Sidelines
by Lady in Red

Rating: PG
Ship: Harry & Hermione
Canon: Books 1 - 7
Genre: Angst, Romance
Status: Complete
Length: 678 words in 1 chapter
Published: 27 Aug 2008
Last updated: 27 Aug 2008

Ron Weasley lied through his teeth, just to make his best friends happy. Because that's what friends do, no matter how
much it hurts.

From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/8185/

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1. Letting Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters associated with it.

Title: Sidelines
Rating: PG/K+
Prompt: Lies (29)

Characters: Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger
Pairing: Harry/Hermione, Ron/Hermione
Summary: Ron Weasley lied through his teeth, just to make his best friends happy. He just didn't know it'd hurt so much

As much as he didn't want to admit it, they looked good together— Harry and Hermione, that is. They were dancing, but no
longer matching the rhythm of the music, but neither seemed to care. They were too busy looking into each other's eyes
with one of those idiotic hopelessly-in-love smiles plastered on each of their faces. It was sickening to look at, but
he couldn't seem to turn his eyes away. It was like watching a wreck, but instead of it being two brooms or a train, the
wreck was his life. He could have— should have — been the one holding Hermione in his arms, dancing like nothing else in
the world even matter. In fact, he used to be the guy holing Hermione in his arms. What happened?

What happened? It was a stupid question really. Ron knew perfectly well what happened. They had fought. A lot. They
fought over little things and they fought over big things. They would argue over which restaurant to have dinner at or
what color to paint the bathroom in their flat. (Was there really such a big difference between mango peach and peach
mango?) Eventually, Hermione got sick of their petty fights and stormed out. Ron never went after her, and she didn't
come back. A few months later, she and Harry began dating.

Ron felt like he had been stabbed in the back when he found out about his two best friend's relationship. It was the
worst kind of betrayal. Hadn't Harry once told him that he only thought of Hermione as a sister? That feeling had
obviously changed. When had it? Ron didn't know and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to. Did Harry begin to develop
feeling toward Hermione when they were still a couple? Was that why Harry ended it with Ginny? Harry had told him it was
because Ginny was too clingy and that in the end, he couldn't envision a future with her. Was that because he was
envisioning his future with Hermione? The thought made Ron sick. How could Harry betray him like that?

They even had the audacity to ask if it was okay— them being together that is. They even told him if it wasn't, they
wouldn't continue with their relationship. They had been serious when they came to him, and what did he do? He laughed.
He laughed in the faces of he two best friends. Of course it was okay for them to be together. He had no problem with
it. He was happy for them. Why did they ever think to ask for his permission? Hahahaha… He wanted to hex them, to make
him feel the pain he was feeling. So what did he do? Ron Weasley lied through his teeth. He said the opposite of what he
truly felt to make his friends happy. Because in the end, they were his friends. Seeing them together hurt like hell,
but they were still his friends and in the end, they deserved some happiness. Merlin knows Harry needed some after
everything he went through…

So here Ron was, sitting on the sidelines at a celebration party— had it really been three years since Voldemort was
defeated?— watching his two best friends slow dance to an upbeat song, lost in each other. They would have looked like
idiots if they didn't look like they were so much in love. He would have laughed at them anyway, if they weren't Harry
and Hermione. Because they were his best friends and best friends did what they had to do, even if it killed him.

-Fin-

A/N: All reviews are appreciated and accepted! Thank you!
