It now seemed impossible that Ron and Hermione would make up with each other before the holidays began, but perhaps, somehow, the break would give them time to calm down, think better of their behavior...
But his hopes were not high, and they sank still lower after enduring a Transfiguration lesson with them both next day. They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human Transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the color of their own eyebrows. Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar mustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Professor McGonagall asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She raced out of the classroom on the bell, leaving half her things behind; Harry, consumed with all of the tension going on between his two best friends, decided to run after her.
Hermione squealed as Harry raced to grab her arm and pull her back into the classroom.
"Get your stuff," he told her sternly, motioning to the things she left behind.
Keeping a watchful eye at Hermione, he made his way towards Ron, who was once more in Lavender's embrace. "Excuse me," he said, calmly, to Lavender. "I need to borrow Ron for a while."
He did not wait for her reply and merely just yanked him off her, pulling his arm towards where Hermione now stood, clutching all her belongings, not daring to look at Ron.
Ron tugged on Harry's sleeve and cleared his throat. "Harry—"
"Not now." Harry said quickly, as he grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged them both out of the classroom and into the corridor. They walked for what seemed like ages, until Harry found a deserted classroom, into which he hauled them, and shut the door.
"Right," Harry began, noticing Hermione rubbing her wrist where he pulled her, and frankly not feeling guilty about it. "I am sick and tired of the two of you ignoring each other like little 5-year-olds."
Ron opened his mouth to retaliate, but Harry held out a hand stopping him.
"I don't care for what you two have to say about me doing this, but I really would like the two of you to talk to each other about—" he paused, thinking it not wise for him to be the one to tell them the obvious fact that they have feelings for each other. "Well, about whatever it is that's bothering you two."
"Nothing's bothering me," Ron mumbled.
Harry ignored him. "Look," he said, exasperated. "I love you two. You are my best friends in this whole school, and I honestly miss those days when the three of us would just hang out together, like normal."
Both Ron and Hermione averted their eyes towards the floor.
Harry sighed. He was not sure if the two of them would actually admit to anything at this moment, if ever he left the room right now for them to talk in private. Maybe he had to give them a little push before doing so.
"Ron, you stupid git," Harry said, with Ron looking at him, bewildered. "Obviously, Hermione has a reason for ignoring you this whole time, and obviously, it has something to do with Lavender."
Hermione's jaw dropped, appalled. "Excuse me—"
"Well," Ron cut in, "it's not Hermione's business whether or not I get together with Lavender, or with any other girl, for that matter. I mean, she herself has clearly snogged Vicky during the Yule Ball—"
"Krum again!" Hermione squealed, stamping her foot down. "Why must you always bring him up?"
Harry smirked inwardly. They were getting somewhere, at least.
"ALL RIGHT, YOU TWO!" He bellowed. Both Ron and Hermione jumped at his voice, ceasing their argument.
"Hermione," Harry said, facing her. "Just like how you are bothered with Lavender—and don't you dare contest me on that—Ron has also been bothered by Viktor Krum, for obvious reasons, which you both don't seem to understand!"
Both of them opened their mouths indignantly, but Harry cut in before any of them could say anything. "Right, I will leave you two to discuss these matters, or I swear I will drop you both as best friends, because I don't think I can take any more of this ignoring each other, and me being trapped in the middle of it all. Understand?"
He did not wait for their answer as he turned his back on them, made for the classroom door, and closed it shut behind him.
Ron stared at the door that Harry had just shut with his mouth hanging. He could not believe his best mate would do such a thing to him. He glanced at Hermione, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze, looking at something particularly interesting on her shoe.
Ron let out a sigh. "That Harry," he mumbled, "completely missing the point, he is."
He saw Hermione look up at him for a second, but she quickly averted her eyes to something to the left of the classroom.
Ron narrowed her eyes at Hermione. "Look, Hermione, it really isn't your business that I'm seeing Lavender."
"Yeah, and snogging her everywhere you go," she said, almost inaudibly, still not looking at him.
"Yeah, well, it isn't your business who I snog and where I snog either!" Ron said through gritted teeth. "I bet you and your Ickle Vicky have snogged in all kinds of places—"
"No we have not!" Hermione shouted, close to tears. "I have never snogged anyone, and it's not fair of you to accuse me of such things!"
