CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
Ron's been really excited for today. They are going to have their very first Hogsmeade visit a couple of days from now. This could have been a great day, really. If not for the orange menace trying to kill his pet rat. Merlin, he tried everything. Drowning poor Scabbers in a dust bath, hiding him in his clothes, he even almost dunked him in a mucus of flobberworms! Anyone would think that the half-kneazle would have trouble finding the rat despite their impressive nose, but no. Nothing seems to work.
"'Mione, I swear that evil cat of yours has it out for Scabbers. He could always find him!" He said.
“Nonsense, Ron. Of course Crookshanks would always find Scabbers. He's a cat. He could smell him." Hermione tried to explain to Ron calmly.
"Well, yes. I know that already. But I had also just given him a dust bath! And cologne!" Ron sighed. There's really no point arguing with Hermione right now. Besides, the growing pain in his head is evident more than ever. Not to mention he's starting to feel heavy. He just wants to crawl back in his bed and sleep.
"Whatever. Just keep him there, yeah? I have Scabbers in my bag right now."
"Alright." Hermione sighed. It seems like she was also getting tired of the same conversation they kept having over the past few weeks.
Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.
“OY!” Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deeply into it and began tearing ferociously ”GET OFF, CROOKSHANKS!”
Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.
“Ron, don’t hurt him!” squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top.
“CATCH THAT CAT!” Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.
George tried to lunge for the cat but failed. Ron immediately went after Scabbers, who was hiding under a chest of drawers. Not a second passed and Hermione is behind him, lifting up Crookshanks who was fervently trying to get Scabbers.
"Bad Crookshanks! We don't attack our friends, you understand?" She scolded her cat, who was still struggling in her arms. "Oh Ron, I'm really sorry. He's just a cat, but I'll try to keep him better."
Ron held back the series of hurtful words that he was about to unleash. Scabbers is skinny and shaking in his hands, but Hermione looked so sorry. And she apologized.
"I'm sorry, too. Maybe I should've kept Scabbers in our dorm, instead of taking him near a cat."
He looked at his pet rat. Maybe the two of them ought to retreat to his bed right now. The pounding in his head is much greater, and his body feels really heavy. There is a burning sensation in his chest, but he can't clutch it because a couple of his siblings and Harry and Hermione are nearby. He doesn't really need any more worrying glances on him. It's bad enough that his friends, especially Hermione, are catching up on his health. She's been more mollycoddling as of late.
"I'll just head upstairs, yeah? 'Sides, it's already this late. I wanna sleep early tonight,” he said.
"Are you sure, mate?" Asked Harry, who had been disturbed from copying the star chart that Rom lent him.
"Yeah. I'm a bit tired, so..." Ronald gathered his things, except his star chart.
"I'm really sorry, Ronald." Hermione looked sullen. Ron is surprised, as it was the second time Hermione apologized. Apologizing is quite hard for her sometimes, as she was often on the right side of things.
"It's really alright, 'Mione. And thank you for keeping Crookshanks for me."
Ron made his way towards their dorms. As soon as he was in the room, he placed Scabbers in his tank, a gift from Percy after their midnight conversation. He then refilled the rat's water bowl and food container.
After putting all of things away, he crawled to hus bed. He drew the curtains close. He was shivering. The pain in his head and chest is getting more and more intense. He is feeling hot, and it's a surefire way to say that a fever is coming through. He also can't drink anymore potions, as he already took quite a sum of it during the past few days.
Ronald covered himself with his quilt. He was in for a very long night.
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Ron was still having intense headache the next day. His head was on the clouds for the first few periods, almost missing the fiasco between Hermione, Lavender, and Lavender’s pet bunny, Binky. He didn’t join their banter, all the annoying sounds are like a hammer smashing a nail on his head.
“Hey, mate. Are you quite alright? You’re looking a bit pale,” Harry says. The trio is on the way toward their transfiguration classroom. Hermione was still a bit put off by her quarrel with Lavender earlier. However, when Harry spoke, she was on Ron’s side not a second later, hounding the redhead.
