Passion

CHAPTER 2: a trio of a different kind.

Harry and Hermione sat on the couch together for ages. After what seemed like a year, a muffled voice was heard from behind the portrait door.

"What's that?" Hermione.

"It sounds like Ron!" Harry hissed. They sprung apart and as Harry ran up the spiral staircase to the boys' dormitories, Hermione ran the stars to the girls'.

The portrait hole swung open and Ron, Seamus, Lavender, Neville and Parvati entered the Gryffindor common room. Harry strolled down the stairs as if he had been up there all along.

"He-e-y-y-y g-g-uys," he said in the middle of a fake yawn. Ron had his arm around Lavender's shoulder. Harry smirked. "I see you two have gotten closer while I was gone."

"We have for your information," Lavender snarled at him as Ron went to say something. Ron just shrugged and smiled.

"Whatever," Harry muttered, and he turned and went upstairs. He opened the dormitory door and quickly got into his pyjamas. Just as Ron opened the door Harry hopped into bed and pulled the covers up.

"I hope you don't mind me having a girlfriend," Ron said as he walked over to his trunk and got his pyjamas out.

"Not a problem mate." Harry smiled back, while inside him he didn't really know how this news made him feel. He did know that Ron having a girlfriend would get in the way of their hanging out, yet he still felt guilty about going out with their best friend. But love can't be helped. Ron jumped into his bed and just before he pulled the hanging of his four-poster bed around him, he said "Good night" and Harry returned the greeting.

*

The next morning at the Gryffindor table Ron and Lavender sat next too each other, as did Harry and Hermione. Though Ron made no enquiry about Hermione's seating position, but Hermione wondered why Ron had moved to another group.

"Girlfriend!" she exclaimed a little too loud. Harry looked over to Ron at this, but he was so immersed in his new friend that he obviously didn't notice. "He can't have a girlfriend! What about us? Has he forgotten about us?"

"Well, you know that were boyfriend and girlfriend, don't you?" Harry reminded her.

"Oh, yeah." Hermione blushed and went back to her cereal and toast. The Great Hall started to empty as students finished their breakfast and moved off to go enjoy the weather. Only Harry, Hermione, Ron, Lavender and Parvati were left in the Hall at this point so Harry and Hermione got up and began to move towards Ron, waiting for him to finish so they could go for a walk. Just as they got close, Ron stood up, and with his arm around Lavender, the three (Parvati was with them) casually walked out of the Hall.

"How dare he!" Hermione exclaimed as the couple moved out of sight. "He just dumps us for her! I'm going to go and give Lavender a piece of my mind." Hermione started towards the door but Harry grabbed her arm and swung her back into a kiss.

For a moment it felt like Hermione was going to give up but she very suddenly pulled away a tried for a second time to go after the trio.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled.

"What!" Hermione snarled.

"You can't get angry at Ron for this. Are you planning to tell him about us? Because I don't think he would be too happy about it. He would feel like he's been left out of the group," Hermione paused, thinking hard, then her face softened and she looked down, feeling defeated.

"Are we going to tell him about us?" she looked back up into Harry's eyes, waiting for the answer.

"Not just yet. We'll wait for him too get more into his relationship with Lavender so he'll feel like he's got something else if he does feel hurt."

"How much more into the relationship can he get!?" she said.

"We've just got to have patience."

They walked out of the Hall hand-in-hand and decided to go back up to the common room.

*

That evening as Harry and Hermione were doing some homework, Hermione slammed down her book (which no-one heard as the common room was so loud) and shouted "You know he hasn't talked to us all day! He's still over there with his new 'best friend'."

"I must say," Harry replied. "I didn't think he would ignore us all day." He looked up. Hermione was looking over at the couple and looked as if smoke was about to start pouring out of her ears. She stood up sharply and marched off to the girls' dormitory, calling behind her that she was going to bed.

*

"Harry. Harry! HARRY!"

Harry woke with a start and opened his too see Ron standing over him.

"Wake up you nutjob."

"Why?" Harry answered groggily. Having to think as soon as you wake up isn't that easy.

"All the sixth year Gryffindors are having a special trip to Hogsmeade. Wanna come?"

"We went the other day."

"So what? Come on, I promise it'll be just me, you and Hermione, no-one else."

"Alright, just let me get ready."

"I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright."

Ron left the room and shut the door behind him. Harry didn't want to go, but if Ron promised he wasn't going to stay with Lavender Hermione would want to go. Therefore Harry was going.

"I'm ready," Harry called as he walked into the common room. He looked around and spotted Hermione glaring at the corner of the room. Harry looked over and Lavender cuddling up to Ron. Harry could tell Ron was uncomfortable and wanted her to leave him alone but didn't know what to say. Harry decided he would help. He walked over to Parvati and pulled her aside.

"Hey Parvati," Harry said. "Do you think you could distract Lavender because Hermione and I waiting for Ron and it doesn't look like he's gonna be able to get away from her on his own."

"Why wrong with them being together?" she asked with a slightly puzzled expression.

"It's not that they're together, its just that Ron promised he'd only hang with me and Hermione and Hermione's patience is running low with Ron being all distracted and sitting with us much anymore."

"Fine," she groaned. As Harry walked away from her he heard Parvati call Lavender over and saw her kiss Ron on the cheek and leave to see her friend. This was their chance.

"Ron are you ready?" he called over to him.

"Yep," he replied.

"Good. Hermione, let's go." The three of them walked across the room and left through the portrait hole.