Being a passerby in HP female protagonist fanfiction

Ron really wanted to comfort his friend.

They found themselves in an extremely awkward situation after they collectively deducted 150 points from Gryffindor's score.

Even the notoriously good-natured Gryffindor students kept their distance from them, let alone the other hot-tempered Gryffindors. The more famous they were before, the more pathetic they became now, unfortunately isolated by most people.

Harry was in the worst situation, and everyone was talking about him again, but not in a good way. Hermione didn't have many friends to begin with, and now even her roommates were reluctant to talk to her. She was caught in uncontrollable self-blame and stopped trying to stand out like before. Fortunately, Claire from Hufflepuff was her good friend, and although they were far apart, it was some comfort to her.

Harry has been buried in his studies lately, as if all his former adventurous spirit has withered away. Faced with accusations from others, and even insults behind his back or to his face, he clenched his fists and remained silent.

Hermione was even more determined and worked incredibly hard, immersing herself in her studies and trying to make up for the points she had lost in every aspect. Although it was just a drop in the ocean, Hermione was very serious about it.

Maybe things aren't so bad...

Ron wanted to say that to his friends, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He remembered the Weasley twins' taunts and felt a surge of guilt, resentment, and anger.

“Let’s see.” Fred and George’s sarcastic voices still seemed vivid in my mind. “Who is so capable that they were caught by Filch while out for a night stroll?”

They patted Ron on the shoulder on each side, exchanged a knowing smile, and drew attention from others.

"And you're bringing a Slytherin along for a nighttime duel? It would be even better if there were more people."

Harry, standing beside him, had his head down, his heart almost overflowing with guilt.

Ron knew, of course, that Fred and George didn't really mean to embarrass him, but out of their mischievous nature, they were happy to make Ron suffer or mock him. Without their performance, Harry Ron might be even more upset, since someone always had to step up and teach him a lesson.

However, this did not mean that Ron would feel better. He could hardly imagine what his mother, Molly, would do if she found out. Would she write him a tirade? Percy, as the prefect, was already looking at him with eyes that seemed to want to kill him... Ron fell into great frustration again.

As the end of the semester approached, the looming exams ironically became a good thing, allowing them to temporarily escape from all that work. Even if they didn't like it, there was nothing they could do but bury themselves in studying with Harry and Hermione.

"Claire!"

In the library, the black-haired girl nodded politely to them with a normal smile. She greeted them softly, and Hermione's eyes lit up. She called out softly, and the gloomy feeling around her finally lessened a bit. She decisively led the awkward Harry and Ron to sit next to Claire.

"good afternoon."

Claire smiled, her voice as gentle as ever, and expertly made room for them on the table.

After visiting the library more often, Ron noticed that Hermione always managed to find Claire to study with, even though Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's schedules were different.

Ron muttered as he sat down and opened the book, trying to get those boring letters into his brain.

The daily grind of studying is really annoying, but it's a way to pass the time by keeping them away from the unpleasant things around them. Unfortunately, Ron couldn't concentrate for a while and couldn't help but let his mind wander.

Harry seemed genuinely guilty, looking like he'd given up on taking any more risks, engrossed in a book. I didn't know how to comfort him. Hermione, on the other hand, was taking notes on a book as thick as three steaks, fully prepared, perhaps she could borrow it later.

Ron's mind raced through a multitude of names: Fred, George, Percy, Professor McGonagall, the fierce Mrs. Pince from the library...

Quite easily, Ron's thoughts drifted to another person present.

Claire from Hufflepuff.

Without a doubt, Claire was a studious student, just like Hermione, and also a kind-hearted classmate.

Because of the points deducted, Slytherin suddenly became the most likely house to win the House Cup. Everyone had expected Slytherin to lose, but now that hope was dashed, so they weren't very friendly to the three little ones. However, there were still a few classmates who were willing to remain friendly, and Claire was one of them. At least in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, she consciously protected Hermione, Ron, and Harry, so the overall situation was much better.

This defense wasn't about Claire defending them or anything, since they really did make a mistake; rather, it was about her consistently maintaining a basic level of friendliness, ensuring that being with her didn't remind people of those bad things.

Unexpectedly, a sense of everyday tranquility.

This was exactly what they needed at that moment, a rare comfort, especially for Hermione and Harry, who were both clearly very willing to be with Claire.

Only Ron felt awkward around Claire.

Speaking of Claire… Ron frowned uncomfortably. No matter how you looked at her, there was no resemblance whatsoever, but he just felt that Claire looked a bit like his mother, Molly, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

If he had to rack his brains to come up with an explanation, it would probably be that Claire always had a strange, adult-like quality when she was around them.

The way adults look at children is certainly different from how peers look at each other... but Ron hadn't thought that far ahead; he just felt a little awkward.

Study time always seems to pass slowly, but it's finally over. Ron breathed a sigh of relief and quickly finished up, while everyone else packed up their books as well.

Harry and Hermione went to return the books they had borrowed and didn't come out for a while, so Ron and Claire waited outside the library.

"..."

With the two of them gone, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet, and Ron's awkwardness resurfaced, making him feel uncomfortable all over.

“Claire…” Ron scratched his head, wanting to say something, but then stopped, unable to find a suitable topic. He and Claire weren’t exactly close. Luckily, he remembered something, “Do you remember Norbert?”

"Hmm? I remember, what's wrong?" Claire's slightly puzzled gaze fell on Ron.

“Thanks to you for reminding us last time that Norber’s teeth are poisonous, I almost got bitten.” Ron still felt a chill when he thought about it; he had personally witnessed Norber crunching a dead rat. “Luckily, we had gloves with us.”

"Oh, it's good that you're alright." Claire seemed to smile slightly. She always smiled, but this smile seemed a little different from usual. "It's always good to be careful. I'm glad you're alright, Ron."

“Uh, you don’t have to call me that.” The unfamiliar address made Ron even more embarrassed. Claire’s speech had a strange rigidity, but she didn’t realize it at all. She just looked at Ron very seriously. “Just call me Ron.”

“Okay, Ron.” Claire nodded at Ron, her tone slightly annoyed, “I remember it was you who fed Norbert, Ron. Sigh, I should have reminded you before Hagrid bothered you. It was a bit late. Anyway, I’m glad you’re alright, Ron.”

Claire is so gentle; her words seem to have a magical power to put people at ease.

Once the conversation started and the atmosphere became comfortable, Ron couldn't help but talk more.

"Hagrid really should keep his animals in check... Norbert is one thing, but last time his dog—that Tooth—tried to chew on my shoes..." Ron was in high spirits, and he couldn't help but mutter complaints whenever he thought of these annoying things.

Ron noticed Claire's gaze out of the corner of his eye and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Claire's smile remained, her eyes crinkling slightly. Her expression showed that she was listening intently to every word he said. Ron rarely felt this way of being treated with such wholehearted attention, let alone by a girl his own age. For some reason, he felt a little awkward in his posture.

At home he had five older brothers and a younger sister. At school, everyone always paid more attention to Harry, who was standing next to him. Of course, he also had other friends he got along with, and there were always people who listened to him attentively—but the feeling they brought was completely different from the feeling Claire brought.

...as if being generously embraced.

Okay, that's strange, even though they're all the same age.

Ron was confused for a moment.

And Claire is a girl.

As he thought this, his feeling of embarrassment grew stronger.

"Claire! Ron!" Hermione and Harry came out of the library and greeted them as they walked over.

"That's about it. See you tomorrow then." Claire said goodbye with a smile, then turned and left with a flourish.

"See you tomorrow," Hermione said.

“...See you tomorrow,” Ron said immediately afterward.