The Silent Siege

Chapter 10

Wobbly Weasleys

Harry cautiously pushed open the door to the boys' bathroom. "Ron?" he asked.

There was no response.

"Ron, are you in here?" asked Harry again.

Harry suddenly heard a loud retching sound coming from the third stall as Ron released the remains of the little dinner he had eaten into the toilet.

Harry was glad Ron could not see the expression on his face as he waited for the nauseating sound to subside.

"Ron," he asked again. "Are you all right?"

"What do you think?" came a feeble squeak from the toilet.

"Ron, let's go to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey can give you something for that stomach."

"I'm not going outside that door."

"Ron, you can't stay in here forever."

"Just until Hermione graduates."

Harry paused for a moment and then said. "Ron, why didn't you tell me?"

"How could I tell you? I - oh, Harry - I - I don't know what made me do it. All those people. Everyone saw me. I'll never be able to show my face out there again."

"No, Ron, stop it. This is ridiculous. You're being childish."

"Easy for you to say. Harry," Ron added, before Harry could respond. "You don't think, you don't suppose, that, well, Hermione's part Veela, do you?"

Harry was glad Ron couldn't see the smirk that was now covering his face. "I think we would have noticed it before now, don't you?"

Ron paused for a moment. "You're right. That's not really like her at all. I know," he said suddenly. "I'll bet she's cooked up some kind of spell or potion. Harry," he said, with a sudden note of alarm. "I think Hermione has put me under the Imperius curse."

Harry could not stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Harry, it's not funny. I'm serious. She's good with spells. I bet she's learned how to master it already. And - and - it's just like we learned in class. I feel like I'm not in control of myself at all, like she's got me on the end of a string. She could ask me to do anything she wanted and I would do it. It's definitely the Imperius curse. Maybe we should talk to Professor McGonagall."

"Ron," said Harry seriously. "I think maybe you're in love."

Ron didn't respond.

"Ron?"

"That was going to be my next suggestion," came a frightened squeak.

"Ron, you've got to come out now. I'll help you. You can do it." Harry walked over to the door to the stall where Ron was hiding. "Let's get you cleaned up and then you can come out and talk to Hermione."

"I've got a much better idea. Why don't we go visit Aragog? I bet he's getting lonely. You could even feed me to him for supper. It would be a quick, painless death."

"No, Ron." Harry felt his patience slipping away. "You are coming out to talk to Hermione. Now. She's waited long enough." He looked at his watch. It had been nearly an hour since Ron had asked Hermione to the ball.

"How is she taking it, anyway?" asked Ron.

"Well, er....." Harry hesitated for a moment as he clearly recalled the events that had taken place in the common room after Ron had disappeared into the bathroom.

For the first half hour, Hermione had sat dead still in her chair, an expression of alarm and surprise plastered to her face. Harry had not dared to say anything and, in any case, he suspected he had much the same look on his own face as well. He vaguely recalled seeing Neville out of his peripheral vision walk over with some type of S.P.E.W. document but on seeing Hermione's expression, had thought better of it and left. Indeed, the whole common room had seemed to be avoiding Hermione and Harry as if they carried some horrible infectious disease. A frightened looking first-year had tried to use the bathroom but had been waved away by Dean, who seemed to be treating the whole area surrounding Harry and Hermione's table and the bathroom as some kind of crime scene.

Then, very suddenly, Hermione had stood up and begun pacing around the common room. The empty spaces were quickly cleared so she could have free reign without having to interact with any of her fellow Gryffindors. She had continued pacing for a few minutes. At first, the Gryffindors whose seats she had passed had looked up at her nervously but after a while, they had begun to return to their work, merely assuming that she had finally flipped. It had been just as sudden - at least to Harry - when Hermione had finally broken into speech.

"There's been a change of plan," she declared in a strident and very unnatural voice, as if she was practicing a public speech or performing on the stage. It had taken everyone a moment to realize she had been talking to Colin, Neville, and Arabella who were cowering near the fireplace.

