"Who's there?" he said, his heart pounding.
"It's just me," said Hermione, appearing almost shyly from the girl's staircase.
"Hermione," Harry tried to breathe more normally, "you scared me."
"Sorry," she said. They both sat down, Hermione staring into the fire.
"What're you doing up so late?" they said at the same time. They both laughed and Harry answered first.
"R - I mean, I couldn't sleep," he felt bad about lying to her, but he had told Ron he'd keep it a secret.
"Oh," said Hermione, "me either."
She sighed and went back to staring into the small flames. There was something she wasn't telling Harry, he was sure of it, but he didn't know what. He gave her a stern look and cleared his throat.
"What's up, Hermione? Tell me the truth," he said.
She looked very uncomfortable. "Er.if I tell you, do you promise you won't think it's odd?"
"Yes." this seemed very familiar to Harry.
"And you won't laugh?" she looked very anxious.
"Of course not," he replied, watching her closely.
"Okay.okay," she took a deep breath and looked at her lap. "You know.Ron?"
"Yes, I think I've heard of him, Hermione," Harry said, grinning. She laughed shortly, then continued.
"Well." she bit her lip. "This is kind of confusing for me. You see-"
"Let me guess - you like Ron and you don't know what to do," said Harry, still smiling.
"Yes! How did you know?" she looked amazed.
"Just a gut feeling," he said.
"I feel terrible.I've fancied him since.well.last year, I think," said Hermione.
"Last - last year?" said Harry, feeling strange. This was like having a mirror of the last conversation, just without as much hysteria.
"Yes," mumbled Hermione, turning bright red.
Harry didn't say anything. He hated knowing that his two best friends liked each other - and didn't know about the other.
"I feel terrible," said Hermione again.
"What about Krum?" said Harry suddenly. Hermione groaned.
"I know, I know.exactly," she said, looking miserable. "But.oh, what am I going to do, Harry? I like Viktor very much, and I don't want to.you know.but I like Ron so much too.I don't know what I'm going to do!"
"Maybe you should talk to Ron. See what he has to say," Harry hinted.
"Well, what do I do? Tell him that I fancy him even though I have a boyfriend already, and that I've no idea what to do?" she sounded sarcastic.
"Yes," said Harry. Hermione stared at him.
"Are you serious?" she said.
"Yes, definitely," Harry was slightly relieved.
"But he can't.he doesn't.I mean, he doesn't fancy me back, I can tell.so won't it be strange between us?" asked Hermione. Harry almost smiled.
"I think that's for him to decide. I'll get him, if you like," said Harry firmly.
"Are you sure?" asked Hermione, still staring at him.
"Positive. Tell him now! I'll get him!" Harry was sure Ron would be very happy about all this.
"Are you totally sure about this?" Hermione looked very scared suddenly.
"Yes. Hang on," Harry bolted up the stairs, pulled the covers off of Ron, and hit him on the shoulder.
"Wha." Ron mumbled.
"Wake up and come to the common room. Hermione's awake-"
Ron didn't need anything else. He immediately got up and almost ran to the common room. Hermione was standing up now and writhing her hands.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry said, smiling widely.
"Okay. Ron." she began.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, looking both excited and terrified at the same time.
"Um." Hermione panicked, and looked at Harry. This wasn't going as smoothly as he had hoped.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked in a very concerned voice.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry said again, a bit more firmly and encouraging.
But Hermione didn't seem to want to say anything. She kept swallowing and biting her lip. Finally, Ron spoke up.
"I s'pose - I s'pose we should get some sleep," he said awkwardly.
"Yeah.good idea," said Hermione.
Harry sighed. He felt somewhat sorry for the two of them. He knew how they must have felt. He also knew that it's difficult to talk to someone you fancy - just last year, he had tried to ask Cho to the ball, and had turned a violent shade of scarlet and mumbled a lot. He watched Ron as he walked very slowly to the stairs and Hermione hesitated. He gave her a look that said, quite plainly, you should have told him, and she nodded sadly.
"I know," she whispered so quietly that Harry could barely hear her. Ron had only climbed two stairs.
