Hidden Emotions {Harry & Hermione}

Chapter 9 - Recovery

Harry and Ron arrived shortly at the Quidditch stands and each took a seat. There was no noise of chatter, just the sound of the passing breeze. This, Harry thought, was the most peaceful it had ever gotten since his arrival at Hogwarts. The two wizards sat with an uncomfortable silence, not knowing where to start. Just fumbling with their thumbs and tapping their finger on the cap of their knees.

"Can you believe how well they fixed the Quidditch field? Last time I saw it, it was on flames." Ron stated.

"Yeah," answered Harry, and the eerie quietness continued. None of them said a word for about a minute and got back to fiddling, giving out an occasional sigh just to have a bit of sound around them.

"I'm sorry Ron, it is really my fault we are all in this mess." Harry apologized, breaking the tension.

"I will forgive you mate, for now I will just ignore the fact that you two are... you know." Ron paused and thought carefully before proceeding, "Hermione and I can't go three days without fighting, unlike when she's with you." Ron raised both of his eyebrows as he took a heavy breath and chuckled, somehow not humorously.

"Blimey, she read all about you for god's sake! Then there's me, the boy with ginger hair and the dirt on his nose," Harry and Ron laughed at the memory of the first time all three of them met on the train when things were without care. They faded into silence again and Harry looked down, replaying the time he has met Hermione and Ron.

"Isn't it strange, all those years ago we had no idea we would be here right now, in this situation? I mean none of us knew we would develop feelings for each other." Harry scoffed.

"By develop feeling for each other, you don't mean the two of us don't you? I'm sorry Harry, I am not up for a relationship just yet..." The two boys laughed and Harry felt embarrassed, only getting what he said before.

"Yeah, I mean, who would've thought I would fancy a snobby know-it-all," they both laughed hysterically and pushed themselves up from the seats. They faced the direction towards the exit of and began walking down the staircase.

"I wouldn't blame you Ron, you're not the only one," said Harry at the same time they were nearing the bottom of the stair well.

"Harry, I know I won't forget about you and Hermione all that easily but, I miss my best friend. Are things good between us?" Ron questioned suddenly.

"Of course we are, not everyone skips a class just to talk to a person who's not their best friend." The two boys grinned and walked across the fresh grassy field toward the entrance if the Hogwarts castle. Just before they entered Ron said, "But everyone would skip History of Magic for anyone..."

The bell rang stating that it was lunch time. Ron and Harry scurried to the Great Hall occasionally stopping by to have brief conversations with some of their friends. After talking to Seamus about him not having a date to the dance yet, they arrived at the Hall. They found a spot next to Neville and took their seats at the table opposite each other, Ron next to Neville and Harry next to an empty seat.

Soon after they greeted hello to Neville, Harry saw a swirl of brown hair walking towards him. It was obviously Hermione and as soon as she passed by the countless Gryffindors, she stared at Ron and then to Harry, glaring with a look of confusion and annoyance. She then decided to sit next to Harry at the empty saved spot and brought herself close to Harry's ear.

"What are you doing here with him?" whispered a barely audible Hermione.

"Because I want to and don't you think he deserves an explanation? After all, the only reason he got mad was of jealousy," Harry whispered back. Hermione distanced herself a bit from Harry to see if he was joking, but of course he wasn't. She gave out a sigh, a mask on her face that suggested 'I can't believe you' and forked on her food. Ron seemingly got the message and tightened his lips as if this was pathetic and ate extra loud to get Hermione's attention. It definitely worked.

"Alright Ron! I'm sorry for hurting your feelings and fighting with you all the time and for kissing Harry! There happy?" Hermione's voice got a few attention from the eavesdroppers but even more when the words 'kissing Harry' were said.

"I am quite satisfied, thank you Hermione," said Ron in a teasing tone. Hermione rolled her eyes unaware of the number of students that were facing their direction, still clearly puzzled by her sudden outbreak. Neville Longbottom clearly wasn't afraid of showing how surprised he was with his bulging eyes and his mouth parted so that the chewed food was visible. Seamus Finnigan too had the same reaction as Neville except one of his eyes were in a twitch. Ginny at the far side of the Gryffindor table on the other hand had a different perspective. Yes, there was a face of shock, but hers was more of an anger/jealous shock. Luna seemed to be the only one who was calm.

"You did what?" Seamus asked, his eye twitching no more, instead it was his eyebrows that were raised up high.

"What are you on about?" questioned Hermione.

"You kissed Harry? Your best friend Harry? The one with the scar Harry?" Neville listed in disbelief.

At Neville's bewilderment, Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced at Harry, breathing in a gush full of air. "Yes I kissed Harry, yes he's my best friend, perhaps more, yes he has a scar. I know it's wrong to do so but I did it anyway, do you have anything else you would like to put in the list?" Hermione nodded towards Neville who shaked his head vigorously at the tone of Hermione's voice. Even Harry himself got a little surprised by how open Hermione was about this, he was sure she wouldn't have told everyone but here she is, announcing it through a blowhorn. Harry carefully slid his hand like he was detonating a bomb and slowly then instantly laced his fingers to Hermione's, keeping a firm grip.

She softened the frustration visible on her face and looked down towards their interlocked hands. Hermione circled her thumb on Harry's hand and calmed herself down. "I'm sorry Neville, I shouldn't have raised my tone," apologized a guilty Hermione.

"It's fine, really, I was jus-you kissed Harry?" said Neville, obviously still in shock.

"Yes, do I have to say it again?" Nevile shook his head like a little boy denying he stole chocolates and got back to eating, slower than before, as well as the rest of the onlookers such as Seamus, Dean and, Harry realized as he looked toward the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy. Except Draco must not have a clue to what was happening so he just shrugged and returned to his food.

Ron seemed to still be transfixed, his cheeks puffing out from his mouth full of food. He chewed once or twice and swallowed. "Blimey Hermione, it's like you want the whole world to know..."

"Oh shut up Ronald," shushed Hermione.

Ron shifted his head around and looked like he saw a troll, "Look over there, Romilda Vane looks like she could kill someone," Ron stated.

"Well that's great isn't it?- hang on, is she staring at- I think she's giving you a death glare Hermione..." mentioned Harry, slightly frightened at the furiousity of the look Romilda gave. He wasn't even sure why she would do that, she already knew Harry wasn't interested. He was most certainly not.

"Harry, why do you have to attract girls' attention all the time? Do me a favour and be ugly and less heroic for once." Hermione declared, making Harry form a smirk on his lips at the last bit of her sentence. Ron shrugged a bit, still hinting that he was not used to his two friends being together. He didn't understand how quickly Harry had won her within the past few days and how it took him years. Harry saw that Ron's plate was empty and was now looking around to avoid the awkward notion they were in. He suddenly stopped at a direction and squinted, making Harry wonder why.

Ron looked back towards Harry and Hermione who were having a quiet conversation."Looks like my sister heard you, can't see her anywhere. She's not where she sat before," said Ron causing Harry and Hermione to look at one another in panic. The smirk on Harry's face vanished the second Ron said what he said.

This can't be happening, Harry thought, he had just progressed to have Ron back and was hopeful that today, he would fix things. Harry well knew that whenever they had a plan, all hell breaks loose. It looks like today, it had.

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Another chapter actually done briefly after the previous one! Your wishes have been granted😌 anyway i know i say this in every chapter and im sorry if this bugs you guys but I do thank you for the constant support I really do appreciate it😘 please vote if you like the story and comment some things I could improve on! It would really help. Chapter 10 awaits🙊