Chapter 23: Jealousy and Sweet Goodnights

When Harry and Ginny arrived back at the Gryffindor common room it was to find that Ron and Rane had parted ways and gone to their separate dormitories. Harry bid Ginny goodbye and watched her retreating form until it disappeared up the curve of the staircase. Sighing heavily he turned toward his own stairwell, intending on seeking silence and a few hours of solitude, when he saw a tall form with a broad chest leaning against the wall with arms crossed, face marred by a slight frown.

"Ron!" he said with surprise.

"Harry!" Ron mocked back.

Harry shifted awkwardly as the red head continued to stare at him silently. He felt as though his friend's eyes could penetrate right through his skull and see his inner thoughts. "Was there something you wanted?" he stammered, "Because if there wasn't I was thinking of going and lying down for a little while."

"Actually," Ron pushed away from the wall, straitening to his full and slightly intimidating height. "I wanted to ask you where you and Ginny disappeared to."

"Me…me and Ginny?" Harry stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Ron nodded curtly, his lips setting into a grim line. "You and Ginny."

"Don't know what you're talking about mate." Harry forced a light note into his voice as he went to clap Ron on the shoulder only to have his friend swat it away angrily.

"I don't understand why everyone thinks I'm so thick. I'm not stupid, Harry…"

"I never said you were stupid." Harry objected, affronted by the underlying accusation.

"Well you must think it if you thought I wouldn't notice you two were gone."

"Funny," Harry snorted sarcastically, "I didn't think you would notice much of anything as involved as you were with Rane."

Irritation and anger flared in Ron's intense blue eyes. "What were you doing in an imperviated room with my sister?"

"What were you doing in an imperviated dormitory with Rane Voitekh?" Harry shot back.

"That's different." Ron casually dismissed Harry's question. "Rane isn't my sister."

"And Ginny isn't mine." Harry pointed out obtusely, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"But she is mine." Ron jabbed his thumb at his chest. "I told you before. Ginny's to young to be dating anyone. Even you."

Harry rolled his emerald eyes with annoyance. "Who said I was dating her?" he thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out the oblong mirror. "We were talking to Hermione and we didn't want anyone bothering us." he held the pane of glass out so that Ron could see it proper. "You can even use it to get a hold of her and ask if you don't believe me." He offered when Ron's expression remained skeptical.

Ron sneered evilly at the mirror. "No. That's all right." When the mirror was tucked safely back in Harry's pocket Ron focused on his face. His eyes were scrunched tight as he concentrated on Harry, watching for any hint of a lie. "So you don't fancy my sister then?"

Harry made a point of looking Ron straight in the eye when he truthfully answered "No. I don't fancy Ginny." He was well past that, he admitted to himself. He was fully and completely in love with her.

Having no other reason to disbelieve Harry, Ron nodded his approval. "Good, that would just be weird anyway. You and my little sister…" He gave a dramatic shutter for emphasis. "It's disgusting to even think about."

"Yeah." Harry agreed dryly, following Ron as he turned and mounted the staircase to the boy's dormitory. "Disgusting."

The two boys remained quiet for a few minutes as they climbed. Once they passed the third year dormitory Ron's voice came back at Harry. "Hermione wrote to me yesterday."

"Hermione writes to you everyday." he pointed out.

"Yeah, she does." Harry wasn't positive, but as they rounded the staircase and he saw the profile of his friends face, he thought he saw the slightest glimpse of a grin there. "She's coming home for Easter." Ron continued. "Did you know that?"

"No." Harry stared intently at Ron's back. "She didn't mention that."

There was a moment's pause and then, "She wants me to come alone and see her when she gets back."

"Really?" Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Even after…"

Ron stopped on the staircase and turned to look down at Harry. "Even after what?"

"Er…after wh…what happened the last time you went."

Ron's eyes narrowed as he studied Harry with curiosity. "You don't even know what we said to each other the last time I was there." Ron raised a skeptic eyebrow. "Harry, what did you and Ginny talk to Hermione about?"

"What did we talk to her about?" Harry repeated.

"Yes." Ron sighed with slight annoyance. "What did you talk to her about?"

Harry sighed heavily, deciding honesty would be best he said. "You."

"Me?" Ron looked surprise. "What about me?"

Harry raised his chin in a challenging pose. "Ginny and I decided it would be best if she heard about you and Rane from one of us."

Ron's brows furrowed together. "What did you tell her about me and Rane?"

"What do you think I told her?" Harry's aggravation caused his voice to rise. "I told her about what happened in the dorm."

"Why?" The intensity in his question took Harry back. "Why would you tell her that?"

"I don't know." There was a slight bite to his voice. "I guess I thought she would take it better coming from one of us instead of someone in Bulgaria."

Jaw clenched Ron moved past Harry down the staircase to the common room.

"Ron!" Harry called as he whirled about. "Where are you going?" he followed quickly after his friend.

"I don't want to discus this with Seamus, Dean or Neville around."

They reached the common room to find that there were several students sill milling about. Ron walked through the room without stopping and pushed open the portrait of the fat lady and stepped into the corridor beyond. He waited just long enough for Harry to join him before striding briskly away from the prying ears of the portraits patron. "So what exactly did you tell her?" he asked not bothering to turn around but continuing his purposeful strides. "I want details."

