A/N: Sorry it took me this long to update. If you wish to believe that Ron
and Hermione stayed together happily ever after, stop reading now.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.
Realization
Two weeks had passed since Harry had stepped up training for DA. Things were going along nicely. Today he was having his research and planning meeting. When he got to the Room of Requirement, Neville, Ginny, and Luna were already there. They went inside to wait for Ron and Hermione. After fifteen minutes passed with no sign of them, Harry went looking for them.
He found them in the first place he looked, the Gryffindor common room. They were sitting on the sofa, kissing, oblivious to time and their surroundings.
"If you two would stop snogging for a minute, we have a meeting to attend," Harry said, a hard edge to his voice.
"You don't have to be so mean about it, you know," Ron replied defensively.
"We've been waiting for fifteen minutes."
The three of them went to the Room of Requirement. The meeting was very useful and informative, in part because Ron felt the need to prove that he was good for something.
When Harry went to bed that night, he brushed off the tone of voice he had used earlier. He told himself that he was irritated because they were late. However, he couldn't brush off the fact that seeing them together had made his blood boil. He said to himself that it was absolutely nothing, and fell into a deep sleep.
Harry had the oddest dream of his life. He was sitting by the lake when he heard giggling behind him. He turned around. Ron and Hermione were skipping towards him, actually skipping! They came up to him, all smiles, and said in unison, "We're getting married!"
"But, you're only seventeen! And you've been dating two weeks! How can you be getting married?"
"We're in love! We've know each other since we were eleven. Two weeks had been long enough to convince me that Ron is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, right, Sweetie?" Hermione replied.
"Definitely. I love you so much, Honey." They started kissing in front of him. Harry wanted nothing more than to tear them apart and hit Ron until that silly little grin left his face. Then he would tear the diamond engagement ring off Hermione's finger and throw it into the lake. Following that, he would snog Hermione senseless. Soon she would beg him to marry her.
But Dream Harry couldn't do that. He had gotten them together in the first place. And Hermione would never want to marry Harry. It even sounded bad. So Dream Harry ran far away and cried.
Harry awoke with a jolt. Why was he so upset? Finally, he had to realize the truth. He was in love with Hermione Granger.
The entire day, Harry had trouble not getting angry at Ron. Every time he saw the two of them together, he felt a wave of despair wash over him. Finally, when he went to DA, he threw some nasty curses at Ron. It got him satisfaction by doing this to Ron, and got him praise from Hermione for mastering such complicated spells. Of course, she also helped Ron and called him brave.
Later that night, Harry walked to the Gryffindor common room. Before he went in, he heard Ron and Hermione's voices. At least that meant that they weren't kissing.
"Oh! I have to go give this spell to Harry," Hermione said.
"But you said you'd help me with my Transfiguration homework."
"I will. Just give me five minutes to show this to Harry, and I'll be back."
"I thought you were my girlfriend. Are you sneaking around behind my back with my best mate?"
"Ron, no. This is Harry we're talking about. Harry."
"Well, then is it Dean? I saw you look at him today in potions."
"No. Ron-"
"Seamus then? Or Terry Boot? You talked to both of them today"
"Ron, you're being-"
"You smiled at Neville today. It's him, isn't it?"
"RON! I'm not cheating on you. Harry is my best friend, too. I just want to help him so that we don't all die! The other ones are friends! I don't think I can put up with your jealousy. I can't deal with your dominating attitude. You're a paranoid, jealous man Ronald Bilius Weasley."
"Hermione, I'm just concerned for you. But if that's how you're going to act, if you're just going to make me accept that you're not some scarlet woman, I don't think this is going to work. I'm breaking up with you."
"Fine!" Hermione yelled and ran out of the common room. She was crying.
Harry followed her for a bit. When she went into the prefects' bathroom, Harry went to his bedroom.
Hermione came back nearly an hour later. She cried herself to sleep. Harry felt sorry for her. Another part of him felt upset that his plan had backfired. But the overwhelming part of him was glad that they had broken up. Now he had a chance.
