Brother and Sister
Chapter 4
"I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum."-W. Shakespeare
"Well this is the last place I'd expect to find you," said Hermione sitting next to Harry at a table in the library.
Harry looked up from what Hermione assumed was their Potions essay that was due next period. She, of course, had finished hers a week ago. He grinned at her. "Okay, you've caught me."
He was about to get back to his essay when he realized that Hermione had an odd expression on her face. "Anything wrong, Hermione?" he asked concerned.
Hermione flashed him a quick smile, "Er...no...not really." Hermione took a deep breath. It shouldn't be this hard. "Ron and I, well...."
"You two made up, right?" asked Harry.
"Well, yes. Yes, we did. Um, Harry," said Hermione avoiding Harry's eyes, "Ron and I are going out."
Harry was stumped. "Out? You mean out as in dating? As in a couple?"
Hermione nodded as a slight pink tinge came over her face.
"That's bloody brilliant! It's about time!"
Hermione looked at Harry to find him beaming at her. She couldn't help but mirror his own smile and throw her arms around Harry's neck in a hug. Harry returned the hug, but the two quickly let go when they heard Madame Pince hiss for them to keep it down and not to forget that they were in a library.
The two chuckled softly.
"So Ron finally admitted that he fancied you did he?" asked Harry still smiling. He was bursting with happiness for his two friends.
"Well, you have to admit, Harry, I didn't really give him a lot of encouragement. I was just, I don't know, worried he really didn't fancy me the way I fancied him."
Harry made sure he Hermione was looking at his eyes when he said, "It may have taken him a long time to realize it, Hermione, but he's always fancied you."
Hermione gave her best friend a grateful, beautiful smile. Then Hermione's smile faltered for a second and she said, "I'm just glad you are okay with it. You are okay with it aren't you? I mean, things will be a little different now. But not really, I mean we are all still best friends and we all will still be together. We wouldn't exclude you in any way." Hermione was wringing her hands in obvious distress.
Suddenly Harry felt a drop in his stomach. Things would be different now wouldn't they? Ron and Hermione will probably want to spend time alone now. Hermione looked so sad Harry began to feel as sorry for her as himself. Whatever happened he knew that every effort would be made by all parties to keep their friendship in tact. Harry smiled at Hermione to assuage her fears. "Hey, you're right Hermione. We still are all best friends and will always be." Still Harry couldn't help feeling that maybe this was how Sirius felt when his parents told them they were going out.
Hermione smiled so gratefully at him as she absently brushed away a tear that was falling down her face. Her expression then took on a more somber tone, and then, even more hesitatingly she said, "I just wish, Harry, that you could be as happy. I know there's been no one since Cho..."
Harry suddenly felt and looked very uncomfortable. "Cho and I are different people. It would have never worked out."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement.
There was an awkward pause when Harry finally broke it by asking where Ron was.
"Oh, he went to tell, Ginny," said Hermione absently.
"Did he? How did she take the news?"
Hermione looked up at Harry with an odd expression on her face. He could have just been asking to make conversation, but there was something in his eyes, something in the tone of his voice, that make Hermione look at him critically. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him yet. Harry....you don't fancy Ginny do you?"
Harry opened his mouth to tell Hermione she was being ridiculous, when he closed it again. He had been keeping this secret from everyone for months. He was tried of it. He slowly nodded his head.
Hermione gasped and her hands flew to her mouth to stop herself from being too loud and getting another reprimand from Madame Pince. It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off but when it did, Hermione let her hands fall away from her mouth. Her face broke out into another smile. "Harry that's wonderful!"
"No it's not," said Harry remorsefully. "She fancies Dean. She's going out with him."
Hermione shook her head exasperated. "Harry. You have to understand. Ginny had a crush on you for ages but you never showed any interest. Then..."
Harry cut Hermione off before she could finish her sentence. "I know. I know. How could I have been so blind?! I just sort of always saw her, you know, as Ron's little sister. I didn't know she had a crush on me until you told me. She hardly ever said two words to me. And then there was the fiasco with Cho I was dealing with at the time... It's just, I don't know, we've just been spending a lot of time together now that we're on the Quidditch team together. I don't know, Hermione. She's been there for me like you all have. She seems to know me better Cho, better than I know myself sometimes. She's been helping us fight Voldemort, like she's trying to protect me or something. She's just," Harry looked at Hermione searching for the right words to describe Ginny, "she's just a beautiful person, kind, loyal..." Harry's voice trailed off.
