Things you might need to know: All the students at Hogwarts are redoing the year they missed. Harry and Co and redoing their seventh year, and Ginny and Luna are doing their sixth.
Big Blue Eyes
If there was one thing that Harry had learned from the war, it was to take nothing for granted. Never in a million years had Harry expected Mad-Eye Moody to fall to Voldemort. Nor had he thought that Ron would turn on him again. The one thing he always thought he could count on now was Ron's friendship and loyalty. And yet now, for the third time, Ron had abandoned him, left him with just Hermione. Not that that was a bad thing. After the kiss they had just shared, well... there were many things more worrisome than being left alone with Hermione.
"Oh, Harry, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked frantically. "He's our best friend! We need to go and sort things out with him."
"No," Harry responded. "Let him cool off first. That was not a good thing to walk in on."
Harry and Hermione sat on Harry's four-poster, just talking.
"I'm so glad everything's back to normal," Hermione said blissfully.
"What do you mean, normal?" Harry laughed. "Normal for me is trying to figure out what Malfoy's up to while annoying Snape and thwarting Voldemort. I haven't done any of those since May."
"I guess you're right," Hermione allowed, chuckling, too. "Let's put it this way. I'm glad everything is finally peaceful."
"That I'll agree with." He looked at Hermione, suddenly serious. "Thank you, Hermione," he said.
"For what?"
"For sticking with me the last eight years. You're my best friend, you know that, right?"
"You're my best friend, too, Harry. And that's exactly why I stuck with you the whole time." She moved closer to Harry and took his hand. "I'm never going to leave you, and I will always trust you. You have the best instincts of anyone I know."
Harry laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, that happens when you're being perpetually hunted by a lethal madman, doesn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose it does," Hermione said, smiling sadly. "But we made it, Harry. We did it. You did it."
"But I never would have done it without you. I owe you my life several times over."
"I was happy to help you. And think about it, we have lots of exciting stories to tell our grandchildren."
"Ha, grandchildren," Harry laughed again. "That would require a children, which would require a wife, which would require a girlfriend, which would require a girl who's not interested in me just because I'm famous."
"Well, I know of at least one girl like that."
"Oh yeah? Who?"
"Um, Harry?"
"What?"
"Sometimes you can be so dense."
"What?"
"Me, Harry," she said. "I like you for you, not just because you killed Voldemort. I have since first year."
"Oh. You're right, sorry."
"Apology accepted. So how are you going to make it up to me?"
"Huh?"
"For forgetting about your best friend." They were slowly moving closer together, unconsciously.
"Uhhh," he said, his mouth opening slightly. Then their faces were touching and Harry was kissing Hermione, his best friend, the girl who had stood by him for so long. This is the best feeling ever, he thought. Even better than kissing Ginny. He moved to deepen the kiss when the door to the dormitory burst open.
"Harry, have you seen my--what the bloody hell is going on here?" Harry and Hermione jumped away from each other as Ron came into the room. All three faces started going red, Harry's and Hermoine's from embarrassment and Ron's with anger. But for the first time in living memory, Ron said nothing, but turned around and walked out the door.
"Why did we do that?" Hermione asked, almost crying. "I'm dating him, not you, oh, that was such a mistake!"
"Ouch," Harry said, hurt. "Thanks a lot."
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I'm not that kind of girl. I don't go kissing everybody I meet. I'm going to go apologize."
"Hermione, wait!" Harry made a spontaneous decision. "You can't, I need to talk to him first. But before that, I have to tell you something."
"Well, hurry up," she said impatiently.
"Yikes. Calm down. You can't tell this to anyone, especially not Ron. He'd be so betrayed if he knew I'm telling you."
"Then why are you telling me? You should respect his privacy."
"Because you need a reason not to go after him right now, and I know you can keep a secret. Ok, the day he came back to us in the tent, when we destroyed the Horcrux, something happened."
"I know, you told me: it screamed."
"That's not all it did. It taunted him, as well. Told him that he was worthless, and you and I didn't want him with us, that his mother didn't love him and wanted me as a son instead."
"But that's not true! Mrs. Weasley loves him so much. She thinks of you as a son, but in addition to Ron, not instead of."
"I know that and you know that. He knows it, too, but has been overshadowed by his brothers and me so much that he has a serious inferiority complex. Riddle played on that weakness to try to get him to turn on me."
"But--"
"That's not all. Two figurines popped out--you and me. Except we had red eyes. But we--they--told him that we didn't want him with us, that we were better off without him. And then they kissed."
"Oh no," Hermione whispered, her hands over her mouth. She was beginning to understand why Ron had reacted the way he had.
"But wait, there's more," Harry said grimly, sounding like a very unenthusiastic salesman. "I told him that I loved you like a sister, and you loved me like a brother. That's what made him feel better. I didn't realize..." he trailed off.
"Realize what?"
