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“Aren’t you just excited for Divination this year? I hope it’s Trelawney teaching it this year, but I wouldn’t mind if Firenze came back.” Lavender asked Ron, who was sitting across from her.
“Actually, I’m not taking it this year.” Ron told Lavender, who seemed a little forlorn by the response.
“How come?”
“Well you know, when you accidentally insult the examiner after seeing his reflection in your crystal ball, they don’t really want you back, do they?” Ron joked, and was met by loud laughter from Lavender, giggling from the Patil Twins and Hermione giving a small smile, eyes still focused on the book she was reading.
Hermione had never shared a carriage ride with her dormmates, however her and Ron had boarded the last one available due to waiting for Harry, but he never showed up. While she would’ve loved for it to have been just her and Ron alone, she doesn’t mind Lavender, Parvati and Padma being in here with them. Until Lavender started taking up Ron’s attention the moment they sat down.
It was just nonstop questions coming from Lavender. ‘How was your summer?’ ‘ Are you going to play Quidditch this year?’ ‘What happened at the Ministry?’. That last one seemed to upset Ron, especially with Lavender pleading to see the scars on his arms since she knew he had bandages on them for the rest of the year after the Department of Mysteries battle. She had said she was sorry for asking, which Ron replied with ‘it’s fine’. Hermione didn’t understand why Lavender was so desperate to see Ron's scars on his…..
….. muscular forearms?
Wait a minute.
“As much as I love Professor Firenze, I would want Trelawney to teach me this year”, Padma said to Lavender. “Mainly because I almost failed the class due to his dashing looks.”
“Exactly. His beautiful blond hair is really distracting.” Parvati added.
Lavender shook her head at that statement, “While his blonde hair is gorgeous, don’t you think his astonishingly blue eyes are what makes him attractive?”. The Patil Twins nodded their heads in agreement. “Blue eyes definitely make a guy more fanciable, wouldn’t you agree Ron?”
“Sure, I guess.” Ron mumbled. He was more interested in the view outside than the conversation happening inside the carriage. Hermione wasn’t showing any emotion on the outside, but on the inside, she felt anger. She just wanted to throw her copy of New Theory of Numerology at Lavender, wanting to leave a mark like she had been hit with a telescope made by the Weasley Twins.
Asking Ron questions, wanting to see his forearms, and saying blue eyes are attractive? Hermione easily connected the dots on Lavender’s current behavior, and with that, Hermione came to the startling conclusion.
Lavender fancies Ron.
“Great…,” Hermione thought to herself.“I already had to deal with his Veela-in-law, and now I have to deal with my own dormmate?” Lavender and her were never really best friends, she was a lot more closer with Parvati if anything. However she never really considered Lavender to be a threat to her, but now with her new found fondness over Ron, Hermione knows that this year they aren’t going to be on the same page at all.
She always had fancied Ron, ever since the end of 3rd Year when she saw him in the Hospital Wing with a broken leg and acting like him standing up to a supposed murderer wasn’t the bravest thing he ever did. He may act like a prat from time to time, but when you see his comforting side. you never want to leave. And with Lavender having her eyes on him this year, Hermione is going to have to get there quicker before it’s too late.
The carriage came to a full stop and Hermione said bye to the girls, and got away from them, taking Ron by his arm in the process. Once they were far enough, Ron was baffled from Hermione dragging him away.
“What was that for?” Ron asked.
“I just thought that maybe we were wrong and that Harry may already be at Hogwarts and is probably worried about us.” Hermione responded. While she was worried about Harry, at the same time she selfishly also wanted Lavender nowhere near Ron.
“You’re probably right, well at least it got me away from Lavender and her questions. So thanks for that.” Ron said, giving a lopsided grin, making Hermione beam.
“Lavender doesn’t stand a chance”, she thought triumphantly.