Sing for Me, Cry for Me

13. Gryffindor VS Gryffindor.


The next morning was all grumbling and groaning on Ron’s part.

“I can’t believe it! I will never go into the library with you. Never!

Harry was sitting on his bed with his legs crossed with an air of a person who found his inner peace and now was just contemplating universe and its chaotic course in front of him.

“Honestly, Ron, as far as I remember I didn’t ask you to baby-sit me.”

“No you didn’t but that doesn’t mean that we had to stay there till dawn. And besides I told you already that I’m not going to let you go anywhere alone. You have quite a knack for getting into all sorts of troubles.”

“Well, thank you so much. Why everyone thinks that I can’t look after myself? Will you carry my bags today. I’m afraid those books are too heavy for me.”

“You’re not feeling well?” asked Ron rushing towards Harry and tripping over his trunk which resulted in his sprawling all over the floor.

“Watcha doing, Ron?” asked bewildered Seamus who had just come out of the shower.

“Oh, nothing out of ordinary,” answered Harry in a bored way, “the usual thing. Pays his humble homage on his knees.”

The room burst into laughter, which was a good thing because Harry and Ron haven’t finished their conversation. So he bent down to Ron saying quietly:

“Besides, there’s always Malfoy around watching my every move as a hawk. Lucius ordered him to spy on me but I bet you anything he also told him to watch out for me and keep me safe for whatever reason he needs me.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit creepy?”

“A bit? Now that I know that he follows me I can feel him, I can see him in every corner, in every shadow. And frankly it’s getting on my nerves. Doesn’t he have something else to do? Does he have to obey him implicitly? Doesn’t it make him feel like a slave?”

“Well, I don’t know. With a father like Lucius Malfoy I think it’s better to obey implicitly than to find out what if…”

“You’re probably, right. I wouldn’t know what it’s like to have him as a father and thanks all the skies and suns and moons and seas for that. Grr, that was a bad thought. Bad thought, bad thought! “ yelled Harry banging his head with the first thing that came within his reach (which thankfully was a not very large book).

“Will you stop it?” asked Ron taking the book away from Harry, “You sound awful lot like Dobby.”

“Gee, thanks. Anyway, I think I could get away with anything.”

“Doesn’t look like you got away so far.”

“That’s different.”

“Right.”

“But, Ron, don’t you think we should talk to him?”

“You’ve already talked to him and it didn’t get you too far.”

“Not to Lucius! Idiot! To Draco!”

Ron looked at Harry seriously considering sending him to St. Mungo’s by the end of the day.

“You are out of your mind. And you have the audacity to call me an idiot. It’s stupid!”

“Well, I’m a Gryffindor. It’s in my nature to do stupid and noble things.”

“Hey! I’m a Gryffindor too!”

“Well, of course you are. You are stupid enough to be a Gryffindor and stupid enough to be my best friend and to help me.” said Harry with huge puppy-dog eyes, “And we’ve just come to an understanding. And isn’t it great to be best friends again?”

“Are you trying to manipulate me into helping you to befriend or whatever you want to do to Draco Malfoy?”

“If I had authority enough I’d say ten points for Gryffindor for the sharpness of your wit.”

“And now do I hear sarcasm?”

“Another ten points.”

“And after all that you believe that I will help you?”

“I know it for a fact.”

“And why is that?”

“Well…” said Harry as if considering the question, “first of all as we have just established, you are a Gryffindor, that means you can’t desert a member of your own house in need, secondly, we also established that, you want to be what a true friend should be which means that you can’t desert your best friend in need, and thirdly, you are Ron Weasley and I am Harry Potter and you always, almost, always there for me. Well, isn’t that what you wanted? I give you a perfect chance.”

“You know I think it’s easier to pass Potions with top marks than prove to you that I am your true friend.”

“Well, we don’t look for easiest ways now do we? Life would be such a bore if we didn’t have challenges before us.”

“Is this your new policy?”

