A/N: I think it's pretty obvious who Ron is with. I didn't want to say the name until later, but I think I failed at keeping it stealthy. Maybe? I don't know. Tell me what you think. Review, please! I love reviews and, guys, it takes a few seconds. That's all! Unless you edit yours like I do, and go chapter by chapter and provide a character analysis, but I like those, too!
Hermione is Head Girl, and I gave her her own room in Gryffindor Tower. It seems like something McGonagall would allow Hermione after everything she was obviously doing for Hogwarts.
Warning(s): Dramione, and this will probably spoil the entire thing, but slash! Profanity and some vague/mentioned sexual content. Hermione is a bit ooc, but she just wants what's best for Ron. Ginny is very vulgar.
Without further ado, I give you: Confession!
~Blue Rose
Hermione shot up in her bed, her heart pounding. Something was moving in the common room. She calmed down once she realized someone was moving around in the common room.
Right, the war was over. No more Voldemort and no more running, and she was in Hogwarts. She remembered now.
She sighed, swiping a strand of curly, tangled hair out of her face. She carefully slipped out of her bed, not wanting to wake Ginny, who had snuck onto the couch at the foot of the bed, mumbling something about Fred and Riddle's Diary. Hermione hadn't thrown Ginny out of the room because she knew Ginny slept better when someone was around her.
She shoved her feet into a pair of slippers and slowly made her way down the stairs. As she drew nearer the common room, Hermione heard slurping noises and soft gasps; telltale signs of snogging.
She rolled her eyes and was prepared to tell off whoever it was when she stopped. Peering around the Christmas tree, Hermione made out a flash of red hair peeking out above a couch. Ron.
Her first thought was of Lavender, and her heart twisted. Right. Lavender was dead, mauled by Greyback in the Final Battle.
Normally, Hermione would just burst into the room and separate Ron and whoever he was with. But Ron had been really unhappy, lately, and it was Christmas. She also had a suspicion as to who he was with, who would really embarrass him. Well, she figured both of them would be embarrassed and ashamed, and she didn't want either of them to react irrationally.
Hermione peered at Ron and his partner (what little she could see of her; Ron was covering her entire body) before she took a step back. Making up her mind, Hermione went to the stairs, this time taking the boys' so she could just check something.
She carefully pushed open the door, knowing Dean had stayed for Christmas, and she didn't want to wake him. Four empty beds, she counted. There should've been three empty; Harry was also staying for the holiday. The only reason Ron and Ginny had stayed was because the rest of the Weasleys were in Romania, and they hadn't wanted to go and be reminded of their time there with Fred.
Hermione had a pretty good guess now, though, that the siblings had also stayed for Dean and the mystery girl. Hermione was pretty sure she knew who was with Ron, though. One more clue and it would all fall into place.
She slowly and quietly went over to Harry's trunk and opened it, then accio'd Harry's map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Hermione whispered. She searched the map for Gryffindor Tower and grinned in satisfaction when she found the pair on the couch; she was right. Of course she was.
"Mischief managed," she murmured and laid the map back where she got it.
Hermione slowly worked her way back down the stairs, her happiness and satisfaction practically radiating off her. She was right.
She neared the trusty Christmas tree and peered around it, glad for its presence in more way than one, and her stomach flopped. Ron had his shirt off, settled between his lover's legs.
"Ah," Ron gasped. He rutted against the person under him, who Hermione knew now was a boy. "We can't do this here," Ron said roughly.
"Who's gonna hear us? It's three in the morning," the other boy said gruffly. His voice was unrecognizable and Hermione almost went back for the map to make sure she hadn't read it wrong. She realized it was lust that made the boy's voice so husky. She looked at her watch, unable to resist the temptation. Sorry, boys, three a.m. was two hours ago.
Ginny would wake up soon, Hermione realized.
The other boy ran his hands up Ron's torso and into his hair, tugging him back down into a heated kiss. His hands (which were basically all she could see of him) wandered down to Ron's pants zipper and Hermione had to look away; that was personal. That was something she shouldn't see, especially considering who the two of them were. They'd be furious if they knew she watched.
Hermione turned back to the stairs and went up, a plan forming in her head. She'd explain it all to Ginny. The red-head could help her plans, and Hermione knew she'd only gladly do it.
"Gin'," Hermione said loudly, shaking her friend awake when she got into her dorm.
"Ugh. Go suck a dick, Hermione," Ginny grumbled angrily, but sat up anyway. The blue-eyed girl turned a glare onto Hermione.
"Manners," Hermione said absently.
"What do you want?" Ginny snapped.
Hermione felt a smirk threaten to break onto her face, and let it.
