No, not you

by reallybeth

It's 6th year, and Hermione and Ron are finally on the same page after he and Lavender go their separate ways. However, when Hermione finds the courage to tell Ron how she feels about him, his response is not what she expects. Miscommunication drives them apart until years later, but is it already too late? Magical AU

20. Chapter 20

Hi! Did anyone request a longer-than-usual chapter? No? Well, here's one anyway. Also, I feel the need to apologize in advance, so, I'm sorry.

Cheesy looked over this chapter for me! (She's seriously the best)

oOo

The club they arrived at was loud, dark, and hot. As soon as Hermione walked inside, Ginny's arm securely locked with hers, Hermione began to feel claustrophobic due to the amount of bodies that were crammed inside the building.

"Why did we come to a muggle club again?" she yelled at the redhead, her voice barely audible over the loud music. "There are about a million people here!"

"That's why!" Ginny yelled back. "Try to have some fun for once," she demanded before letting go of Hermione and rushing over to Harry, who was only too happy to accept his fiance's embrace. As Hermione stood there alone, watching the couple disappear onto the dancefloor with the rest of the group, she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her.

"Fancy finding you here."

Her lips curving up into a smile, Hermione turned to see a pair of shockingly blue eyes gazing down at her. When one of her high heels slid from underneath her foot and caused her to stumble, Ron was quick to reach out with both of his hands and grip her waist. Even though it was only a second, two seconds at most, his eyes traveled down the length of her body as he steadied her before moving back up to her face.

"Careful," he murmured, Hermione reading his lips rather than hearing his voice. "Don't want you to fall."

Hermione gulped before quickly regaining her senses. "When did you get here?" she asked him.

"Only a minute or two ago," he answered as he removed his hands from around her waist almost reluctantly. "You are the first of our group I've seen."

"Did you finish whatever you needed to?"

An unknown emotion flashed through Ron's eyes, but when he blinked, it disappeared and he gave her a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I did."

"Oh," Hermione said, curious as to what his momentary expression had been about. "That's good."

"Yeah, that's good." His grin grew wider. "Should we get a drink?"

Wanting to move away from the noisier part of the club, Hermione enthusiastically nodded her head. "Sure."

They made their way together, Ron leading Hermione with his hand on the small of her back. When they reached the bar, he helped her up on top of a barstool before taking the seat to her left and grabbing a drink menu so they could look at it together.

"I'm not too educated in muggle drinks," Ron mused. "They sure are bloody colorful, though," he added as he stared at the pictures on the laminated sheet of paper.

"They are colorful," Hermione agreed as she scooted even closer so that her thigh was pressed against Ron's. "And there are a lot of options, too. I usually get this one," she told him, pointing to a red-colored drink with thin orange slices in it.

"Sangria," Ron read slowly. "It does look good. But to be fair, they all do." His eyes moved to another drink before widening as he read the words aloud. "Sex on the beach?" He chuckled. "That's an interesting name for a drink."

"Don't tell me you've never had sex on the beach?" Hermione teased.

Ron lifted his head to look at her, his features lit up with amusement. "Actually, I have. I don't recommend it, though." He laughed as he shook his head. "Sand can get anywhere. Just remember that."

Hermione forced out a laugh as she tried not to put a face to whomever Ron had shagged at the beach. "Thanks for the tip," she said as she started to again study the menu.

"How about you?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I've had it before," she replied. Ron said nothing, and when Hermione looked up, she found him staring at her, one ginger eyebrow raised in question. "The drink," she clarified with a laugh, gesturing to the picture of said drink on the menu. "Not actual sex on the beach. I know it's supposed to be romantic, but it doesn't sound romantic at all. At least not to me."

"Romantic, huh?" Ron said slowly as he sat forward and folded his large hands on top of the bar. "Then what does sound romantic, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled. "Why do you want to know, Ronald?"

Pretending to be offended, his mouth dropped open. "What? Am I not allowed to store the information away for later use?"

"I suppose you can," she drawled as she wrapped a loose tendril of her hair around her finger. "But why would you need to?" Hermione knew she was pressing him, but the surrounding atmosphere was giving her a rush of bravery and she wanted Ron to openly admit what he was clearly hinting at.

