Disclaimer: Yes, I know, the characters aren't mine. No need to rub my face in it.
*****
Harry took his seat in potions with an audible groan.
“Remind me why I’m still in this stupid class?” he muttered out loud.
“Because you want to become an auror and Professor McGonagall was kind enough to pull some strings for you so you got into the class, even without brilliant grades.”
Harry turned to see Hermione sitting across from him.
“Oh yeah. So you’re talking to me again now, are you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I never stopped talking to you Harry. Clearly you’re imagining things.”
Harry’s eyes widened.
“Then what was all that steely glaring for yesterday, you know, when we were talking about Ron?”
Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder and shrugged in an infuriating way.
“Really, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Where is Ronald by the way?”
“Ah…so you’re still mad at him then?” Harry grinned.
“What?”
“You only call him Ronald when you’re angry!”
“Oh for God’s sake Harry. Fine! Where’s Ron then?”
Harry laughed.
“He’s still in the dormitory. He was moaning and groaning like a tortured animal when I woke up, probably ate too much at the feast last night.”
He watched as a battle proceeded to play out on Hermione’s features. In the end, it seemed, concern won over pride.
“How bad is it? Has he been to the hospital wing? He probably just needs rest, doesn’t he?”
Harry held up his hands defensively against her barrage of questions.
“Slow down, Hermione, slow down! I don’t know how bad it is, but I doubt it’s fatal. Yes, I took him to the hospital wing first thing this morning, but Madam Pomfrey did, as you so wisely guessed, suggest that he just get some sleep and let it run its course.”
Hermione sighed.
“Honestly. Trust Ron to eat his way to illness!”
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Professor Snape swept into the classroom and threw them a menacing look.
“Potter, Granger, why aren’t you ready for my lesson? I have repeatedly told you to get your things out before I arrive, and to sit in silence before the lesson begins. Five points from Gryffindor.”
Hermione made a small noise of protest.
“Each. Get out your parchment and take notes.”
As the students rifled through their bags, searching for quills and parchment, Harry sank his head down into his hands.
“Here we go again…” he muttered.
*****
When Hermione opened the door to the boys’ dormitory, all she could see of Ron was a large lump beneath the covers. Quietly, she crept across the room and perched on the edge of his bed, looking down and watching him sleep. He was very pale and his hair was damp with sweat. A lock had dropped down across one of his eyes, and without thinking she leaned across and pushed it back. Ron awoke with a jerk.
“Hnnuh, wha? Wha’s going on? Hermione? What are you doing here?” He sat himself up and rubbed his eyes.
“Harry told me you weren’t feeling too good so I came to check up on you.”
“Well that was really nice of you Hermione, but in case you hadn’t noticed I’m not exactly looking my best right now.” He muttered, hastily trying to smooth down his hair and do up the top buttons of his pyjamas.
“Oh honestly Ron, why would I care what you look like?” Ron looked slightly hurt by this, but his smile returned when Hermione continued, “I was worried about you, you moron.”
Suddenly, Ron frowned and looked at the clock on his bedside table.
“Hold on Hermione, shouldn’t you be in Muggle Studies right now?”
Hermione blushed and looked away.
“Well…technically I should, but as I have a lot of experience with muggles I thought I could probably afford to miss one lesson.”
Ron looked incredulous.
“You missed a lesson? I…I can’t believe my ears!” He started to laugh and, soon enough, Hermione joined in. Their laughter died down and, as Ron wiped tears from his eyes, he looked at her.
“Wait a second…you’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
Hermione looked puzzled.
“Harry said something yesterday. Made me think you’d been talking to him about me or something…”
She looked at him, then looked away.
“No Ron, no I’m not. Just forget about that will you?”
He suddenly became engrossed in the freckles on his hands as he said, almost hesitantly, “Hermione? I’m…well…I’m sorry if I did something to upset you…I honestly didn’t mean to…”
He looked up to find Hermione staring at him, wide-eyed. Suddenly, a grin spread across her face and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
“Thanks Ron. And I’m sorry too. I’ve been a bit…well a bit petulant recently, and once I get into that kind of mood I can’t stop and…Ron? Ron, what’s wrong?”
She had become aware that Ron was just sitting, looking slightly baffled. Slowly, he shook his head, blushing slightly.
“I’m alright Hermione. You know…this fever and all…”
Hermione laughed and, after a moment, eased herself up from the bed and touched him on the hand gently.
“I think you should get some rest now, otherwise you’ll never get better in time for quidditch practice tomorrow, will you?”
As she closed the door behind her Ron traced his fingers over the place where she had touched his hand. With a deep sigh he settled back against the pillows and, with a look of contentment on his face, fell into a deep sleep.
*****
Harry landed on the pitch a little too forcefully and mud splattered everywhere.
“Eugh, Harry! You’d think you’d be able to control your landings by now!”
Harry grinned as Ron attempted to shake the mud out of his hair.
“Sorry Ron. Or should I say sorry Captain?”
Ron folded his arms.
“I know you find it hilarious that Angelina made me Captain, Harry, but you could at least try to show a little support.”
“Oh come on Ron, you’re being an idiot!” He protested.
“Yeah sure. I know you expected to be made Captain yourself, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the team were expecting the same thing. But I got it Harry.”
“I know you did. Why are you getting so angry?”
He looked at Harry’s puzzled expression, and decided that he had been joking after all.
“I dunno. Sorry mate, didn’t mean to go off on one.”
Harry smiled.
“Forget about it.”
Ron grinned and, squaring his shoulders, turned to the rest of the team.
“Now I know this our first day of practise, and people are still getting used to having me as Captain,” he glanced subconsciously at Harry, though thankfully he didn’t notice, “but we have a match against Ravenclaw coming up in a few weeks and we need to be ready.”
There were noises of assent, accompanied by a few groans.
“It’s been a while since we’ve played together, and we lost some of our best players this year,” the absence of Angelina, Alicia and Katie was very noticeable, “but we should not be this lousy. I’ll shoulder some of the blame, but I can’t make this team work on my own. So…” he breathed in before voicing what he knew would be an unpopular decision, “I want us to practise an extra two times a week.”
Immediately there was an outcry of complaints as the team turned on Ron.
“Wait a minute would you?”
And, when they continued to hurl abuse at him, “SHUT UP!”
There was instant silence.
“Thank you.” Ron breathed, slightly shocked that his order had been followed. Then, reminding himself that they had to listen to him because he was Captain, he began to explain.
“It’ll only be for the three weeks running up to the match. This is a very important year, both to me and others on the team.”
He looked pointedly at Harry, who looked startled then gave a nod of assent.
“We need to put in a little extra effort if we want it to pay off. So you’ll all be coming, even if you have problems with it.”
There were some disgruntled murmurs but this time no one refused.
“Right then. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Everyone began to make their way back to the castle, and Ron slumped down onto a bench, thinking he was alone.
“Nice work there, brother.”
He looked up sharply to discover that Ginny had stayed behind. He gave a weak smile.
“Thanks Gin. It was…weird.”
Ginny laughed and sat down next to him.
“I’m sure you’ll get used to it. You make a pretty good Captain, you know.” She said, playfully punching him on the arm.
“Really? Well, you’ve always made a pretty good chaser.” He replied, a grin spreading across his face.
His cheery demeanour disappeared, however, when he looked over Ginny’s shoulder to see a familiar figure lurking nearby.
“Well, well, well,” Draco Malfoy sneered, “isn’t this just touching? A Weasley moment.”
*****