"Wanna help me manipulate your brother's love life?" she asked, and Ginny's bad mood was broken as she chuckled and nodded.
"Of course," Ginny said darkly. Hermione grinned and started to explain everything.
Ginny and Hermione managed to take fifteen minutes on the stairs, chatting loudly and purposefully stomping their feet every once in a while. It was an ample amount of time to alert the boys, Hermione thought.
When they got down to the common room, Ron was sitting on the couch he had (presumably) been on for three hours, trying to even out his breathing. He was reading Hogwarts: A History which made Hermione smile. The other boy was nowhere in sight, which made her smile fall for a moment.
It came back full force when she saw Harry laying under the tree, for some reason, staring up at the branches from the middle of the tree. His jumper was covered in pine needles, but he didn't seem to notice as he squinted up at the thick branches and poked the ornaments with a pale finger.
"What are you doing under the Christmas tree, Harry?" Ginny asked, giggling. Harry looked up at her, surprised.
"Er, I don't really know, actually," Harry said sheepishly. Ginny giggled again and Harry went back to poking the ornaments with interest. Hermione shook her head, knowing that Harry was definitely a fun character.
"Happy Christmas, you two. I'm surprised you haven't opened all your presents already," Hermione said. Ron looked up from the book and shrugged at her. His cheeks were still flushed, and his hair a little tussled, but other than that, you couldn't tell that he was having sex on that same couch fifteen minutes prior. Hermione would have to avoid that seat for a while.
"I wanted to wait for you two. Take pictures," Ron said shortly. He actually did pull out a camera, to his credit. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Alright, let's get to opening shit," Ginny said. Ron snorted, like he always did when Ginny cussed, but they opened their presents regardless. Hermione was so happy to get a present from Draco that she didn't even scold Ginny in her language.
The rest of the day went by slowly, in a haze it seemed. Hermione had a goal though; she wouldn't let herself get lost in the lazy lull of the Christmas season.
Sometime at dinner, with twenty seats for the students set up, Hermione set her plan into action.
"So, I read an interesting book the other week," she said absently. Of course, that didn't exactly grab her boys' attention, so she continued while putting a piece of ham on her plate.
"My mother gave it to me a while ago, I just never read it. I thought it would be tasteless, as most romance novels are, but it was very intriguing."
"That's great, Hermione," Harry said. "What was it about?" he prompted. Bless his heart, Hermione thought. She at least had Harry's attention.
"An arranged marriage between two friends. He'd known her since he was a young child, but they were both in love with other people," Hermione said. "See, the man was having an affair with the stable-boy. They'd known each other for so long, and the man was in love with him. The girl was in love with her cousin, who she wasn't allowed to marry because her father made a deal with the her betrothed's family. It was quite heartbreaking, really, because the man and the stable-boy were happy together and in love, and then they were forced apart. And the poor girl should've told her father about her love for her rich cousin. Honestly, the entire book was just tragic," Hermione said, studying Ron's face out of the corner of her eye as she buttered a roll casually. Ron was pale, staring at his plate.
"It didn't bother you that the man was in love with the stable-boy?" Harry asked curiously. "I know that stuff isn't really normal." He chewed on a tiny piece of ham thoughtfully.
"No, not at all. There's nothing wrong with being gay. Are you homophobic, Harry?" Hermione asked, sending Harry an accusing stare. It was all part of the plan.
"What? No. Where'd you get that idea?" Harry asked, slightly stung and bewildered. Hermione shrugged and sent Harry an apologetic glance.
"Sorry," Hermione said. Harry grinned. One down, one to go, Hermione thought, mentally checking Harry's name off her list.
"It's okay," Harry forgave her. Hermione spared a glance at Ron. He was steadfastly looking anywhere but Hermione and Harry.
"Are you homophobic, Ronald? Because there's nothing wrong with being gay or lesbian!" Hermione said fiercely. Ron looked up at her in surprise. "It's perfectly fine to be a homosexual, Ron. There's no reason to be disgusted or hateful towards gay people."
"What—" Ron started, looking cornered and shocked.
"And anyone that thinks so can go suck a dick," Ginny said cheerfully. "I'm sure they'll find it very eye-opening," she added. Harry choked on his pumpkin juice and coughed while he laughed. Ginny thumped him on the back and he spat it all over the table.
"Language, Ginny," Hermione scolded. Ginny shrugged. She did what she was told; she contributed her part to the plan: support Hermione's claim in whatever way she deemed appropriate.
"I didn't say I was against homosexuals, Hermione," Ron muttered.
"Well, good, because I think it's great to be different, and anyone who disagrees will answer to me," Hermione said stiffly. Ron smiled at her, and she knew her job was done.
