The Seventh Year Soap Opera

The Seventh Year Soap Opera

RECAP OF CHAPTER EIGHT- Raging Hormones: Ron escorts Hermione to the infirmary, where he gives her a small kiss on the cheek, when she begins to cry. The kiss sparks Hermione's memory and she remembers when she an Ron "got together". Madam Pomfrey and Draco enter and Madam Pomfrey says that Draco is likely to get off for his crime. Hermione becomes enraged, as well as Ron, who begins to beat Draco up horribly. Then Pansy Parkinson walks in...

WHERE WE LEFT OFF-

Hermione stared at Pansy in horror, knowing what she was going to next. "No!" she cried, as Pansy gave a wicked grin and muttered something. Ron turned upside down in the air. Hermione shut her eyes quickly as she heard Ron fall to the floor faster than the speed of light, a sickening thud sounding as his head made contact with the marble floor.

Madam Pomfrey let out a shrill scream. Hermione popped open her eyes and saw Ron lying in a crumpled heap, his arms and legs sticking out at odd angles. Fear and adrenaline filled her heavy heart, and she rushed to his side.

Chapter Nine- Confessions

"What did you do to him, Ms. Parkinson?!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked, rushing to Ron, and then to Malfoy. Both were unconscious. Malfoy had blood on his face, but Ron had broken bones, which Hermione thought was much worse. Forget Malfoy, Ron was hurt! Madam Pomfrey retrieved her wand from a drawer, and flew both boys to hospital beds.

Hermione struggled to keep herself from crying as she stared at Ron and picked herself from off the floor. "He will be fine, Ms. Granger," Madam Pomfrey said, mending Ron's broken bones in a heartbeat. She walked over to Malfoy, leaving Hermione with Ron.

Hermione allowed herself to cry now. She had been so sure he was dead. No words could describe her relief. She let out a shaky sigh as tears streamed down her face, and delicately placed a finger to a large, black and purple bruise forming on Ron's head. She kissed it softly and wiped away the tears that had rolled from her face and onto his.

"Has the Mudblood fallen for the Weasel?" Pansy Parkinson said, giggling. The high pitched sound filled Hermione's ears, mocking her, and all logic gone, she swiftly walked over to the Slytherin girl and slapped her hard across the face. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Pansy looked at her in horror, but she remained silent. "I have a good right hook as well," Hermione said threateningly. "Ron taught me splendidly during fifth year." She raised her fist as proof of this. Pansy glared at her and stalked out of the room, clutching her cheek. Hermione walked back over to Ron, still fuming.

Dumbledore walked in just then. "I apologize for the lateness," he said cheerily, blue eyes sparkling, long white beard swishing from side to side. His eyes fell upon the boys in the beds and then to Hermione, who gave him a half-hearted smile. "Poppy," he said with much poise, "I was under the impression that Ms. Granger was the one who needed care."

"We had another incident," Madam Pomfrey said briskly, mopping up Malfoy's face.

"So I see."

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Harry was incredibly angry. For detention, Snape had given him the task of taking over Filch's duties as caretaker without the use of magic. It actually wouldn't have been so bad if Filch hadn't been peering over his shoulder, whispering things like, "You missed a spot, there," with a evil grin. It didn't help when Peeves let off about ten dungbombs and covered the halls with some green goo. To top it all off, Snape had given him extra homework. Oh well, he thought, I'll just ask Hermione for help.

Hermione. They had been through a lot together. He knew how hard it had been when he had left to go into hiding. Of course, it had been hard on him too, fighting Voldemort all by himself. He refused to speak with anyone about the incident, except Dumbledore. It had been so horrible...

But back to Hermione. He knew she had loved him before he had left, but he wasn't sure if she loved him now. She said she did, but he couldn't make himself believe her. He had forgiven her for having an affair with Ron, but why would you sleep with someone you didn't love? She adamantly refused to sleep with him, after all, not that Harry pushed the topic, but he was her boyfriend and Ron wasn't. He was slightly jealous.

"You better make sure that girlfriend of yours doesn't make too many enemies Potter!" a voice snapped at him. Pansy Parkinson was heading his way, and her face looked rather red.

"Hermione?" Harry said, somewhat startled by Pansy's statement.

"No, Tinkerbell," said Pansy sarcastically, her eyes flashing. "Someday she might wind up hurt."

"What are you on about?" said Harry impatiently. Then Pansy smiled wickedly, the smile illuminating her menacing brown eyes. "Where is she?" he said, suddenly suspicious. "What have you done to her?" He whipped out his wand and pointed it at her face. The smile disappeared quickly.

"Calm down Potter! Your little Mudblood girlfriend is fine. She's currently recovering in the hospital from a certain Unforgivable Curse." Harry began to panic. What had happened to Hermione?

