3Hermione sat with her back against the wall of the Gryffindor common room, her legs crossed in front of her and hidden from view due to the handy placement of one of the squashy couches nearby. She liked to come here to get away from everyone. Even though the room was crowded, no one seemed to notice her when she was here, which was exactly what she was hoping for.
She watched the students around her and eavesdropped on some of their conversations. She smiled as she watched 3rd year students Richard Brentley and Kathleen Moone shyly exchange glances with each other from across their desk. Yesterday Hermione listened as Richard asked Kathleen to accompany him to Hogsmeade that weekend. She turned her attention away from them to peer at some first years trying to transfigure their toothpicks into needles. She was just deciding whether or not to offer them some assistance when Ron came through the portrait hole looking annoyed. Thankful that she was hidden, Hermione openly watched as his eyes scanned the room and seemed to grow more annoyed as he finally moved to sit next to Harry and Ginny by the fire. Hermione rolled her eyes and opened her Arithmancy textbook not wanting to hear about Ron's problems with Lavender.
Harry looked up as Ron dropped into the seat next to him and upon noticing the look on his face, frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Ron just grunted and looked around the room once more before sighing and staring moodily at the fire. Ginny and Harry looked at each other amused before Harry shrugged and returned to reading his Potions textbook. Ginny had been practising cheering charms but she couldn't concentrate properly when Ron sighed every couple of minutes. Finally, she dropped her wand and glared at her brother.
"What is it, Ron?"
Ron stared back at his sister moodily before sitting upright and looked around the room once more. "I can't find Hermione anywhere," he finally muttered. Hermione's head shot up at the sound of her name, surprised. She had been avoiding Ron lately because she had thought that Ron didn't want her around. Well, according to Lavender, that is.
Harry looked up at him. "If you need help with your Potions essay you can take a look at mine, I've just finished it."
Ron frowned at him and slumped back in his seat. "No.. I just.." he paused. "Where do you think she is? I've checked the library, the Great Hall, Hagrid's hut. I even checked Professor McGonagall's office!" Hermione's eyes widened. Why the sudden interest in her whereabouts? Inching forward, she peeked her head around the chair obstructing her from view and saw Ginny struggling to hold back a smile.
"Maybe she's with Hollie," Ginny said. Hollie was Hermione's friend who she met when they had been partnered together in their arithmancy class. Like Hermione, she was also muggleborn and was a bubbly, good-humoured girl and Hermione wished that she could be more like her.
"Ugh, Hollie," Ron spat out. Hermione recoiled slightly, shocked. Ron looked furious.
"What's wrong with Hollie?" Harry asked, surprised at Ron's reaction.
Ron shook his head, thinking. "What's not wrong with Hollie?" he countered back. "She's always singing and laughing everywhere, all the time and she's so loud."
Harry and Ginny both looked at Ron incredulously. "Well I think Hollie's great," Ginny said. "She's really funny and I think she's good for Hermione. Did you see them at breakfast this morning? I've never seen her laugh so much."
This time it was Ron's turn to look incredulous. "She's not good for Hermione, she's only bringing her down. She's a distraction and Hermione needs to cut her loose."
"Oh, come on Ron! They're just friends!" Ginny exclaimed. "Hermione deserves to have some good people around her, especially now. No offense to you two but you guys aren't exactly winning the award for Friends of the Year," she said knowingly.
Ron started to speak up but Harry beat him to it. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
Ginny seemed to stare back at the both of them with pity. "Well, Harry, lately you've been totally consumed with stalking Draco Malfoy and the whole-" she paused and dropped her voice, "Voldemort thing."
"I don't have a choice!" Harry protested.
"I know that, Harry. And so does she and we're not holding anything against you. But you, Ron," she shook her head warily. "Well you and Lavender seemed to have permanent sticking charms to your lips. You two are hardly ever around anymore, it's no wonder she went looking for some companionship somewhere else!"
Ron looked hurt. "But she's got you for that! She doesn't need to go looking somewhere else! She's got everything she needs right here." Hermione felt odd inside. This was everything she wanted to hear and yet somehow it only made her feel worse. Feeling slightly proud of herself, Hermione crawled her way to the other side of the room and made a new spot for herself under the large window overlooking the Great Lake. She felt someone watching her and looked up to find Kathleen and Richard staring curiously at her. She smiled sheepishly back at them and proceeded to read her textbook.
Back on the other side of the room, Ron was hassling Harry to let him borrow his Marauder's Map. "Please Harry. I just need to know where she is. She could be lying in a ditch somewhere for all we know."
Harry didn't look up from his book. "How many ditches have you seen in Hogwarts?"