"I - I don't think we should go ahead with the action," Hermione had declared, her voice cracking. "After all, the house elves don't really want to do it and - and I'm not sure it would generate the right sort of publicity after all."

Colin, Neville, and Arabella had nodded in unison even though Hermione was still walking up and down, staring into space and not looking directly at them.

"And so, I think we should concentrate our efforts - "

"Hermione."

Harry had stopped breathing. Neville had walked up to Hermione and put his hand gently on her forearm. Harry had not been sure how Hermione would react to this but she had just stopped and stared at Neville.

"If you want to go to the ball with Ron, we understand," he had said.

Harry and Hermione had both seen that Colin and Arabella, still standing next to the fireplace, were nodding their agreement.

Hermione's expression had suddenly softened. Even Harry had felt a smile start to come to his face. Neville had certainly grown up a great deal from the boy who had been hexed into petrification by the very same witch his first year.

"Thank you, Neville," she had said in a more normal tone of voice.

"A - actually," Neville had continued, his face breaking into a blush. "Luna was hoping - "

"Oh, Neville," Hermione had said, touching his forearm in reciprocation. "Oh, for heavens sake, go and ask her. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I - I didn't want to disappoint you, Hermione."

"No, Neville. Go along and ask her now." Hermione's voice had started to take on an authoritative tone again.

Neville had nodded and turned away, leaving the common room quickly.

Hermione had watched Neville until some time after the portrait had already swung closed behind him, then sighed and sat back down again.

Harry had quickly returned to his own seat. "I - I didn't know, Hermione, I swear," he had said a little nervously. "He didn't tell me anything."

"I know, Harry. I believe you," Hermione had quietly replied. She had then looked up at the door to the bathroom. "Is he going to stay in there all night?" she had wondered.

"I'd better go in and take a look," Harry had replied.

And so he had found himself in the bathroom talking to his best friend who had just asked his other best friend to the Guy Fawkes ball, a request that had gone straight to his stomach.

Harry managed to give a somewhat abbreviated account of Hermione's reaction. He tried to make Hermione's behavior sound somewhat normal but Ron still said:

"S - so she didn't actually say yes?"

"Well, not in so many words, Ron, but I don't think she would have canceled the action if she didn't really want to go with you. Obviously, she's waiting to talk you. You did the hard part. You asked her. Now she has to say something to you."

Ron's only reply was a low mumbled whimper.

There was another long pause. Finally, Ron said:

"OK, I'll go out, but on one condition."

"Yes?"

"I'm wearing the invisibility cloak."

***

Hermione watched Harry disappear into the boys' bathroom. After a few moments, she was aware of another red-headed Weasley sliding into the vacant seat next to her with two mugs in her hand.

"I thought you might like some tea." Ginny slid a mug in her direction.

Hermione suddenly felt warm even though she hadn't yet touched the tea. "Thanks," she took the tea and sipped it. It was wonderful.

The two girls sat in silence for a moment. Then Ginny suddenly started to giggle.

"What?" asked Hermione.

Ginny giggled again.

"Is it really that funny?" Hermione demanded, sounding a little annoyed.

"Well, it is a little. I mean, here you are, coaching me and this comes up in hits you right in the eye. And the look on your face. You really had no idea." Ginny started giggling again and had to put down her tea for fear that she wouldn't be able to swallow it.

Hermione frowned for a moment and then started to smirk. And before long she had collapsed into giggles herself.

"It's true," she admitted, feeling herself start to unwind. "I spend so much time with boys, I'm just as thick as they are."

The girls kept giggling for a moment and were studiously avoided by the remainder of the Gryffindors who assumed that this was a further sign of madness. Then Ginny said:

"Anyhow, obviously, he likes you and you like him, so you should be happy."

Hermione frowned at Ginny. "Do I like him?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Ginny, without a trace of doubt.

"What makes you think I like him?"

