Chapter 16
"Ron, again, stop pacing!" Hermoine was at the point of yelling at the redhead who stormed back into the Common Room, mumbling obscenities under his breath and disrupting her.
"I'll fucking pace if I want, alright?" he snapped back. "It's Saturday. Why don't you be normal and don't study!"
"First, language," she said sternly, standing up. "Second, I'm just reading...which I won't be able to do with you running around this place and yelling!"
The boy in the chair beside them sighed, "Both of you- stop flirting so I can finish my Potions extra credit!" Neville was fed up and yelling as well. "Snape needs it in an hour! You two should just take this into the bedroom or something...I'm on to you!"
Hermoine completely ignored Neville and continued shouting, "Listen. I don't care if Malfoy gave you hell last night or whatever you are bickering about because you probably deserved it!"
"Yeah, well what would you know?" Ron yelled back angrily. "The only human contact you get are through your bleedin' books you stupid, arse-kissing, know-it-all..."
"What is going on here?" a groggy brunette asked through his hands rubbing his face. "Stop yelling everyone, please."
"Harry," Neville whines. "The couple of the year keep bitching at each other about who knows what at 8 in the morning on a Saturday!" he said pointing to Hermoine and Ron. "I knew about you two the whole time...I was right!"
"Neville...what?" Hermoine inquired, placing her hands on her hips.
Neville smiled and relaxed back in his chair, putting his hands under his head. He sighed, "Hermoine...Ron...you don't have to play dumb with me. I know you two have been trying to hide your, let's say 'romantic involvement', but I figured it out..." he said with the cheekiest smile on his face.
All three mouths dropped and simultaneously yelled, "No!" Neville, taken aback, stood up. "Nothing you can say will deter me from my theory! I'm on to you two and obviously Harry knows too!"
"Oh come off it, Neville!" Harry pleaded.
Neville's smile broadened, "Nope. I'm going to tell everyone if you don't fess up," he threatened.
"But Neville, it's not true!" Hermoine growled.
"Sure, sure," he said shaking his head.
Ron sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "Neville, I don't like Hermoine," he assured him.
"A likely story," Neville scoffed.
Ron gulped and bit his lip, "I don't like girls. I like boys. That reason enough?"
Neville's laugh turned from hearty to nervous, as the serious look of Ron's didn't falter. Harry and Hermoine also looked at their friend with bewilderment. "Seriously?" Hermoine asked, mouth still open.
Ron gulped hard and nodded weakly, "About time I told you." His posture straightened, "I'm not ashamed. Just wanted to be sure."
"How...long?" Harry asked through his slit eyes. Neville sat back down in his chair, looking oh so embarrassed.
Ron shrugged, "Last holiday. You mad?"
"Shocked, but never mad," Neville said reassuringly.
"Shove off Neville and finish your essay," Harry snapped and slung his fingers in his hair. "Just mad you didn't tell me sooner. Trying to match you up with all those girls...makes me feel like such an idiot," Harry said and sat down.
Ron kneeled down in front of his friend, looking around. "Sorry mate. You did help me finalize any doubts I had, though."
Hermoine placed her hand on the redhead's shoulder, "Well Ron, we really don't have any right to be mad as we're..." she cleared her throat and looked expectantly at Harry.
"Yeah Ron...me and 'Moine...well..." he blushed and smiled at his girlfriend.
Neville's eyes bugged from his paper. "Ah ha! That's who I heard in the library last night!"
Hermoine turned redder than Ron thought he ever could and he collapsed to the floor to conceal the laughter. "What?!" Hermoine screamed. Harry failed to stifle a laugh and Hermoine told him to shut up.
Neville grabbed his parchment and text and dashed up the stairs, Hermoine following fast.
"Tough fucker she can be," Ron noted sitting up and letting his laughter out.
Harry nodded, "He deserves it though."
Ron laughed, "Yeah," and looked up at his friend.
"So how was the study sess...Oh. You and..." he pieced together.
Ron chewed his lip, "Yeah, about that..."
"Out of all the people. I...I came up to the tower to see if you were like, dead, since you didn't come back..." Harry stammered out.
Panic set in and Ron's eyes widened, "What did you see?"
"You two were fast asleep in a chair. I had no idea. I just thought you were too lazy to come back up." Harry laughed, "I didn't want to get a black eye like the last time I tried to wake you."
Ron smiled and laughed Harry, "Yeah, still sorry."
"I'm used to it," he said shrugging and smiling, joining his friend on the floor.
"I have done it enough," Ron replied. Their laughing was interrupted by a scream of pain a la Neville, which spawned more laughing between the two.
After drying his eyes, Harry looked to Ron. "So, did you two do anything?..." he inquired.
"Well..." Ron started.
"Sorry," Harry said blushing.
"Oh no...we did. I don't care about talking about it...unless you're too weirded out..." Ron replied.
"You kidding? I never understood what the fuss was about. Sex is sex," Harry shrugged.
Ron smiled but it quickly faded, "Yeah true. But that's all it was to him."
"Ah I'm sorry, Ron," Harry said sympathetically, putting his hand on Ron's shoulder.
He shrugged the hand off, "Nah, I mean, that's all it was to me too but...he was really rude about it. Got me right pissed off."
"How long had you two been..." Harry asked.
"It barely begun, the detention...Draco came onto me pretty strong."
Harry's eyes widened, "Whoa! Did he know...did you?"
"No! I had no idea he was and he didn't know I was!" Ron said.
"Lucky guess. That explains him being an arse in Potions, more than usual," Harry nodded. "Wonder why he picked you? Guess he loves the wild redheads," he joked, fussing with Ron's untamed mane.
"Oi! How would you know we're wild?" he inquired, laughing.
"Well your sister..." Harry began.
"Okay stop right there, Potter!" Ron thunked him on the head and pushed him down.
Harry gave in, "Alright, ouch, alright. So was Malfoy any good in the sac?"
Ron laughed and rolled his eyes. This was always Harry's first question when anyone returned from a date. "Oh Harry! Well..." he flung himself onto the floor in mock dramatics, "bloody brilliant in bed! Well...not bed actually. Never was that piece of furniture around. The couch and table however...fuck, I can see it all again now..."
"Okay, okay. No need for mental pictures," Harry replied making a sour face. The smile on Harry's face faded when he saw the downtrodden look in Ron's eyes as he replayed the incidents in his mind.
"Ron?" he snapped his friend out of his trance.
"Sorry?" Ron half asked and half answered, dropping his head down.
Harry frowned, "What did he say exactly?"
Ron sighed and drew circles in the carpet with his finger, "He didn't want a boyfriend..." he shrugged. "I mean, neither do I, but...he was there and I used him because it was convenient. Sure he was good and all but I don't want a relationship either, nor do I want the whole world to know I'm looking...or something."
"Well fuck stupid boys and girls. I know 'Moine won't talk to me for a while because it was my idea last night. Let's get some butterbeer and forget yesterday and this morning never happened," Harry suggested.
"Agreed," Ron complied, helping Harry up.