A/N: I know a lot of people are probably pretty upset and aghast about what happened in the last chapter. To all those people I have this to say: trust me. I know we all want a nice, happy romance, but from what I've learned a happy romance is a boring romance. There has to be some struggle along the way that eventually brings the characters together. That's what makes a romance interesting.
With that out of the way, on with the chapter…
CHAPTER TWELVE: NO MORE LIES
She tried not to, but every time he walked by her or into a room, she could rarely stop herself from looking at him. If Harry noticed this, he had said nothing about it so far. Weeks had passed and he was still acting like Ron didn't exist. She wished she could have done the same thing herself, but just forgetting about the person you were – correction – had been in love with, was not something that could be accomplished over night.
She divided her time between trying not to think about Ron and worrying about Harry's deteriorating friendship with him. Harry would never say it out loud – he was just as stubborn as Ron in many ways – but the truth was she knew that he missed him. He would never admit it, though. It would violate some sort of code or something.
Ron was his best friend and she didn't want to take that away from him. The only reason Harry had stayed angry with him this long was because he was afraid she would feel betrayed if he did. Maybe she would, but she couldn't expect him to cut Ron out of his life because the two of them couldn't even look at each other. Harry was miserable, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he couldn't. Not from her, and most definitely not from Ginny.
Hermione could not help but feel partially at fault for the way their relationship was suffering. But she also didn't know how she would have made it this far without Harry. She had always felt close to him, it was a different kind of closeness then she had shared with Ron, but it meant just as much to her – even more now with the way things were. Harry had always been the best friend anyone could have asked for. He was loyal beyond a doubt and had been there for her those first couple of rough nights where she had cried herself to sleep. Now it was her turn to return the favour even if he did not appreciate what she was trying to do.
They were sitting in the common room that night, Harry working on Divination homework, and she her Potions essay, when she attempted to broach the subject of Ron with him.
"Is that due tomorrow?" She asked him.
"Yeah, but I'm sure if I told Trewlany that I saw a vision of myself dying while I was working on it, she would completely understand why I didn't finish,"
Trying to sound nonchalant, she said, "why don't you ask someone and see what they put?"
Harry frowned, as if knowing exactly what she was implying. "I know what you're trying to do, Hermione,"
She played innocent. "And what would that be?"
"I'm not asking Ron for help," he said, his tone final. "I'm not that desperate, and even if I was, I'd ask Trewlany before I asked him for anything,"
"Harry, I never asked you to give up your friendship with Ron because of what happened between us,"
"You didn't have to,"
The intensity of his gaze and the unwavering sound in his voice almost frightened her. "He's your best friend, doesn't that mean anything? Are you really willing to throw away more than six years of friendship over something that has noting to do with you?"
"What happened does concern me," Harry said emphatically, "because the three of us were supposed to be friends, until Ron went and messed that up,"
She sighed. This was not going to be easy. "Would you at least think about it? You've been in a terrible mood for weeks over this." Reaching across the table, she laid her hand on top of his. "I appreciate everything that you've done for me, Harry, but I don't want to be the one responsible for destroying your friendship. Please talk to him,"
Then gathering her books off the table, she left the common room and retreated up to her dorm.
Hermione wondered how her years of being against drinking had managed to dissolve in a matter of minutes last night. Now that she understood firsthand what it felt like to have a hangover, she couldn't imagine why someone would want to drink as much as she had.
Waking up to the feeling of a herd of hippogriffs stampeding on top of her head and the kind of nausea no one should have to live through were things she could have handled. But those factors combined with waking up next to her best friend had been too much. It took a few painful moments of recalling the previous night before Hermione was able to piece to together exactly what had happened.
The truth of what she and Harry had done was enough to make her want to stay under the covers and never show her face again. The situation was beyond any depths of awkwardness she had ever experienced before.
She wrapped herself in a sheet and turned her back while Harry got dressed. Then he left the room so she could do the same. Just the effort of getting dressed sent her running to the bathroom where she spent the next twenty minutes throwing up.
Harry was back to his old self by then, apologizing profusely and wanting to take full responsibility for what had happened – when it was as much her fault as it was his.
