The Slap

Harry, Ron and Hermione were at the common room of Gryffindor, writing.
Hermione had earlier forced her two friends to do their assignments on Transfiguration.
Ron looked abstractly at Hermione. She was very concentrated on her writing to notice him. But... what was she writing? She had already finished all her assignments and had made clear to them that the only reason she was sitting with them was to help them with any questions they might had on Transfiguration...

"Hermione, what are you writing there?"

Hermione looked Ron anxiously. "Um... Nothing. Nothing worth seeing."

Harry, who was sitting next to Hermione, looked at her parchment. "Dear Viktor," he said and continued writing his assignment. Although the fact that the professors demanded from the students to do assignments overlooking the fact that Voldemort was now powerful and ready to threaten everyone's life, he felt obliged to behave himself: he didn't want to risk in any way his stay at Hogwarts, it was the only place that offered him some safety and, moreover, there were his two best friends (ok, and some members of the Order as well).

"Dear Viktor? You are still writing to him?" growled Ron.

"I don't understand why it surprises you, Ron," she said coldly. "When two people like each other, they don't let distance stand between them."

"When two people like each other?"

"Yes."

"Hey, did you learn about the new Hufflepuff's keeper?"

Hermione looked at Ron in question. She may have been watching Quidditch often, but the main (if not the one and only!) reason for this was that she was supporting Harry, not that she liked the game! She wasn't interested not in Quidditch, neither on the other similar Muggle sports, like soccer or basketball. She didn't understand why Ron would ask her something like this.
"No," she answered and tried to go on with her letter.

"They say she's good," Ron said, "I don't believe it, though. I mean, she doesn't look so quick. Unless if she's good on the brooms..."

"Ron, I really don't care if the new seeker of Hufflepuff is good or not."

"Keeper," Harry corrected her.

"It doesn't matter if you care or not," Ron replied. "I care. I'm talking to you about something that interests me, shouldn't you pay attention? I do listen to you when you 're grumbling about the one and only question you might have done wrong on an exam."

"I am writing a letter, in case you haven't noticed..." she said calmly.

"Oh, is that so? You are writing a letter to Vicky! I'm going to bed, I'll finish the assignment... some other day."
And before the other two had the time to say anything, Ron had left.

Hermione looked Harry puzzled.

"Maybe he wanted some more attention from you..."

That was exactly what Ron wanted. He was getting angry every time he was thinking that Hermione had kept in touch with Viktor Krum, so today he had tried to catch her attention. Unfortunately, the only thing he managed to do was to feel inferior, since Hermione chose to write to Viktor than listen to him. In other words, Ron thought that she believed Viktor was better than him.

*
Next morning, Hermione woke up early. She dressed up and went down to the empty common room to wait for the boys to wake up and go for breakfast. But there she saw Ron, sitting near the fireplace.

"You are up already!" she said surprised.

"You should first ask if I slept at all," Ron said peeved.

"Why didn't you sleep?" she asked and sat close to him.

"Um... I dunno. I suppose I just couldn't sleep, for no particular reason."
The truth was that he only had slept a few hours, but he did have a reason: all night he had been turning over in his bed, trying to figure out what Hermione meant when she said that she and Viktor were two people who liked each other. Did she mean that they liked each other in a friendly way or they had developed a more... intimate relationship?
"What's up, did you finish your little tidy letter?" he said annoyed. "I bet Vicky will be really glad when he receives it!"

"What's your problem?"

"What is my problem?" he said in anger. "Instead of looking at your own job, our school, us, you exchange letters with strangers! Vol-... You-know-who is back, he' ll probably start attacking again, soon or later, you have your books to study and all you do is exchanging letters with a stranger!!!"

"Viktor is not a stranger!" she answered.

"Yes, oh, yeah, sure, Vicky is not-"

"Don't call him Vicky!" Hermione interrupted him, but Ron kept on speaking.

"Yeah, of course, he's not a stranger anymore! His letter was more important that me, how could you stop and listen to me, I am indifferent to you, aren't I?"

