Harry curled up on his bed feeling more jealousy than sanity dictated he should have. But feelings and sanity have never quite gone hand in hand, and so there sat Harry, curled up in bed feeling nothing but jealousy and perhaps even a little bit of sadness, all because Ron had said Hermione's name.
Sure, Ron was still healing form the accidental poisoning, and was probably delirious, but he was Ron's best made! You'd think Ron would remember him before he thought of Hermione. What was that American muggle phrase that Harry had once found absolutely ridiculous but now made an awful lot of sense? "Bro's before hoes" or something like that. Regardless, Harry was still Ron's best mate, and what was Hermione to them? Sure she was a great friend, but it just wasn't the same. Best mates before anybody else.
Except it wasn't like that anymore. Ron was moving on to different people, a different time, and Harry was still stuck in the past, wishing he had Ron all to himself.
A part of Harry's mind noted that there was something very odd about his possessiveness over Ron, but the rest of his mind promptly ignored it.
Ron and Hermione would probably fall in love, get married, have lots of children, and grow old together, leaving Harry behind them in their wake. Forever the best mate.
He groaned.
What was wrong with him? He'd never gotten like this before, God, even when Ron and Lavender were snogging each other's faces off Harry still didn't get like this. Why now?
The small part of his brain that has spoken up earlier returned with a vengeance.
Think about it you dunderhead, his mind, clearly annoyed at having been ignored said, the answer is right in front of your bloody face just look!
"I have looked," Harry said, realizing a moment too late that he'd said it aloud. He sat up, quickly scanning the room. Good, it was still empty, no one had snuck in while he'd been lying there bemoaning his fate. No one to ask any awkward questions as to why he was talking to himself.
Harry flopped back down on his bed, mentally scolding himself to be more careful next time.
Are you blind? The part of his mind that Harry was beginning to believe controlled his mean streak said, how can you miss it?
Well, sorry, Harry sarcastically mentally grumbled.
Don't be sorry, think!
I have!
Think harder!
I've done that too!
No you haven't, if you had you would have figured it out by now! Do I have to spell it out for you?
Spell what out?
Your problem.
And what's my problem?
You like Ron.
Of course I like him, he's my best mate!
No, not like that! Do I have to revert to child's talk to get you to understand? You like like him!
I do not!
Do too! Don't try denying it, you know it's true!
It is not!
Oh yes it is, think about it! You love being around him, whenever he smiles you smile too, your favorite sound is the sound of his laughter, your heart flutters every time you see him, and you can't help but feel jealous when he starts showing a romantic interest in someone that isn't you!
Harry couldn't deny his own logic, but that didn't stop him from arguing.
Well, what's to say maybe we're just really close friends, and I'm just worried that if he gets involved with a girl it will break us up?
Oh please, just be honest with yourself here, you fancy Ronald Weasley. And there is absolutely no denying it.
Yeah but…
Don't even think about it, the voice in his head warned.
Fine then, say that I do fancy Ron, which I don't, what then?
Well, that's for you to decide.
Well a great lot of help you did me, voice head.
A great lot of help you did yourself, the little voice replied, now finish the job and come to terms with the truth.
Harry humphed. Stupid voice in his head, hitting him with logic, sounding an awful lot like Hermione.
Shit, Hermione. Harry didn't want to think about Hermione. Stupid Hermione, trying to take Ron from him. How could she? All Harry had ever done was be nice to her and this is how she repays him? By stealing his one personal joy in life. The person that could always cheer him up, the one person that he felt like always understand him, the most amazing person Harry had ever known, the one who Harry's days basically revolved around spending time with, how could she?
Listen to yourself fool, the voice in his head said, does that sound like the words of a person who's only looking to be someone's best mate?
Mentally Harry was silent for a moment.
No, he admitted, no it doesn't.
But knowing the cause of things didn't make it any better. If anything it made it worse. Because now Harry knew that he had less of a chance than ever before. Sure, Hermione or no Hermione he would always be Ron's best mate, but that was just it, wasn't it? That was all he'd ever be.
A small tear trickled down Harry's face, which he quickly wiped away. Where did that come from? he wondered.
Your heart, his head voice replied, it's breaking.
A second tear fell, but Harry didn't stop it this time. Letting it fall, and soon it was followed by another, and then another, until Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the one who had survived a lot more than this without ever shedding a single tear, was crying.