Hayloft - ron weasley

5

it had been a little while since briar and ron's moment in the astronomy tower.

she felt like she was slowly getting better. not at 100% but better.

ron had told her to come to hogshead, where briar showed up late. only got worked up once with this one kid who kept speaking up, countering what harry and hermione were saying.

she signed her name on the piece of paper before she slipped out the door without saying goodbye to anyone.

she sat in the corner of the three broomsticks, silently sipping on her butterbeer when ron, harry, and hermione walked in.

ron said something to the two of them before they all walked up to briar's table.

she could feel the panic in her chest rise seeing all three teenagers walking up to her. if it were just ron, now that's a different story. but all of them together, it was scary.

"do you mind if we sit?" harry asked bashfully.

"be my guest." briar shrugged, trying to hide her anxiety.

ron sat next to briar as harry and hermione sat together on the other side of the table.

"so... you agree with harry then?" hermione asked.

"agree with harry on what?" briar clearly didn't know what she was referring to.

"on if you know who is back."

"oh." she stared down at her butterbeer as ron wide eyed hermione, almost scolding her with his eyes. "well, yeah i do."

hermione ignored ron's lingering eyes as she turned her attention back to briar, "brilliant. so, did you like the meeting?"

"uh, yeah it was very educational. i'm gonna go get some more butterbeer, do you guys want any?"

the rest of the group nodded as briar quickly left to the front.

"hermione lay off her." ron says as he rolls his eyes.

"i'm not doing anything to her! i'm being friendly!" hermione said.

ron ran his hand through his hair in annoyance, "as if this couldn't get any worse."

"hello brother, brother's friends." fred smirked.

"why are you guys here?"

"we saw you guys coming in here-" fred started. "-so we thought we'd join you." george continued.

"oh hey, what are you guys doing here?" briar asked as she walked over with a tray of butterbeers.

"ah just the girl we wanted to see." fred said as he pulled his arm around her.

ron was obviously getting more annoyed by his family and hermione, "ok that's it, briar do you wanna get out of here?"

"yes please."

he grabbed her hand and led her out of the three broomsticks.

"wait! you guys just got here don't leave!" fred yelled as they left.

as they started walking through hogsmeade road sighed in relief, "thanks, honestly i was feeling like i was being interviewed."

"yeah i'm sorry about them, they can be a bit much sometimes."

they started making their way back to the castle.

"what's up with you and hermione?" briar blurted out.

she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

it suddenly got a little more quiet and briar wanted to kick herself for making things so awkward.