Disclaimer: All things HP belong to JKR etc etc. Only borrowing her world and her characters for fun. (Oh and the Scribe and Parchment is my invention.)
A/N: Written as an attempt to work in JKR's quote that there is something going on between Ron and Hermione only Ron, boy-like, doesn't realize it yet-as well as the prediction that Harry's going to go on a date with a Quidditch team-mate (since I don't think Cho counts since she's not on the Gryffindor team). (Plus, I wanted to take pot-shots at H/G…)
For danielerin-in honor of her birthday and because it was inspired by her wonderful fic, "Unresolved".
Fancies, Friendship and Feelings
It was now or never.
Ron swallowed, wishing he didn't suddenly feel as if he'd swallowed ten golden snitches.
He had to ask now while they were alone, before Harry got back from his Occlumency lesson with Dumbledore. He knew from experience that after Harry got back, Hermione wouldn't have any attention left for anything else.
He cleared his throat. "Er, Hermione, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" she asked automatically, not looking up from her parchment where she was steadily writing what looked like an Arithmancy essay from the complicated-looking diagrams she'd drawn and the fact that her Arithmancy textbook was open in front of her.
This was Hermione, just Hermione. Why was this so hard? This was only Hermione- and yes, he rather fancied her but she was still his friend.
He fancied Hermione. He wasn't exactly sure why (and Merlin knew he'd been thinking about it often enough) but he did. It had taken him long enough to realize it too, he reckoned, considering it'd probably begun back in 4th year or so. (Realizing part of the reason he'd hated Krum was one of those hit-by-a-Bludger moments: He fancied Hermione. Bloody hell, he fancied Hermione!! But- but- she was- was just- Hermione! He couldn't fancy her; she was his friend and- and- she could be really bossy and annoying! But she'd gotten to be really rather pretty- her smile made his stomach feel funny and Merlin's ghost but when had Hermione started to have a- well, a figure and looking like a, well, a girl… And her legs… Oh sod it! He did fancy Hermione...)
Not that his wayward thoughts about Hermione's smile or figure or legs or-sod it, there he went again-- made this any easier. If anything they made it harder.
Go on then, spit it out. It's only Hermione…
Only Hermione; it wasn't as if she were some sort of Blast-Ended Skrewt…
Although, a little voice in the back of his mind suggested un-helpfully, she could be about as intimidating as a Blast-Ended Skrewt when she was really angry about something, her eyes flashing, her wand out and her voice rising with that dangerous note…
He swallowed hard. Don't think about that. It's only Hermione…
"Wannagothogsmeadewime?" he blurted out in one breath.
"What?"
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade on Saturday?" he repeated, forcing himself to speak slower.
She still didn't look up as she answered rather absently, "Of course. Don't I always go to Hogsmeade with you and Harry?"
His stomach seized up as the golden snitches he seemed to have swallowed all went mad with their fluttering. "No- I mean- that's not what I meant. I meant- will you go to Hogsmeade with me- like on a date," the last four words coming out so fast they sounded like one word, desperately.
Now she looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise- and something he couldn't identify. "A- a date? With you?"
He nodded.
An odd expression crossed her face. "But what about Harry?"
Ron blinked. "What about Harry? What does he have to do with this?"
Hermione sighed. "We can't just leave him alone. It wouldn't be fair. Especially not now. And it'll be the first time he's going to Hogsmeade since, well, Sirius." (None of them had gone on the first Hogsmeade visit of the year back in October because the Order had heard some vague rumors, that turned out to be unfounded thankfully, that Death Eaters were planning an attack on Hogsmeade. So they'd stayed behind though most of the rest of the school still went- accompanied, though most didn't realize it, by members of the Order as protection just in case.)
He sighed, deflating a little bit. She was right though he hadn't stopped to think about that before. He'd been too nervous over the entire idea of asking Hermione out to spare a thought for Harry's reaction. But they couldn't leave Harry alone…
Then he brightened. "We wouldn't be leaving him alone. He can go to Hogsmeade with Ginny since she's not going out with Dean anymore."