"The way you argue."

"Arguing makes you think I like him?"

"No, it's the way you do it. Like nothing else matters to you in the world but each other. You argue because you want to feel that closeness but when you do get that close, all you can do is argue because you're afraid you'll have to face feelings that are too strong for you to handle."

Hermione considered this for a moment.

"And there's another thing, too," added Ginny. "You're afraid if you like each other too much, Harry will be left all by himself."

"Nothing much escapes you, does it?" Hermione finally said.

Ginny swallowed a sip of tea. "Survival in a large family."

"Ginny," said Hermione seriously. "But this has got to be a little strange for you. I mean, he's your brother."

Ginny shook her head. "I have a lot of brothers. It's not the first time."

At that moment, the door to the boys' bathroom opened and Harry walked out.

Ginny and Hermione stared up at him, immediately rigid to attention.

"Well?" demanded Hermione.

Harry looked anxiously at her. "He - he wants the invisibility cloak."

Hermione slammed her palms down on the table to which Ginny shrugged and took another sip of tea.

"Oh, honestly, this is so stupid!"

"I know, I know." Harry tried to pacify his friend. "I have an idea. Just - just wait a little while longer, OK?"

Hermione groaned.

Harry went up his dormitory and returned a few minutes later with the cloak, then disappeared back into the bathroom, smiling weakly at an anxious looking Hermione. A good ten minutes then passed which seemed to Hermione like ten hours. Finally, Harry opened the door again, apparently alone, but he kept nudging his head in the direction of an empty space to his right. Harry noticed uncomfortably that the common room was staring in their direction once again to watch the conclusion of the drama.

There was a sudden sound of movement. Harry immediately grabbed the thing on his right which had been moving away. The cloak pulled away in his hand to reveal a frightened and disheveled looking Ron trying to disappear up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

He turned back and stared at Harry, a look of deep betrayal on his face.

"I'm sorry," said Harry flatly, "but it's for your own good."

Ron looked around nervously and saw the whole common room pretending not to look at him. His eyes then rested on Hermione and suddenly she was the only person there.

He watched her hazel eyes looking directly back at him. They looked as deep and soft as the night's sky. He saw her once again the way she had looked the night they had sat together in Dumbledore's office. It seemed like all of Hermione's hopes and fears were open to Ron. He realized then and there that the Hermione he had fallen for that night had always been there, just beneath the surface, waiting for him to release.

The look in Hermione's eyes did not change as she got up from the table and walked over toward Ron. Slowly, as if touching the surface of an alien planet for the first time, she rested a single finger on the top of his left knuckle. Ron suddenly felt a hot surge of energy was running through his body from that one point.

Hermione looked up at his face. "Ron, you look awful," she said in a very soft voice.

Ron suddenly didn't feel awful at all.

"I - I - I've been thinking," said Hermione, still very softly, looking down at where her finger was still touching Ron's hand. "I don't think I'll be doing anything with S.P.E.W. after all, so - um - well, I'd really like to go to the dance with you. That is, if you're still asking me." She looked up hopefully into his eyes.

Ron opened his mouth but no sound came out. He managed to nod.

"Good." Hermione's face broke into a full smile. Ron suddenly felt as if he was going to pass out.

Hermione took her finger away from Ron's hand. "Um, I - I've still got to do finish some of my Arithmancy. I - is that OK? We can study together?" she suggested as if that wasn't what they did all of the time.

Ron nodded. That was OK. Anything was OK.

And so Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down again and began to study. Ginny retreated almost imperceptibly to the chair next to her friends where all of her work was still sprawled out. Harry retrieved his quill only to find it had streaked all over the bottom part of his parchment. He thought he would have to re-copy the last section but Hermione quickly rectified the problem with a flick of her wand. After Harry had finally finished, he invited Ron to a game of wizard chess. To his slight surprise, Ron eagerly agreed and Hermione packed up her work, too, and soon was sitting beside them. It was as if nothing had happened the whole night.

