A/N: This chapter is long than the other ones =( there's this part where I need to use the plus sign but I CAN'T it won't show up, if anyone knows how please tell me. So if I ever need to use it again I can, anyhow... thanks for the reviews for chapter two, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Reviews would very much be appreciated. Thanks again.
Disclaimer: Hooplaahh! I don't own any characters/references from Harry Potter, those belong to JKR, who should consider putting Harry/Hermione together =) GO H/Hr SHIPPERS!
Ronald Weasley was propped up on him elbow, hand under his chin. He was looking straight ahead, looking at the back of some Hufflepuff student he never talked to before. He was thinking about his life. Well he was thinking more about his death, and all the things he'd miss. For one, there'd be no more eating, another... no drinking... no sweets? Ok... in that case, no food. But more to the point he'd miss his friends. Weren't they suppose to duke it out with Voldemort and the Death Eaters? Looks like that was going to cut short. He hadn't lead his team to win the Interhouse Quidditch House, yes him, he was captain. Harry had stepped down when asked, Ron thought the bloke was crazy, but then he was asked and Harry encouraged him to take it. And so he did. Later on when he was dating Hermione, she told him Harry stepped down so his best friend could take the position of captain. He was going to miss Quidditch, period.
There was also Harry and Hermione who stuck by him all the time. Well, they did have some sibling rivalry, if you could call it that. Since year one at Hogwarts, Ron, Harry and Hermione were the best of friends, and soon their friendship grew, they were like family. He was going to miss them both. Although there wasn't any spark between Hermione and himself anymore, they still kept things between them normal. Well actually here was how things started...
It all began on a Hogsmeade weekend during November, Harry and Ron were waiting outside of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop for Hermione.
'How much longer is she going to take, it's freezing out here,' Ron blurted out through his chattering teeth.
'Well you're the one who insisted that we stand out here in the cold,' Harry pointed out.
'Yes, but you know her,' Ron explained, 'if we go in with her she'll demand for our opinions and not listen to them when we give them.'
'So, when are you going to ask her out?' Harry said conversationally.
'What was that?' Ron said while looking through the front window of the store. 'Sorry mate, I wasn't listening.'
'I said,' Harry repeated coolly, 'when are you going to ask Hermione out?'
'WHAT!? How could you think that I'd like her, Hermione out of...' He recieved a stare from Harry, 'Oh alright. I don't know when I -'
'How about now? When she comes out.'
'Now? Why not late -'
'I'm done, see?' Hermione said while walking out the shop door holding a new quill in her extended hand.
'Hermione, Ron wants to ask you something important.' Harry said quickly grinning. 'I'll be at the Three Broomsticks alright?' And with that he walked off leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
They both watched him walk out of sight. 'So what's this you wanted to ask me, Ron?' Hermione said looking up at him.
Ron now no longer felt cold, but warm close to hot even. 'Ah... ah - well Hermione I wanted to ask you if... uhm...'
'Oh c'mon Ron, it's me you're talking to. You can tell me anything,' she said putting her quill neatly in her bag.
Ron decided he best start from the beginning. 'Well you know that I've... er... I've fancied you for a long time now right?' he said quickly without pausing for breathe.
Ron now a couple of feet taller than Hermione couldn't see her expression on her lowered face. She was looking at her feet, but nodded in response. So, he continued, 'And I just wanted to uh... how should I put this...'
'Ask me out?' Hermione said quietly still looking at the ground.
Another good reason they should be together, Ron thought, they understood each other perfectly. 'Yes, that's right.' He relaxed slightly but was still anxious for her reply. It took a few moments for Hermione to respond, it felt like an eternity for Ron. Why did girls have to make guys wait and it was Hermione too! She tried to answer every question as fast as possible!
'Well, alright, sure why not,' she finally said. She looked up at him and smiled.
His face was burning now. He could see the redness reflecting off the windows of the shops they passed. 'Are you alright, Ron?' Hermione inquired.
'Yes, yes, really good,' he felt lighter than air, it was the most happiest moment of his life! Second was winning the Interhouse Quidditch Cup the year before.
They set up arrangements to meet together often enough, but things didn't really changed between them, they didn't act much more or much less like friends. On the Christmas holiday, they had an unfortunate row with each other. Ron had forgot how it progressed to the subject but somehow their conversation veered in that direction.
'You think I fancy Harry?!' Hermione said quietly, but coldly nonetheless.
'It's bloody obvious isn't it?' he retorted.
'If I did fancy Harry, then why would I agree to go out with you?' she said raising her voice very slightly.
'I don't know... maybe because you pitied me or something... I don't fucking know.' He wasn't actually sure why he thought this himself, but everyone else did. That Skeeter reporter for the Daily Prophet, Cho Chang, Viktor Krum! It was a bloody conspiracy! There were many a time when it was obvious, they could not just stay friends. Did this make him jealous... unfortunately it did, it was just another time too many times where Ron had to take second place. And this was a major one.
'Ugh! Ron, I've had enough of this... I can't do this anymore!' And with this she left the room.