"Oh," Hermione said slowly. "Well, I guess, if Harry-and Ginny-don't mind… then yes, I'll go to Hogsmeade with you, Ron."
He grinned, his nervousness abruptly vanishing in the heady relief that she'd said yes. "Brilliant!"
"Yeah," Hermione said although without much enthusiasm.
Ron ignored that and grinned at her as he settled back in his armchair, beginning to read Flying with the Cannons for what had to be the thousandth time.
Hermione made a disapproving noise and he looked up. "What?"
"Honestly, Ron, shouldn't you be doing your homework? I know you've read that before. Have you even started the Transfiguration essay due on Friday?"
He blinked. "No but it's only Monday! I've got loads of time to work on that."
She didn't look pleased at his dismissing Transfiguration and for a moment looked like she was going to go into her 'it's never too early to start working' speech but stopped herself. "Then what about Charms? You know we're being tested on the Listening Charm on Wednesday."
He shrugged. "I'll practice when Harry gets back then."
Hermione frowned but gave up, returning her attention to her Arithmancy. She refrained from saying that Harry was always exhausted after Occlumency lessons (though they were never quite as draining as they had been with Snape last year) and most likely would simply go straight up to bed.
It was just a little while before Harry entered the Common Room, looking, Hermione noticed immediately, rather pale and weary, and threw himself into the armchair next to her and across from Ron.
"How did Occlumency go, Harry?" she asked.
"Fine," he answered, as always.
She frowned slightly, bending forward so she could see his eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, really," he said with a half-sigh and then tried to smile, reassuringly. "Dumbledore said I'm doing better."
"Well, that's good then!" Ron said, a shade too brightly. "Say, Harry, I- er- I want to ask you something."
"What?"
"Well, I- er- I asked Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday and she said yes so I was thinking you could ask Ginny to go with you," Ron said very quickly.
Harry stiffened noticeably, an odd expression Hermione couldn't quite read crossing his face as he glanced from Ron to her. "Oh," he said rather lamely.
Harry glanced back and forth between his two best friends, noting Ron's half-eager, half-tentative expression and Hermione's slight blush and the way she was avoiding his eyes. Why was he surprised at this? He'd suspected for a while now- since 4th year to be honest- that Ron fancied Hermione. It was about time he finally asked her on a real date. Then why did it suddenly feel as if the Common Room didn't have enough air in it and a stone had dropped into the pit of his stomach?
But if this was what they wanted- what Hermione wanted- he'd let them go. Of course he would. He'd even be happy for them. Merlin knew anything to make life happier for any of them was more than welcome.
"That's great," he said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice as he quickly manufactured a smile and put it on. "I- er- yeah, I'll ask Ginny if she- er- wants to come." He managed another, brighter smile. After all, he knew Ginny, even liked her. She had become a friend, was one of the core members of the DA. "That should be fun."
Ron grinned again. "Brilliant. I-"
Harry interrupted whatever Ron had been about to say. "Sorry but I think I'm just going to head to bed now." He turned to Hermione. "Will you help me with the Listening Charm tomorrow?"
"Of course, Harry," Hermione smiled and then sobered. "Sleep well."
"Yeah," he answered lightly enough. "See you later," he said to Ron before vanishing up the stairs to the 6th year boys dormitory.
~*~*~
Hermione spent the rest of the week half-guiltily hoping that there'd be a blizzard or something on Saturday that would make a convenient reason not to go since the carriages couldn't struggle through if the snow was too deep. But no, Saturday turned out to be one of those bright winter days with clear blue skies, although a rather biting wind.
Harry and Ginny had gotten into a carriage ahead of them and she saw them walking off, talking comfortably with Neville and Luna, it seemed to her, and she had to stifle a sigh before forcing a smile as she turned to Ron. "Where do you want to go first?"
