Chapter 11

Harry paced the common room. It was seven o'clock and he had decided to skip dinner. He was too anxious. He had decided to tell Ron about his feelings for Hermione and he didn't know how to begin. He was apprehensive about Ron's reaction because he noticed that Ron and Hermione had been spending a lot of time together lately. That sparked a train of thought in Harry's head.

Oh no. No. He can't like her. Ron and Hermione- together? No. But they have been around each other a lot lately... it wouldn't be a surprise if they were, in fact, together in that sense. But wouldn't they tell me? Yeah. They would. They knew not to keep this from me. It wouldn't be fair.

Harry paced the common room and wrung his hands together, vexed.

They would tell me, wouldn't they? I saw Ron and Hermione sneak smiles at each other occasionally. And Lavender had made that comment a few days ago; the one where she said that Ron and Hermione had hugged in the corridors, looking tense. Like they didn't want to be caught doing something they shouldn't be doing. What's going on?

Harry's breathing became erratic and shallow and his palms became sweaty. His throat clenched and his mouth became dry.

No. No. This can't be happening! My best friend in the entire world with Hermione, the girl of my dreams?

Harry decided to make a plan. It was 7:15; there was enough time to go down to the Great Hall in the invisibility cloak to see what Hermione and Ron were talking about over dinner.

I'm going to do it. It could fail, but I don't care. I'll just get out of there as quickly as I can and hope not to be seen. I hope I won't be noticed...

Harry did one more quick pace around the common room and went upstairs to the boys' dormitories. He went straight to his trunk at the foot of his bed. Harry opened it and rooted through his things, searching for his cloak. He found it and put it on. Harry checked in the mirror to see if any body parts were visible. He noticed his shoes were not hidden. Damn, he thought. When he first had his growth spurt, he had been delighted, but now he realized that being tall wasn't all it was cut out to be in the long run.

Argh! I'll have to crouch a bit.

Harry stooped to cover his feet. It was uncomfortable, but he wouldn't be in this position for long. He just had to gather a little evidence to support his claims. Finally satisfied that he was fully concealed, Harry set out towards the Great Hall, invisible from head to toe.

If Hermione and Ron are together, what am I going to tell Ron later? I can't just say something's important and then just drop it out of nowhere. And if I ask Ron and act all offended, and he is indeed with Hermione, that's the end of our friendship. As well as the end of my friendship with Hermione, most likely. I couldn't bear to lose either of them. Voldemort may as well kill me if I have to go on and live without our friendship. We are the Golden Trio! I couldn't ruin this friendship over a stupid love triangle. Only those nutters in those muggle soap operas that Aunt Petunia watches get caught in love triangles. Not in real life. People are smarter than to get themselves caught in stupid situations like that. Besides, soap operas are all scripted. Those nutters who call themselves writers write them and they come up with all the dumb ideas that never happen in real life.

Harry tried to reassure himself by degrading soap opera writers, but he failed horribly.

Somehow, Harry made it to the Great Hall without being seen or being bumped into. Now he was heading into the danger zone. There were people everywhere and it was very risky. Anyone could collide with him or accidentally pull off his cloak. Harry took a deep breath and walked towards the Gryffindor table. He quickly found Ron's glowing mop of red hair amidst all the other students. Hermione was with him.

Harry moved closer, trying to hear their conversation. Ron was stuffing his face and Hermione was chortling at something he had probably just said.

"Hermione, pass me the mashed potatoes," Ron said. Hermione passed the dish towards him and Ron mumbled thanks between spoonfuls. It was a big joke between Harry and Ginny about how Ron was slowly morphing into a troll. He had mastered the grunts and growls and he had also perfected the eating habits. It was quite sickening to be eating with him, but Harry, Hermione and Ginny were all used to Ron's constant belching. His stomach was a black hole, and it never could be filled to the top. Ron suddenly burped and Hermione looked on in repugnance, but she still had a smirk on her face.

