Admitting the Obvious



by She's a Star



Chapter Three

Ron didn't like the sound of that.

"What's going to be good?" he asked nervously.

Mrs. Potter, however, was busy muttering something under her breath. A few seconds later, she waved her right arm and a smoky sort of screen the size of the Gryffindor fireplace appeared.

"What's this?" asked Ron.

Neither of Harry's parents replied. Instead, Mrs. Potter snapped her fingers twice. Immediately an image appeared on the screen: he and Harry back in first year.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he watched himself say, "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Ron felt his stomach do a few flip-flops in self disgust as he heard the words. He had been such an insensitive git back then.

His heart dropped a bit as he watched Hermione brush past them, tears running down her cheeks.

"I think she heard you," an eleven year old Harry said uncomfortably.

"So?"

Ron was filled with self loathing caused by his own words.

"She must've noticed she's got no friends."

The screen lingered on he and Harry for a moment before going blank again.

"Well?" Mrs. Potter asked after a moment of silence.

"Well what?" Ron asked shortly. "I was an insensitive prat, so what?"

Mr. and Mrs. Potter exchanged amused glances, and Ron glared at them. Why was everyone so bloody positive he liked Hermione?

"On to the next," Mrs. Potter announced, snapping her fingers again. This time, Hermione and Ginny filled the screen. It seemed to be earlier that day, since Ginny was wearing the same red t-shirt, and Hermione had on that periwinkle blue sweater that she always looked particularly pretty in.

Or she would, at least, to someone who looked at her like THAT.

Which Ron most certainly didn't.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ginny was saying sympathetically.

Hermione looked up, and Ron noticed that her eyes were shining with tears. Biting her lip and blinking a few times, she replied, "It's all right, Ginny...it shouldn't matter to me, after all. I shouldn't care." She took a deep breath. "He's just Ron."

What the bloody hell is this? Ron thought to himself, bewildered.

"I'm such an idiot to even have ever thought we could be...you know..."

And with that, Hermione hunched over and began to cry, Ginny rubbing her back soothingly.

Ron stared, transfixed...surely this couldn't be real???

As the screen went blank a second time, Mrs. Potter began to speak.

"That occurred earlier this evening," she explained.

"What?" Ron asked in shock. "That can't be true!"

"Why not?" the Potters asked in unison.

"Because...just...because!" Ron stuttered. "Hermione can't think of me...like THAT! We're just friends! We don't even get along half the time!"

Mr. and Mrs. Potter both eyed him skeptically.

"And plus," Ron added darkly, "What about Krum?"

"Oh, Krum's been outta this picture forever," Mr. Potter said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Back at the end of last year when you asked Krum for his autograph, Hermione informed him that she'd much rather just be friends and couldn't come to Bulgaria that summer."

Ron felt as though a Hagrid-sized weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he couldn't help but feel ridiculously happy for a moment. However, his extreme giddiness must have shown in his face, because Harry's dad sent him an exaggerated wink.

"She's all yours, buddy," Mr. Potter said, wriggling his eyebrows. His wife elbowed him lightly in the stomach, and while her husband doubled over in pain, she said, "I promise this isn't some sort of hoax, Ron...this is real."

"Well..."

Ron could feel himself wavering for a moment. It would be rather nice, actually, to dance with Hermione...to have her get all made up like she'd been the year before, just for him.

But Harry and the others would never let him hear the end of it.

"I don't like Hermione, and I'm not asking her!" Ron declared.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter exchanged yet another look, and Harry's mother snapped her fingers again, causing a new image to fill the screen.

It was Neville, nervously approaching Hermione, who was bent over an essay.

"Erm...Hermione?" Neville asked, his cheeks bright red.

Hermione looked up from her essay. "Yes, Neville?"

"I was..er...I was wondering," Neville stuttered, looking horribly embarrassed, "I was wondering if you would...if you would gototheballwithme."

"What was that?" Hermione asked, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"I was wondering if you'd go to the ball with me," Neville repeated, this time a bit clearer.

"Oh," Hermione's face broke out into a smile that Ron was positive was forced. "Of course, Neville...I'd love to."

