CHAPTER SEVEN – STUBBORNNESS

It had been more than a week since Harry had talked to Hermione, and she still hadn't said anything to Ron. She had absolutely no idea how she'd do it. After all that she had told him that night behind the statue, he'd kill her! And not to mention that she couldn't stop thinking that Ron would think she was crazy. How was she supposed to explain? And what if Ron said that he didn't want anything with her anymore? There were millions of questions that popped in Hermione's head at every moment.

Harry always looked at Hermione with a 'tell him' look. But she'd just smile and he would shake his head. To Hermione's luck, Ron never noticed this.
Hermione went down to the Common Room and saw that Harry and Ron were already there.

"Hey," she said smiling as she went to their side.

"Hi," said Harry.

"Finally!" exclaimed Ron. "You took ages. Come on, I'm starving."

"Oh Ron is that all you can think of?" asked Hermione laughing.

"Maybe…" Ron answered half-joking, half-serious.

Both Harry and Hermione laughed at their friend.

"Well I don't know what you're gonna do, but I'm going down to breakfast now," said Ron.

"Ron why don't you get going?" asked Harry casually. "We'll catch up in a sec."

Hermione looked at Harry and frowned at him.

"Whatever," said Ron, and before they knew it, he was gone.

"Hermione you've got to tell him," said Harry as soon as he'd made sure the portrait hole was closed.

"Oh how very direct of you Harry," answered Hermione sarcastically.

"Why haven't you?" insisted Harry.

"Why haven't I what?" she said as thought she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Told Ron about how you feel for him!" said Harry sounding desperate.

"Because she's scared he'll say no to her," said a voice that came from the stairs leading to the girls' room.

Hermione and Harry turned to see a red-headed, thin, teenager coming down the stairs.

"Ginny!" exclaimed Hermione. "You… you shouldn't be saying those things! They're… they're not true!" Hermione tried to look angry.

Ginny ignored Hermione and sat down on the couch next to where Harry and Hermione were standing. "And because if there's anything Hermione is afraid of, is to fail." She continued as if there had been no interruption.

Harry grinned slightly "She's not wrong you know? You do have a thing for failing."

"Oh shut up both of you!" said Hermione now truly annoyed. "Ginny you don't know what you're saying!"

"Come on Hermione, even Crookshanks knows how you feel about Ron," said Ginny. "You don't have to be a genius to notice."

Harry laughed and Hermione shot an angry look at him. Harry sighed and left the Common Room to join Ron in the Great Hall.

"Everyone knows that you have feelings for Ron. The only ones here who don't, as stupid as it may sound, are Ron and you!"

"Me?" thought Hermione. "Yeah right. I don't know how I feel about Ron, sure! Maybe he doesn't know but I think I know what I feel."

"You have no idea what this is to me Ginny!" Hermione suddenly screamed. "So don't go thinking that you know everything, 'cause you don't!"

Ginny stood up and looked upset. "Well maybe I would if you'd tell me!" she yelled. "Little reminder Hermione… THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS DO!"

Hermione was shocked. She had never seen Ginny like this. She looked deep into her eyes and noticed that what was there was not anger, but disappointment.

"Ginny I'm… I…" Great! her voice had started shaking and she could feel tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be Hermione. Just promise me that you'll tell Ron," se said, with a sad voice. "I can't stand seeing you like this. You're my friend and I want you to be happy."

"Oh Ginny I… I can't do it, Hermione sat on the couch and started to cry. "I just can't."

Ginny sat next to Hermione and hugged her friend. "What can't you do?" she asked concerned.

"Tell him, Hermione said between sobs. "I can't tell him how I feel, not again."

"Again?" asked Ginny confused. She looked at Hermione and forced her to look up, so their eyes met. "Hermione what happened?"

Hermione realized that it was time to tell her friend what had happened between Ron, Harry and her. She did so and when she was finished, Ginny looked at her with her mouth slightly opened and a shocked expression.

"Oh my Gosh, Hermione I… I can't believe it!" Ginny said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I… I don't know Ginny," answered Hermione sadly. "I really don't know. I'm sorry."

"But why can't you tell him the truth? You know… just tell him that you made the wrong choice."

Hermione shook her head, "No. No Ginny, I can't."

"But why not? Hermione I don't understand you!"

