Hermione’s mouth dropped and before she could catch herself she yelled, “Get off of him now!” She cupped her mouth and started turning red. “Ron, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Hermione it’s okay. This is what I wanted to tell you. Beatrix and I are going out,” Ron informed.
“What?”
“We’re dating,” Beatrix repeated as she had her arms wrapped around Ron’s waist.
Hermione’s stomach dropped. It was several minutes before anyone said anything.
“Er”congratulations, Ron,” Harry stammered.
“Thanks,” he replied looking over at Hermione, who seemed more interested in the floor than what anyone had to say. “I guess we should be getting out side. Food’s just about ready. You okay, Hermione?”
Hermione looked up and asked, “What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I just remembered I forgot something at home, that’s all.”
“Oh.”
Harry, Ron, and Beatrix walked through the kitchen to the garden while Hermione still stood in the front room.
He has a girlfriend. Ron Weasley, the love of my life, has a girlfriend...and it’s not me.
She felt empty and completely hopeless. All the hard work to impress him has failed. It felt as if her heart had been torn apart into little pieces”too little to tape back together. Everything felt like it was crashing down upon her, and the weight of sorrow drilled her into the ground.
She sulked into the garden and watched Ron sit down at the table next to Harry. There sat Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Cullum, and Beatrix underneath the greyish, cloudy sky.
I can’t tell him now. He has a girlfriend. I hate her. I hate Beatrix Cullum!
“Hermione, are you joining us or are you going to just stand there?” Harry asked smiling.
Hermione walked over and sat down, pretending nothing was bothering her. Fred and George were in a deep conversation with Bill, Charlie, and Percy about Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were exchanging laughs with Mr. and Mrs. Cullum, and Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Beatrix conversed about the new school year.
“Yeah I got top O.W.L. for Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decent O.W.L. in Transfiguration and Charms, and an all right O.W.L. in Divinations and Potions. I was sure I wouldn‘t in Potions,” Harry commented.
“I did all right in the Dark Arts. Transfiguration I did really well, and Charms seemed to have been my best. Divinations and Potions I don’t even want to mention,” Ron added. “I’m sure Hermione got top marks in all her classes.” Hermione hadn’t answered. She continued to stab her bangers and mash. “Er”Hermione? Are you with us?”
“HELLO!” Beatrix shouted.
“What? Oh sorry. Yeah I did okay,” Hermione sighed.
“Hermione, are you sure you’re okay?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just...worried about my dad.”
“Is your dad all right, dear?” Mrs. Weasley broke in.
“He’s just a bit under the weather, that’s all.”
“Well hope he’s feeling better. No, no. E-lec-tric-i-ty. Right, Hermione?” Mrs. Weasley added and went on with her conversation about Muggle electric.
“Right,” Hermione answered and went back to staring at her vegetable.
“So what classes do you want to take for your N.E.W.T.’s, Hermione?” Ron asked.
“What’s it to you?” Hermione mumbled.
“Pardon?”
“I said I’d like to take Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, Charms, Potions, and Defence Against the Dark Arts.”
“Potions?” What are you deaf, Ron? Yes, I said Potions! “Figures, I only want to take two or three classes. The less, the better,” Ron smirked towards Beatrix. “What ‘bout you, Harry?”
“The same. Probably Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, and Astronomy,” Harry answered.
“Wicked. Probably the same for me,” Ron replied.
“That’s so weird because I love Charms, Transfiguration, and Astronomy. Maybe we’ll all be in classes together,” Beatrix said cheerfully.
Hermione started stabbing fiercely at her pork.
“Hermione calm down. What’d that pig ever do to you,” Ron joked.
Hermione wanted to burst into tears, but the clouds beat her to it. It started to rain, and everyone stood up to go inside. Mrs. Weasley swished her wand, the food and plates self-directed themselves to the kitchen to be cleaned, and the tables galloped to the shed. Hoping the night would end, Hermione asked Ginny, “Could you please come upstairs with me?”
Ginny could see Hermione was on the verge of tears so she said yes and they went. Ron saw them and asked, “Where are you two headed off to?”
“Shove off, will ya Ron,” Ginny snapped and hustled up the stairs. Everyone settled in the lounge as the two girls walked inside Ginny’s room.
“Hermione are you okay?” Ginny asked, closing the door, but knew the answer to that as she turned around to see tears pouring down Hermione’s cheeks.
“He fancies another girl! I didn’t think it’d actually happen. I want to tell him so much how I feel and now I can’t because he’s with someone else!” Hermione screamed, wiping away the tears from her cheeks.
“Wait, slow down. Who?”
“Ron!”
“Ron?”
“Yes! Since the first day I met him I had thing strange feeling for him, and I tried so hard for him to like me so it’d be easier to tell him, and now I can’t!”
Hermione threw herself onto Ginny’s bed and wept into the pillow.
“Hermione...there’s something I should tell you. It’s about Ron.”
“What is it?” Hermione asked, sniffling.
“He did fancy you”very much actually, but he figured you’d only fancy people like Viktor. Why do you think he tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team? Not just because he loves Quidditch, but because you fancied Viktor and Viktor was in Quidditch. So he figured if you saw him in Quidditch you’d fancy him. But when you didn’t show much interest towards him joining, he thought you didn’t fancy him at all.”
“He told you this?”
“Well, not exactly. I read a letter he was writing to Harry.”
“He told Harry?”
Hermione sat there pondering for a few moments, but quickly stood up and walked out of the room. She bustled down the steps, wiping the tears from her eyes, and in to the front room to see Beatrix sitting next to Ron with her legs on his lap. Ron’s face went very red at the site of Hermione entering the room.
“There you two are,” said Mrs. Weasley giddily. “Come you’re missing Charlie’s stories from Romania. Here, have some bread pudding.” She handed Hermione and Ginny a bowl, and they sat down and listened to Charlie.
Time past and Mrs. Weasley stood up and announced, “All right you lot, time for bed. Tomorrow we’re off to Diagon Alley to collect your books. Harry, you will stay in Ron’s room. Fred. George. You two already know where you’ll be. Hermione and Beatrix will stay in Ginny’s room. Take care, dears!” she said, hugging Bill, Charlie, and Percy. With a loud crack! the three were gone.
“Night, mum,” Fred and George both said and disapparated as well.
Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Beatrix all went upstairs, bid their goodnights, and went in their own rooms. Beatrix stretched out on her bed and rhetorically asked, “Isn’t Ron wonderful? I mean he’s just so perfect.” Hermione took one glance at her and rolled her eyes. “Hermione, you’ve known Ron for about, what? Three years?”
“Five.”
“Right. Well you must know a lot about him. What interests him?”
“You’re dating him, you’ve known him your entire life, and you don’t know?”
“I know some, but I know you know more. So what’s his favourite sweet?”
Hermione was about to say Ron loves Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, but she decided to have a little fun.
“Ron absolutely loves those-oh what-do-you-call-it-Nosebleed Nuggets!”
“Nosebleed Nuggets?” Ginny and Beatrix both asked at the same time.
“Yep. He never stops talking about them.”
“Tomorrow I’ll have to surprise him with a box. Do you know where I could get some?”
“Oh yes. I believe Ron’s brothers, Fred and George, sell them.”
Ginny hid her face behind her pillow to hold back the smiles.
“Well thank you, Hermione,” Beatrix chirped as she put something green in her mouth, pulled the sheet up to her chin, and fell asleep.
“No, thank you,” Hermione replied and looked over at Ginny whose face shone beat red from laughing inside her mind. Hermione rolled over, turned off the light, and fell asleep smiling.