Harry whispered, "That I might be wrong."
(page break)
"Ron!" Harry shouted across the grounds. Ron looked up at the sound of his name, saw who was talking, then put his head down and started walking in the opposite direction. Harry started running, and knocked into a few first years along the way. He apologized, then kept on his way. "Ron! I need to talk to you!"
"What about?" Ron sneered. "Do you want something else of mine, too? Since you have my girlfriend and my mother?"
"I don't have your mother. She loves you ten times more than she does me! You're just too dense to see it."
"So you take all my stuff and then insult me, too? Some friend you are!"
"Don't ever let Hermione hear you calling her 'your stuff.' She'd flip."
"Why? 'Cause she wants to be yours?"
"Will you shut up and listen to me? I'm sorry! Neither of us meant for that to happen. It just...did. And we feel really bad."
"Why are you talking to me alone? Why isn't she here?"
"Because I told her not to come. She wanted to, but I convinced her to let me talk to you first."
"Maybe I don't want to talk to you. Either of you."
"Well, you have been for a few minutes now, so might as well finish."
"Fine. Finish."
"I know what you saw that night, and what I said to you, and I know that's what you were thinking just now."
Ron's face showed surprise. "How did you know that?"
"Because we've been mates for almost eight years now. I know you Ron."
"Mates? That's what you call someone who steals your girlfriend?"
"Hey! I wasn't finished yet. I know you were feeling like I betrayed you, like I lied to you that night. But think, if I was lying to you then, what reason would I have to do that? Hermione and I were all alone in the tent for months. If we really had fallen in love then, and were shagging, why would I want you to come back? I could have just taken the Horcrux and the sword, told you Riddle was right, and been on my way back to the tent to shag Hermione. But I didn't. I wanted you back, because you're the best mate I've ever had. The first one, to be exact. I really am sorry I hurt you."
"But why? Why would you kiss her if you weren't lying back then?"
"Because if I told you the same thing now, then I'd be lying."
"What?"
"I'm in love with Hermione. I wasn't then, but I am now."
"So you thought you could just have her, becuase you the Boy-who-Lived?
"NO! Will you quit the pity party and listen to me?!" Harry yelled at him. "I'm not about to make anyone do something they don't want to. My life was like that for seventeen years, always doing something because other people needed it. I didn't want to cook for my aunt and uncle. I didn't want to fight Voldemort. But I did. And I would never wish that on anyone else. Hermione can choose. She can you, me, or neither of us. Hell, she can both of us if that's what she wants. But it's up to her."
"You want me to be your boyfriend?" Ron sneered at him.
"I'm not even going to talk to you anymore if you're just going to be sarcastic and woe-is-me. I'm sending Hermione to talk to you now. Please be nice to her."
(page break)
"Ron?"
Ron looked up to see a bushy-haired beauty standing in front of him. She had been crying recently and looked as if she was about to start again. "What?" he asked wearily?
She burst out sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me! I'm not usually like that, I don't just kiss all the boys I know. Actually, I've never kissed anyone except you. And now Harry. I just--we were talking and--"
"What did you just say?"
"We were talking."
"No, before that."
"I've never kissed anyone except you and Harry?"
"Not Krum?"
"What? No! Why would you think that?"
"Well," he mumbled ashamed.
"He kissed me on the cheek, but never more than that. He was a gentleman. Who told you that?"
"Ginny," he said very quietly.
"Oh, yes, she told me about that. She was wrong. She was in the midst of a fit of rage, and it just popped out of her mouth."
"Oh."
"Ron, please forgive me. I understand that you're mad, and I absolutely would be, too, if it was me. But please forgive me."
"I don't know, Hermione. I think I...need some time."
"Of course." She turned and walked away. "Hermione!"
She faced Ron again. "What?"
"I love you."
"I know." Hermione smiled sadly. "And I love you, too, I just don't know how much." She turned again, before she could see his face crumple in pain.
(page break)
"Hello, Ronald." Ron looked up to see the large blue eyes of Luna Lovegood staring at him.
"Hey Luna."
"What's wrong with you?" To the point, as always.
"I think me and Hermione just broke up."
"Yes, I can understand why. You and she never did get along very well."
"But we were doing better. I was trying harder. And Harry swore she cried over me for weeks. But then I found them kissing in my room, and she told me she doesn't know how much she loves me." He looked away from her as tears began leaking out of his eyes.
Luna walked around in front of him. "Did you ever ask yourself how much you love her? Or why you love her."
"Well, I'm willing to die for her. Doesn't that show how much I love her?"
"I'm willing to die for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm in love with all of them. Everyone who fought on the side of light was willing to give their life for countless Muggles and Muggleborns, but they can't be in love with everyone. Do you see what I'm saying?"
"Yes..."
"And why do you love her?"