Without a charm or spell to cure her hangover, she had used her very first sick day and called the ministry to let them know she would not be coming into the office. She would be of no use there if all she was going to do was throw up every twenty minutes.
She couldn't very well stay at the apartment, fearing what would happen if Ron came back. Harry helped her back to her place, neither one talking much along the way. She found she was having trouble looking at Harry, which had nothing to do with her present state.
When he had left, she had attempted to sleep off her hangover until the time came for her to head to the Weasley's. She had completely forgotten about having been invited to dinner there that night until Harry had muttered something about it when he had brought her home. She thought about calling and telling them she couldn't make it, but knew it wouldn't be fair to make Harry go alone when he probably felt as awful as she did.
She briefly entertained the idea of just apparating there, but knew she was in not in the proper condition to do it without the possibility of messing up. Driving seemed to be the safer alternative, though not by much.
She spent the drive worrying about how she was going to explain this to Ron. They weren't together technically, so she briefly entertained the idea of not telling him. But she knew that if he ever found out, sleeping with Harry would have been a million times worse than if she had slept with a complete stranger.
She wouldn't be able to tell him tonight that was sure. There would be too many people at The Burrow, and she needed to talk to Harry first before she did anything.
The more she thought about Ron's reaction, the sicker she felt. She was thankful she made it to the Weasley home without having to pull over once to throw up. She had not thrown up since lunchtime, thankfully.
Ginny was the one who answered the door with a look of deep concern plastered on her face.
"Hermione are you all right?"
"Just feeling a bit under the weather,"
And she wasn't lying either.
Ginny led her inside and of course, Harry had to be the first one she came across. He was sitting in a corner deep in conversation with the two eldest Weasley boys, Bill and Charlie. He nodded at her before quickly turning back to his conversation.
She didn't have to look far to find Ron. He was sitting at the other end of the living room, with Gillian in his lap. He was whispering things to her and she kept giggling.
"They've been like that since they got here," Ginny whispered to her in a low voice. "I'd like to know what's gotten into Ron,"
Hermione would have liked to know the same thing. The sight of them together like that after everything Ron had said to her, made her eyes start to water and the queasiness she had been feeling on and off all day return at full force. She quickly excused herself and all but ran to the bathroom. She did not come out until she had complete control over her emotions and was sure she wasn't going to be sick.
It wouldn't do for her to cry in front of everyone, when no one, with the exception of Harry, knew what was going on.
Dinner did not go any better. Ron had not said one word to her since her arrival at The Burrow, and he looked to be avoiding Harry as well. Did he know? It would explain the way he was acting with Gillian. But why wouldn't he have said anything if he had? The answer was simple: because he was Ron and that was the way Ron worked. He would keep whatever was bothering him bottled inside, letting it eat away at him until he finally exploded.
There was one other possibility for his behaviour. One that she did not even what to think of but was forced to consider. Maybe he had decided to go through with the wedding after all, and didn't know how to tell her, so he thought he might just rub it in her face and hope she took the hint.
"How's the best man speech coming, Harry?" Charlie asked him.
"It's getting there," he answered. "It just needs some fine tuning,"
"Hermione dear, I wanted to think you for everything you've done," Mrs. Weasley said to her. "I don't think Ron would have made it this far without you,"
She looked at Ron who had his head lowered and was staring at his plate. "It was nothing, really," she said, trying to brush off the compliment she knew she didn't deserve.
"Ron, tell her how much of a big help she's been," Mrs. Weasley said to her son.
"Excuse me," he said quickly and left the dining room before anyone could ask why.
Hermione waited several moments before excusing herself as well, and set out after Ron.
She found him standing in the backyard with his back turned to her. If he had heard her coming up behind him he showed no sign of it.
"Ron, what's going on?"
"Go back inside,"
She knew that tone. He was struggling to keep his temper under control.
"I just want to know – "
"Hermione, just go back inside because I can't stand the sight of you right now,"
She didn't budge. More because she was stunned by his words then anything.
He turned around when he didn't hear her move, and where she thought he had been angry he looked more hurt than anything. "You have some nerve coming here, acting all innocent," he accused.
