"And so the Drama Ensued..."
Ginny bent her head down towards the table. She didn't want to watch her brother making such and ass of himself. And poor Hermione, she looked like she no longer knew what to do.
Ron somehow suddenly realized that he had feelings for Hermione during the summer. For three months he'd been hitting on Hermione every single time he got the chance. Every time she got a 100 or more on her schoolwork, he'd give her a hug. She never got any less than 100... He always took a seat next to her in he common room. He tried as hard as he could to be the perfect gentleman, opened doors for her, carried her books, and so forth. Once he even tried to cut her meat for her.
Hermione didn't want to hurt his feelings, but tried not to encourage him in any way. her strategy seemed to involve ignoring all his actions. One time Ginny heard her mutter under her breath, "Things were so much better when we were fighting all the time..." Ginny was still pretending to be very interested in her Arithmancy homework when Hermione suddenly jumped up from her chair.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" she shouted at Ron who looked a bit stunned at this reaction, seconds before he'd been rubbing her back and looking at her lovingly. "Please, please, stop this... whatever it is!" While Hermione drew her breath Harry whispered to Ginny.
"And so the drama ensued." Hermione was far from done yet.
"It's been three months, do you need to hear me say it to understand that I'm not interested in you? Fine! I'm n-o-t interested in you, Ronald Weasley! I don't even like boys at all! I'm gay!" Now Ron looked completely stunned, and he wasn't the only one. The Gryffindor common room had never been this silent.
"Boha... erlack... alas... phir..." Ron couldn't get a word out. Hermione was turning red, and suddenly looked very embarrassed.
"Shit..." she started backing towards the girls' dorms, turned, and ran up the stairs. Behind her some people, mainly boys, started clapping.
"I knew it!" Dean shouted and turned towards Seamus. "Hand over my five Galleons."
"That was such a lucky guess!" Seamus insisted. "There's no way you could have seen that one coming. I'm sure not even Professor Trelawney did!" Several people snickered at the suggestion that the old fraud knew anything at all about the future.
"Seriously? Was I the only one who saw the way she looks at some of the girls?" Dean's eyes flickered towards Parvati in the corner.
"Bullshit, you lucky bastard," muttered Seamus. In the end he had to give in and hand Dean his money. "Silly me, betting on Ron getting the girl."
The common-room was very noisy by the time Ginny slipped out to find Hermione. She found her on her bed, shaking slightly from all the emotions.
"Oh God, tell me I didn't just do that..." Hermione pleaded her. Ginny felt bad for her, but the cat was out of the bag now.
"I'm sorry... you did," Ginny wasn't sure what to say to comfort her friend.
"It's all right you know, lots of people are gay... they're just too afraid to be open about it. I don't see the reason though, the feelings are completely natural! Don't feel bad about this. Sure people are going to talk, but they won't stop liking you because of it. I'm absolutely sure the boys think you're still a super hot female. Besides, after 15 minutes in the spotlight, it'll be old news. That was really brave though, you set a great example for others! It must feel good too, getting it of your chest?"
"I suppose so..." Hermione still looked shocked, but much calmer after Ginny's little pep-talk. "I can't believe I just did that. In front of everyone." She covered her face with her hands for a while before she continued. "I've known for sure pretty much ever since the Yule ball. I didn't think it would come out like that though." She sighed. "I'll be all right."
"Yeah, I know you will be," Ginny said confidently. "I admire you."
"Seriously? The great rebel who dates the son of her father's enemy admires me? I think you're the one who's brave!" Hermione blushed slightly. "I still can't believe you would date him!"
"Yeah, keep your voice down, I don't want the whole tower to know. I just couldn't help myself, he looks so great when he's wearing Spandex trousers," they both laughed, and a lot of the tension lifted. "Besides, he's grown up so much over the summer, he's really not a slimy git any more."
"Oh, I've definitely noticed the change. I'm mean, he hasn't called me Mudblood even once all year!"
"That was all his father talking, his mother on the other hand, completely different story as far as I can tell. With Lucius in Azkaban, Draco's like a whole new boy, I mean man." Ginny was grinning from ear to ear, the love was practically written on her face. She was thankful that her brother had been too caught up in Hermione to notice.