She was oversimplifying things so enormously that Harry goggled at her a little. "First off, I've never had a problem with Viktor," he pointed out. "He's great, we're friends, if you want to date him then go right ahead. Ron's the one with that issue there." The redhead flushed, looking a little angry, but after a glance at Hermione he swallowed it back.
"Ronald and I have worked out our differences," Hermione assured him. Harry doubted it, but let her keep up her illusion. "We miss you, Harry. I know you've been busy with the tournament, but all that aside, this year has been different for all of us. We've hardly spent any time together. It feels like we're losing you." Her voice cracked slightly, and guilt reared within Harry's chest. It wasn't their fault he now had a mountain of secrets he was keeping from them.
"That hasn't all been my fault," Harry pointed out, thinking of the multiple arguments he'd had with both of them over the last couple of months. Hermione ducked her head.
"No, it hasn't," she agreed. "Which is why I thought it'd be best if we just drew a line under all of that and started over, back how things were. You, me, and Ron."
Obviously the tentative truce they'd agreed upon before the Yule Ball wasn't enough for her. Part of Harry wondered why she was trying so hard to salvage a failing friendship; then he realised she didn't exactly have anyone else to turn to. Maybe he'd been too hard on her lately. On both of them. It had to be strange from their perspective, seeing Harry change so drastically as a person seemingly for no reason. They didn't know about the Compulsion charm.
Once again, Ron was being very silent, and Harry glanced at the redheaded boy. "What do you reckon?"
Ron looked up at him, smiling very faintly. "I reckon if some nutter's out to kill you again, you could use all the friends you can get."
Harry cracked a grin in return, even as his stomach churned uneasily. Ron and Hermione really did deserve more of a chance than he'd been giving them lately, after everything they had been through. Harry wasn't quite ready to start sharing his secrets, but he could at least stop expecting the worst of them.
"Have you two done the essay for McGonagall yet?" he asked tentatively, offering an olive branch. Hermione beamed, even as Ron groaned at the mention of homework.
"We were just about to start," Hermione said, reaching into her bulging backpack. "Do you want to join us? I'll help you if you like."
Hermione had to be desperate, Harry mused, to be volunteering to help him with work. Not that he needed it these days; if she'd been paying close attention, she'd notice he was doing just fine on his own. "Yeah, alright."
He pulled out his Transfiguration textbook and writing supplies, sliding down into the armchair to lean over the coffee table. Ron grumbled a bit, but got his things out too, and the three of them settled in to work. Harry couldn't really call it working together — despite Hermione's offer, she kept to herself and glared at Ron every time he tried to sneak a look at her parchment — more just working in proximity to one another, but it was a start.
Harry was only half-focused on his work, the rest of his brain still trying to figure out what had prompted the change of heart. Despite the agreed-upon truce, after the disaster of the Yule Ball and the following fallout, Harry had expected to go the whole rest of the year without overtures of any kind from Ron and Hermione. Ginny was still pissed at Ron for ignoring Luna all night, Hermione wasn't impressed by the rumours circulating about her and Harry, and Harry had thought Ron was still convinced he was some kind of traitor for making friends with people from other schools and houses. What had happened to make them so determined to clear the air and start over?
It was a testament to how fractured their friendship had been lately that the sight of the three of them studying together gained many odd looks from the Gryffindors who passed through the common room. Neville was one of them, eyeing Harry in concern, but Harry just waved him off. If they wanted to try, he was willing to try.
When he finished his essay — faster than Ron and Hermione, though Hermione was at least four inches over the requirement with no signs of stopping Harry sat up with a stretch. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go get my History of Magic book." Might as well get a head start on the next essay, even if he couldn't finish it in one night.
Heading towards the dorms, Harry started jogging up the stairs, almost falling flat on his face when an arm reached out and yanked him through a door. "What the hell, George?" he asked the redhead, straightening up with a scowl. It faded when he saw the concern on George's face. "What did those two say to you?" George asked. Harry frowned.
"What? They just want to try being friends again. I guess Hermione misses me, I suppose Ron might as well." Ron was still a little off with him, but he'd tried cracking a few jokes while they worked, some of which were actually funny. To Harry's surprise, that made George grimace.
"I don't want to ruin anything, in case they genuinely mean it," he started cautiously. "But I thought you should know. I saw the two of them talking with Dumbledore after lunch today." Harry's heart sank. "I couldn't get close enough to hear what they were saying, not without risking being caught. But he looked like he was annoyed with them for something, and Ron didn't seem too pleased about whatever he was saying."
"Do you think…" Harry trailed off, unable to voice his concern.
"That Dumbledore isn't happy they're no longer keeping an eye on you, and told them to get back in your good books?" George finished grimly. "I'd bet my broom on it, mate."
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