Revelation II: Telling Ron

Author’s note: This is a sequel to Revelation, my very first Harry Potter fanfic. You don’t have to have read it to understand this, but it helps.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters in this story. They belong solely to J.K. Rowling.

Revelation II: Telling Ron

Harry Potter was nervous. Nearly a month and a half prior, just two weeks after returning to Privet Drive following his fifth year at Hogwarts, he had received a visitor in the form of Hermione Granger, his best friend. After a heartfelt conversation, they had admitted their feelings for one another. Now, she was his girlfriend, and that’s what made him nervous. It wasn’t the thoughts of having Hermione as a girlfriend that tied his stomach into knots. (Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She did have that effect on him, but it was for an entirely different reason.) It was the idea of having to break the news to their mutual best friend, Ron Weasley. Although Ron had never come out and said anything, Harry had long suspected his redheaded friend had a crush on Hermione. Therein lay his problem.

Harry sat in the back of a car belonging to the Ministry of Magic on his way to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, both Aurors for the Ministry and secretly members of the Order of the Phoenix, sat in the front discussing their most recent mission. Harry was grateful they were not trying to engage him in conversation as it allowed him time to think.

Two letters sat in his lap. Two letters, written in very different handwriting with very different styles, that stirred up two very different emotions within him. The first was written in a very tidy, feminine hand, and brought nothing but joy to his heart. He had practically memorized the letter, yet he opened it to read it one more time.

My dearest Harry,

I can’t believe it has only been six weeks since I last saw you. It feels like an eternity! I know I’ve been driving mum and dad crazy talking about you, but I can’t help myself. I can’t stop thinking about you! The memory of our kisses still haunts me, and I cannot wait until I’m with you again. Listen to me! I sound like bad poetry!! But that’s how you make me feel. I want to shout to the world that I am in love with Harry Potter. However, I won’t. I know you don’t like any kind of attention drawn to yourself, so I will remain content knowing that you care for me as much as I care for you.

I’m so happy that you are going to be able to spend the rest of the summer holidays at the Burrow. I know how much you hate staying with the Dursley’s, and I can’t say that I blame you.

Speaking of the Burrow, have you spoken to Ron yet? I have tried to write him, but every time I’ve tried to tell him about us, I didn’t know what to say. So I guess you’re right in that it would probably be best to tell him face to face.

I’ve got some good news! Mum and dad are allowing me to go to the Burrow for your birthday! I will only be able to stay for a couple of days, but at least we should have some time together. I can’t wait to see you again!

Take care of yourself, and remember that I’m thinking of you always!

All my love,

Hermione

Harry smiled and sniffed the letter. Hermione had sprayed the letter with the same perfume she had worn the day she had arrived at Privet Drive and declared her love for him. Although the scent had nearly faded, smelling it brought back fond memories of that day six weeks ago.

Setting Hermione’s letter back down, he picked up the other letter and frowned. The handwriting on this one was a little sloppier, and it didn’t evoke the same warm and fuzzy feelings as the one Hermione had written. This letter carried with it a sense of foreboding and dread for Harry. This letter was from Ron.

Hi Harry!

Hope the muggles are treating you well. Things here at the Burrow are pretty quiet these days. Fred and George are busy at the shop all day, and Ginny has been spending most of her time owling back and forth with Dean. I’m afraid I’m going to have to have a little talk with him when we return to Hogwarts!

I’m glad Dumbledore is allowing you to stay here until we have to go back to school. I don’t think he really wanted to, but mum pressured him into it.

Mum is real excited about being able to give you your first real birthday party I’m sorry it won’t be on your actual birthday, but Dumbledore said he you couldn’t come here until August 1. Don’t ask me why, but he was firm on that date. Sorry you’re first real party won’t be on your actual birthday, but it still should be fun!

I’m really looking forward to you getting here because there’s something I need to talk to you about. There’s this girl I like, but I don’t know what to do. She’s smarter than I am, so I’m a little intimidated by her. Most people don’t really like her, but I think she’s great. I know you’re not the biggest ladies man at Hogwarts, but out of the two of us, at least you have had a real date! Anyway, I’m really crazy about her, and I don’t know what to do about it. I hope you can help me.

I’ve got to go. Mum’s calling me for dinner. Don’t forget the Ministry car will be picking you up at 9 a.m. on the first. I’ll see you soon!

Your friend,

Ron

Harry sighed, then folded both letters and put them away. This was not going to be easy.

