The Thunder in My Heart

The Hogshead Again

The year eights were sitting in their common room tasting another of Harry's cakes, this time a chocolate and beetroot creation with an incredible chocolate ganache, when an owl swooped in and headed straight to Hermione. She froze, her heart thumping slightly, for fear that it might be bad news about her parents. Reaching forward cautiously, she pulled the note from the proffered leg while Harry dug around in his pocket for some owl treats to give the bird.

I'm in the Hogshead. I want to talk to you immediately. You're making a mistake. Ron

She felt the anger rise like a red mist. How dare he! How dare he say she was making a mistake! How dare he command her to go to him! She crumpled the paper angrily and threw it into the fire that was crackling merrily.

'Mione?' both Blaise and Harry queried at the same time.

She ran her hands through her hair as the others watched her, somewhat surprised by her show of emotions.

'Ron,' she said, as if that explained everything.

She noticed Blaise bristle slightly, but no one could ignore that Harry had sat bolt upright, his green eyes blazing and fists clenching slightly. 'What's he done?' he asked. She also noticed how Draco's hand had rested on Harry's forearm but he had shrugged it off.

'He's in Hogsmeade. He wants to see me. He thinks...' she couldn't say it aloud, she was deeply offended.

'You told him then,' Harry asked. The other year eights were watching them closely and she was mortified that her dirty washing should be aired so publicly.

She nodded, 'he has an opinion...' She flushed slightly, she noticed that Blaise's skin had also darkened as if he understood what she was trying to communicate with Harry.

'I'll go,' Harry said. 'Things are pretty irreparable between us now, so what's another argument,' he shrugged. 'I might get to punch him again for being such a fucking knob...'

'Harry!' she shuddered. She didn't want her bestfriend getting in a fight with her ex, no matter their past, and especially not over her. But he was already on his feet. As was Draco and Blaise.

'For God's sake! Bloody men!' she exclaimed, exasperated with them all. 'Look at you, you're all bristling for a fight.'

'Actually,' Draco said. 'I'll be standing just behind Harry, ready to catch him if needs be, I'm only going to look threatening in my best Slytherin way. We're cowards really but rather good at looking like the handsome bad guys.'

'And you!' she pointed her finger at Blaise.

'It's a matter of honour, I can't have someone else fighting for my girlfriend's reputation on my behalf.'

'My reputation is not involved in this. And nor am I yours to have a fucking fight over.'

Blaise and Draco sat down very promptly, even Harry froze in his tracks. 'You swore, Mione!'

She would have laughed if she wasn't so angry. 'I will go, and I will talk to him, and I will tell him to piss off out of my life because he lost the privilege long ago of telling me who or what he thinks I should do. Back out of this!'

She stormed off to get her coat.

When she got back to the common room, all three men were waiting by the door in their coats too.

She rolled her eyes.

Harry said, 'well, you're not going alone, its dark out there and snowing heavily.'

She prickled and replied with a huff, 'I'm a big girl now, I think I can cope with a little more than the dark and a bit of snow. Don't patronise me, Harry.'