"You don't have to," said Hermione looking out the window. "No one has to"

"You love him don't you?"

Hermione looked at Ginny and nodded, "Yeah, I do."

"Then you have to tell him Hermione. Just do it or you'll regret it later. Trust me on this one," Ginny stood up and left Hermione sitting alone, crying again, for Ron.

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Harry entered the Great Hall and spotted Ron in the middle of the Gryffindor Table, eating. He walked to the table and sat on the chair across Ron.

Ron looked up and saw Harry. "Hey," he said, and returned to his scrambled eggs, but as though sensing something, he looked up again and looked around the Great Hall. "Where's Hermione?"

Harry shook his head. This couldn't go on. "In the Common Room. She's with Ginny."

"Oh… well…" Ron said and grabbed his orange juice. He started to drink it when Harry spoke.

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?"

Ron almost chocked on his juice and started coughing. When he had 'recovered', he frowned at Harry. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I thought… you… um… well you…" Damn it. Stupid words. "Don't you…? I mean… you… oh crap!"

Harry smiled at his friend and shook his head once again. "No, not anymore. It's always been you guys, I mean, I don't know what was wrong with me," he said. "She's all yours now. You just have to tell her."

"Tell her what?" asked Ron confused.

"How you feel!"

"I already did… before… she said no… what else do you want me to do? I mean I can't do it again!

"But you have to! She won't say anything to you either, but if you tell her… then it might be different," Harry said.

"What do you mean 'she won't say anything to you either'?" Ron said frowning.

"Oh God Ron, come on!" said Harry. "I'm getting very bored of this you know?"

"NO I DON'T!" shouted Ron. Some heads turned to look at them and Ron lowered his head so only Harry could hear. "What is there to know?" he whispered angrily.

"Just talk to Hermione, okay?" said Harry helping himself to some bacon.

"Dammit Harry, I told you!" grunted Ron. "I'm not going to tell her that I like her again! It would be stupid!"

"Fine then!" said Harry, finally loosing his patience. "Do whatever you want. I don't care. But don't you dare say anything to me about Hermione. I've had enough from you two. You're just too stubborn! Both of you!"

"What…? What the hell have I done?" said Ron angry. "I'm not stubborn! And you are not willing to tell me what's going on! You just want me to 'talk to Hermione'. But about what? There's no way I'm gonna let her reject me again!"

"How do you know she'll 'reject' you?" said Harry. He was determined to convince Ron to talk to Hermione.

"Cause… I don't know, she'll just say the same she said before!" he said. "She can't have changed her mind."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. "Ron actually believed her?" he thought. "Oh my God…"

"Ron, you don't get it, do you?" he asked Ron, who looked very confused.

"What?"

"She didn't mean it," Harry said slowly. "You really believed her?"

"I… yeah! She told me…-" Ron's mouth opened and he dropped his fork and knife. "Oh shit!"

Harry was glad at least they had cleared this.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ron continued. "Why would she do that?"

Again, Harry couldn't believe his ears.

"Gee Ron, I don't know," he said. "Maybe because she didn't want to hurt… anyone?" He had been about to say 'me', but preferred not to.

"There was no one she would've hurt!" said Ron and then realized something. "Oh… um… right… sorry mate."

Harry shook his head. "So do you understand now? Will you talk to her?"

"Why doesn't she talk to me?" said Ron angrily.

"Ron!" said Harry trying hard, he didn't want to be were they had started. "Come on, you know Hermione."

Ron seemed to think about it for a minute and then nodded his head. "Yeah… I guess I'll have to tell her," he said looking down at his food.

"What? 'I guess I'll have to tell her'?" said Harry surprised. "Shouldn't you be saying something else? It sounds as something you have to do, but not want to do it"

Ron looked up at his best friend and suddenly, reality came to him. He smiled broadly and stood up; he was going to talk to Hermione.

"That's the Ron I know!" said Harry smiling too.

But just then, as if something was telling Ron to wait, the bell rang. They had to go to Potions and the last thing Ron wanted was detention.

So Harry and Ron both went to the dungeons and when Ron saw Hermione, his heart started beating faster. But he didn't want to talk to her here, so he just had to restrain himself. But what Ron did notice, was that Hermione's eyes were red and watery. She'd been crying… but that would change. He wasn't going to let Hermione suffer anymore. Never.

A.N. What did you think? Please review:D