“Mr. Weasley! Where have you been?! Professor Dumbledore’s on his way down to look for you!” she paused to take a breath and actually looked at Ron (who had not looked this bad since the time his attempted curse on Malfoy backfired in his second yeah) “oh dear come back to your bed here–miss Granger, I need to have some time with Mr. Weasley here–oh! Mr. Malfoy what has happened to you?!” She made sure Ron was laying on the bed before running over to Malfoy who was being supported by Crabbe with Goyle close in tow.

“Ron, are you ok?” Hermione tentatively took his hand.

“Yeah Hermione, I’ll be fine, really. You should go ahead to dinner. Especially before Malfoy tells madam Pomfrey where he got that fat lip.” Ron chuckled and squeezed Hermione’s hand but still looked really ill.

Hermione looked at him doubtfully but stood to go. “I’ll bring you a plate Ron,” she said and kissed him awkwardly on the cheek. She practically ran past Malfoy.

****************

Hermione walked into the great hall. Spotting Harry, she strode quickly to sit next to him and began eating. She started to tell him about what had happened with Malfoy “Hey, Harry you--” she stopped. Should she really tell him what happened? Harry was still being such a hothead that she was afraid he would run off to the hospital wing and curse Malfoy into oblivion. Then it dawned on her how would Harry react to what had happened with her and Ron? She knew it would inevitably come up eventually but this soon? She really wanted to talk to Ron once he was better to figure out what exactly was going on with them.

Harry seemed not to notice Hermione said anything out of the ordinary so she was spared having to explain what she was about to say. “’Lo Hermione. How’s Ron doing?”

She nearly choked on her bite of mincemeat pie. “What do you mean? Why–why would I know?”

Harry looked at her like she was crazy. “Because you just came from visiting him in the hospital wing? That is where you were, isn’t it?” he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head as if he was talking to a child.

“O-oh! Yes! That is where I was!” She could feel her face getting hot and she became fascinated with the pitcher of pumpkin juice. Just then Neville came over to the table.

“Where’s Ron?” he said looking around. “Oy! Hermione! Did he find you?”

Hermione’s eyes got as big as saucers. “Ron is still in the hospital wing Neville! What do you mean ‘did he find me’? He hasn’t left his bed all day!” she said through gritted teeth.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them like he was watching some sort of demented tennis match. “Er-what’s going on guys?” he said.

Neville, looking confused just stared at Hermione.

When he finally got a clue he shook his head, “Wha? Oh, Harry! Nothing’s going on! I-I’m just dazed after that divination lesson today it was a doozy huh?” he then turned his attention back to Hermione and with a suspicious look sat down across from her.

Harry seemed to accept this and continued eating. Neville continued to eye Hermione cynically but let the subject drop. Just then Dean ran into the great hall “Harry, Hermione, Neville! Someone beat up Malfoy!”

Harry practically spit pumpkin juice all over Dean at this news but managed to swallow at the last minute. “What? Who?!”

“Malfoy’s been beat up...muggle style! I don’t know by who and apparently he’s not talking. I heard Snape giving him the third degree in the hallway on my way here. Man you should see Malfoy’s fat lip and apparently he has some bruised ribs!” Dean chuckled and sat down to eat. Harry, still wide-eyed in astonishment as Malfoy was brought in by Snape with Crabbe and Goyle following along.

Hermione was torn between her remaining anger, bemusement that Malfoy was being embarrassed like this, and a twinge (though just a tiny one) of guilt at injuring another person. The small amount of guilt was soon replaced with anger though when Malfoy spotted her. He sat there glaring at her then mouthed ‘you’re dead’ at her.

“What the–he acts like I’M the one who thrashed him,” Harry said indignantly, “man! The nerve of him!” Harry’s temper which seemed to always be bubbling just under the surface was pricked. “You’d think af--”

“Harry,” Hermione said in a small voice. Once she got her own emotions under control, she realized Harry was in danger of doing something rash. “Just let it go, OK? He’s just being his usual pinhead self,” she sighed and got up from the table, “I’m going to see Ron in the hospital wing.” She glared at Neville, daring him to say anything.

She needn’t have worried as it was Dean who scoffed, “what’s with you two? First Ron wouldn’t shut up about you and now you spend every spare minute in the hospital wing.”

Hermione looked surprised but quickly recovered her composure, “well. We ARE friends, Dean!” She grabbed her bag and strode off in a huff.

Harry just chuckled and shook his head, ‘when will the two of them see how much they like each other?’ he thought, piling rice pudding onto his plate.

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