Chapter XXXVI
That little conversation really perturbed Hermione. For a slight moment, she forgot what she was doing inside the castle, while everybody was outside. "Ron", his image passed through her mind. She went to the library, because Harry said he might be doing his lessons, but he was not there. So she stepped to the common room, but thought she wouldn't find Ron there because he wasn't when she came down. For her surprise, he was seated at the table, near the fireplace, writing something. She went towards him. "Ron!"
He looked at her and, suddenly, blushed. "What... what are you doing here? You should be at Hogsmeade".
"Yeah, but I thought you was going too. I don't want to stay by myself with Harry and Ginny; it would be really annoying to them and to me".
"But I... I..." his face was all red now.
"Harry told me a really odd thing before leaving with Ginny". She sat beside him.
"What did he tell you?"
"That you told him I was going with someone". She faced him. "Whom you thought I was going with?"
"Look, Hermione..."
"As long as I know, only you could have a date, Ron. Did somebody tell you something? I bet you were kidding and Harry believed, wasn't it?"
"Hermione, I... I really thought you were going with... someone"
Hermione's eyes got wide. "Huh? But where you took that story from?"
He lowered his eyes. "You're in love with someone too, aren't you?"
Her heart was beating faster than ever. "Ron, what... I didn't... I'm..."
He faced her. "I know you are. You don't have to pretend anymore".
She blushed. "I... Ron, let me explain..."
"You don't have to explain anything. I know exactly what it is, or you forget that I'm in love too?"
She lowered her eyes. "How did you find out? It was Ginny?"
Ron smiled. "No, you can still trust her".
"So, how did you know?"
"Well, you know, it was like a puzzle, I just had to gather the pieces".
"And what pieces did you gather?"
"I know who you're in love with".
She rose. Her heart was beating so fast that it was aching. "Ron, I... I don't... I didn't want it to happen, I... it just..."
He got up too. "Calm down, Hermione. I know we don't control our feelings, otherwise I..." he stopped.
She looked at him. "And what will you do now?" She was almost crying.
"I think I have to accept it, don't I? I mean... I thought it was impossible but it happened, so..."
Her eyes could not handle the tears anymore. "Ron, I just... I just hope you don't stop being friends with me cause of that. I... you don't have to worry about me, ok? I can... I can handle it and... you'll see. I... I know... I know it can't work out that's why I never told and... of course I would not tell you anyway, but... I mean..." she started to get lost in her own words.
Ron stepped towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Hermione, you don't have to be so upset. I already told you that I know we can not control our own feelings. There's nothing to regret about. And I'll never stop being friends with you. Don't you remember what I told you that day? That, among everyone, you were the one that I missed the most? How can you think that I would forsake you cause of Malfoy?"
She dried her eyes and faced him. "Malfoy?"
Ron smiled. "I waited for you to tell us. I told Harry to not tell anything cause I wished you to tell us, but you didn't"
"But, Ron, I'm not in love with Malfoy!"
He took off his hand over her. "You don't have to deny anymore. I know Malfoy's a brat and all, and that he doesn't like me and Harry, but I don't care as long as he loves you back".
Hermione was totally amazed. "Ron, for God's sake, what are you talking about?"
"That you and Malfoy are in love".
"But we aren't!"
"Hermione, stop that. I saw you together".
"But I explained to you what..."
"No, not that day we argued. I saw you together near the willow weeks ago".
Finally she understood everything, why Ron was so down those days and why he was not calling names at Malfoy when they were talking about him.
That little conversation really perturbed Hermione. For a slight moment, she forgot what she was doing inside the castle, while everybody was outside. "Ron", his image passed through her mind. She went to the library, because Harry said he might be doing his lessons, but he was not there. So she stepped to the common room, but thought she wouldn't find Ron there because he wasn't when she came down. For her surprise, he was seated at the table, near the fireplace, writing something. She went towards him. "Ron!"
He looked at her and, suddenly, blushed. "What... what are you doing here? You should be at Hogsmeade".
"Yeah, but I thought you was going too. I don't want to stay by myself with Harry and Ginny; it would be really annoying to them and to me".
"But I... I..." his face was all red now.
"Harry told me a really odd thing before leaving with Ginny". She sat beside him.
"What did he tell you?"
"That you told him I was going with someone". She faced him. "Whom you thought I was going with?"
"Look, Hermione..."
"As long as I know, only you could have a date, Ron. Did somebody tell you something? I bet you were kidding and Harry believed, wasn't it?"
"Hermione, I... I really thought you were going with... someone"
Hermione's eyes got wide. "Huh? But where you took that story from?"
He lowered his eyes. "You're in love with someone too, aren't you?"
Her heart was beating faster than ever. "Ron, what... I didn't... I'm..."
He faced her. "I know you are. You don't have to pretend anymore".
She blushed. "I... Ron, let me explain..."
"You don't have to explain anything. I know exactly what it is, or you forget that I'm in love too?"
She lowered her eyes. "How did you find out? It was Ginny?"
Ron smiled. "No, you can still trust her".
"So, how did you know?"
"Well, you know, it was like a puzzle, I just had to gather the pieces".
"And what pieces did you gather?"
"I know who you're in love with".
She rose. Her heart was beating so fast that it was aching. "Ron, I... I don't... I didn't want it to happen, I... it just..."
He got up too. "Calm down, Hermione. I know we don't control our feelings, otherwise I..." he stopped.
She looked at him. "And what will you do now?" She was almost crying.
"I think I have to accept it, don't I? I mean... I thought it was impossible but it happened, so..."
Her eyes could not handle the tears anymore. "Ron, I just... I just hope you don't stop being friends with me cause of that. I... you don't have to worry about me, ok? I can... I can handle it and... you'll see. I... I know... I know it can't work out that's why I never told and... of course I would not tell you anyway, but... I mean..." she started to get lost in her own words.
Ron stepped towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Hermione, you don't have to be so upset. I already told you that I know we can not control our own feelings. There's nothing to regret about. And I'll never stop being friends with you. Don't you remember what I told you that day? That, among everyone, you were the one that I missed the most? How can you think that I would forsake you cause of Malfoy?"
She dried her eyes and faced him. "Malfoy?"
Ron smiled. "I waited for you to tell us. I told Harry to not tell anything cause I wished you to tell us, but you didn't"
"But, Ron, I'm not in love with Malfoy!"
He took off his hand over her. "You don't have to deny anymore. I know Malfoy's a brat and all, and that he doesn't like me and Harry, but I don't care as long as he loves you back".
Hermione was totally amazed. "Ron, for God's sake, what are you talking about?"
"That you and Malfoy are in love".
"But we aren't!"
"Hermione, stop that. I saw you together".
"But I explained to you what..."
"No, not that day we argued. I saw you together near the willow weeks ago".
Finally she understood everything, why Ron was so down those days and why he was not calling names at Malfoy when they were talking about him.