“It has always been a policy of mine. It’s just that challenges were not always up to my standards.”

“I didn’t know you were such a gambler.”

“I need something else to keep my mind at. That’s all. I need it Ron.”

“Don’t you think that communicating with Draco will only make it worse?”

“I don’t know. But I want to try. Besides he might know something. Don’t look at me like that. I know he won’t tell us and still… Am I hopeless?”

“Yes. But you’re not alone. And damn it I’ll do it.”

“Is there anything you want in return?”

“I think you confuse me with a certain Slytherin. We Gryffindors do everything out of the goodness of our hearts and we never ask for something in return.” declared Ron solemnly.

“Sure. As you wish. Though it could have been a great deal.”

“Since when did you become so cynical and material.”

“Since when Lucius Malfoy raped me.” whispered Harry bitterly.

They sat in silence with Harry hanging out of the bed and Ron still on the floor.

“Is it that bad. Have I changed too much?” asked Harry quietly afraid to hear what Ron might say.

“No, Harry, not much. But you would never think about striking a bargain before. At least not with your friend.”

“I do remember, you know. I do remember what he did. And it hurts me but I… It seems I forgave him, but I can’t forgive my own self.”

“For what? There’s nothing you should forgive yourself for.”

“For being weak Ron. For giving in. For having feelings for him. For loving him.”

“Harry, there’s nothing to forgive. You don’t know why you feel this way. But you will find out I know you will and then everything will make sense and you’ll be…” here Ron stopped abruptly.

Harry looked him sharply in the eyes:

“You were going to tell me that we’ll be together?”

Ron blushed.

“Sorry.”

Harry was about to answer when someone coughed. Harry raised his head.

“Yes, Neville?”

“Mm…guys, aren’t you coming for breakfast?”

“We were just on our way. Come on, Ron.”

Harry jumped off the bed extending his hand to help Ron who was still a bit abashed by his own train of thoughts concerning his best friend and Lucius Malfoy. At the door Harry tugged at Ron’s sleeve who wanted nothing more than to be swept away from the face of the earth and didn’t dare to look Harry in the eyes. He was instantly afraid that he overstepped his boundaries with Harry and that their friendship had come to an end. But Harry lifted his head and smiling shyly said:

“Thank you.”

It made Ron grin back:

“You’re welcome.”


***

The arrival of Harry, Ron and Neville livened up the Great Hall considerably. No one had seen Harry since his so-called break-up with Hermione. And now when he came in happy and shiny with his friends by his side the rumors and gossips started anew. Everybody tried to guess what it would be like now that the Golden Trio no longer existed but still more everyone was curious as to how Harry and Hermione would behave at breakfast.

In general it wasn’t the happiest time for Hermione. The morning after the news about Harry and her had been spread throughout Hogwarts Hermione was getting lots of hostile looks, nasty words and even spiked up pumpkin juice which left her big angry red spots on her face, neck and hands that produced unpleasant liquid. After spending the whole morning in the Hospital Wing receiving hate mail from her own classmates she dearly regretted the path of war that she had chosen.

But who could have thought that Harry was that much loved and so popular among population of the school. Hermione always considered herself smart and recalling all those times that the inhabitants of Hogwarts turned their backs at Harry for minor faults she was sure that if they found out that he had mistreated her he would be condemned and shunned again. So she decided to spread the rumor about his behavior through Neville and some others thinking that it was a really brilliant plan.

But how was she supposed to know that Harry would strike back and strike back successfully making himself look a sort of a hero once again. All the school was at his side now and Hermione was unanimously declared an outcast. Everyone was fed up with her being the top of almost every class minus Defense Against the Dark Arts which was always Harry’s strongest point. But now that she managed to pocket the best guy at school and then cheated on him in public’s opinion it was too much.

