Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Chapter 13 - Part 1

You did what?!" Ron exclaimed louder than he had intended, drawing a glare from Madam Pomfrey. For the most part, he had remained quiet as she had recounted her active and bizarre afternoon but her last proclamation had truly shocked him.

Hermione glanced at Harry and saw that he was still sleeping peacefully despite Ron's outburst...still unconscious and healing from McLaggen's idiocy on the Quidditch pitch.

"I resigned as prefect," she repeated, still not quite believing the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "Harry was right. Dumbledore and Snape are protecting Draco. The headmaster kept trying to talk his way out of looking into whatever Draco was up to and I just couldn't take it any more..." she explained before drifting off, unable to form the proper words to convey the disappointment she felt regarding the man.

They sat in silence for several minutes as Ron absorbed everything that had happened. "What are you going to do now?" he finally asked.

"Help Harry," she answered immediately. "Help Harry and stop Draco from whatever he is plotting."

Ron nodded and bowed his head. "You've really put me in a bind here," he commented with a rueful smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Can you imagine the howler I'd get from Mum if I resigned my position?" he asked, horror evident on his face. "I mean...in what universe does it make sense that I'm the prefect out of the three of us?"

Despite everything that had happened that day Hermione snorted at the absurdity of it all. "I'm sorry, Ron," she replied, meaning it on several levels.

"S'all right," he mumbled, "I reckon you've been the responsible one for over five years now...I can handle it for at least a few months."

"It's weird," he continued, "I could hear Luna commenting on the match and was a bit happy about how bad it was going for Gryffindor if I'm being honest...about Cormac being such a mess as my replacement...but then Harry got hurt because of it and then I hear about everything you were going through while I was lying here enjoying myself..."

"You didn't know," she consoled.

"Yeah, but that's not really the point is it? With everything going on...everything we are dealing with...worrying about my spot seems a bit stupid," he commented absently.

"A bit," she muttered as she glanced at Harry once again. She knew that he needed to sleep to help with his recuperation but she desperately wanted to talk to him. She needed a change in topic. "What's going on with you and Lavender anyway?"

"We're still together if that's what you're asking," Ron answered, "at least I think we are.

After she made sure I was okay the other day she read me the riot act...said that I needed to decide if I was just in it for a bit of fun or I really cared about her."

"And?" she prompted.

"She stormed out before I could give a proper answer and hasn't been back since!" Ron replied in frustration. "I want to tell her that I've missed her but she's never bloody returned."

"If only she had some sort of device that would allow you to communicate with her," Hermione answered.

To his credit, Ron looked properly ashamed. "Yeah...she told me she found out the truth about the mirrors. I panicked...it was stupid..."

"I can enchant her mirror to work with yours if you'd like. It would only take a few minutes," she offered.

"Yeah....yeah...that would be good. And I'm sorry...about what I said about you and Harry the other day...it's none of my business," he continued awkwardly.

She nodded her head in thanks and looked at Harry once again, losing herself in the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. He was so beautiful...

"Could you stop looking at Harry that way please? I've just had lunch," Ron commented.

As much as he tried to sound relaxed and unaffected she could sense a bit of discomfort as he said the words. She was grateful for the effort on Ron's part to move past his jealousies and suspected the events of the last few hours had contributed a bit to his newfound maturity. It was a good thing because she had no intention of hiding her affection towards Harry for his benefit. Besides, he was a massive hypocrite.

"As if we haven't had to watch you trying to inhale Lavender's face for the last few months," she laughed, punching him on the shoulder.

"Oi! I'm an injured man here...laid up in the hospital wing and everything," he protested.

"The last time I checked your shoulder wasn't poisoned," she countered as she playfully punched him again. It was nice having a bit of levity amongst all the awfulness that surrounded them.

"Hermione?" she heard Harry softly groan and quickly moved to his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she brushed back his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead, desperately fighting the urge to climb into the bed beside him.

"You're okay," he mumbled with a weary smile. "I was worried."

"Wait until you hear what she's been up to, mate," Ron interjected.