Title: About Time
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Summary: Harry has just finished detention with Snape, and walks into the common room to see something he'd never thought he'd see, but always thought he should.
A/N: This is my first one-shot Harry Potter fanfic. Hope everyone likes it!
About Time
"Bubotuber pus," muttered Harry dully to the Fat Lady. He clambered through the portrait hole, not really seeing where he was going. Stupid detentions with Snape, he thought bitterly. It wasn't even my fault! Stupid Malfoy knocked my cauldron, and made my Shriveling Solution spray everywhere. Seamus' hand returned to normal size by lunchtime, what was Snape so upset about?
Harry blinked as he entered the common room, noticing that it was far emptier than it usually was. He spotted the reason instantly: Ron and Hermione. The two stood some ten feet apart, bellowing at each other. Ron held a piece of parchment in his trembling hand, and Hermione's face was red. Harry was strongly reminded of the moment after the Yule Ball back in fourth year.
"I can't believe you! You're still talking to that prat, after all this time!" Ron yelled, waving the parchment about.
"Yes I am! And it's none of your business, Ronald! I can't believe you'd read my letter!" she exclaimed indignantly.
"So what if I did? You shouldn't be writing to him, anyway! He's trouble, and you know it!" cried Ron.
"What does it matter to you who I choose to write to? Besides, you're one to talk. I've seen you in the library with Luna Lovegood tons of times!" Hermione snapped.
Ron's mouth dropped open in shock. "I - what? The library? Looney Lovegood? How did you - when did you -"
"That's not the point! If you can spend all your time with that girl, then I certainly can write to Viktor!" screamed Hermione. "Why do you care so much?"
"I - because! You're my friend, I have to look out for you," he finished lamely.
"Harry's my friend too, and he doesn't go around complaining about Viktor!" she pointed out. Harry was startled - he didn't think they'd seen him. But the conversation continued, so Harry supposed it was just a blind reference to him.
"I just - I just care about you, is all! Because - because I..." Ron's voice dropped suddenly, and Harry didn't catch his next few words.
It was evident that Hermione did, though. Her eyes went very wide, and Harry thought that if they got any bigger, her head might fall forward with the weight of them. Now he really wanted to know what Ron had said.
"You - you what?" Hermione whispered. Something new was in her voice this time. Something cautious, something Harry had never heard before - something tender?
"I said, because I'm in love with you," Ron said, his voice stronger this time.
Woah, thought Harry. It was at that point that he realized that this probably wasn't the best conversation to be eavesdropping on.
Tears had started to well up in Hermione's eyes. Her cheeks shone. "You - love me?" she choked out.
Ron, taking only a step or two, closed the ten-foot distance between them. "More than you could ever imagine," he said to her, and then leaned down and kissed her.
Harry watched them for a second, feeling a slight smile grow on his face. Then he turned, made his way around the edge of the common room, and started up the boy's staircase. Finally, Harry thought to himself, something went right today.
Harry was already in his pyjamas by the time Ron came upstairs and seated in his bead, reading a comic book. Ron opened the door to their room, walked slowly in, and sat down on his bed. He took off one sock and undid the neck of his robes, then just sat there staring off into space. All this time, the huge grin never left his face.
Eventually Harry decided he should probably speak up. "So how are you?" he asked. Ron shrugged, still not looking at him.
"Had a good evening, then?" Harry tried again. "Mmm," nodded Ron non-committedly.
Harry was getting the feeling that Ron wasn't hearing a word he was saying. He tried again. "During detention tonight, Snape and I had a hairstyling party."
"That's nice," mumbled Ron.
Okay, he so wasn't listening.
"Geez, Ron, if you act like this every time you kiss Hermione, you're going to fail your exams!" Harry predicted.
This caught Ron's attention. "What?" he stammered. "K-kiss Hermione? How did - how did you-?"
"I saw you two in the common room," said Harry, grinning too. "Want to tell me what happened?"
Ron finally looked at him. "Well," he began slowly. "I came back to the common room after dinner, and there was an owl there for Hermione. She wasn't back yet, so I figured I'd take the letter for her and send the owl off. Of course, when I did, I saw the letter from Krum." An extreme bitterness came into his voice. "So of course, I couldn't help but read it. It said all sorts of things, like 'I really do miss you, Hermione' and 'Please consider coming to visit me this summer'. Totally disgusting. So when she came back into the common room, I confronted her about it."
"Bet she didn't like that too much," said Harry.
"Damn right she didn't!" agreed Ron, looking slightly proud of himself. "So we argued for a bit, and then she brought up Luna Lovegood. Honestly! Then she asked my why I cared so much about who she wrote to, and... I told her."
Harry had to admit, he was proud of Ron. "And then you kissed, right?"
Ron gulped. "Right."
"It's about time!" smiled Harry. "But then again... what are you going to do about Luna? She's become awfully fond of those little library sessions," he said teasingly.
"Oh shut up," said Ron, waving his hand. "You know I only go because McGonagall's making me tutor her. Although why she'd pick me, I have no idea."
"What about Krum?" asked Harry, bracing himself for the answer. "I mean, he still obviously really likes Hermione. I don't think he'll give up that easily."
Ron sighed and flopped back on the bed, putting his hands over his face.
"Bollocks."