Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.
Chapter One Hundred One
Anger
"Couldn't Dumbledore have made it so we could see into the lake," Seamus said five minutes after the second task had started. "What's the point of watching the water and not know what's happening?"
"It's all about the impatient thrill of wondering who's going to come out of the water first," Fred commented.
"Where the bloody hell is Hermione?" Ron grumbled looking around the crowd, though he didn't really expect to see her. He didn't understand why she hadn't come down the stairs for breakfast or met him at some other time.
"Maybe she can't take looking at the lake for an hour," Fred suggested.
"Yeah, I bet she's in the library study for her next test," George said.
Ron glared at them but noticed they were a little worried themselves. They knew as much as he did that she wouldn't have missed this task when Harry was one of the champions.
"She's in the lake," Luna was the one to suggest in her dreamy voice and then said in a sing song voice, "we've taken what you'll sorely miss."
"That … they … they wouldn't take a person, would they?" Ginny asked obviously hoping that the answer was no, but just like Ron, felt that Luna was right.
"Bloody hell," Ron groaned, worried now for not only Harry but also Hermione. "You don't think they'll take the hour timetable seriously … do you?"
"No!" the twins and Ginny all answered at the same time and Ron, after thinking about it, was relieved to find that he truly agreed with them. There was no way that Dumbledore (or the other judges) would allow someone to be hurt just because a champion couldn't get to them.
"Besides you don't have to worry, Harry's totally prepared for this task … and there's no way that he'll fail to rescues the girl," Fred said. "Just ask Ginny."
"Shut up!" Ginny glared at him.
"Yeah … right," Ron said, knowing that Fred was right but starting to feel an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. However, he didn't have time to think about that as he waited for Harry to finish the task. He started to get anxious again the longer it took, and he was starting to get angry with Harry for taking so damn long!
When Fleur surfaced being dragged to the shore, clearly failing to get what she would miss the most, the entire crowd started to shift nervously but excitedly. It wasn't long after that when Cedric showed up with Cho in his arms making it clear that Hermione really was in the lake. Third to surface was Krum and an older woman that was most likely the other boy's mum. Ron was really starting to get nervous and angry that Harry hadn't showed up yet. After everything they had done to prepared for this task, Harry should have been back first. What the hell was he doing that was making him take so long? His answer was; Harry was playing the hero, saving not only Hermione but also Fleur's person (who was likely her sister).
Bloody Harry Potter always having to act the hero, Ron thought bitterly and then grimaced at his thought. He couldn't really understand why the hell he was so upset now. He should be happy that Harry had completed the task and was award highly for showing moral fiber. But he wasn't.
"Want to help us get food from the elves, Ron?" Fred asked him as he stood up, "we should have an extra great party after this."
"No," Ron said emotionlessly.
"You never want to help," Fred shrugged and walked away with George, Ginny and their other friends.
Ron stayed sitting as he watched the crowd walk away. He knew that he wasn't in any mood to party right now, and he also knew that if he went up to the Gryffindor tower he'd ruin the party for the others. So instead of going there he went to the Room of Requirement where he knew he would be left alone for a while.
The longer he was alone the angrier he got. He was angry at Harry for taking so long and potentially putting Hermione in danger because he wanted to save everyone. He was pissed off that the person that Harry missed most was Hermione. At first he thought that was just because Harry had told him that he didn't like Hermione and this seemed to show otherwise. Not for sure but there was a chance. Later, though, he realized that he was angry that he wasn't the one that was picked. It was ridiculous but he still felt that way. He was still rather upset by the time he went back to his dorm room and was glad when everyone was asleep. He probably would have exploded if Harry was still awake, hopefully sleep will help him.
Well, it did help a little, but it didn't stop him from being angry.
"Hey," Harry said. "Where were you last night?"
"Out," Ron said stiffly.
"You're angry with me," Harry sighed.
"Yep," Ron didn't see the point in lying.
Harry opened his mouth to say something put shut it quickly and just frowned.
Ron was glad that he didn't say anything; though maybe he would feel better if he shouted it all now.
"You can just say it," Harry said, clearing noticing that Ron was trying to hold his tongue, not something that he was known for doing.
"I'm not even sure if I'm more angry with you or me," Ron grumbled, and Hermione, he added in his thoughts because he was angry with her too. It was worse because she didn't do anything but be what Harry wanted most.
"What did you do?" Harry wondered looking slightly confused.
"Being a jealous git."
"You're not a git," Harry shrugged. "If you would have come to the party yesterday and yelled at me, then you would have been a git."
Ron snorted and then glared at his friend. "Stop it Harry, I supposed to be angry with you right now."
"My bad," Harry raised his hands defensively.
"Seriously mate, stop it," Ron said smiling again before glaring.
"You're angry that I picked Hermione as the person I would miss," Harry decided to go on bluntly.
"I'm pissed that you didn't save her quicker," Ron snapped and Harry's eyebrows raised in surprised. "Why the hell did you have to play the hero so much … what if the song was right and if you didn't get back to the shore with Hermione something would have happened to her?"
"No … I just had to find …" Harry said and then turned angry himself. "So you wanted me to just leave the girl behind knowing she would be in danger!"
"No!" Ron huffed. "It's not that." He didn't know how to explain this.
"It's not in me to just leave someone behind," Harry frowned.
"I know," Ron sighed tiredly. "I have no bloody idea what I would have done in your place. And if it was me you were saving, it would have been fine … it's just … put me on bloody edge watching that."
Harry frowned.