“Yeah. I just... I’m just a bit cold, that’s all.” He said, wrapping his arms around his self. Ron knew that it’s not really the answer he should give to Harry, but hey, at least he was not lying.
Harry and Hermione was automatically by both of his side, leaning closer.
“Here,” says Hermione. She took off her scarf and wrapped it around both of them.
“Thanks.”
Ron’s head felt like stuffed with clouds the whole duration of the class. He only came to himself when Hermione nudged him on his side. The redhead sent a confused look towards her.
“Hogsmeade. Professor McGonagall’s collecting permission slips,” explained Hermione. Ronald groggily took his slip from his bag, when he noticed Harry’s complicated expression. He suddenly felt bad, knowing that Harry might not be able to join the long-awaited visit to the wizarding village.
“You should ask McGonagall if there’s a chance that you’d be allowed to go,” he told his friend.
“Oh, but-“
“Hermione, there’s no harm in trying. It’s not fair that Harry’s going to stay here while all of us are attending.” He turned to Harry. “Go for it, mate.”
They all waited for all the other students to leave before approaching the stern witch. Harry tried to reason out why his awful muggles did not sign his permission slip, but it was still a resounding ‘no’ from the professor.
The three continued to discuss the upcoming visit. Others such as Dean Thomas also tried to help, offering to forge Harry’s Uncle’s signature. Even Percy tried to pacify Harry, although it strayed out of the intended reason when he mentioned the sweetshop, the joke shop, the Shrieking Shack, and other attractions in the village. Ron suggested the invisibility cloak, but even that was turned down by Hermione.
“Professor Dumbledore said that the dementors could see through that, remember?” she said, shaking her head.
“Maybe it’s for the best, Harry. Sirius Black is still out there, after all. I’m sure we’ll get a chance for you to go to Hogsmeade.”
Ron wanted to refute her. However, he knew that there are some truth in her words.
“Well, there’s always the feast.” He said as a try to comfort his friend. “You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening.”
Hermione let out a sound of agreement.
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On the long-awaited Halloween morning, Ron’s head felt like splitting. It has been a norm for almost two months now, ever since the encounter with the dementors on the first day of September. His body felt heavy, and he’s seriously considering staying in the castle, Hogsmeade visit be damned. And maybe to accompany Harry, once he feels relatively better. Unfortunately, he can’t do that. His siblings and friends will be undoubtedly suspicious. It’s bad enough that Percy’s, and even Hermione’s, mother hen-ing tendencies is currently at its peak.
‘Well,’ he thought, ‘maybe I could do something about it. I could say I’d accompany Harry.’
Of course that won’t work. Harry and his stubbornness won’t let him miss all the fun by keeping him in the castle. Even if it’s not the case.
“Are you insane? I’m really fine, Ron. I promise. Go have fun with Hermione.” The stubborn mule said.
So, Ron made his way to the wizarding village with Hermione and other students. Saying that the place is magical is an understatement. It was one of the most amazing places that Ron has ever been in the whole thirteen years of his life. The cheerful chaos has lifted him up, headache and heaviness subsiding.
All sorts of wizards are in there. A plethora of students surrounds them, mostly. There are colorful banners and quirky designs on the top of the buildings. There is no end to the sight of people holding magical toys, or gigantic books (which seemed to attract Hermione’s attention, she almost tripped following the sight of it), or familiars, and the heavenly aroma of various food. It was like Diagon Alley, but with a very strong home-y feeling.
The sick feeling he had has subsided, but Ron still put his mask. Today is a very special day. Even Hermione is in a very good mood. He can’t ruin it. Absolutely not.
“So,” Hermione said, grinning from ear to ear. Ron couldn’t help but smile back. The twinkle of excitement in her eyes couldn’t be denied. “Where do we go first?”
