Authors Notes: Thank you to all those that gave good reviews, they are very much appreciated. However, those who just flamed, there was no need for it. Yes, I know very well that the plot of Hermione and Ron has been used a lot, but don't you think that the reason for that is because it makes a good plot? And besides, I suggest you wait till you've read ALL of my fic before you judge on whether it's exactly the same as the rest of them. I will have a twist in my own fic. So there. Any more flame reviews will be deleted, as there was no need for them.
But to all those who gave good reviews… You're all stars! J
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Harry smiled as Hermione entered the Hospital Wing next day, as per usual. He was wondering whether Ron had made up with her yet, after their little talk yesterday. However, that wasn't the only thing he was wondering. He looked up as another person entered the wing right behind her, and was pleasantly surprised when he found it was Ron. He grinned at them both from his bed, but wondered why they were standing so close to each other. He looked down, but didn't like what he saw.
They were holding hands, Ron's large freckled hand in her heavenly soft one, and Ron was wearing a large grin on his face. He winked at Harry as they moved closer to his bed, and Harry's heart sank. He looked over to Hermione, and was surprised and confused to find that her smile, as he could tell so easily, was fake. It didn't reach her eyes like it usually did, and there wasn't the usual sparkle in her eyes. There wasn't the calmness that usually came with Hermione's smile, but Ron had not seemed to notice.
"How you doing, mate? You feeling any better?"
Harry struggled to keep his voice tone normal. He couldn't expect to sound cheerful, after what he had just witnessed, but at least he could stop them from asking too many questions by keeping his voice level.
"A little."
"Good, Good. Actually, we- er… we came to thank you… for what you said to me yesterday, didn't we Hermione?"
She looked up and nodded, the fake smile still in place on her face. Harry gave her a questioning look when Ron wasn't looking, but she ignored it.
"I asked Hermione out last night, and well, you can see…."
He reached over and draped his arms on her shoulders. She reluctantly lifted a hand to his and entwined his fingers in hers, but Harry could tell she wasn't happy. Harry tired to smile at them, but it came out as more of a grimace, and this time, they picked up on it.
"What's the matter, Harry?" Hermione immediately asked, earning a dark look from Ron. Harry chose to ignore it and shook his head.
"It's nothing… just a headache. I suppose it comes from sitting down doing nothing all day. I wish I could be out flying or something…"
"Yeah…" Ron replied, looking out of the window to the Quidditch pitch. "Don't worry, Angelina's working us like dogs, so you aren't missing too much. Besides, you don't need practice! You're a natural born seeker…"
They talked for a while about Quidditch, while Hermione listened in, half-heartedly it seemed. Harry stole glances at her when Ron wasn't looking, and whenever she wasn't pretending to smile at Ron's jokes, or joining in with the rest, she kept herself to herself and stayed quiet. She looked quite subdued and maybe a little sad. Once she looked up at Harry when Ron was on rambling about something or other and their eyes locked. His stomach gave the funny pang again and he gave her an inquiring look, which she returned. Their silent conversation was broken when Ron announced that he needed to go to the bathroom.
As Ron left, shutting the curtains behind him with a suspicious look, Harry immediately turned to Hermione.
"So… I suppose… congratulations are in order?"
Hermione looked confused, then realised and went back to her sad state.
"Oh… yeah. Thanks."
She looked down at her skirt, looking more and more upset about something. Harry was about to ask her what it was before she cut across him.
"Harry, why did you tell Ron to ask me out?"
Harry looked shocked for a second. He hadn't expected that. Fiddling with a patch of quilt he sighed.
"I… don't know. He likes you… and he seemed so upset over it… so… and I figured that maybe you liked him?"
Hermione looked like she was on the verge of shaking her head before she stopped herself. She looked a little brighter however when she said.
"Oh… I thought it was because…"
"Back!"
She rolled her eyes before turning to Ron, the fake smile plastered across her face. Harry felt deprived. What was it she wanted to tell him?
They talked for another hour it seemed, until it got dark, and Ron thought that they'd better be going.
"We'll see you tomorrow okay, mate?" He let Hermione walk on in front and held back to talk to Harry.
"Thanks again for the advice, mate. I wouldn't have her if it wasn't for you. I owe you one!"
He clapped Harry on the back and grinned, before following Hermione to the door. She let him go through first, before turning back to Harry, and smiling, genuinely. Harry smiled back, meeting her eyes with his own, before Ron called her and she turned and left.
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They walked back to Gryffindor tower in silence, holding hands. Ron kept sneaking glances over at her, but she kept her face passive, inwardly thinking. Harry had seemed upset when he found out about her and Ron, even though Ron hadn't noticed it. She knew he kept stealing glances at her, trying to catch her eye when Ron wasn't looking, to ask her silently if she was okay. She loved the way he did that, and she hated herself for loving it.
He seemed to know that her smile wasn't real, only Harry could tell. She knew his smile wasn't genuine either, for it didn't make his eyes glow a bright green like it did when she made him smile. Even while Ron was there having a totally different conversation with him, he still managed to figure out something was wrong. Then when Ron went out of the room, he was on the verge of asking her, she knew it. But she had to cut across him, she had to know. And she was immensely pleased with her answer.
She had expected him to say something along the lines of; "Because you're perfect for each other!" or "Because I think you'd make a great couple!" but he didn't. He thought she liked Ron, and for a moment, she was about to shake her head. It meant that Harry didn't tell Ron to ask her out because he had no feelings for her at all, if he had any now that is, it meant that he thought she didn't have feelings for him.
They reached the common room and Ron sat on the sofa, expecting Hermione to come and sit with him. When she made her way to the stairs of the girls dormitory, he called out to her.
"Hey, is something wrong, Hermione? Because you didn't say a word all the way back here, and you seemed quiet back there in the hospital wing…"
She turned and smiled her fake smile at him. Poor Ron… she was leading him on. She couldn't help it, but she couldn't let him down either, not after just one day.
"No, I'm fine… really. I'm just a little tired. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
He got up, and quickly ran over to her before she turned, and smiled at her before planting his lips on her own in a goodnight kiss. Once again, she felt nothing, but smiled her fake smile again as she pulled away.
"Goodnight, Hermione."
She smiled her big fake smile at him before turning back to the girls dormitories. Once she got to the top of the stairs she leaned against the wall and sighed.
Harry didn't not love her… of course she didn't know whether he did or not… but his face today showed that he harboured some feelings towards her by the way his face fell when he saw her and Ron together. All she wanted to do all day was to hug him, or climb up and sit beside him like she normally would and play with his hair, or fuss over him like Mrs. Weasley while he sat there refusing to eat pie. They hadn't even bothered to try to make him eat today, they had totally forgot. They hadn't even made any progress on getting Harry to open up either. Hermione settled herself into bed and sighed. Feeling her eyes getting heavy, she leaned on her side to try to go to sleep. Finally she drifted off with a peaceful smile on her face. However it wasn't Ron she dreamt about.