But things soon proved too much for Ron (he even nearly lost a game) and he went back to the dormitory, complaining of fatigue. He exchanged a shy good night with Hermione who soon made her own way up to bed. But Harry suddenly didn't feel so tired. He looked thoughtfully at the wizard chess pieces for a time before flicking his wand and making them all disappear underneath the round table again. By the time he had made it to bed, he could hear the now uncommon sound of Ron snoring. Harry pulled the covers over his head and it wasn't long until he, too, fell asleep.

But he woke up after a while, bothered with another nightmare. In this dream, Professor Nevins had placed the class into two rows again. He had asked them all to find partners. Hermione eagerly paired up with Ron and Neville with Luna. Soon everyone had a partner except for Harry. Professor Nevins looked down at him with a look of deep disappointment in his eyes. He told Harry with a slight note of sadness that if Harry couldn't find a partner for the exercise, then he could do nothing to help him. Harry would have to leave Hogwarts and face Voldemort all by himself.

***

History of Magic was cancelled the next morning as Binns went to greet Henrietta Handsdowne who had just floated in. Seamus had made everyone groan at breakfast that morning when he suggested that Binns had wanted some time alone with her before the dance. As soon as Harry had found out there wouldn't be any History of Magic, he went to see if Ginny had time that morning to practice her passing with him and was relieved to find that she also had the period free. Considering how close they were to the traditionally important game with Slytherin, he was very anxious about how badly she had botched her set-ups to Katie in their last practice and had been pleased when she had agreed to make time to practice with him one-on-one. He hadn't understood it; she hadn't made those simple mistakes before. Maybe she was getting nervous before the game or maybe something about that whole Michael Corner thing was still bothering her. Whatever the case, as he walked to the field with her that morning, Harry was happy to be worrying about Quidditch instead of having to worry about everything else that had happened lately.

It was a beautifully clear, if windy and cool, autumn day. The Quaffle looked brilliantly sharp against the sea blue sky. Whatever Ginny's problems had been in practice, she was on perfect form today. Harry took Katie's position and they practiced flying and passing from every possible angle. Next they practiced with Harry in the opponent's position. He tried to block Ginny, then have her pass to a cardboard teammate which they had conjured to float merrily near the goalposts but Ginny proved herself nearly as swift as Harry in a much less powerful broomstick. Finally, Harry flew over to Ginny and told her how much she had improved.

"You're a good teacher, Harry," she said, to which he found he couldn't help but smile a little.

"You're a good chaser. Just don't get nervous in the game."

"I won't," said Ginny brightly, watching Harry toss the Quaffle back and forth between both hands.

"I knew you would be a good captain, you know," she added. "I remember the way you used to teach the D.A."

Harry's smile faded noticeably but Ginny did not choose to drop the subject.

"Luna told me Nevins put her in your class. She said she only got so good because of the DA."

"Well, I'm sure it was because of what happened in the Department of Mysteries," said Harry, starting to sound a little defensive.

If Ginny had noticed that Harry had grown uncomfortable with the change of topic, she did not show it.

"Colin asked me the other day when you were going to start up class again. I told him I had no idea." She fixed Harry with an uncomfortably piercing stare.

Harry found himself starting to get more than a little annoyed. Hadn't Ron and Hermione warned her anything? Did she know how touchy he was about this kind of thing?

"Well, you can tell him he might be waiting a very long time!" Harry retorted, a little sharply. He began to toss the Quaffle back and forth with greater force.

Ginny continued to smile but a flush started to rise in her cheeks.

"It's really stupid of you not starting it up again, you know. What if - "

"Look!" Harry stiffened. "I - "

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Ginny grabbed the Quaffle in mid-flight right out from under his face. Feeling even more miffed, he made a quick grab for it but Ginny had already dived sharply down so that his arms clutched rather stupidly around thin air.