*****

Harry arrived at the Burrow and found himself immediately engulfed in one of Mrs. Weasley’s famous hugs.

“Oh, Harry!” she cried. “It’s so good to see you again. How are you doing, dear?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Weasley,” he answered. “It was difficult at first, but I’ve found something to take my mind off of Sirius.”

“Good for you! I know you miss him, but it’s not good to dwell on things like that. It’s hard, I know, but you’ve got to remember that life goes on.”

“I know that now.” He hugged her warmly. “Thank you.”

“Whatever for?”

“For caring.”

He pulled back and saw a tear forming in her eye. “Harry, I think of you as one of my own children, and it hurts me when I see you in pain. I’m just glad to know you’re doing better. Now, run along upstairs. Ron’s been dying to see you again!”

He smiled and left her in the kitchen, heading for Ron’s room. He had just made it to the first landing when he was caught up in another hug, this time from the youngest of the Weasley clan.

“Harry!” Ginny squealed. “How have you been?”

“Uh . . . fine,” he said, trying to regain his balance. “How are you?”

“Very well, thank you.” She pulled back and smiled at him. “Did you hear that Dean and I are officially a couple now?”

“Yeah, I heard something about that from Ron,” he smirked. “Congratulations. He’s a great guy.”

Ginny beamed at him. “When will Hermione be here?”

“Sometime later today,” he said. “Her parents are taking her into London to Diagon Alley. She’ll be flooing from the Leaky Cauldron.”

“Great! I have so much I want to talk to her about. I’ll see you later!” With that she went bounding down the stairs to the kitchen.

Harry shook his head and started back up the stairs. Ron’s door was closed and he knocked.

“Come in,” came the muffled reply.

Harry stepped into the familiar room with its orange Chudley Cannons memorabilia and saw his friend lying on his bed with his hands behind his head. He wore a goofy grin that told Harry he had been thinking about this girl he liked. Harry’s stomach plummeted.

“Hey Ron.”

“Hiya Harry! Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Er, I guess.”

Ron sat up and looked at his friend. “What’s the matter, Harry?” A look of comprehension passed over his features. “Oh, I get it. You’re still upset about Sirius, aren’t you?”

“Umm, yeah,” Harry lied. “It’s been all I could think about for the past couple of months.”

Ron leaned forward and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about Sirius. I know what he meant to you, but it will get better in time.”

“Thanks Ron. But I am doing much better.”

Ron nodded and the two were silent for a time.

“So,” Harry said, breaking the silence. “Tell me about this girl you like.”

“She’s great,” Ron smiled. “I’ve never known anyone as smart as her. She’s so beautiful. And her hair is . . . we’ll it’s indescribable.”

Harry’s stomach knotted even tighter. When Ron found out that he and Hermione were together, he would explode. He had caught a glimpse of how Ron could be in their fourth year when Ron thought Harry had put his name in the Goblet of Fire. That would be nothing compared to the way Ron would react when he learned the truth about his two best friends.

“I know that some people will think we’re not right for each other,” Ron continued. “To tell you the truth, I thought the same thing. I definitely couldn’t stand her when I first met her. But since we got back home, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I keep seeing what happened at the Department of Mysteries, and . . . well . . . it made me realize that I really do care for her. It also made me see that life is short. I need to act on this before some other bloke snatches her away from me. What do you think?”

Harry tried not to groan audibly. “Well . . . I think . . . I think you need to tell her. If she means that much to you, then she needs to know that.”

I just hope Hermione doesn’t hate me for putting this all back on her. I’ll warn her later so she can be on her guard. Maybe she can figure a way to let him down easy.

“Thanks Harry!” Ron clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll tell her tonight at your party!”

Harry smiled weakly. This was definitely going to be some birthday party!

*****

It seemed like forever to Harry before Hermione finally showed up at the Burrow. When she stepped through the fireplace and into the kitchen, it was all he could do to keep from running over to her and sweeping her up in his arms. She must have felt the same way, for Harry thought she looked anxious when she saw him. Their eyes met and they shared a brief, secret smile.

Hermione made the rounds hugging everyone in greeting, starting with Mrs. Weasley then Ginny then Ron. If possible, Harry’s stomach tightened even more when it seemed Ron held Hermione’s hug a little longer than he should have. Finally Hermione came over to him and Harry pulled her close.

“We need to talk,” he whispered. “Soon.”

They pulled apart and Hermione looked at him quizzically. He gave a slight nod of his head toward Ron and understanding showed in her eyes.

