Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of HP but I do own this little plot.
Author's note: This chapter and the previous one's were both really sad but I promise the next chapter will be much much better and we can get back to the fluffiness soon! Thanks for all your reviews!
Had enough of listening? Well, now, my friend is the time for action! Now, don't get too excited yet, you're not going to confess your feelings for her just yet, you've still got one more thing left to establish with her. And so here it is:
6. Be there for her when she needs you.
It sounds amazingly simple doesn't it? But in doing this, you're actually showing her something that she'll always remember that no matter what it is, you won't judge her that you'll always listen and be there when she needs you. Many witches looks for this sense of stability in wizards and therefore this step is vital as you'll be able to show her that no matter what, com what may, you will be there for her.
So how do you go about establishing this with her? Simple, really. Like I said before in Chapter 4, if she needs to talk, listen. If she wants someone to cry to, let her lean on you. If she wants someone to rant to, let her rant to you. Essentially, the first few chapters and the last few will be about you being there when she really needs you. Not only will she remember how you were always there for her, she will also be able to see that you cared for her and that you wanted to be there when she needed you the most.
And that my friend, is very, very important.
-12 Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, Chapter 6, Right Here for Her
Harry inserted the key into the lock, unable to control the fat, silly grin that seemed to be permanently attached on his face ever since he had left the Aurors' headquarters. Before entering, he glanced once more at the slightly crumpled piece of parchment on which in dark ink, which held his name and well as the announcement that he had passed the Auror examination and was now a full-fledged Auror. His heart swelled with pride just looking at it once again, as well as that thrill of joy that had coursed throughout his body when he had first received it with an almost rare smile from Hestia Jones, the new Head Auror, who had even managed a small compliment of, "Well done, Potter."
He couldn't wait to share the news with Ron and Hermione, knowing that they would be more than pleased with this news. Maybe they could even sit down for some celebratory dinner tonight, seeing as how they hadn't been able to do so for some time. Ron had been really busy with practices that spanned from the early morning to the late night, and Hermione had been busy too with her work at St. Mungos'.
But it wasn't just their work that was keeping the three of them apart, Harry thought soberly, still standing in the drafty hallway, the grin on his face fading slightly at the thought. It had been Ron and Hermione as well.
He knew that they were having problems, known it even before Hermione had come to him one night to talk, but had not talked to Ron about it, for the reasons of not wanting to probe and not wanting to know. He remembered how Hermione had come to him, wanting to talk and remembered with a pang how stand-offish he had been, upon realizing that she was here to talk about Ron. He remembered seeing the brief flicker of disappointment in her eyes when he had asserted that Ron still loved her, how he had felt so torn apart, glad that she was unsure as to whether she loved Ron, guilty that he was rejoicing over such things seeing as Ron was his best friend, but yet horrible after she'd left abruptly, hearing the silent dismissal in his voice.
Things had been weird between the three of them after that night.
Ron and Hermione still talked, of course, but he felt that sometimes Ron was talking more at Hermione, rather than with her, and he could see from the way Hermione replied, cold and clipped, that she resented that as well. He knew Ron was making all the wrong moves that his best friend had seemed to forget all that the book had taught him about winning over girls but yet was unable to tell Ron that.
Hermione had begun to walk to work on her own lately as well, claiming that she had a lot to do, but Harry knew that from the way she was tiptoeing around him that it was not just work, but rather she was avoiding him. He tried to talk to her, but somehow he was always unable to catch her before work or even at home where she would simply pass him in the hallway and tell him dinner was on the stove and that she was going to bed early. He hated how things had progressed to such a stage and had, flipped through the book so many times in hopes that they would help him figure a way out of this mess but there didn't seem to be one.
But now, he thought, as he turned the doorknob, he hoped that his becoming a full-fledged Auror, that this piece of news would bring the three of them out of this stalemate they were in, that all the tension between the three of them would dissipate.
"You see? You see what I mean? It's always like that, Ronald!"
Hermione.
Harry stopped, stock-still in the doorway as her shriek cut through the air like an arrow. She sounded angry, no make that furious and he quietly shut the door, hoping that he could escape this little scene without alerting them about his presence. He could see Ron's back from where he was standing, tall and unbending and he glimpsed Hermione's livid face, her delicate features clouded over with unusual anger as her arms tensed by her sides. Unable to move without showing them he was home, he stayed where he was.
"What do you mean?" Ron demanded, and Harry could tell from the icy edge in his best friend's voice that he too was angry.
"You've never made me feel like you cared about me!" Hermione inhaled sharply, seeming to allow that breath to calm her emotions slightly but when she spoke again, her voice was still laced with restrained anger. "Tell me honestly, do you like the idea of me as your girlfriend or do you like me?"
"Of course I like you!" Ron's voice held a thread of disbelief as if Hermione was asking him a stupid question. "Why wouldn't I? You're my girlfriend, aren't you?"
