And So the Story Goes

And So the Story Goes

ChocolateTruffle

'As soon as she - ' ...No, no...'When she opened her mouth to speak - '...No, that sounds overly dramatic! This is horrible.

Another crumpled piece of parchment hit the wastebasket and fell to the floor next to the other wasted papers.

I couldn't finish this stupid story if my life depended on it.

"Miss Granger! What on earth do you think you're doing? Pick those up right now and put them where they ought to be!" Madam Pince snapped at me for the fourth time today.

"Sorry, Madam Pince. I'm sort of frustrated right now, I can't seem to write this - "

"Oh you're frustrated, huh." She pretended to offer a look of sympathy. "So you think that gives you the right to litter my floor with your trash? I don't think so!"

"Don't worry, Madam Pince, I'll have them cleaned up in a jiffy!" I plastered a smile on my face as best I could.

"Good. Make sure it doesn't happen anymore."

"I won't." Still smiling at her, I picked up the balls of paper and chucked them at the basket.

I hate you, you malicious prick. This stupid library will never be completely clean anyway!

"Hermione?" Ron was walking over towards me smiling and clutching four rather large books.

What the heck is he doing here? In the library? Alone?

"Are you okay?" he asked, still grinning. "I saw the look you gave Madam Pince after she scolded you...."

"So what. Teachers do tick me off from time to time, believe it or not, Ronald."

Only abnormal students don't get ticked off by at least one of their teachers. Or maybe it's just today...this story I can't seem to write! And now Ron's here to throw me off my train of thought. Joy.

"I know, I know. It's just amusing to see you...well never mind. What are you up to? What's that?" He set his own books down and leaned over the table to have a look at my ink-blotted, scratched-out, messy roll of parchment.

"Ron, stop! It's...it's private!" I shrieked, rolling up the parchment.

"MISS GRANGER! THAT IS THE LAST TIME I WILL HAVE YOU MAKE A FUSS IN MY LIBRARY! GET OUT!"

"No, Madam Pince, I was just - "

"OUT! BOTH OF YOU!" She strode over to us and swept up Ron's belongings and mine and shooed us out the door. Before Ron made another step, she grabbed him by the hood of his robes and yanked him backward almost causing him to drop everything he was carrying.

"You, Weasley, did you check all those out already?" she asked sternly, pointing to the four large books he carried over to my isolated table just moments before.

"Yeah," he thought for a moment. "Oh! Yes, yes I did."

I couldn't help but smile.

"Okay then out, out you go." She closed the door behind us.

"Now did you really, Ronald?" I asked him with a smirk as we walked down the deserted corridor. Everyone else was still at lunch in the Great Hall.

"I did! I swear!"

"So really, what were you doing in the library?" I asked curiously.

"Erm...I'll tell if...if you tell me what you were writing!"

Oh, just leave it to Ron to make a compromise out of a simple question.

I rolled my eyes.

"What? It's only fair!" he argued.

"Yes, yes everything needs to be fair in Ron Weasley's world because if it weren't, it would just be so...so..."

"Unfair!" Ron said, wide-eyed staring off down the length of the corridor.

Laughing, I just continued walking feeling much less aggravated than I had back with Madam Pince.

"Yes, okay. So tell me what you were doing now!"

"Only if you - "

"I know, I know. Okay, go," I said impatiently.

"I was doing...doing...oh, it's too dreadful to say...."

"What?? Tell me right now, Ronald Weasley!" I asked, nearly shouting at him. A translucent figure, one of the school ghosts, passing by slowed down her pace at which she was floating to look at what all the commotion was about.

"I was...doing..."

"Doing..." I continued, gesturing for him to spit it out.

"HOMEWORK!" he cried, almost with a twinge of shame sounding in his voice. I gasped.

"No! Really? No, you're lying! Oh my goodness! Homework? Ron Weasley?"

He nodded sadly.

"I needed to," he explained. "Mum says if I don't keep up my grades this year I'll be off the Quidditch team and she might even confiscate my broom back at home!"

"Really? Wow your mum definitely knows the in's and out's of getting a Weasley boy to do his school work!" I giggled, shaking my head.

"Oh shut up, Hermione." He stopped to pick up an Astronomy book he dropped. "Now it's your turn. What were you writing that was so private you wouldn't even let me have a look at it?"

