"She said YES!"
Ron fell backwards on his bed, stunned.
"She what?"
"Hermione wants to go out with me!" Harry exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.
He had bounced in a few seconds earlier, looking very happy.
"I'm happy for you, Harry," Ron said coldly.
Harry didn't seem to notice.
"Well, see ya, I told her I'd meet her in the common room," Harry said, happily, leaving the dormitory.
Ron couldn't believe it. He's my best friend! How could he do something like that to me?
@@@
.::Downstairs, In The Common Room::.
"So?" Hermione asked as she saw Harry walking down the stairs leading to the dormitory he shared with Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville.
"He fell for it!" Harry laughed.
Hermione smiled, but her expression soon turned to worry.
"Are you sure it's going to work?"
Harry smiled reassuringly.
"I know Ron, he's gonna crack down a day or another… in the near future."
He extended his hand to Hermione.
"What about we go down to dinner, girlfriend?"
"Good idea… boyfriend!" Hermione replied, taking his hand.
They left the dormitory, holding hands.
@@@
.::Two Weeks Later::.
"Oh, this is soooo sickening!" Ron said to Neville, looking away from Hermione and Harry.
The pair was sitting in an armchair, Hermione curled up in Harry's lap, studying Transfiguration. Neville nodded absent-mindly.
"Ron, do you have a crush on Hermione?" he suddenly asked.
"Me? No way!" Ron protested.
But his ears had turned crimson.
@@@
.::Three Weeks Later::.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, Dean and some others were sitting in the library, doing homework. Suddenly, Hermione put down her quill and closed her Arithmancy book with a sigh. "Harry, me and you, my dormitory, right now," she whispered.
Harry closed his Divination book and put it in his bag.
"No wonder what they're gonna do," Deam commented with a smirk after they left.
.::In The Dormitory::.
"Harry, here goes nothing. Your plan's not working! Not at all. Ron doesn't like me more than as a friend!" Hermione said.
Harry smiled inwardly as he sat next to her on her bed.
"You're wrong," he said.
"Wrong? Ever since we started that fake dating deal, he barely looks at me! He always hangs out with Dean, Seamus and Neville!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hermione, you're so blind!" Harry said. "Ron barely looks at you because he's sure you're in love with me. He hangs out with Seamus because he can't stand seeing us together. And you should see the way he looks at me! Ron's jealous of me because he thinks I'm going out with you, Hermione," he continued.
"What should I do?" Hermione wondered aloud, throwing her arms up in the air.
"First, I'll drop a few hints to Ron," Harry told her. "The rest is up to you… and him."
"What a wonderful idea!" Hermione exclaimed happily.
She suddenly threw her arms around Harry.
"You're a real friend, Harry," she said.
Harry patted her back.
"Hey, I'm the famous Harry Potter, here to solve other people's problems and to save their lives!" he joked.
Hermione laughed.
"Where are you going?" she asked when she saw Harry walk to the door.
"I need to see Neville. I need his help," Harry replied, closing the door behind him.
@@@
"Wait, you're telling me you and Hermione aren't really dating?" Neville exclaimed.
He and Harry were alone in their dormitory.
"Exactly," Harry said.
He explained to Neville the whole thing.
"And I need your help," he finished.
"How?" Neville asked.
"Well, first, you can't tell anyone, especially Ron, about what I told you."
"I swear," Neville said.
"What I want you to do, is when Ron will be near me in the common room, I want you to come see me and tell me that…"
Harry proceeded into telling Neville his plan.
"So, you're in?" he asked.
"Okay!" Neville said.
Harry high-fived him.
"Let's just hope Ron will get the hint," Harry said.
@@@
.::Two Days Later::.
"Hey Ron, what's up?" Harry asked, sitting next to his friend.
Ron glanced up from his book.
"Nothing much, you?" he replied.
"The same old routine!" Harry said.
At that moment, Neville arrived.
"Hey Harry, I need an advice!" he said.
"What is it, Neville?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, you see, I like this girl…"
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Promise you won't tell?"
Harry nodded.
"Okay, well… I like Lavender Brown…"
Ron burst out laughing. Harry and Neville glared at him.
"Sorry," he said, returning to his book.
But he was fake reading, he was rather listening to Harry and Neville's conversation…
"Why do you need an advice?" Harry asked. "Just tell her how you feel…"
"It's because… I think she likes Seamus… I don't know what to do!" Neville said. "They're so close sometimes, it almost feels like they're dating or something…"
Harry looked at Ron off the corner of his eye: he looked pretty interested in the conversation.
