It's About My Friend
by Berde
DISCLAIMER: JKR owns Harry Potter. And she said, H/G and R/Hr sail!
Ron Weasley is truly, madly, crazy, and deeply in love with one of his best friends—a certain brown, bushy-haired, smart girl named Hermione Granger. The problem is (or has always been, rather) that he couldn't muster the courage to walk up to her and pour his heart out even when he has always been so obvious about this and she, likewise, returns the feeling. Since the war ended, everyone thought the two might have already hooked up. But they thought wrong. Neither Ron, nor Hermione was willing to figure out how to deal with the call of romance.
One sunny day, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry came up with an idea—they agreed that if not both of them, one between Ron and Hermione must confess. They felt it proper for Ron to do this, simply because it's a guy's job. Besides, Ron was now willing and determined. Just a little push here and there (confuse him a bit, so to speak) and he could boost up the guts (unconsciously, rather) he has always lacked when it comes to Hermione. So, before going to their joke shop at Diagon Alley, the twins sat Ron down for a brief pep talk. They've convinced him that he could get Hermione's opinion about his feelings without her knowing it's him. It's a tactic that they're 100 sure to work saying that it has not only worked for them but for a lot of wizards and witches too, even for muggles. It's called "It's About My Friend approach". How does it work? Simple. Refer yourself as a third person. And they explained to Ron how this should come off.
Right after the twins disappeared in front of Ron by apparating, he decided to take the chance. Ron went down the living room where he found Harry polishing his broom, Ginny playing with Arnold (her pygmy puff) and Hermione reading a book with Crookshanks on her lap. He walked straight to Hermione and his presence made the cat leap from Hermione's lap to the floor. Ron swallowed, it's very simple, really,he reminded himself.
"Hermione, do you have a minute?" he didn't stammer. It's a good sign, he thought. She looked up which made him start, but not for long. "It's just that, I need help on something."
"Sure." she closed her book and placed it carefully on the table. "What About?" Hermione gestured for Ron to sit beside her to which he obeyed.
"Uhm, well..." Ron looked anxiously from Ginny to Harry. "…could you two excuse us for a second?" he said with a business-like tone.
Ginny spared him a glance and returned to playing with her pet. "We're not going anywhere Ron. Remember Mum and Dad's rule number 14?"
Both Ron and Harry rolled their eyes and chorused the 14th on Molly and Arthur's 101 Simple Rules for Dating Our Teenage Daughter, "We don't want to see nor hear that you two young couple are spending time alone in one of those bedrooms."
"All the bedrooms are free but we're not allowed." His sister pointed, "So if you want, you and Hermione can choose from any of the rooms and talk there since they haven't imposed any law on the two of you." she finished meaningfully.
Ron sighed. "Fine!" he said in defeat with a face not even the most renowned artist could paint. "Stay. Just...keep your mouth shut, will you?" he said almost pleading.
"I'll try." Ginny sing-songed that she received a glare from her brother.
Ron was momentarily caught up with glowering at the youngest Weasley as if this would make her disappear. Hermione had to prompt him to continue, "Right." He answered, "Erm, actually, someone is asking for my advice and I just don't know what to give him."
Ginny chuckled softly (Harry gave her a telling look) but Hermione quickly responded so as to avoid a probable spat between the siblings—on which she's quite aware that these usually start with furious glares. "What's the problem?"
She doesn't exist. Ron told himself and tore off his glare from Ginny to return his full attention to Hermione. "It's about my friend."
"Who is..." was Hermione's curious response.
"Er, someone." He grinned, mentally kicking himself for overlooking the part where Hermione would ask for details.
"Someone I know?" she raised an eyebrow.
Ron responded a "Yes." before remembering an advice from the twins: You can't have her work it out that you're talking about yourself at the start of the conversation. Otherwise, you won't be able to say everything you want to say and know everything you want to know. "No." he evoked. "Not at all." his heartbeat raced a little.
She didn't look too convinced but dropped the question anyway, "All right. So, what about this friend?"
Ron ran his hands through his messy red hair. Relieved, he started the complicated tale. "Well, this friend, he has erm, another friend." She nodded thoughtfully, "And the two of them have another friend. And they have known each other since they were young."
"Interesting. Like you, Hermione, and Harry?" Ginny interrupted walking closer to the two. She was now done playing with Arnold.
Ron was startled at the mention of the names, "Shut up Ginny or I'll..."
