The next morning Hermione and Harry met at the Great Hall, by the entrance, as designated the night before. Although they both meant to negotiate their problem with Ron, they were speechless. There seemed to be no easy way out of it. It was quite a situation. Several minutes later, no ideas had voluntarily amounted, and they were still quite unresolved. Hermione piped up, cheerily.
"Well, you never know, maybe Ron will be fine with the whole thing." Hermione's voice had started out bright and optimistic, becoming less and less joyful as the sentence progressed. Harry's face fell at her statement, therefore, so did hers. They were both crestfallen. They had little time until Ron entered the hall to eat, and what could they do? Too late-Ron had entered, and Hermione and Harry were without a plan.
"Hermione", Harry hissed, "We have to improvise-play it by ear. Don't let Ron find out. Not under any circumstance. It's our only choice." Harry leaned over to speak in Hermione's ear. She nodded.
"I feel bad about this Harry." She whispered back, informing him.
"So do I! I hate lying to him, Hermione, just like you. It's only for a little while anyway. So come on, baby. Just-when we have worked things out, we will tell him. Promise."
Hermione's lip quivered as she nodded, and they headed to their seats. They sat down on either side of Ron, like at every other meal. Ron, too into his cereal to notice his friends' arrival, only grunted when they both greeted him Good Morning. Hermione rolled her eyes, disgusted by the wasted effort of 'just friends' on the way to the table. Harry, oblivious, dug into a plate of waffles.
"So…uh…Ron…how was your day?" Hermione lamely tried to make conversation. How easy it had been before! Now, now that she was acting it was so much more difficult. Acting normal was making Hermione act irregular. The irony of it.
"Um, well, Hermione, seeing as it's only eight thirty, my day hasn't been too interesting yet." Ron shot her a funny look.
"Oh, right, I meant, your day beginning with midnight…since, you know, technically it has been day for eight and half hours. How were those eight and half hours?" Hermione blushed. She was rambling; she knew it.
"First…I slept…and than I slept some more…and when I woke up…I brushed my hair and teeth, than got dressed…would you like details?" Ron mocked.
"I…uh…yes…no…" Hermione flailed about for a cover-up.
"Whatever, Herm. I suppose you can't be a genius all the time." Ron chuckled. Hermione looked down at a plate of sausages and scrapple.
Hermione thought she would have to make up for her botching of the plan. Ron shot her a furtive look. Hermione drew in a breath, not quite believing that she was about to say this.
"Ron, I have-have-have-I like you. Ok? I like you." Hermione felt awful saying it, especially because it wasn't true. She mouthed to Harry; "It's an act." He nodded, at first he had looked stricken and aghast. She liked Ron, he was her other best friend (well, her only best friend now, because Harry was her boyfriend) yes, not like that, though! Ron stared at her misty-eyed.
"So…uh…I was thinking we could go out." She wrinkled her nose. Playing him like this was not humoring her. Ron's whole face lit up. "Yes, I have been in l-love (her voice strangled for a moment at the insincerity of this statement before she finished) you." She looked down, ashamed that she had lied to him. "If it's okay with you, I'd perfectly understand if you didn't want to, just be honest, I won't mind-" Hermione was cut off by Ron.
"Shut up and kiss me." Ron breathed. Hermione had no choice. She grimaced, squeezed her eyes shut tight, and leaned close to him. Their lips touched for the briefest second, and than she drew back as though she had ate something repulsive. Her stomach recoiled. She smiled rather painfully at Ron, who was ecstatic. Hermione knew that Ron believed they were a couple now. Only one thing was in the way of that-it would be a one-sided relationship. And Hermione would be doing the feigning. Hermione glanced over to Harry. Was it her imagination, or were his eyes unusually bright? She must speak with him, though it would be tricky. Ron would, most likely, cling to Hermione like a leech now and getting alone time with Harry would be difficult.
Hermione sat on a couch by herself in the Gryffindor Common Room. She wasn't doing much of anything, basically just observing the things going on around her. Unannounced, Ron sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her back. His embrace was nothing but cold to Hermione. Pale, dead flesh resting on hers. He kissed her on her cheek, and Hermione gagged silently. When Ron averted his gaze, Hermione wiped the spot repeatedly, attempting to sterilize it. When Ron fixed his gaze upon her lovingly as before, she immediately drew the hand away, so as not to arouse suspicion.
She loathed deceiving Ron. He was so fulfilled when he was near her…so joyous. And she felt like a rat. Ah, romance, in its purest form.
Hermione met Harry in the Common Room at midnight that night; they were the only ones there, so they would not have to put on a show. They could bring out their true feelings now, in the light of the dying fire. Hermione saw longing, love, and lust in Harry's emerald pupils. He saw shame in hers.
"Hermione." Harry kissed her softly, and the kiss lingered. Hermione savored it, and drew him in closer. Harry steered them to sit on a couch rather than standing uncomfortably as they had prior. Hermione, without warning, broke off the kiss and looked away, tears filling her eyes. She had realized something, and she feared to tell anyone.
"What's wrong, honey?" Harry gently turned her head so he could face her. She resisted his grip and wrenched her head back again. Harry put his hand on Hermione again, and again he twisted her head-more violently this time. He kissed her, and she resisted. The kiss was deep, yet without a trace of passion. Hermione struggled to get out of it but Harry's arms, strengthened from hours of Quidditch practice, held her like a vice. After several minutes she broke free-but only after Harry had loosened his Hulk squeeze.
"Leave me alone!" She cried out. Harry grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her backward. She stumbled, fell, and hit her head on the opposite wall with a sickening crack. She was unconscious.
Harry felt no guilt as he stepped, refined, up to his dormitory.
Hermione woke up in the hospital wing the next afternoon. Some things were scattered about
