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Author's note: :O! Another R/Hr ;) This one's a two-parter seen through Harry's POV. Part two is already completed and just needs to be edited and uploaded :)Enjoy!

Blind

Part I: Losing Sight

I've come to consider myself a fairly observant person. Not the most observant, not the least, but generally aware of what's going on around me. I'll admit, when I was younger, I was pretty altogether oblivious. But I've grown older now, and wiser too, (or at least I'd like to think) and 6 years of the kind constant danger and mortal peril most 30 year olds will never have to face, have taught me to be weary of the world. But there's one thing I never saw coming.

Looking back, I guess it was pretty clear all along. There were always little things, things that the astute mind would have picked up on, but mine passed right by. The way he always defended her, the way she half-smiled when he spoke, the stupid fights they always seemed to get into. And there were the bigger things too, the kind of things you'd have to be blind not to see. The Yule Ball, the kiss, all of Ron's frequent jealous fits. But I wasn't blind…just, distracted. Distracted by things that I thought were more important. But the truth is still the truth, and the truth is, no one likes to be a third wheel.

It was during one of our fabled adventures when I finally realized. We were approaching inevitable doom, three kids walking into a den of Death Eaters, with a fighting hope that they could make a difference. We had advanced silently, drawing out our wands from the pockets in which they were hidden. We were silent for a second, each doing what we could to gather the courage and insanity it took to edge forward, when in the darkness Ron's bony, awkward hand reached down and gently intertwined Hermione's fingers with its own.

I waited for Hermione's reaction; always the first one to tell Ron off for doing something dumb, even in the heat of battle. But she said nothing, and gave no exasperated sigh, or roll of her eyes. Instead, she only tightened her grip on Ron's hand. Neither was surprised or confused or showed any kind of emotion at all. There seemed to be a silent understanding that I wasn't part of.

Of course, it was too "trivial" for me to think about at the time. So I filed it away, making a sarcastic joke to myself that if we made it out of this, it wouldn't be because of them. After all, holding hands at a time like this would make them 10 degrees more vulnerable.

I was wrong.

As it turned out, we did make it, though we hadn't stopped the Dark Lord. But Hermione and Ron had fought better then I had ever imagined they could. As always, things returned to "normal" after. It wasn't till we had all relaxed and were walking quietly down the halls that I saw it again, that calmness, that understanding, that…whatever it was in, their eyes. Suddenly, I hated them.

"What's going on with you two anyway?" I asked suspiciously, as Hermione finished laughing at something Ron had said.

Ron, looking extremely pleased with himself, tore his gaze off Hermione. "What do you mean, mate?" he asked unconcernedly.

"You know what I mean," I stated coldly, not fond of whatever enjoyment they were having without me. "You and Hermione. There's something going on between you two, isn't there?"

"Harry," Hermione blushed, her eyes flicking quickly to each side to check if anyone had been listening. She lowered her voice, hoping I might take the hint. "No-nothing's going on."

"Don't play innocent!" I snapped loudly, ignoring her plea for quiet. "I saw you two holding hands, you know!"

The color drained in each their faces, leaving only a bright shade of red. "Fr-Friends can hold hands," Hermione attempted weakly.

"You don't hold hands with me!" I pointed out angrily.

Ron, who had had the 'sudden revelation' that I fancied Hermione, moved unconsciously in front of her. "Hey, if-"

"Not like that, Ron," I sighed in irritation, missing the days when Hermione would have been the one to correct him. "Now will one of you tell me what's going on?!"

Hermione shot Ron an unsure look, and Ron gave back an uncertain shrug. She exhaled in heavy defeat. "Promise not to get mad?"

"Yes," I lied.

"I mean, it's nothing really…" Hermione stumbled, still blushing furiously. "Ron and I…we just…well, I guess…we're kind of…dating…you could say."

"DATING!?" DATING?!" They were dating?! How had I missed that?!

"Yeah, and what's wrong with that?" Ron asked defensively.

I stuttered. What was wrong with that? Why was I getting so mad? "Be-Because…you'll get distracted! We have a lot of other things to worry about! You two can't go around…prancing through fields all day!"

"Prancing through fields?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. I glowered at her. "Harry, it's not going to change anything. We've been…to-together…for a while now, and you haven't exactly noticed."

"Things are going to change! Things have already changed! You're keeping secrets from me!" I yelled. Hermione's eyes opened a half-knotch wider as she saw the real problem.