"You'll what?" she challenged.
"I'll give you a hex you'll never forget until the day you die."
Ginny flipped her long, equally red hair and a mischievous smile crossed her lips. "I can't wait to see you try. Hi Mum!" she called at Ron's back with an excited tone.
"I wasn't really gonna do it, Mum!" Ron retorted defensively and turned around only to see no one behind him.
Ginny laughed. "Coward."
He turned to face his sister again and put up a finger sign. "Very funny. I'll do it for real and you'll be sorry."
"Okay, enough of that." Hermione demanded. "What about your friend's friends, Ron?" she returned to the topic before Ron could do anything he'd regret.
"Right." He spared a last scowl at his sister. "Anyway, the friend of my friend...he was kind of...liking his other friend in a different way...in a way he's not supposed to." Little did he know that his ears were slowly adopting the color of his hair.
Hermione noticed this. She thought it was cute but found no reason to make a mention. "What do you mean? Like he's falling in love with this other friend?" she could feel her cheeks warming up. She wished Ron would keep quiet as well in case he'd notice.
It seemed like he didn't anyway. "Exactly!" he was just glad she was following his story.
"But why does he think he's not supposed to feel this? Is the other friend of opposite sex?" It was an interesting topic just as Ginny said. Weird that she's talking about this with Ron, but interesting just the same.
"Of course!"
"Is she married?"
"No." Of course he should know, still he dropped his eyes on Hermione's ring fingers to make sure. "No, she's not yet." He confirmed.
"Then I don't see a problem. I think that's nice."
Just when Ron thought Ginny has evaporated in thin air did his sister mumbled an "I bet you do." in a sing-song tone.
"Were you saying something, Gin?" Hermione's cheek grew hotter.
"Me?" Ginny asked innocently. "No. I was talking to Harry." She beamed at the pair. Ron looking confused, obviously he didn't catch a word she mumbled; Hermione slowly recovering from blushing. "Harry, I bet you do need a new polishing kit."
"And I bet you're right Gin." Harry smiled back at his girlfriend. An impish stare playing on his green eyes behind his round spectacles.
"Anyway, why does he think he's not supposed to fall in love with the other friend?" Hermione asked, trying to hide her cheeks behind her brown, bushy hair.
There was really no need for her to do that since Ron was refusing to look at her, "Well, because they're bestfriends."
"Like..." It was Ginny who was going to reiterate her statement a while ago—the mention of names. Ron having sensed this immediately gave Ginny another vicious look.
"Well, at least they know each other very well." Hermione concluded, not aware of Ron and Ginny's silent 'staring' war.
Not taking his eyes off Ginny, "But what about the friendship and all. If he tells her and she doesn't feel the same then everything would change."
"I see. He's scared of changes."
He was convinced his sister would no longer barge in, Ron looked at Hermione again. "Yeah. There's always this what if he confess, be honest and all that and she rejects him? He can't turn back time." For a brief moment, he held his gaze with her brown eyes, but withdrew when he felt a bit embarrassed while talking about his fears.
Hermione too, looked away from Ron's blue eyes. "It doesn't always go that way. He needs to take risks. Besides, didn't you say they've been friends for a long time?"
"Yes."
"Then he should be able to read her. Get some clues or ideas about how she feels about him."
"She's really hard to read." He complained.
"But if she likes him back she would at least be giving some hints about her feelings." She was quite sure, Hermione was. After all, she'd been dropping hints at Ron, herself since the Yule Ball during fourth grade.
"I dunno, but I think he's not getting any from this girl. The bloke's not really that likable. I mean he's not that horrible either but their other friend, who is my friend, is more of a girl-magnet than his friend." Ron was almost ranting by the end of this statement than mere complaining.
There was a brief silence. Well, there was silence which could have been extensive had Ginny not let out a long and loud sigh as if she was too exasperated, "Would you quit that my friend, friend's friend, other friend...it's really confusing, you know! Give the names!"
The youngest Weasley son instantly turned crimson. Not with embarrassment, but with frustration with his sister. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" he pointed.
Hermione moved uncomfortably beside him, "Actually Ron," she said shyly, "I agree with Ginny. I mean, I don't know the people we are talking about so I think it won't hurt if you name names. It really is starting to get confusing when you use those friends friends..." she looked apologetic.
