Title: The Confrontation
Author name: karenkate_kitty
Author email: karenkate_kitty@yahoo.com
Category: Drama
Subcategory: Angst
Summary: Two friends talk and finally make things clear between them. Set on Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. One shot! R/R
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is well, what I hope the fifth book would be like, relationship wise. I like H/Hr a lot ever since the time I've read the first book. Well, my liking for the pairing even grew more even after I read GoF.
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After a long ride in the Hogwarts express the trio had been too exhausted from their trip.
"I'm beat. See you guys tomorrow and Hermione I do hope Snape wouldn't be too interested in my extra two-paged essay," Harry said as he went up the staircase leading to the boy's dormitory. He looked at her for the last time and smiled.
"Trust me Harry he wouldn't complain. You've written everything there is to write about growth potions," she beamed at him. "And Harry I do hope you get some well deserved sleep," she added and he looked back before disappearing complete at the end of the steps.
"Aren't you going up to bed yet?" She asked her redheaded companion.
"Maybe later can we talk for a sec?" he said as he sat on the couch in front the roaring Gryffindor fire.
"Sure, what about?" she replied as she sat next to him with only a few inches parting them away from each other.
"Well, I want to know what happened to you and Harry during summer?" Ron asked. He didn't look at her and settled on watching the small flames bursting from the roaring fire.
"We had a great time. We went to all sorts of places. Mum and dad gave Harry a grand tour around London," she exclaimed remembering the time she and her family bought Harry to famous landmarks and parks all around London. "We even have a lot of pictures taken. I have them in my trunk do you want to see them?" she asked.
"So you two must have really had fun?" he asked. He still didn't look at her.
"You could say that. I mean I have never seen Harry that happy. We even went to this theme park and Harry and I had to go through all the rides three times, would you believe that?" she said cheerfully. She then looked at him.
"Ron, are you feeling well?" She suddenly asked. He was quiet. She sensed it when they were at the train station while she and Harry were talking nonstop about what they did together to Ginny. Ron kept silent and only smiled a few times.
"Did you know that I had started to develop feelings for you this past year?" he blurted.
"What," was the only thing she could think of to say.
"Have you any idea how I felt when Harry owled me that he's staying with you for the rest of the summer break? I didn't know what to think and even before that did you know how I felt when you kissed him on the cheek on the train station before he left?" Ron's face showed how furious he was. He still wasn't looking at her but she sure was watching his every move. His fists were clenched as if ready to hit something or someone.
"I knew this was coming. I didn't expect it to be this soon," she admitted. In her heart she felt sorry for him. He was after all her best friend too.
"You knew I liked you and yet you asked Harry to stay with you this summer?" he said in a much louder and angrier tone. There was no sign of the funny and lighthearted Ron that she used to know. "Is it some kind of joke you're playing on me?"
"Is that what you think it is?" she was now infuriated by his accusations. "What the hell are you trying to say? You think I'm trying to make you jealous or I'm playing a trick on you. Ron, Harry needs my help. Do you know what hell he'd been through? Actually I don't think I should ask you that question because you of all people should know what he had been through. You're also his best friend, remember?" she retorted.
"It's always about Harry! Why can't you pay attention to me once in a while," Ron admitted.
"Do you know what you're asking for Ron? Do you know what it's like not having to know your parents? Do want to wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare that would always haunt you because you couldn't save the life of someone innocent. Do you really want to be in Harry's shoes?" she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. "You think Harry wants all the attention? Do you think he liked being followed by Rita Skeeter and having your life broadcasted to everyone? Harry doesn't want any of it. He'd give anything to have a family like yours Ron. He'd give anything have a quiet family like mine. Do you realize how much you have that Harry doesn't? He only have Sirius and believe me the ministry isn't making it easy for his god father to be out of the hook."
"He has something that I know I can never have," Ron said still with anger in his voice. "I can't have you. No matter what I do it's still Harry inside your head and inside your heart," he admitted.
"You don't want me Ron. You just like the idea that you'll have me and Harry won't, but that isn't love Ron. It's envy. I admit I love Harry. I guess I've always had. Last year I heard a mere speculation about you having feelings for me and I disregarded it. Not that I didn't care for you because I do and I really didn't want anything to ruin our friendship," she explained. "I think you of all people should know how I feel."