"Tell you what, Neville, you should tell her anyway. Maybe she looks like she likes Seamus only because she doesn't want to tell you that she likes you… Maybe it's just a cover…"
At that moment, Ron closed his book.
"Sorry, gotta go. I, uh, gotta clean my closet, it's really messy in there…"
With that, he climbed the stairs leading to the dormitories. As soon as he disappeared, Neville turned to Harry.
"Do you think it worked?" he asked.
Harry nodded slowly.
"It happens that Hermione is in her dormitory. Something tells me that he's up here at that very moment.
.::In Hermione's Dormitory::.
I sooo hope that Harry's plan is going to work! I love Harry - in a friendly way - but I'm getting tired of faking dating him! I'm beginning to believe that Ron doesn't like me more than as a friend, at the opposite of Harry's sayings. I wonder if…
Knock, knock. Hermione put down her quill and closed her diary. She put it back under her mattress and went to open the door.
"Ron? What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" Ron said.
"Uh, sure."
Hermione stepped aside and Ron entered the dormitory.
"Very tidy," he commented.
Hermione smiled.
"Can't expect something else of five girls!" she said.
She regained her serious and looked at him as she sat on the edge of her bed.
"What do you want to tell me?" she asked.
Ron sat on a chair in front of Hermione.
"So, um… how are things with Harry?" he stammered.
Hermione looked surprised.
"They're fine, thanks for asking," she said.
She looked at Ron.
"And how are you? We haven't talked for ages!" she said.
"Oh, I'm okay," Ron replied.
Hermione walked up to her friend and kneeled in front of him, looking at Ron right in the eye.
"Something's bothering you," she finally said.
"Non, I'm fine, I swear!" Ron protested.
But his ears were now pink.
"Ron, please talk to me," Hermione begged. "Tell me what's wrong," she added, putting a hand on his arm.
Ron jerked his hand away.
"Ron…" Hermione started.
"Fine, I'll tell you!" Ron shouted. "Promise me you won't get mad or upset?" he added, his tone softening.
Hermione looked at him, a worried expression on her face.
"Is it that bad?" she asked.
Ron didn't reply. He got up and walked to the window. Hermione stared at his back. Ron took a deep breath, and faced her.
"'Mione… I… I… I… I love you," he blurted out.
Hermione looked at him in shock. She didn't expect that revelation, not at all!
"Whoa, I for sure didn't expect that!" she whispered.
Ron turned back to the window.
"You're upset, aren't you?"
He said that in a barely audible whisper. He then turned his back to the window, avoiding Hermione's gaze.
"Well, the cat's out, I think I'm gonna get back to my dormitory," Ron whispered, making a move for the door.
Stupid! React before it's too late! Hermione's mind screamed. She grabbed Ron's arm just as he was only a few centimetres away from the door.
"Wait!" she said.
"What?" Ron asked.
Hermione didn't say anything. She just reached up and kissed him on the lips. At first, he was too surprised to react, but then he wrapped his arms around her waist, prolonging the kiss.
They kissed for a while, but then Ron pulled away.
"'Mione, this is wrong," he said. "You and Harry…"
"Aren't really dating," said a voice from behind him.
Ron turned around to see Harry standing in the doorway with Neville.
"Told you!" Harry said to Hermione as he walked in. "I knew Ron has a crush on you!"
"Harry," Ron started, "I'm sor…"
"No, I know you're not!" Harry cut off.
"But, I shouldn't have…"
"I just said we are not dating!" Harry interrupted.
"No, honest, I'm… What?" Ron said.
"Harry and I are not dating!" Hermione said.
"How come…?" Ron asked.
"It was just a cover," Harry said.
He proceeded into explaining the whole thing to Ron.
"You did all that only to have me tell 'Mione about what I feel for her?" Ron asked, bewildered.
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Whoa…," Ron said. "Well, there's one thing left for me to do… no, two things…"
He looked at Hermione and took her hand in his.
"Hermione, will you go out with me?"
As only answer, Hermione kissed him again.
"And the second thing?" Neville asked.
Ron quickly hugged Harry.
"Thanks… for everything. I've got to admit that I was jealous of you, though. But you're a real friend," Ron said.
Harry smiled.
"No sweat. That's what friends are for, after all!" Harry replied.
"Um, sorry to interrupt you guys," Neville said, "but it's dinner time and I'm starved. So what do you think about going down to the Great Hall?"
Harry smiled as Ron held hands with Hermione.
"Great idea," he agreed.
The four of them went down to dinner, Ron finally happy to be with the girl he loved for three years now.
