Work Text:
Stressed
On the Monday before final exams for the first term, Hermione Granger was stressed. She felt as if she had an indescribable amount of work to do and just not nearly enough time in a single day to complete it all. If she wasn’t in class, she was studying, and there really wasn’t much time for anything else.
She was so consumed by her work in the common room on that particular day, that she hadn’t realized she had completely skipped out on lunch. That was, until two figures hopped into the seats next to her at her table.
“Hiya, Hermione,” Harry greeted and she smiled distractedly at him without offering a response. She noticed that Ron was also there, and offered her a measly wave, which she rewarded only with a glare. Why is he even here? She irritably thought, I’m surprised Lav-Lav isn’t glued to his body. It was true that Ron and Hermione’s relationship was a little more than complicated, only worse so since he started hooking up with Lavender Brown, so Hermione had simply decided that it was less exhausting just to attempt to ignore him completely.
Stop it Hermione. Focus. She tried to concentrate on the reading before her, when her stomach chose that moment to let out a large growl.
Both Ron and Harry looked over towards Hermione, startled. “Hermione, did you miss lunch?” Ron immediately asked.
Hermione didn’t bother with a response, intent on sticking with her previous routine of ignoring him.
“Of course, the woman who has the answers to every question, can’t even bother to answer this one…” Ron grumbled.
“Harry, tell Ron that I do not appreciate his sarcasm and he would do well to remember that he needs to revise his essays and study for his final exams, because I am certainly not going to be the one helping him last minute anymore.” She didn’t look up when she said it, but her tone was curt.
"Harry, tell Hermione that she needs to eat or else she might not survive long enough to even attend her final exam,” Ron snapped back.
"Harry you can tell Ronald…”
"Oh, bugger off you too, and sort it out! I'm tired of being the go between!" Harry snapped in frustration, gathering up his books quickly and storming off.
The table was silent and Hermione was now frowning deep holes into her book.
“Eat,” Ron warned one last time before getting up to go follow after Harry.
Hermione had convinced herself that she didn’t need to listen to anything Ron Weasley had to say.
On Tuesday, Hermione found herself in a similar situation and had once again neglected to join her peers in the dining hall, opting instead to make her way to transfiguration thirty minutes early to get a head start on the day’s reading.
She was far too consumed in her reading to notice that students had started piling in for the day’s class.
That’s why, when an apple dropped down on the table in front of her, it certainly surprised Hermione out of her bubble. She looked up curiously to find Ron brushing past her, without glancing back, on the way to his seat next to Harry a few rows ahead.
Hermione managed a soft smile and sighed. Well, perhaps I can take just one bite. She reached for the apple and started to crunch away happily and hungrily, before settling back into her reading.
Feeling someone's eyes on her, she snuck a glance back up to see Ron wearing a crooked grin and an expression of satisfaction, before he turned swiftly away as she caught him looking at her.
On Wednesday, Hermione had finally managed to make it to the Great Hall for lunch. She observed the pleased expressions on the faces of her two best friends as she walked up and Hermione pointedly chose the seat next to Harry, avoiding Ron’s eyes as he sat across from her.
Hermione nibbled the crust of her sandwich, not bothering to gaze up from her book for the duration of her meal. She had chewed her way through only a third of her sandwich before closing her book forcefully. “It’s too loud in here, I’m going to head to the library.”
Ron muttered something unrecognizable under his breath as his hands slid under the table. Hermione scowled at him before making a move to stand up. Only...she couldn’t.
Hermione pushed her hips upward, but her seat wouldn’t budge. “What in the world…” She tried once more to stand up and was once again denied, her bottom sticking to her seat like glue.
“What’s going on?” Harry watched her movements, startled.
“I’m stuck to my seat!” Hermione cried out in frustration. She was garnering quite a bit of attention at this point. She looked over at Ron to see him smirking behind his goblet of pumpkin juice.
“Ronald Weasley, what did you do?” She hissed venomously, only receiving a shrug in response as he continued chowing down on his own feast of food.
“Hermione,” Harry leaned over to whisper, “Maybe you should just finish your sandwich. I suspect you’ll be able to move out of your seat then.”
Hermione looked down at her barely eaten sandwich and growled. Of course. Ron had been making such a fit over her eating the past couple of days, it seemed exactly like the kind of tactic he would resort to next.
Nevertheless, she hastily picked up her sandwich to chew it up and swallow in just a matter of bites. Once she brushed the remaining crumbs off of her hands and onto her now empty plate, she glared murderously over at Ron.
With a quick flick of his wrist, the charm was released and Hermione stood up promptly.
“I’m done with your games!” She sneered one last time before stomping out of the Great Hall.
As she walked away she faintly heard Harry complain, "Do you have to rile her up like that, mate?"
"It's for her own good, you know," Ron merely responded.
On Thursday, Hermione didn't even bother showing up in the Great Hall for lunch, instead opting for the quietness of the library. She was still quite aggravated over Ron's ridiculous stunt he pulled yesterday and she convinced herself that she wasn't eating out of protest.
