Chapter Text
Hermione felt Ron staring as she scribbled yet another note on to her parchment.
Ron had been acting weird these days. Well, Ron was always a little weird but he seemed to act incomprehensibly more often now than before.
Upon the second day of her arrival at Grimmauld Place, Ron had risen very late from bed, came downstairs, and refused to look at her! He had gobbled up his breakfast and hurried upstairs again, not glancing at her once. She thought his ears had turned pink but had no idea what that was about either. (After hurrying upstairs, Ron spent the rest of the day trying to ease down his racing heart and the image of her, but no way Hermione knew that.)
After repeating this for a few days, he seemed to reach ground again and today, he had apparently decided it was a good idea to stare at her - which made her very, very uncomfortable under his gaze. (She hoped he didn't notice the blush she stuggled to keep down.)
After Hermione lost track of her reading - again! - she slammed her quill down and looked up at Ron with a glare.
"Spill, or leave a girl to her studies! If you efficiently forgot, we're now fifth graders with O.W.L.s coming up!" She let out a desperate sigh.
Fred happened to be walking into the kitchen at that moment with a jug in his hand. "Yeah Ronny," he smirked. "Leave your girlfriend to her studies. Can't get your eyes off her, can you?" Which made the two turn a bright red and Ron stammered, "We're not -!"
"Yeah, yeah" Fred didn't seemed to hear him as he poured himself milk. "I won't be the noisy older brother who ruins his little piggy's date."
Ron stood up to retort but Fred was already heading out.
He sighed and sat down. "Merlin - what's the matter with him today?"
Hermione shrugged. "No idea."
The two set, Ron still watching Hermione get through The Standard Book of Spells, Book 5. Until Hermione put down her quill again and crossed her arms.
"I'd appreciate it if you just told me what is the matter with you!" She said, irritated.
"Nothing!" Ron replied quickly.
"Then why are you avoiding me all week and suddenly decide to just stare at me?"
"I didn't stare," Ron defended himself. "I was merely… observing, that's all."
"What are you observing about?" Said Hermione, exasperated.
She thought Ron tried to say something like 'Ooh' (which, by the way, made no sense lile the rest of him these days) but closed his mouth and shut it stubbornly.
"Well?" She inquired.
Ron seemed to ponder - weird, why can't he simply tell her? - until he finally said, "Your - quill. It's… new?"
Hermione positively scoffed at this. "My quill? So you'd been staring at my quill this whole morning?"
Ron thought this was a lame excuse too, for he rolled his eyes and said, "Obviously not only your quill. I, was looking at what you were writing."
"Huh," she couldn't help but let out the sarcasm in her voice. "So you're interested in The Standard Book of Spells, Book 5, are you? And my quill is new, to answer your prior question." She almost said 'it's the one you got me for Christmas last year' but bit her lip. He didn't seem to recognize it, so there was no point reminding him.
He seemed offended by Hermione's definite disbelief. "Yes, I am! I also care about O.W.L.s, you know," which wasn't a complete lie but was only half-meant.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are." She began writing again. "Then why don't you get your own books to study?"
Ron grumpily considered this but saw no way out of it.
Luckily for him, the door bell jiggled, signaling for new comers, and he jumped up seizing his chance to escape. Hermione eyed him, amused at his apparent relief at getting out of the situation. His freckled nose twitched a little at the anticipation and although she should be annoyed, found it quite cute.
She closed the ink bottle and wondered after Ron, hoping it was Harry who had arrived.
She could really use a third person in the room. (But secretly, she liked Ron having only her in his gaze, not that she'll ever admit it thiugh.)