------
Chapter four: The sucky one
------
I can't believe this. I can't believe it. It has happened, the thing I have feared since my first year at Hogwarts.
What? Voldemort? No, not him.
Harry is in love with Hermione. And furthermore, she is in love with him as well! As if my life couldn't possibly get worse, why don't we throw in a bit of my best friend and the love of my bloody life being madly in love with each other! Just to spice things up, eh!
How I know? I'll tell you how I know!
I was spending a quiet evening in the living room, lazily reading the latest issue of Flying with the Cannons and talking to Ginny.
"But why, Ron?"
I sighed heavily and threw the magazine away, after carefully folding the corner of the page. "You know why, Ginny. Now leave me alone."
She looked up at me in outrage from her position on the floor and gasped. "Leave you alone! You can't even tell Hermione that you love her when it's so glaringly obvious that she feels the same way, and you tell me to leave you alone when I'm just trying to help you? You're a verymean person!"
"For the last time, Ginny, she doesn't fancy me!" I snapped. "Why would she when she is such a brilliant person and I'm just… well, me."
"Now you're being stupid," said Ginny and folded her arms across her chest.
"Exactly," I said triumphantly. "Which Hermione never could. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just –"
"She told me, okay!" Ginny blurted out.
I froze. What did she just say?
"She told you?" I whispered, amazed.
"Yes," grumbled my sister.
I shook my head in sudden confusion. "Er, what did she tell you?"
Ginny just gaped at me. "She told me that she's in love with you."
"She did?" I couldn't even hide my grin now.
My sister nodded. "She said that lately she's been finding herself with some peculiar feelings towards her best friend, the one that's always been there for her, even though he might not be so good at school work."
I snorted. "That's Hermione, alright."
Ginny giggled and then became serious, staring at me. "So will you please go talk to her? Please?"
I lowered my head to the carpet, thinking hard. If she really had said those things, then she must love me, right? So I stood up, nodded to Ginny, and started to go upstairs.
Thinking she must be in bed, I went to Ginny's room on the third floor. I stood outside the door, clearing my mind and taking deep breaths, when I heard it. Voices, low and husky, from inside the room.
I frowned and put my ear against the door.
"Okay," said Hermione's voice. "I'm in love with you."
There was a small pause.
"You are?" Harry. It was Harry's voice. My bloody best mate!
"I am," the woman of my dreams answered. Damn it.
"Er, this is really unexpected, I don't know what to say –"
"Then don't say anything," Hermione interrupted Harry. "Just kiss me."
I couldn't take anymore, so I ran away, up to my room and threw myself onto my bed. How could she? And how the hell could he?
I didn't learn anything today except: love sucks.
Don't we all know it?