Ron fell backwards on his bed, stunned.
"She what?"
"Hermione wants to go out with me!" Harry exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.
He had bounced in a few seconds earlier, looking very happy.
"I'm happy for you, Harry," Ron said coldly.
Harry didn't seem to notice.
"Well, see ya, I told her I'd meet her in the common room," Harry said, happily, leaving the dormitory.
Ron couldn't believe it. He's my best friend! How could he do something like that to me?
.::Downstairs, In The Common Room::.
"So?" Hermione asked as she saw Harry walking down the stairs leading to the dormitory he shared with Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville.
"He fell for it!" Harry laughed.
Hermione smiled, but her expression soon turned to worry.
"Are you sure it's going to work?"
Harry smiled reassuringly.
"I know Ron, he's gonna crack down a day or another… in the near future."
He extended his hand to Hermione.
"What about we go down to dinner, girlfriend?"
"Good idea… boyfriend!" Hermione replied, taking his hand.
They left the dormitory, holding hands.
.::Two Weeks Later::.
"Oh, this is soooo sickening!" Ron said to Neville, looking away from Hermione and Harry.
The pair was sitting in an armchair, Hermione curled up in Harry's lap, studying Transfiguration. Neville nodded absent-mindly.
"Ron, do you have a crush on Hermione?" he suddenly asked.
"Me? No way!" Ron protested.
But his ears had turned crimson.
.::Three Weeks Later::.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, Dean and some others were sitting in the library, doing homework. Suddenly, Hermione put down her quill and closed her Arithmancy book with a sigh. "Harry, me and you, my dormitory, right now," she whispered.
Harry closed his Divination book and put it in his bag.
"No wonder what they're gonna do," Deam commented with a smirk after they left.
.::In The Dormitory::.
"Harry, here goes nothing. Your plan's not working! Not at all. Ron doesn't like me more than as a friend!" Hermione said.
Harry smiled inwardly as he sat next to her on her bed.
"You're wrong," he said.
"Wrong? Ever since we started that fake dating deal, he barely looks at me! He always hangs out with Dean, Seamus and Neville!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hermione, you're so blind!" Harry said. "Ron barely looks at you because he's sure you're in love with me. He hangs out with Seamus because he can't stand seeing us together. And you should see the way he looks at me! Ron's jealous of me because he thinks I'm going out with you, Hermione," he continued.
"What should I do?" Hermione wondered aloud, throwing her arms up in the air.
"First, I'll drop a few hints to Ron," Harry told her. "The rest is up to you… and him."
"What a wonderful idea!" Hermione exclaimed happily.
She suddenly threw her arms around Harry.
"You're a real friend, Harry," she said.
Harry patted her back.
"Hey, I'm the famous Harry Potter, here to solve other people's problems and to save their lives!" he joked.
Hermione laughed.
"Where are you going?" she asked when she saw Harry walk to the door.
"I need to see Neville. I need his help," Harry replied, closing the door behind him.
"Wait, you're telling me you and Hermione aren't really dating?" Neville exclaimed.
He and Harry were alone in their dormitory.
"Exactly," Harry said.
He explained to Neville the whole thing.
"And I need your help," he finished.
"How?" Neville asked.
"Well, first, you can't tell anyone, especially Ron, about what I told you."
"I swear," Neville said.
"What I want you to do, is when Ron will be near me in the common room, I want you to come see me and tell me that…"
Harry proceeded into telling Neville his plan.
"So, you're in?" he asked.
"Okay!" Neville said.
Harry high-fived him.
"Let's just hope Ron will get the hint," Harry said.
.::Two Days Later::.
"Hey Ron, what's up?" Harry asked, sitting next to his friend.
Ron glanced up from his book.
"Nothing much, you?" he replied.
"The same old routine!" Harry said.
At that moment, Neville arrived.
"Hey Harry, I need an advice!" he said.
"What is it, Neville?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, you see, I like this girl…"
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Promise you won't tell?"
Harry nodded.
"Okay, well… I like Lavender Brown…"
Ron burst out laughing. Harry and Neville glared at him.
"Sorry," he said, returning to his book.
But he was fake reading, he was rather listening to Harry and Neville's conversation…
"Why do you need an advice?" Harry asked. "Just tell her how you feel…"
"It's because… I think she likes Seamus… I don't know what to do!" Neville said. "They're so close sometimes, it almost feels like they're dating or something…"
Harry looked at Ron off the corner of his eye: he looked pretty interested in the conversation.