Looking like he knew exactly what she was up to, Ron opened his mouth to reply when his words were interrupted by a loud commotion at the other end of the bar. Immediately, they both jumped up, and Hermione gasped as she caught sight of Charlie Weasley and another man whom she didn't know engaging in a screaming match with each other. From their distance, Hermione couldn't make out their words, but as she watched, Charlie took a hard swing at the man, hitting him square in the nose.

"Fuck," Ron muttered. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Before Hermione could get out a single word in response, Ron was making his way over to his brother, his tall body gently but quickly nudging in between the throng of people. Everyone around them was trying to see what was going on, entranced as they watched the scene. Other members of the Weasley family were also making their way over to Charlie. George made it there first and pulled his brother away from the man, Bill reaching them right after and helping. When Ron and Percy made it there at the same moment, they were quick to get Charlie under control. Hermione watched as they all led him out the front door, Charlie still screaming obscenities at the man.

Hermione sighed and sat back down, not knowing what else to do. She knew that whatever the problem was, it was being handled and that her interfering would only make it worse.

"Would you like anything, Miss?" the woman behind the bar asked, effectively interrupting Hermione's thoughts.

"Oh. I- yes. A sangria please," she said, figuring she might as well get a drink while she waited.

"I've got it," a man to her right, who Hermione hadn't noticed before, cut in. Taken off guard for a moment, she did nothing as he slid his credit card over while shooting her a wink.

"No, thank you," Hermione said quickly, not wanting the man to get the wrong impression. "I'm actually sort of here with someone," she explained, her eyes darting over to where Ron had disappeared out the door several minutes ago.

"You're sort of here with someone?" He laughed. "Well, your 'sort of' date just left you, didn't he?"

"He'll be back," Hermione replied, giving him a tight smile and hoping he would take the hint and stop talking to her.

The man shrugged, undeterred. "Maybe. Maybe not. I'm Joe, by the way. What's your name?"

Hermione pushed his credit card back in his direction, replacing it with her own before sliding it to the bartender. "Just the one sangria, please."

"Oh, so you're going to play hard to get, huh? That's fine. I like a challenge," Joe said, causing Hermione to grit her teeth before turning back to him.

"There is no challenge," she retorted. "I'm here with someone."

"Alright," Joe said, shooting her another wink. "When you get bored with him, though, come and find me. I'll be here all night, and I'll even save you a dance."

"Great," Hermione said sarcastically before looking straight ahead as she pretended to be interested in the various bottles of alcohol on the wall. Out of her peripheral, she saw Joe stand up and walk away.

"Who was that?"

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hermione turned to see Ron sliding back onto the barstool he'd been sitting at earlier. "No one," she answered. "He tried to buy me a drink, but I refused."

Ron smiled. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, a boyish grin on his face.

At that moment, the bartender walked over and slid the sangria in front of Hermione. Ron frowned as she picked up the glass and brought it to her lips.

"Not this one, no," she said, giving him an apologetic look. "But maybe the next one."

Ron pouted. "Maybe?"

"Yes. Maybe," she grinned. "That is, if you continue being a gentleman."

"Asking me to be a gentleman is a bit much, don't you think?" he laughed. "But maybe you shouldn't drink a lot. I remember the last time you consumed too much alcohol."

Hermione's cheeks flushed. "I can handle myself!"

"Speaking of that night," Ron went on, a smug grin on his face. "You told me I smelled good. Do you remember? You also mentioned that I was both handsome and adorable."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you remember those details. And yes, I remember everything. I wasn't that pissed, Ron."

"Everything?" he asked.

"Well, I-" Hermione stopped, pausing to think. "I mean, some bits are fuzzy, but I remember everything that happened."

Looking contemplative, Ron nodded, but he didn't say anything more.

"What?" she prodded, knowing he was keeping something from her, the thought unsettling. "You're not telling me everything. Did I say something stupid?"

He chuckled. "Nah."

Hermione sighed. Not wanting to press him, she decided to drop it and bring it up later. "So, what was up with Charlie?"

"Some asshole was being rude to this girl, hitting on her, I think. She kept telling him no, but he didn't get the hint, and Charlie, of course, saw what was going on and jumped in to play the hero. The guy started talking shit, telling Charlie to mind his own business. When the girl tried to interject, the guy shoved her. Threw Charlie into a rage."

"Oh my god!" she gasped. "Is everything okay now?"

Ron nodded. "This is between you and me, but after Charlie told us what happened, Fred put a jinx on the bloke. From now on, every time he lays his hands on a woman in anger or without consent, a certain part of his anatomy is going to grow half an inch smaller."

