Harry Potter: the youngest Seeker for the Gryffindor House, one of the most famous people in the wizard world, known to have defeated Lord Voldemort more than once.
Ron Weasly: His friend.
Chapter One: To Be a Friend
�-and I think that the project Professor Flickwick has assigned will be a piece of cake, just as long as we all work together and ��
�Hermione?� Ron asked weakly, raising his head off of the library table. �Give it a rest, will you? We just got back!�
Hermione, however, was not going to be distracted. �Exactly, Ron,� she told him and Harry. �If we get a head start on our work early in the year, than we�re destined to do well.�
�Hermione,� Harry said carefully, not wanting to hurt his friend�s feelings, �that project isn�t due until next month, and it�s only one parchment. I think Ron�s right � we just got here. Let�s just enjoy our first day back.�
But enjoying herself was, apparently, not what Hermione wanted to do.
�Fine,� she told them crisply. �I�ll just go back to the Common Room and read up on the next chapter we�ll be reading in Transfiguration.� And with that, she left Ron and Harry by themselves in the deserted Library. Everyone else had enough sense to realize that when you didn�t have homework, enjoy it.
Harry looked at Ron, who appeared to be asleep on the table.
�Come on,� he said, nudging his best friend. �Let�s get out of here.�
�Wha�?� Ron asked, lifting his head and looking lost. Seeing Harry leaving, he quickly grabbed his things and followed.
The darkened hallways were empty and slightly spooky; everyone else was in their Common Rooms. Harry waited for Ron to catch up before making a beeline to the Fat Lady.
�How was your summer?� Harry asked. Ron snorted.
�You should know,� he answered. �You were there half the time.� Harry grinned; like every summer since coming to Hogwarts, Harry had spent a lot of time in The Burrow with the Weasly family.
�That�s true,� Harry said. �But did you like your summer?� Ron nodded.
�Aye,� he said, �it was like every other summer; great.� He pulled his shoulder bag onto his shoulder. �Playing Quidditch every day � I�ve actually gotten pretty good, if I do say so myself,� he added with a smug grin.
�Really?� Harry said lightly, remembering Ron�s Quidditch skills last season, but he didn�t want to hurt his friend�s feelings. �Think you�ll join the team this year?�
Ron nodded again. �Yeah, I �spect so. After all, with Wood gone and all, there�s no Keeper, and I have been practicing with Charlie and the twins.�
�Ah,� Harry replied. �Good,� he added quickly.
When they arrived at the Fat Lady, Ron asked,
�Do you know the password? Ginny told me, but I forgot.�
Harry smiled and him and nodded. �Druegel!� The Fat Lady, who was � like every year � a bit grumpy to be back on the job. She nodded impatiently and swung open, revealing the warm Gryffindor Common Room.
The room was alive with chatting friends reunited for the year. Ron stopped suddenly, peering into Harry�s face.
�Have your eyes always been that color blue?� he asked, and Harry nodded, wondering what had brought on the odd question. Ron blushed bright red, and replied, �Oh.� They stood looking at each other for a second, seeming unable to tear themselves away until they were bombarded by Dean, Neville and Seamus.
�Oy, Harry, catch any Quidditch this summer?�
�Weasly, did you fly at all this summer?�
�Did any of you bother to keep up with the football team this year?�
Ron and Harry glanced at each other, but the moment that had had was gone. With almost a touch of regret, they answered their friend�s questions.
�Ron?� Harry whispered urgently. �Are you awake?�
�Bloody spiders, I don�t like cheese�.� Ron muttered, fast asleep. Harry chewed his lower lip, wondering whether to wake him or not.
He shook his head � what was he thinking? He didn�t need to talk to Ron now � if it was important, than he could tell him at breakfast. The problem was, Harry wasn�t sure of what he wanted to say to his friend. He just had an urgent feeling that he needed to talk to him about what had happened that night � the look that had passed between them.
You�re just being a git, Harry thought, climbing back into bed. He�s your friend. And with that, the famed Harry Potter fell into a fitful and uneasy sleep.