It had been two weeks since Ron had broken up with Hermione and he was still feeling it. That was the first irreversible mistake he had made in his entire life. Ron was used to having someone around that could fix his mistakes. When Ron was little and he accidentally set fire to his teddy bear, his mother whispered a spell that turned back into good-as-new condition. When he was in first year, teachers would work with him as much possible to make sure he got the incantation right. Seventh year, however, was different. He had a made a little mistake that had escalated into a big one and there was no way to fix it.
Ron was suffering. His friends hadn't said a word to him in two weeks. He didn't blame them because it was all his fault. He had severely offended them and this was his punishment. Ron silently wished he could just have detention with Filch to make up for it. Damn it! This wasn't first year anymore! In fact, it was probably better this way. He would just drag them down on the journey they were going to take. He would be the one in the back that didn't have a clue what was going on.
So it was all quite a shock at breakfast one morning when Luna Lovegood handed him a note from across the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw aisle. Luna Lovegood had an endearing quality about her that always made Ron stop and look. She had her usual bottle-cap accessories and her long golden hair pulled back. Ron had a feeling she would be immensely easy to get along with, aside from all the talk about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks of course. But with her mission of passing the note accomplished, she turned back to her meal. Ron swore he heard a faint giggle.
Dear Ron,
Meet us in the RoR after dinner.
With love,
Those of us who are truly sorry for overreacting
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Harry and Hermione left dinner a few minutes early to prepare for their meeting. Hermione walked in front of the Room of Requirement three times picturing a comfortable environment to settle a nasty disagreement in. When the door appeared and was opened, both Harry and Hermione were quite surprised. The room had considerably contracted in size, to the size of a small living room. There were two couches, one each at opposite ends of the room, separated by a coffee table. There was a Chudley Cannons poster on the wall with the usual whizzing figures flitting in and out of the poster's boundaries. It looked cozy and… diplomatic. Harry was glad that he had conceded to put this in Hermione's hands.
Harry and Hermione settled down on one of the couches and waited for their friend to come by. Harry leaned forward and rubbed his hands together. Hermione rested her elbow on her leg and her chin in her hand. A pitcher of water appeared on the coffee table and Harry poured himself a glass. He stopped mid-sip as he heard the door creak open.
As if in slow motion, Ron's foot appeared, then a leg, and then a hand. The last thing to appear was a head, a freckled, ginger haired head. At first, Ron didn't see his friends because they were sitting behind the door. But then his head whipped around to see Harry and Hermione sitting on a couch. Ron took that as his cue to do the same.
"Why?" Ron asked with a worried look on his face.
"Ron, I'm sorry. I totally overreacted. I missed you. We missed you." Hermione blurted.
"I take it 'we' doesn't mean you want to start dating me again."
"No, Ron. Our dating relationship was a mistake. We both assumed things about each other that weren't true. I assumed that you liked me as more than a friend way back in first year when, in fact, it was only last year that you started thinking of me that way. You assumed I wouldn't be put off by a little white lie or a little boastful story. I could easily let this ruin things between you, Harry, and me. I almost did but not anymore. We need you, Ron. We need your perspective out there. We need you to be our friend." By this point, Hermione had tears running down her cheeks. Harry was absently rubbing her back.
For the most part, Ron was floored. He realized he didn't need Hermione's romantic companionship to feel needed. He could easily be a friend to these two and still have a purpose. That was his fear, after all, that they would leave without telling him or that they would tell him that he wasn't needed.
"I would like that very much. That is, if Harry agrees as well?"
"Of course, mate." Harry said as a smile came across his face. Harry then stuck out his hand, offering Ron to shake it, and he did.
"Now, that we're friend and all again. Can I ask what happened with Ginny?"
Harry looked away. He had hoped that Ron would pick another topic to renew their friendship with. "Well, now that we're friend again, I guess I could tell you. Ginny just seemed ungrateful. She just doesn't realize the toll this whole war has on me. Too many people already bloody worship me, who think I'm perfect! I didn't need another. You know, she never thanked me for saving her from the diary. In regards to our journey next month, I just don't think she's ready for what's out there. Granted, I don't think we are either. But Ginny's life needs to be about school, friends, actual boyfriends without hero complexes, normal teenage witch stuff. That's what she was made for."
"Yeah, I guess I can see where you're going. It was kind of like me and Lavender last year. I kind of treated her like an object. Is that how it was for you and Ginny?"
"Basically. It was getting tiring."
"Ok, can I ask you both a question?"
Harry looked at Hermione and detected a barely perceptible nod. "Go ahead, Ron."
"Is there something going on with you two? You can tell, I won't be mad."
Harry looked at Hermione again. Should they reveal their week-old relationship? Hermione lightly grabbed his hand and smiled.
Hermione answered this time with, "Nothing more than usual. But now there are some extra benefits."
"Right," Ron said, slightly paler. "Didn't need to hear that. From now on, keep the innuendos to yourself."
Everyone in the room laughed. It was typical Ron, baiting his friends.
"Well, how about this, Ron," Harry said and he drew Hermione closer and kissed her.
"Ah! For the love of all things holy, don't ever do that in front of me! I'll catch up with you guys later." And then Ron, with a gleam in his eye, said, "You'll have the room to yourselves now."
The couple threw a cushion at Ron but he had already escaped.
Harry and Hermione laughed for several minutes and then Hermione asked, "Was that lesson 2?"
Harry gazed into her eyes, kissed her again, and said, "Yeah, that lesson was titled 'The Element of Surprise is a Very Good Thing'"
"Did I pass?"
"With flying colors, Miss Granger! 212 percent! You know what lesson 3 is?"
Hermione faked enthusiasm and squealed, "What?"
"That even though 'best friends with benefits' sounds like a kinky idea, it feels pretty good from where I'm standing." And lesson 4 would be 'the way to a man's heart is through apple scented shampoo.
"Yes, professor," Hermione replied and kissed him with a surprise of her own.
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A/N: That's it for me on this story. This chapter was probably a poor closing but I felt I had to do it. Anyways, please RR! Thank you.