It was quite a quick ending for the two. He didn't really know if it was official until the day after when Hermione confronted him in the empty, holidayed school.
'Ron, it is over, you and I... we just weren't made for each other... I've tried... I really have but I've thought it over and you're right. I have always had feelings for Harry, and if it seemed like... like I've lead you on I'm so sorry... I don't want to ruin what we had before all this.' She took in a deep breathe, amazing how she said all that in one single breathe, freaky too.
Ron sighed. He could not hate her, nor could he hate Harry. What would he do without them... be without them. So, he accepted this and surprisingly moved on. It looked as if Harry had gotten the point that they had broken up, but neither of them had actually told him the cause. Well until now, it was probably time for them to confess... er for Hermione to confess. He didn't know if Harry fancied her, never actually asked. He knew Harry was dense, but dense to not see it for the last six years? Ok... so Ron was dense too, he had only picked it up recently. He felt he had a duty to keep his two friends safe and happy. And he'd make them both happy in due time.
But there was one thing he was going to regret before... passing away. He wanted to tell Luna Lovegood that he had developed a thing for her. Yes, she was odd, but that was what he liked about her. Really, he didn't even know why she had attracted his attention in the first place.
He looked around realizing he was still in this hell hole of a classroom... their tomb. It was quiet enough. People were just waiting to die. He could hear people coughing, but it sounded rather... fake if you asked him. He didn't feel to good himself, his stomach grumbled. He was going to die hungry.
He turned his head to his right, where Hermione and Harry were sitting. Harry's face was in his hands while Hermione was reading a book. At a time like this too. Ron shook his head. They were hopeless. Even at their deaths they weren't going to fess up. Well he was going to devise a plan, take them out one by one. He laughed to himself in his mind. Perfect. He mentally rubbed his hands together with glee. He was a real Weasley, a Fred, George, and Ginny kinda Weasley infact. He had too much on his mind to think of dying.
Now, to proceed with the plan, he was going to get them together even if it meant he'd have to die for it. Ironically... his time was almost at hand. Ron tapped Hermione on the shoulder. She lifted her head slowly, her eyes still finishing off the last sentence on the page. 'Hermione...' Hmm, he thought to himself, this was going to be complicated. 'Tell him now!' Ok, he lied, everything he did, was always done with simplicity, anyhow people usually got the point... usually...
He recieved a quizzical stare. He saw Harry look at the two and behind Hermione's bushy hair, but soon lost interest and went back to his hands. Must use sign language, Ron thought to himself. Tell. He put together the four fingers of his right hand and moved them to and fro from his thumb to simulate someone jabbering. Him. He pointed at Harry, in which Hermione turned her head to glance at him as well, then back to Ron. You. He pointed at Hermione. Fancy. He formed a heart shape with his hands and placed it over his own heart. Him. He pointed at Harry once again. Hermione looked at Ron as if he were crazy. 'Wha?' she mouthed confusion all over her face. Ron smacked his hand over his forehead.
Dense plus Dense equals Too Dense, Ron thought sadly.
He leaned over and whispered very quietly in her ear. 'Tell Harry you fancy him...NOW!' He spoke the last part as if talking to someone a meter away. Hermione shot back instantly rubbing her ear. Harry looked up at the two again. 'Are you two feeling alright...' He asked curiously.
'Yeah, fine mate, but you know this gas stuff I think it's taking it's toll on me. My stomach is in pain.' Ron said grinning.
'Well I see nothing wrong then,' Harry said with a grin as well.
'Hmm, how come this stuff isn't killing us yet.' Ron inquired the two, Hermione giving Ron a deadly stare, which he ignored. Ron thought this whole ordeal was a bit far-fetched to be true, but he didn't want to spread it too the whole school, or any students who had happened to be passing by. Or worse yet. Malfoy. Now, that would be a shame, the Malfoy family tree coming to an end. Ron could only hope.
'No idea,' said the two in unison, they looked at each other and blushed. A few moments later they returned to what they were doing. On the other hand, Ron moved to sit on the other side of Harry.
'Harry,' he whispered quietly, perhaps if he accused Harry of liking Hermione he'd fess up. 'I know you like Hermione so tell her!'
Harry looked at Ron for a second, then said, 'How'd you... no, I don't.' He said flatly.
'Yes, you do, you just haven't noticed that you have, and you have for a long,' Ron pointed out, in a matter-a-fact tone. He continued when he saw Harry's thinking face on. 'Well, you better tell her soon, looks like we don't have much time left...' He finished of with a slight grin.
He left Harry to think on his own and sat back in his seat. His plan didn't go that well, Harry wasn't sure if he really did fancy Hermione or not. He sighed. The things he did for his friends. His stomach grumbled again. He clutched it. Oh how he earned for some food, any food. Even some of that french food he'd never touched in his fourth year. He felt weak and tired. Everything began to get cloudy as he laid his head down on his desk. Soon he drifted off into a deep sleep. Maybe when we woke up he'd find Hermione and Harry together snogging like mad and even some food infront of him. Atleast he wouldn't die painfully. Only hungrily...