Realization
Two weeks had passed since Harry had stepped up training for DA. Things were going along nicely. Today he was having his research and planning meeting. When he got to the Room of Requirement, Neville, Ginny, and Luna were already there. They went inside to wait for Ron and Hermione. After fifteen minutes passed with no sign of them, Harry went looking for them.
He found them in the first place he looked, the Gryffindor common room. They were sitting on the sofa, kissing, oblivious to time and their surroundings.
"If you two would stop snogging for a minute, we have a meeting to attend," Harry said, a hard edge to his voice.
"You don't have to be so mean about it, you know," Ron replied defensively.
"We've been waiting for fifteen minutes."
The three of them went to the Room of Requirement. The meeting was very useful and informative, in part because Ron felt the need to prove that he was good for something.
When Harry went to bed that night, he brushed off the tone of voice he had used earlier. He told himself that he was irritated because they were late. However, he couldn't brush off the fact that seeing them together had made his blood boil. He said to himself that it was absolutely nothing, and fell into a deep sleep.
Harry had the oddest dream of his life. He was sitting by the lake when he heard giggling behind him. He turned around. Ron and Hermione were skipping towards him, actually skipping! They came up to him, all smiles, and said in unison, "We're getting married!"
"But, you're only seventeen! And you've been dating two weeks! How can you be getting married?"
"We're in love! We've know each other since we were eleven. Two weeks had been long enough to convince me that Ron is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, right, Sweetie?" Hermione replied.
"Definitely. I love you so much, Honey." They started kissing in front of him. Harry wanted nothing more than to tear them apart and hit Ron until that silly little grin left his face. Then he would tear the diamond engagement ring off Hermione's finger and throw it into the lake. Following that, he would snog Hermione senseless. Soon she would beg him to marry her.
But Dream Harry couldn't do that. He had gotten them together in the first place. And Hermione would never want to marry Harry. It even sounded bad. So Dream Harry ran far away and cried.
Harry awoke with a jolt. Why was he so upset? Finally, he had to realize the truth. He was in love with Hermione Granger.
The entire day, Harry had trouble not getting angry at Ron. Every time he saw the two of them together, he felt a wave of despair wash over him. Finally, when he went to DA, he threw some nasty curses at Ron. It got him satisfaction by doing this to Ron, and got him praise from Hermione for mastering such complicated spells. Of course, she also helped Ron and called him brave.
Later that night, Harry walked to the Gryffindor common room. Before he went in, he heard Ron and Hermione's voices. At least that meant that they weren't kissing.
"Oh! I have to go give this spell to Harry," Hermione said.
"But you said you'd help me with my Transfiguration homework."
"I will. Just give me five minutes to show this to Harry, and I'll be back."
"I thought you were my girlfriend. Are you sneaking around behind my back with my best mate?"
"Ron, no. This is Harry we're talking about. Harry."
"Well, then is it Dean? I saw you look at him today in potions."
"No. Ron-"
"Seamus then? Or Terry Boot? You talked to both of them today"
"Ron, you're being-"
"You smiled at Neville today. It's him, isn't it?"
"RON! I'm not cheating on you. Harry is my best friend, too. I just want to help him so that we don't all die! The other ones are friends! I don't think I can put up with your jealousy. I can't deal with your dominating attitude. You're a paranoid, jealous man Ronald Bilius Weasley."
"Hermione, I'm just concerned for you. But if that's how you're going to act, if you're just going to make me accept that you're not some scarlet woman, I don't think this is going to work. I'm breaking up with you."
"Fine!" Hermione yelled and ran out of the common room. She was crying.
Harry followed her for a bit. When she went into the prefects' bathroom, Harry went to his bedroom.
Hermione came back nearly an hour later. She cried herself to sleep. Harry felt sorry for her. Another part of him felt upset that his plan had backfired. But the overwhelming part of him was glad that they had broken up. Now he had a chance.