"It's okay," he whispered back, just as quietly.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Hermione whispered.
"Just tell him when it feels right, I guess," said Harry reasonably.
Suddenly, without warning, Hermione took a deep breath and rushed at Ron, who was at the top of the staircase. She grabbed his arm and wheeled him around.
"Ron, I have something I need to say to you," she said quickly and calmly, though she was blushing.
Ron's eyes widened and his face flushed. "What?" he asked, very hopefully.
Harry stepped out of their sight, behind an armchair. He wouldn't want an audience if he were having this type of conversation. He could still see Hermione's pink face, though.
"I.I-" she began, her eyes wide as Ron's.
A split second later, He couldn't see Hermione's face.the back of Ron's head was in the way. Hermione's arm was suddenly around his neck - were they kissing?
Harry's jaw dropped, and he sank down to the floor in shock. He saw Ron draw away and Hermione's eyes open. She looked surprised and happy. Her face was just as pink as it had been a moment ago. Ron's hand was gripping her arm lightly. Hermione made a small noise, as though she couldn't come up with something to say. Ron, however, broke the silence.
"I've liked you for a long time, Hermione," he said, in the same gentle voice he had used before. Harry still hadn't moved.
"I've liked you for a long time, too," she said, biting her lip and looking up at him with just her eyes, her head pointing down.
"Really?" Ron asked happily.
"Yeah," she mumbled.
Harry couldn't watch any longer. He looked into the fire for a moment. He was sure they were kissing again by the silence. After a few moments, he heard Hermione say his name.
"Harry?" she said.
"Yeah?" he called from his spot on the floor.
"Where are you?" she called back.
"Er-" he looked around. "On the floor."
He saw her face disappear and saw her walking toward him, her brown hair bouncing. She held out a hand and helped him up. Ron stood on the stairs.
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked him, so quietly he barely heard, and very carefully.
He simply nodded. "I'll go to bed.give you guys some.er, privacy," he said, not looking at Hermione.
The moment he flopped onto his bed, he heard laughter from his left.
"It's just me," said Hermione, appearing almost shyly from the girl's staircase.
"Hermione," Harry tried to breathe more normally, "you scared me."
"Sorry," she said. They both sat down, Hermione staring into the fire.
"What're you doing up so late?" they said at the same time. They both laughed and Harry answered first.
"R - I mean, I couldn't sleep," he felt bad about lying to her, but he had told Ron he'd keep it a secret.
"Oh," said Hermione, "me either."
She sighed and went back to staring into the small flames. There was something she wasn't telling Harry, he was sure of it, but he didn't know what. He gave her a stern look and cleared his throat.
"What's up, Hermione? Tell me the truth," he said.
She looked very uncomfortable. "Er.if I tell you, do you promise you won't think it's odd?"
"Yes." this seemed very familiar to Harry.
"And you won't laugh?" she looked very anxious.
"Of course not," he replied, watching her closely.
"Okay.okay," she took a deep breath and looked at her lap. "You know.Ron?"
"Yes, I think I've heard of him, Hermione," Harry said, grinning. She laughed shortly, then continued.
"Well." she bit her lip. "This is kind of confusing for me. You see-"
"Let me guess - you like Ron and you don't know what to do," said Harry, still smiling.
"Yes! How did you know?" she looked amazed.
"Just a gut feeling," he said.
"I feel terrible.I've fancied him since.well.last year, I think," said Hermione.
"Last - last year?" said Harry, feeling strange. This was like having a mirror of the last conversation, just without as much hysteria.
"Yes," mumbled Hermione, turning bright red.
Harry didn't say anything. He hated knowing that his two best friends liked each other - and didn't know about the other.
"I feel terrible," said Hermione again.
"What about Krum?" said Harry suddenly. Hermione groaned.
"I know, I know.exactly," she said, looking miserable. "But.oh, what am I going to do, Harry? I like Viktor very much, and I don't want to.you know.but I like Ron so much too.I don't know what I'm going to do!"
"Maybe you should talk to Ron. See what he has to say," Harry hinted.