Yeah right! As if I'd tell Ron about my secret story. I wasn't planning on telling anyone about it in the first place! Why break my own promise right now? He'd probably enlighten Harry with it, make fun of it, telling me I'd never have a shot as a writer.

But then again...he did tell me something he didn't want anyone else to know...and he is one of my best friends, I could simply tell him not to tell anyone.

No. That definitely would not work.

"I was doing...um...you know, that extra credit essay for...you know..." I fumbled, trying my hardest to think up a class I was doing rather horribly in.

There is no class I'm doing rather horribly in, though!

"Care of Magical Creatures?" Ron surmised. I decided to just go with it, I couldn't think of anything better and Ron obviously knew what he was talking about.

"Yup! Because you know, I'm one point under from receiving top marks in Hagrid's class!"

"Oh no, one point under! Say it isn't so!" Ron teased sarcastically, laying the back of his hand across his forehead pretending to plunge into a faint.

"Go away, Ron," I said simply, quickening my pace heading in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Maybe I could get some peace and quiet there, there wouldn't be anyone there anyhow and I really wanted to finish this story. I really don't know why it was so important, I just felt I needed to complete it.

"Oh come on, you know I was only joking."

"Mmhm."

"Okay...well, there's still twenty minutes left of lunch, do you want to come with me to grab a bite before Transfiguration?"

I smiled sympathetically.

"Sorry, I've really got to finish this...er, essay. See you next class, though." I replied and rushed off continuing on my way towards the common room.

I began writing frantically as if this idea would be gone as soon as I took another step.

'The young witch gladly finished her homework and sat at her desk thoughtfully. She knew there was another reason for her happiness at school and it wasn't the interesting selection of classes she was taking or the smell of a pop quiz early in the morning. She couldn't quite put her fingers on it. It must have been something else keeping her so pleased everyday. Or rather, someone.'

That's perfect! I thought I'd never get that down right. How come it was, then, that I couldn't think of those brilliant words in the library? Peace and quiet usually gets me working right away. Perhaps it wasn't that, though. I'd been frustrated in there and I felt better when...

When Ron showed up.

So what though, right? He's one of my best friends. Friends are supposed to make you feel better. Wait...why was it then, that Harry only irritated me more this morning when he tried talking to me? After all, that's the reason I went to the library in the first place. Ron...oh never mind, I'm thinking too much again.

*****

"Psst...Hermione..." Ron whispered briskly as he handed an unevenly folded note to me from behind in Transfiguration.

A note? No! I could get caught! I could get...*gasp* a detention! No! Who knows what severe consequences could take place from a note? I'm just going to ignore him.

Nonetheless, I hastily snatched the note out of his grasp without looking back.

No! Why did I take it? I'm such an idiot. Now I could get caught! Just put it in your bag, Hermione, read it later....

"Psst! Hermione...read it now!" he whispered again, realizing I was going to save the note for a time other than this when I opened my book bag.

"No!" I mouthed.

"Real quick!"

"Ugh...fine." I replied, eager to shut him up at any rate.

Dear Hermione,

So...how's that Care of Magical Creatures essay coming along? Good, I hope. I didn't know young witches who liked to do their homework were considered Magical Creatures, though. Oh, and does your essay get extra credit if it has a happy ending?

Ron

Oh my God...how could he have known about it? I left it in the common room right before class started only because I knew everyone was actually IN their rooms already...but how did he find it?? He was in the Great Hall! I should've just brought it with me....

"How did you get it??" I whispered over my shoulder.

"What?" Ron asked, cupping one hand behind his ear.

"How did you get it?" I whispered a little louder.

"I can't hear you!"

"HOW DID - "

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

Oh great! Here it comes...how could I have been so dumb?

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you two like to continue your conver - "

"Sorry to interrupt, Minerva," Professor Flitwick showed up in the doorway cutting Professor McGonagall off. "but we're in need of your help just outside, there's a strange visitor here..."

"You need me right now? Couldn't it wait till after class, Professor?" Professor McGonagall asked gesturing to all of us.

"So sorry, Minerva, but the Headmaster requested your presence right away." Professor Flitwick looked most apologetic for having to pull her out of the class for a moment.

"Very well, very well. Now all of you behave and talk amongst yourselves quietly for a few moments. Trust me, I will know if something goes awry, like that." She emphasized her point with a snap of her fingers.

