"Ron?" Harry was surprised to find his best friend in the Three
Broomsticks with a pint in his hand.
"Hullo," he said dully.
"Ron, what's up?"
"What do you think? I found them snogging at his apartment." Ron stared at Harry, his eyes narrowed.
Harry sat across from Ron. "What? Hermione and George?"
"DON'T SAY THAT BLOODY NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" Ron shouted, making quite a scene. There was a moment when everyone kind of turned around and stared, then went back to what they were originally doing.
"Ron," said Harry quietly, "calmly, explain what happened..."
Ron took a deep breath. "I walked into George's apartment and saw them snogging," said Ron with quiet fury.
"Wow..." said Harry. "Ron, I'm sorry."
"Where did I go wrong? "Did I do something to make it so she would never go for me?"
Harry watched painfully as his best friend's eyes filled up with tears. "Ron, you didn't do anything. Did she tell you why she was..."
"No...I kind of...ran out..." A tear rolled down Ron's cheek.
Harry hated to watch people cry. He swallowed and looked at Ron. "Well, why don't you ask her. It may not be what you think."
Ron nodded, and stood up from his pint.
George was annoyed when Fred came into the Joke Shop all smiles and bounces.
"What are you so happy about," said George harshly.
"Angelina loved her gift, mate...and what happened to you?"
George looked down at his shoes. "Look...I have to tell you something." George sighed. This wasn't going to be easy to tell him. "I...me and Hermione...we were pretending..."
"Why?"
"Well...because...I never see you anymore! I haven't said anything for almost three years, but every time you and her go out, I've been left somewhere with no one to talk to and...well...we swore on blood when we were five that we wouldn't ever leave the other behind."
Fred stood in shock. "George...I...I had no idea...why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't!"
"So...you asked Hermione to pretend to be your girlfriend so...you wouldn't get left behind?"
"Yes!" George felt overwhelmed, but refused to cry in front of his brother.
"And...what happened?"
"Well...Hermione and I were kissing...in my apartment, so that when I told you we did, it wouldn't be a lie...and I dunno...I got into it, and so did she. But I think I like her...but Ron..."
"Oh, no..." Fred stared. "Ron didn't walk in on you, did he?"
"Yeah, he did..."
"Crap..."
"I've never seen that expression on Ron's face before..." said George, putting his face in his hands. "He looked like he wanted to kill me...he punched me and made me bleed."
"Ickle Ronniekins? He actually gave a worthy punch?"
"Yeah...Had to use the purple end of the Nosebleed Nougat to make it stop."
"Yikes."
"Yeah. Yikes..." George was hesitant to tell Fred this, but who else was he going to tell? "Fred, I think I like Hermione..."
"Yeah, I know..."
"You do?"
"Yeah, you two have been mates and y--"
"No. I think I...really...like her..."
Fred's eyes widened. "But...but...what about Ron?"
George winced. "I know...but...what am I going to do, Fred?"
"That depends...you think this thing with Hermione is going to last? I mean, like Ron's thing for her did..."
"I dunno...maybe..."
"Why don't you go on a date with her and see?"
"But I've already told you what we're up to..."
"Go on a date with her. Don't tell her you told me...and just...use the excuse you used before...when you kissed her?"
"That I just didn't want it to be a lie?"
Fred squinted his eyes. "That's a pretty lousy lie, George..."
George felt his face grow hot. "I know..."
"Well, if it worked."
"Alright...So where do I take her?"
"Hmm..." said Fred thoughtfully. "Why don't you just take her out to dinner...?"
"Hullo," he said dully.
"Ron, what's up?"
"What do you think? I found them snogging at his apartment." Ron stared at Harry, his eyes narrowed.
Harry sat across from Ron. "What? Hermione and George?"
"DON'T SAY THAT BLOODY NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" Ron shouted, making quite a scene. There was a moment when everyone kind of turned around and stared, then went back to what they were originally doing.
"Ron," said Harry quietly, "calmly, explain what happened..."
Ron took a deep breath. "I walked into George's apartment and saw them snogging," said Ron with quiet fury.
"Wow..." said Harry. "Ron, I'm sorry."
"Where did I go wrong? "Did I do something to make it so she would never go for me?"
Harry watched painfully as his best friend's eyes filled up with tears. "Ron, you didn't do anything. Did she tell you why she was..."
"No...I kind of...ran out..." A tear rolled down Ron's cheek.
Harry hated to watch people cry. He swallowed and looked at Ron. "Well, why don't you ask her. It may not be what you think."
Ron nodded, and stood up from his pint.
George was annoyed when Fred came into the Joke Shop all smiles and bounces.
"What are you so happy about," said George harshly.
"Angelina loved her gift, mate...and what happened to you?"
George looked down at his shoes. "Look...I have to tell you something." George sighed. This wasn't going to be easy to tell him. "I...me and Hermione...we were pretending..."
"Why?"
"Well...because...I never see you anymore! I haven't said anything for almost three years, but every time you and her go out, I've been left somewhere with no one to talk to and...well...we swore on blood when we were five that we wouldn't ever leave the other behind."
Fred stood in shock. "George...I...I had no idea...why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't!"
"So...you asked Hermione to pretend to be your girlfriend so...you wouldn't get left behind?"
"Yes!" George felt overwhelmed, but refused to cry in front of his brother.
"And...what happened?"
"Well...Hermione and I were kissing...in my apartment, so that when I told you we did, it wouldn't be a lie...and I dunno...I got into it, and so did she. But I think I like her...but Ron..."
"Oh, no..." Fred stared. "Ron didn't walk in on you, did he?"
"Yeah, he did..."
"Crap..."
"I've never seen that expression on Ron's face before..." said George, putting his face in his hands. "He looked like he wanted to kill me...he punched me and made me bleed."
"Ickle Ronniekins? He actually gave a worthy punch?"
"Yeah...Had to use the purple end of the Nosebleed Nougat to make it stop."
"Yikes."
"Yeah. Yikes..." George was hesitant to tell Fred this, but who else was he going to tell? "Fred, I think I like Hermione..."
"Yeah, I know..."
"You do?"
"Yeah, you two have been mates and y--"
"No. I think I...really...like her..."
Fred's eyes widened. "But...but...what about Ron?"
George winced. "I know...but...what am I going to do, Fred?"
"That depends...you think this thing with Hermione is going to last? I mean, like Ron's thing for her did..."
"I dunno...maybe..."
"Why don't you go on a date with her and see?"
"But I've already told you what we're up to..."
"Go on a date with her. Don't tell her you told me...and just...use the excuse you used before...when you kissed her?"
"That I just didn't want it to be a lie?"
Fred squinted his eyes. "That's a pretty lousy lie, George..."
George felt his face grow hot. "I know..."
"Well, if it worked."
"Alright...So where do I take her?"
"Hmm..." said Fred thoughtfully. "Why don't you just take her out to dinner...?"