"Well, what do I do? Tell him that I fancy him even though I have a boyfriend already, and that I've no idea what to do?" she sounded sarcastic.
"Yes," said Harry. Hermione stared at him.
"Are you serious?" she said.
"Yes, definitely," Harry was slightly relieved.
"But he can't.he doesn't.I mean, he doesn't fancy me back, I can tell.so won't it be strange between us?" asked Hermione. Harry almost smiled.
"I think that's for him to decide. I'll get him, if you like," said Harry firmly.
"Are you sure?" asked Hermione, still staring at him.
"Positive. Tell him now! I'll get him!" Harry was sure Ron would be very happy about all this.
"Are you totally sure about this?" Hermione looked very scared suddenly.
"Yes. Hang on," Harry bolted up the stairs, pulled the covers off of Ron, and hit him on the shoulder.
"Wha." Ron mumbled.
"Wake up and come to the common room. Hermione's awake-"
Ron didn't need anything else. He immediately got up and almost ran to the common room. Hermione was standing up now and writhing her hands.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry said, smiling widely.
"Okay. Ron." she began.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, looking both excited and terrified at the same time.
"Um." Hermione panicked, and looked at Harry. This wasn't going as smoothly as he had hoped.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked in a very concerned voice.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry said again, a bit more firmly and encouraging.
But Hermione didn't seem to want to say anything. She kept swallowing and biting her lip. Finally, Ron spoke up.
"I s'pose - I s'pose we should get some sleep," he said awkwardly.
"Yeah.good idea," said Hermione.
Harry sighed. He felt somewhat sorry for the two of them. He knew how they must have felt. He also knew that it's difficult to talk to someone you fancy - just last year, he had tried to ask Cho to the ball, and had turned a violent shade of scarlet and mumbled a lot. He watched Ron as he walked very slowly to the stairs and Hermione hesitated. He gave her a look that said, quite plainly, you should have told him, and she nodded sadly.
"I know," she whispered so quietly that Harry could barely hear her. Ron had only climbed two stairs.
"It's okay," he whispered back, just as quietly.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Hermione whispered.
"Just tell him when it feels right, I guess," said Harry reasonably.
Suddenly, without warning, Hermione took a deep breath and rushed at Ron, who was at the top of the staircase. She grabbed his arm and wheeled him around.
"Ron, I have something I need to say to you," she said quickly and calmly, though she was blushing.
Ron's eyes widened and his face flushed. "What?" he asked, very hopefully.
Harry stepped out of their sight, behind an armchair. He wouldn't want an audience if he were having this type of conversation. He could still see Hermione's pink face, though.
"I.I-" she began, her eyes wide as Ron's.
A split second later, He couldn't see Hermione's face.the back of Ron's head was in the way. Hermione's arm was suddenly around his neck - were they kissing?
Harry's jaw dropped, and he sank down to the floor in shock. He saw Ron draw away and Hermione's eyes open. She looked surprised and happy. Her face was just as pink as it had been a moment ago. Ron's hand was gripping her arm lightly. Hermione made a small noise, as though she couldn't come up with something to say. Ron, however, broke the silence.
"I've liked you for a long time, Hermione," he said, in the same gentle voice he had used before. Harry still hadn't moved.
"I've liked you for a long time, too," she said, biting her lip and looking up at him with just her eyes, her head pointing down.
"Really?" Ron asked happily.
"Yeah," she mumbled.
Harry couldn't watch any longer. He looked into the fire for a moment. He was sure they were kissing again by the silence. After a few moments, he heard Hermione say his name.
"Harry?" she said.
"Yeah?" he called from his spot on the floor.
"Where are you?" she called back.
"Er-" he looked around. "On the floor."
He saw her face disappear and saw her walking toward him, her brown hair bouncing. She held out a hand and helped him up. Ron stood on the stairs.
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked him, so quietly he barely heard, and very carefully.
He simply nodded. "I'll go to bed.give you guys some.er, privacy," he said, not looking at Hermione.
The moment he flopped onto his bed, he heard laughter from his left.