Disclaimer: Why do we need these? Who's dumb enough to think Harry Potter
is ours?
Warning: This is a cliffhanger chapter. Some people don't like those. In that case, wait until Chapter 2 is finished. ------------------------------------------------------------
Ron slowly walked up the stairs, tugging at his too-short robes as he climbed. His mind wandered from the homework he was supposed to be doing; to the girl he knew was doing hers. Hermione. As he walked into the dorm room, he saw Harry sitting on his bed, flipping through the same Chudley Cannons book he had been flipping through for three years. Harry hardly seemed to notice his friend's entrance. Ron startled him by asking, "How many times do you plan on reading that book? You have to know it by heart by now!" Harry gave him a look that said, "Well, you gave it to me, it's your fault I love it." Ron rolled his eyes.
Ron had hardly considered telling Harry how he felt about Hermione. Today was a new struggle though. Today, there was something about Hermione that appealed to Ron more than usual. Ron's feelings were so acute that he thought he would burst if he didn't tell anyone. He was able to restrain himself in front of Harry, though. Ron didn't think anyone needed to know about it. Even Hermione seemed clueless.
Ron sat down on his bed. He lay back, just thinking about the day and especially about Hermione. His freckled face blushed as he thought of different aspects he liked about Hermione. Harry must have lifted his head from his book at that exact moment, because he asked, "Ron? You're blushing. What happened?" Ron was taken aback by Harry's question. He turned on his side, away from Harry.
"Nothing." He couldn't help grinning, but wondering whether or not Harry was going to "buy" this response.
"I'm sure. What happened?" Harry repeated. And, as punctuation for his question, he added, "And if you don't tell me, I'll tell Ginny. And you know she can't keep a secret." Ron started to panic. He turned onto his other side to face Harry, and took a deep breath.
"Well." Ron trailed off. Ron's face beet red, Harry knew this had to be big.
"Keep going" Harry said, thoroughly enjoying seeing Ron struggle to say what Harry suspected.
"Kinda. well. like. erm. Hermione" Ron mumbled.
With a wide grin on his face, Harry asked, "What was that?"
"I like Hermione, alright?" Ron blurted out.
Harry had trouble restraining himself from hysterical laughter. "I always thought so."
Ron grabbed Harry and started to wrestle him to the ground. "You jerk, you knew all along! And you made me say it!" Harry couldn't fight back; he was laughing so hard. Ron threw him to the ground one last time before standing up, sweaty, and told Harry not to tell Ginny, or he'd kill him.
Harry had only just stopped laughing. "All right. Trust me, she'll never have a clue." Ron knew that Harry would drop hints, but never actually tell her, and that would be his defense when Ron accosted him later. But until then, life was good.
As it got later on in the night, Hermione, Harry, and Ron found themselves to be the only three left in the Common Room. Hermione was working furiously fast on an essay for Professor Flitwick that wasn't due for another two weeks, which Harry and Ron hadn't started. All three were seated in front of the fire.
"Hermione, that's not due for two weeks! Why are you doing it now?" Harry asked.
"So I won't have to worry about it! Have you two even started?" she retorted.
"Us? Seriously Hermione, you think we'd start that now?" Ron exclaimed. Harry chuckled his agreement.
"Big surprise there." Hermione answered.
Harry glanced at Ron and noticed that he was staring at Hermione. It couldn't have been her essay, because Harry knew that Ron would just slap something together the night before. Or better yet, the morning of. Harry decided this was the perfect opportunity for Ron. He yawned. "Unh, I'm getting tired. See you two in the morning." He then stared at Ron to give him the message. Ron got it, and Harry went upstairs, but had no intention of sleeping. He was going to wait until Ron went upstairs himself, and ask him all about it.
"So, um, Hermione, what was the essay supposed to be about?" Ron tried to start a conversation.
Hermione sighed. "Can't you remember anything about class? Never mind. Don't answer that."
Ron laughed, but blushed as well. Luckily for him, Hermione didn't notice. Getting desperate, he asked, "Hey, do you know when Snape's potion is due?" He knew that it was due in a couple of days, but wanted to get her talking.
Hermione looked up from her essay and gave Ron a look that said, "Duh. You were supposed to be done with it by now." Ron nodded as if to say, "oh yeah".
Ron was anxious, but couldn't wait any longer. "Hermione." He choked out her name, but couldn't finish the question.
"Ron, the Potions assignment is due Friday, Flitwick's essay is due in two weeks, Sprout's research is due next Thursday. Did I answer your question?"
Ron suddenly found courage he never dreamed possible, and answered her question. "No."
Hermione turned her head to face Ron, who surprisingly hadn't gone beet-red. "What?"
"You didn't answer my question. You don't know what my question was." Ron suddenly blurted out.
Hermione, suddenly interested, closed her books, and turned the chair to face Ron. "What's the question, then?"
Ron lost the courage he had gained, panicking and blowing off the scenario. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me." Hermione dared.
Ron took a deep breath, and began. "Hermione, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've liked you ever since I met you. I don't know why I never told you. I never knew if you liked me, too. That's why I was scared of asking. I didn't know if you would like me too. I didn't want to take the chance and find out. What I'm getting at is; do you like me?" Hermione seemed shocked. Whatever she expected, it wasn't this. She didn't get a word in, however. Ron sucked it up and asked her again,
"Do you like me?"