Hermione gasped, and Ron chuckled. "Funniest part is, it has a real easy fix, but since he's a muggle, he'll have no idea."

"That's awful, Ron!"

Ron held his hands up, claiming innocence. "I did nothing! It was all Fred. Besides, it won't affect him if he keeps his ruddy hands to himself. Anyway, Charlie's calmed down, and all is back to normal. The bouncer wasn't going to let him back in at first, but we managed to get him in."

Hermione looked over and saw that it was true. Charlie was now happily chatting with Percy and Fred, all three of them sipping on bottles of beer. Finishing her drink, she pulled the oranges out of the empty glass and started to eat them. "Want one?" she asked Ron, offering a slice to him.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, taking the fruit out of her hand and popping it into his mouth.

When the bartender came around to check on them, Ron ordered another sangria for Hermione and a beer for himself. Tasting it, he made a face. "Muggle beer isn't the best. Wished they had butterbeer laced with firewhiskey. Now that's some good stuff."

They chatted easily, from exchanging funny stories to reminiscing about the happier memories of the past. By her third sangria, Hermione was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol, and Ron insisted on ordering her a glass of water. As she sipped from the cup, she and Ron ate her remaining orange slices together. Hermione watched his lips as he chewed, desire coursing through her as she imagined tasting the sangria soaked oranges straight from his alluring mouth.

"Want to dance?" he asked, abruptly halting her lustful daydream.

"Yeah!" she said, jumping down off the stool.

Ron chuckled at her enthusiasm before taking her hand, and they made it a few steps towards the dance floor together before Hermione came to a sudden halt. "Wait," she said as her bladder protested. "I've got to use the loo first."

"Alright. I could do with a piss myself," Ron responded, his eyes scanning the club for the bathrooms.

Hermione, who would have rolled her eyes at him if she'd been sober, burst into laughter. "Charming, Ronald," she said between giggles.

He grinned at her. "I do my best."

Spying the lit up signs, Ron pointed them out, and they made their way over, smiling giddily at each other before separating hands to walk into the respective loos.

Once inside the stall, Hermione used her wand to scourgify the toilet, something she always did before using public restrooms. She emptied her bladder and had just flushed the toilet when the loo door slammed open and giggling filled the small tiled room.

"I am so glad I came out tonight," said a breathless voice that Hermione recognized as Maureen's. "I haven't gotten out in what feels like forever."

A giggle that Hermione immediately was certain belonged to Lavender Brown followed. "Me too. I haven't been to a muggle club in ages."

Hermione's hand, which had been ready to unlock the stall door before the two women had entered, fell to her side. There was nothing less she wanted than to walk out and exchange awkward pleasantries with her old dorm mate.

"Because of the veela part of me, I try to avoid muggle clubs like the plague," Maureen went on, the sound of running water mingling with her words. "It usually only leads to trouble."

"I wish I had some veela blood," Lavender mused in a wistful voice. "To have that many men stare at me the way they have been staring at you all night. It would be a dream."

Maureen scoffed. "More like a nightmare! Trust me, you don't want that. It's all lust and infatuation- never anything real. Not that I want anything real," she added. "I am more than content to remain single for the rest of my days."

"Forever?" Lavender asked, sounding incredulous.

"Yes," Maureen replied simply as she finished washing her hands. "Monogamy just isn't for me."

Lavender sighed. "I can't relate. I read too many romance novels to not believe in Prince Charming."

"I hope it works out for you and you find him." Maureen responded sincerely. "Speaking of, I saw the way you were eyeing that older Weasley brother earlier. Charlie, I think his name is?"

"Oh yes," Lavender giggled. "Charlie. I've always had a thing for redheads, you see."

"I don't blame you. There certainly is something about them." Maureen said. "I wonder what caused Charlie to punch that man?"

Lavender giggled. "Oh, that was amazing! Did you see how mad he was? I can't lie. It was sexy as hell."

"Mmhmm," Maureen hummed in response. "It's that Weasley passion, I'm telling you."

"Weasley passion?" Lavender asked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, they are a passionate bunch," Maureen said matter-of-factly. Through the crack in the stall, Hermione could see her applying lip gloss as she studied herself in the mirror. "The whole lot of them. Maybe it's the hair…"

"Passionate in what way?" Lavender asked in a slow voice, sounding intrigued. "And how would you know?"