There was another silence which was cut by a sigh from Harry. Everyone turned to look at him. The raven haired boy walked towards his two bestfriends and handed them three quills of different colors. "Here." He said as Hermione took them. "Not that I'm eavesdropping (this was a lie of course), but I can't help to hear and it's making my head spin. Plus it might help shutting pretty Ginny up here."
"Oh, thank you much Harry." Ginny said sardonically.
Ron looked at his other bestfriend questioningly, as if he had gone mental. "Quills?"
"Colored quills." Harry corrected.
"Wow! Really helpful. You know, I think it just made our conversation very very clear." He answered with the same sardonic tone used by his sister.
"Stop being sarcastic, will you?" Harry snapped, "We'll shut up, just do us a favor as well and talk on parallel language." He dropped himself on the same long couch Ron and Hermione were.
Hermione between them turned to Harry. "So, what exactly are we suppose to do with these, Harry? Role play with colored quills as characters?"
"Very brilliant!" Harry beamed.
"Er, I was trying to be sarcastic." Said his friend.
"Well, sarcastic or not, brilliant mind always work brilliantly for you, eh?"
"Please enlighten their lost faces, Harry, will you?" Ginny said in a pleading and mocking tone.
"Right. Let's say the blue quill is the girl...and then, you know, just assign the characters."
Ron nodded at Harry in agreement. "Oh, all right. Seems like that might work."
"Okay. So if the blue one is the girl." Hermione held the first quill as if introducing the character and then laid it on the couch beside her. "Who's in love with her? The black or the red?" she held the remaining quills in the air.
"The red one!" Harry and Ginny said in chorus.
It was Ginny who took the liberty of explaining after Ron and Hermione shot them quizzical looks. "Well, because I think it fits him...you know red being the color of love and all...and he's the one in love..."
"That's what I think too...you know, honestly." Harry backed her up.
"Whatever." Ron shook his head in an I can't believe this manner, "You two happy now?"
His sister didn't seem so yet. "Lets give them names! This is exciting, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Black quill, red quill, and blue quill." Ron pointed at each quill dryly.
"Very creative." Was her equally dry response to her brother.
"Why don't you just use codes? Short ones, easy to say and remember." Suggested Harry.
"How about letters?" encouraged Ginny.
They sounded really scripted but neither Ron nor Hermione recognized that. "You two, will you stop being involved?" Ron commanded.
"I appreciate your very accommodating and thankful gesture for our help mate..." said Harry sounding hurt.
Hermione wasn't used to a Harry with a saddened look, "All right. Let's get over this role playing thing so Ron and I could continue."
Harry and Ginny exchanged looks with wide grins on their faces. "Right. Letters..."
"How 'bout vowels?" Ginny held a thumbs-up sign and waited for approval.
The support came from none other than Harry. "Nice. A for black, I for red, and letter U for the blue one."
"Right. Whatever." Ron rolled his eyes, "Can you now keep quiet and mind your own businesses?"
"Can't we join? Maybe we can help. I don't have anything interesting to do anyway." Ginny Weasley pulled up her puppy looked which has always worked on their parents, her brothers Charlie, Bill, Percy, even Fred and George at times, and most of all, on Harry.
It won't work on Ron, unfortunately. Maybe not that day anyway. "No. So, find something interesting."
"Like...?" Harry prodded for Ron.
"Like...snog each other!" the red-haired boy barked impatiently.
"Ron!" barked back Hermione who looked scandalized.
Ginny, on the other hand, played along Ron's scheme. "I kinda like that. Harry?" she extended an arm as if prompting him to take her hand.
"Sure." Harry was about to hold hands with Ginny when Ron found himself being betrayed by his own trick.
"Look! Just don't interrupt."
Harry and Ginny dropped themselves on their previous seats. "So, uhm, where were we?" asked Hermione.
Ginny was quick to answer "On the part where Ron thinks letter U is not giving hints for I to figure out if she feels the same way for him. And that he thinks A here is more fanciable. But, you know, for me, he's just kind of daft to see the hints thrown all over the place...not Ron, letter I, you know.
"How do you know there are, you don't even know them?" How could his sister say there are hints all over the place? Where?
"I have a feeling." Ginny only shrugged.
"Okay. So, you're saying Ron, that I isn't the type of guy quill U would go for?" Hermione interrupted, silently thinking that the letters Harry gave are not really helpful.
"Something along those lines, yes."
"Is she, by chance, dating anyone?"
