Summary: Even Hermione has dumb ideas
Disclaimer: Are these necessary? Do not own. Thank you Jo Rowling; my queen.
The Ruse:
"This is never going to work Hermione." Harry said in a discouraging tone.
"Well of course it's going to work. I don't know why it wouldn't." she said haughtily.
"Because he's never going to believe we're together. It's just not likely."
"Harry, this will work. I'm sure of it. It has to work."
Harry and Hermione continued into the great hall where most of the school was already eating breakfast. Hermione sat down next to Ron and Harry sat across from her. Harry took a deep breath as he prepared to go along with Hermione's charade.
"I've got something to tell you Ron." Harry said, just as he and Hermione had rehearsed.
"What is it then mate?" Ron asked, taking a bite of egg.
"Hermione and I, well we've decided… we're dating." Hermione looked annoyed at Harry that he had forgotten their rehearsed speech, but the effect worked just the same. Ron was startled by the news.
"Dating?" he asked without trying to hide his shock.
"Yes." Hermione spoke up. "We've been friends for years and we've decided that it's time we admit our feelings and go for it." her voice was shaking slightly and Harry listened to her prattle through her speech with a sinking feeling. "We've decided to see where these feelings lead us." She finished quickly.
"That's mental." Ron said, looking at his fork as though the answer of the universe would be hidden in his eggs. "But Harry, I thought you liked Ginny." Ron countered.
"Ginny's with Dean isn't she?" Harry shrugged as though this didn't bother him, but it did of course.
"But… Hermione. You didn't seem to be interested in anyone. You turned down McGlaggen."
"For Harry." Hermione said quickly.
"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked as she sat down next to Harry.
"Apparently these two are dating." Ron grunted.
"Dating?" Ginny nearly spilt pumpkin juice everywhere.
Harry would have given anything to say it wasn't true, but he had promised Hermione. So instead he nodded his head slightly to indicate this was the truth. Ginny looked at Hermione with daggers in her eyes.
"Well, good for you. I'm sure you two will be very happy." She stormed off without looking at anyone.
Harry glared at Hermione as well and she looked regretful but resolute. She reached across the table for Harry's hand. When he ignored her advance she looked at him pleadingly, her eyes brimming with tears. Harry sighed and reached his hand to hers and clasped it gently. Ron glared at their united hands and got up to follow his sister without as much as a 'goodbye'.
"Well Hermione, this is working brilliantly." Harry sighed, watching his best friend walk away.
"I know it seems awful but it really will work out in the end. I'm sure of it!" Hermione's voice was determined but her face seemed hesitant.
"You know I'm here for you Hermione. I just hope this works because I don't want to lose all my other friends in the process."
"You won't Harry. It will be okay."
He smiled weakly at her. "I've got to get to Quidditch practice. I'll see you later… hun." He smiled at her and left the great hall.
Harry got down to the Quidditch pitch just after his team. He looked at his teammates with an encouraging smile. "Alright guys." He said "We've got our game against Ravenclaw next week so we have to be sure we're prepared. Ron, you've been doing really well. I'm impressed with your blocking. Ginny, Katie, Demelza you've been flying superbly. Ritchie, Jimmy your accuracy has greatly improved. There's really no reason we shouldn't win!" He always hated giving speeches before practice, he felt inadequate and dumb; but usually Ron and Ginny were smiling encouragingly at him. Today neither even looked at him. It was unsettling.
The practice went okay, considering Harry's unease. Finally Harry called practice done for the day and everyone retreated to the castle. Harry didn't follow the others to the common room, he instead headed off to the library, not being able to handle being near Ginny and Ron right now. He loved Hermione dearly as a sister but he couldn't see this crazy scheme working and he wanted nothing more than to go back to this morning when everything was normal and fine.
Harry wasn't surprised to see Hermione in the library, pouring over stacks of books as usual.
"Do you really have to put that much effort into your homework?"
Hermione smiled, "Well, it's the best way to learn isn't it, to really explores the entire concept?"
Harry shook his head, but he was smiling. "You make the rest of us look like pure slackers."
Hermione smiled back, "Maybe you are slackers." She jotted down another note.
"How did practice go?" she tried to say this nonchalant but Harry could tell she was anxious about the outcome of her plan.
Harry shrugged, "Ron kind of avoided me." He admitted. "And Ginny didn't even listen when I spoke to her directly. I don't know Hermione. You're brilliant and everything but this might have been a bad idea."
Hermione bit her lip nervously. "I thought for sure Ron would get jealous and confront you." She seemed to doubt herself now and Harry felt bad for making her question herself.
"He probably will come around. Remember fourth year, with the whole cup thing?" it was of course unnecessary to explain the Triwizard Tournament fiasco of two years ago. "Ron came 'round in the end, I'm sure he will this time too. He'll confront me sooner or later. If not I suppose we can just break up." Harry smiled but it was more for the ridiculousness of the situation than any actual humour.