"Honeydukes, of course. And then, Zonko's. I'm out of Dungbo--" he cut himself off as she began to frown and finished lamely, "I- er- just want to get some stuff Fred and George asked for in their last owl." He paused, glancing at her. "Where do you want to go?"
"I want to go to Honeydukes too- my parents really love those Tooth-flossing Stringmints so I wanted to get more of them for Christmas. And then, I think I want to get more ink and another quill at Scrivenshaft's."
"Great. Honeydukes it is, then," Ron grinned and they walked there.
Hermione broke the brief silence that had fallen by saying, "It seems like Harry's doing better these days. He's stopped going off alone as much."
"Yeah. He is. He's stopped blowing up at everyone so much too."
"Has he," she hesitated slightly and then continued, "has he said much about Sirius to you?"
"No, but then I haven't asked either. I don't reckon it's good to be asking him about Sirius all the time."
"But he needs to talk!" she burst out and then stopped as some people passing by glanced curiously at her. She went on in a lowered voice as Ron opened the door to Honeydukes for her. "You know it isn't good for him to keep brooding about it alone. He wants to talk about Sirius; I'm sure of it."
Ron shrugged. "He'll talk when he's ready, Hermione. Don't worry."
Hermione looked rather dissatisfied with that conclusion but subsided and they actually managed to have a good time in Honeydukes. Ron was grinning widely when they left. Now it was beginning to feel more like an actual date. Just him and Hermione talking and sometimes laughing…
And she hadn't said anything about Harry in the last twenty minutes or so since they'd been in Honeydukes.
Except when she'd wondered several times what Harry and Ginny were doing or when she'd wondered whether Harry would rather have Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees or Bertie Botts' Every Flavoured Beans for Christmas… Or…
But then he frankly realized he'd stopped listening to half of what she said. It was a habit to tune her out when she began talking. At least now she had stopped, seemed content to just walk.
But he had managed to make her laugh! That was a good sign. See, this whole date thing wasn't such a bad idea, he told himself encouragingly.
He glanced at Hermione as they headed further down the High Street towards Zonko's, having one of his occasional moments of realizing that Hermione really was pretty now, especially with her cheeks pink from the wind.
He glanced down at her hand, swinging as she walked, and wondered what she would do if he tried to hold it.
Dared he?
He glanced at her face again. She was smiling still, looked happy enough…
Oh, sod it. He was a Gryffindor, wasn't he?
He reached out to grab her hand and she stopped short, turning to stare at him.
"Ron! What do you think you're doing?"
He let go of her hand wondering if he could make it seem like an accident. "Sorry. I-er- I thought I saw something on your hand and was going to brush it off," he said lamely.
She stared at him, obviously not believing him for a moment.
Sod Gryffindor bravery. All it's done is make her think I'm an idiot. Or worse.
He forced a grin, trying desperately to distract her and then saw it. The perfect distraction. "Let's go into The Scribe and Parchment. You must have some books you want to buy."
She immediately brightened up and he let out a sigh of relief that his earlier mistake had apparently been forgotten. "Oh, yes, I do. I even have a list with me, I think," she said, slipping her hand into her pocket and pulling out a piece of parchment. "Oh, yes, here it is." She hesitated the barest moment. "You're sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not. I've been thinking of getting a book for Mum for Christmas anyway." he said with complete untruthfulness and trying to sound enthusiastic about the prospect of spending Merlin only knew how much time in a bookstore with Hermione. I think I'd rather have tea with Aragog and all his children, thanks.
But it was only a little while. She had a list. How long could it take? And then they could go to Zonko's. And then the Three Broomsticks. Merlin knew he'd never felt more in the need for some butterbeer in his life. Was dating supposed to be this- this- difficult?
He could stay in a bookstore for a little while. To make her happy. Right?
Thirty minutes later, Ron was about willing to turn his wand on himself with the Killing Curse.