"I'm not exactly sure, because if she is, it's more like a long distance relationship...the git's in Bu..." Bloody hell! He almost gave the most obvious clue!
"I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't catch that. Where's the boyfriend from?" and Harry had to ask!
"Bu.." think Ronald! "Buenos Aires."
Harry gave him a wink, "Oh, yeah. That's what I heard. Carry on, please."
"But you said you're not sure, so this third guy is not officially a boyfriend, is he?" An introduction of a new character, what could be more difficult than this? Though Hermione. Right. Hers and Ron's story! She concluded without really analyzing the similarities of both situations. Well, for one, she never really knew Ron would think Viktor as her boyfriend. Second, it seemed like she's having a slight headache.
When Ron didn't answer right away, Ginny gave her honest opinion. "If it's long distance I really wouldn't consider it official. Besides, the quills are bestfriends so if they're official she should have told A and I, right."
"I have to agree on that." Hermione said.
"But they've snogged." Ron answered matter-of-factly.
Hermione looked confused on this, suspicion clearly absent from her. "How did you know that?"
"I have a feeling." Ron shrugged.
Hermione's headache seemed to be starting to get worse, "Anyway, I still believe it's not official. So, I'd say take the risk. Besides if they have been friends for so long, if their friendship is as strong as I think it should be by now, then it should not be affected whether or not they end up as a couple.
"But that's also taking the risk of losing her." Ron again, voicing one of his fears.
"The more reason for him to be honest with his feelings about her. Especially when there's a third guy involved. Worse, there may be some other guys who might be just around the corner to notice quill U over here," Hermione held the blue quill for emphasis, "and one of these other guys would turn out to be someone lovable and all..."
Without thinking, Ron blurted out "Like Krum?"
"What?"
He panicked, "I mean," but came up with a close sound for the previous word (or name) "how come?"
"How come...what?" Hermione still looked perplexed.
"How come she lets another man into her life just like that?" was the closest comeback Ron though of.
"I didn't say it'll be just like that. It may take a few months or years...you know, she may get to know someone else better...what I'm saying is that she might meet someone she'll love. So tell her or not, either way, he's still going to lose her." Hermione explained despite the question marks written all over her face.
"But you're looking at it differently. If he tells her and she doesn't feel the same it's as good as losing her because things would definitely change between them. On the other hand, if he doesn't tell her and she finds someone else it's also as good as losing her except nothing would change between them. They're still friends."
"But can he bear it though?" uncertainty was suddenly washed from Hermione. Ron gave a good argument and she needs to justify her answer.
"What?"
"The sight of her in the arms of another man."
A picture of Hermione on Viktor Krum and Cormac McLaggen crossed Ron's mind. "No. He was really frustrated."
"Was? So it happened already?"
"Yeah...based on what I've heard." Ron said in clarification. He sighed in relief that he was able to work that one out once again. Think first before you speak! He scolded himself.
"The girl's already in love with someone not him?"
"Uhm, people, the codes?" Ginny interrupted, but was completely ignored.
"I don't really know if she is in love. I mean, they've only met once and are just penpals for the past three years." He was thinking, Ron was. But Fred and George also told him to, as much as possible, mention all his concerns.
"You're still talking about the guy from Buenos Aires, aren't you? I told you it's not official!" Ginny butted again.
"It may be. You know, if they snogged..." It was Harry, this time opposing her.
"So what does he need to do?" Ron's question directed at Hermione. This is it. Whatever she says, I'll do.
"What does he want to do?"
"A lot. Tell her, be with her, kiss her...but not lose her."
Hermione was once again buried on her own thoughts. Ginny was the one with a response. Although not yet the answer to Ron's dilemma. "We got that. But what about quill U? Is she smart, shallow?"
"Smartest I know." His brother answered blankly. He was waiting for Hermione's response not Ginny's nor Harry's.
But it seemed like it's the two of them who has some things to say. Ginny was first followed by Harry who was a little dramatic for some reason. "Then, if she's smart, she should know that her bestfriend has feelings for her."
"And if her bestfriend is too coward to admit, she must at least be brave enough to approach him. I mean, one of them has to or it would never end and will eventually kill A!"
"That's exactly what I'm expecting of her..." Ron said to no one in particular.
"Well, A has to die. It's given, quill I and quill U won't do anything about it. A has to die. This is so sad." Ginny concluded, shaking her head for the effect.
"I can't even get any clue." Ron said in a very frustrated tone.