Thank GOD.

"Now what were you saying there, Hermi-phony?" Ron asked as soon as the class broke out in a chatter the moment Professor McGonagall was out of earshot.

Phony? So now he's mad at me for telling a small white lie? Okay, not exactly white...but for good reason! I need my privacy!

"Excuse me?" I replied, resistant.

"You lied to me! I told you why I was in the library today and that was the truth! But you, you lied. You could've just told me you were writing a s - "

"Sssh!" I put a finger to my lips. "Ron, please, I don't want anyone to know about it...."

" - and that essay!" he continued, "there wasn't even a Care of Magical Creatures essay assigned! Harry said so!"

Harry was too deep in conversation with Seamus Finnigan and Ginny Weasley about Quidditch to notice Ron and I were fighting again.

I laughed loudly. "You had to ASK Harry if there was an essay? For goodness' sake, Ronald."

He scowled.

"Why were you back in the common room minutes before class was about to start, anyhow? I only left it there because I knew no one was coming back."

"Oh gee, maybe because I forgot my Transfiguration book? Like I always do? Come on, you know that. So then there's that same familiar roll of parchment I saw you writing on earlier right next to my book. I saw a few words...."

"And so you decided to read the whole thing? Haven't you ever heard of invasion of privacy, Ron? Jeez!" I said loudly, my face becoming hot from all the yelling.

"I couldn't help it! When I realized it wasn't an essay...I just wanted to - "

"Oh come off it! You're a nosy prat and you know it!"

"Well you know what else? I may be nosy but I could write a story loads better than that garbage you wrote!" he replied cantankerously.

But that was all it took. Garbage. That's all I needed to hear. Before I knew it, I started to cry quietly to myself and before Ron realized what he'd said he was apologizing immediately.

"Hermione! No, I didn't mean...it's not...I'm really sorry! Never mind what I just said, I was mad - "

"Save it, Ron." I turned back around in my seat, hastily wiping the tear streaks from my face just in time for Professor McGonagall to come back and continue her lesson.

*****

The next day I found myself back in the library trying hard to concentrate on my story. I tried my hardest to not think of it as garbage, really I did. I'd worked on this story too long and too hard to just dispose of it like a broken quill.

It wasn't going so well but it became worse when my most favorite person walked into the library.

"Hermione! I thought I'd find you here..."

"Go away, Ron, I don't want to talk to you right now. So if you don't mind, I'm trying to work on my story." I stressed the word 'story' and looked at him coldly.

"Okay...I can understand why you don't want to talk to me." Ron looked at the table disheartened. "So...how's the story coming along anyway?" he helped himself to a chair opposite me.

I just stared at him.

Well, no harm in telling him what's going on now. Why not?

"Well," I said in a normal tone, "Emmeline has just gone into a state of depression when she finds that she just doesn't want to be at school any longer. All she wants to do is go home because she can't rely on anyone to make her happy anymore. I'm stuck there. Any suggestions?" I asked sarcastically as I looked at him frostily then back at my roll of parchment.

I noticed he wasn't getting up to leave me alone.

Didn't he get my point already?

"So what are you still doing here? Oh, wait, do you need to make one more remark about my trash story before you leave? Go on, then. I'm all ears." I said sweetly, lacing my fingers and setting them on the table right in front of me.

"Hermione, please. I just want to apologize! You don't understand how bad I feel - "

"Okay, thanks for your comments. Join us next week folks, thank you and goodnight!" I said sardonically, sweeping my roll of parchment, quills, and ink into my bag.

I left before Ron could speak another meaningless word.

*****

It had been two weeks since that unfortunate event. Also, it had marked the record for the longest time of Ron and I not speaking to each other. I wanted to forgive and forget, but I didn't feel I was the one who should be apologizing. First, at least.

It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and I found myself in the library, yet again. I hadn't worked on my story since the day Ron and I last spoke to each other but I had a weird feeling to try and continue it today.

I had been sitting there for nearly two minutes when Ron walked in.

NOW what is he doing here? It was Saturday. He should be with Harry playing Wizard's chess or Gobstones or any of those other pointless games. But definitely not in the library. Wait...maybe he came to - no. He wasn't here for that.

I stared at my paper filled with black ink blots and scratch-outs and tried my hardest not to look up. But out of the corner of my eye I could definitely see him walking towards my abandoned table.

