Me and You // Ronarry {Discontinued}

Part 5

Wisdom teeth: out. Swelling: is going down. Writing motivation: is up. Hotel: Trivago. (Yes, I'm aware of how cringey that sounds.)

Summary: the first week is chaotic enough as it is; Ron tries out for Keeper

If someone asked Ron what the weather was like the next morning, he would probably have said there had been a hurricane inside. Fred and George had accidentally sent their trunk careening into Ginny, who fell down two flights of stairs, Sturgis Podmore never arrived, and Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Black's portrait seemed to be competing for loudest screech.

Yet somehow they made it onto the train in time. Although, after they reached Hogwarts, Ron guessed Harry would rather be on the Knight Bus than stared at with suspicion and fear.

And anger, as Seamus Finnigan apparently felt when Ron came into the dorm.

"You-Know-Who can't stay hidden for long," Ron said the next morning in an effort to cheer Harry up. "Then they'll be sorry."

Harry didn't look reassured.

History of Magic was the first class of the day, and after break was double Potions. Ron could hardly wait. Not.

"Hello, Harry!"

It was Cho Chang, the girl that Harry used to have a crush on. Harry had said she had encouraged him to ask Ron to the ball, and for that alone Ron was eternally grateful.

Harry seemed to have the same mindset; his face brightened a little upon seeing her. "Hi. Do you have a good summer?"

As soon as he said it, he looked as though he wished he hadn't.

Cho's face tautened, and Ron remembered she had dated Cedric. "Oh, it was all right, you know..."

Silence filled the air; Harry seemed to fumble for the right words.

Ron looked around and noticed the badge on her robes. "Is that a Tornadoes badge?" he said, pointing to it. "You don't support them, do you?"

Cho picked up on his accusatory tone and went on the defensive. "Yeah, I do."

"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?" Ron said.

"I've supported them since I was six," said Cho coolly. "Anyway... see you, Harry." She walked away.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "You could have been more tactful."

"I had to think fast. It was about to get —"

"Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry?"

Couldn't Hermione tell they were struggling for words? "Yes, but at the rate they were going —"

"You didn't have to attack her Quidditch team like that," Hermione persisted.

"Attacking? I wasn't attacking her, I was only—"

"Who cares if she supports the Tornados?"

"Oh, come on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought them last season —"

"But what does it matter!"

They continued to fight until they reached Snape's classroom. Ron gave up eventually; Hermione hadn't let him finish a single sentence.

And to his annoyance, Harry didn't seem to have noticed either. But his annoyance faded away fast as they began working on their potion, the Draught of Peace. Nothing was peaceful about the process, and by the end of class Ron's cauldron was spitting green sparks. Harry's was no better with the dark gray steam coming out, but Hermione's looked perfect as always.