To You
A/N: This is just a one shot. It takes place in the Half-Blood Prince after Harry leaves with Dumbledore to go to the cave. Haven't you ever wondered what happened when Ron and Hermione were alone? This is one of those incidents. Enjoy!
"Ugh, Harry is such an idiot!" hissed Hermione to Ron. Harry had just left the Marauders' Map and the Felix Felicis with the two, telling them to share it with Ginny in case something went wrong. Of course, something is going to go wrong! thought Hermione.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One," said Ron. It seemed that he was trying to convince himself rather than Hermione.
"That does not mean he's invincible! What is wrong with Dumbledore? Taking a 17-year-old boy on a dangerous quest!"
"Hermione, I know. But he's with Dumbledore, and if he thinks it's safe for Harry then I think it's safe for Harry," Ron replied in the same tensed tone.
Looking distressed, Hermione took her Charms book from her bag and started reading. Ron took the Marauders' Map and randomly looked at his friends – Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Luna Lovegood, Parvati Patil, Ernie Macmillan, Ginny Weasley.
"Hey, Hermione?" he said.
"Hmm?" replied the smartest girl Ron knew.
"I get that he's your friend and all, but why are you so worried about him? Look at me, he's my best friend too, and I'm here stalking his potential girlfriend."
"Because, Harry's other best friend, he is my best friend too," she said, not looking up from her textbook.
"Is that all we are? Harry's best friends?" That question had been haunting him for a while now. Is that all they were? Two people, who tolerated each other because they were best friends with the same person?
"What do you mean?" Hermione finally looked up to see Ron's questioning gaze.
"Are we friends only by association?"
"Oh Ron, don't be ridiculous, of course, we're friends. Best friends, even." She replied going back to her book.
"So we're friends, right?"
"Ron, what do you want me to say?" sounding a bit irritated now. Talking to a reading Hermione was like a death wish.
"Nothing, just listen to me. So since you say we're friends, best friends even, do you worry about me the way you worry about Harry?"
"I would, but I think you worry yourself enough for others to worry about you," she said. It appeared as if she was trying to evade the topic.
"Does that mean you think I worry too much?"
"No, that means that unlike Harry, you think with that pea-sized brain of yours before doing anything rash. Is that enough for you?"
"Hmm, I guess. What do you think is going to happen on the quest?" he said, changing the topic after he sensed her discomfort.
"I think the two of them are going to do something incredibly brave and extremely stupid and get themselves in a fix, which will somehow relate to the Half-Blood Prince, owner of that cursed book. And of course, Harry would think that Snape and Malfoy have something to do with this since that's just what he does," she said all this very fast before continuing "Merlin, we were supposed to spy on Malfoy!"
She snatched the Map from Ron and looked it over, searching for the dot that said 'Draco Malfoy'.
"He's not on it. He must be in the Room of Requirement," said Ron, "just like Harry had told us."
"Yeah, I wonder what he does there," said Hermione, looking up from the Map.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think he was snogging Parkinson in there," he said with a smirk.
"Sure, judge him - you could do it in the Common Room, at least he thought of a private place."
"Oh, come on, Hermione, it was one time!"
"One scarring time," she shuddered thinking of Lavender Brown and Ron together. Sure, Won-Won and Lav-Lav Forever.
"I would gladly do it again, but not to her," he had repressed memories of their times together so deep in his mind, that he didn't even think of saying her name out loud, thinking she'd hear and haunt his nightmares again.
"To whom, then? Padma Patil?"
"Where did she come from? And no, after that Yule Ball incident, I have steered clear of her. Scary girl, that one."
"Hmm," Hermione said. Going back to the Marauders' Map. "Looks like Malfoy is still there. I think we should go there."
"Yeah, I'll get the others. Hermione, you go to Snape's office with Luna, I'll go check corridor with Ginny and Neville," he said.
"But I want to go there too! You can't just go around barking orders and –"
"Yes, yes I get it but Hermione, I think something is going to happen and Dumbledore is not in the castle, just go fetch Luna and walk around Snape's office."
It looked like Hermione wanted to say something but with a defeated sigh she said, "Okay, I'll call Ginny."
She sprinted up the Girls' Staircase and came down with Ginny while Ron did the same and Neville followed him down the Boys' Staircase.
"Be careful all of you," she said. "Oh and keep this with you," she shoved the Marauders' Map into Ron's hand.
"No, Hermione, you keep it," he said.
"Just take it, Ron, before I slap you," she hissed.
"Alright, feisty."
"Don't call me that. And send for me if something goes wrong," she said before hugging him.
"To you," Ron whispered into her hair quietly enough that even she couldn't hear him.
Neville, Ginny, Hermione and Ron left the Common Room. The former three oblivious to the confession of love Ron had just made.
A/N: REVIEW, PEOPLE!