It must've taken all the courage Ron possessed to tell Hermione about his lover. Hermione knew her protectiveness at Christmas dinner convinced him that Hermione would be elated and glad for him. She thought a Slytherin would be proud of her.
"I'm gay, Hermione," Ron confessed to Hermione. He was looking at her from across a library table they were at, one week after Christmas. She'd dragged him to the library to study instead of having a snow-ball fight with Harry, Ginny, and Dean. He didn't argue, which led Hermione to believe he planned to tell her instead of impulsively blurting it out.
Hermione set her quill down and looked up at Ron, smiling.
"Really? That's great, Ron. I'm glad you told me," Hermione said. Ron visibly relaxed; he was, of course, still nervous about her reaction to his orientation, despite her earlier words.
"Thanks," Ron said gratefully.
"Of course, Ron. You're my best friend," Hermione said softly. She grabbed Ron's hand for a moment, squeezed once and then let it go. She picked up her quill and went back to making her color-coded schedule for the new year.
Harry's coming out was definitely not planned. In fact, if she hadn't already known that Harry had been having sex with Ron for a month, she probably would've shrieked a lot louder and slapped him.
She was rushing up to Harry and Ron's room with their own color-coded schedules in her hand, excitedly bounding up the steps, and she burst into their room without thinking.
The first thing she saw was Ron's back, and then Harry's legs, and then it registered where those limbs were and what they were doing.
"Eek!" Hermione screeched. She absently wondered how she didn't hear anything earlier. Oh, yeah, the calendars. She turned around and shut the door, so that no one else could come in, and then closed her eyes for good measure.
"Gah! Hermione!" Ron yelled.
"Um, I didn't see anything!" Hermione squeaked unconvincingly. She heard the boys scrambling for clothes and buckling things.
"Sure, Hermione!" Ron said angrily. Well, Hermione couldn't really blame him. After all, she'd be pretty upset if someone just burst in on her and Draco like she just did to Ron and Harry.
"I'm really sorry!" Hermione apologized, her hand firmly clamped over her eyes. "Um, I brought the schedules I made?" She held up the parchment in her right hand.
"Oh, thanks, Hermione," Harry said pleasantly. "Look, do Ron and I bother you?" he asked, worry tinging his voice. He grabbed the schedules. "Oh, we're dressed now."
Hermione turned around, blushing. Ron had disappeared behind his bed-curtains, and Harry didn't have his glasses.
Harry was, surprisingly, unaffected. Hermione thought it probably had something to do with constantly being under public scrutiny and not really caring what people saw anymore. There had been a whole article in Witch Weekly on Harry, featuring a portrait of him entirely naked with only a book to cover up his privates, which had been painted by someone apparently very familiar with Harry's naked body. He had been humiliated, and eventually flipped off the entire Hogwarts population.
There was an article on that, too.
"As long as I don't have to see you going at it," Hermione said honestly. She wisely left out that she already knew about their relationship.
"Oh, good. Maybe you can knock next time, then!" Ron yelled through the drapes. Hermione cleared her throat.
"Um, I'm just going to leave these with you, and then I'll lock the door on my way out," Hermione said awkwardly. Harry nodded.
She walked out of the room, stopping to cast warding spells on the door as well as locking it, and then made her way down the common room.
She passed Dean and Ginny, who were dozing on the couch by the fire. Hermione resisted the urge to move them away from there; Ron and Harry had occupied it Christmas morning.
She entered her room and settled down at her desk, pulling out a quill as she did so. She had to update Draco on the state of affairs so he wasn't out of the loop when Christmas break was over.
Draco, she wrote,
Don't be alarmed, but when you get back, it is entirely plausible that you may want to Obliviate yourself. I finally managed to get Ron and Harry to come out to me (I think you'd be proud of my methods). We both knew they were in the closet, and having a torrid relationship behind our backs, but now they're open about it.
I've walked in on them twice. Just to warn you: they seem to forget about their surroundings and how to lock doors when they're together.
I love you, Draco. Come back soon, I miss you.
Hermione
She tied it to her owl's leg and she watched the bird fly through the window. She watched it go until it was nothing more then a speck, and then she laid on her bed and closed her eyes.
All that scheming had left her tired, and longing to feel Draco next to her.
She heard a faint thumping sound and cursed herself; she warded the doors but she forgot to sound-proof them. She shot up and ran past Ginny and Dean, who were fully awake and confused, to go out up silencing spells.
"Sorry! I only locked the door!" Hermione shot over her shoulder, and Ginny burst out laughing. Only she would find it funny, Hermione thought.
A/N: I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I know it was a little quick, but I am tired right now and I have been working on this for way too long. This is part of the same universe as "Just the Words" in case you were wondering, with some mild tweaks. Thanks for reading!