12Title: Hermione's Exasperation
Category: Books » Harry Potter
Author: BuckNC
Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+
Genre: Humor/Drama
Published: 06-29-05, Updated: 07-07-05
Chapters: 6, Words: 10,113
Title: Hermione's Exasperation
Summary: A small co-author fic in which Hermione and Ron try to help Harry with his brooding emotions over Sirius during their sixth year. Drama, Angst, and a lot of Humor. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other recognizable characters belong to the very creative mind of J.K. Rowling. Thanks for the magic, Jo!
Do NOT leave a review until you read the entire story first! How stupid can you be to criticze something without actually reading it first? Don't get me wrong but if you write "I don't have the time to read the rest of the story" on a chapter 1 review then why bother leaving a review? However, if you read the entire story first then feel free to flame or praise away. All I got to say is it's a good story and worth your time
Authors' Note:
Suckr4romance: Hi, I'm Christine and I'm a high school student not too far from New Orleans. Louisiana...I want everyone to understand that although I live in Louisiana, that doesn't mean I talk like a Cajun (I am not of pure Cajun ancestry. Most of my family is actually Irish.) OR live in a swamp! That is a common misconception about the people down here, but I assure you that we are very civilized. I live in the suburbs, not too far from the city of New Orleans, and the only real difference in my speech from that of someone up North is the fact that I say y'all. That's it!
I wanted a Latin title for this fic, but my co-author convinced me against it (pouts). I'm obsessed with Harry Potter (duh), and Merlin do I love fan fiction. I think it's like, the greatest thing invented by mankind since, like, Latin. Woo-hoo! Yeah, so I'm pretty hyped about this fan fiction, in case you couldn't tell... My co-author and I are really having a good time working on it, so I hope you enjoy it as well.
BuckNC: Hey, I know what you're thinking but the answer is no. I felt bad that a lot of people were turned off at how bad my last co-authored experience went and they in turn decided against co-authoring themselves. I ask that you view that last story of mine as the exception rather than the rule. To prove it true, I've asked Christine if I could co-author a fic with her. To my surprise and relief she was nice enough to accept and I'm going to do my best to make this the best story I can. It also helps she's a whiz at Grammar. Not that I ever had any problems in that department.
"What? … Wait a minute."
"I see pigs flying outside my window. Okay, maybe I did have a few problems!"
"Oh no, you don't!"
"That stupid pig better not take a dump on my car!"
"Why that soon-to-be barbecued oinker…"
Chapter 1 – Things best left Unsaid and Not
"Harry James Potter!"
Harry looked up from his essay on Aging Potions. "What, Hermione?" he asked, clearly peeved at her interruption. "What are you doing up here, anyway?"
Harry rolled his head down from looking at Hermione to his essay before he muttered, "It's like you always Apparate up here without warning."
"You can not Apparate on—"
"Yes, Hermione," said Ron from the other side of the room. "Enlighten us of your lovely Hogwarts, a History again. I'm sure we didn't pick it up the first million times."
"Urgh!" Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "Merlin, help me!"
"What possessed you to come up here in the first place, Hermione?" Harry asked on a slightly more agitated note.
"I wanted to know where the world you've been, Harry! You've been skipping meals and your Remedial Potions studies again, I know you have! I'm worried about you." Concern clouded Hermione's eyes.
Ron could feel his stomach twist in a knot at the concerned look that Hermione was giving Harry. He forced his view back down on to his own Quidditch playbook, but he couldn't help but wish that Hermione would outwardly worry about him as much as she outwardly worried about Harry.
"I'm fine, really. I have a lot on my mind, so I go to the kitchens at night." Harry answered briefly, probably in the hope that it would satisfy Hermione to stop asking questions of him.
"If you're feeling sick you need to go to the Hospital Wing and talk to Madam—"
"I'm fine, Hermione! Now leave me alone!" Harry snapped back at her, ending the discussion.
