Oranges

Oranges

I remember. I was peeling an orange outside, under the Beech tree with them both. Ron was arguing with Dean who was sitting on the other side of the tree and I was caught up with the orange.

It's such a sensory fruit. But its odd, isn't it? To remember little details, like the little beads of smell shimmering for a moment in the sunlight, and then the bold smell cutting through the summer and filling up the whole area under the tree with its lucidity. It's a nice smell; bright and fresh and orange in colour. And it felt good to be taking pleasure in something so insignificant.

When I looked up, Harry had stopped writing and was staring at me with an indecipherable look. But when I held out the naked orange and said 'Do you want some?', he shook his head and picked his quill up. It was almost as if he wanted me to ask him if something was wrong. So I did.

'Is something the matter?'

He didn't say anything and I was trying to stare it out of him when Ron decided to turn around and jump to conclusions.

'What's going on?' he said loudly, causing the stare to be broken. He glared at us both in turn as if not to miss anything else that might happen between us. 'What are you doing?'

'Harry has something to tell us.' I said calmly, breaking off a bit of orange and eating it.

'What?' said Ron aggressively, turning red as he glared at Harry.

'Oh Ron, stop being an idiot.' I told him. It's one of two extremes when he turns red; embarrassed or angry. And right now, it was the latter.

'Why?' he demanded, turning on me. 'I just want to know what was happening here when I turned around.'

'Nothing of the sort you're think-'

'There was a prophecy made around the time I was born.' His voice was quiet, but surprisingly enough, it silenced us. 'D'you remember, in the Department of Mysteries, that orb with my name on it?'

Ron and I nodded.

'That was a record of it. Voldemort wanted it. He lured me there for it because only the people who the prophecy is about can lift it.'

There was a silence during which I broke off another piece of orange for lack of anything better to do, and Ron shifted positions.

Harry, who had his eyes on the segment of orange in my fingers was thinking of Sirius Black and there was guilt on his face. He seemed to find himself after some time and sighed before continuing.

'It was made by Trelawney.' Harry said, as if this sealed his dislike for her.

'But Harry...' said Ron. 'She's a fake!'

'No. She made a prediction in the third year in front of me and it was real enough. Anyway, she made this to Dumbledore, so it cant have been a fake.'

'What's in it Harry?'

'"Neither can live while the other survives"'. He said in a rush.

'What d'you mean?' Ron.

'It means I have to defeat Voldemort or I die. I've only heard it once so I don't know all the words.'

'Why didn't you tell us earlier?'

'Ron!'

'What, Hermione?'

Suppressing a growl of rage, popped the orange piece in my mouth and chewed savagely.

'Does- is this- does this mean you might die?'

'Oh my god, Ron!' But it was half- hearted, and Harry was staring at the orange again.

'I don't know.'

'What d'you mean?' Ron was uncertain now. I reached over to pat his hand, but he pulled away.

'I don't know Ron.'

'Why?'

Harry looked at him and Ron shook his head. 'Who decides these things?'

'Dunno.' Said Harry downcast.

'I want to give whoever a good thump.'

Harry raised a brow before breaking into a smile. We sat in silence for a while. I cant remember what I was thinking except that if Harry lost, he would die. And if he died, so would the world.

'D'you believe in God?'

'Stop it Ron.' Harry was laughing now.

'What?' Ron put his hands in the air, but he was laughing too.

I got up unnoticed and walked to the edge of the lake. There was a slight shadow under the ripples and I tossed my burden to it. The orange of it was just visible as it made its way deeper. It was oddly liberating to let it go and watch it sink. And when it was gone completely, I turned and walked back to where Harry and Ron were sitting in silence.