"Hey Ron, can you come to my room tomorrow? I need to talk to you," Hermione said. Harry's eyes widened as Ron nodded his head yes in accordance. Harry gasped and quickly walked away, missing the rest of the conversation and not caring whether anyone bumped into him. He missed Colin Creevey only narrowly as he charged out of the Great Hall.

"I need your help in continuing the plan, bring along Ginny as well. I'll need her eye for fashion,"

Had Harry heard that, he wouldn't have run away so quickly or reacted so badly. But it was too late now. Harry ran up the stairs, ripping off the cloak. He vowed to himself to never spy on his friends ever again. It certainly did not make him feel any better. His allegations had, in fact, been correct and Harry never felt so glum in his life.

I guess I could just be happy for Ron and Hermione. They do look good together. And if Hermione does love him and if Ron makes her happy, I guess that I should let go of my feelings. And Ron deserves someone as amazing as Hermione. He hasn't been dating anyone lately. His last girlfriend had been Luna, and they broke up a year ago, I think.

Harry sighed as he muttered the password to the Fat Lady.

"Something bothering you? Ooh, is it girl problems?" the Fat Lady asked, "Wait until I tell Violet that the great Harry Potter is having girl problems!"

Harry glared. The Fat Lady was known to jump to conclusions and gossip with the other portraits, especially Violet, who seemingly was her best friend in the castle.

The Fat Lady giggled and swung open when Harry looked at her in disgust.

"It's none of your business what is wrong with me. I don't care what you tell Violet. I've got other things on my mind so leave me alone!"

The Fat Lady huffed and closed the portrait, eager to tell Violet the news. She quickly recovered from Harry's rudeness and she hummed as she scurried off down the corridor, saying brief hello's to the people in the portraits she went through.

Harry, meanwhile, was now stuck between just telling Ron that he didn't need to tell him what was so important earlier and being direct and just asking Ron about his relationship with Hermione. Harry decided that being direct would be better; at least he could pretend that this was what was so important to him earlier. Ron would attempt to get it out of him if he chose the former, anyway.

It was 7:45, and a few students started coming up from dinner. Harry was grateful when Neville came up, he didn't want to think about Hermione and Ron at the moment.

"Hey Neville!" Harry said. Neville looked over to Harry. "Hey Harry," Harry saw that Neville was feeding his Mimblelus Mimbletonia. It was the same one that he had in fifth year and now it was very large and intermittently spewed out purple pus, sometimes on the other boys' things. Harry was an unlucky one when a few months ago, the plant spewed out the purple goo onto his bed. Harry, unknowingly, crawled into bed and screamed in outrage when he found the purple pus in his sheets. He nearly decapitated the plant, but the other boys hurriedly stopped him. Neville had since forgiven him for trying to kill his plant.

"How's the plant going?" Harry asked. Neville smiled and said, "Well, it's quite healthy now. Professor Sprout wants to take a look at it tomorrow," Harry beamed at the very happy Neville. At that moment, Ron came barging into the dormitory. He was clearly very full as he walked in, a little tired and rough around the edges.

"Hey Harry, said you needed to speak to me?" Ron asked. Harry nodded and Neville said he needed to go downstairs to get some homework finished.

"So, what is it mate? Having anymore dreams about You-Know-Who? If you are, you should be telling Dumbledore, you know he has to know this. It's important to the Order to find out anything they can about He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named," Ron took a breath, "Is your scar hurting again? Should I get Hermione?"

Harry shook his head no. "Actually, this has to do with Hermione and you,"

"So I should get Hermione?"

"No, I just need to speak to you for now,"

Ron looked at Harry strangely. He sure is acting bizarre. I wonder what's going on.

Harry inhaled deeply, this was it. This question could possibly ruin the Golden Trio forever.

"Are you and Hermione dating?"

Ron surprised Harry when he guffawed. "Hahaha, me and Hermione? DATING? hahaha-snort-hahaha," Ron was rolling on the floor laughing his buttocks off, snorting and roaring with laughter.

"So you're not dating?"

