Brother and Sister
Chapter 5
"Friendship is constant in all other things save in the office and affairs of love."-Shakespeare
Harry opened the door to his dorm room and took in the scene. Dean was sitting on his bed, reading a book. He looked up and gave Harry a smile and nod. In contrast, Ron, who had been staring at the door, gazed evenly back at Harry. Ron's expression was unreadable.
Harry nervously cleared his throat and said, "Dean, Ginny's downstairs in the Common Room. She was hoping you could go down and see her."
"Sure, mate. See ya," said Dean as he hopped off his bed leaving Ron and Harry alone.
Harry would have felt sorry for Ginny and Dean if he hadn't felt so sorry for himself and Ron right then. He almost, for one moment, wished he was facing Voldemort rather than Ron right now. Ron-his best mate and also the older, protective brother of the only girl he ever had, and ever would, romantically love.
Harry cleared his throat again and said, "Well...."
Ron, for his part, was fighting mixed emotions. It was fine hoping Harry would return the love his sister had for him, when Ron thought Harry didn't notice her, didn't return her feelings. But now he knew. Ron knew that Harry had noticed Ginny and things would never be the same. And all his worry, all his over protectiveness, was hitting him in unstoppable waves. Of course he wanted Ginny to be happy. He knew she loved Harry. He knew it was more than just a schoolgirl crush. She loved him. He would not have had her bestow her love on anyone not worthy of her. And Harry was only person who would ever come close in his book. He was his best mate because he was such a great person, wizarding world or otherwise. But part of him wanted to protect Ginny. Voldemort was after Harry and would kill anyone that got in his way to hurt Harry, and this included Ginny. Of course, there were other things that he wanted to protect Ginny from. Harry would never intentionally hurt Ginny, but still... But what would be the cost of standing in the way of what could possibly happiness for them both? Was it worth it to lose his best friend? Was it worth it to lose his sister? "So your dating my sister?" was all Ron could get out, his heart swirling with emotions.
"Look," said Harry finally plucking up enough courage, "You're my best mate, Ron. I can't help loving Ginny anymore than you can help loving Hermione. I don't want to lose your friendship over this."
But Ron wasn't ready to admit that things were okay. "Yeah, well what about Cho? Didn't you love her? Look how that turned out." Ron wished he could have taken back his words the moment he saw Harry's pained expression. Ron knew Harry better than this.
Harry felt a mixture of pain and anger, but more of anger. Ron should know him better than this. Harry did his best to fight down the anger and brush away the pain of Ron not understanding. "You know very well Cho isn't the person I thought she was. She and Ginny are not even in the same league. I didn't even know Ginny had a crush on me earlier. You know that. I've gotten to know Ginny over the past two years. And she's the one...she's the one that makes me not feel so alone. She's the one who gives me hope that maybe I'll survive all this and she and I... She's the one..." Harry trailed off. How was he to make Ron understand how deeply he felt for Ginny when he himself could barely express it properly. His feelings for Ginny, so strong and true, seemed trite and incomplete when spoke aloud. "Ron, Ginny's happiness is more important to me than my own. And yet I'm unhappy without her in my life. I need her, Ron. Just as I need you, and Hermione, and Neville, and Dean, and Seamus, and Luna, but in a different way. She still loves me, Ron. I don't know why but she does. I will look after her Ron. I would die before I hurt her or ever put her in danger. You have my promise on that."
Ron could feel himself being swayed by Harry's words. He knew them to be true. He knew Harry's heart and intentions to be true toward his sister. Harry would never trifle with Ginny's affections. Deep down he had know that Ginny and Harry were meant to be together. He knew it in a way that was difficult to explain, but he just knew it. Ginny was the first girl to be born a Weasley in several generations. He knew, as his parents had always known, that Ginny was special. Was Harry her destiny? Was this her fate? Who was he to stand in the way of the happiness of his only sister and his best mate? He knew Harry was the only guy good enough for Ginny and that was saying a lot.
Harry, fearing and misinterpreting Ron's silence, said quietly and sincerely, "Ron your being okay with this would mean the world to Ginny and to me." Harry's inside lurch at the thought of him and Ron no longer being friends.
Ron shakily held out his hand. "I know, mate. I know. I'm sorry. I..."
But before Ron could get another word out, Harry had wrapped a very surprised Ron right up into a big hug. When Ron finally recovered his surprise, he hugged Harry back and choked out, "I'm sorry. I just...I just worry sometimes..."
Harry released Ron and looked at him understandingly. "I know. I know. I promise to always look after her. And I promise to be a perfect gentleman."
"I know. I know," said Ron. But what was more was that he did know. And that was why Harry was the only one good enough for Ginny.
They both smiled.
"And," Harry added still smiling, "I expect you to keep that same promise to Hermione. She's like my own sister and I don't want to hear any complaints."
"I promise," said Ron still smiling and yet his heart spoke seriously true.
The thought that Harry should bare his soul about the prophecy, about Voldemort and himself crossed his mind, but then he instantly rejected it. Things were good right now and he didn't want to ruin it. There would be plenty of time for him to tell Ron and Hermione. He would tell them both when things settled down.