Only he couldn't. He didn't have a hand free to even get to his wand, stuck in his pocket now. He didn't have a hand free to do anything in fact. He'd been idiot enough to volunteer to hold her books for her (when she'd been holding four books) and she'd given him a brilliant smile of thanks that for a moment made him feel like he'd just defeated a dragon single-handedly-but that had been nearly twenty minutes and eight books ago.
He made a mental note that anyone who wrote books or even thought about writing books should be taken out and killed. Immediately. There were already far too many books in this world, let alone this bookstore.
He glanced down at the stack of books he was holding. Dark Magic- and How to Protect Yourself: New Edition. Better Safe than Sorry: A Guide to Protection Charms. The Rise and Fall of Grindelwald: New and Unabridged edition.
And so it went. Hermione seemed to be starting a personal library collection of every book in print on Defense Against the Dark Arts and the history of the Dark Arts.
She added another book to the stack. You Can Survive Anything: Combinations of Basic Spellwork, Volume 4.
He resisted the impulse to drop all the books and pretend they had gotten too heavy for him to carry. He was going to be sainted for this, he bloody well knew it. Saint Ronald Weasley.
"Er, Hermione, almost done?" he finally asked after what seemed like ten years but was really just over 10 minutes.
"Just a minute, I want to check something."
Ron was almost ready to swear that he'd somehow died and stepped into some horrible hell dimension where he was stuck in a bookstore that stretched over the face of the earth when finally, Hermione smiled at him as she added yet another two books to the stack. "I'm done now. Just let me check out."
Oh thank the Fates.
And so he waited, pasting a patient smile on his face, as Hermione checked out and calmly proceeded to spend enough money on books to buy one of the cheaper brooms or several year's worth of Chocolate Frogs. She really was mental. Completely barking mad. To spend so much money on books when Merlin knew she had access to plenty of them in the Hogwarts library.
He finally ventured a question as they walked out of the store, Hermione smiling quite cheerfully as she carried one of the bags of books, while he carried the other (which had, thank Merlin, been charmed to be very light). "Hermione, um, what are all these books for? Doesn't the Hogwarts library have enough books?"
She turned to stare at him as if he'd just asked her what year it was or some other equally obvious question. "They're for Harry," she said in the same tone of disbelief.
"I- ah, hate to break this to you but Harry might not want so many books. He's not- like you," he added, biting back the word, "mental" which he'd been tempted to add before the "like you".
"Honestly, Ron! Don't be such a gudgeon! I meant, they're to help me help Harry, to protect him. I'm worried about him," she added, her tone softening.
Of course. Harry. It was always Harry. Harry sodding Potter.
"Look, can we just not talk about Harry? We're on a date, Hermione, can't we talk about, well, other things that really matter? More date-like topics?" he finally snapped, unthinkingly.
And then stopped at the look on Hermione's face.
Oh, bad move. Very bad move. Very very bad move. Very bad, very stupid move. Bugger, bugger, bugger. Sodding bloody hell. He'd royally messed this one up.
"I didn't mean it like that!" he hastened to explain. "Of course I worry about Harry too; he's my best mate and I'd never want anything to happen to him. I- I just- I just think you should give the whole worrying-about-him thing a rest every once in a while. You're not his mum and he's not a baby," he said.
She didn't seem so willing to forget, her hands going on her hips and her eyes flashing in that way that he thought of as her 'Danger Ahead' look. "We're his friends, Ron, his best friends! And have you forgotten that tiny thing called the Prophecy that says he has to kill or be killed? He needs us! There's nothing that matters more than that!"
Ron got the distinct impression that disagreeing with her at this particular moment on this particular subject would make her do him bodily harm so he said nothing.
Had he thought she reminded him of a Blast-Ended Skrewt when she was this angry? Make that a manticore. Two manticores, possibly. Two angry manticores-and maybe a basilisk on top of that.
"Why don't we go to Madam Puddifoot's?" he suggested desperately. "I've never been; have you?"
