Riddikulus

Chapter Two: Dreaming?

"I'm too sick to study," I complained once again, after shaking my head to clear the thoughts inside of me. Drat these hormones...

"Fine, then! Just sit there and watch your grades go down the drain!" Hermione yelled, interrupting my thoughts. "But when it's eleven o'clock, Sunday night, don't go begging me to help you with it!" And without another word she flies out of the room, leaving me sitting there, staring after her.

Whoops, I guess I should go apologize...I mean who likes seeing their crush...Oy there I go again! I mean friend! Who likes to see his best friend mad at him! Ugh I cannot believe how much of a git I can be!

Quickly, I throw off the covers, and run after her, yelling out her name.

"Hermione come back!" I shout.

No answer.

She doesn't turn around, she doesn't even stop! I watch meekly as the beautiful, brown-eyed girl turns the corner and walks away. I'm feeling a bit sad now, rather depressed! I turned around, slowly, and trudged back to the Hospital Wing, barely hearing the screams of the furious Madam Pomfrey, hollering at me for leaving my bed.

I sat down on the bed, feeling almost zombie-like. For a minute I don't know what to think. Why did Hermione just blow up at me like that? Did she actually want to study with me? Is that why she came over here, to try and get me to study together with her, and only with her? But... why? No that's ridiculous! Why on earth would the beautiful Hermione Granger want to sit alone, and study with me, boring old, red-haired, lanky Ronald Weasley? And why should I care anyways? She's been mad at me loads of times before, and I've never felt this way inside, all empty and abandoned. It's like, well, it's almost as if, I need her by me to be happy. It's as if, her being sad and angry, makes me feel sad and angry too.

Why I feel this way, is, like I said, beyond me! Maybe I'm just confused or delusional. Maybe I'm just tired, yeah that must be it, I'm tired! That's why I've been feeling these weird emotions towards Hermione! My brain doesn't know what it's doing...I just need some time to rest! I lay down, feeling slightly relieved. I put my head upon my soft pillow, slowly close my eyes, and begin to think. I think about the times Harry, Hermione, and I were out at Hagrid's hut together; I think about the Prefect duties I've had with Hermione; I think about the many times Hermione and I have gone to the library together, and have yelled at students for misbehaving. I think about, how in every single one of those times, Hermione was perfectly happy. And I think about how perfectly happy I was, just to be around her. Dangnabit! I guess it's not just my brain that's gone cuckoo; it's my heart as well! And maybe the jealous ridiculous thing I mentioned before is not so ridiculous! Neither is the idea of liking my best friend!

%~~~~*****~~~~%

"Ron, wake up! Oh please wake up!"

Someone is talking to me, as if from far away. The voice, whosoever it is sounded like an angel's. Sorry if those adjectives disturb you, but I only speak the truth! I felt myself gently being shaken. I opened my eyes to find Hermione, staring at me; her eyes seem to be brighter than usual, as if she had been crying.

She's sitting on my bed, staring at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers. I blinked and pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Nope I'm still here and so is she, though her face is turned away, not facing mine.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked cautiously. I took my finger and placed it under her small soft chin, lifting her head and making her stare at me. Cripes, it takes guts to do this! I'm bloody shaking the entire time. "Why are you crying?" I gulped nervously.

"Oh, it's nothing," she replied quickly, sniffling a little. My butt it's nothing! She moves her head to the side, and my hand falls, dejectedly. I look at her face, and watch as a slight shade of red creeps up on her cheeks. Holy Merlin! Did I, Ronald Weasley, oaf-extraordinaire, just make Hermione Granger blush? Blimey, maybe these teenage hormones aren't so bad!

"Are you sure?" I ask. When did I start caring so much? I mean of course when she was hurt last year I cared, and when she was petrified I cared, (bloody hell, I kissed the witch)...but never as much as this. Seeing Hermione all choked up like this made my heart break! I literally feel a pang in my chest whenever I looked at her.

"It's just....", she mumbled something, indistinguishable so that I couldn't hear it. Hermione gave another sniffle and reached over to grab a tissue from the box sitting on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry Hermione!" I began, pitifully. "It's my fault! I didn't mean to...to blow you off like that!" I know what her problem is...me. Crikey why is it always me? Why does Ron Weasley, prat extraordinaire always have to go and mess things up?

"Oh hush Ron! It's not your fault," Hermione says, putting one delicate finger on my lips. I stare at the finger cross-eyed, then at her, then back at her finger. Ugh, hang on. Isn't that the famous line a girl says to her boyfriend before they break up? 'It's not you it's me' type of thing? But wait, she can't be breaking up with me! We aren't even going out! Yet!

Then what is she doing, looking at me like that and leaning in. It looks like she's about to, hang on she's not going to...