He knew. Somehow he had found out. "Ron, let me explain – "
"You slept with Harry!" He practically screamed. He didn't seem to care that everyone in the house might here them. "How could you do that? Was it some sort of payback?"
"No, that's not it at all. Harry and I had a lot to drink. I know that's no excuse – "
"Your damn right that's no excuse," he cut her off angrily. "Do you know what it was like for me to walk in and see you in bed with him?"
"Ron, it's not her fault,"
Harry had joined them outside and was standing protectively near Hermione.
"Stay out of this Potter," Ron roared at him. "It's not my fault my sister doesn't want you, but that doesn't give you the right to go and shag Hermione because you're lonely,"
"Ron, it was an accident," Harry insisted, trying to make him understand.
She was both shocked and relieved by Harry's self control. The last thing she wanted was for a fist fight to break out with Ron's family just inside.
"You know there were rumours about you two at Hogwarts after Hermione and I broke up," said Ron, not seeming to have heard Harry. "Now, I'm starting to wonder if they were true,"
What should have happened, was they both should have denied it and told him he was daft for even thinking it might be true. Instead Ron saw something flash in Harry's eyes that looked remotely like guilt and that sent him over the edge.
"The rumours were true, weren't they?" He shouted, waiting for an answer.
"Ron, calm down," said Harry.
"Calm down?" Ron rounded on him with his full-blown anger. "I'm not doing anything until someone tells me what the hell happened between you two,"
"It doesn't matter now, Ron," Harry tried to tell him.
"The hell it doesn't," Ron argued. He lunged past Hermione and grabbed Harry by the collar of his shirt. "You were my best mate. I trusted you to take care of her not take her to bed with you,"
"Ron, stop it," Hermione pleaded, stepping in between them. "Harry, didn't do anything,"
Ron had no intention of stopping. He still had a hold on Harry and was thinking just how much he wanted to hit him when a small voice brought him out of his trance.
"They were true," she confessed. "Harry and I were together,"
Ron's hands slackened their hold of Harry's shirt and fell nimbly to his sides. It wasn't that he didn't still want to hit him – he wanted to hit him more than anything at that moment – but his brain seemed to be having difficulty believing that the two people he cared about most had been lying to his face for years. Just the idea of them together seemed impossible. He had never really paid any attention to the rumours. He had always figured it was someone's idea of spicing up the rumour mill at Hogwarts.
He must have been standing there in silent rage for several moments, because they were both staring at him, concern and anxiety showing on their expressions.
"How could you?" He finally managed to get out. He was talking to them both but he was looking at Hermione when he said it.
She looked close to tears, and Ron realized then how much he wanted to make her cry. He had never before wanted to do such a thing, not even way back in first year when he thought she was a bossy, know-it-all.
"Just let me explain,"
Ron's temper had reached the breaking point. "Like you let me explain after you found out about Lavender? You are a piece of work, Hermione. Hanging Lavender over my head all these years when you were doing the same thing with my best friend,"
"Ron, it was never like that – "
"Spare me the details," he spat out angrily. "I think I can figure them out for myself,"
"Ron, please, you don't understand,"
"Oh, I understand plenty. And you two better understand this: when I come back inside you both better be gone. You two disgust me and I don't what to see either one of you at my wedding or in my house ever again,"
Hermione wanted to stay and make him understand, but Harry forced her back into the house. He kept telling her over and over that Ron just needed some time to cool down and then they would talk things over. But one thing Harry had never been very good at was lying. She wasn't at all convinced that Ron would want to talk to her anytime soon.
She knew then that she needed to leave the house before the rest of Ron's family found out what they had done. At that moment she didn't care that Harry would be left alone to deal with them.
Harry had tried to get her to call a cab, saying she looked too upset to drive, but she had insisted that she was fine and he eventually backed off. She couldn't hang around The Burrow a second longer.
Even when she was in her car, driving away, she didn't think it was possible for her to feel any worse, but she was wrong.
Everything she and Ron had worked towards in the past few weeks had been ruined in a matter of minutes. And this time, she had no one to blame but herself.