But Ron ignored him. "Come on, Harry. How would you feel if I'm right? Hmm? What would you do then?"
"Fine!" Harry reached into his bag and pulled out the map. "But this is only to shut you up, okay? And when you see that Hermione is safe and sound somewhere reading an overly large book, you will leave me in peace and quiet, is that understood?"
Ron nodded his head impatiently, reaching for the map. "Yeah, yeah. Peace and quiet, I got it." He eagerly grabbed the map from Harry's outstretched hands, muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" and opened the map. His eyes scanned the entire map and after a few seconds he frowned and looked up and around him.
"What?" Ginny asked, watching him. Harry looked up too. "What is it?"
Ron said nothing and stood up looking around the room.
"Ron! What-"
"She's here!" he replied. "In the common room somewhere. But I can't see.." he trailed off as his eyes narrowed and he took off towards the other side of the room.
Hermione glanced at the wall to her left and poked her finger in a small groove in the stone, trying to memorise what she had just read. She looked back down at her book and started when someone came and stood right in front of her. She let her eyes slowly move upward until she locked eyes with Ron. She noted that he still looked furious.
"Can I help you?" She asked politely.
"What the bloody hell are you doing over here?" He asked loudly. She looked around them and noticed that Kathleen and Richard were now watching her. I guess it's only fair since I spied on them yesterday, she thought.
"Are you even listening to me?" He roared, looking behind him and upon seeing Richard and Kathleen watching, sent them a furious glare before kneeling down in front of Hermione.
"Oh, yes. Of course," Hermione was flustered at their closeness. Act natural, Hermione. For goodness sake, it's only Ron, she thought. "You asked me if..?"
"Did you know that we've all been worried about you? We haven't seen you all day, we didn't know where you were." His voice softened as he looked at her.
She frowned back at him. "But, I've been here all day, Ron. I-" she didn't know what to say. "You were with Lavender, Harry was with Ginny. I didn't tell anyone where I was because I didn't think anyone would care." She didn't mean to sound like she was feeling sorry for herself, it was just the truth.
Ron looked ashamed. "Oh," he said quietly. He looked her in the eye, "Well we do and we'd like to be more informed from now on, if you don't mind. What with the whole V-Vol.. you-know-who killing muggleborns and whatnot."
Hermione was surprised and pleased that he had worried about her but she wasn't about to show it. "Well, I'll try to do that from now on."
He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back. Suddenly noticing where they were, Ron looked around them before settling his gaze back on her face.
"You know, you've got yourself a nice spot right here. Away from prying eyes, well, except for those two," he said gesturing towards Richard and Kathleen who were still watching inconspicuously. "Bugger off!" He yelled at them.
"Ron!" Hermione's eyes widened before she burst into laughter. Ron looked back and watched indulgently as she laughed.
"I really need some help with my Potions essay," he began after she had calmed down. "Maybe I could get my stuff and bring it over here?" He asked softly, shyly.
Hermione felt her smile grow, she nodded. "Sure."
He beamed back at her. "Brilliant. Let me just-" But he was interrupted by a loud screech. Hermione winced.
"Ron!"
Ron and Hermione both looked up at the sound to find Lavender Brown standing next to them, her face contorted with rage. Hermione saw Ron frown and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Lavender had her hands on her hips and was staring between the two of them. "What the hell are you doing over here with her?" Her eyes bulged at their closeness and upon noticing this, Ron stood up abruptly, guiltily. Lavender glared at him for a moment before turning her attention to Hermione. Here we go, she thought.
"When are you going to learn, Granger?" She said cattily.
Ron stepped forward. "Stop it, Lavender. Let's go." But Lavender didn't seem to hear him.
"We were just talking, Lavender." Hermione said calmly.
"What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours. I don't go chasing after your silly little books so leave Ron alone!" She shrieked.
"That's enough, Lavender!" Ron yelled.
Hermione sighed and closed her book. She stood up and faced Lavender, thoroughly sick of being in the middle of their problems.
"I'm not going to stand here and argue with you, Lavender. Ron's your boyfriend but he's also my friend and believe it or not, friends talk with each other. And frankly, I'm sick of you right now so if you'll excuse me I have a friend to meet." She stepped around Lavender and made to walk away.
"Wait!" Hermione turned to see Ron step toward her. "Where are you going?"
She stared back at him as she heard Lavender splutter obscenities. "Maybe Harry can help you with your essay." She said before turning. "I'm going to go and study with Hollie."
She missed the way his face fell as she walked out the portrait hole. Knowing she had gotten one up over Lavender didn't erase the empty feeling she had felt the moment she had left Ron's presence.