Title: Brewing Trouble
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language and slightly mature themes)
Summary: Ron decides a love potion is the only way to make Hermione fall for him, and mayhem ensues when the effects of the potion go awry.
Disclaimer: The plot of this story is mine, but everything else belongs to JK Rowling. Please review - I *really* appreciate feedback, especially on my first HP fic!
Chapter 1 - A Like Potion
"Firs' years this way!"
It was that time of year again - the air was beginning to lose some of its warmth; the sky was growing a little darker, the breeze a little chillier, and it was the beginning of another year at Hogwarts. As the students poured off the red and black train and the frightened-looking first years followed Hagrid to the boats, Ron Weasley pulled his robes closed over his sweater and slacks and glanced around. Ahead of him, Harry Potter was talking animatedly with Fred and George Weasley about Quidditch and Ginny was trailing behind them, her eyes shining as she watched Harry talk and gesture.
Ron shook his head. It was glaringly obvious to him that his younger sister had fallen head over heels for his best friend, and it pained him to watch her follow him around. It wasn't that Harry was cold or spiteful to Ginny; he honestly had no idea that the fourth year had a crush on him. Ginny would always, Ron mused, be, in Harry's eyes, Ron's little sister and nothing more. Ron knew first hand how difficult it could be to change someone's perception of you.
Look at her, mooning after him like a puppy dog, Ron thought. Really, it was rather pitiful. Why couldn't she focus her efforts on someone attainable?
"Come along, Ron!" Hermione Granger brushed past Ron, her bushy hair fluttering and blowing in the wind. She glanced back at him as she trotted alongside Harry.
Unlike me, Ron thought wryly. He really had no right to criticize Ginny, especially when he was in the exact same predicament. He'd had a crush on Hermione since first year, since the incident with the troll in the girl's bathroom. He didn't think he'd ever forget the look of pure terror on Hermione's face as the troll lumbered up to her, swinging his club violently; equally vivid in his mind was the expression on Hermione's face after he brought the troll down - her eyes shone and as she brushed a strand of hair out her eyes, she flashed Ron a wide, grateful smile. That smile made the danger he and Harry had been in completely worth it, every sweaty, trembling second.
Ron felt his cheeks flush as he glanced at Hermione again. She was chatting with Ginny, and they were giggling about something. As Hermione tossed her head, she looked back at Ron again and waved him to come and join them. Gulping and shutting all of his feelings away, Ron smiled weakly and ran to walk beside his friends.
The annual Sorting and the beginning-of-term feast were bright and fun, but for some reason Ron couldn't get himself as excited as he was in past years. He was still preoccupied with Hermione. Like at the beginning of every year, he wondered whether or not the upcoming year would be his year, the year he worked up enough courage to tell Hermione how he felt. He'd though about this for the past three years and every year ended the same - Hermione regarded him as one of her best friends, and his crush just grew worse.
Ron rolled onto his side in bed. All of the lights were out in Gryffendor Tower, and, from the sound of it, everyone else in the dorm was asleep. Ron glanced at Neville, who was snoring peacefully, and rolled onto his back. And then his side again. And then his stomach.
With a groan of frustration, Ron threw back the covers, slid his feet into his slippers, and stomped across the room. As he pulled open the door, he heard a whisper.
"Psst! Ron - what are you doing?" Harry was sitting up in bed, fumbling for his glasses as he regarded his friend inquisitively.
"Can't sleep," Ron replied. "Thought I might just sit in the common room and...sit."
"Want some company?" Harry asked. When Ron finally nodded, Harry swung his legs out of bed and, wrapping his dressing gown around his body, padded down the stairs behind his friend. They settled in two chairs by the fire in the common room.
"Is anything the matter, Ron?" Harry asked, "You seemed upset on the train ride."
Ron drew his knees under his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. He'd never told Harry about his feelings for Hermione for fear that maybe Harry was having the same feelings, but at the moment he was feeling so overwhelmed that he knew he needed to confide in his friend. He took a deep breath.
"I like Hermione," he blurted, "And not just like a friend. Like...like a girl." He glanced warily at Harry, trying to gauge his reaction.
"I know," Harry said simply. Ron's mouth dropped open.
"You know?" he exclaimed. "How do you know? Who told you? I haven't told anyone! Am I really that obvious?"
"It's only obvious to me because you're my best friend," Harry explained, "And I wasn't positive, but I reckoned that you did after you got all shirty when Hermione and Krum went to the ball together."