Pansy continued talking. "Weasel is in there too, along with Draco. You should have been there, really. I walked in and Weasel was pounding Draco's face in like there was no tomorrow." She grinned again. "But, I got him back." Her eyes hardened. "No one messes with my boyfriend and gets away with it."

Harry stuffed his wand back in the pocket of his robes and walked hurriedly to the hospital wing. "Hey Potter!" Pansy called after him. He whirled around. "I think Granger has fallen for the Weasel, ha ha!"

A pang of jealousy caused electric shock in his body and he shivered involuntarily, as Pansy's laughter faded as she walked in the opposite direction. She's just yanking my chain. Hermione wouldn't cheat on me again, would she? No, she wouldn't, he reassured himself. But even so, he increased his pace.

He could hear sobbing noises as he inched closer. He leaned against the wall outside the door and listened. "Go on," said a voice. Harry recognized it as Dumbledore's.

Then a voice he recognized as Hermione's spoke. "Well, after he kissed me, I slapped him and he put me under the Cruciatus Curse...and Ron knocked him out, and brought me here...b-but he didn't know that Malfoy had assaulted me..."

He assaulted her?!! Oh, there's gonna be hell to pay! Harry's head filled with violent thoughts, but he pushed away one particularly nasty image of chopping Malfoy's wanger in half and listened again.

"...came in with Madam Pomfrey and I blurted out what he had done and Ron beat him up. I-I was really scared, Professor, I had never seen Ron like that, and then Pansy walked in..." Her voice trailed off as she began to sob again.

"And, er, did this to Mr. Weasley," Madam Pomfrey finished. Did what to Ron? What is wrong with Ron?

Harry, feeling like he could hide no more, stopped listening and walked straight into the hospital wing. Hermione was sitting on Ron's bed, holding his hand. "Harry!" Hermione cried happily, dashing from his bedside and giving him a hug, knocking his glasses askew.

"Ms. Granger!" Madam Pomfrey said shrilly. "After being placed under the Cruciatus Curse, you mustn't go moving around like that! It is a danger to your health as well as your child's!"

Hermione looked ashamed of herself, and bent over to pick up Harry's glasses. She put them on for him, bit her lip, and led him over to Ron's bed. There was an awfully large bruise on his head and he was unconscious. Doesn't look to bad now that Pomfrey's fixed him up, Harry thought. Even so, he was worried. It was Hermione being Petrified all over again.

Madam Pomfrey was talking in hushed whispers to Dumbledore and Hermione and Harry listened closely. "Mr. Malfoy had a broken nose, and Mr. Weasley had several broken bones, but they are healing well. Both have slight concussions, Mr. Weasley's is more sincere because his head was rammed into the floor--", Harry and Hermione winced, "and I don't know how long they will be unconscious. If they come around, they might be able to leave...no, Mr. Weasley isn't going anywhere. Neither is Ms. Granger because--"

"But I'm fine!" Hermione protested.

Madam Pomfrey turned to her. "Yes, you are fine, but your baby is not."

Hermione stared at her stomach in horror. "W-What does that mean?" she said, her voice trembling.

"It means that you must stay the night and keep your movements to a minimum. Now, climb into bed." Hermione sighed, but did as she was told and climbed into the bed next to Ron.

"Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore, my patients need their rest," Madam Pomfrey said firmly.

"No, that's okay. They can stay, Madam Pomfrey," said Hermione hopefully.

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at her, Hermione bit her lip...hoping... "Out with you both!" she commanded. Hermione sighed, not wanting to be left alone.

Harry frowned slightly and kissed Hermione on the top of her head. "See you tomorrow," he told her, walking out of the room behind Professor Dumbledore.

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He walked to the common room with a heavy heart. What would have happened to Hermione if Ron hadn't been there? Why hadn't he been there? He was the boyfriend.

He sighed as he came upon the Gryffindor portrait hole. He muttered the password and entered the Gryffindor common room. No one was in there except Ginny, who was sitting idly on the couch, a scowl contorting her normally beautiful features. Beautiful? Where had that come from? At the moment, she looked more distressed than he. "What's eating you?" he asked.

Ginny just stared at him, as though debating whether to tell him what was bothering her. He stood there awkwardly while she looked him up and down, her eyes grazing into his soul, like he was a puzzle she needed to solve.

He narrowed his eyes. Any day now... "Ginny?" he said.

Before he knew it, she had risen from her spot on the couch, thrown her arms around his neck, and planted a long, firm kiss on his lips.

He pushed her away, the sweetness of her lips still lingering on his. "G-Ginny?" he stammered. "What--you--what?" Have I missed something? "What--"

Ginny put her finger to her lips. Harry stared at her with an expression that was somewhat confused, somewhat annoyed, somewhat intrigued, and somewhat amused.

Then Ginny spoke. "I love you Harry Potter, and I'm tired of doing it from a distance."