"No," she answered flatly.
"We can go together now, then," he said in a rather pathetic attempt at sounding enthusiastic.
"Fine," she said with about as much eagerness he'd show to a suggestion of going to live in the Forbidden Forest with Aragog.
"Fine."
On second thought, Ron decided within a few minutes of walking in, Madam Puddifoot's had been a bad idea. It was bad enough that it was full of couples who all seemed completely engrossed with snogging or simply staring dreamily at each other. Worse, every single eye in the place had turned to stare at them when they walked in and had watched them sit down at one of the tiny tables. Were still watching them as they sat, Hermione gazing around with ill-concealed distaste at the incredibly colorful and loud Happy Christmas banners and the little elves dressed in green flitting around, along with the fairies who were busy throwing confetti at everyone.
Hermione snorted when the elves began singing Christmas carols in high-pitched voices. "This place is disgusting," she said after a minute.
He rather agreed-although he wondered if he might not like it much more if he could just be part of one of the snogging couples- but he did want to get to some place where they wouldn't be stared at by everyone. Everyone who wasn't busy snogging, that is. Besides, right now, agreeing with Hermione and keeping her in a friendly mood was important. He'd mucked things up enough. "Yeah. Want to go to the Three Broomsticks instead?"
"Yes, let's." And she almost, sort of, smiled at him as they left hurriedly.
Okay, that was a good sign. Now if he could just be careful, he'd survive this date with his body parts intact and his friendship with Hermione intact too.
The thought made him mentally stop short. His friendship with Hermione intact? That was all he really wanted to happen after today. He just wanted to be friends.
He'd been insane to think that they could date. She would drive him insane. Or kill him. Or he'd kill her. Or something equally not good.
She was good as a friend, great in fact. But with Harry around. Not to be alone with her and certainly not to be anything more than a friend. Never mind the fluttery feeling he got in his stomach sometimes when he looked at her, or how pretty she had gotten to be… She was just too-Hermione-like, for lack of a better term-for anything to happen beyond friendship.
He sighed in relief having come to this realization as they stepped into the Three Broomsticks.
He saw Dean and Seamus and Neville immediately and promptly headed there. He needed other people around.
Hermione smiled and glanced curiously around. "Have you guys seen Harry?" she asked.
Dean glanced warily at Ron before answering, "Oh, he and Ginny were here earlier. Had a little lunch and butterbeer before leaving just before you came."
"Oh." There was an odd note in Hermione's voice but Ron dismissed it from his mind.
"Are Harry and Ginny really, er, you know, on a date?" Neville asked curiously.
"No, of course not," Hermione said just a shade too quickly.
"Not today they're not," Ron agreed before changing the subject quickly. "What did you think of the last Quidditch game against Ravenclaw? Their bloody Beaters are too good."
Seamus immediately responded and even Neville looked interested and the conversation stayed on Quidditch for the rest of the afternoon.
~*~*~
Harry wondered where Ron and Hermione were. He hadn't seen them since they'd gotten off the train at the Hogsmeade Station.
Were they having a good time together? Maybe they'd decide it was a lot more fun to just be the two of them and not have to worry about him all the time… He ignored the sinking feeling he got in his stomach at that thought. Of course he wanted them to have a good time… They were his best friends; what kind of friend would he be if he had a problem with their having fun?
"Don't you think so, Harry?"
The sound of his name jerked his attention back to Ginny who was really being very nice and he realized with a pang of guilt that he'd stopped listening to what she'd been saying although she'd been talking about her thoughts for strategy at the next Quidditch match since it would be against Slytherin.
"Oh, yeah, sure," he said quickly, hoping he wasn't agreeing to anything too outrageous and deciding he would pay better attention in the future. It was hardly fair to Ginny to keep drifting off like this given that she was really giving up her day in Hogsmeade with her friends to keep him company.
"Hey, do you mind if we go up to the Shrieking Shack?" he asked quickly.