Ron stopped, quite shocked. She has never snogged anyone. He felt a sort of cheerfulness creep inside him. "You…. you've never snogged—"
"No!" Hermione shrieked. "And I don't understand why you keep on telling me that it's not my business what goes on between you and other girls, when you clearly mind it when I go out with other boys!"
"I-I've never said I minded—"
"Oh, really?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows. "So all that fuss you were making about me and Krum writing to each other and me visiting him in Bulgaria, that was you not minding?"
Ron open and closed his mouth, trying to find the right words to say. "Well…. that is," he began, muttering. "that was because—"
"What, Ronald?" Hermione cut in, furious. "Please tell me why, because I've been dying to know all this time."
"What are you changing the subject for, anyway?" Ron asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "We were talking about you ignoring me because I'm going out with—"
"I did not change the subject, Ronald, you were the one going on about me and Viktor!" Hermione said, trying her best to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She quickly looked down at her feet again.
"That Viktor," Ron spat, "I don't even know why, out of all the girls he could have asked, he asked you to go with him—"
"Oh, I see," Hermione said, her voice cracking, "you think that Viktor is too good for me, is that it? You just couldn't believe that your favorite Quidditch player in the world suddenly asked someone like me to the ball."
Ron opened his mouth to argue.
"What is it with me anyway?" Hermione asked quietly, before Ron could begin retaliating, "you've hated me since we were 11."
"Hermione, I—" Ron said, his expression softening, but Hermione won't look at him.
"That's why you always find ways to bicker with me, always wanting to annoy me with one of your hurtful remarks, isn't it?" She asked, but, at the same time, seemingly not wanting an answer. "Is it because I'm too much of a know-it-all? Or maybe it's because I'm too weird, wanting to spend so much time reading in the library…. Or maybe it's because I always nag you and Harry to do your homework ahead of time…. but that's really just because I care, you know?" Her voice was beginning to get weaker, and she still was not looking at Ron, but at her arms hugging her books to her chest. "Or it's because I tell you off when you're doing something stupid like cheating, or playing with Fred & George's merchandise? I could get annoying, come to think of it. I won't really blame you for not liking me," she said, feeling hot tears stinging her eyes.
"Hermione," Ron said, stepping towards her. "Stop it."
Hermione shook her head, a few tears falling down her face. "It's okay, Ron. I understand it now. You were so bothered that the famous Viktor Krum would consider going out with me when I—when I don't deserve it. I'm clearly very annoying and—and I'm rather unattractive too." She sniffed. "I mean, with my stupid bushy hair, and you even said that I don't look like a gir—"
"You're beautiful, Hermione," Ron said, before he could stop himself.
Hermione turned a light shade of pink and quickly gazed up at him, perplexed.
"At least, to me," he muttered, his ears turning pink as well.
"But, I don't understa—"
"Listen," Ron said quickly, before she could go on another long monologue degrading herself, "all the things you just said—that's not true. That's just—that's bollocks."
Hermione stood rooted on the spot, not saying anything.
Ron sighed. "The thing about Viktor not deserving you, that's complete rubbish, that is." His hand wound around his nape as he looked at Hermione. "That's—that's definitely not why I was upset about you going out with him."
"So, you finally admit that you were upset?" Hermione asked, slowly.
Ron ran his hand through his red hair and heaved another sigh. "Yes."
"And... and if what I said earlier was not the reason, then… may I know what the reason really is?" Hermione spoke carefully, watching if these words would upset Ron again.
They did not.
Ron looked out the window of the classroom they stood in, fidgeting with his hands nervously. "Er," he staggered, not knowing if this was the right time to let her know, but felt that he had to do it anyway. "The truth is, Hermione," he began feeling his hands begin to tremble a little, "I—well—I was, you know, quite….jealous." He said, with the last word said in the most inaudible voice he could muster.
Hermione raised her eyebrows and felt her heart beat a little faster. Apparently, she heard every single word of what Ron said, no matter how much he whispered towards the end. "But," she said softly, "w-why?"
Ron sighed yet again, looking as uncomfortable as ever. He made a mental note of strangling Harry once he gets hold of him later. "Because," his voice cracked a little, "because Viktor Krum, he's….well, he's brilliant, isn't he? He plays the best Quidditch I've ever seen, and he's only a few years older than us! He's smart and I hear he's really nice and kind too, and he's popular and I know he's filthy rich, what with earning from Quidditch, and I know his folks are rich too…. And I think he has a good background too and all that, you know? And all the girls just dream to be with him."