"Of course not!" Hermione didn't expect to see Ron like this.
Ok, they may have been arguing a lot, but the reasons were never of great importance. But this was important! Indifferent? She couldn't understand. How could Ron say something like that? In all those years, hadn't he understood how much important he was to her?

"I am now indifferent to you!" Ron was now yelling. "Surely! But that bloody Vicky is important, do you fancy him? Of course, he is no longer a stranger!"

Parvati and Lavender had come down and were going towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, chatting.

"He is not a stranger anymore, huh?" Ron kept yelling. "You are buddies and who know what else, right? Have you kissed with each other? How many times? Have you done anything more than kissing too? Huh?"

Hermione felt offended.

Ron turned immediately towards Parvati and Lavender.
"Hey, Lavender, your hair is really nice today, you should thank God they aren't bushy or something and you can change hair- dressings! You look beautiful today, wouldn't harm if we went to a Ball together, huh?"
Of course he didn't mean that. He just wanted to show Hermione that like she had Viktor, he could also have... well, any girl he wanted. Saying these, he turned to Hermione... and her hand landed on his face noisily.

She had just slapped him!

Parvati and Lavender were stunned and so was Harry who had just got into the common room from the dorms and the only the thing he'd seen from the whole scene was the slap. But Ron wasn't less socked himself! Hermione gave an angry look at the two girls, who left in a hurry.
Then she stood up, said a good morning to Harry and left. Harry and Ron were left looking at each other.

*
Later, on breakfast, Hermione wasn't near them. In fact, she wasn't anywhere on the table.

"I'm telling you, she's gone mad!" said Ron while eating.

"Come on, Ron, she can't have just slapped you with no reason!" Harry answered. He knew that Hermione had self-control and he admired her for that.

"All right, maybe not without a reason, but not for an apparent reason! She may have gone angry-"

"She sure did," Harry interrupted him. "Hey, Neville, have you seen Hermione?"

"Oh no, Harry, she didn't come for breakfast."

It was then that Harry saw Ginny running towards the Gryffindor table and eating greedily whatever she found in front of her.

"Slow down, when you eat something you've got to shallow it first!" said Ron.

"I have no time, classes begin in ten minutes," Ginny said with her mouth full.

"We should go," Harry told Ron.

Ron nodded looking around nervously. He hoped to see Hermione somewhere. He still couldn't understand why she lost control of herself. Was she so furious from what he said?

When they raised, Harry asked Ginny if she had seen Hermione. "Oh yeah, I was with her before. She is outside; I was comforting her, 'cause... Well, I can't really tell you why," she said and almost choked by the pumpkin juice she was drinking.

"Go on, I'll come in a few minutes," Harry told Ron.

*
Harry found Hermione sitting on some stairs. He sat next to her. When she smiled at him, he noticed that her eyes where red. He wondered if she'd been crying. Although she was trying to hide it, Harry knew that his friend was indeed sensitive and corruptible.
"Class starts in three minutes. Don't you care you 're gonna be late?"

"I don't mind. It's Hagrid, he'll understand," Hermione said calmly.

Harry understood that since she was willing to lose a class, she must have been very upset! "What happened?"

"Well, Ron started saying all these things about me and Vicky- Viktor! I meant Viktor!" she corrected herself, annoyed that she had been influenced by Ron. "He asked me if we had an affair, or at least that was what he meant... How many times we've been kissed and stuff like that."

"So, you got angry and you slapped him," Harry concluded.

"No. Then he asked if we had done... anything more that kisses with Vicky- Viktor! With Viktor and I got very angry, he said it like I was some sort of... you know... And I'm not! Nothing is going on between me and Viktor, we're just friends. I don't want anything more with him."

Harry didn't need to hear that. He already knew it. "So, by that you got angry and you slapped him!"

"No," blushed Hermione. "Basically... I was really angry but before I had the time to answer properly, he ... He said Lavender how beautiful she was and that he wanted to go to a Ball with her." Hermione sighed.