"No, we can go now," she agreed promptly.
He managed a smile at her. "I- er- I want to look at it since I haven't really before," he explained untruthfully and stifled a sigh.
Ginny didn't know all the associations the Shrieking Shack had for him and he found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he was with Hermione who did know and who did understand.
It was hard to be back in Hogsmeade now when everything seemed to remind him of Sirius.
He stared at the battered old house from the closest point they could get to it thanks to the fencing around it and wondered how much dustier and dirtier it would be now. It had been ragged enough in 3rd year; he could only imagine what 2 and a half more years of complete neglect had done for the interior. Had it really been only 2 and a half years since that night when he'd really met Sirius and found out the truth about Wormtail?
"Harry, are you alright?" Ginny's voice broke through his thoughts and he started slightly, turning to look at her.
"What- oh, yeah, why?"
"You looked really disturbed about something," Ginny said.
"Oh, I- er- I was just thinking…" He trailed off and then he did remember something he'd been (rather morbidly, he supposed) wondering about, more and more since beginning to really practice Occlumency, which would distract her. "Ginny, what- what was it like to be possessed by Voldemort?"
Ginny went a little pale but otherwise didn't react. She turned away to look at the Shrieking Shack herself. "It- it was weird. I'd find myself in places with no memory of how I'd gotten there and there'd be long gaps of time that I just couldn't remember at all and then there were the things like the feathers and blood and stuff and I didn't know how they'd gotten there either. I started wondering if I were going crazy or something except at those times when I was still me and I tried to tell you or Ron about some of it but then I couldn't." She stopped and then glanced at him, the tiny beginning of a smile on her face. "I never told anyone about this."
"What was he- that is, Tom Riddle- like? I- he didn't talk that much to me." Harry asked, not quite sure why he was asking this or what difference it would make except that it was interesting because Riddle was Voldemort and it was something to think about besides Sirius. And it was also probably the easiest thing to talk about with Ginny.
Ginny paled even further. "He- he seemed so nice at first. He listened when I talked to him and asked questions and really seemed interested in what I had to say." She blushed, glancing at Harry again. "I- er- I talked about you a lot."
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "He wanted to know about me; it was just convenient that you wanted to talk about me," he said rather flatly.
"I- I know, Harry. And oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean- I didn't think he could really do anything!" And for a moment Ginny looked and sounded almost as she had when she'd been 11 when he'd found her in the Chamber.
Harry forced a tight smile. "It's ok. If not you, he would have found another way. It wasn't your fault." He paused. "Thanks for telling me, though."
"No problem," Ginny said, seeming to be herself again. "Besides, if anyone has a right to know, it's you."
"Yeah, I guess…" Harry admitted reluctantly. He looked back at the Shrieking Shack- was it possible for any building to look more gloomy and depressing? And he could hear Hermione's voice in his head saying, "Don't think about it so much, Harry; it'll only depress you and you have other things to concentrate on. Sirius wouldn't want you to just wallow like this when there's so much else for you to think about. He- he'd want you to go on, go on living, go on trying, go on having fun. You know he would." And she was right. She'd been right when she said it to him yesterday though he hadn't been willing to acknowledge it and had only snapped at her- and she was still right.
He managed a smile, turning fully away from the Shrieking Shack. "Want to go to Zonko's for a quick stop before heading back?"
She smiled. "Sure."
"Oh and remind me not to get on your bad side. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of your Bat-Bogey Hexes- judging from what you did to Malfoy."
Ginny grinned. "Don't worry. I'll save those for people I really don't like. Or Ron- if he starts acting like too much of a prat," she added and they both laughed.
They managed to have a good time in Zonko's and it wasn't until later when they were leaving that Ginny turned to Harry, looking suddenly rather flustered as she hadn't been before. "This was fun and all, Harry, but I- er- you- we should just be friends, I think."
Harry blinked. "Yeah, of course, friends."
