Disclaimer: Not mine… Never was and never will be…
Author Note: This fiction finds its inspiration in a scene of the movie Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry has just discovered that Sirius Black is the one that ought to have betrayed his parents from who he was the secret keeper. He runs out of the Three Broomsticks and goes to the forest. Ron and Hermione follow. There happen two things: When Ron and Hermione arrive, the first move of Hermione is to go to Harry while the first move of Ron is to try to keep Hermione next to him. In vain. The second thing noticeable in that scene is something that made me shiver. Harry explains to Hermione why he is in such a state. He's talking to Hermione until the moment where he screams: "He was their friend and he betrayed them". For those who didn't see the film or those who missed what I saw, at the moment where Harry screams that, the picture includes Ron. And when Harry yells that sentence, he looks at Ron directly…
I'm not very fond of Ron, that's true… But on the other side, the films are known to tell us things about the future… And I sincerely hope that I'm wrong about what I felt… I'm don't like Ron, true… But I don't consider myself as a "Ron basher".
Ah, a last note: please stay aware that this fiction is related to the movie. There is nothing like this in the book that I can remember.
The first part of this story is written as the trio walks back to Hogwarts.
He was their friend… Part I
Ron's POV
As we made our way to the castle, on this cold day at Hogsmeade, I cannot stop thinking at the way our day has ended. To this very moment, the day had been very enjoyable. I had the most of the time with Hermione for myself and then, at some point Harry had joined us. Not that I minded that… I mean… Hermione is great… but she's Hermione. I want to bet that she had memorized the tourist guide of Hogsmeade before the first visit we had made. It was the second visit and she was driving me mad with details one more boring than another… There are limit to what a guy can endure you know… And then came Harry. At first I was happy. Given that Harry had snuck outside the castle without permission, he was bound to endure Hermione's wrath for a while… All the better for me… Less to listen to Hermione plus my best friend and most direct concurrent to Hermione's heart was having his ears full… Then, we came across our teachers, in a visit with Minister Fudge. They were talking about that guy, Sirius Black, the great news of the year. Harry had run to follow them as they were retreating to a private room inside the Three Broomsticks. Harry came out some minutes later (minutes that were taken by Hermione to explain to me what the history of the Three Broomstick was… Sheesh… Get a life Hermione…) Of course, we followed him. Me to avoid being told how many kind of butterbeer there was, Hermione, I don't know why… We walked until we came in a clearing. And then we heard Harry. He was crying. I hate when I hear a bloke crying. To cry is for weaklings, wussies… Never had I considered Harry as a wuss. But to hear him cry like that…
Hermione stopped for a second and then she went to him. I tried to keep her from going. After all why would she want to go after such a wimp when she can stay beside a real man? But she rejected my hand and she went to the place where the crying was the loudest. That's when I understood that I would never had a chance with Hermione… She grabbed the cloak and pulled it from Harry's face.
Harry's words are still echoing in my head as we are walking to Hogwarts. Those words he screamed at my face while holding Hermione close. I hear him
"He was their best friend and he betrayed them…"
Hermione's POV
I don't want to over-analyse. Oh no, I don't. I'm going to let all this sink into my brain and I'm not going to think about it anymore… But so many things did happen. The day had been great so far. The only cloud in my blue sky was that Harry was unable to be with us. Of course, with Sirius Black on the loose, it was better for Harry to stay in the castle. Personally, I would have preferred him going with us. I mean, most of the time, Ron isn't bothering me. But try to have a nice conversation with a stomach on legs. And that git was off strutting around like if he was the boss. Ha! As if it was the case! And then we came in front of the Shrieking Shack. Sometime, I wonder how Ron did end in Gryffindor. He was stinking with fear in front of the Shack. I ask you, which wizard in his right mind would be afraid of some ghosts? Honestly! And then Malfoy came with two other slytherins. I shiver at the thought of what could have happen if Harry hadn't shown up. First Ron was terrorized by the mere thought of approaching a haunted house (such a courage in that boy!) and then he went head first into Malfoy and co taunting. For the brilliant strategist he is when he plays chess, he runs head first onto the wand of his adversaries. And then Harry came. I don't know why, but the moment I saw the first snowball flying in, I knew it was Harry. The way he managed to defeat our opponents was brilliant… And pulling Malfoy kicking and screaming to the shack was inspired. It showed to what extend Harry, him, deserves his place at the Gryffindor table. Of course, after that, I had to play my part as the bossy know-it-all girl. I wouldn't be Hermione if I didn't do that… Plus, I didn't want to congratulate Harry too much for his rule breaking in front of Ron. Harry told us about his map. But when I said that surely he wouldn't keep it and would hand it to McGonagall, he smiled at me and asked if I was going to turn him in. Of course, I wouldn't do that in a million lives. And he knows it. As I know that he won't abuse of the map. Now put that map in Ron's hands and that would be another story.