Ron scowled. "Krum, that git. He wasn't right for her." He paused for a moment before crying, "Do you think Hermione knows I like her?"
Harry shook his head. "Hermione is the cleverest witch you could ever find, but when it comes to things besides bookwork and spells...she's not the quickest to catch on."
Ron sighed with relief. "I couldn't stand knowing that she's known all these years and that she...that she pities me for my silly little crush."
"Are you ever going to tell her?" Harry asked.
"And ruin what the three of us have got? I can't!" Ron exclaimed, "We're best friends, the three of us, and if she knew I liked her...it would all be rather awkward, don't you think?"
"I suppose you're right," Harry mulled, "But you never know, do you? What if she likes you back and has been too scared to say anything all these years?"
"Hermione? Too scared to say something?" Ron said incredulously.
"Remember what I said about how Hermione works," Harry reminded him, "She gets high marks in everything academic but when it comes to social situations and romance...remember when she tried to convince Lavender that there was no reason to be sad about her bunny?"
Ron laughed despite himself. "And the time she told off Draco Malfoy before potions? Good times, those were...hey!" he exclaimed, an idea beginning for form in his mind. "Potions...what if I made a love potion? Then Hermione would have to return my feelings!"
"Come on, Ron, be serious," Harry said. "Besides the fact that I don't think either you or I could brew a complex potion without Hermione's help, do you really want her to like you just because she's bewitched?"
Ron frowned. "You're right again," he said, "but what if I diluted all the ingredients in the potion? You know...just made her a little warmer towards me and then let my charm and wit do the rest?" He grinned. "Instead of a love potion, it'd be...a like potion. Then it wouldn't *really* be against school rules, right?"
Harry thought for a moment. "If you really think we could do it," he said, "I'll help you get the ingredients together. Who knows, maybe we could give Professor Snape some of it before classes start so he won't give us detentions for breathing too loudly!"
As the fire died down, the boys plotted everything out. They'd go to the library the next day, after breakfast - it would be their only free day before classes began, so they'd have to work quickly to get the potion done while they had enough free time.
Back in bed, Ron snuggled down under the covers, a smile playing with his lips. He was going to share his feelings with Hermione at last - and if everything went well in the cauldron, she would return his affections. This was going to be an exceptionally good year, he could feel it.
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language and slightly mature themes)
Summary: Ron decides a love potion is the only way to make Hermione fall for him, and mayhem ensues when the effects of the potion go awry.
Disclaimer: The plot of this story is mine, but everything else belongs to JK Rowling. Please review - I *really* appreciate feedback, especially on my first HP fic!
Chapter 1 - A Like Potion
"Firs' years this way!"
It was that time of year again - the air was beginning to lose some of its warmth; the sky was growing a little darker, the breeze a little chillier, and it was the beginning of another year at Hogwarts. As the students poured off the red and black train and the frightened-looking first years followed Hagrid to the boats, Ron Weasley pulled his robes closed over his sweater and slacks and glanced around. Ahead of him, Harry Potter was talking animatedly with Fred and George Weasley about Quidditch and Ginny was trailing behind them, her eyes shining as she watched Harry talk and gesture.
Ron shook his head. It was glaringly obvious to him that his younger sister had fallen head over heels for his best friend, and it pained him to watch her follow him around. It wasn't that Harry was cold or spiteful to Ginny; he honestly had no idea that the fourth year had a crush on him. Ginny would always, Ron mused, be, in Harry's eyes, Ron's little sister and nothing more. Ron knew first hand how difficult it could be to change someone's perception of you.
Look at her, mooning after him like a puppy dog, Ron thought. Really, it was rather pitiful. Why couldn't she focus her efforts on someone attainable?
"Come along, Ron!" Hermione Granger brushed past Ron, her bushy hair fluttering and blowing in the wind. She glanced back at him as she trotted alongside Harry.
Unlike me, Ron thought wryly. He really had no right to criticize Ginny, especially when he was in the exact same predicament. He'd had a crush on Hermione since first year, since the incident with the troll in the girl's bathroom. He didn't think he'd ever forget the look of pure terror on Hermione's face as the troll lumbered up to her, swinging his club violently; equally vivid in his mind was the expression on Hermione's face after he brought the troll down - her eyes shone and as she brushed a strand of hair out her eyes, she flashed Ron a wide, grateful smile. That smile made the danger he and Harry had been in completely worth it, every sweaty, trembling second.