Ginny sighed a little and smiled. "I know you only asked me because of Ron and I didn't mind, really I didn't and I've had fun," she assured him quickly, cutting off his instinctive denial (although it would have been a lie- because it was true he had only asked her because of Ron- and Hermione- and he'd rather spend the day with Ginny than with Neville-being around Neville was awkward now because of the thought that kept intruding that if things had been different, Neville could have been the one with the destiny to kill or be killed-and he could just be normal, just Harry Potter…) "But really, you're too much like another brother now," Ginny finished.
He smiled. "Really?"
She smiled too, looking very relieved. "Yeah, really."
"I think I'd like that," he said simply.
She grinned. "See, now I get to have another brother only one who doesn't have red hair!"
Harry laughed as they headed towards the Hogsmeade Station only to stop when he saw Ron and Hermione, standing with Dean, Seamus and Neville.
Hermione smiled when she saw him and his stomach suddenly seemed to flip. She smiled-she was so pretty when she smiled especially on cold days like today when her cheeks were tinged with color from the wind… She looked happy to see him but he couldn't see whether she'd enjoyed her date with Ron or not. Had she? She was carrying a bag of books so she must have gone to The Scribe and Parchment (with Ron?) but had they really enjoyed their date? Had she had fun being with Ron all day and not with him?
And what would he do if she had?
Maybe Ron and Hermione would start dating for real now- and he'd be left alone. They would want to spend time together, just talking or snogging (his stomach twisted oddly at that thought)- and he'd be left alone.
Would Hermione laugh more if she were with Ron? Ron tended to be funnier than he was and with Ron, Hermione wouldn't really have to worry about him that much and she could just be his girlfriend and- and-- And he'd be alone. But if it was what they wanted, he wouldn't say anything, would even be happy for them. He had to be.
Harry forced a smile and tried to act as if nothing whatever was wrong as he said hi to Neville and to Luna who had drifted towards the Gryffindors as she tended to do.
For the first time ever, Ron thought he understood Hermione's thoughts better than Harry did-at that particular moment at least.
He hadn't missed the slight faltering of Harry's smile as he glanced between them or the flicker of curiosity mixed in with a dash of nervousness as he did so. Clearly Harry was dying to know how their date had gone-and just as clearly, Hermione had no idea that Harry even cared.
So maybe he'd been a bit of an idiot (well, maybe more than a bit) to think he and Hermione could be more than friends but he wasn't entirely dense nor was he blind-and he understood now.
He saw the way Hermione smiled at the sight of Harry and the slight tinge of uncertainty in her expression as she saw Harry laughing at something Ginny said-and he understood.
Hermione was too- too- well, too bloody scary sometimes for one thing. They'd never be able to get along as more than friends; they were too different. Hermione would smother him with her fussing and her worrying and her bossiness-and he would probably drive her insane too. But more importantly, Hermione was also completely in love with Harry.
Everything she did-or nearly everything- was done to help him; that was why she worried about him so much (old Mad-Eye Moody had nothing on Hermione as far as "constant vigilance" for Harry was concerned). And how had he somehow failed to realize that almost every single one of the conversations he and Hermione had ever had when they were alone were about Harry? That was all they ever seemed to really talk about. Harry. Always Harry. (He was amazed Hermione hadn't taken to worrying about the rate at which Harry's hair grew- it was probably about the only thing about Harry he could think of that Hermione didn't seem to worry about. She worried about everything else- what Harry ate, his schedule, his homework, his dreams, his fears…) And Harry was certainly what Hermione cared about most. Even more than she cared about classes and studying- which was saying a lot.
And Harry- well, Harry was the one who understood Hermione, who listened to her, who let her worry about him and never seemed to mind her fussing. Harry trusted Hermione, depended on her-and, he rather suspected, Harry loved Hermione too.
It was Harry and Hermione who should be more than friends-and all it had taken him was this one rather awful date in Hogsmeade to realize that. It was Harry and Hermione-and it really always had been.