And then there was this incident at the Three Broomsticks. When Harry exited the inn without a look for us, I knew there was something wrong. We followed the tracks. And then we heard him cry. Never had I seen a boy crying. I was surprised. Not disappointed, surprised. That's why I stopped on the edge of the clearing. I looked at Ron. I maybe the only one to have seen the look of disgust on his face. I tried to go to Harry and I felt Ron's hand on my arm, trying to stop me. As if he could have stopped me to join Harry. I kneeled next to the place I knew Harry was. Gently, tenderly, I took hold of the silky material of the invisibility cloak. I had only one thing in my mind: hugging him to ease the pain. But I didn't do it. For one part, I'm only thirteen and it is not behaviour common for girls my age and for the other part, there was Ron. Maybe if I had been alone with Harry… But to know that Ron was standing behind me, looking at Harry as he was a particularly vicious species of flesh eating slug… Harry told us what he heard in the private room of the Three Broomsticks, his anger toward Black raising with each word. And then he seemed to realize that Ron was here too. Speaking, Harry gripped my shoulder. I think I'll never forget the words he said looking right into Ron's eyes:
"He was their best friend and he betrayed them…" Those words are still echoing in my brain as we are walking silently to Hogwarts.
Harry's POV
I was dead serious! I surely not go and hide now that I know. I'm going to wait for him and when he'll in front of me, I'll kill him. I cannot think to anything else right now. Although there is an awful lot of things to say about the day. The map first. Despite everything Hermione can think and say about it, I won't hand it over to McGonagall. This map is a true wonder. Malfoy is next. What a pleasure to see him squirm in the snow as I was pulling him to the Shrieking Shack. What a pleasure to see those 'great' slytherins running away. And then meeting with Ron… and Hermione. Her smile was the best gift a bloke can receive in a day. I don't know why, but, for one moment, it seems that Ron had a disappointed look on his face. Then they took me to the village. Everything was fine until then. And then… I thought I knew everything there was to know about the death of my parents. I never thought that such an infamy could exist. I ran… fast and far away. I sat on a rock and I let the tears I was holding run free and I let my anger take the best of me. I was angry. Against Black, against Mr Weasley, who didn't say the truth to me, against minister Fudge, for the same reasons… I was so angry that I didn't realize I was not alone in the clearing anymore. I realize they were there when I saw Hermione kneeling in front of me, in the snow. I knew that Ron was not so far away. I told them… I told them all. When I looked upon their face, I saw two things: compassion and tenderness on Hermione's pretty face; evident disgust on Ron's face.
I don't know what was the source of this disgust, and I'll probably never know. I wanted to yell for some kind of help, some kind of comfort from my best friend. I looked at him and I yelled: "He was their best friend and he betrayed them".
Maybe I was hoping for something else than the silence that answered me…
We are going back to Hogwarts. Ron is at some distance ahead of us. Hermione is at my side. She doesn't think I see her looks toward me to see if I'm okay. We walk, the three of us, silent. We are more alone, each of us, than we have ever been…