“I’m going to take my things upstairs,” Hermione said to everyone. “Harry, could you help me?”

Harry nodded and grabbed her bags as Hermione led the way upstairs to Ginny’s room. He closed the door behind them and turned around only to be assaulted by Hermione’s lips upon his. He was startled at first, but soon gave in to the kiss. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her in closer. Minutes later, they pulled apart, the need for air becoming too great. Panting, he rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Hermione breathed.

“So I’ve noticed,” he smiled. “I’ve missed you too.”

Her lips were swollen, and he fought the urge to kiss her again. However the need to talk to her about Ron overshadowed his need to snog her senseless.

“Listen,” he said, pulling away from her. “We’ve got a problem.”

She immediately stiffened. “What’s wrong? Is it V-Voldemort? Has your scar been bothering you?”

“No, no,” he said quickly. “Nothing like that.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s Ron.”

“Oh. I take it you talked to him then?”

“Not exactly. He owled me right before I came here and told me he needed to talk to me about a girl he liked. He said he was crazy about this girl and needed some advice on what to do. And even though he didn’t mention you by name, he described you perfectly. He’s got a crush on you.”

Hermione slumped down on the bed. “Oh, Harry! What are we going to do?”

“There’s more,” he said, and she looked up at him. “When he asked me what to do about it, I told him he needed to tell you how he feels.”

“That’s just great, Harry!” Hermione jumped up and he took a step back. “Put all the pressure on me!”

“Well what was I supposed to do? Tell him, ‘Hey Ron. I know you like Hermione, but guess what? Too bad! She’s with me now!’? Besides, at least you’ll have a little time to figure out what to say to him.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Hermione sighed. “It’s not like I couldn’t see this coming. I had a suspicion he liked me during fourth year. I should have told him then that I wasn’t interested in him that way.”

Harry pulled her to him and held her tight. “I’m sorry. Things can’t ever be simple for us, can they?”

She snorted. “No. But we’ll learn to deal with them.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly.

“I just wanted Ron to be okay with us,” she said. “I want to be able to tell everyone I see how much I love you.”

“I want that too.”

A knock on the door caused them to jump apart. A second later, Ginny came barging into the room.

“What’s taking you guys so long?” she asked. “Were you up here kissing?”

Harry and Hermione both blushed and looked anywhere but at each other.

“You were, weren’t you?!”

“Ginny, please keep it down,” Hermione hissed.

“Does Ron know?” Ginny asked.

“Not yet,” Harry answered. “We’re going to tell him tonight, after the party.”

“Good,” she said. “You know he’s had a crush on Hermione for some time?”

“We know,” Harry and Hermione said in unison.

“As long as you tell him soon, then I won’t say anything,” Ginny said. “Now come on. Mum’s needs some help getting things ready for tonight.”

*****

The party was better than Harry could have hoped for, despite the nagging feeling of guilt that washed over him every time he looked at Ron. Hermione sensed his discomfort, and chose to stay close to him the entire night. For that, he was eternally grateful.

After the cake had been eaten and the presents opened, everyone said goodnight to each other, and all went off to their separate rooms. Harry cast a last, longing glance at Hermione as his girlfriend entered the room she shared with Ginny.

“I love you,” he mouthed and smiled when she did the same.

Harry and Ron changed into their pajamas and got ready for bed. Harry traipsed down the hall to brush his teeth, and when he returned to Ron’s room, the redhead was already asleep. Harry sighed. So much for telling Ron tonight. He yawned and climbed into bed. However, Ron’s snores prevented him from falling asleep right away. Forty-five frustrating minutes later, Harry got out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of milk at sat down at the table, enjoying the relative silence. He heard a sound from behind him and turned to see Hermione coming down the stairs. She smiled when she saw him, but that smile was soon replaced with a frown as she rushed to his side.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “I just couldn’t sleep is all. You would think that after five years, I would be used to Ron’s snores.”

“Is he really that bad?”

“Trust me. He’s that bad!”

She giggled and laid her head on his shoulder.

“What are you doing up?” he asked.

“I couldn’t sleep either.” She raised her head and looked him in the eye. “I was too excited about seeing you again to sleep much the last few nights. And now that I’m here with you . . . it’s just been a frustrating day being so close to you yet not being able to hold you. I guess my emotions are just too high right now to let me sleep.”

“What can we do to rectify that situation?” he grinned.

“Kissing me would be a good start,” she smiled.

“Your wish is my command, my lady.”