"It wasn't exactly a secret," Ron pointed out obliviously, "It's not like you ever asked. Hermio- we just decided we'd wait to tell you in case you reacted like…well, like this."

"Fine, whatever," I snapped unhappily. "You can do what you want." And without another word, I stamped off, leaving Hermione and Ron in the middle of the scene I had just created.

Instead of deterring their relationship, my little "temper tantrum" had only made it stronger. Thanks to our rather loud confrontation, half the school already knew that the two were "seeing" each other and thus, there was no point in them trying to keep it a secret any longer. Slowly but surely, they progressed to holding hands in between classes, weekends together at Hogsmeade, and general boyfriend and girlfriend-like behavior.

And I, in all my jealousy and feeling left out, did everything I could to prove that this would lead to our doom. Of course, I didn't have much to go on. Besides the petty annoyances of handholding and happy smiles, not much had changed. In fact, if things had changed at all, it was probably for the better; they certainly fought a lot less. Still, hindsight may be 20/20, but at the time, I was pretty blind.

I had asked Ron to come to the Quidditch field for an extra bit of practice. I was still rusty from my year on the bench and Ron's keeper skills could always do with an extra bit of improvement. Ron, however, had politely declined.

"Not tonight Harry, I really need to start working on that Potion's essay."

Ron had just given up a chance to play Quidditch…so he could do a Potion's essay? I knew things were going seriously wrong.

I went to the field by myself, hoping Quidditch would be enough to get Hermione and Ron (among other things) off my mind. It was. As usual, I got lost in the game, catching and releasing the Snitch until it was too dark to see. Sadly, I returned to the real world, packing the balls back into their places, and heading back to the Gryffindor tower.

I passively announced the password to the fat lady, and glumly walked into the empty common room. To my surprise, the common room wasn't empty. In fact, it was my two best friends who were the last occupants of room that night. Both sat on the couch by the hearth, surrounded by about a dozen books and a goodly amount of quills and parchment.

I watched through narrowed eyes as Ron made some comment just under my hearing and Hermione giggled nervously. They went silent for a second, Hermione looking purposely off into the distance. Ron edged nervously closer on the couch and Hermione looked back at him intently, as if giving him permission to do what he was planning. He leaned in slowly and hesitantly, until finally catching her lips with his.

"AHAH!" I yelled triumphantly, emerging from the shadows in which I had hidden. The two jumped apart in one heartbeat.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing bright red. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

I ignored her question. "Potions essay, ey Ron?" I asked incredulously, Ron gave no response, but looked down ashamedly, the tips of his ears turning bright red. "I knew you two were making a mistake! How are we supposed to get anything done if you're running around snogging like mad all the time!?"

"Harry, it's not like that all!" Hermione interjected desperately. "I mean, this was the first time we-" She paused, realizing what she was saying, and blushed furiously. It was hard to tell out of the two of them who looked more embarrassed.

Obviously, she was telling the truth. If they'd been "snogging like mad all the time" they wouldn't have been half as embarrassed or anywhere near as nervous. "Like I believe that," I snorted.

"It's the truth," Ron, who now look rather irritated as well, said, "Besides, it's not like it's any of your business."

"Of course it's my business!" I yelled, more offended now then I had ever been before. "You're both my friends!"

"Well, maybe you should start acting like it then," Ron growled angrily. Hermione looked fearfully between us, hoping there wasn't going to be another fight.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for everyone," I mumbled.

Hermione, fearful that her "boyfriend" would speak out, decided to put a quick end to the conversation.

"Well, we'd better all get off to bed then," she said nervously, gathering up a few of the materials that were hers. "Night Harry, night Ron." She paused for a second, as if debating something, and then gave Ron a quick kiss on the cheek before shuffling upstairs.

Too tired to argue anymore, I turned around to head silently to the boys' dormitory.

"Harry," Ron said, forcing me to turn around.

"What?" I asked uninterestedly.

Ron bit his lip. "You know you're my best mate…and if it was any other girl…but 'Mione-"

"Is that what you're calling her now?" I snorted bitterly.

His eyes opened in astonishment. "Calling her now? Harry, I've been calling her that since second year! What's going on with you? You're not…you don't…fancy Hermione, do you?" He looked at me fearful, afraid I might turn into his competition.