“Well,” he drawls. “Fred and George says that Zonko’s Joke Shop is the most wonderful place in Hogsmeade.” He teases her. He knows that a joke shop isn’t really high on his friend’s priority list. Sure enough, the bushy-haired girl let out a squawk of indignation.
“Oh honestly. We’re in the only all-wizarding village in the whole Britain, Ronald! The first thing we should do is to find out the very history-“
“–history of this place in order to appreciate it more.” he cut her off. He laughed at her when she playfully scowled at him.
“I know. But hey, you asked!” he says, as he dodged a playful, but surely dangerous smack from his friend.
“How about a single round of rock, paper, scissors?” Ronald offers, knowing that she likes a very fair game. And what could it be if not for the most basic form of probability?
“Ohoh? You sure you’re not gonna whine and demand another round if you lose?”
He takes it back. This girl’s smug grin is irritating. No justice at all!
“Hermione, that was ONE time. And I was hungry. You can’t just expect me to let go of the last chocolate frog!” Ron’s pretty sure that his ears and probably his whole face is flaming right now. And Hermione is having the time of her life teasing him. Huh, how the tables have turned.
In the end, and after some more bickering, the duo played the game. Unfortunately for him, his bushy-haired girl won. And is having a merry time shoving it to his face.
“Fine. But only for an hour. We gotta explore other places.” He said in resignation. There’s nothing in the world that could get between Hermione and her books. His friend only hummed a happy tune of agreement.
They went to many places they could. They first visited the bookshop, and then Zonko’s, and the owl office, and many more. It’s definitely one of the most interesting experiences in his life, but it could be better if they have Harry and if the aching of his head stops. The ache slowly crept up to him as the time pass. Hermione notices and dragged him to the nearest place they could sit.
By the time they were in the Three Broomsticks, Ron is close to fainting because of his headache. Hermione is hovering around him, worried.
“Oh Ron. How do you feel? Do you want anything? Wait, I’m going to ask an adult for help. I think I saw a professor earlier. Wait here, okay? Let-“ she is absolutely close to panicking. But before she could go, Ron held her arms and stopped her.
“’Mione. ‘Mione. It’s alright. Just a little headache. Could I- could you just give me a glass of warm water, please?”
“But you’re pale! You look like a sheet of muggle paper right now, Ronald.”
“Could you please stop? Your nagging’s making my head hurts.” He snapped at her. He doesn’t really want to let out his frustrations to Hermione, but the pounding in his head is making him irritated and downright mean. He immediately regretted his words as the girl’s lips formed a thin line and a look of hurt passed in her eyes.
“Look, I’m sorry I snapped at you. That was uncalled for. But I’m really fine. I’ll just have a glass of warm water and head to the castle.”
Hermione sighed, understanding etched in her face. She made a beeline towards a lady wearing an apron, probably a worker, and asked for a glass of water. She then came back and gently slid the glass towards Ron, who was clutching his head on the table.
“Hey,"
Ron stirred and tried to sit up properly.
“Thank you,” he says. They passed the time with Ron slowly sipping the warm water, and Hermione looking at him worriedly. The two went got up to go back to the castle after that.
“I’m sorry for ruining your day.” Ron said, voice uncharacteristically low.
“Nonsense. Why would you even say that?” she asked, as if he said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“Well, I snapped at you, for one. And you had to leave early because of me. I saw you having fun, you know?” he kicked a pebble in his feet, and watched it as it rolled far away from them.
“Ron, it’s not your fault that you are sick. You can’t expect me to just stand there and do nothing.” She looked forward, her eyebrows creased. “You could have said something, you know. I won’t be mad. Besides, I also won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest, with you and Harry gone.”
“Still,”
“You know that you could tell me anything, right?” she asked. He feels grateful for her support, but in no way he could ever tell her about his curse. He just smiled at her.
“Yeah, I know.”
The two went on their way, comfortable silence surrounding them.