Warning: This is a cliffhanger chapter. Some people don't like those. In that case, wait until Chapter 2 is finished. ------------------------------------------------------------
Ron slowly walked up the stairs, tugging at his too-short robes as he climbed. His mind wandered from the homework he was supposed to be doing; to the girl he knew was doing hers. Hermione. As he walked into the dorm room, he saw Harry sitting on his bed, flipping through the same Chudley Cannons book he had been flipping through for three years. Harry hardly seemed to notice his friend's entrance. Ron startled him by asking, "How many times do you plan on reading that book? You have to know it by heart by now!" Harry gave him a look that said, "Well, you gave it to me, it's your fault I love it." Ron rolled his eyes.
Ron had hardly considered telling Harry how he felt about Hermione. Today was a new struggle though. Today, there was something about Hermione that appealed to Ron more than usual. Ron's feelings were so acute that he thought he would burst if he didn't tell anyone. He was able to restrain himself in front of Harry, though. Ron didn't think anyone needed to know about it. Even Hermione seemed clueless.
Ron sat down on his bed. He lay back, just thinking about the day and especially about Hermione. His freckled face blushed as he thought of different aspects he liked about Hermione. Harry must have lifted his head from his book at that exact moment, because he asked, "Ron? You're blushing. What happened?" Ron was taken aback by Harry's question. He turned on his side, away from Harry.
"Nothing." He couldn't help grinning, but wondering whether or not Harry was going to "buy" this response.
"I'm sure. What happened?" Harry repeated. And, as punctuation for his question, he added, "And if you don't tell me, I'll tell Ginny. And you know she can't keep a secret." Ron started to panic. He turned onto his other side to face Harry, and took a deep breath.
"Well." Ron trailed off. Ron's face beet red, Harry knew this had to be big.
"Keep going" Harry said, thoroughly enjoying seeing Ron struggle to say what Harry suspected.
"Kinda. well. like. erm. Hermione" Ron mumbled.
With a wide grin on his face, Harry asked, "What was that?"
"I like Hermione, alright?" Ron blurted out.
Harry had trouble restraining himself from hysterical laughter. "I always thought so."
Ron grabbed Harry and started to wrestle him to the ground. "You jerk, you knew all along! And you made me say it!" Harry couldn't fight back; he was laughing so hard. Ron threw him to the ground one last time before standing up, sweaty, and told Harry not to tell Ginny, or he'd kill him.
Harry had only just stopped laughing. "All right. Trust me, she'll never have a clue." Ron knew that Harry would drop hints, but never actually tell her, and that would be his defense when Ron accosted him later. But until then, life was good.
As it got later on in the night, Hermione, Harry, and Ron found themselves to be the only three left in the Common Room. Hermione was working furiously fast on an essay for Professor Flitwick that wasn't due for another two weeks, which Harry and Ron hadn't started. All three were seated in front of the fire.
"Hermione, that's not due for two weeks! Why are you doing it now?" Harry asked.
"So I won't have to worry about it! Have you two even started?" she retorted.
"Us? Seriously Hermione, you think we'd start that now?" Ron exclaimed. Harry chuckled his agreement.
"Big surprise there." Hermione answered.
Harry glanced at Ron and noticed that he was staring at Hermione. It couldn't have been her essay, because Harry knew that Ron would just slap something together the night before. Or better yet, the morning of. Harry decided this was the perfect opportunity for Ron. He yawned. "Unh, I'm getting tired. See you two in the morning." He then stared at Ron to give him the message. Ron got it, and Harry went upstairs, but had no intention of sleeping. He was going to wait until Ron went upstairs himself, and ask him all about it.
"So, um, Hermione, what was the essay supposed to be about?" Ron tried to start a conversation.
Hermione sighed. "Can't you remember anything about class? Never mind. Don't answer that."
Ron laughed, but blushed as well. Luckily for him, Hermione didn't notice. Getting desperate, he asked, "Hey, do you know when Snape's potion is due?" He knew that it was due in a couple of days, but wanted to get her talking.
Hermione looked up from her essay and gave Ron a look that said, "Duh. You were supposed to be done with it by now." Ron nodded as if to say, "oh yeah".
Ron was anxious, but couldn't wait any longer. "Hermione." He choked out her name, but couldn't finish the question.
"Ron, the Potions assignment is due Friday, Flitwick's essay is due in two weeks, Sprout's research is due next Thursday. Did I answer your question?"
Ron suddenly found courage he never dreamed possible, and answered her question. "No."
Hermione turned her head to face Ron, who surprisingly hadn't gone beet-red. "What?"
"You didn't answer my question. You don't know what my question was." Ron suddenly blurted out.
Hermione, suddenly interested, closed her books, and turned the chair to face Ron. "What's the question, then?"
Ron lost the courage he had gained, panicking and blowing off the scenario. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me." Hermione dared.
Ron took a deep breath, and began. "Hermione, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've liked you ever since I met you. I don't know why I never told you. I never knew if you liked me, too. That's why I was scared of asking. I didn't know if you would like me too. I didn't want to take the chance and find out. What I'm getting at is; do you like me?" Hermione seemed shocked. Whatever she expected, it wasn't this. She didn't get a word in, however. Ron sucked it up and asked her again,
"Do you like me?"