Chapter 5
"Friendship is constant in all other things save in the office and affairs of love."-Shakespeare
Harry opened the door to his dorm room and took in the scene. Dean was sitting on his bed, reading a book. He looked up and gave Harry a smile and nod. In contrast, Ron, who had been staring at the door, gazed evenly back at Harry. Ron's expression was unreadable.
Harry nervously cleared his throat and said, "Dean, Ginny's downstairs in the Common Room. She was hoping you could go down and see her."
"Sure, mate. See ya," said Dean as he hopped off his bed leaving Ron and Harry alone.
Harry would have felt sorry for Ginny and Dean if he hadn't felt so sorry for himself and Ron right then. He almost, for one moment, wished he was facing Voldemort rather than Ron right now. Ron-his best mate and also the older, protective brother of the only girl he ever had, and ever would, romantically love.
Harry cleared his throat again and said, "Well...."
Ron, for his part, was fighting mixed emotions. It was fine hoping Harry would return the love his sister had for him, when Ron thought Harry didn't notice her, didn't return her feelings. But now he knew. Ron knew that Harry had noticed Ginny and things would never be the same. And all his worry, all his over protectiveness, was hitting him in unstoppable waves. Of course he wanted Ginny to be happy. He knew she loved Harry. He knew it was more than just a schoolgirl crush. She loved him. He would not have had her bestow her love on anyone not worthy of her. And Harry was only person who would ever come close in his book. He was his best mate because he was such a great person, wizarding world or otherwise. But part of him wanted to protect Ginny. Voldemort was after Harry and would kill anyone that got in his way to hurt Harry, and this included Ginny. Of course, there were other things that he wanted to protect Ginny from. Harry would never intentionally hurt Ginny, but still... But what would be the cost of standing in the way of what could possibly happiness for them both? Was it worth it to lose his best friend? Was it worth it to lose his sister? "So your dating my sister?" was all Ron could get out, his heart swirling with emotions.
"Look," said Harry finally plucking up enough courage, "You're my best mate, Ron. I can't help loving Ginny anymore than you can help loving Hermione. I don't want to lose your friendship over this."
But Ron wasn't ready to admit that things were okay. "Yeah, well what about Cho? Didn't you love her? Look how that turned out." Ron wished he could have taken back his words the moment he saw Harry's pained expression. Ron knew Harry better than this.
Harry felt a mixture of pain and anger, but more of anger. Ron should know him better than this. Harry did his best to fight down the anger and brush away the pain of Ron not understanding. "You know very well Cho isn't the person I thought she was. She and Ginny are not even in the same league. I didn't even know Ginny had a crush on me earlier. You know that. I've gotten to know Ginny over the past two years. And she's the one...she's the one that makes me not feel so alone. She's the one who gives me hope that maybe I'll survive all this and she and I... She's the one..." Harry trailed off. How was he to make Ron understand how deeply he felt for Ginny when he himself could barely express it properly. His feelings for Ginny, so strong and true, seemed trite and incomplete when spoke aloud. "Ron, Ginny's happiness is more important to me than my own. And yet I'm unhappy without her in my life. I need her, Ron. Just as I need you, and Hermione, and Neville, and Dean, and Seamus, and Luna, but in a different way. She still loves me, Ron. I don't know why but she does. I will look after her Ron. I would die before I hurt her or ever put her in danger. You have my promise on that."
Ron could feel himself being swayed by Harry's words. He knew them to be true. He knew Harry's heart and intentions to be true toward his sister. Harry would never trifle with Ginny's affections. Deep down he had know that Ginny and Harry were meant to be together. He knew it in a way that was difficult to explain, but he just knew it. Ginny was the first girl to be born a Weasley in several generations. He knew, as his parents had always known, that Ginny was special. Was Harry her destiny? Was this her fate? Who was he to stand in the way of the happiness of his only sister and his best mate? He knew Harry was the only guy good enough for Ginny and that was saying a lot.
Harry, fearing and misinterpreting Ron's silence, said quietly and sincerely, "Ron your being okay with this would mean the world to Ginny and to me." Harry's inside lurch at the thought of him and Ron no longer being friends.
Ron shakily held out his hand. "I know, mate. I know. I'm sorry. I..."
But before Ron could get another word out, Harry had wrapped a very surprised Ron right up into a big hug. When Ron finally recovered his surprise, he hugged Harry back and choked out, "I'm sorry. I just...I just worry sometimes..."
Harry released Ron and looked at him understandingly. "I know. I know. I promise to always look after her. And I promise to be a perfect gentleman."
"I know. I know," said Ron. But what was more was that he did know. And that was why Harry was the only one good enough for Ginny.
They both smiled.
"And," Harry added still smiling, "I expect you to keep that same promise to Hermione. She's like my own sister and I don't want to hear any complaints."
"I promise," said Ron still smiling and yet his heart spoke seriously true.
The thought that Harry should bare his soul about the prophecy, about Voldemort and himself crossed his mind, but then he instantly rejected it. Things were good right now and he didn't want to ruin it. There would be plenty of time for him to tell Ron and Hermione. He would tell them both when things settled down.