Hermione smiled too but she was more latching onto Harry's speculation than feeling this would work; the doubts had begun to creep in. Harry was just about to get up, he hadn't actually brought any work to work on, but a mop of red hair coming in the door stopped him.
Ron came to the table quickly, looking half determined half anxious. "Can I have a word?"
Harry jumped as though someone had transfigured his chair into a porcupine. "Yea, of course." He said, following Ron out of the library.
They went a short way before finding an empty classroom and ducking inside. The pair stared at each other for a very long time; Harry was afraid of saying anything that might upset Ron and Ron was apparently not ready to talk. So they stared. And waited. Finally Ron spoke up. "Ginny. Not nice." He mumbled this and Harry stared confusedly at him.
"I think Ginny's very nice." He said, wondering what Ron was on about. Ron sighed and started again.
"Ginny likes you mate, she's liked you for years. You know that. The whole school knows that! Why would you go and date Hermione? I know you can't help who you like; but honestly! Hermione is practically Ginny's best friend. Didn't you think about how that would hurt her?"
Harry's mouth was agape. He knew that Ginny had liked him years ago, but she had been dating Dean for ages, and he'd heard she'd dated other people too; he figured she'd moved on. His face must have showed his sudden excitement at Ginny still liking him because Ron growled in frustration. "It's not okay to do that to her!"
Harry quickly wiped the look from his face. "I know that mate. It's just. I like Ginny. A lot. And well, I was trying to make her jealous I guess." Harry sighed; he wasn't much good at keeping secrets, even if the secret was Hermione's. "Look Ron, it's just that Hermione.. Well she's. She's sort of in love with you." He said this very quickly and looked away, feeling awful for betraying Hermione's trust in him. "We kind of set up this dating scheme to hopefully trick you into realizing you might love her too. I know it sounds awful!" Harry said, seeing the look on Ron's face. "But we thought it would work and we wouldn't have to explain anything."
Ron looked hurt for a moment, his eyes downcast as he stared at the stone floor, then he looked up, hurt evident in his blue eyes. "I can't believe you lied to me Harry. You and Hermione. That was deceitful, and wrong. Friends don't trick each other!" he turned and started walking out of the classroom.
"Ron! Ron, wait!" Harry ran after him.
"Piss off." He shouted back, running up the stairs.
Harry hid his face in his hands. He walked back to the library to find Hermione where he left her.
"What happened? Tell me everything!" she looked at his pitiful face and her eyes grew wide. "Oh no. What happened?"
"I think me and Ron might have a hard time being friends again." Hermione's hand flew to her mouth in horror.
"What did he say?"
Harry wasn't really ready to lose Hermione's friendship too, but he knew that more lies would just cause a bigger scandal later. He sighed and mustered all of his Gryffindor courage and looked her in the eye: "I told Ron the truth." He admitted.
Hermione's face went from anxious to anger in an instant. "What?"
"I know I betrayed your trust, I feel awful. Ron told me off for lying to him and for being deceitful. I feel horrible Hermione. I really do. Please forgive me; I don't want to lose you as a friend too." This last part was so inaudible Harry wasn't sure if he said it out loud or not.
Hermione glared at him, he could see the anger in her eyes. She stood up, not bothering to pack up her work, and stormed out of the library. Harry watched his other best friend walking away from him and wondering how honesty could be so horrible.
He laid his head on the table, closing his eyes and will the tears away. Never in six years did both Hermione and Ron hate him at the same time. At that moment Hogwarts wasn't great and magical, the world wasn't going to be okay. And for the first time he wished Voldemort would come find him and finish him off.
A week went by in which Ron and Hermione absolutely refused to speak to him, nod to him, move aside so he could get by, or even realize his presences at all. He spent almost all of his time with Dumbledore, doing extra lessons just so he wouldn't have to go back to the common room. When Dumbledore wasn't around he would go to Hagrid's or the owlry, anywhere to avoid the glimpses of his former best friends. He wished had Sirius… or parents. He didn't dare talk to any of the Weasley's; he knew they had every right to be angry with him as well. He was doing better in lessons however, even Snape had little to snip at him about.
Harry barely even looked at Ginny or Ron during Quidditch practice, and they listened to his orders but didn't acknowledge him otherwise. It wasn't until the game against Ravenclaw on Saturday that Harry started to feel really disconnected. He couldn't stand that his team wasn't cohesive. He could feel the awkwardness, the distrust. He wanted his friends back, but he also wanted a winning team. He had never quite forgiven Cho Chang for last year and the competitive streak in him wanted to see Gryffindor's name on the cup once again.
