Disclaimer-Why, yes, I own Harry Potter just as much as I won the entire United States!(sarcastic)
Chapter One-Then and now
Then-
"You're going out/" said Ron. He was slightly shocked, but that didn't cover his feeling of jealousy.
"Well, yes, Ron," said Hermione plaintively, her hands on her lap.
"For how long/" snapped Ron.
"For about an hour, Ronald," said Harry, noticing the change of attitude in his friend.
"And where have you been for the last hour?" said Ron coldly. "Snogging?"
"No we weren't!" said Hermione, turning red. "For you information, we-we talked a little bit about how we felt, and we've been-been-cuddling ever sine!"
Even in the midst of his annoyance, Ron couldn't help but laugh.
"How romantic," he sneered. Then his face fell, and he buried his face in his hands.
"How could you, Harry/" he said. "How could you take her from me, when all this time, I thought I gave you enough hints that I wanted her?"
"It wasn't his choice to make, Ronald," Hermione said, having quite enough of this nonsense. "I've been liking hi since third year, and I was the one who told him so, not him. I made the first move."
"I'm sorry, Ron," said Harry, feeling a little bit guilty. "I didn't want to lose you as my best mate, that's why I never said anything."
As Ron felt these words sink into his head, something within him collapsed. The pain subsides, he was calmer now. Harry had tried to hide his feeling for his friend's sake. But Hermione had never wanted him. So what was he arguing with Harry about? He shouldn't even be arguing with Hermione. If they loved each other, then that was the end of his dreams for her.
Harry and Hermione watched his apprehensively. Ron looked up at them. His face showed a pained yet peaceful look.
"Alright," he said. "It's okay. I don't care. Go ahead and date."
"Ron, we're really sorry," said Hermione, but Ron interrupted.
'Don't worry so much about me, Hermione. I'll be fine. You two deserve each other. And besides-" he took a deep breath. "I knew this was going to be the first time I met you two."
Nobody spoke for a minute.
Then Ron said, "So I'll be okay. Just try not to snog too much in front of me, alright?"
Harry and Hermione nodded vigorously.
"So…" said Harry. "Are we good?"
Ron chuckled. Already he could feel his crush on Hermione slipping away. "Yeah, we're good."
They all stood up form the Common Room, and enveloped each other in a hug.
"Now," said Ron, his mood brightening considerably. "Let's go down to the great hall, I'm starving."
Now-
Four months later, Ron stood at the edge of the fountain, reading his textbook grudgingly. Harry was in the library, preferring to stay focused on the work rather than the beautiful sunlight outside.
Ron's feelings for Hermione had long since evaporated. Now it was only a brotherly love. And even then, there was some small part of his heart that would always be hers in a form of love. Bt that was smaller than s sixty-fifth of a pizza pie. Then again, it was the only slice that kept him from hating her guts for choosing Harry over him.
Ron idly turned a page of his book, not really noticing what he was reading, when he heard Hermione's voice from afar saying, "Draco, stop! We might be seen!"
Ron's head shot up from his book in alarm. Since when did Hermione call Malfoy by his first name? And what were they doing that had to be kept quiet?
He slowly got up, closing the book, and crept over to the corner of the grounds, where he heard her voice. Making his way to a rosebush, he could hear Malfoy saying, "Shush, my love, you're safe here with me."
Ron's heart shot into his throat. Please, he thought desperately, oh, please, don't let it be what I think it is, oh god, please…
He bit his lip, and took a peeked around the bush. What he saw made him want to puke.
Hermione was there, with Draco, and they were snogging like there was no Harry to hide from. Both were disheveled and sweaty. Their books lay forgotten on the grass.
"I jus-mean-" gasped Hermione, her fingers running from Harry's hair, "We-shouldn't be-caught."
"Harry's in the library, my love, we won't be caught," said Draco breathily.
"But-but-"
"Oh, stop your whimpering, Hermione, we won't get caught," said Draco huskily.
Hermione took heed and proceeded to song him harder.
Without ever looking back, Ron slipped out of the bush and ran, faster than he had ever ran before. He didn't stop until he reached an empty classroom in the corridors. Inside, he leaned against the wall, coughing and gasping for breath. The thoughts of telling Harry his discovery added Harry's heart-broken look, and Hermione's wand out, yelling about, "I trusted you, Ron!", and "My life is ruined because of you!"
He had never in his life been put in such a terrible position. What was making him feel so lost and confused had nothing to do with witnessing his best friend cheat on his other best friend with their mortal enemy. Well, it did, but the true reason was that now he was in the middle of the last thing he wanted to be in-Harry and Hermione's love life.
