Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter universe and am not making any money off this fic.
Harry's request to meet up for dinner that night came as a bit of a relief. Hermione was still feeling a bit out of sorts after Ron's startling revelation and was dying to talk things out with him. While she had a great many things to say to Ronald, and a few particularly nasty hexes, she wanted to make sure she wasn't overreacting.
She stepped out of the floo in Grimmauld Place and immediately met with a wave of delicious smells coming from the kitchen. Harry and Kreacher had put a lot of work into refurbishing the old home and it was nearly unrecognizable, although still clearly a bachelor pad. "Master Harry is being in the drawing room Miss Grangey" came from the sudden appearance of Kreacher, and Hermione thanked him and quickly headed that direction.
Harry was sitting in the darkened drawing room in the armchair before a roaring fire. Hermione steeled herself for whatever mood he may be in, knowing this conversation wasn't likely to go well. "Did you think I wouldn't recognize my best friend's writing style, Hermione? I saw the article this morning and was surprised to hear about Ron's plan, but the worst part of it for me was seeing how his plan was obviously built and crafted by my best friend who claims to have had nothing to do with him. And it's a plan that you know is targeted to hurt you and me the most! And I thought him as well! I mean I don't care that much about money, but this is… I mean I'm in no shape whatsoever to marry anyone, let alone have children. I feel like I'm still trying to get my feet flat on the ground after spending my whole life not expecting to survive to adulthood. I just don't understand why he of all people, one of the people that should know that the most… And now I sound like I'm making it all about myself. Please tell me straight Mione. What in Merlin's name is going on?"
Hermione sunk deeply into the armchair opposite from Harry and sighed heavily. At least Harry had matured enough to ask for missing facts before going off and doing something stupid. "Harry, I didn't lie to you about not being in touch with Ron. He wrote me my last year at Hogwarts asking for more information about a stupid argument we had while we were on the run. I had told him not to discount how the muggle government works without trying to understand what works well and what doesn't. When he wrote, he asked for more information on that and I wrote him back, but I only ever heard from him like 2 times after that and on completely unrelated topics. To be honest, I was at least as surprised as you were to hear that he was running for Minister, and especially that he was using my own writings as his platform. The irony is that I apparently wrote the tax reform based on a system I don't support and was arguing against. I can only hope he doesn't get elected and that it doesn't pass. Does that make me a terrible person Harry? To hope he doesn't get elected or that he doesn't succeed?"
"If it makes you a terrible person, I guess that makes me one too. I have hardly known how to feel all day except that one or possibly both of my best friends were… I don't even know. How would you even describe what's happening? Am I wrong for being so against Ron's campaign and the proposed laws without considering how they affect the wizarding world as a whole? I know – I KNOW – there's a population crisis and that something has to be done. It just feels like one more time that I'm being asked to sacrifice myself for the 'greater good' and I'm just so tired. And I never expected the person to ask that of me to be Ron."
"I hate to ask, Harry, but are you and I even still friends with him anymore? I haven't heard from him in years and we didn't exactly part on good terms. I guess I never asked how you felt about it. I feel angry and… and used over this whole thing. It feels more like some kind of betrayal than asking a friend for help. And he never even wrote me to tell me why he was asking or what was happening."
"I never wanted to tell you because I thought it would do more harm than good, but our last argument was… well, let's just say it put an end to any chance of reconciliation on both sides. I'm not proud of myself for the things I said and did. I uh… I actually er… got him kicked out of the program." When he saw Hermione's speechless reaction, Harry rushed to explain. "I wasn't lying when I wrote that he was struggling, and he really was. He was right on the border as it was. But when he and I were sent on training missions, it just seemed like he was too quick to use force and just wasn't making the best decisions. I went and discretely talked to my trainer and expressed my concerns about him possibly having PTSD and not being cut out for the job but Ron was standing there when I came out. He knew it was me when they kicked him out and REALLY went off. I've never been so scared of him and what he would do as I was then. And he said some really awful things that I wish I could just…" Harry stopped and tightened his fist so hard his knuckles turned white. "So I did. Well he moved first, but we er… we duelled and got in a few good hexes each before we were separated and sent to medical. The only reason I didn't lose my job too is because the trainer was there and knew it was self-defense because Ron really lost it, but he strongly encouraged me to take the time off, finish my mastery and deal with whatever issues I had going on too. I didn't want to tell you all of that because I hoped you could still see both of us I guess as still the friends you've always had." Clearing his throat, Harry continued "so all of that is to say that maybe I'm naïve and should've expected all of this somehow but no, Ron and I are… we're not friends anymore."
Hermione rushed forward to pull Harry into a tight hug. "Harry, I'm so sorry! You should've told me! I'm so sorry you went through all of that alone. But what could he have said that upset you so much? It clearly is still affecting you now so it wasn't nothing. Don't even try that Harry James Potter!"
"Hermione, it truly doesn't matter now, even if it still is upsetting. But I am glad you didn't date him and aren't really in touch with him anymore. I should've told you then, but it seemed like it was all sorted that the two of you were only friends but… he really ended up not being the friend for you I thought he was."
Hermione thought she understood what Harry was alluding to – her own longstanding fears of the basis of their friendship came to the forefront of her mind and found she didn't particularly want to have them confirmed. She had grown confident in her friendship with Harry and knew he appreciated her for exactly who she was, and that was more than enough for her now.
"I understand Harry. I guess I just am at a loss now. How do we move forward? I'd like to think he could've matured enough in his emotional intelligence to handle the stress of the position, and I think he does have some skills so he wouldn't be a complete failure, but I just can't see it going well. You know as well as I do the press is going to ask about whether we support him or not and I guess I'll have to figure out a way to politely say 'not bloody likely'."
Harry guffawed at her words before recommending she go off on a tangent about Ron's reaction to being asked to dance with Professor McGonagall - an absolutely hysterical story that would provide no insight or clarification into their stance. The two of them spent the evening over dinner reminiscing over their wild and unbelievable Hogwarts years, frustration and feelings of impotence pushed firmly to the back of their minds.