"It's a moot point anyways … no one was in danger," Ron grumbled. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
Harry just nodded his head and then left the room. Ron wasn't really sure if he felt better after saying all of that or not.
O
"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked when Harry got to the Great Hall and he sat down next to her.
"Don't know," Harry shrugged looking glum. "I'm not sure he's going to want to be near me."
"What happened?" Hermione asked in surprised.
"Stuff," Harry shrugged and Hermione sighed, knowing he wasn't going to say anymore. She didn't know if that was because he just didn't want to talk about it or if he didn't want to tell her because of Ron. Harry didn't say anything as he picked through his food and left by himself saying he wanted a take a walk alone. She was about to get up and go to the library when Ron came in to the room and then sat across from her.
"What happened between you and Harry?" she asked before she could think.
"What did he say happened?" Ron snapped back.
"Nothing … but clearly something happened," Hermione said.
"It was just a hard task to watch," Ron mumbled, and then he picked at his food, not eating much, a very odd behavior for Ron, before he quickly left without saying another word.
Hermione sighed, realizing that things were likely going to be tense and uncomfortable for as long as the boys weren't talking to each other. Well, if neither one of them was going to talk to her about it, there was nothing she could do to help them, so she might as well spend her time studying. Of course that was easier said than done, because all she could do was think about her friends. She did stay in the library until it was lunch time then she went back to the Great Hall hoping the boys would be there, talking to each other again. However, they weren't there, so she ate another quiet meal before she got up, taking her map out and looked for the boys. Ron wasn't on the map so she was sure he was in the Room of Requirement, whereas Harry was sitting by the lake.
O
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"I wanted to talk to you," Hermione said simply.
"I don't really want to talk," Ron grumbled.
"Then you should have made it so the room wouldn't let anyone else in," Hermione pointed out and he scowled at her as she sat down next to him.
"You always have the answer, don't you?" Ron huffed. "I bet you've found out what happened from Harry by now?"
"No … I came to talk to you first," Hermione answered frowning.
"I suppose you think that I'm to blame then," Ron said grimly. "It's always my fault right."
"I don't even know what's going on with you and Harry, but I didn't come here to blame you," Hermione huffed, getting angry with the accusations that he was throwing at her. "Are you angry with me about something," she asked trying to figure out where his attitude was coming from.
"I don't want to talk to anyone … you're the bloody one that came to talk to me and you know I always stick my foot in my mouth when I'm angry," Ron shouted.
"I also know that the longer you don't say something the angrier you get," Hermione snapped back.
"What do you effing want me to say, Hermione?" Ron shouted. "That I'm bloody jealous? That I was worried? What?"
"Yes!" was the answer he got from her.
"Well that's helpful," Ron glared at her.
"I still don't know what you're angry at me for?" Hermione said when Ron didn't say anything, trying to poke him into an argument.
"Because Harry picked you! Is that what you wanted to hear?"
It wasn't really what she wanted to hear. Truth be told she would have preferred it if he thought Harry liked her and was jealous of that. But at least this was easier to deal with. "You wanted to be underwater and wake up suddenly in the middle of the lake?"
"Well, when you say it like that it sounds ridiculous," Ron grumbled. "And it had little to do with that."
"You wanted to be Harry's favorite," Hermione said bluntly and he grimaced.
"You're making me sound like a dick," Ron scowled.
"I don't think you are … I would have been jealous of you if you were chosen," Hermione admitted. "Remember how angry I was in first year when you first started making friends with him."
"I remember fighting with you all the time," Ron said almost smiling.
"Ron, we still fight all the time," Hermione pointed out and he actually chuckled this time.
"True, but you know it's different now," he shrugged and she nodded her head. He sighed and then looked away from her as he admitted his feelings, something which he hated doing, but it always came easier when it was her. "I just hate being second … or even farther down. I'll never come first to anyone. I thought maybe …" he shook his head and grimaced, "… but I'm second again."
"You're not second to everyone," Hermione whispered and he raised his head to look at her with suspicion.
"You expect me to believe you don't care about Harry more, he's your best friend," Ron frowned.
"You are too," Hermione pointed out, "and honestly I don't know the answer to who is the most important, because it's so different."
"Different?" Ron asked, curious.
"Harry's practical become a brother to me," Hermione said. "I don't know if that's really true, not having an actual sibling it's hard to say, but it feels that way. I worry about him and no matter how much his bad habits annoy me; I'm still going to care about him.
"You've never felt like a brother to me," she continued.
"That's good to know," Ron mumbled, not really sure where she was going with this. All he knew was he was on the edge of his seat waiting to hear what it was.
"You're the most frustrating, annoying, lazy prat I've ever met," she said smiling. "You can make me laugh easier than anyone else can. You can be so insightful and see things that I don't. Which of course is part of the reason why you're so annoying."
Ron chuckled at that.
"And you'll never be second to me," she whispered again and lean in to kiss him on the cheek.
Ron just looked at her like he was lost as she pulled away blushing, his ears were bright red too. She wasn't sure why she just did it or what to do now as he just stared at her.
"Er … just think about that okay, Ron," she said staring at her leg nervously and then got up and left the room. Ron stared after her as she left, half of him wanted to get up and stop her, to do what … well, he wasn't sure. The other half of him was too stunned to move at all. He slowly raised his hand to his cheek and a smile spread across his face. He continued to stay in the Room of Requirement the rest of the day, but he was no longer thinking about the task or anything else he had been angry about last night.
A/N: Okay, I must admit that this chapter didn't come out anything like I thought it would have but this is how it turned out while I was writing it.