Ron hooted with laughter even more. When he got up, his face was very flushed, yet he continued to laugh. "Mate, you gotta stop doing that to me. My stomach hurts now, and it's not that extra piece of pie I had tonight at dinner. When did you become such a comedian? Now, be serious, what was so important?"

"Oh. Er, that was what I had to ask you," Harry said, clearly lying through his teeth. Ron, knowing him so well, could see that Harry was lying. "Ha! I don't believe you, mate. So, what's so important? Ooh, it's a GIRL isn't it?" Ron did a little jig (similar to the one he did when Hermione announced that she would use his words in her letter to Harry [A/N: chap 6]). Harry looked at him oddly, but couldn't hide the flush in his cheeks.

"Harry likes a girl! Harry likes a girl!" Ron exclaimed as he did the jig around the dormitory.

"Honestly, Ron. You're acting like we're in second year. Yes, I like a girl. Now could you sit down?"

Ron guffawed again, but finally settled down. "So, who is it?"

Harry knew that Ron would not tell, even if he were to be bribed with food, so he said, "It's Hermione. I like Hermione,"

Ron's eyes grew as large as tennis balls. Wait until Hermione found out about THIS.

"Really? So that's why you asked if Hermione and I were dating. I don't see why you thought we were dating, but anyway. I think that's great," Ron said.

"You better ask her to the Ball," he bluffed, choosing not to tell Harry that Hermione was the mystery girl.

"But I can't, Ron. I'm sort of taking the anonymous girl, remember? It would be mean if she saw me with Hermione. It would imply that we are together. She would be heartbroken,"

Ron nodded in agreement. "Maybe you should tell Hermione how you feel after the Ball. 'Cause then, you know, if she likes you back and you guys begin to date, then you won't have to hide your relationship at the Ball from the mystery girl, thus not breaking the poor mystery girl's heart,"

Harry approved of Ron's statement. He was nervous about telling Hermione, but he couldn't keep it inside him forever. There would be other balls that he could take Hermione to.

"How about me and Ginny help you out? I'll meet you the day after tomorrow, because I have to meet Hermione. She's been tutoring me a bit lately. I think I'm failing Potions,"

Harry agreed. That's why they've been together so much lately.

Ginny, like Ron, wouldn't go shooting her mouth off about this, so Harry obliged and said that he would meet them here at 5:30 the day after tomorrow.

Ron decided to take a chance, and he said, "Don't deny what you feel Harry. You will regret it later if you don't say anything to Hermione and she ends up with some slimy git or prat that neither of us like,"

Luckily, Harry didn't realize that Ron's advice was the advice in the letter from his mystery girl. "See you later, Harry. Gotta go and work on Potions. Need to get that 'O' on the NEWTs, you know,"

With that, Ron rushed downstairs to tell Ginny and study a little for Potions. Harry sat on his bed and realized that he was stupid for assuming that Ron and Hermione were dating.

Well, at least I have help now. Ron didn't seem to mind that I liked Hermione and that there was a possibility of us beginning to date. Ginny's already helping the mystery girl, but I guess it'll all work out. There's 11 days left until the Ball. That should give me enough time to gather the confidence to tell Hermione and to let the mystery girl down gently.

A/N: Why hello there! This is my longest chapter yet. You better enjoy it and review, cause it would just be mean if you didn't. Anyway, the "hahaha- snort-hahaha" part, where Ron reacts to what Harry says, is a sort of dedication to my friend Maria. I will not tell you why it is dedicated to her cause I know she'll be all embarrassed, but I felt the need to place it there b/c she's cool. Hehe.

Well, thank you to ALL my reviewers. You guys make writing this so worthwhile. I really appreciate your positive opinions on my story. -gives out e-hugs- (you gotta love those e-hugs!). You're all AWESOMELY FANTASTIC. Teehee. So... review your hearts out, buddies, and see you at chapter 12! –azias.

P.S: did I spell 'Mimblelus Mimbletonia' correctly? I'm too lazy to get my book out.