Silence followed. Harry was waiting to hear something more, but there was no something more. "And?"

"And I slapped him."

Harry couldn't understand. "Because..."

"Because I was jealous," said Hermione and blushed more.

Her friend didn't say anything. He had long ago beginning to suspect Hermione's feelings for Ron, so now he wasn't much surprised. However, he was almost sure that Ron felt the same way too...

"Doesn't he understand anything?" she said. "Not a thing?"

"I think you should apologize for slapping him."

"It was a little excessive, huh?" Hermione knew that for one more time she had passed her limits and she wasn't pretty sure if she enjoyed it or hated it. After all, this time she'd hit poor Ron, not Malfoy who admittedly deserved it!

She and Harry didn't go to Hagrid's lesson at all. They just sat there, without talking. They 'd known each other for so long that they now had every right to just sit together, no talking. Both were lost in their thoughts.
Hermione couldn't think what to presume. It was more than obvious that Ron was jealous. Wasn't he concerned on the why he was jealous? Hadn't he thought of it?

*
Some time later, they went on the library to find Ron. He had not still finished McGonagall's assignment, so they supposed they would find him there.
Ron was sitting alone, trying to study. When his friends approached, he looked at Hermione, wore a long face and said to Harry "It's a good thing you came to class, right?"

"Hermione has something to tell you," he replied.

"Yeah, just, Harry, please stay close, I'm afraid she might hit me again," said Ron without looking at her.

"Um... Ron? I owe you an apology," Hermione said shyly.
Ron didn't say anything. She bit her lips and left to find Ginny.

"She is not in love with Viktor and they surely have never kissed," said Harry.

"Yeah, right, as if I care," Ron said but it was obvious that he was glad hearing this. "Is that really true?"

"Yes," said Harry, who was trying to find a way of handling the situation properly. "You just provoked her and she... acted on impulse."

"When did she start acting on impulse?"

"Ron... Now tell me, ok? Why are you so jealous of Viktor?"

"Me?? I'm not!!"

"Oh, come on! It's me you're talking to! Haven't you ever thought why you 're jealous?"

"Well... Yeah..." Ron was hesitating to tell his friend what he felt, but then again... Harry was his best friend; there was no point on hiding from him...

"You fancy Hermione, don't you?" Harry hadn't yet found a proper way to discuss issues that had to do with girls, so he decided to ask straight, while trying to hide a smile.

"What are you talking about, I... I...All right, I think I love her. Actually, I'm ... I'm in love with her." Ron's ears went red and he looked the floor with embarrassment.

"Then just say it to her!"

"Have you lost your mind? Do you think that I'm in the mood for a rejection?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew Hermione wouldn't reject him, but he couldn't think of a clever way to pursue Ron make the first move without revealing him her emotions.

*
The rest of the day was generally calm.
Hagrid asked Harry's help to replant some plants that had to be replanted only during the night. Ron couldn't go with him, since he had to study, and Hermione wasn't informed by anyone, as she had spent all day talking with Ginny. Actually, they must have been talking about Ron, because whenever Ginny would see him, she would giggle and have a look I know something you don't know.

Ron was now alone at the common room. 'Till three minutes ago he had been sitting on the couch near the fireplace, studying. Now, even though he had finished, he decided to wait Harry to come back from Hagrid's. The portrait opened, but Harry was not the one to come in, Hermione was. She was holding a book. They looked at each other but didn't talk. Hermione walked slowly towards him and then sat.

"Have you forgiven me?" she asked, having a sweet tone in her voice.

"I'll have to think about it more," he said smiling and Hermione understood that he didn't had a grudge against her. At least, not anymore.

"Yes, but... You offended me too," she said.

"You are offended by anything!" he answered, without really having a mood for another fight, though.

"Now I'm more offended than before..."

"All right, I'm sorry," said Ron.

Hermione giggled. Ron had apologized in such a childish way... She looked at him and felt like she was looking a little child that was forced to apologize but didn't want to admit his mistake. She was really in love with him and she felt like smiling.

