Chapter 4
Harry and Hermione immediately jumped apart to find a really enraged Ron. "Umm, hi Ron." Harry said.
"Don't give me that 'hi Ron' crap. Answer my question. What was going on?" Ron demanded.
"Well Ron," Hermione began in her lecturing tone. "Harry and I figured out that we both had feelings for each other."
Ron turned on Harry, "Some friend you are! As soon as I'm not here you start snogging my girl! You were suppose to be my best friend, but I see that I was wrong."
"Ron, don't do that. We didn't mean to hurt you, but I also know that I'm not your girl. I hope you can understand, but if you can't well I guess we will just have to live with that. Please just understand, Ron, that we weren't trying to hurt you. We didn't mean for you to find out like this."
"Yeah Ron. You are still my best mate. Nothing is different. Like Hermione said, we didn't mean to upset you."
"Tell it to someone who cares." And with that Ron left them. Hermione and Harry just stayed there for a little while in silence. Neither one seemed to know what to say or what just happened. Everything went from so wonderful to terrible in a minute. Harry was scared he just lost his best friend. He felt incredibly guilty, add it to the list.
"Hermione, what are we going to do? I can't lose my friendship with Ron, but I'm not going to give up what we have either." Harry started to ramble, very much unlike him. "He was my first real friend, but I know I love you." Harry shut up quickly after that. Since when did he love Hermione? He always liked her…. a lot, but love??? How did he let it slip, he didn't even know he loved her until he said it. Maybe she didn't hear him. He looked up at her and she had tears in her eyes….yeap she heard him alright.
"Y-you l-l-love me?" And then Hermione tackled Harry and kissed him…for a long time. It was full of passion and well love. 'Well,' Harry thought, 'if this is the reward I get for saying that, I guess it's not so bad.' A smirk grew on his face. Hermione stopped kissing him and pulled back.
"What are you smirking at?" Hermione questioned.
"Oh, nothing." Hermione continued to give him a calculating stare.
Harry suddenly remembered something from Hermione's O.W.L scores. He'd use anything to change that look on her face. "Hermione, the only test you didn't get an 'O' in was History of Magic, what happened?"
"Well, Mr. Potter," Hermione began in a voice oddly similar to Professor McGonagall's, "I do believe I remember being distracted by someone having a nightmare and waking up in a terrible state. After that, I guess I really couldn't concentrate."
"Oh Hermione, I'm sorry. I ruined your perfect score."
"Don't even worry about it Harry! There are things more important than school work and tests, it just took me a long time to figure it out." Hermione ended with a sheepish grin.
Harry couldn't help but grin at this. His Hermione said that? Hermione Granger? Wow! She really has changed this summer, and he wasn't thinking only about the way she thought.
*****
One Week Later, Grimmauld Place
July 30
Harry was very relieved to be able to move around again. He hated being babied and between Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Hermione, and Tonks, he sure had enough of it to last him a life time! July 31 was fast approaching, and it appeared no one but Harry knew what it meant. He would be 16! No one seemed to be paying it any attention though, so Harry wondered if everyone just forgot. This thought seemed very far fetched considering all the years they did remember, and he wasn't even around them to remind them, not that he reminded them anyways. It was still two days away, so they still had time.
"Hey, Harry what's up?" Ginny just entered Harry and Ron's room. Ron seemed to be spending as much time away from Harry as possible, that included sleeping arrangements as well. Ron had taken up the couch as a temporary bed much to the disapproval of Mrs. Weasley.
Harry jumped slightly, he was in deep thought. "Oh nothing much, just thinking a little bit."
"You want to talk?" Ginny asked, being her usual nosey self.
"No, I'm good. It's nothing."
"Are you sure? You've seemed really distant lately. Is it because of Ron? If it is, you should know by now not to worry about him. He will come around-." Ginny kept on rambling on and on about how big of a git Ron was. Harry just tuned her out, but after about five minutes of this he couldn't take any more.
"GINNY, I'm fine!" Ginny jumped at first and looked a little startled.
"Well, okay, all I was trying to do was help." She started to go, but Harry grabbed her arm.
"Ginny, I didn't mean it. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."
"I understand Harry. Well, I was sent to tell you dinner is ready, so come and get it before Mom gets too angry." And with that Ginny left. She tried to act like she wasn't hurt, but Harry knew he had hurt her feelings anyways. He didn't mean to snap at her, it just happened. If he was honest, he was thinking about Ron. He wasn't that hungry either, but he didn't want Mrs. Weasley to fuss. Mrs. Weasley had noticed the tension between the two boys, but figured it was some stupid fight as usual. Harry sighed and went down to the kitchen. He saw Hermione sitting at the table with a spot saved for him so he made a beeline straight for her. He didn't really want to talk to anyone at the moment, and Hermione always seemed to understand that. He just picked at the food on his plate. He wasn't in the mood to eat much these days.
"Harry dear, aren't you going to eat anything???" Mrs. Weasley questioned in her motherly manner.
"I guess I'm just not that hungry, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for the food." With that Harry got up and left. He went up to his room, he just needed to think. A few minutes later, he heard a knock at the door.
"Mind, if I come in?"
"Sure Hermione." Hermione came in and sat on what use to be Ron's bed. She didn't talk, she didn't need to. She always knew when words weren't needed, and this was one of those times. Harry would talk when he was ready.
"Hermione…" Harry began.
"Yes Harry," Hermione responded quickly, too quickly.
"What if I can't do it? What if I'm just not strong enough? If Voldemort defeats me, he gets the whole wizarding world. He'll kill everyone who even sided with me, he'd kill you. I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle this. I saw him and Dumbledore fighting in the Ministry. There is no way I can compete with that."
Hermione got up and went and sat beside him, "Harry, if you continue to think like that, you won't win. I know you can win, but you have to know you can. I believe in you. You have never let me down, and I don't see you doing so any time soon. You haven't escaped Voldemort so many times by being weak." Hermione tried not to cry at his attitude. It sounded as if he was just ready to lay down and die. She could NOT live with that.
Harry looked up at her. There eyes locked brown meeting emerald. Hermione could clearly see the self doubt, pain, loneliness, and fear in his eyes. Well, she had an idea to make him forget all about that. She grabbed his face and their lips met with much intensity. She wanted him to forget all the worries and pain he was going through. Harry sure didn't seem to mind that.
All too soon they heard someone at the door. "Awww, look Fred looks like our lil' Harry is growing up!" George pretended to cry on Fred's shoulder, while Hermione and Harry jumped apart. Someone always seemed to intrude on their 'alone' time.
"I bet poor little Ronniekins didn't take that very well did he, George?"
"This could explain why he has been in such a mood lately. Maybe he walked in on them sucking each other's face! Man, that would be priceless!"
"Well, don't let me and George stop you two. Carry on little lovebirds!"
"Goodbye Gred and Feorge!" Hermione stated impatiently.
"I don't think they appreciate our company Fred? Well, we have better things to do anyways."
A/N: Thanks to everyone who' read and a special thanks to those who've read and reviewed! I appreciate it very much! I hope you like this chapter, and I didn't let you down on Ron's reaction. I'll try and update again by my birthday, which was the goal for this chapter, but I got it done early. :-D