head stiffly and got the flower from Hermione's hand. "Right now, we should take Hermione to bed and let her sleep. She has had an awfully exhausting day."
"But you will tell me after." Harry said more than asked as he eyed a cerulean blossom Ron was holding.
Seeing that there was nothing he could do to evade all his disturbing, Ron pensively nodded, a reason why the corners of Harry's mouth lifted in triumph.
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Harry opened the door of the girls' dormitory a little strident than necessary and gently laid down Hermione on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her neck and tucked her in.
Before he could straighten up to a standing position, his eyes fell on Hermione's relaxed features. A jolt of poignant wave suddenly went through him as he noticed how alluring she looked while she slept. Her face was stunningly beautiful and gently innocent. Radiating a pious façade with an angelic glamour.
He chuckled under his breath.
All this time, he had his own private angel and he hadn't been able to see it. He reached over to touch her saintly face when Lavender suddenly stirred and he withdrew.
"What's going on?" Lavender straightened up sleepily. "What are you doing here, Harry?" She looked at him incredulously as if he was a maniac.
"There's…I mean, I brought Hermione up, er…she was sleepy and tired? Yeah, that's it and…um…so now I'm gonna leave." Harry gulped, not knowing what to say. He just couldn't tell Lavender that he rescued Hermione from nearly drowning in the lake in the middle of the night, could he?
Lavender half-nodded as her lids began to shut when she realized something was wrong and bolted into consciousness. "But I thought you were mad at each other?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Go back to bed." Harry spoke, clearly irritated.
Lavender smirked at him sarcastically, but did sleep again, after reminding him to leave at once.
But Harry didn't go. After making sure Lavender was in fact resting already, Harry pulled a chair next to Hermione's bed and lightly laid his hand on hers. For quite some time, he didn't say a word. He just watched her sleep, her chest rhythmically going up and down as she breathed.
Finding Hermione sweet and pleasant, he knew he would never get tired of gazing at her. Even with closed eyes, Harry could see what lay beneath those lids of hers; those warm, cinnamon eyes he could drown in forever.
He gazed persistently, enjoying the emotion that her seemingly chiseled beauty caused him. Without thinking about it, he reached over her and let his hand sashay the side of her soft face, marveling why the effect of it was so potent that he forgot they were angry at each other.
Or maybe, forget that she was mad at him.
Harry's ferocity for her had left him thoroughly when she had that accident tonight in the lake. He couldn't help but imagine that if Hermione had died, his callous words would be the last thing he would have had told her and it would be the ones she would have taken with her.
`No…' His hold on her hand tautened, frightened that if he let her go, he would lose all that means so much to him. `No…it wouldn't be.'
`I'd do whatever it takes for you to forgive me. I promise you.' He vowed to her wordlessly and gravely.
He traced the soft delineate of her face, the smooth curve that came with her chin and felt the warmth of her rosy cheeks. Without knowing what he was about to do next, Harry leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
`I'm sorry, Hermione." He stood up and took one last lingering look over her and said as he exited the dormitory. `Ron's right, I don't deserve to be your friend.'
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Ron paced back and forth as he waited for Harry to return from the Girls' Dormitory. Until that very instant, he couldn't find a way out of his promise to him.
`He has the right to know.' He reassured himself for the tenth time. But even as he told himself not to worry, he couldn't help but think of how furious Hermione would be if she finds out what he was about to do.
Before he knew it, his heart had begun thudding as loudly as the footsteps he was hearing from Harry who was now descending from the stairs.
"So what has really been going on?" he asked as he reached Ron's side.
Ron paused for a while and looked at him, troubled. "I don't know why I'm doing this," He scratched his head, "but as you're my friend, I suppose I should also stay loyal to you."
He sat down on the couch and waited for Harry to get comfortable as he, too, sat down across him and propped himself on the elbows.
"Ok. All settled." He said. "Get started, then."
Ron looked at him, and then he leaned forward abruptly, causing Harry to back away in surprise.
"Can we just forget that this night ever happened?" He asked in a hurry.
"Why?" Harry retorted. "So I wouldn't be able to sleep thinking of a thousand reasons why it did? No. I'm going to find out what you were doing out whether you like it or not."
"I doubt you'll still be able to sleep if I tell you this." Ron muttered, then leaned back and looked at the clock. "I can't do anything about since you wouldn't let me. Just don't let Hermione find out I told you this, ok? Cause it would both be our necks if she did."
"I'm listening." Harry nodded.
"And don't say I didn't warn you."
"Just tell me what it is and stop your babbling. The sooner you tell me the sooner it's over." Harry cleared impatiently.
