Tears
For RadiantLilyx
He can't deal with crying girls. In fact, he doesn't think anyone from the male species can deal with crying girls unless they're gay or didn't avoid their crying sisters like the plague when they were younger. And from the way he's panicking he's pretty sure that Ginny's tears could have helped him in this situation if he'd bothered to comfort her two weeks previous. But worrying about being a bad brother was a topic for later.
"'Mione –" He starts, taking a tentative step towards his best friend. He recoils when she looks up because her eyes are red and puffy and sure, she's cried before, but not like this. The words die in his mouth and this is hopeless.
"Don't call me that!" She whispers, anger in her eyes and hurt in her voice.
She's angry at him. Yes, well done Ronald. That annoying voice that sounds eerily like his mother pops into his mind and he's close to looking around for his scolding mum but his eyes are stuck on Hermione.
"I ... um ... sorry." He mumbles and he's pretty sure he's bright red. "Why are you crying?" Unfortunately for him, it wasn't going to be a simple reply and an 'oh, ok, want to go find Harry?' Not if Hermione has anything to do with it.
"Because," Hermione sobs "you are a stupid dolt."
This is not what he wants to hear. Are those alarm bells ringing in his head?
"Oh." The word escapes his mouth before he can stop it and he never thought one syllable could have such an effect on someone, but from the way Hermione bursts into tears he stands corrected.
"Bloody hell," he mutters, sitting on the edge of the sofa as Hermione once more buries her head into the arm of the couch.
For the first time in his life (or maybe just in the past few weeks), he waits for Hermione to say something. But after two minutes passes and Hermione's sobs only subside a little he figures maybe he should do something other than sit in silence and panic.
"Um ... 'Mion" he pauses and corrects himself before she gets angry again "Hermione, why am I a dolt?"
He's sure he can think of a handful of reasons as to why he's an idiot, but at least this way she can tell him rather than leaving him to guess. Except Hermione isn't responding. In fact, she's barely moved.
"Hermione?" He questions gently, lifting his hand and, without much hesitating, placing it on her shoulder. She flinches and he smiles softly, knowing at least she hasn't fallen asleep and that she's stopped crying.
"Ronald, I would greatly appreciate it if you left me alone."
How she manages to have a serious tone but still sound like she could start crying again at any minute seems impossible but she manages it.
"And I would greatly appreciate it if you ..." he pauses, unsure what he would greatly appreciate other than Hermione to cheer up because this is awkward.
"If you told me what was wrong so I can fix it," he finishes.
"What's wrong, Ronald, is that you are the most oblivious person I have ever had the misfortune to meet and if you could see for one second that I liked you instead of snogging the face off Lavender then maybe you could fix things." She says it quickly but Ron still catches every word and is left with his mouth open in shock.
The silence that follows Hermione's statement seems to be the longest twenty-three seconds of Ron's life. He's rendered speechless (for once), and he can't move or do anything other than blink and watch Hermione go through three emotions in such a short space of time.
First, anger. Second, relief (to finally have said what was on her mind, he supposed), and then third, horror.
"Oh." She finally whispers. "Oh." And before she can start crying again she stands up, avoiding Ron's eyes and fleeing to the girl's dormitory before either one of them could say another word.
"Bloody hell."
Ron really can't deal with crying girls.
***
She's avoiding him again.
It's pretty apparent, even to someone as obvious as Ron. He swears he sees her walking towards him at least three times that morning but he blinks and in that millisecond she's gone. He's either hallucinating, tired or she really does not want to face him.
And, though the other two are likely, it's obviously the third.
So, he does things in a typical Ron fashion: he pretends she's not avoiding him for a while, then reluctantly accepts it before coming up with a (stupid) genius plan. And corners her in the library because he knows there's a potions test coming up and she'll be studying even though she'll get full marks regardless.
"Hermione." He says as he sits down, and feels his stomach churn when she meets his eyes. She looks panicked for a moment and looks for means of escape but gives up quickly.
"Hello Ronald." She says coldly, going back to her potions text book (he takes pride in being right about the test for a few seconds before continuing).
He has a big speech planned. He's rehearsed it two or three (okay, fifteen) times on his way to find her, but the words die in his mouth (they have a habit of doing so when she's around), and all that comes out of his mouth is a jumbled mess that sounds like "ithiniinihlikeyou".
"I'm trying to study." She says, crossing her arms and meeting his gaze. Blue meets brown and he's hoping that, like in Ginny's romantic movies, Hermione will read what he wants to say in his eyes. Unfortunately nothing happens except she gets a noticeably angrier.
"Go back to breakfast." She mutters, breaking eye contact.
"I already ate."
Lame, Ron. Even you know that's a stupid thing to say. Just tell her!
"Hermione, I like you, okay? Since I was eleven and you told me I had dirt on my nose. Lavender was a great ... well, average person compared to you but she was okay to you know ... kiss, but she has the most annoying voice and ... anyway, I really do like you, 'Mione."
She seems to freeze for a second, and his heart could possibly wither and die if she doesn't do something in the next three-
Oh.
She's kissing him. And this is what he's been dreaming about since he was fourteen but not exactly like this, because he's pretty sure his brain could never imagine Hermione's lips tasting of apple. She pulls away and they are both blushing because they're best friends, and this is new.
"I ... um." Hermione mumbles, and if it's possible she blushes even more.
"Yeah."
"Well that was ... nice." She says softly, smiling weakly.
"Yeah." He repeats. He doesn't think he's capable of saying anything else right now.
So he just kisses her instead because, even though it's new, he sure likes the feeling of her lips on his.
Maybe, for once in his life, he said the right thing.