"Well, she's pretty and smart, and she's almost always stuck by me. She gave me this hug in third year, and I thought, well, why not? And then I started noticing things. And when she was hugging me at Dumbledore's funeral last year, and if just felt right. Plus, everybody always says we argue like an old married couple, so it kind of seems like it's meant to be."
"So basically you fell in love with her because it was expected of you?"
"What? No! I wanted to fall in love with her. And it doesn't change the fact that I did!"
"But it does change things. Think about why and how you fell in love with her in the first place. Goodbye, Ronald."
"Luna, wait. What do you mean?" But the blond haired girl just skipped away across the grounds.
(page break)
Ron finally decided on an arrangement. He was now ignoring both Harry and Hermione. He thought that Ginny would get upset, too, when he told her what he had seen, but she just sighed and said she'd seen it coming for years now. In fact, she'd had her sights set on Neville Longbottom for the past few months.
Without the support of anyone except the two people he was mad at, he retreated from everyone. He talked to people only when asked a direct question. He wouldn't talk to Harry or Hermione at all. He ate smaller meals and spent the rest of his time in the library doing homework. One night in the common room, he heard Harry say to Hermione, "Well, if he's not talking to us, at least he's doing well in school?"
"Of course not, Harry! I'd rather him slack off and be our friend again and have to help him than have this estrangement. I hate not talking to him."
Upon hearing this, Ron almost decided to admit defeat and be friends again, but then his stubbornness kicked in and he told himself he wouldn't give in until they did. When the rational part of his mind asked how they were supposed to give in, he pushed it aside.
After three weeks, Harry and Hermione decided they weren't going to wait for Ron to grow up. They started dating, to the surprise of . . . no one.
(page break)
One evening in the library, Ron sat writing an essay for Transfiguration. As he looked through his book for information on Animagi, he got frustrated and swore quite loudly. Madam Pince looked at him scoldingly, silently warning him with detention if it happened again. Luna Lovegood, on the other hand, smiled at him and joined his party of one.
"Ronald, do you need any help?" she asked him.
"Yes, please," he said gratefully. "What do you know about the spells necessary for human transformation into animals?"
Being a Ravenclaw, Luna spouted out everything she knew about Animagi and how to become one. She pointed out helpful passages in Ron's textbook, and magically highlighted them so he could find them quickly. Soon, Ron had enough information to write his essay, and Luna proofread it for him. Two hours later it was ready to hand in.
"Thank you so much, Luna," Ron said, rubbing his eyes. "You are a life saver. I'd never have gotten this done without you."
"It was my pleasure. I've noticed you haven't been talking to Harry and Hermione lately." Oh, Luna, thought Ron. How blunt you are.
"Well, I'm not really comfortable with either of them right now."
"Why not? Everyone else is."
"Thank you. That makes me feel much better."
"I didn't come here to make you feel better by sympathizing with you. I came to help you get over her."
"But we were supposed to be together."
"Says who?"
"I don't know. It just seems right. Harry and Ginny and me and Hermione. Then we all end up being related, and our kids will be cousins and friends, and we'll be friends forever. Oh Merlin, I just sounded like a twelve year old girl."
"Is that what you're worried about? That if Harry and Hermione are together they won't need you?" Luna got uncharacteristically serious. "You are so wrong. They will always need you. You're their best friend. So what if Harry and Hermione have kids that aren't related by blood to yours. Do you think they'll tell them not to associate with your children? Or does is sound more plausible that your children will still be friends with theirs, and you'll all still be friends forever?"
Ron looked at her. Then he sighed. "Why can't anybody ever just let me wallow in self-pity?"
"Because that's what friends do," Luna replied, either missing the rhetorical question or choosing to ignore it. "And I like to think that we," she gestured to Ron and herself, "are friends."
Ron looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean, Luna? Of course we're friends! We have been since fifth year--or your fourth, I guess."
"Thank you for saying that."
"But I'm not just saying it. It's true. You've been with us since the D.A. started. You were at the Ministry, the first Battle of Hogwarts, you and your dad supported us through the war, and you were at the final battle. If that's not a true friend then I don't know what is."
"Thank you very much, Ronald," Luna said, smiling slightly. "You're very sweet when you try."
"What can I say? Hidden quality."
Luna yawned hugely, then looked at her watch. "Oh, my, it's almost midnight. The library will close soon. We'd better get to bed."
"OK," Ron agreed. "I'll walk you back to your dorm."
They kept up an amiable debate about the existence of nargles (one that Ron had long since given up; he still enjoyed messing with her, though) and laughed more in five minutes than Ron had in the last three weeks. When they reached Ravenclaw Tower, on impulse, he reached over and gave her a hug. "Thanks Luna," he told her. "I feel better than I have in weeks."
"It was my pleasure."
Ron walked all the way back to his bed with a big smile on his face. He went to bed happy, his dreams filled with blond hair and big blue eyes.