"Tell you what, Neville, you should tell her anyway. Maybe she looks like she likes Seamus only because she doesn't want to tell you that she likes you… Maybe it's just a cover…"
At that moment, Ron closed his book.
"Sorry, gotta go. I, uh, gotta clean my closet, it's really messy in there…"
With that, he climbed the stairs leading to the dormitories. As soon as he disappeared, Neville turned to Harry.
"Do you think it worked?" he asked.
Harry nodded slowly.
"It happens that Hermione is in her dormitory. Something tells me that he's up here at that very moment.
.::In Hermione's Dormitory::.
I sooo hope that Harry's plan is going to work! I love Harry - in a friendly way - but I'm getting tired of faking dating him! I'm beginning to believe that Ron doesn't like me more than as a friend, at the opposite of Harry's sayings. I wonder if…
Knock, knock. Hermione put down her quill and closed her diary. She put it back under her mattress and went to open the door.
"Ron? What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" Ron said.
"Uh, sure."
Hermione stepped aside and Ron entered the dormitory.
"Very tidy," he commented.
Hermione smiled.
"Can't expect something else of five girls!" she said.
She regained her serious and looked at him as she sat on the edge of her bed.
"What do you want to tell me?" she asked.
Ron sat on a chair in front of Hermione.
"So, um… how are things with Harry?" he stammered.
Hermione looked surprised.
"They're fine, thanks for asking," she said.
She looked at Ron.
"And how are you? We haven't talked for ages!" she said.
"Oh, I'm okay," Ron replied.
Hermione walked up to her friend and kneeled in front of him, looking at Ron right in the eye.
"Something's bothering you," she finally said.
"Non, I'm fine, I swear!" Ron protested.
But his ears were now pink.
"Ron, please talk to me," Hermione begged. "Tell me what's wrong," she added, putting a hand on his arm.
Ron jerked his hand away.
"Ron…" Hermione started.
"Fine, I'll tell you!" Ron shouted. "Promise me you won't get mad or upset?" he added, his tone softening.
Hermione looked at him, a worried expression on her face.
"Is it that bad?" she asked.
Ron didn't reply. He got up and walked to the window. Hermione stared at his back. Ron took a deep breath, and faced her.
"'Mione… I… I… I… I love you," he blurted out.
Hermione looked at him in shock. She didn't expect that revelation, not at all!
"Whoa, I for sure didn't expect that!" she whispered.
Ron turned back to the window.
"You're upset, aren't you?"
He said that in a barely audible whisper. He then turned his back to the window, avoiding Hermione's gaze.
"Well, the cat's out, I think I'm gonna get back to my dormitory," Ron whispered, making a move for the door.
Stupid! React before it's too late! Hermione's mind screamed. She grabbed Ron's arm just as he was only a few centimetres away from the door.
"Wait!" she said.
"What?" Ron asked.
Hermione didn't say anything. She just reached up and kissed him on the lips. At first, he was too surprised to react, but then he wrapped his arms around her waist, prolonging the kiss.
They kissed for a while, but then Ron pulled away.
"'Mione, this is wrong," he said. "You and Harry…"
"Aren't really dating," said a voice from behind him.
Ron turned around to see Harry standing in the doorway with Neville.
"Told you!" Harry said to Hermione as he walked in. "I knew Ron has a crush on you!"
"Harry," Ron started, "I'm sor…"
"No, I know you're not!" Harry cut off.
"But, I shouldn't have…"
"I just said we are not dating!" Harry interrupted.
"No, honest, I'm… What?" Ron said.
"Harry and I are not dating!" Hermione said.
"How come…?" Ron asked.
"It was just a cover," Harry said.
He proceeded into explaining the whole thing to Ron.
"You did all that only to have me tell 'Mione about what I feel for her?" Ron asked, bewildered.
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Whoa…," Ron said. "Well, there's one thing left for me to do… no, two things…"
He looked at Hermione and took her hand in his.
"Hermione, will you go out with me?"
As only answer, Hermione kissed him again.
"And the second thing?" Neville asked.
Ron quickly hugged Harry.
"Thanks… for everything. I've got to admit that I was jealous of you, though. But you're a real friend," Ron said.
Harry smiled.
"No sweat. That's what friends are for, after all!" Harry replied.
"Um, sorry to interrupt you guys," Neville said, "but it's dinner time and I'm starved. So what do you think about going down to the Great Hall?"
Harry smiled as Ron held hands with Hermione.
"Great idea," he agreed.
The four of them went down to dinner, Ron finally happy to be with the girl he loved for three years now.