"Wha.wha's going on?" he mumbled sleepily. He opened his eyes to see Ron
standing over him looking worried.
"I have to tell you something," Ron said.
"What's up?" Harry said, suddenly more awake. He sat up and put on his glasses. Ron sat on his own bed and looked down at his
hands, which were twisting in his lap.
"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" he asked anxiously.
"Of course," Harry said.
"And you promise not to laugh, don't you?"
"Yes."
Ron took a deep breath. "Okay. Here goes. I think - I mean.you know how I asked you if Hermione looked different earlier?"
Harry frowned. "Yes."
"Well - I think I'm starting to, er, like her. You know." he trailed off. Harry's eyes widened and he felt his jaw drop.
"You mean-"
"Yeah," Harry couldn't see him, but he was sure Ron was a brilliant tomato red.
"How - I mean, oh, my - how long have you, you know." Harry began, in shock.
"Last year," Ron said very quietly.
"Last year?" Harry said, more loudly. Ron shushed him and looked around, though no one was awake. "How is that starting to?"
"I don't know! I'm sorry, I know I should have told you before, but I was really scared," said Ron.
"Scared of what?" Harry asked. He felt a tiny glint of puzzlement through the shock at Ron not telling him.
"I was afraid that you would be angry with me," said Ron, lying back on his bed.
"Why would I be angry?" Harry said in amazement.
"Because I know that you like Hermione too!" Ron burst out.
Harry felt very strange. He liked Hermione very much, but he
had never looked at her as a girlfriend or anything.
"Ron, I don't-"
"I've seen how you look at her!"
"Ron, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how I know that you like Hermione too, and so I'm sorry! And I know that I should have told you earlier! And I'm just really sorry!" Ron sounded almost hysterical.
"Ron, shut up," Dean mumbled sleepily.
"We're trying to sleep," Seamus agreed.
Neville just snored. Ron took another deep breath and sat up. He looked at Harry very seriously.
"Are you saying that you don't like Hermione.like, um, like that?" he said awkwardly.
"Yes! I mean, I like her like a friend, but that's all."
"Oh."
There was a pause in which Ron cleared his throat a few times. Harry felt really uncomfortable and had no idea what to say. Instead, Ron lay down yet again.
"So what am I going to do?" he said, sounding quite depressed.
"No idea," replied Harry.
"Should I tell her?" Ron didn't seem too enthusiastic about this idea.
"I don't think so. I mean, she has a boyfriend, remember? Krum?" Ron groaned as Harry said Krum's name.
"Yeah, I remember Krum. How can you forget? All she talks about.Vicky," he said disgustedly. "Besides, it's obvious that she doesn't see me the same way. I mean, why would she?"
"What d'you mean?" asked Harry.
"Well.I mean, she's so.I dunno.it's aiming too high, really. She's pretty and all, and she's so smart and nice." Ron trailed off, sounding depressed again.
"Oh, come on, Ron." Harry said, trying to cheer Ron up, but Ron didn't listen.
"I'm going to sleep. 'Night," said Ron.
Harry rubbed his eyes. He wasn't the slightest bit sleepy anymore, just very confused. He stood up as Ron got back under the covers of his four- poster and rolled over angrily. Being careful to be quiet, he opened the door and walked to the common room. It looked totally deserted (which didn't surprise Harry, as it was past midnight). Just as he sat down in front of the dying fire, a small noise made him jump.
"I have to tell you something," Ron said.
"What's up?" Harry said, suddenly more awake. He sat up and put on his glasses. Ron sat on his own bed and looked down at his
hands, which were twisting in his lap.
"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" he asked anxiously.
"Of course," Harry said.
"And you promise not to laugh, don't you?"
"Yes."
Ron took a deep breath. "Okay. Here goes. I think - I mean.you know how I asked you if Hermione looked different earlier?"
Harry frowned. "Yes."
"Well - I think I'm starting to, er, like her. You know." he trailed off. Harry's eyes widened and he felt his jaw drop.
"You mean-"
"Yeah," Harry couldn't see him, but he was sure Ron was a brilliant tomato red.
"How - I mean, oh, my - how long have you, you know." Harry began, in shock.
"Last year," Ron said very quietly.
"Last year?" Harry said, more loudly. Ron shushed him and looked around, though no one was awake. "How is that starting to?"
"I don't know! I'm sorry, I know I should have told you before, but I was really scared," said Ron.
"Scared of what?" Harry asked. He felt a tiny glint of puzzlement through the shock at Ron not telling him.
"I was afraid that you would be angry with me," said Ron, lying back on his bed.
"Why would I be angry?" Harry said in amazement.
"Because I know that you like Hermione too!" Ron burst out.
Harry felt very strange. He liked Hermione very much, but he
had never looked at her as a girlfriend or anything.
"Ron, I don't-"
"I've seen how you look at her!"
"Ron, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about how I know that you like Hermione too, and so I'm sorry! And I know that I should have told you earlier! And I'm just really sorry!" Ron sounded almost hysterical.
"Ron, shut up," Dean mumbled sleepily.
"We're trying to sleep," Seamus agreed.
Neville just snored. Ron took another deep breath and sat up. He looked at Harry very seriously.
"Are you saying that you don't like Hermione.like, um, like that?" he said awkwardly.
"Yes! I mean, I like her like a friend, but that's all."
"Oh."
There was a pause in which Ron cleared his throat a few times. Harry felt really uncomfortable and had no idea what to say. Instead, Ron lay down yet again.
"So what am I going to do?" he said, sounding quite depressed.
"No idea," replied Harry.
"Should I tell her?" Ron didn't seem too enthusiastic about this idea.
"I don't think so. I mean, she has a boyfriend, remember? Krum?" Ron groaned as Harry said Krum's name.
"Yeah, I remember Krum. How can you forget? All she talks about.Vicky," he said disgustedly. "Besides, it's obvious that she doesn't see me the same way. I mean, why would she?"
"What d'you mean?" asked Harry.
"Well.I mean, she's so.I dunno.it's aiming too high, really. She's pretty and all, and she's so smart and nice." Ron trailed off, sounding depressed again.
"Oh, come on, Ron." Harry said, trying to cheer Ron up, but Ron didn't listen.
"I'm going to sleep. 'Night," said Ron.
Harry rubbed his eyes. He wasn't the slightest bit sleepy anymore, just very confused. He stood up as Ron got back under the covers of his four- poster and rolled over angrily. Being careful to be quiet, he opened the door and walked to the common room. It looked totally deserted (which didn't surprise Harry, as it was past midnight). Just as he sat down in front of the dying fire, a small noise made him jump.