DISCLAIMER
I do not own Ron Weasley, that's sad. JKR owns the whole of Harry Potter series where the adorable Weasleys and Hermione Granger, even Errol and Pig, and Crookshanks, and Malfoy, and You-Know-Who (everybody on this fic, obviously) belong. I don't own anything, at least not yet, but I'm working now so I'd probably be able to buy myself some cool stuffs. The point is, just don't sue me for this fic! Thanks!
Why Would I Miss Hermione Granger??
by Berde
"Ron, if you miss Hermione, why don't you just owl her another letter?" Fred asked sounding pleading but irritated as well.
He flushed. First in the ears, then on the neck, the color went up swiftly to his face, until his whole head was a flaming red. He was flaming in anger. His glare was a lot piercing than a dagger. He swallowed hard. It was that big lump on his throat that always appears whenever they would have a conversation as such.
They.
It was him and his twin brothers who, if not locking themselves inside their room and making weird noises, just love to bully him around.
A conversation as such.
It started during the summer after his first year at Hogwarts. That one he spent talking about his new friends—Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Well, mostly of the cleverest witch of their age. But that was because Ginny, their youngest sister, already got the throne of talking about the boy who lived. So, yes, Ron took the one of talking about his brown, bushy head, bookworm friend. What he couldn't understand was how his brothers actually find this amusing and they just started teasing him to her as they do with Ginny to Harry.
Ginny to Harry was a lot more acceptable. He, himself, would spend a number of time teasing the only girl of the Weasley kids. But he to Hermione? It wasn't like he talked about her as if she was a goddess of some sort, not like how Ginny did regarding Harry. Harry this, Harry that was basically the same with Hermione this, Hermione that, but not technically, anyway.
While Ginny was blurting all the words of praises about famous Harry Potter, Ron was merely complaining how Hermione annoyed her throughout the school year. He credited her for being brilliant, but not as much as he detested how she bossed him and Harry around, especially when it comes to making homework.
And what is so teasing about that??
"You only miss her", they'd say.
"And why would I miss a person who drives me off the wall?" He'd answer.
The two would laugh and pat him on the shoulders. "That's the magic of it. little Ronniekins."
And he'd flush. Then, it was because of the name they call him--Ronniekins--and he was already twelve, for Merlin's sake!
But as time passed by…as he matures in age and thinking, he realized there was something behind their pats on the shoulders and laughs.
"Magic of what?" he'd query, even when his head was yelling that four letter words.
They would laugh again.
He'd try not to mind them. Ignore them, he'd order himself. But the lesser words they say, or the more they talk about something out of the question just make him feel awkward.
"What are you reading spell books for?" Fred asked amused to see him holding a book on a summer vacation.
"General knowledge." he answered even if he knew they wouldn't believe.
"Right." a sarcastic reply from Geroge, as he expected. "So you'll have other hexes to give Malfoy when he starts calling Hermione that foul name again."
"And you'll know the spells to drive away possible beasts you might encounter when saving..say, a petrified girl?" the other twin added.
He slammed the book close, "Sod off!!" he was annoyed of how much his brothers seem to know what's on his mind, and annoyed of why that was what's exactly he was thinking of for reading the book.
And they'll walk away having fits of laughter.
They always make it sound like every single thing he does is for her, like every single emotion he feels is because of her, like every single thought he has is about her. Barking mads!
"You love Crookshanks, just admit it." George would start the next summer.
"What? Who would love a cat who looks like he just banged his face flat on a wall?"
They'd scoff so loudly.
He'd realize they weren't talking about the cat.
It was just getting worse every year. He wouldn't listen to them anymore, but there was a new voice that started to mock him. It was more annoying because he found out, it's his own voice...and this voice would actually find chances to get out of his big mouth.
"You're fraternizing with the enemy? Honestly, Ron, if there's someone who's enemies with Krum, it's you…and being his fan makes you the one to fraternize with the enemy." They would bring the topic up the whole vacation after the fourth year.
"What?" It sounded ridiculous, but felt true, which makes it more ridiculous!
"Anyway, would you like us to ask Hermione if she's at Bulgaria right now? So you can finally give it a rest."
"I can do that myself." He would try to drive them away by merely rolling his eyes.
That wouldn't usually work, "Why haven't you?"
They're just so thickheads they wouldn't understand. No. They only know how he feels, but they don't really understand. They just love making fun of him.
Now, what makes it worse is that he thinks Harry would be sensitive enough to understand.
Why? He asks himself and himself answers him, because he's had experiences with a girl...with Cho Chang.
And what's that got to do with understanding Ron Weasley if Ron Weasley wasn't about a particular girl as well? And that's the closest he's gotten to admitting why he would really miss a certain girl.
"Ron, has Hermione owled?" One of them asked in behalf of their Mum.
He didn't know about it. Thinking they just ran out of things to do and decided to walk inside his room and watch him go red, he answered "Would you just stop it! I don't miss her."
And he only gave a stupid retort, because...
"No one says you miss her, but if you do, what's wrong with that?" Fred tried to sound supportive.
"I don't have to miss her!" he was stubborn.
"Of course it's not a requirement, but it's just normal for friends." and the two obviously enjoys it.
He was lost for words as he took that second to fathom why and what he was so irate about.
"And now you're talking about friends when you said before it was the magic of..." Oops, wrong choice of answer.
"Of?" They prodded.
"No, she haven't owled." He snapped as if time went back to when they came into his room and asked about her being owled.
"Ron, if you miss Hermione, why don't you just owl her another letter?" Fred asked sounding pleading but irritated as well.
He flushed. First in the ears, then on the neck, the color went up swiftly to his face, until his whole head was a flaming red. He was flaming in anger. His glare was a lot piercing than a dagger. He swallowed hard. It was that big lump on his throat that always appears whenever they would have a conversation as such.
"Why would I miss Hermione Granger?!" he spatted angrily, wishing them to just disappear.
"Because she drives you off the wall?" George answered.
"Exactly!" he pointed.
They went silent as if considering his answer, then finally laughed and he was so sick of it that if it was still possible that he'd go even redder or maybe explode, he might have right then and there.
"That's the magic of it." one of them managed between the teary eyes and fit of laughter.
"Of what? Friendship?" he went sarcastically mocking them.
They waited until done laughing, "No, the one you have in mind."
And he knew exactly what he has in mind. That four letter word he fears would ruin their friendship. "What? Wha--she--I--"
The twins started sniggering once more and left him mumbling words that stumble with each other.
Still scarlet in the head, he dropped himself on the bed and clutched to his side a blank parchment of letter. Because you drive me off the wall. He sat straight with legs crossed, grabbed the quill on the desk beside his bed and started to scribble words on the paper. Because he doesn't only miss her, he was worried, after that encounter with Death Eaters and You-Know-Who at the Ministry of Magic before the school year ended. And above this, he knew that You-Know-Who and his allies are after muggle-born like her.
Dear Hermione,
Why haven't you owled back? I'm worried about You-Know-What, and so is everybody here. The Order members would get Harry from the muggles soon. I don't think he'd stay here, but Dad said he'll definitely be somewhere safe. What about you? Please don't be too busy to tell a friend how you are...you're driving me off the wall. I thought I'd miss you for that, but you just never stop. Anyway, I still miss you...and Harry.
Ron
He called on the old family owl and watched him fly, hoping that anyone between him and his own little owl would come back immediately with a reply from his other friend.
AUTHOR's NOTE:
Just a break from my long "Around their Necks" fic. It's not much. Just a fluff!!! Hehehe…I still hope you liked it. Please review.