Hermione could feel tears whelming in her eyes. Could it be this simple? Could her two best friends find happiness together? And could he still be so blind in regards to how Ginny felt about him? "Harry," said Hermione fluttering between sympathy for Harry and excitement, "last year when I told you that Ginny liked you but that she had given up on you, I didn't mean that she had stopped... Oh, Harry, she's tried to move on but she still fancies you!"
"What???" asked Harry, clearly unable to believe or comprehend Hermione's words. "You mean she still fancies me after the way I've ignored her? Did she tell you that?"
"You haven't been ignoring her lately have you?" questioned Hermione mischievously. "Harry, you and she have been spending a lot of time together. No, she hasn't told me that she still fancies you. She knows were best friends and she probably didn't want to admit that she still has feelings for you or put me in an awkward position. She has always cared about you, but Harry, you should see her when she comes back after practice with you or eating lunch with you or whatever. She's always so cheerful, so happy. Michael and Dean, I mean she does care about them, about their feelings, well maybe not Michael anymore, but they are just attempts to move past you. She still cares very deeply about you but thinks you will never see her as anyone more than Ron's sister, that you'll never fancy her the way she fancy's you."
Harry felt hope start to rise in him like it hadn't in a very long time. "So you think... What do you think I should do, Hermione?"
Hermione had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "Talk to her, of course!"
Then Harry had another thought and fear. "I would hate to lose Ron's friendship over this. You know how protective he is of her. He hated Michael. He's been throwing Dean dirty looks when he thinks he's not looking."
Hermione put a comforting hand on Harry's arm. "Tell me something. You're like a brother to me Harry. Are you worried about Ron dating me?"
The thought that Harry should have a talk with Ron did flitter through his mind at that moment but he said, "Not really. I mean, Ron's my best mate as are you. But that Victor Krum..."
Hermione cut him off laughing away his fears. "See what I mean, Harry? You are only protective of me when it's Victor. Just like Ron is only overprotective when it comes to anyone else dating his sister. You're his best mate and if there is anyone that would ever be good enough for his sister it's you."
Harry's heart rose like it did every time he got on his broom. "Hermione, you're the best!" said Harry as he gave her a quick, friendly kiss on the cheek while he gathered up his papers.
"Where are you going? You've got to finish your essay!" said Hermione panicked for a moment.
"First things first. I have to find Ginny," said Harry with a broad grin before rushing off leaving Hermione alone at the library with smile on her face despite Harry's unfinished essay.
Chapter 4
"I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum."-W. Shakespeare
"Well this is the last place I'd expect to find you," said Hermione sitting next to Harry at a table in the library.
Harry looked up from what Hermione assumed was their Potions essay that was due next period. She, of course, had finished hers a week ago. He grinned at her. "Okay, you've caught me."
He was about to get back to his essay when he realized that Hermione had an odd expression on her face. "Anything wrong, Hermione?" he asked concerned.
Hermione flashed him a quick smile, "Er...no...not really." Hermione took a deep breath. It shouldn't be this hard. "Ron and I, well...."
"You two made up, right?" asked Harry.
"Well, yes. Yes, we did. Um, Harry," said Hermione avoiding Harry's eyes, "Ron and I are going out."
Harry was stumped. "Out? You mean out as in dating? As in a couple?"
Hermione nodded as a slight pink tinge came over her face.
"That's bloody brilliant! It's about time!"
Hermione looked at Harry to find him beaming at her. She couldn't help but mirror his own smile and throw her arms around Harry's neck in a hug. Harry returned the hug, but the two quickly let go when they heard Madame Pince hiss for them to keep it down and not to forget that they were in a library.
The two chuckled softly.
"So Ron finally admitted that he fancied you did he?" asked Harry still smiling. He was bursting with happiness for his two friends.
"Well, you have to admit, Harry, I didn't really give him a lot of encouragement. I was just, I don't know, worried he really didn't fancy me the way I fancied him."
Harry made sure he Hermione was looking at his eyes when he said, "It may have taken him a long time to realize it, Hermione, but he's always fancied you."
Hermione gave her best friend a grateful, beautiful smile. Then Hermione's smile faltered for a second and she said, "I'm just glad you are okay with it. You are okay with it aren't you? I mean, things will be a little different now. But not really, I mean we are all still best friends and we all will still be together. We wouldn't exclude you in any way." Hermione was wringing her hands in obvious distress.
Suddenly Harry felt a drop in his stomach. Things would be different now wouldn't they? Ron and Hermione will probably want to spend time alone now. Hermione looked so sad Harry began to feel as sorry for her as himself. Whatever happened he knew that every effort would be made by all parties to keep their friendship in tact. Harry smiled at Hermione to assuage her fears. "Hey, you're right Hermione. We still are all best friends and will always be." Still Harry couldn't help feeling that maybe this was how Sirius felt when his parents told them they were going out.
