Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Thirty-nine: Muriel

Chapter 39: Muriel

Harry ate dinner quickly. Ginny ended up not coming down, saying that she had homework that she wanted to get started on. And because Hermione and Ron had apparently already eaten, he ended up sitting next to Neville at the head table.

They talked mostly about Herbology and the nets that Neville had made for the Alihotsy trees. He'd found a spot not far from Hagrid's cabin that would allow the right amount of light. Harry was to help him plant some of the trees at his next Herbology lesson.

After dinner, Harry reluctantly made his way back up to the hospital wing. At the door, because he'd been walking with his head down, he ran into the person coming through the door.

"Sorry--Hermione?" he said, grabbing her arm to steady her.

"Oh, sorry Harry," she said, taking a step back to steady herself. "Are you coughing up blood again? What's wrong?"

"No, I'm fine... what are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, glancing behind her toward the hospital wing and then back at Harry, smiling. "I'm taking a little magical health course with Madam Pomfrey. I realized over the course of this past autumn and winter that our education in the magical healthcare department is sorely lacking, so I thought I'd take a small independent study just to fill in the gaps."

"Really? It's N.E.W.T.s year," Harry said, his eyebrows furrowing. But he smiled at her. "Only you, Hermione, would ask for extra work during what's supposed to be the hardest school year."

"Ha, I suppose." She looked him over. He could tell by the look on her face that she was still wondering what he was doing there. He let her wonder for a few more seconds.

"Madam Pomfrey said I have magical PTSD. I can't remember what she called it."

"Post Magical Trauma Disorder?" Hermione asked immediately.

"Yep that's the one. So I'm to attend therapy three times a week with her."

"Well, that's good," Hermione said bracingly. "Get your demons out."

"I've already gotten Voldemort out of my head. How many more demons could fit in there?" Harry asked flatly. Hermione laughed.

"Well, I'll see you," Hermione said, "Ron'll be waiting for me." Harry was annoyed to notice that she was blushing.

"Right, see you," Harry said quickly, not meeting her eyes. They stepped around each other and Harry entered the hospital wing.

***

Hermione let the Room of Requirement door fall shut behind her. Ron was there sitting on the stone floor of the empty room. Behind him high on the stone wall, intricate clerestory windows, which had to be at least ten feet in length, shown deep purple and red as the sun was just finishing setting. The low light in the room made Ron's hair appear to be glowing a deep crimson.

"Good, you got my owl," Hermione said quietly, taking a step forward. "Sorry I wasn't at dinner. I went to see Madam Pomfrey about something."

"No problem." Ron shrugged. He had an arm draped over one knee and seemed the picture of ease.

"Right." She crossed her arms over her chest. She knew he was waiting for her to speak but she wasn't ready yet.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want to ask the room for," Ron explained, getting up from the floor and dusting himself off, "so I didn't ask for anything other than what you see." He took a few steps toward her until they were only a few feet apart. He slid his hands into his pockets.