Hermione of course heard the rumors about Harry being her boyfriend and secretly was flattered and extremely pleased. It hurt her a great deal that Harry saw her as nothing more than a sister or a friend. She thought that now with all the time that they were going to spend together studying she would be able at last to make him see her in a different light and even entertained the idea of Harry asking her out some day soon.

But Harry had only studying on his mind not paying to her the slightest attention. She bitterly wondered why he asked her help in the first place if he didn’t need her in the slightest. And that really picked her self-esteem but when it turned out that Harry could be as bright a student as she and when he managed to beat her on more than one occasion during different classes the next day, not to mention her exploded cauldron and zero marks while Snape granted Harry top marks she felt beyond humiliation and wounded pride.

She decided to take revenge on Harry totally forgetting the fact that he was her best friend of seven years. And she started with implying that Harry couldn’t possibly deserve those marks because he wasn’t smart enough. She wanted to hurt him with denying his abilities as much as he hurt her with denying her the right to be something more to him than just a friend. Not understanding that for Harry friends were akin to family and he felt very strongly for them not to mention that he had so few of them. Now that she cooled down she understood that her actions were too hasty and maybe for the first time in her life she acted in the most Gryffindorish way recklessly not thinking about the consequences of her actions. Thus she got into the trap of her own making. And she had no one to talk to. Because all through the years Harry and Ron were her only friends and she was hardly the most popular person at Hogwarts, but now she was lonely without her friends and she hoped that open-hearted confession would take weigh from her shoulders and would bring her forgiveness.

So she stood up and marched over to where Harry and Ron were sitting in the middle of the table. When they entered the hall they were greeted as though they had just returned from a victorious battle. The whole hall froze in anticipation when Hermione started walking towards Harry even professors tensed. Though they didn’t know the whole thing they knew that something serious was taking place and as far as it concerned Harry Potter they decided to be on guard.

“She’s coming.” noted Ron.

“Whatever.” answered Harry indifferently.

She was standing in front of the table as if it was Supreme Court with Harry as the highest Judge waiting to hear her sentence.

“Harry…” she said in a small voice.

Harry torn himself from his plate and looked questioningly at Ron:

“Did you hear something?”

Ron snickered and pointed at Hermione. The whole room in total silence.

Harry looked up at her wearing blank expression and no recognition whatsoever as if a stranger stood in front of him. Which Harry pointed out to himself she was, because Harry couldn’t recognize in this Hermione the one he once knew.

“Yes Miss, can I help you? Do I know you?”

“Harry…” tried one more time dumbfounded Hermione.

“Funny, I don’t remember seeing you around. I thought rules forbid letting strangers on the territory of Hogwarts. You know I read it in Hogwarts. A History”

Harry was looking at her now through narrowed eyes.

“But you do remind me of someone. Yes, definitely… I once had a friend…. But no, you are nothing like her.”

With that Harry turned back to his plate.

“Harry, please, I just wanted…”

“Excuse us Miss, but my friend here,” he pointed at Ron, “and I are having breakfast and we don’t have much time because classes are about to start and I have to kick one very smart ass, so if you don’t mind…” Harry waved his hand in general direction of the doors.

Hermione ran out of the hall tears pouring down her face.

“Serves her right!” yelled someone emphasizing it with a loud bang on the table snapping the room into animated conversation once again.

***

In Harry’s opinion it was a very successful day. It was pure pleasure to watch Hermione almost sweating when she didn’t know what to answer to Harry’s arguments on different topics they covered during classes that day. He felt himself a prosecutor cross-examining a defendant. It was almost too much fun watching Ron disproving one of Hermione’s answers and a professor agreeing with Ron awarding him fifteen pints for a fresh point of view and originality.

“You didn’t think I spent so much bloody time in the library just watching you” he asked Harry afterwards.

“Well I’m glad you found there something to enjoy.” answered Harry laughingly.

The day and the month that followed seemed like a long lesson in humiliation and humility for one Hermione Granger. By the time winter holidays arrived she was far behind Harry, Ron and Draco Malfoy.