There was a pause, and the next time Maureen spoke, her voice was much lower than before. "Well, I only have experience with Ron, but it's obvious the rest of them are the same."

The words caused Hermione's stomach to knot, and she clenched her eyes shut, scared of what she was going to hear next. She didn't dare move, and hardly even breathed as she waited, both not wanting, yet needing to hear more of this conversation.

"Experience?" Lavender asked. "Like shagging? Oh my god!" she gasped. "You've shagged Ron, haven't you?"

"Am shagging," Maureen corrected. "On a pretty regular basis, actually."

While Lavender squealed in excitement, Hermione felt as if she were going to vomit. Betrayal washed over her, and she took a few steps back, as if doing so could erase the words she'd just heard. As much as she hoped that Maureen was a nasty liar, the woman seemed to be the kind of person who was brutally honest, and Hermione believed her.

Ron had lied.

He'd said that there was nothing going on between him and Maureen, that they were only work partners. He'd blatantly left out the fact that they'd ever had sex, much less sex regularly. Hermione had chosen to push her doubts aside and trust Ron, but clearly, she'd been wrong to do so.

"He helps me unwind after a long day, if you know what I mean," Maureen continued, oblivious to the pain her words were causing. "And when we were out on missions, sex helped pass the time when it was otherwise boring. Actually, if Ron doesn't go home with the other woman he's been hanging onto all evening, I will probably end up at his place tonight. Usually, he invites me over after he's had a few drinks. That passion's gotta go somewhere, right?" she said with a small laugh.

Lavender giggled, the sound gyrating on Hermione's already frazzled nerves. "Ohhh, yeah, the whole Ron/Hermione thing. Even back in school, everyone thought they would get together, but they never did. Who knows with them? Years later, and they've still managed to keep away from each other somehow. Maybe that will change, though. They've looked pretty cozy tonight."

Maureen hummed. "I'll make it a point to ask Ron about it later, but I'm pretty certain he would have told me if there was anything serious going on."

"So, would you consider your relationship with him to be like a friends-with-benefits kind of thing?" Lavender asked. "What about other people? Is it exclusive between you two?"

"Well, we definitely aren't together. Ron and I were great partners at work, and I adore the guy, but-" she paused, Hermione watching through the space between the stalls as she blotted her lips onto a paper towel. "Like I said, we help each other out, that's all. There's no dating or any pesky feelings involved. Ron can do whatever or whoever he pleases, and I'll be damned if any man tells me what to do or who to see. That's what's so great about him though, he's completely fine with the whole 'no strings attached' thing. He makes it all so easy."

"That does sound convenient," Lavender agreed. "You know, Ron and I used to date? Back in school? He was cute then, of course, but nothing like he is now. Wow."

Maureen laughed. "No kidding! So you must know what I'm talking about!"

"Nah. We never shagged. Not that I wouldn't have, but…" she trailed off.

"Oh," Maureen said, sounding surprised. "Pity."

"Yeah, pity," Lavender replied before both women broke out in giggles.

They were still laughing as Hermione heard the sound of their heels clicking on the tiled floor before the door opened and closed, the loo once again empty of other people.

Not making a move to leave just yet, Hermione bit her lip as her eyes finally filled up with tears. Instinctively, she knew she had no right to be so upset about what she'd just overheard. It wasn't as if Ron was hers or anything, and he was free to sleep with whoever he wanted to. Not only that, Hermione had been back for only a very short amount of time, how could she expect him to immediately adjust to her sudden return?

It was like a punch in the gut when she realized that perhaps Ron really didn't see her the way she'd been hoping he did. Maybe she had misread him completely wrong.

Just like last time.

It was laughable, really, to think that Ron would ever choose Hermione over Maureen. Even if he tried not to, Ron would compare the two women, and it was clear which of them he would prefer. Sure, unlike Hermione, Maureen didn't want to be in a relationship, but the woman was ten times more fun, twenty times more gorgeous, and if Ron could get someone like that to shag him, he could certainly do much better than Hermione.

Gathering her wits, she cast a charm over her face to make any signs of her tears disappear. When she walked out of the loo, Ron was standing against the wall talking to Dean, and Hermione was able to slip past and go the other way without either man noticing. Heading back to the bar, she ordered three shots of tequila, the bartender quickly pouring and handing her the alcohol. Hermione had just downed her second shot when Ron appeared, a relieved smile on his face as he took the seat next to her.

