Title: When Time Stands Still. Author: SantiMonreal Pairings: Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, published in her books, borrowed by me, to release some of my mind's stress; and more importantly, I'm not making any money off this.

Summary: Harry tries to cope with the phantoms of his past. Ron deals with a future that he couldn't accept. Hermione draws bliss out of the present melancholic world.

Chapter 3: To tell a Confidante

"Ron, are you okay?" Ginny asked him. "You seem to be a little off since this afternoon." "Yeah. I was just thinking," He replied. "About what?" Ginny asked patiently. "Nothing really, just the O.W.L.s" Ron lied. "Oh, well don't worry about it, you couldn't possibly do worse than Fred and George." She said patting Ron's back as they walked from the living room to the kitchen.

Ron flinched when he heard this, He didn't want to have to live up to another 'expectation'. Ever since he was born, it was always Charlie this, Bill that and Percy this. It seemed that everyone in the family had to outdo the previous. All except Fred and George, who by the looks of it, are having the time of their life in the joke business, not to mention making heaps of galleons. He stopped before entering the kitchen. Nobody was there, Mrs. Weasley was resting in her room and his dad was still at the ministry. It was only Ginny and himself down here. Ginny took a seat at the table after getting some milk from the icebox. She tapped her hand on the chair beside her, signaling Ron to sit down.

Ron took a seat beside her, watching her absentmindedly as she drank the milk and ate the biscuits that his mother had made for them to have before dinner, in case they got hungry. He watched her delicate frame move ever so slightly to eat the little snack; the graceful fingers that grasped the glass in her left. They looked like hands Ron had seen before, hands that were at his left during Charms class. Hands so, nimble, and steady, ready to take down notes from the Professor, hands so perfect, Hermione's hands.

Ron sighed, loudly as he placed his folded hands on the table, resting his chin on them. Ginny worriedly looked over her brother. "You still can't be worried about the O.W.L.s," she said. Ron just kept to himself ignoring her words and watching her graceful fingers lay flat on the table in front of him. "Ron, tell me what's on your mind," Ginny said determinedly. Ron looked up to her face, and saw the worried and annoyed expression she had. He recognized it at once; it was most often used by Hermione when he talked her during charms class. "Ron!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yes. I mean no, I'm just a little tired that's all." Ginny looked at him quizzically.

"Ron, I'm your sister, you can tell me," she assured him, putting her hand on top of his. The moment she did, Ron felt a thousand sensations enervate his arm. Those beautiful hands, almost like Hermione's had touched his.

The rush of it all made Ron's throat go dry. He looked at her gazing deeply into his eyes, as if reading the very essence of his being. "Well," Ron said. "Ginny, I think I'm in love." Ginny's eyes widened when she heard him say this. She smiled instantaneously; and got up and took Ron into her arms.

"That's so nice to hear!" Ginny exclaimed. Ron laid his head back and allowed himself to be taken by his sister. He remembered the night before, when the aroma of roses and strawberries filled his nostrils. Ginny's hair smelled of strawberries, it was almost too close, too similar, too alike. Ron's head went faint. His eyes rolled back involuntarily, he shut his eyelids and fell into her embrace. The delight of having Hermione almost there made him almost unconscious.

Finally Ginny let go; Ron almost fell out of his chair. "Ron," she said, "Ron!" she yelled at him.

"What?" Ron said a little shaken.

"What's wrong with you?" Ginny asked him.

"I'm just tired, really." Ron replied.

"Well, that can wait. In the meantime, I want details, who is it?" Ginny asked him. Ron could see her pupils dilate as she spoke to him.

"That's not important," he said to her, getting out of his chair.

"Tell me!" Ginny said persistently.

"Later, Gin. Right now, I'm going up for a nap." Ginny pouted. "Later okay?" Ron said firmly. Ginny nodded. Ron went out of the kitchen and started his ascent to the top floor, his bedroom.

When he finally got there, he was greeted by the posters he had of the Chudley Cannons, his favorite quidditch team. He fell flat on his bed, without even bothering to remove his shoes. He mind wandered; did he do right to tell Ginny? It certainly wasn't wrong. Before Hogwarts, Ginny was his confidante, his secret keeper, even his best friend. But now, now, now he didn't know. Would it be right to tell her that he was in love with his two best friends? And was he gay? He certainly was not, but he wanted to spend the rest of the every moment like last night with Harry and Hermione, no one else, not even Ginny. How could you love two people so much? Is it fair to both of them?

Ron tried to remember the scene from the night before, on the giant bed under the stars. The wet grass around the lake, the summer wind that brought the smell of the night, the stars and himself there with Harry and Hermione; nothing could be more perfect than that. "Nothing," he told himself in a whisper.

To be continued.

A/N1: I finally have a beta! A damn good beta! All hail Jennifer, she agreed to be my beta, and I must say she betas better than my college editor in chief.

A/N2: She Betaed this chapter, and currently has the next one, so it won't take so long an update.

Individual Thank yous:

Impressed - Thank you! I intend to keep it like that with a plot!

No_name_face_288- Thank you! I hope this is soon enough for you.

Gx-silver- Thanks! I am trying to keep it like that, I am very ambitious and like to go against the norms of society. thank you!

To all: Thank you! You guys make me smile in the present melancholic world.