Rumours

Rumours

I am not one for gossip. Usually. I know from first-hand experience that not all things are as they seem. I mean, for years I have walked these halls hearing people whisper that I am in love with Malfoy. Right. The only reason I hang on Malfoy is because he is the only person in this damn house (and if I ever get my hands on that sorting hat, it will rue the day it put in here) that is who and what he seems. They are all two-faced lying scum. Or stupid. So really, what other option do I have? I enjoy people that are what they appear, who have no agendas; as they are on the surface.

Sorry, I digress.

As I was saying, I'm not one for gossip, as it's usually untrue. However, sitting watching these three, it's hard NOT to gossip. They've been in the spotlight since the end of our first year. And it is a...lit stick of dynamite if I have ever seen one.

See, they're the dream team. The three saviours. Well, the one saviour, and his two irrepressible and irreplaceable sidekicks. When we were younger, they were inseparable. They still are now. But ever since puberty, and fifth year, now it's more of a walking on eggshells around each other. But they won't admit it. Not even to themselves.

First, we have the saviour. The boy who lived. Harry Potter. He came into this place, more famous than anyone before him. And more clueless. He had no idea what to expect; he didn't even know who he was, for gods' sake. But he soon caught on and caught up. With his best friend by his side.

Ron Weasley. Seems the exact opposite of Potter. He's not recognized for anything, except being the boy who lived's best friend. He came in here with more knowledge than anyone has a right to, with five brothers ahead of him, and a sister a year behind.

See, the thing with these two is that they both want what the other has. Potter has everything Weasley does not: fame, fortune, recognition and skill on the Quidditch field. Weasley, on the other hand, has the thing that Potter desperately wants: a family and a bit of normalcy. The grass is always greener, huh?

Now, this wouldn't be so newsworthy, you could say the same for half of the best friends out there. However, they've got one thing most best friends do not. A third. A female best friend. The reason that this stick of dynamite is lit. Hermione Granger.

She's something. If you'd asked me in our first year who Hermione Granger was, I probably couldn't have told you. Short, mousy, anti-social with her nose stuck in a book. I'll never know why those two befriended her, but ever since Halloween our first year, they've been stuck together like glue.

And it seemed to work. I'd always suspected that three best friends, especially with one being of the opposite sex, was a recipe for disaster. But with those three, there seemed to be no problem. Harry was the brave, powerful one, Ron was his slightly funny, and temperamental sidekick, and Hermione was the brain, also powerful. (How she got so powerful with her Muggle blood is beyond me. Oh, god. Sorry. Don't mean to be rude, it's just Malfoy's influence after listening to him whine for the past six years. It gets to a girl.)

Digressing again.

Anyway, as I said, it worked. For the first four years. (Even then, during the fourth year, there were some rumblings what with Weasley's fits about Potter being a champion and Hermione with Krum.) But all went merrily along until fifth year. When our girl Granger caught Weasley's eye. Now, anyone with half a brain could see this coming, what with all of their fighting, you know, the whole love-hate thing. It was nice. You know, Weasley got something for once. The girl.

Now when this happened, I expected an explosion. But to my shock, Potter seemed genuinely happy for them. Though, of course, he was still mooning over Cho Chang. And Potter has never been one to listen to rumour...or Professor Trelawney. She has been predicting his death since third year and it hasn't happened yet. So I guess going by that, you wouldn't listen to her predictions on love either. No, they paid no attention to her whispering about Potter and Granger. They laughed it off, like they seem to do with most things, You-Know-Who included. Nothing could touch them.

But after Professor Trelawney's little pronouncement, the rest of us (at least me) started looking a bit more closely at the dream team. It all started to make sense. Why Harry would always be swinging Hermione around and laughing after they won a Quidditch match, instead of Chang...why Malfoy would get that smirk he has whenever he knows Potter is in for trouble every time they were together (which was all the time)...why Madam Pince was giving them the stink-eye and banishing them from the library for laughing or sitting too close...it all made such perfect sense. They belong to each other.

Look at me, getting all mushy and romantic. But they do.

And sitting here on the train, watching them board for our seventh and final year, I'm starting to think things are going to get pretty interesting...

************************************

"Harry!"

He turned around and saw a flash of brown before someone had jumped in his arms, holding on as if they were never going to let go.

"Hermione...god, it's been the longest three months," Harry mumbled into her hair. "I never thought holiday would end and I'd get here. I felt like I was about crazy."

Hermione said nothing, just held on.

"Hey, let go of my girlfriend, Potter!"

Both turned and saw Ron grinning at them from the train.

"Ron." Hermione went over and kissed him. "Hey, hon. You know you want to get my trunk for me, right?" she asked with raised eyebrows and a smile.

Ron groaned good-naturedly and rolled his eyes. "Sure, Herm. I'll see you in a few."

Hermione turned back to Harry with a grin and he swept her up in a hug again.

"Um, Harry?" she whispered in his ear.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you suppose that Pansy is looking at us like that?"

Harry raised his head and saw Pansy Parkinson looking at them with a smile playing about her lips, looking for all she was worth like the cat who ate the canary.

He turned back to Hermione and shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't even venture a guess." He suddenly jumped onto the train and looked expectantly at her.

"Well?"

Hermione just raised an eyebrow.

"Are you coming or what?"

With a grin, Hermione accepted his outstretched hand and laughed as he pulled her up into the car.