A/N: Ahh! Thank you for all the reviews! I really did not expect them. Keep 'em coming, gracias, merci! Phew I'm done with school! Yayness! Okay this is a lame a/n because I'm in a lame mood. Becca Boo, thanks for liking this! Ahhh the plot bunny is whacking me with it's shoe repeatedly! I can't wait for YOUR fic! J Love ya muchiez!
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"What are we going to do?"
Ron shrugged and took a bite of his apple. He glanced at Hermione, who was pacing back and forth across the same room they'd been in the day before - this time far from the windows. It was lunchtime, and Hermione had basically dragged Ron from the hall, giving him time to grab only the apple when he complained. Now she was pacing around, looking extremely agitated, pulling at her hair.
"Don't pull your hair out, bald is not a good look for you," Ron warned her, receiving a glare in return.
"Fat lot of help you are - what are we going to do?" She plopped down dejectedly next to him, putting her face in her hands.
"It'll be okay," Ron said, putting her arm around her and pulling her close. "We'll figure something out." Truthfully, Ron himself was concerned about the situation they'd somehow gotten themselves into.
"Oh, but it's awful! Now we've lied to them," Hermione said.
"Is it just me, or haven't we been lying to them for two months?" Ron asked.
"That wasn't lying, exactly, that was more... concealing the truth," Hermione said, and Ron laughed.
"It's a good thing you've got this rebel streak, or I'd absolutely hate you," he joked.
"I just feel terrible," Hermione sighed. "I mean, Ginny will get over it soon enough, it's Harry I'm worried about. If we tell him now, he's going to think we lie to him all the time - "
"Which we basically do," Ron said.
"That we go places without him - "
"Which we do, what, every day?"
"And that we sit around having conversations about him - "
"Which we're doing right now," Ron reminded her.
"Oh, you're impossible, Ronald!" Hermione said in frustration, standing up and beginning to pace again.
"Full-naming me now, are we?" Ron said with a redolent grin. Hermione turned to him, her hands on her hips. "Oh, c'mon, Hermione, I'm just trying to cheer you up! It's not the end of the world. I mean, yeah, he'll be mad that we lied to him, and yeah, he'll be mad that we're going out and... oh, bloody hell, he's going to hate us!" Ron realized in desperation.
"Well, there's only one thing to do," Hermione said. "I've got keep pretending I'm seeing my secret boyfriend."
Ron gaped at her. "How does that solve anything?"
"Well, I can't think of what we should do right now, maybe if we just stall, we can wait until the right time to tell Harry the truth," Hermione said.
"Yeah, like our deathbed," Ron muttered.
"But he's going to get suspicious if I don't keep up the whole secret boyfriend story, but he doesn't know it's you, so I've got to pretend it's someone else. I've got to come up with a complete story, with details, tell them everything but his name." Hermione said all of this very fast.
"So basically," Ron said, "You'll be cheating on me with - me?"
Hermione finally smiled. "Do you think it'll work?"
"I don't know why you need all the details, really," Ron said, finishing off his apple. "Harry's not that bright."
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"Where have you been?" Ginny singsonged as Hermione sat down.
"Oh, no where," she said, smiling confidently.
"Seeing your secret boyfriend, I presume?" Ginny said. "Who is still, may I add, a secret." Ron felt his cheeks burn and buried his nose in a book.
"Yeah, why can't you just tell us about him?" Harry asked. "It can't be that bad, it's not like you're dating a - " he paused, his face contorting. "Oh, my God, are you dating a teacher?"
"No!" Hermione cried, looking scandalized. "Ew, Harry, what made you think of that?"
"I dunno, you seem to like them so much," Harry said, shrugging. Hermione shook her head.
"I am definitely not seeing a teacher, and for Merlin's sake don't ever say that again," she said, rolling her eyes. "Going to give me nightmares, that will..."
"So what's this mystery man like?" Ginny prodded. "Tall, dark, and handsome, maybe?"
Ron looked up at Hermione expectantly, who glanced at him with a barely suppressed smile. "He's handsome, and sweet, and funny, and a very good kisser." Ron's chest puffed out proudly and Ginny giggled.
"He sounds fabulous. Do you wanna share?" Ginny joked. Hermione nearly laughed at the disgusted look on Ron's face, and all missed the stricken look on Harry's.
"Oh, I don't really think he's your type," she said, choking on giggles.
"Are you gonna spend next weekend with him in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, and for some reason he and Ginny glanced at each other, then quickly looked away.
"Oh, um, yes, I suppose," Hermione said. "Unless - I mean, he might not want to, I don't really know. So, er, hey, who wants to go to dinner?"
"Well, since it appears you still won't tell us who he is, I'm starving," Harry said, standing up.
"Me too," Ginny chimed in immediately.
"Me th - ow! I mean... I'm just kidding, I'm not hungry at all," Ron said crossly, his sentence having been interrupted by Hermione stomping, quite brutally, on his foot. He picked up his book and rubbed his foot in irritation as Hermione, Harry, and Ginny left the common room.
"Oh!" Hermione said, stopping in the portrait hole. "I just remembered I left my, erm - socks - in my room, so you two go on ahead, I'll catch up." Harry and Ginny looked at her strangely but left the common room.
"Nice job," Ron said sarcastically. "Smashing excuse, really."
"Oh, would you just get out here?" she hissed, and he immediately jumped up and followed her out of the portrait hole and down one flight of steps to a broom cupboard. Hermione closed the door and almost threw herself at Ron, kissing him. Ron wove his hands into her hair, bewildered, until she pulled away.
"What are we going to do about Hogsmeade? If I know Harry, he'll follow me around in that damned cloak to find out who my secret boyfriend is, and no matter what he finds he'll know something is up," Hermione said. Ron marveled at how quickly she could transition from the two of them playing tonsil tennis to the problem at hand. It took Ron a few moments to even remember what she was talking about.
"Well - we could tell him," Ron said, dreading the very thought of it. Hermione cringed.
"Yes, I suppose we should. The longer we wait, the worse it'll be." She sniffed softly and buried her face in his chest.
"Hey, hey, it'll be okay, love," Ron said, kissing her nose. "We'll buy him a butterbeer, take his wand away and tell him the truth." Hermione chuckled. "There's my girl. It's not going to be that bad, I promise. We're still his best friends, he'll be fine."
I hope.