I thought about his question for a moment, really thought about it. Did I fancy Hermione? After all, something was causing me to act like an ass. But no…not Hermione… so what was it? "No, it's not that," I told him, letting him breath a sigh of relief.

"So what is it then?" Ron asked.

"I…I dunno…" I admitted. Was I afraid of being left out? Jealous that they had something I didn't? Both sounded so foolish.

"'Mione thinks it might be…that you maybe…feel left out or something…'Course, I told her that was rubbish. After all, you're the one we were both friends with in the first place. I mean, just because Hermione and I…well, you know…doesn't mean we're not still your friends," Ron told me sincerely.

"Yeah," I responded half-heartedly, though I did feel a bit better. "I'm sorry, you know, for acting like I have been."

"It's alright," Ron smiled, "I can be a pretty big git too sometimes, or so Hermione tells me."

I smiled. "Those were some pretty smooth moves earlier; it only took you what, two months?" I mentioned sarcastically.

Ron grinned. "Shut up, we would have kissed if it hadn't been for you."

"Reckon you'll try again?"

"'Magine so. That 'running around snogging like mad', you mentioned sounded like a pretty decent idea," he smirked. We both grinned.

And suddenly, I didn't hate them anymore, not in the least. I loved them; I respected them, and I was finally happy for them. And all it took was a little reassurance that I wouldn't be left behind.

So life went on and I learned to deal with Ron's continuous, dazed confessions of what had happened with him and Hermione the previous day. In fact, I dare say I became dependent on them for finding what a relationship was really like. My own "romantic endeavors" never lasted very long.

But there was something I saw in them that I had never seen before. There was a strength and a confidence that no one else could ever match. It wasn't a sudden realization, but a progressive one, that allowed me to understand what was going on. It was love. Like my mother's love protected me, their love protected each other. It made them stronger. It gave them a reason to keep fighting and keep hoping.

Suddenly, I was jealous again.

Ron, who had been making his bed while he talked ecstatically about the greatness of "'Mione", suddenly fell back on his bed with a deep sigh, closing his eyes with a content smile on his lips.

"So, it's nice being in love then?" I joked sarcastically.

"Lo-love?" Ron asked, eyes snapping open. "I mean…we never…I never…"

I caught my mistake. "I was just joking Ron, just a figure of speech. I wasn't saying that you actually love—"

But Ron stopped me, sitting straight up from his bed. "You know what Harry, I reckon I do. You're right Harry, I do love her! I love Hermione Granger!" He darted from his bed towards the stairs

"Ron!" I shouted quickly behind him, knowing the kind of trouble I'd be in if Ron embarrassed himself or Hermione because of something I had done.

But of course, I was too late. In all his excitement at this sudden realization, he had practically flown down the stairs to the common room and found Hermione, waiting with Ginny at the bottom. I surveyed the scene, Gryffindors scattered all about waiting to go to breakfast. Yes, I was in trouble.

"Hermione!" Ron said, rushing upon her, grabbing her with both arms, and giving her a long kiss.

Ginny fake gagged in disgust, and then rolled her eyes at her brother's behavior. The few Gryffindors who noticed threw up some half-hearted hoots and whistles.

Hermione giggled when he released her, her face red from blush and lack of air. "Well good morning to you too! What was that for?"

"I'm in love you Hermione!" he breathed, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I love you!"

Hermione laughed with equal excitement. "It's about time!" she exclaimed joyfully.

At this, Ron laughed boisterously, throwing his arms around Hermione and kissing her while lifting her a good foot off the floor.

This Ginny found to be too much, and she let out a large groan. "Oh, get a room," she scoffed and turned away from the couple, less she should become sick on the spot. I could definitely sympathize.

"Harry," she yelled up when she spotted me. "Want to go to breakfast before I loose last night's dinner?"

I grinned and we both headed to breakfast. We didn't see Ron and Hermione again until that afternoon.

To be continued! :O

Author's Notes: Well, that's it for part one! :D Part two is of equal length and details the exciting ending of Blind :O! In it, HarrystopsPMSing,hurrah!;P (On that note, I hopehis reaction was believable. I was basing it off of his "attitude" in Book 5 and the fact thatno one really does enjoybeing a third wheel)It should be up soon! As always, reviewers are showered with candy, love, and appreciation! :D Constructive criticism is welcomed (except on mygrammar, I'm aware it's horrible ;P), but flamers are smuthered to death with snow and thrown to the monkeys :(

Best wishes and lots of love,

Soragirl

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