She sighed. He knew anyway, why try to hide it? Maybe he could help her anyway.
"You're right," she said.
Harry's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You do?!?"
"I thought you said you knew!" she cried.
"I didn't know for sure until just now, and to tell the truth I never expected you to admit to it."
She realized then what she had done. She had just told Harry that she fancied Ron. She had admitted to it. Oh dear.
"Harry," she pleaded, "don't tell anyone! Please don't!"
"I won't, but you should tell Ron."
The look she gave Harry at that comment plainly said that she thought he was crazy. "Tell Ron? I can't do that!"
Harry sighed. "Why not?"
"Because, Harry," she said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "he doesn't like me in that way! And if I told him I.. do like him in that way, well then that would just ruin everything! And so, I won't ever tell him!"
"Hermione, what makes you think he doesn't fancy you?" Harry asked sincerely.
She paused. "Well.. why would he? I'm just.. me. Nothing special."
"What's not special?"
They both jumped at the sound of Ron's voice. Neither had heard him open the compartment door.
Hermione's face went white.
"Fine, don't answer me!" Ron said, and his voice sounded somewhat hurt. "Shall I leave again so you two can continue your private conversation?"
"No! No Ron, stay." She really didn't want to continue talking about Ron with Harry. She was afraid of how much she'd reveal that she would regret later. Also, it was nice having Ron back sitting beside her.
"So do I get to know what's not special?" He said with a grin.
Hermione closed her eyes. "Me."
"Excuse me?"
She looked sadly at him. "I'm not special."
He looked quite shocked. "Um, actually, I think you are." When he realized what he'd said, his face turned crimson. "Erm.. I mean, well, you know.."
Hermione was watching him curiously. "Actually," she said slowly, "I don't know what you mean."
Ron gulped and looked over at Harry. Harry took this as his cue to leave to "find the lunch tray."
When he was gone, the compartment seemed oddly quiet.
Hermione looked nervously over at Ron, waiting for him to tell her exactly what he'd meant when he'd said she was special. Was it possible he actually did fancy her? It seemed so unlikely. But at times like this, she couldn't help but wonder. And hope.
Unfortunately, Ron seemed to be trying very hard to avoid her eyes and to avoid talking to her. She couldn't stand not knowing.
"Ron, please tell me what you meant by that!" she pleaded.
He sighed. "I.. er.. I meant that.. I think you're special. Really special." He glanced nervously at her. She was blushing very hard.
"Ohhh..."
Ron put his head in his hands and shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that."
Hermione's face fell. "So.. you didn't mean it?" She was close to tears.
"No.. I meant it. I just can't believe I was a big enough prat to mess up our friendship like that. I'm sorry."
"You actually think I'm special?" Hermione's voice was filled with hope.
Ron looked up and gave a curious smile. "Yeah. I do." He reached his hand over and placed it on hers.
"Oh. Oh!" Hermione laughed happily. "I think you're very special too, Ron!"
"You do?"
She smiled at him. "I do."
And, since she was quite drowsy, she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes and slept peacefully until they reached Hogwarts.
THE END
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"You're right," she said.
Harry's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You do?!?"
"I thought you said you knew!" she cried.
"I didn't know for sure until just now, and to tell the truth I never expected you to admit to it."
She realized then what she had done. She had just told Harry that she fancied Ron. She had admitted to it. Oh dear.
"Harry," she pleaded, "don't tell anyone! Please don't!"
"I won't, but you should tell Ron."
The look she gave Harry at that comment plainly said that she thought he was crazy. "Tell Ron? I can't do that!"
Harry sighed. "Why not?"
"Because, Harry," she said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "he doesn't like me in that way! And if I told him I.. do like him in that way, well then that would just ruin everything! And so, I won't ever tell him!"
"Hermione, what makes you think he doesn't fancy you?" Harry asked sincerely.
She paused. "Well.. why would he? I'm just.. me. Nothing special."
"What's not special?"
They both jumped at the sound of Ron's voice. Neither had heard him open the compartment door.
Hermione's face went white.
"Fine, don't answer me!" Ron said, and his voice sounded somewhat hurt. "Shall I leave again so you two can continue your private conversation?"
"No! No Ron, stay." She really didn't want to continue talking about Ron with Harry. She was afraid of how much she'd reveal that she would regret later. Also, it was nice having Ron back sitting beside her.
"So do I get to know what's not special?" He said with a grin.
Hermione closed her eyes. "Me."
"Excuse me?"
She looked sadly at him. "I'm not special."
He looked quite shocked. "Um, actually, I think you are." When he realized what he'd said, his face turned crimson. "Erm.. I mean, well, you know.."
Hermione was watching him curiously. "Actually," she said slowly, "I don't know what you mean."
Ron gulped and looked over at Harry. Harry took this as his cue to leave to "find the lunch tray."
When he was gone, the compartment seemed oddly quiet.
Hermione looked nervously over at Ron, waiting for him to tell her exactly what he'd meant when he'd said she was special. Was it possible he actually did fancy her? It seemed so unlikely. But at times like this, she couldn't help but wonder. And hope.
Unfortunately, Ron seemed to be trying very hard to avoid her eyes and to avoid talking to her. She couldn't stand not knowing.
"Ron, please tell me what you meant by that!" she pleaded.
He sighed. "I.. er.. I meant that.. I think you're special. Really special." He glanced nervously at her. She was blushing very hard.
"Ohhh..."
Ron put his head in his hands and shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that."
Hermione's face fell. "So.. you didn't mean it?" She was close to tears.
"No.. I meant it. I just can't believe I was a big enough prat to mess up our friendship like that. I'm sorry."
"You actually think I'm special?" Hermione's voice was filled with hope.
Ron looked up and gave a curious smile. "Yeah. I do." He reached his hand over and placed it on hers.
"Oh. Oh!" Hermione laughed happily. "I think you're very special too, Ron!"
"You do?"
She smiled at him. "I do."
And, since she was quite drowsy, she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes and slept peacefully until they reached Hogwarts.
THE END
Congratulations! You have succeeded in your mission! What mission? The mission to get Ron and Hermione together, of course! Yay! Don't forget to review! :)