You and I? Impossible

Doubts and uncertainties

"Finding hope takes a long way, but less arduous if you intertwine the hand of the right person"

Ron's mind wandered here and there:
he thought that maybe by being close to his friend she would get closer to him.
He was still in love with her, and now that he knew Harry was too, it made him even more nervous and insecure.
He tried to banish those thoughts, in vain.

Dinner time.  The two Gryffindors were returning to the castle:
- Thanks, I feel a little better, I enjoyed it - said the curly hint with a slight smile.
Harry shrugged, flashing a lopsided smile: for a moment Hermione seemed to forget her thoughts in the farthest drawer of her mind, staring only at his eyes.

They stood there, looking at each other and chatting, thus skipping the meal.

- Mr. Weasley, I need Miss Granger and Harry.  Urgently.  -
So Ron abandoned his beloved chicken to go find his friends of hers, the last thing he wanted to do: he was afraid of finding them clinging to each other, Harry intent on comforting her ... and him?
Always there, swallowing the bitter morsel.

He found the two sitting in the courtyard talking amiably.
- Um guys, Dumbledore is looking for you: it seems to be urgent-
The two looked at each other uneasily.  Ron was foolishly trying to figure out if something had happened between them.

- He will definitely want to talk about what happened- Hermione said with absent eyes.
Ron put his hand on her shoulder:
- Go, I'll wait for you in the Common Room-
- See you there, don't fall asleep, we have to repeat potions- Harry remembered

They made a good-natured greeting and so the two, despite the late hour, walked to the principal's office.

- Lemon sorbet-

He was sitting in his magnificent chair reading a tome.
-Oh Harry, Miss Granger- he exclaimed inviting them to sit down.
- You have probably already guessed the reason for this call-
-Yes-
- Miss Granger, I ask you to make a great effort, I need you to be lucid-
She nodded gravely.
- I have rethought and rethought Voldemort's attack and every time I approach the solution it eludes me.
That evening he was looking for someone, or rather, something.
His followers specifically pounced on Cedric Diggory: obviously it wasn't the boy the target, but her...-
Harry tried to reason.
"The question is why?" Concluded Dumbledore
- Can you remember what you were wearing? -
She replied with great hesitation:
- I had a green and purple dress, I dare say was enchanted and-
"Something smaller Miss Granger," urged the rector.
- A set of earrings and a necklace and then the ... engagement ring-
- Could you show them to me? -
- The ring is here with me-
She took it out of her pocket and placed it devoutly on the table.
Dumbledore, startled, backed away.
-How did Mr. Diggory get hold of it? -He asked almost stammering
- We bought it together, in a shop in Hogsmead-
-What era does it date back? -He asked, now more and more convinced and sure that he knew what they had to do with.
"Years ... forties ..." Hermione began to connect the pieces of her.
-It is clear as the sun: this object is owned by him-
She got up from the table, starting pacing back and forth, knowing that the little black stone was nothing more than one of the deathly hallows.
- You should be dead-
- What?  What do you mean Professor? - Harry asked fervently
- It is not a common link: I cannot tell you more dear ones, but, Miss Granger, I have another question-
-He was wearing hebrid black leather gloves at the party? -
- Um yes, they are extremely rare and I wanted to wear them for the occasion-
Arcane solved.  The power of the ring was nil in contact with the skin of this millennial dragon.
-They acted as a shield ... just as I thought- he mulled in a low voice
- I have to ask you to leave it to me-
he told her in a tone that he did not accept replies.
The girl lowered her head and took leave.
- Professor, so Voldemort is looking for that ring? -
- Yes Harry, I'm sure.  It is of vital importance to him, otherwise he would never have attacked the whole school.  I proceeded with the Minister to increase the defenses of the castle.  Now they are almost impenetrable.
-The time will come when I will tell you everything my dear boy, now you have to stay close to Miss Granger, you have to tell me if she remembers anything.  You have to keep your friends close.
Dark things watch over us;
now it goes-
- Goodnight professor-

Clack.

She ran after Hermione: she had withdrawn at the beginning of the corridor, slumped to the ground.
- Please leave me alone-

Harry didn't reply and grudgingly agreed to his friend's request.
He still feared that she might subconsciously harm herself.

He went back to the common room, Ron was dozing on the loveseat;  he decided to leave it there quiet.

He cautiously crept into the men's dorm and quickly slipped under the sheets.
He was tired.  Destroyed.
Had it not been for poor dead Hermione would have died;  the very thought of him made him shiver.
He closed his eyes.

————————————————————————

What's the best way to start a new day?  But of course with a good scrub from Professor Snape.

The two boys hadn't repeated the day's lesson, causing Gryffindor to lose 10 points.
Hermione followed all the lessons, taciturn, answering only when asked.

Would the young girl ever come back I know everything that we know?

After exhausting and tedious hours of Divination and Artimancy, the girl returned to the Common Room to devote time to a book from the library about the ancient runes, her favorite subject.

At the same instant, the twins Weasley and Ronald walked through the painting of the Fat Lady.

The two, intent on teasing him and yanking him, pushed him towards the girl:
- Hi Hermione, I was wondering if you'd like to come to practice today, uh Quidditch-

Her curl was deaf to her words: it seemed that everything that reminded her of Cedric was trying to stifle her.

She also came to Harry who was a spectator of that proposal:
- Come on, you can take notes about discipline - Harry said jokingly

Her laugh roused her.

- Okay, but only for half an hour.

Ron treasured that 'yes' from Hermione;  he wanted to show her how good he was at juggling her broom, not thinking in the slightest about the pain she still felt.

Ron and Harry entered the men's dorm to get ready.
The balance of their friendship hung by a very precarious thread.
- How does Hermione look to you? - attacked the red
-She seems to me she is recovering little by little, after all it's only been a week-
Ron continued to shudder.  He didn't know how to tell her.

- Harry, I ..... I don't want to compete with you for her-
He turned to look at him, almost disgusted.
-But how can you think only of this?! Do you see what state she is in?  One thing must be clear to both of us: she still loves him.
In any case, I'm close to relieving her pain as her friend and you should too, as that's who we are to her and most of all what she needs.  Friends.-

- Sorry.  It's just that I'm afraid, I ...-
- I'm aware of that.  Me too.  But I would never, ever put pressure on her, especially at this moment.

If only Ron knew about the night they slept next to each other.
He dared not imagine.

In the end, they fully prepared for that crucial training session.  They took the brooms and left the castle.

At least I get a little distracted, Hermione thought as she filled her saddlebag.
She quickly tidied up her personal belongings and put them back in the dresser, carelessly combed her hair and closed the mirror.

She with a half smile she left her room and headed into the common room.

Her eyes rolled up uncontrollably.
Her upper and lower limbs gave way.
White slime came out of her mouth.
She fell to the ground, unconscious.

The curse had begun.

Author space
And with this climax I conclude the chapter.
What's going on?
Are Harry and Ron on a war footing?  And Hermione?  Is her life in danger or is it just a false alarm?
We will find out together soon🤍

I am pleased to note that there are more and more people interested in history and I could not be happier, thank you very much.
Comment on what you think and make criticisms as long as they are constructive.

Ciaoooo and happy reading!