Hermione wrinkled her eyebrows, getting a little confused. "Ron, what—"
"And me," Ron continued, ignoring her, "I'm just, well, I'm me. I'm not any good at Quidditch, my grades aren't that great, I'm not even that brave—well, not as brave as Harry is, that's for sure—and I'm nowhere near popular. And I'm dirt poor. I'm no good at all….I'm nowhere near Viktor, not even anywhere near Harry! But I fancy you and—" he stopped, eyes wide, realizing what he just said.
Hermione's jaw dropped slightly, feeling her face grow a little warmer. He fancies me, she thought, her heart racing. She tried to say something, anything, but no words seemed to want to come out of her mouth.
Ron felt his hands shake terribly, and he was finding it much more difficult to breathe. It was no use taking back what he said now, because those words were the complete truth, and he felt that lying to Hermione at this point won't really do him any good. He swallowed and balled his hands into fists. "Yeah," he croaked, "I-I've fancied you for—for a long time now, and I still—I still do…. I guess that's the real reason why I've been upset about….about Krum." His voice was beginning to shake. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being an idiot and giving you a terrible time by saying really—really mean things to you. And I know you don't fancy me back, and that's—that's fine, really. I understand and, I just, I really—"
"Ron," Hermione said quietly, finding her voice again, "I—"
But she was interrupted by the sound of the classroom door opening.
"Won-won!" Lavender shrieked, running towards Ron, flinging herself towards him. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"I-I should go," Hermione squeaked, backing away from the two of them.
"No, wait," Ron said, attempting to loosen himself from Lavender's tight embrace.
"What is she doing here, Won-won?" Lavender asked, seething. "Why are you two together in this deserted classroom?"
"Lavender," Ron said, finally managing to get her hands off him. "Can we talk later? I'm kind of in the middle of something—"
"IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT? SNOGGING?" she screamed, furious.
"Wha—? No! We were just—"
"You're snogging her behind my back, aren't you?" Lavender squealed, tears falling down her face. "I forbid you from hanging out with her again, Ron!"
"WHAT?" Ron said, irked.
"I thought you stopped being friends with her once you went out with me!" Lavender said, wiping her tears with her hand dramatically. "You have to choose between us, Ron! Me, or that ugly, bushy-haired—"
"Take that back!" Ron spat.
"What?" Lavender asked, taken aback.
"Hermione is not ugly. And if you're going to forbid me from seeing my best friend just so I could continue dating with you, then…. then maybe I don't want to date you anymore." Ron said, arching his eyebrows.
Hermione looked down at her feet, blushing. She grinned a little, but made sure that Lavender didn't see.
"Wha—I can't belie—you—you're such a—" Lavender stammered, tears freely falling down her face. "We're over, then! And don't you come running back to me, you stupid git!" she screamed, red with fury. "You're going to regret this, Ron Weasley!" she said, turning her back, running out of the classroom, sobbing.
Ron snarled at the door where Lavender just exited. "Good riddance," Ron muttered under his breath.
Hermione stifled a laugh. "Sorry about that," she said, trying not to grin.
Ron shrugged. "I never really liked her anyway," he said, pocketing his hands. "I only went out with her mainly because Ginny was going on about how no one wanted to snog me and I wanted to prove her wrong."
Hermione giggled.
"And, also because," he continued, shifting his feet, "I kind of….wanted to make you jealous." His ears turned pink again.
Hermione bit her lower lip and grinned. "Well, you succeeded with that bit, didn't you?"
"I did?" Ron blinked, bewildered.
Hermione whacked his arm with her book. "Are you seriously that thick?" she asked incredulously. "Why else do you think I've been ignoring you this whole time?"
A look of understanding dawned on Ron's face. "But—but that would mean that you—you also—"
"That I also fancy you?" Hermione asked, smirking. "Obviously."
Ron beamed. He took her hand, squeezed it, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Hermione," he murmured, grinning like mad, resting his cheek on her head. "I'm so happy."
Hermione smiled leaning her head against his chest. "Me too."
Ron figured that he won't need to strangle Harry later. He might just give him a hug instead.
Author's note: Yeah, I purposely did not include a kiss or anything because I figured that should happen a bit later. So yes, I will write a continuation if I get good reviews for this fic. So please review! :)