"Hey. I waited for you outside the loo, but I was talking to Dean and didn't see you come out. Are you ready to dance?"

Her mind now blissfully fuzzy, Hermione turned to him. "I changed my mind about that. I don't feel like it."

"Oh." Ron said, taken aback. When his gaze went down to the bar in front of her, his eyes widened. "Did you take those shots, Hermione?"

She glared at him. "So what if I did? What's it to you?"

Ron's head tilted to the side, his eyes narrowing as he studied her intently. "Okay, what's wrong?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Hermione said as she took the last shot and downed it, Ron's eyes widening further as he watched.

"No, really," he asked. "What's going on?"

Behind Ron, the man who had tried to buy her a drink earlier was once again sitting at the bar, now chatting up the pretty bartender. Hermione mustered up her biggest smile before giving Ron a few pats on the shoulder. She stood up, her legs wobbly underneath her. "Nothing is going on," she slurred. "Now, if you don't mind, I have something important to do."

"I- okay," Ron replied. He looked as if he were going to say something else, but he didn't, and instead kept watching her as she walked past him and marched right up to Joe, who turned to her as she drew near.

"Do you still want to have that dance?" she asked with much more enthusiasm than she actually felt.

Looking like the cat who ate the canary, Joe grinned. "Hell yeah!"

Hermione laced her fingers with his before leading him to the dance floor, passing right by Ron, who looked bewildered as his eyes went back and forth between her and the other man. The song that was playing was upbeat and fast-paced, and Hermione wasted no time in pushing the back of her body into the front of Joe's as she moved her hips, his hands coming up to hold onto her waist. Feeling even more drunk because of the flashing lights, she closed her eyes and got lost in the music, Joe's hands quickly getting more adventurous as time went on.

"What are you doing?"

The sound of Ron's angry voice caused Hermione to open her eyes, and she found him standing mere feet in front of her on the dance floor, looking at her as if she were mental.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she yelled back. She turned around and grabbed Joe's shoulders before moving sensually down his body, causing an enormous grin to appear on the man's face.

"Did I say or do something to upset you?" Ron interrupted, as if it were completely normal to be having this conversation on a crowded dance floor.

Hermione turned to meet his eyes, her arms moving up to wrap around the back of Joe's neck. Joe pulled her closer as he dropped his face to nestle in the space between her neck and shoulder, his hands kneading her as they roamed up and down her sides. Ron looked murderous as he watched, his eyes on Joe as if he were a bug he wanted to squish.

"Of course not," Hermione responded. "Do I look upset?" She accentuated the question by backing her bum into Joe's crotch, the man humming in appreciation.

"Would you stop doing that?" Ron growled, obviously losing whatever thread of patience he'd been hanging onto.

Hermione could feel it radiating from him, that passion that Maureen had been talking about earlier. It was coming in waves, and suddenly, Hermione couldn't get enough. Maybe it wasn't exactly the kind of passion she'd been hoping for tonight, but at least it was focused towards her and not Maureen.

"What?" she asked in an innocent voice, not letting up on her dancing. "Dancing?"

"You were supposed to dance with me. Or have you forgotten?"

"Hey, buddy," Joe cut in, smirking at Ron. "Can you bugger off? She's clearly chosen."

Enraged, Ron took a step forward, his eyes on Joe. Before anything could happen, Hermione reached both her hands out and gripped Ron's shoulders in an attempt to stop his movement. It worked, and his gaze moved from Joe to Hermione, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't you dare," she said in a low voice, just loud enough for him to hear her over the music. "You're not my keeper, Ron."

Ron's jaw clenched, and he gave Joe one last glance before glaring back at her. "Fine," he growled. "Do whatever you want, Hermione." With that, he turned around and disappeared into the crowd of dancing people.

Hermione tried to push down the anger and hurt as she watched his retreating form, fighting the overwhelming urge to follow him. Joe pulled her back to resume the dance, causing her to remember he was even there at all.

"Alright, hottie?" he asked into her ear, his husky voice sending not so pleasant shivers down her spine.

"Fine," she muttered. She started to dance again, but this time with much less ardor now that Ron wasn't watching. Only a minute or so later, Hermione stopped dancing and turned to Joe. "Want to get out of here?" she asked in a breathless voice, Joe nodding before she even finished her sentence.