She shouldn't have been surprised, however, when Ron still managed to track her down. He sauntered into the library about halfway through the lunch hour with Harry in tow, who was likely only present to mediate any sort of situation that may arise between them.
Ron sat down beside her this time, his shoulder brushing coyly with hers as he settled into his seat. He took out a sandwich covered in a napkin that he had stowed in the pocket of his robes and set it in front of her book.
"Harry," Hermione snapped, "Tell Ronald that food in the library is against the rules."
Harry glared annoyingly back at her, as if to say for fuck's sake, really?
Hermione heard a snort coming from her side, but neither boys bothered to respond. She pushed the wrapped up sandwich back towards Ron and continued on with her reading. A moment later, the sandwich had once again slid under her elbow. Although she was seething inside, she had decided that she should just try to appease Ron and take a bite, so that she could return to her peaceful silence. She took a moderately sized bite off of her sandwich, set it back on the napkin, and pushed it back over towards Ron with increased force.
She chewed thoughtfully for a minute before the familiar sound of the napkin rustling against the table started again and the sandwich was once more in her space.
Harry looked completely done with his stubborn and overprotective best friends.
On Friday, Hermione went to extreme measures to avoid being seen before class. She had once again convinced herself that she was just looking for some uninterrupted alone time and not just simply avoiding eating (that I can do later) . That is why Hermione had decided to return to her dormitory for her free period during lunch and study there. The one place she knew the boys wouldn’t be allowed to enter and pester her.
Although she is normally one of the first to class, she had waited until the last minute to walk in, not in the mood to hear any complaining from Ronald Weasley.
Hermione walked into an almost full transfiguration classroom and she immediately spotted Ron and Harry in the second row, talking quietly to one another. She attempted to sneak silently into her seat, but of course, Ron took that moment to turn his head her way. And he was looking at her with those familiar, piercing, disapproving eyes.
Fortunately, Professor McGonagall chose that moment to glide into the room, signaling the start of class, and there was nothing else Ron could do about it. And I’m closest to the door when it is time to leave , she acknowledged happily.
About halfway through class, a wave of nausea hit Hermione. She clutched at her stomach in her seat. It’s nothing, she thought to herself, I’ll make sure to eat something as soon as I leave. Although Hermione attempted to return her attention to the front of the class, she was hit with a second wave of nausea, now accompanied by extreme dizziness. Suddenly feeling light-headed, Hermione gripped the table harder.
“Hermione,” Parvati Patil whispered from her seat next to her, “Are you okay?”
Just a few more minutes before class is over. You can make it.
The world seemed to slow down and everything went blank.
A sharp gasp rang out from behind Ron and he swiveled his head to see Hermione leaning dangerously out of her chair.
"She's going to fall!" Parvati shrieked.
Ron lunged out his seat, his arms coming out to grasp Hermione just seconds before her head hit the ground.
"Hermione !" He shouted, delicately cradling her face, observing her closed eyes and pale skin.
"Move back. Move back!" Professor McGonagall urged, coming up to Ron's side.
"She's fainted, professor," Ron acknowledged.
"We must get her to the hospital wing, at once."
"I'll carry her," Ron expressed, standing up fully as he hitched a leg around Hermione's legs. He let her head rest gently on his chest.
"Mr. Weasley…" McGonagall started, warily, but Ron quickly cut her off.
"I'm taking her."
"Very well. Right this way. Class dismissed, everyone head back to your dormitories at once!"
Hermione awoke from her deep slumber, instantly hit by a searing headache. “Oh…” Hermione grumbled, letting her eyes adjust to the light. Her senses came to life and she felt a hand close over hers and give it a gentle squeeze.
She turned her head slowly to the side to see Ron staring back at her. Looking entirely too displeased.
“Wh-what happened?” She was afraid to find out the answer.
“You didn’t eat. That’s what happened,” he retorted dryly. Yeah, he is definitely not happy.
Hermione sighed and let her head roll back to stare dismally at the ceiling. “I suppose I may have gotten a bit carried away with all of this studying…”
“You suppose? Hermione, you bloody fainted in the middle of class! You’re lucky that you didn’t hit your head when you fell out of your seat too, by the way.” Hermione didn’t often see Ron this upset and concerned, but when he did get this way she was fully aware it was usually in response to something she did.
“How did I not hit my head?” She asked in curiosity.
Ron blushed. “Uh-uhm-well I sort of...caught you. Brought you here to the infirmary.”
“Oh.” He cared, she knew that he cared. That was what was so aggravating about him. It’s quite impossible to still be mad at him when he surprises her with gestures like this, isn’t it?
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you,” Hermione admitted. Ron nodded, appearing to silently accept her apology.
“Where’s Lavender?” Hermione questioned. Ron frowned and looked down.
“You needed me more.”
You needed me more.
“I suppose that’s true...I do need you Ron,” Hermione smiled sweetly at Ron, and for the love of everything, he was looking back at her like…
Ron cleared his throat suddenly and looked away. “Well, best friends don’t let other best friends pass out anymore, alright?”
Hermione giggled softly. “Deal.”
They sat there for a bit longer in silence, holding hands, and Hermione was decidedly more relaxed the Friday before a final exam than she had ever felt.