Hermione stopped herself from saying anything more; instead she looked over at Ron for help. Which as far as Ron was concerned, he didn't really feel very helpful toward her. Not that he didn't agree with her, but the way he secretly felt toward Hermione made him a bit jealous of all the attention she always gave to Harry.
He briefly looked up to catch her pleading eyes directed toward him, but he broke the stare and moved his view back down toward his playbook. He wasn't sure if it was out of jealousy or disagreement that now was not the right time. Either way, he could hear Hermione growl in frustration at him as she stalked off down the spiral staircase.
Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were conversing on their prefect patrol of the second floor corridor when they heard a crash in the classroom across from them.
Hermione gasped. "What was that?"
"Dunno…" said Ron. "Want me to investigate it?"
"Nevermind. It was probably only Peeves. Anyway, as I was saying, I think Harry seriously needs our help."
"Why?" Ron asked, wishing that she would drop the subject as it seemed to be the only topic of conversation between them.
"Why?" Hermione echoed incredulously. "Because he's obviously keeping something from us, Ron."
"Like what?" Ron asked in exasperation. Not that he cared what the answer was as he was a bit more upset at having to again shelve the idea of asking Hermione out for a date on their next Hogsmeade visit.
"Honestly, you're so thick sometimes."
"What if I am? Can't you bloody well explain it to me, anyway?" Ron snarled in frustration at another loss opportunity.
Hermione sighed. This was not getting anywhere. "All I'm saying is, maybe we should talk to him about it."
"Talk to him?"
"Yes."
"He'll just blow up at us and bite our heads off, Hermione!"
"I know that Sirius is a testy subject with Harry, but this may very well concern him."
"Nope. I've learned my lesson. Remember last month, when I found a mirror shard under my bed and pointed it out to Harry? Well, I don't want him that mad at me again." Ron tried to reason with Hermione to drop the subject and let Harry deal with it in his own way.
"But we have to help him Ron. Who will if we don't? He'll just keep descending in this downward spiral, and yes, Ron, you'll be the one to blame for it."
Ron looked at Hermione, quite exasperated. He was stuck. She had a knack for doing this to him. If he didn't agree, this would be the daily topic of discussion between them for countless more patrols and he would never get the chance to ask her out. "Fine. Merlin, Hermione. You know how to pressure a bloke. But…if he starts getting angry, the blame's lying on you."
"Fair enough," Hermione grinned. "You'll see, we'll get through to him."
"How're we doing this again?" Ron asked tiredly. He and Hermione were in the Great Hall, but he had given up on eating quite a while ago due to Hermione's ranting.
"You and I will corner on Harry in the common room tonight, after everyone else has gone to bed."
"Okay. Then what?" Ron asked, not really wanting to do any of it by the second.
"We speak very calmly to him, asking him to share his hardships and whatnot with us."
"Hermione, no offense, but this sounds like a complete load of rubbish."
"It is not!"
"Whatever it is, it's not going to work. Harry's not going to go along with it, I know it."
"It's at least worth a try."
"Yeah, yeah," said Ron, getting up from the table. "Let's just get this half-baked plan over with."
"Harry?" Hermione said timidly, clearly not taking any chances on awaking the sleeping giant within him.
"What is it, Hermione?" Harry snapped. He was peeved at her interruption, for he was hard at work on an essay for NEWT potions class.
"Well, we—that is to say, Ron and I—need to talk to you."
"All right. 'Bout what?" said Harry, looking down at his essay again.
Hermione gave a pointed stare at Ron that implied she wanted him to say something. He hated to do it, but he didn't have much choice.
"About… about you, mate," Ron croaked. "You've been a bit… er… distant lately."
"Distant?"
"Yes, Harry. We're concerned about you." Hermione answered, with a concerned look that made Ron envious of Harry.
"There's nothing wrong with me. Now if you don't mind—"
"Harry, we decided—" Hermione said, pausing to look back at the nasty look that Ron was giving her for saying the "we" part, "—that you need to start talking about Sirius's death in order to—"
The angry scowl from Harry made even him quiet and nervous. Merlin, what did this girl just get me into?