"What?" he said.

"What will you do now?"

Ron thought about saying he was going to sleep because he had suddenly started to feel a little embarrassed, but immediately he thought that Hermione had seen him in some of his best and worst phases, he had no reason to be embarrassed... But then again, he was in love with her so a little embarrassment would be excusable... From the many thoughts he did together, he eventually got confused and answered "I'm waiting Harry! He has gone to help Hagrid with some plants or something. I was... um... studying."

"Hagrid?" said Hermione concerned. "I don't think that it's appropriate for Harry to wonder all alone, out of the castle, especially at night! I mean... Hogwarts might be the safest place but Voldemort is free!"

"Hagrid will accompany him to the castle, don't worry. And as for Hogwarts, it's not really totally safe. It's just the safest compared to the other...places."

Hermione nodded and made herself comfortable on the couch, leaning her head on her hand. "Let's read," she said and yawned.

"If you feel sleepy, go," said Ron, though deep inside he didn't want her to leave.

"No, I'll wait for Harry, too," she said and started reading. She wanted to be with Ron, so waiting for Harry was a good excuse.

Ron started reading too, but after a while he realized that Hermione's breathing had become slow. She had fallen asleep. He removed gently the book from her hands and whispered, "Hermione... You've fallen asleep."

"No, I'm reading," she said sleepily. She took her book with her eyes half -closed, she cuddled into Ron's arms and... she slept.
Ron was feeling very uncomfortable. He was feeling scared that a girl -not every girl, Hermione!- was sleeping in his arms. He was staring at her with the same look that he would have if he saw a spider coming towards him. But the spider would be small (hopefully!), opposite to his desire to stroke Hermione's hair, that was huge. He didn't dare to.

At that time, Harry came in, tired and covered with mud. "Those plants were particularly wild."

Ron showed him Hermione, with a slightly scared look. "She fell asleep! On me!"

Harry sat exhausted on an armchair. "Yeah, tell us that you are not enjoying it!" he said trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, Harry, low your voice! She'll hear you!"

"She won't, she's sleeping. She won't hear a think. Let's be sure though..." Harry said in low voice. "If she wasn't sleeping," he said loudly, "I would be able to tell her that McGonagall was seeking for her, something having to do grades she said..."

Hermione had no reaction. She was really asleep.

"See?" said Harry. "I'm telling you, these plants were wild."

No one talked for a while.
Ron had now relaxed and was glad that he had Hermione so close to him.
Harry was staring the fireplace. He couldn't help not thinking of his godfather. He decided not to keep his thoughts for himself. "And just think that not long ago, Sirius' head might suddenly pop out from the flames."

Ron smiled melancholically. They were all very sad when Sirius died. It was a loss to everyone.

"We would be surprised as always," Harry kept talking. "He would say: Hi guys! Everything's right? Ron! You've got a Hermione on you! What's going on between you two? Then, your eyes could become red (when Harry said that, Ron's ears indeed became red), and I would ask him if there were any news from the Order... He 'd say that Voldemort was trying to kill me, again!..."
Harry stopped. He was far too moved to continue.

Ron thought that Harry had enough of Sirius' memories for tonight. "We'd better go to sleep, mate."

Harry agreed. "We'd better," he said and walked towards the dorms.

"Um... Wait a second..." Ron said showing Hermione.
Harry stopped at the stairs.
Ron nudged Hermione gently. "Hermione... Let's go to bed..."

Hermione woke up. She smiled at him sleepily and went towards the dorms.
"Oh," she said, "my book, where is my book..."

"It's here," Ron said. He took Hermione's book and gave it to her.
Hermione hugged him and, blushing, he returned the hug. "Good night," she said and turned to the stairs.

"Er... Hermione?"

Hermione looked at Ron.
Ron, embarrassed, gave her a kiss near the lips. "'Night," he said.
She smiled gladly and went to the dorms.

"Let's hope that next time the kiss will be on the lips," said Harry trying not to laugh. Ron smiled and they headed to the dorms.

The End