This broke Hermione from her pensiveness, "Did you mean I as in you or I as in quill I?" she queried.
"Yeah. I think you have to point. See, because if you meant I as in you," at this Harry pointed at Ron, and then moved to point the quill "not quill U..."
"Of course I meant I as in quill I." said Ron defensively.
"No. Because it didn't sound like that to me." Said Ginny, sounding doubtful, "Harry?" she turned to the other boy for back up. This was their plan…finally.
Harry shook his head, "Not to me either. Because the way you said it..."
"It's like you're very frustrated...like I is actually meant to say you..." Ginny pointed at Ron.
Harry added quickly, "Which means, you know the girl personally. I mean you as in you, not quill U...and I being me." He pointed at Ron and at himself.
"Exactly!" Ginny obviously couldn't agree more.
"Like you can't even get a clue." Harry continued.
"What did I say? Because you're daft."
Harry and Ginny were now starting to confuse Hermione as well. "No. As I remember it, you (she pointed at Ginny) specifically said quill I is daft. Not Ron. Quill U can't be daft because she's the one who's supposed to be spilling clues for quill I."
"No, because what I just said, I really meant him, not the quill. Otherwise, I should have said letter U or quill U. You know what I'm saying?"
"But Hermione was referring to what you said way while ago." Interrupted Harry to make the confusing conversation more…confusing. "What you (he pointed at Ginny) said, not letter U or quill U. Anyway, letter U or quill U hasn't been quoted to have said anything yet..."
"This is driving me crazy!" Hermione's hands were both pressing her head. At this point no one has even noticed Mrs. Weasley and Percy walking in from the kitchen door.
"Bloody hell! Will you cut it off!" Ron finally ordered Harry and Ginny. "Hermione, listen. Never mind them, just listen to me." He took the red and blue quills from Hermione. "The main point is, what should I (he raised the red quill) do? Because I (without thinking, he pointed the red quill to him) is in love with U!(and pointed the blue quill to Hermione)!" When he stopped, that's when he realized what he just did. He and Hermione looking at each other, speechless.
Percy stepped into the living room and sat on a couch in one corner. "Watch your grammar Ron. You've already finished school, Merlin! That's I am in love with you." he started to play with Arnold.
Still scarlet faced, Ron shot him a glaring look, "Shut up Perce! You don't know what we're talking about." He was roughly stammering.
Percy looked offended, but merely shrugged. "Just trying to help. I don't think that kind of grammar would impress Hermione."
"Well, erm..." Hermione thought that it's better to respond that let the awkwardness linger. "In my opinion, if quill I is really in love with her, he should tell her. If quill U hasn't dated anyone for a long time, it's possible that she's waiting for him after all. If not, then they're bestfriends, they should be able to work it out and save their friendship."
Ron relaxed, "Well, quill U, I believe, hasn't dated for a long time...and so is quill I. So you are you saying U loves I back?" though the quills on his hands remained where he previously pointed them.
Mrs. Weasley who just came in the living room after setting up the magic so the recipes she just bought would start to cook themselves heard only the last part of Ron's statement. "Shame on your grammar, Ronald." She shrieked in disbelief. "That's you love me back." She corrected on her overassertive tone. "How on earth would Hermione answer that kind of question?"
"That's what I told him Mum." said Percy as he stood up from his seat at the corner and walked to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley followed.
Hermione was also flushed as all eyes were on them. Could be, that she really knows the characters after all? "There's only one way to find out. Just tell your friend A to tell his friend to go to the girl and confess."
"Good!" Harry jumped from his seat. "Looks like A would live after all." he said. "I'll give quill I the message then." He nodded to Hermione with gratefulness.
"Oh, Harry, you could also tell quill I that he could go to quill U later after dinner, in her room. I have a feeling her roommate would be stargazing tonight…with her boyfriend." Ginny winked at Harry and the latter blushed. "Mum!' You need me and Hermione to help you there!" Ginny called.
"Oh, yes, Darling. I could do with a little assistance." The lady of the house answered back.
Ginny and Hermione left the living room with Ron still red, looking like he couldn't believe what just happened, at the same time there was also traces of paleness on his freckled face that Harry assumed his friend was working out how to muster his courage for a confession later in the evening despite the fact that he knew there's no need to say much anymore, after all.
AUTHOR's NOTE: a break from my pending fic. What do you guys think? Hope you enjoyed! Reviews please!