Ron shook his head regretfully and sighed, then began talking. It took him only a few minutes to tell him everything he knew. However, he didn't tell Harry the main reason why Hermione was going to the past. He only told him that she wanted to go back in time to avoid the arguments that had happened between them and nothing more. He didn't mention anything about changing Harry and Cho's future, afraid that if he did, Harry would get angry with her…and when he finished, Harry was staring into space not saying a word.
"I reckoned you would react that way." Ron's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked at him.
"What way?" He asked, pretending to be innocent.
"The this-isn't-true-I-can't-believe-my-best-friend-is-in-love-with-me way." Ron said.
"You're wrong." Harry muttered but didn't bother to say anything else.
"Listen, Harry. If you won't believe what I'm telling you, it's up to you. But it's true; she really does love you and is willing to go back in time just for you to lo-…become friends again. And I'm sorry about the things I said yesterday about you not deserving her as a friend…the fact is, you are more than a friend to her and I just don't want you giving her more pain than what she has been suffering for so long."
"Actually, I should be the one who's sorry." Harry muttered regretfully. "I assumed so many things and I didn't even have the right because I don't control your life. I never will."
"Well, we were both in the wrong so let's just say we're both sorry."
"I agree." Harry said, grinning as he held his hand out to Ron, who grabbed it and shook it vigorously.
"Glad to be on terms with you again, mate!"
"Same here." Harry muttered seriously, thinking that at least, he had Ron as a friend again, and that was a real achievement.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Ron asked as he climbed into his four-poster minutes later after their conversation.
"About what?" Harry grunted as he settled into his own, noticing, as he did, the moon that were up and full, casting shadows on the things inside the room, including his face, which was basked with bewilderment and gloom.
"Hermione and you." Ron said.
"I don't know if there's a Hermione and me." He informed Ron truthfully as he lied on his back, closing his eyes.
"Whatever you want to do, Harry, I won't meddle. It's not my call." Ron yawned.
"And besides, there's still Cho to think about." Harry suddenly remembered.
"Which reminds me…" Ron said, slightly sitting up and turning to get a better look at Harry's expression. "I'm really sorry about what happened with Cho last night. I just couldn't take the way Hermione had been so depressed when she saw you with her after you promised to spend the night with us."
"It's ok. I'm sorry, too, I guess. Cause it was mainly my fault. Besides, I understand now why you did it."
Then after the moment's silence had passed, he said. "Harry?"
Harry made a sound, indicating he was listening.
"Think about what you'd do real well. Ok?"
"Yeah, I will." He said confidently. "Good night."
"Night."
It wasn't until Harry heard Ron's snores that he began to feel something.
Panic.
What would he do about it?
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In the middle of the night, Hermione suddenly woke up.
Her right hand suddenly going up to her cheek, feeling it, rubbing it gently, as if expecting it held something so sacred and so unnerving.
It took her a minute to realize that she was already in her dormitory. The last thing she remembered was she was in the lake and was being attacked by plimpies!
The lake.
Who saved her?
Water.
Wet.
Who changed her?
Her hands reflexively felt her clothing. What she remembered vaguely was how she was wearing almost nothing before she blanked out. So how come she was wearing robes now?
She scrambled off the bed and dashed towards Lavender's and shook her until her head lolled off the bunk.
"What in blazes are you people trying to do?" The girl complained irritably, waking up.
"What?" Hermione asked, stepping back. "People?"
"Harry woke me when he brought you here earlier tonight." She muttered slowly. "And now, you."
"Harry…Harry brought me up?" Hermione couldn't believe her ears.
"He did." Lavender said, her eyes opening wide, clearly stating she was getting irritated.
"And…did he…er…did he change me?" Hermione gulped.
"No…yes…I don't know." Lavender lied down again and partly covered her face with her pillow. "Mind if I get back to sleep?"
Hermione shook her head and went back to her own bed.
As she lay there, she couldn't help but feel something nagging at the back of her head…
"You wouldn't tell Hermione, would you?" She heard the voice she knew so well echo inside her brain, making her blink rapidly a few times.
"I don't know…" Came Ron's. "She's got to, after all, she has the right."
Where had they exchanged these words?
Hermione tried to think, but it seemed like her memory had nowhere else to extend. And then a possibility came into her brain. She scrambled off her bed for the second time and switched the light open. She grabbed the front hem of her robes and read on the plate.
Harry Potter
Questions suddenly flooded her mind and it took her minutes before logically coming up with this:
If she were nearly naked in the lake, Ron would have dressed her before taking her up, wouldn't he? And she was not naive not to understand that on their way up, Harry had volunteered to take her to the girls' dormitory.
But to have his clothes on her was a whole different thing.
`Unless…'
She thought.
`He was there.'
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