Ron felt his cheeks flush as he glanced at Hermione again. She was chatting with Ginny, and they were giggling about something. As Hermione tossed her head, she looked back at Ron again and waved him to come and join them. Gulping and shutting all of his feelings away, Ron smiled weakly and ran to walk beside his friends.
The annual Sorting and the beginning-of-term feast were bright and fun, but for some reason Ron couldn't get himself as excited as he was in past years. He was still preoccupied with Hermione. Like at the beginning of every year, he wondered whether or not the upcoming year would be his year, the year he worked up enough courage to tell Hermione how he felt. He'd though about this for the past three years and every year ended the same - Hermione regarded him as one of her best friends, and his crush just grew worse.
Ron rolled onto his side in bed. All of the lights were out in Gryffendor Tower, and, from the sound of it, everyone else in the dorm was asleep. Ron glanced at Neville, who was snoring peacefully, and rolled onto his back. And then his side again. And then his stomach.
With a groan of frustration, Ron threw back the covers, slid his feet into his slippers, and stomped across the room. As he pulled open the door, he heard a whisper.
"Psst! Ron - what are you doing?" Harry was sitting up in bed, fumbling for his glasses as he regarded his friend inquisitively.
"Can't sleep," Ron replied. "Thought I might just sit in the common room and...sit."
"Want some company?" Harry asked. When Ron finally nodded, Harry swung his legs out of bed and, wrapping his dressing gown around his body, padded down the stairs behind his friend. They settled in two chairs by the fire in the common room.
"Is anything the matter, Ron?" Harry asked, "You seemed upset on the train ride."
Ron drew his knees under his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. He'd never told Harry about his feelings for Hermione for fear that maybe Harry was having the same feelings, but at the moment he was feeling so overwhelmed that he knew he needed to confide in his friend. He took a deep breath.
"I like Hermione," he blurted, "And not just like a friend. Like...like a girl." He glanced warily at Harry, trying to gauge his reaction.
"I know," Harry said simply. Ron's mouth dropped open.
"You know?" he exclaimed. "How do you know? Who told you? I haven't told anyone! Am I really that obvious?"
"It's only obvious to me because you're my best friend," Harry explained, "And I wasn't positive, but I reckoned that you did after you got all shirty when Hermione and Krum went to the ball together."
Ron scowled. "Krum, that git. He wasn't right for her." He paused for a moment before crying, "Do you think Hermione knows I like her?"
Harry shook his head. "Hermione is the cleverest witch you could ever find, but when it comes to things besides bookwork and spells...she's not the quickest to catch on."
Ron sighed with relief. "I couldn't stand knowing that she's known all these years and that she...that she pities me for my silly little crush."
"Are you ever going to tell her?" Harry asked.
"And ruin what the three of us have got? I can't!" Ron exclaimed, "We're best friends, the three of us, and if she knew I liked her...it would all be rather awkward, don't you think?"
"I suppose you're right," Harry mulled, "But you never know, do you? What if she likes you back and has been too scared to say anything all these years?"
"Hermione? Too scared to say something?" Ron said incredulously.
"Remember what I said about how Hermione works," Harry reminded him, "She gets high marks in everything academic but when it comes to social situations and romance...remember when she tried to convince Lavender that there was no reason to be sad about her bunny?"
Ron laughed despite himself. "And the time she told off Draco Malfoy before potions? Good times, those were...hey!" he exclaimed, an idea beginning for form in his mind. "Potions...what if I made a love potion? Then Hermione would have to return my feelings!"
"Come on, Ron, be serious," Harry said. "Besides the fact that I don't think either you or I could brew a complex potion without Hermione's help, do you really want her to like you just because she's bewitched?"
Ron frowned. "You're right again," he said, "but what if I diluted all the ingredients in the potion? You know...just made her a little warmer towards me and then let my charm and wit do the rest?" He grinned. "Instead of a love potion, it'd be...a like potion. Then it wouldn't *really* be against school rules, right?"
Harry thought for a moment. "If you really think we could do it," he said, "I'll help you get the ingredients together. Who knows, maybe we could give Professor Snape some of it before classes start so he won't give us detentions for breathing too loudly!"
As the fire died down, the boys plotted everything out. They'd go to the library the next day, after breakfast - it would be their only free day before classes began, so they'd have to work quickly to get the potion done while they had enough free time.
Back in bed, Ron snuggled down under the covers, a smile playing with his lips. He was going to share his feelings with Hermione at last - and if everything went well in the cauldron, she would return his affections. This was going to be an exceptionally good year, he could feel it.