Taking his hand, Hermione led him off the dance floor, her eyes sweeping around the club for Ron, but he was nowhere to be seen. Without stopping to talk to anyone, Hermione walked outside with Joe, the man grinning like a fool.

"I only live a few blocks from here," he told her. "It's a simple walk."

"Perfect," Hermione said distractedly as her eyes raked the area for a private space.

"I'm going to make you feel so good," he murmured. "Hey, uh, what's your name again?"

"Helen," she answered, finally spotting a dark alleyway beside the club and pulling Joe into it.

Taking it as a cue that she wanted to snog, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her body flush against his. Before their lips could meet, however, Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at his chest.

"Confundus."

"Wha-what's going on?" Joe asked, blinking in total confusion.

Hermione put away her wand before giving him a look of pity. "You've had a lot to drink, Joe. You've already vomited twice. Best you go home and sleep it off, yeah?"

Still looking confused, he gave her a nod. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." With that, he turned around and walked away, Hermione breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Well well well," a voice interrupted the silence, and Hermione spun around to see Fred staring at her in awe as he gave several slow claps. "That was pretty damn devious, Hermione Granger."

Hermione felt her face flush and was grateful it was dark.

"Playing the jealousy card like that," Fred continued, seemingly genuinely impressed. "That always works on us Weasleys. What did Ronniekins do to earn that one?"

"This has nothing to do with Ron," she said as she glared at him.

"Oh, of course not," he replied, a grin on his face.

"I- what are you doing out here?" Hermione demanded. She gaped as Fred pulled a joint out of his jacket pocket and lit it up with a flick of his wand. "You smoke?" she asked, still gaping at him.

Fred shot her a wink. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Granger. Want a puff?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. Absolutely not."

He shrugged. "Might calm you down. You certainly need it. You're coiled so damn tight, Hermione."

She crossed her arms. "I am not."

Fred chuckled. "You are. A joint, and maybe a proper shag, would do you some good. I'd love to offer you both, but unfortunately, I can only offer one." He held the joint out again, and Hermione took a few steps before snatching it out of his hand. She took a hard drag before doubling over, coughing as the thick smoke entered her lungs."Oops. Yeah, it's pretty strong. Sorry," Fred apologized as he patted her on the back. "Forgot to warn you."

Several long seconds later, once Hermione's coughs had faded and there were tears streaming down her face, she slumped against the brick wall and glared at him. "Yeah. A warning would have been nice."

Fred gave a sheepish shrug. "Sorry."

Feeling drained, Hermione's back slid down the wall until she was sitting. Fred followed suit, sitting down next to her as he took a hit.

"So. What did Ron do to piss you off?" he asked in a nonchalant voice.

Hermione took the joint again, this time going easier on it. "I told you before. It has nothing to do with Ron."

Fred took the joint from her hand. "Yeah, and Percy isn't a prat."

Hermione glared at him. "Why does everyone seem to think that there's something going on between me and Ron? There's never been anything but friendship between us."

Fred shook his head. "If that were true, I would have asked you out a long time ago myself, Hermione." Hermione was stunned by the words. She opened her mouth to respond, but Fred stopped her with a wave of his hand before she could. "Don't worry. I'm not dim enough to think you'd fancy me. Besides, you've always been Ron's."

"I belong to no one," Hermione seethed.

"He belongs to you, too," Fred went on as if she hadn't spoken. "Always has. Damn near killed him when you left, you know."

Hermione scoffed. "That's not true. Ron didn't- doesn't feel that way about me."

Fred took another drag of the joint before handing it to her. "You're wrong. Boy's head over heels for you, babe."

Hermione took another hit and handed it back. "He's not. Trust me on this one. And don't call me babe."

"While I do generally trust your opinion, you're wrong about this, Hermione. Ron is barmy about you. Has been ever since you grew tits and he realized you were a girl."

"You're such a prat!" Hermione said as she slapped his shoulder.

Fred shrugged, a grin on his face. "Never denied that."

"I know for a fact that Ron doesn't see me as anything more than a friend," Hermione blurted.

"Well, you need to re-examine your 'fact', because it's wrong," he replied.

Hermione sighed. "In sixth year, I told Ron that I was in love with him." Fred's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open as she went on. "And you know what he did? He told me he didn't feel the same and started treating me as if I had some kind of disease. He wouldn't even look at me anymore."