He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. Unlike their kiss earlier, this one started out slow and pure. It didn’t stay that way, though as Harry felt his need growing and placed one arm around her waist while his other hand tangled itself in her hair. Hermione wrapped her arms around his back and put her hands on his shoulders. Harry deepened the kiss and she moaned, nearly sending him over the edge. Nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing except . . .

“What’s going on here?”

The two young lovers jerked apart hastily and turned to see their best friend standing at the bottom of the stairs. In the darkness, it was hard to read his expression, but Harry imagined it couldn’t be good.

“R-Ron,” Harry stammered. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“What is it then, Harry?” Ron asked. “’Cos from this angle it looks like you two were snogging each other’s brains out.”

“Okay, so it is what it looks like,” Harry said, trying to lighten the mood.

He stood and faced his friend, and he felt Hermione standing behind him. He reached down and took her hand in his. It was still hard to gauge Ron’s reaction in the gloom, but he thought he saw Ron’s eyes flicker to their joined hands.

“Ron . . .” Hermione started.

“How long?” Ron interrupted.

She sighed. “Six weeks.”

“Six weeks and you didn’t have the decency to tell me?!”

“It’s not like that Ron,” Harry said.

“Then what is it like?”

“Hermione and I discussed it after we had first gotten together, and we decided that we wanted to tell you in person. Finding out that your two best friends are dating is not something you just jot down in a letter. So we decided it would be best to wait until we all came to the Burrow to tell you the news.

“But then you sent me that letter telling me about this girl you liked, and I didn’t know what to do. When I got here this morning and talked to you, I realized that we had a bigger problem on our hands and I didn’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Ron asked.

“The way you feel about Hermione. I knew that you would be devastated when you found out. So I . . .” Harry stopped when he noticed Ron laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“Y-you think I was talking about H-Hermione?” Ron chortled. “Oh, that’s rich Harry!”

“What’s so funny about that?” Hermione stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips.

“Come on, Hermione,” Ron gasped. “It’s . . . well, it’s you! Can you honestly see me falling for you?”

Harry could tell she was beginning to feel insulted, so he decided to intervene.

“But you described her perfectly, Ron.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You remember,” Harry prompted. “Beautiful, indescribable hair, the smartest girl you’ve ever known. Plus you said you couldn’t stand her when you first met her.”

Ron started laughing again and Harry had to hold Hermione back from attacking him.

“I wasn’t talking about Hermione,” Ron said. “I was talking about Luna.”

“Luna?” Harry and Hermione said in unison.

“Yeah. She’s amazing! I just didn’t realize it until recently. Sure, I thought she was weird when I first met her, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about the events of last year.

“At first, I thought she was just hanging around us because of your fame, Harry. But then I realized that didn’t impress her. She followed us because of who you are, not because of your scar.

“Then, when we went to the Department of Mysteries, she went with us. She didn’t have to go, but she did. That showed loyalty. Like I said, I had a lot of time to think about what happened last year, and I realized that despite all her quirks, deep down she’s a really special person.”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other dumbfounded.

“But what about Hermione?” Harry asked.

“What about her?”

“I thought you fancied her!”

Ron waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, I did up until last summer. I had a huge crush on her since the Yule Ball in fourth year. But when I saw how worried she was about you when we arrived at Grimmauld Place, I realized I didn’t stand a chance. Especially if you ever woke up and saw what was right in front of you all along. Glad to see you’ve finally opened your eyes, mate!”

“So, you’re okay with us being together then?” Hermione asked.

“I’m more than okay with it,” Ron answered. “I’m absolutely thrilled for you two. Maybe I can ask Luna out and the four of us can go to Hogsmeade together!”

“That would be great, Ron,” Harry smiled.

“I’m going back to bed. You two carry on with what you were doing!” Ron started back up the stairs, but stopped and turned to face them. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks Ron,” Harry said.

“Yes, thank you Ron,” Hermione chimed.

Ron smiled, and soon they were left alone in the kitchen. Hermione turned to face Harry with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Now, where were we?” she asked.

“I think we were right about here,” he answered and captured her lips once again.

They stayed together for another half hour before finally parting and going to bed. At last, Harry was relaxed enough to get some sleep despite Ron’s constant snoring. The last thought that drifted through his mind as sleep took him was what a great school year this was going to be.

Author’s note 2: After my last story, which was an experimental one for me, I decided to get back to what I’m used to: Harry/Hermione goodness. I have always wanted to write a sequel to Revelation, but just didn’t have the time nor the right plot. I finally was able to find both. I hope you enjoyed this.