Hermione smiled so gratefully at him as she absently brushed away a tear that was falling down her face. Her expression then took on a more somber tone, and then, even more hesitatingly she said, "I just wish, Harry, that you could be as happy. I know there's been no one since Cho..."
Harry suddenly felt and looked very uncomfortable. "Cho and I are different people. It would have never worked out."
Hermione nodded her head in agreement.
There was an awkward pause when Harry finally broke it by asking where Ron was.
"Oh, he went to tell, Ginny," said Hermione absently.
"Did he? How did she take the news?"
Hermione looked up at Harry with an odd expression on her face. He could have just been asking to make conversation, but there was something in his eyes, something in the tone of his voice, that make Hermione look at him critically. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him yet. Harry....you don't fancy Ginny do you?"
Harry opened his mouth to tell Hermione she was being ridiculous, when he closed it again. He had been keeping this secret from everyone for months. He was tried of it. He slowly nodded his head.
Hermione gasped and her hands flew to her mouth to stop herself from being too loud and getting another reprimand from Madame Pince. It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off but when it did, Hermione let her hands fall away from her mouth. Her face broke out into another smile. "Harry that's wonderful!"
"No it's not," said Harry remorsefully. "She fancies Dean. She's going out with him."
Hermione shook her head exasperated. "Harry. You have to understand. Ginny had a crush on you for ages but you never showed any interest. Then..."
Harry cut Hermione off before she could finish her sentence. "I know. I know. How could I have been so blind?! I just sort of always saw her, you know, as Ron's little sister. I didn't know she had a crush on me until you told me. She hardly ever said two words to me. And then there was the fiasco with Cho I was dealing with at the time... It's just, I don't know, we've just been spending a lot of time together now that we're on the Quidditch team together. I don't know, Hermione. She's been there for me like you all have. She seems to know me better Cho, better than I know myself sometimes. She's been helping us fight Voldemort, like she's trying to protect me or something. She's just," Harry looked at Hermione searching for the right words to describe Ginny, "she's just a beautiful person, kind, loyal..." Harry's voice trailed off.
Hermione could feel tears whelming in her eyes. Could it be this simple? Could her two best friends find happiness together? And could he still be so blind in regards to how Ginny felt about him? "Harry," said Hermione fluttering between sympathy for Harry and excitement, "last year when I told you that Ginny liked you but that she had given up on you, I didn't mean that she had stopped... Oh, Harry, she's tried to move on but she still fancies you!"
"What???" asked Harry, clearly unable to believe or comprehend Hermione's words. "You mean she still fancies me after the way I've ignored her? Did she tell you that?"
"You haven't been ignoring her lately have you?" questioned Hermione mischievously. "Harry, you and she have been spending a lot of time together. No, she hasn't told me that she still fancies you. She knows were best friends and she probably didn't want to admit that she still has feelings for you or put me in an awkward position. She has always cared about you, but Harry, you should see her when she comes back after practice with you or eating lunch with you or whatever. She's always so cheerful, so happy. Michael and Dean, I mean she does care about them, about their feelings, well maybe not Michael anymore, but they are just attempts to move past you. She still cares very deeply about you but thinks you will never see her as anyone more than Ron's sister, that you'll never fancy her the way she fancy's you."
Harry felt hope start to rise in him like it hadn't in a very long time. "So you think... What do you think I should do, Hermione?"
Hermione had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "Talk to her, of course!"
Then Harry had another thought and fear. "I would hate to lose Ron's friendship over this. You know how protective he is of her. He hated Michael. He's been throwing Dean dirty looks when he thinks he's not looking."
Hermione put a comforting hand on Harry's arm. "Tell me something. You're like a brother to me Harry. Are you worried about Ron dating me?"
The thought that Harry should have a talk with Ron did flitter through his mind at that moment but he said, "Not really. I mean, Ron's my best mate as are you. But that Victor Krum..."
Hermione cut him off laughing away his fears. "See what I mean, Harry? You are only protective of me when it's Victor. Just like Ron is only overprotective when it comes to anyone else dating his sister. You're his best mate and if there is anyone that would ever be good enough for his sister it's you."
Harry's heart rose like it did every time he got on his broom. "Hermione, you're the best!" said Harry as he gave her a quick, friendly kiss on the cheek while he gathered up his papers.
"Where are you going? You've got to finish your essay!" said Hermione panicked for a moment.
"First things first. I have to find Ginny," said Harry with a broad grin before rushing off leaving Hermione alone at the library with smile on her face despite Harry's unfinished essay.