Neville smiled back, then said, "Great...I was sure Ron had asked you already."

"Yes," Hermione said, her tone just the teeniest bit bitter. "Well, he didn't."

"Well...all right," Neville said, positively glowing. "I'll see ya later Hermione!"

"Bye, Neville," Hermione said softly, turning and going back to her essay.

As soon as the screen went blank again, Ron exploded.

"What the bloody hell was that?!?!" he roared. "HERMIONE WOULD NEVER GO TO THE BALL WITH NEVILLE! SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE NEVILLE! NO GIRL WOULD LIKE NEVILLE!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Mrs. Evans replied simply. She snapped again, and the screen filled with an image of Hermione and Neville dancing in the crowded Great Hall. Hermione winced in pain as Neville apparently stepped on her foot, and he muttered, "Sorry."

"It's all right," she said, smiling at him.

Neville smiled back. "You know, Hermione, I'm...I'm really glad you went with me. All the other girls wouldn't even look twice at stupid, clumsy Neville."

"Oh, Neville, don't talk like that!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're not stupid, and...well, I suppose you are a bit accident prone, but everyone has their weaknesses!"

"Well, I've sure got a lot of them," Neville said bitterly. "You know, I doubt any girl will ever like me."

Ron studied Hermione's eyes intensely, watching the conflict that was going on in them.

Finally, she replied, "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

And then she leaned forward...and...

"WHAT?!?!" Ron screamed as she shyly pecked Neville on the lips. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!? HERMIONE WOULD NEVER KISS NEVILLE...THIS IS A LOAD OF DUNG! THERE'S NO WAY THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE!"

Mrs. Potter gave him a look he couldn't decode (she was just as skilled at this as her son), and snapped again.

There was Hermione and Neville...smiling, holding hands, whispering to one another. Their remaining years at Hogwarts sped by, images so sugary-sweet and puppy-love filled that it gave Ron the feeling that he'd be seeing his dinner again very soon.

And then...Neville pulling a ring box out of his robes, getting down on one knee (without even tripping!) and proposing.

A single word escaped from Hermione's lips.

"Yes."

"YES?!" Ron shouted. "NO BLOODY WAY IN BLOODY HELL IS THAT BLOODY HAPPENING!"

"Oh, it will," Mr. Potter assured him. "These are for real."

"But...Hermione would never...MARRY Neville!" Ron said weakly. "She doesn't LIKE him!"

"You can learn to love someone," Mrs. Potter explained gently. "Stranger things have happened."

Ron couldn't think of anything stranger than Hermione falling in love with Neville.

"But that...that's IMPOSSIBLE," Ron stuttered.

"No, it's not," Mrs. Potter said. "And as a matter of fact, dear, that's what will happen if you don't ask Hermione to the ball."

"But..." Ron said meekly. "That's so wrong!"

Mr. Potter smiled wryly. "I thought that was what you thought about you and Hermione."

"Me and Hermione isn't that bad," Ron said defensively. "It's not like Hermione and Neville...me and Hermione could actually happen!"

"And you and Hermione should happen," Mrs. Potter finished, smiling at him. "So...just give it some thought, will you dear?"

"Okay," Ron agreed softly.

Mrs. Potter leaned forward and gave him a quick hug, then said, "I know you'll do the right thing."

Mr. Potter grinned at him. "See ya, buddy."

"See ya," Ron echoed.

The Potters cast one last glance, full of longing, at their son, and Ron realized something odd...

He probably knew Harry's parents better than Harry did now.

Full of sympathy for his best friend, he studied him for a moment as well.

What would Harry think, if he and Hermione were...like that? Wouldn't he feel a bit left out?

Or maybe he wouldn't mind...he seemed to be showing the slightest interest in Ginny, after all.

Ron turned back to ask the Potters how they thought their son would react only to find that they'd disappeared.

Yawning, Ron laid back down in bed and closed his eyes, his mind full of questions.

Was he even awake right now?

Was this even possible?

Well, he wasn't sure about that...

But he knew one thing for sure.

First thing the next morning, he was asking Hermione to the ball.