Chapter 2: A Familiar Emotion

They're hands were entwined while under a large flow of giggly laughter. He just stared at them, wondering why they had become suddenly so friendly. And for some reason his hands were clenched and his palms were sweaty. His mind was racing with the same thoughts that were filling his head, "Why is this happening so suddenly? What's going on?" Then all of a sudden Ron surfaced. Hermione and Harry were standing in front of him waving their hands infront of his face. They're hands had finally removed the imaginary glue that had held them together.

"Ron?" said Hermione in a sing-songy type voice.

"Sorry, just…thinking," Ron said, staring at the pair.

It was as if they didn't noticed that he knew. They were all over eachother and it's like they didn't even know. Yes, maybe this year will be different, normal, but there was a big chance that it wasn't. Normal isn't a word usually used at Hogwarts. Normal people can't hang you by your ankle at the ceiling. Normal people couldn't make things levitate. Certainly normal people didn't carry wands and have magic at the tips of they're fingers. But if normal people fell in love, I guess Ron was about to be a normal person.

"Come on, Ron. Lets get up to bed," Harry said, pulling Ron from off the arm chair.

Ron was being awkwardly as he trailed behind Hermione and Harry while walking up the spiral staircase, and they seemed to notice.

"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Hermione, turning her head to face him but still walked up the steps beside Harry.

"Nothing," he answered.

Hermione just brushed it off and linked arms with Harry happily. At that Ron's vision blurred instantly. He suddenly felt dizzy and that sweat threw itself on his palms again. He had his eyes fixed on they place where their arms met. He suddenly became rather…jealous. An emotion that Ron had a good relationship with from Hermione with Krum and McLaggen to Harry and his fame now with the sparks that flew between his best friends. He again got knocked out of his trance by Hermione briefly kissing Harry on the cheek.

"Good Night, Ron," she said bluntly then walked into the girls dorms.

"Night," he whispered. "You get a kiss and I get a 'Good Night, Ron'"

"You were in your spaced out state again. Maybe she was just trying to get your attention," suggested Harry.

"By kissing you? I highly doubt that she was trying to get my attention by kissing you."

"No, I meant by the 'Night, Ron' comment. What exactly are you talking about?" Harry said, pulling open their room door.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just tired."

Ron had a very sleepless night. He's mind was a swarm of thoughts all containing Hermione and Harry. His head was pounding in the morning.

"Rough night?" Harry asked on their way to breakfast.

"Why do you think that?" asked Ron, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"For one thing your eyes are beat red and your hair's a mess."

"Well, I was think most of the night. So, yes you can say…"

"Hello, Harry. Ronald, what's the matter? Did you have trouble sleeping?" asked Hermione genuinely.

Ron always felt a sense of warmth in her voice.

"Um, sure."

"Well, hurry and eat then we'll all go back to the Gryffindor Common room and you can have a little nap. You're a mess!" said Hermione, franticly trying to get Ron and Harry to eat.

After their brief breakfast the three of them when into their Common room. Ron was having a hard time trying to fall asleep with Hermione and Harry staring him hard in the face.

"Can you just not do that?" he said.

"Sorry," they both said in unison.

The two of them backed their way onto a nearby couch. Then the fiddling of hands and soft giggles started to become known again. Ron slapped is eyes shut. But the giggling grew louder and louder. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and just stood up and stormed out of the Common room. Harry and Hermione went chasing after him.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled up the corridor.

Harry caught up to him and pulled him aside, Hermione close behind.

"What's going on with you lately?" Harry asked, sounding really worried.

"Yeah, Ron, you're not getting enough sleep, you're really spaced out. I'm worried about you," Hermione said in her most fragile voice.

"Doesn't seem like it, now does it?"

"I'm sorry, Ron. Come on. Me and Harry will be quiet. Just take a little nap before class."

"No time," Ron said, pointing at his watch. "Besides, I'm fine now. I promise."

"Are you sure?" asked Harry, tapping Ron on the shoulder.

"Positive."

Just like the voice in the back of Ron's head had told him, he knew he wouldn't be able to make the up without falling asleep at least once. And the voice in the back of his head was right, and it was going to be right about some other things as well. That night Ron was determined to get a full night sleep. But Harry had other plans.

"You've been acting so odd, Ron," Harry mentioned, sitting in his own bed.

"Why's that?"

"Do you fancy Hermione?" he blurted.

"Of course not!" Ron gasped, trying not to make contact with Harry's glance.

"Are you sure because everytime I'm with her or something you seem to run off or get sidetracked."

This time Ron was stuck. He's ears started to turn red. He was extremely relived that the room was quite dark.

"Well, I-I guess I've just been a little odded out by it all," he stumbled over his words.

"By what?"

"You and her and been suddenly more... friendly. You and my sister were dating. What ever happened to that?" said Ron, his voice more stern.

"I don't know. We took a break from eachother because of the whole Voldemort threatening my life situation. Now, I'm just wondering if it'll all fall back into place. I do still really love your sister, Ron."

"Harry, I may have feeling for Hermione," Ron said in the softest voice possible.

"Thought so."

"Since around third year, but I could never bring myself to say that I liked her."

"I could sense that there was something going on between you both," said Harry, barely awake.

"Between us? I never noticed anything between me and her. I think she fancies you."

Ron heard Harry bolt up in his bed.

"Doubt it," he said plainly.

"I really think she does. You two have been acting…"

"I know, friendly. I think its because Voldemort is finally gone and she can loosen up more towards me because he's not endangering my life anymore."

Harry then lay back down in his four poster bed.

"Harry, you're my best mate, right?" said Ron, breaking the brief silence.

"Last time I checked, yes."

"Could I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

Ron could not believe he was going to say this but, "Will you switch placed with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Like we could make that Polyjuice Potion and we could change places for a little bit. I just want to see if Hermione likes me."

"Ron, simply ask her."

"Please, Harry." he begged.

"Fine."

"Really?" Ron said in utter disbelief.

"Yes, if you let me sleep."

"Right, g'night." Ron said right before drifting off into his own sleep.