Fred shook his head, his face scrunching up. "That's- that can't be true. He wouldn't've-"

"Has Ron ever outwardly admitted to you that he had feelings for me?" Hermione interrupted.

"No, but-"

"But nothing, Fred. The only one who has it wrong around here is you. You and anybody else who thinks that Ron has feelings for me."

Fred didn't look at all convinced. "No. There must have been some misunderstanding. I'm sure if I talk to Ron and-"

"No!" Hermione cried. "Please, no! It would be too humiliating! Not only that, it's in the past, and Ron and I have both already moved from it. It's better left forgotten."

"Hermione," Fred insisted. "I'm telling you right now. I don't know why, but something is missing. Ron wouldn't have rejected you like that. Not in a million years."

"Well, he did," Hermione responded in a small voice.

Fred's face softened. "Hermione, Ron didn't leave his room for weeks after you left. Mum banned us all from even saying your name in his presence. He wasn't okay. There is no way he didn't care."

"I don't doubt he cared," she sighed. "He just didn't care about me the way I cared about him, that's all."

Fred shook his head. "That's not true. I know it. "

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Now we're just going around in circles."

"Alright. Let's talk about the present, then. What do you currently feel for my brother? You two have been getting closer since you've come back. Tonight started out fine, until Ron did something that made you feel the need to piss him off and use that muggle man to make him jealous, that is."

She sighed. "We're friends. That's all. And I wasn't trying to make Ron jealous. I really liked Joe!"

"If you really liked Joe, you'd be shagging him right now instead of sitting in an alleyway getting high with me," he replied.

"I don't sleep with men I just met," Hermione said pointedly.

Fred chuckled. "Come on. Tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Because I was fairly certain that you and Ron were going to be shagging each other's brains out by the end of the night. I guess I must have missed something that happened sometime between dinner and now."

Hermione let out a sarcastic snort. "Ha! As if! Besides, Ron already has someone to-" she stopped talking, putting her hands over her face and groaning because she knew she'd said too much.

Fred let out a loud, barking laugh. "Maureen Page! That's why you're upset! You're jealous of Ron's fuck buddy!"

Hermione's head snapped up. "That's not why," she said in a stern voice as she glared at him.

Fred couldn't be persuaded, however, smiling as if he were proud that he'd figured it all out. "Hermione. Trust me. There's nothing to be jealous of. Ron doesn't want to be with her. And Maureen doesn't want Ron! She just wants his body."

Hermione crossed her arms. "I couldn't care less about what that woman wants to do with Ron's body."

Fred let out another loud laugh. "That woman. Oh yeah, you've got it bad. You're greener than a pickle right now, Hermione."

"I am not jealous," she snapped.

"Listen," Fred continued. "If you marched back into that club right now and demanded Ronnie come home with you, he would drop Maureen like a hot potato and follow you like the lovesick puppy he is. To him, Maureen's just one of the guys."

"Oh, yeah?" she countered. "How many other 'guys' does he fuck?"

Fred clutched his stomach as he roared. "Hermione Granger just said fuck! This really is a wonderful night!"

Hermione ran her hands down her face. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and the alcohol and marijuana weren't helping her one bit. "It's being back around all you Weasleys," she whined. "You are all bad influences on me. Every single one of you."

"Dad and Percy don't curse, but the rest of us...yeah, you're right. Even Gin has a mouth on her. Can out-curse a sailor," Fred said proudly.

"Ron lied to me," Hermione moaned. "He told me that there was nothing going on between him and Maureen."

"There isn't-"

"Like hell!" she admonished. "According to what I overheard, they are shagging on a regular basis! That isn't nothing."

"True," he admitted in a slow voice. "And not that I agree with Ron for lying to you, Hermione, but can you blame him for not wanting to admit to that? You come back out of nowhere, and he's already had this thing with her-"

"He should have been honest with me!" she huffed.

"He's probably just embarrassed and doesn't want you to think badly of him," Fred pointed out.

"Well, I think worse of him because he lied to me! Straight to my face!" She groaned again. "I knew there was something going on between them! She's too pretty!"

"You're pretty too, Hermione," Fred said, nudging her shoulder with his. "And besides, Ron cares for you in a way he's never cared for Maureen."

"Everyone keeps saying that he cares for me," Hermione grumbled. "But Ron has yet to tell me so. At least in a romantic sense."

