My Best Friend

How stupid is it? I can't talk about it

I gotta sing about it and make a record of my heart

(How stupid is it? Won't you give me a minute

Just come up to me and say hello to my heart) How stupid is it?

For all I know you want me too and maybe you just don't know what to do or maybe you're scared to say: "I'm falling for you"

(El Scorcho—Weezer)

Ron traced a finger over the handle of the ceramic mug in front of him. He looked up at Hermione who was idly stirring her coffee. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she wore a pale yellow t-shirt with her blue denim jeans. She had a leg tucked under her, an arm resting on the table as she gazed at nothing in the kitchen. She shifted slightly and tucked a few short strands of hair behind her ear.

"He's not going to like this," she said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"You think?" he answered sarcastically.

"Couldn't you have said something?"

"What the hell was I supposed to tell my mum?" Ron defended.

Hermione sighed. "I don't know."

The Weasley's were making a visit today to celebrate Harry's birthday but Ron knew better. His mom was just checking in on them, making sure that everything was intact after the eventful departure from the Dursley's. Ron had a feeling that Harry wouldn't be too thrilled with all the company. Although, Ginny would be there.

"You know, he didn't sleep in our usual room last night," Ron said ponderously.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "What, can't sleep without your teddy bear?"

"Ha, ha," Ron said dryly. "You don't think he…took off and left, do you?"

Hermione shook her head. "He probably wanted to be alone. It's got to be rough coming back here."

"Yeah," Ron said quietly, scratching at a scorch mark on the table. But he straightened suddenly and changed the topic. "How's your hand?" he asked, motioning to her bandaged hand.

"It's alright. Your mum probably knows a potion to heal it faster," she said, inspecting her bandage.

"Yeah, she does. I had an unfortunate accident when I was younger involving her china cabinet." Hermione looked inquiringly at him but Ron shook his head. "Don't ask."

He took Hermione's injured hand and inspected Tonk's work. He nodded approvingly.

"I'm surprised she did a nice job," he said.

Hermione cracked a smile. "Ron! That's not nice!"

"Well, I'm sorry but it's true! Actually it shouldn't surprise me, the woman can't walk ten feet without knocking into something." Hermione giggled. "She's probably an expert at bandaging," he continued in a serious voice. "She can do it in her sleep."

"Ron, stop!" Hermione grinned in spite of herself.

"Behind her back," Ron continued.

Harry heard Hermione's laughter a minute too late before walking into the room, otherwise he would've turned back around to leave the two to…whatever it was that they were doing. But, he had the misfortune to walk into the kitchen.

"…do it blindfolded and tied up," Ron was saying.

What the hell did he walk into! He stood there awkwardly in front of them. Ron was holding her hand but Hermione pulled it away from him as she got up to greet him.

"Morning Harry," she said cheerfully, there was still residual laughter in her tone.

"Morning," Harry replied, mentally smacking himself to remind himself that he should really stop being an ass about his two best friends.

Hermione cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Ron who had a look of confusion on his face before he jolted to alertness.

"Oh! Right, yeah. Um, Harry…" he began tentatively and Harry knew immediately he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear. "Well, you know, mum heard about last night and she tends to worry a lot and…she cares about you and…"

"The Weasley's are on their way this morning," Hermione finished, getting impatient.

Harry said nothing, he just stared at Hermione for the longest time.

"What?" he finally broke the silence. "Ah, man!" he whined.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" Ron said woefully. "You know how my mum gets. I couldn't say no to her!"

"It is your birthday," Hermione reminded him.

"Well, it's going to be a little hard looking for the locket with everyone here," Harry snapped.

Hermione shrugged. "Oh, come on Harry. It won't be so bad. You'll get to see Ginny again," she said sweetly with a smile. A little too sweetly, Harry thought, before she took her leave of the room. His gaze followed her out of the room until she left his sight before he turned to the cabinets to retrieve himself a mug.

"Not to pry or anything," Ron began hesitantly, "but uh…where were you last night? You didn't sleep in our usual room."

Harry slowly sat down in a chair and took a long drink of his coffee before he answered. "I thought you two would want a little privacy."

Ron looked at Harry and it suddenly occurred to him that they really hadn't talked about the changing dynamic in their friendships with Hermione. There hadn't really been any time to, so much had happened in so few months. But the opportunity was now here, the opportunity to ask Harry how he felt. Did he feel left out? Did he know that he and Hermione were still loyal to him? The opportunity was there for him to finally have someone to talk to about this new experience he was having with their best friend. To talk about his insecurities, doubts and hopes. Someone to talk to that could explain to him the feeling he would get every time he kissed her. The feeling that he had accomplished something by cheating, like your mom rewarding you with a chocolate chip cookie when you had already snuck three of them in on the side.

"Well, the thought was nice but Hermione and I haven't even gotten past first base yet," Ron said cautiously as he tested the waters. He was immediately met with brick wall.

"I really don't want to hear that," Harry said immediately before he could bite his own tongue. He would be too self-incriminating if he let Ron go on. First of all, acknowledging that he understood what first base was immediately implied that he knew what second base was and so on…And considering that his last girlfriend that he had been to second base with was Ron's sister put too much of a threat on his life and he had enough as it was. But what was more troubling is why this horrible feeling of extreme dislike at both of his friends simmered under the surface of his feelings at the thought of the two of them even engaging in those acts.

But at the moment, Ron was looking at him lost. He had reached out to him as a friend, a male to a male talking about a girl and was rebuked. Harry felt as if he should smooth this out somehow, but he valued his friendship with Ron and Hermione too much to even go down that road of holding conversation with Ron about the two of them.

"I…I just don't feel that comfortable talking about it, that's all," Harry decided to go the honest route, praying that Ron didn't interpret it into something that even he didn't understand just yet.

The corner of Ron's mouth quirked up into a small grin. "Yeah, I guess I would be kind of awkward if you wanted to talk to me about you and Ginny," he shrugged. "I keep forgetting that Hermione is like a sister to you."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, taking another drink of his coffee. As of late, the sisterly thoughts that intruded into his mind about Hermione would be greatly frowned upon in most societies.

Although, the initial arrival of the Weasley's bothered Harry, because it would delay them a bit to carry on with their horcrux hunt, Ginny's arrival was a welcome distraction from the tension that seemed to settle upon him.

"Hello, Harry," she said shyly as she greeted him.