"You still don't get it, do you?" Hermione looked away from Ron, pushing back her hair in evident frustration, her eyes holding all the anger she seemed to feel. "I may be your girlfriend but do you still love me? Because," She paused again, emotion choking her next words, "You've never made me feel like you actually cared, you've never tried. You seemed to stop trying after the war. It's almost as if you were striving so hard just to get me and then when you did," Harry could hear the tears in her voice now, "You just…didn't care."
Ron was silent for a moment and Harry could hear her sniff, once before she continued.
"You seemed to take for granted that I would always be there, but the fact is, Ronald that you have to keep trying." Hermione choked out, "I won't always be here with you, you have to make me feel like you care about me. Do I really have to spell all that out for you?" She let out an involuntary sob as she lowered her head to look at the carpet. "I mean, Harry tries at the least and that's what separates him from you."
There was silence in the living room as Harry stood there quietly, trying to make sense of her last words. Hermione knew he cared about her. She did. All he had done so far had worked. He felt yet another shudder of joy race through his veins, but continued to listen, anticipating Ron's words.
"So that's what you're going to do," Ron's voice held no note of an apology, but rather it was mirthless and cold, shocking both Harry and Hermione. "Drag Harry into this like you always do."
Hermione jerked her head up at his answer, her eyes narrowing slightly, tears still shimmering on her face. The look on her face was both incredulous and furious. Even Harry could tell that Ron was completely doing the wrong thing by picking yet another quarrel with Hermione on such a thing. He knew that he was about to get entangled in this argument and that it would become very messy with regrettable consequences.
Not wanting to hear more, he began to slowly pad his way into the living room, averting his eyes from the both of them as he focused his gaze on his bedroom door, wanting simply to get into the safety of his bedroom. But before he could walk past Hermione and into safe grounds, her next words stopped him.
"No!" Hermione shouted, and Harry realized that she was directing her words at him. "You stay there! I want you to hear this too."
It held an imperceptible plea and Harry wanted to run into his room and not have to be dragged into yet another mess between the both of them, but yet, the fierce look on Hermione's face and the odd quiver that had flitted across her features held him there. He chanced a look at Ron, who was simply standing there rigidly, his face impassive and looking at Hermione only, avoiding Harry's gaze. Harry felt his whole body tense up as well, the awkwardness of standing in between the two enveloping his entire being.
"You're completely missing the point, Ronald!" Hermione shouted, "So what if I do compare Harry to you. He tried and that's what you don't do! You've never been there when I needed you but Harry has and I know he always will!"
Harry felt yet another prick of joy at her words but Ron's next words made that brief feeling fade into something of slight anger and guilt.
"Yeah," Ron shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, not meeting either of their gazes now. "I know he's perfect in every bloody way. So why don't you just go and date him if he's so wonderful to you?" He met Hermione's seething brown eyes with a small, scornful look and Harry winced, knowing that this would only set Hermione off again, his worst hopes realizing as her fingers curled into fists by her sides as she glared at Ron.
But what she was completely unexpected.
"Maybe I will!"
Ron snapped his head up to look at her, his blue eyes becoming that of shards of ice, the look on his face hardening. Harry took turned sharply to look at her, knowing that confusion must have been written all over his face and hoping that the involuntary surge of joy at her words was not being portrayed in his eyes as well. Hermione had one hand slapped over her mouth as if trying to hide the words she had just spoken but it hung, like a lead weight between the three of them in the still air, her dark eyes widened in both shock at her words and realization.
It seemed like an eternity before she spoke again, quietly but her voice was clogged with unspoken sobs and tears.
"Harry…he makes me feel like I'm someone special, like… I'm treasured." She spoke hesitantly but her emotions were very evident in her voice. "He does wonderful things for me, things… that make me smile, and he always knows what's on my mind." The words came fluently out of her mouth but she no longer seemed to be speaking to Ron but rather to herself. With every word that she spoke, the look on Ron's face hardened and Harry could not stop the flush of guilt that rose from deep inside him.
"I'm sick of this Ron," Hermione's voice was now tired, soft. "I'm tired of trying not to care that you don't care about me. You know it too, that we're both so completely different and that we can never work this out." She sniffed once more, before adding. "You know it, so don't deny it."
Ron's look of restrained anger spoke volumes about how he was taking this, but the real cold fury in his voice as he spoke was much worse. "Well then, I guess I'll just leave you to Harry then." He turned as if to walk away, before tossing cruelly over his shoulder, "I guess he's all you need right now."
And with that Ron left, his back still rigid and shaking slightly with anger, without a backward look at either Hermione or Harry.
Harry felt as though someone had just punched him in the gut, the guilt stabbing at him, how he had hurt his best friend even though he had not said anything throughout the entire exchange. He looked at Hermione, who looked both angry and shocked at Ron's leaving but when her gaze shifted to him and their eyes locked for a brief second, he could not read the emotions held in her eyes, but felt yet another twinge of sadness at the film of tears swimming in her eyes.
But before he could say anything at all, she had torn her gaze from his and ran, leaving him to wonder if she had just run out of his reach.
Oooooh. Cliffy. Hahaha. Let me know what you guys thought of it.