Harry turned around to speed after Ginny but even though he gained on her very fast, she had so much of an edge on him already that it was ridiculously easy for her to drop the Quaffle into the nearest hoop. To add insult to injury, she skirted around the pole and picked up the Quaffle from the other side, then swooped back up to meet the upcoming Harry with an elated smile on her face.

"People might say all kind of things to you in the match, Harry. Think of Malfoy. You can't let them get to you."

"I wasn't!" said Harry angrily. "I wouldn't!"

Ginny nodded, still smiling. "It's the first time I've beaten you to the hoop, you know."

"Yeah, but - you - I - I've been taking it easy on you, you know!"

"Really? Looks like you better stop then!"

"Right then, I will." The expression on Harry's face hardened.

Ginny giggled.

"What's funny?" Harry demanded, not amused in the least.

"It's just you've never shown so much passion to me before."

"What's that supposed to - "

But Ginny had grabbed the Quaffle again and circled around to the front of the goal posts, trying to force Harry to play keeper. Harry wasn't having it, however: he darted straight toward Ginny, channeling his anger through competition as he had so many times before. Ginny tried to dive but Harry anticipated her feint perfectly and reached down to tear the Quaffle out of her hands without so much as touching a hair on Ginny's head. He swept down and then back around, picking up momentum as he sped toward the bottom of the poles below the scoring hoops. Dangerously close to a collision, he stuck out his right trainer and bounced it off the side of the pole. He winced as he did so, but lost only a split-second's momentum as he rode up the pole and scooped the Quaffle into the right hoop.

He caught the Quaffle back again just as Ginny had and was pleased to find that the smile had left her face, replaced by a look of determination he hoped she would wear when they were playing Slytherin. Harry circled around in front of the goal posts just as Ginny had done on the last play. They stared at each other for a moment, then Harry moved sharply to his right, trying to dart around Ginny in the direction of the right hoop again. He thought he had made it past her but at the last second, Ginny spun around in mid air and used her foot to guide the bristles of her broomstick right up toward Harry's face. He swerved up and missed her but the Quaffle fell out of his hands. Harry tried to correct his momentum but Ginny had already dived down for the Quaffle and he knew that if he chased after her that she would take it straight to the hoop. Instead, he swerved back around and headed toward the hoop himself to head her off.

Harry's ploy worked and he arrived at the hoop before Ginny. She circled up from her dive and gained momentum toward the hoop. If she was surprised when she saw that Harry was there already, she didn't show it. Harry rocked back and forth on his Firebolt, ready to dive in either direction but Ginny did not try to swerve and weave as he expected. Her eyes narrowing, she cannoned straight toward Harry. Much to his own dismay, Harry found himself retreating back toward the hoop. Just as Ginny was close enough for Harry to count the freckles on her face, she titled her broomstick to the right before swerving her broomstick with her feet at the last minute underneath Harry and to the left. But she had not counted on his experience. At the last fraction of a second, Harry felt without knowing exactly where she was going and moved to stop her.

But by this point, they were much too close. With a loud splitting sound, the handles of the two broomsticks collided. Harry's was the much stronger of the two, however, and the top half of Ginny's Cleansweep split right off. Gasping, she let go without thinking. Harry lunged out just as Ginny was spinning away from him and grabbed her tightly against him. Both of the Gryffindors watched, gasping, as Ginny's broomstick tumbled toward the ground in two pieces.

Harry's wand was out of his robes quickly.

"Reparo!" he cried. "Accio Cleansweep!"

Ginny's broomstick sealed itself and glided back up towards them. It nudged the side of Ginny's robes like a neglected pet but she did not grab onto it. Instead, she continued to hold onto Harry tightly. Harry, for his part, continued to clutch her protectively, feeling the syncopated rhythm of her fast-beating heart against his. Her head was stiflingly close to his now and with her hair flying in all directions, it seemed to Harry that someone had exploded a red firework in his face. But it was her eyes that struck him the most. He had never seen they were brown before, but now they were like seeing the brown of the churning sea in an angry storm. There was something in them just as deep and it scared Harry so much he almost dropped her.