As the team dressed for the match Harry mustered his nerves and approached Ginny. "I suppose Ron's told you what happened…"
Ginny looked up at him, she seemed startled. "What?" she asked.
"About me and Hermione…. About how we…" he couldn't bring himself to admit his deceit again.
"Did you break up?" she asked, her eyes wide and innocent.
Harry looked confused and then looked to Ron who was talking to Katie and ignoring him.
"Umm…" he wasn't sure what to say exactly.
Ron hadn't told his whole family what horrid liars he and Hermione were? Had Hermione and Ginny still been talking?
"Why have you been ignoring us?" he blurted.
Ginny blushed lightly, looking down at her broom. "I, I didn't know how to accept that you and Hermione were dating. So I've been ignoring you. I'm sorry Harry. I should be more mature than that it's just that.. Well I kind of, sort of, still like…"
"Games about to start Captain." Katie said, interrupting Ginny.
"Any last minute pep talk?" Ritchie asked.
Harry wanted more than anything to hear what Ginny had been about to say but she had gone back to fiddling with nothing and ignoring him. Harry sighed, preparing his usual pep talk. Ron still wouldn't look at him.
The match went better than Harry hoped. Gryffindor won but by a small margin, meaning Hufflepuff would have to slaughter Slytherin and then they'd have to cream in the finals. Harry tried not to think that far ahead. One match at a time.
"Great job team!" he congratulated them after the game.
"Party in the tower!" Jimmy shouted.
"Ginny, can I talk to you?" Harry asked, pulling her away from the team.
"Sure Harry." She said, but she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"What is it you were saying exactly, before the match?"
Ginny blushed again and Harry found himself smiling at how cute she was. He then felt a rock drop in his stomach at the thought of telling her the truth.
"Well, I like you Harry. I always have. I thought you knew that, so it upset me that Hermione would go out with you without even telling me she liked you. I mean, she and I are friends; it would have been a nice thing to do. I was a little hurt." Harry hated seeing that expression on her face, that look of sorrow. He'd do anything to take that look away.
"We aren't dating." He blurted. "We never were." His mouth kept talking without his brain telling it to.
Ginny looked confused; Harry didn't blame her, he was basically muttering excuses and reasons why she needn't be upset. "We were pretending." He said and realized how lame he sounded.
"Why were you pretending to date?' she didn't seem mad, just confused.
"To make Ron jealous." Harry admitted sheepishly. "It was a dumb idea." He added.
"That was a really dumb idea. You know he's been upset all week."
She wasn't yelling, that was a good start right?
"I told him the day we started pretending; understandably he got very upset with us and he hasn't talked to me since. I thought he would have told you."
Ginny shook her head no. "So you and Hermione aren't dating?"
Harry shook his head, "We've always been just friends."
"So you lied to everyone just to make Ron jealous? So he'd realize he was in love with Hermione?"
Harry knew how ridiculous the idea sounded and hearing it back from Ginny made it worse. "Yea. We did."
Ginny looked like she was going to turn her back on him and walk away.
"But it was my idea!" he shouted. "Don't be mad at Hermione. It was all me."
Ginny stopped mid-turn and smiled, "It wasn't all you Harry." She said knowingly. His eyes knit together in confusion.
"Well, you still shouldn't be mad at Hermione. She needs a friend like you." He smiled weakly, knowing he had lost and resigning to that.
"Ron!" Ginny called. Harry hadn't been aware that Ron was still in the room; everyone else had gone back to the tower.
Ron came over, a lazy smile on his face.
"Learned your lesson then have you?" he asked.
Harry felt the confusion showing on his face.
"I thought about what you did." Ron said. "And well I was upset that you and Hermione would play such a dirty trick but I appreciated you telling me the truth. And I forgive you because I miss my best friend." Ron smiled.
"And we thought you'd just need a week or so to suffer. It was our way of being mad at you and showing you that it was dumb." Ginny added.
"So you did know! I really am sorry guys. Have you made up with Hermione yet?"
"No, but we will." Ginny smiled.
"She's still mad at me too. I don't know how I'm going to make her forgive me for betraying her trust."
"She's already forgiven you. Hermione is a forgiving person." Ginny assured him.
He smiled, feeling the weight of the world dissolving slightly from his shoulders. Now the world seemed brighter again; his lessons with Dumbledore, Voldemort, Horcruxes, school, everything was better when he had Ron (and soon Hermione) by his side.
"Come on Captain. Let's go join the party!" Ron smiled, leading the way to Gryffindor tower.
"Hey Ginny," Harry said, keeping step with her as Ron's longer legs carried him farther ahead. "Do you really still like me?"
Ginny blushed a bit but her face was resolute. "Maybe." She smirked.
Harry smirked back and as they walked back to the castle he slipped his hand in hers.