"Why can't you love me instead I mean he likes Cho. He doesn't see you as anything else other than a friend unless something happened while he's at your place," Ron said. He was a little calm but he still wasn't looking at her.
"We never talked about her and I never really opened the topic because then we'll have to talk about Cedric. Ron, I've always treated you as a friend or even like a brother but we can never be more than that. I know that Harry may never see me as something other than a friend but I still love him. I don't know why but I do. I guess you can call me stupid. Viktor gave me the same question before he left. He wanted to know why I didn't want to be his girlfriend. The only answer I gave him was because Harry needed me," she admitted.
"So Viktor did ask you after all and you rejected him because of Harry. Why do you love him so much Hermione?" Ron asked and this time he looked at her.
"I don't know. I just love him. I know I may sound stupid but I just felt it. At first it was just pure concern. I have always been there with him when he got in trouble or in deep peril. The person I have known isn't like the person I have imagined in the books I have read about him in the past. He was real he's just a regular boy who wanted a regular life in the wizarding world and all he wanted was to be loved. Before he came to Hogwarts he had no one even the Dursleys didn't treat him like family. He was just a burden to them. When you boys got together he finally had someone to call his friend. He is your best friend and after you guys saved me from the troll I became an addition. You're his original best friend. Do you know how disappointed I was when in the second task he chose you as someone he'll miss the most in Hogwarts? I felt like I wasn't really his best friend," she admitted.
"But he waited till you were saved too," Ron protested.
"Yes he did just like when he waited for Cedric to rescue Cho and when Fleur didn't arrive he got Gabriel to safety too. You know how Harry is he'll save anyone who needs to be saved," Hermione argued.
"The point is Ron. You're more important to him than me. I would always be the bushy-haired addition," she said as she sobbed.
"I'm sorry Hermione I didn't know you felt that way. I mean you and Harry had spent more time together now," Ron said and he realized how stupid he must have sounded a while back.
"I want to be by his side when he needs me. I know he isn't used to asking for help. He had always managed things on his own but I want to be there for him. It's the first time in the many years we've been friends that I've seen him tremble and cry at night. I tried to reassure him every night that it wasn't his fault. I cry with him at night because in some way I feel his pain and just seeing him like that makes me want to hold him and protect him from all the bad things around him," she muttered.
"I'm sorry for being so insensitive," Ron said with a warm glow in his eyes.
"Ron, don't ever think that Harry's life is like a nice walk in the park with a few people following you around to get your autograph. Harry had been through a lot and you have been part of most of his ordeal so you should know how his life is. Please, Ron, Harry needs us. We're all he's got. And please don't hate me for loving him. If you only I can love you the way you want me to I would have because you're a wonderful person but I guess I have no control over my heart and I guess Harry stole it away without even knowing it" she admitted.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I envy Harry but why wouldn't I when he has someone like you loving him the way you do. I know only time will tell but he'll come around and see what's just right in front of him," Ron said and a smile showed on his face.
"I better go to bed now. I still have a prefect's meeting tomorrow. Ron, good luck with the tryouts tomorrow. Harry said you'd make an excellent keeper. Ron, I hope I'm still your best friend," she said as she took both his hands.
"Of course we are," he hugged her. Something finally dawned on him. He was lucky to have them both in his life and he didn't need to try and compete with Harry because he was after all his best friend.
Hermione stood up from the couch and made her way to the staircase. "Ron, let's just keep the, I love Harry part to ourselves," she said in a lighter tone.
"Sure, Hermione whatever you say," he said as he went his way to the boy's dormitory.
That night Hermione and Ron finally got what they had to say out in the open. She surely didn't want to hurt Ron but she didn't want him to have false hopes either. She prayed that night that things will be okay between them and that Harry would have a nightmare free sleep because if he doesn't she wished that he would go knocking on her door and he would ask her to hold him again…
[N/A:] Should I continue with another chapter or should I stop right here. I'm thinking of making a next chap but I still need my readers' opinions. Toodles…R/R