But all that was in a moment so swift Harry almost managed to make himself believe he had made it all up. In the next, he became uncomfortably aware that he was holding his best friend's sister very tightly and that someone might be down on the ground watching them.

"Um, Ginny," he said, still panting. "You can take your broomstick now."

Ginny's eyes did not leave Harry's but she scooped her Cleansweep under her arm.

"Er, and you can let go of me," he added.

"Oh, right, sorry," said Ginny, as if breaking out of a spell and she took hold of her broomstick in both hands. Harry imagined she had suddenly started to blush but then a gust of wind swirled up and a tangle of hair obscured her face.

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "I - I got carried away. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. I did, too, Harry."

She smiled a little weakly and Harry had suddenly had the horrible feeling that she wasn't sitting very steadily on her broom. What had he been thinking letting her get to him like that? He'd probably scared her out of her wits right just before the game and after she'd been playing so well. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe he should be begging Snape to give him Occlumency lessons.

"Maybe we'd better go back down again," suggested Harry. "Have a bit of a rest."

Harry was relieved when Ginny nodded and they glided the broomsticks down to the ground.

They stood on the windy pitch for a few minutes, not saying anything. Ginny looked as if she was deep in thought about something, then she took a very odd sort of breath, and lifted her head up and said:

"Hermione said you weren't going to the ball?"

Harry took an instinctive step backwards.

"Well, yeah, right. I - I - I suppose it just seems a little silly to me, that's all."

"Yeah, maybe." Ginny looked down again. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go with me. Just as friends," she added quickly. "I'm promise I'm not crushing on you again or anything."

Liar, Ginny thought to herself. That's exactly what you're doing.

Harry's mouth had suddenly gone oddly round.

"Wh - wh - who said anything about crushing?" he asked.

Ginny shrugged.

"Well," Harry coughed and then his eyes suddenly narrowed. "Are you worried about Corner? Is he - "

Ginny shook her head.

"I can handle Michael," she said. "I just thought it might be fun." She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible but she was uncomfortably aware that her heart was pounding so loud she was sure Harry could see it bulging out from her robes.

"Oh, well, er, I - I'm sorry, I'd really rather not," said Harry, a little gruffly. "I'm sorry," he added again.

Ginny shrugged.

"It's OK."

Ginny suddenly realized that although she had rehearsed things well in her mind up to this point, she no longer had planned what to say either way. This realization coincided with a horrible prickling sensation at the back of Ginny's eyes that rendered her incapable of speech in any case. Unfortunately, Harry seemed to have chosen this most inopportune moment to begin studying Ginny closely.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a little nervously.

Ginny nodded a little too enthusiastically and unseen to Harry dug her nails so hard into her palms that she almost bled. She was not going to start to become weak and dependent like that stupid little girl again.

"I have to go to class now, I'm afraid," she declared, a lone quiver the only thing that betrayed the false brightness in her voice.

Damn you, Potter, she thought. Why do you keep looking at me like that?

Harry frowned.

"A - all right," he said.

"Care of Magical Creatures," Ginny added quickly and instantly regretted that she'd showed she felt the need to explain herself. "It's only Hagrid but I probably shouldn't be late."

In truth, Ginny had begged Hagrid to let her skip the class which was by now nearing its end. Fortunately, Harry did not check his watch.

"All right," Harry said, looking as if he was still in a bit of a trance. "Well, th - thanks for practicing and don't worry about falling," he added, suddenly regaining a bit of his captain's authority. "Just focus on playing your best next week. You know you're faster than any of their chasers."

"I know and I'm not afraid of anything, Harry, don't forget that."

Without waiting for a reply, Ginny turned on her heel a little harder than she'd intended and marched off down the field toward the direction of Hagrid's hut.

I'm not afraid of you, either, Harry, she told herself. And I'm not finished with you yet.