"Maybe you should listen to him, then?" he suggested. "Instead of storming off like you did."

"We do need to talk…" she admitted.

"Fuckin' Finally!" Fred breathed.

"But I'm like- really high right now." Hermione giggled. "I feel…distorted."

Fred laughed. "I'm going to buy a pensieve just so I can watch this moment over and over."

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth to make him stop talking. "You will do no such thing!" she said. "Merlin, I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"

"In my defense, you didn't take much convincing."

"Am I supposed to feel this way?" she asked. "What if this is how I'm supposed to feel without drugs, and I've been living a lie my entire life?"

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Hermione, do you want to go on a broom ride with me?" he asked slowly.

Hermione thought about it. "Yes," she replied, the idea of being high up in the air thrilling her. "I really, really, want to."

He nodded. "Right. Stay here, and I'll apparate to my flat and grab my broom. Two minutes tops, okay?" Hermione was quick to agree, but Fred still looked hesitant. "Stay right here," he repeated, and when Hermione promised she would, he apparated away. He was back in less than a minute, but instead of a broom, he was holding a bottle of sobering potion.

"You tricked me!" she accused.

"You said you wanted to go flying. You hate flying," he replied, handing her the bottle. "Now drink up."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione did as asked, the potion taking immediate effect. "Oh, Merlin," she whispered as she regained her senses and thought about everything that had transpired that night. "What have I done?"

"You got jealous of Maureen, used magic on a muggle, and then you smoked a joint with me," Fred answered.

"I need to get home," Hermione muttered as she climbed to her feet. "Fred. Listen," she said. "I am begging you. Please do not tell Ron- don't tell anyone, in fact- about what happened tonight."

Fred winked. "Of course not. Wouldn't want to blemish your perfect reputation. Besides, no one would believe me, anyway."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a grateful smile.

"No problem. But are you sure you don't want to go patch things up with Ron? All it would take is a simple conversation."

She stared at him. "Why do you care so much?"

He shrugged. "Because Ron is my brother, and I don't enjoy seeing him unhappy. And I care about you too, Granger."

The genuine expression on his face caused Hermione to rush forward and wrap him in a hug. Fred hesitated for a moment before returning the gesture.

"Alright, alright," he muttered after a few seconds. "No more mushy stuff. I'm allergic."

Hermione stepped back with a laugh and wiped at her eyes. "I'm going to find Ron. You're right, we need to talk."

Fred smiled. "Go get him, Hermione."

oOo

If it was even possible, the club seemed even louder than it had been earlier. Hermione could make out most of the group dancing in the middle of the dance floor with Harry and Ginny, but she didn't see Ron anywhere. She walked around for several minutes with no luck, and just when she felt like she was at a dead end, she spied Seamus carrying a tray of drinks to a table.

"Seamus!" she shouted. "Have you seen Ron?"

Seamus blinked, his eyes glazed over. "Yeah, he left."

Hermione's heart dropped. "Do you know where he went?" she pressed.

The Irish man only shrugged. "Dunno. Want a shot?" he offered. "There's an extra."

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

Hermione made her way back out of the club and into the alleyway before apparating to her flat. She drank a full glass of water and cast a freshening charm over her body, not wanting to smell like the club, Joe, alcohol, or pot.

Before she lost her nerve, Hermione took a deep breath and walked over to the fireplace, not giving herself time to think as she floo'd directly to Ron's. When she stepped out onto soft, tan carpet, the living area was dark and quiet. Hermione had never been there before, but the surrounding air smelled just like Ron, and despite everything, she found herself smiling. Dusting herself off, she decided that if Ron wasn't home yet, she would just wait for him on the sofa. No matter what, Hermione was determined to end this night on a pleasant note, or at the very least, a truthful one.

Right as she opened her mouth to call out for Ron in case he was there somewhere, Hermione spied a pair of white stilettos lying in the middle of a small hallway that was leading up to a closed door. Before she could formulate another thought, Hermione heard voices coming from behind the door and she froze, her blood turning to ice in her veins.

She knew Ron's laugh by heart, but for once, the sound of it didn't cause her to smile, and instead made her hand fly up to cover her mouth as she took a few steps back. Her eyes watered as she recognized Maureen's laugh, followed again by Ron's deep chuckle.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, Hermione stepped all the way back into the fireplace and floo'd back home.