"Er, hi, Hermione," he greeted nervously.

I looked up at him. I noticed he wasn't carrying his book bag or any other books, but a notebook. No quill? No ink?

"Look, Ron, if you're here to borrow an quill and some ink then just ask already. I've got stuff to do."

"No, no! I don't need any. I wanted you to do me a favor though," he asked, uneasier than before setting the notebook down on the table.

"You want me to do your homework?" I laughed. "Or is it notes? Either way, I'm NOT doing them."

"No! Will you just listen for a second? I would have apologized sooner but I needed to find a way you would forgive me and really mean it. You don't understand how horrible I felt when I hurt your feelings that day and I hope that this will help you realize that I do care about your feelings and that I was a real jerk for saying those things to you." He breathed and exhaled, relieved.

I just glanced at the notebook, then at Ron. I noticed he hadn't sat down.

"Well I better go, see you later, Hermione," he said hurriedly.

And he was gone before I could say anything else.

What was this all about?

I opened the notebook cautiously and flipped through the pages wondering how long this was.

It wasn't even a page long.

That's Ron for you. I thought, smiling at the sloppily written passage. I started to read.

Dear Hermione,

This is for you. I know it isn't much, but what can I say? I'm a terrible writer. Just look - this paragraph took me a whole two weeks to write! But it was because I couldn't think of anything good enough for you, I want you to read something that I really put work into to impress you. It's an ending to your story.

Hope you like it,

Ron

An ending to my story? Ron wrote it? Just...just for me. To...impress me.

'As Emmeline was sitting in a comfortable armchair near the warm fire, she couldn't help but think about how happy she used to be. Nowadays she just overworked herself and was never seen without five or six books in her arms. She was always alone, doing homework in the library at a table all to herself. She had lost the trust she had in a friend. Just thinking about it made her miserable. She missed him. And she could tell that he missed her greatly.

'While she sat there sadly, she heard footsteps enter the room but didn't bother to look up. The person that entered walked over to the beautiful brunette and stood in front of her, blocking her wonderful view of the fire. The red-haired boy took her hand and apologized. But this apology was different. There were no 'sorry's' involved. In fact, there were no words involved. He simply took her hands in his own and kneeled down next to her giving her a soft but meaningful kiss on the lips. She looked at him smiling the prettiest smile he'd ever seen her smile. The rest, is history.'

I sat there staring at Ron's notebook, smiling broadly. Then this horrible urge came over me to cry. I didn't want to, this was the sweetest thing a person could have possibly ever done for me. And I was so happy that Ron was that person.

I grabbed all my things and Ron's notebook and raced out of the library, Madam Pince's shouts after me growing faint as I ran faster out onto the grounds. I scanned the entire courtyard looking for him. I couldn't find him.

I walked on and on, not bothering to go inside knowing he wouldn't be in there. I ended up on the Quidditch pitch and there he was. Sitting by himself on a bench, hunched over, head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. I made my way over.

"Hi, Ron," I greeted quietly, but smiling even so.

He stood up so fast that I almost fell down.

"Hermione! Er, hi. How did you find - "

"Trust me, it definitely took long enough to find you," I answered, still beaming.

He laughed nervously.

"But know what? All the walking was well worth it, especially after reading this." I held out his barely used notebook. He took it gratefully and set it on the bench, his face turning pink.

"Really, what did you think?"

"I thought it was absolutely..."

He gulped loudly.

"Perfect," I replied, finding our hands in each other's grasps without knowing how they got there.

I couldn't have seen Ron happier.

He leaned in toward me as I did the same. It was like instinct, we both knew it was coming.

I kissed him gently and as soon as we pulled away, we were both smiling.

"So, ever thought about becoming an author, Ron?" I asked as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I could feel his chin resting on top of my head. It felt so...right.

"Are you kidding? At the rate I write, I think I'll be about fifty years old by the time I finish the third page!"

I laughed.

"So, red-haired boy, you really think I'm a beautiful brunette, huh." I joked.

"The most beautiful one I know," he replied, planting a kiss on my head.

I'd been waiting for this. I was happy again. Ron was my friend again. Well, maybe a little more than that now.

But the story wasn't over. Ron and I have yet to write our story and end it with the absolute perfect ending.