"We told her the truth, Ron."

"And what truth was that?" He asked, turning around to face Harry.

"That you and Rane were caught by Seamus, Dean and Neville in our dormitory, on the bed, with the door imperviated."

The tips of Ron's ears turned pink. "Well when you say it like that it sounds like something happened."

Harry threw his hands up in exasperation. "Well something did happen."

"No, Harry, it didn't. I already told you that."

"Then what did happen, Ron?" the tall red head turned and began to walk a way again making Harry have to run to catch up to him. "I don't understand. If nothing happened why don't you say anything so people don't think something did?"

"Because Rane thinks it would be best if we just let it ride itself out."

Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but see the logic in that statement. "So why couldn't you tell me?" Harry stopped walking and waited for Ron to turn back around to face him. "Don't you trust me?"

"I did tell you, Harry." Ron spoke slowly as if perhaps Harry were daft. "I said nothing happened. All Rane and I wanted to do was talk."

"Why couldn't you have talked to me?" Harry felt an uneasy shift in his stomach. "We've been best mates since first year."

Ron sighed heavily. "Because Harry, there are something that are just easier to talk to a girl about."

"What about Ginny? She's a girl." Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, and my sister. It wasn't something I would have felt comfortable talking to her about either."

Harry slumped wearily against the wall. "I don't like this Ron." He looked over at his friend to find that he was watching him with a curious expression on his face. "For half of the year you avoid Rane like she's the bloody plague. And then Christmas roles around and you talk to Hermione and then suddenly she becomes your best mate."

"I never said she was my best mate." Ron objected, glaring crossly at Harry.

"Well it feels like it." Harry shouted back, pushing angrily away from the wall. "Ever since you started spending time with her it feels like you don't have time for me and Ginny anymore. You're always doing your homework with her, or spending your free time teaching her how to play Quidditch. You can't even go one meal without her and her friends tagging along."

It wasn't until that moment that Harry realized that the queasy feeling in his stomach, the one that had been settling there for the past four weeks was jealousy. He was jealous of the time that Ron spent with Rane that he could have been spending with him. He was Ron's best friend after all, he and Hermione. Not Rane. Rane hadn't been there from the very beginning like Harry had. She hadn't been through a life and death situation with him like he and Hermione did every year. Nothing should come in between a friendship like that. Nothing. Not even a pretty girl named Rane Voitekh.

As if sensing Harry's thoughts the stiffness melted out of Ron's body and he relaxed. The anger drained from his face to be replaced with a look of understanding. "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't realize me spending so much time with Rane was bothering you."

"It's not." Harry lied, turning to the side to better hide the heat of embarrassment that was rushing to the corners of his face.

"Harry," Ron nudged his best friend in the shoulder. "You always were a bad liar."

"No, I'm not." Harry turned his head slightly so that he could glare at the tall read headed boy.

"All right." Ron held his hands up in playful defensive pose. "Then I guess I just know you to well. 'Cause you can't lie to me."

Harry almost snorted for it hadn't been twenty minutes ago that he had technically told a blatant lie to Ron's face. "That must be it." He murmured barely audible.

Ron slumped against the wall, rubbing his face roughly with his hands. "I haven't been living up to my promise, have I?"

Harry looked over at Ron with confusion. It took him a moment to remember what promise Ron was referring to and when he did he felt his own wave of guilt. "No, you have." Harry tried to assure him but Ron shook his head stubbornly.

"No, I've been letting my personal problems get in the way again."

"Ron, what are friends for if not to burden with our personal problems?"

"But I have been trying." He continued as if he hadn't heard Harry, to wrapped up in his own thoughts and guilt. "I mean, I'm writing to Hermione right? I'm trying to smooth things out so that when she gets back it won't be uncomfortable for you to be around both of us. And I am going to go and see her at Easter and…"

"You are?" Harry's head snapped in his direction. "I didn't think you were going to."

"Well," Ron shrugged. "Rane thinks it's a good idea and…"

"Is that the only reason why you're going to go and see her?" Harry felt a fresh wave of jealousy wash over him. "Because Rane thinks it's a good idea?" He of course had been trying for months to get his two best friends on speaking terms to no success and here Rane seemed to be able to manage it in a matter of days.

"No, I'm going to go for the reasons I told you. I'm going to try and be friends with Hermione again. To make things easier for all of us. Rane just happens to agree with me."

Harry relaxed once more. He couldn't begrudge Rane agreeing with him after all. "Ron?" Harry crossed his arms and waited for Ron to make some indication that he had heard him. "Do you want me to talk to Hermione again and explain what happened?"

Harry watched as Ron's brows furrowed in thought. "No." He finally said, drawing the word out as if he weren't entirely sure it was the answer he wanted to give. "I'll explain it to her when I see her."

"But Ron," Harry objected. "That's not for almost another three weeks."

"Two and a half."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Almost three. Why can't I just use the mirror?"

"Because," Ron said frankly, "If you did, she wouldn't believe you. She would think that you were trying to make her feel better. If she hears it from me she'll know I'm telling the truth."

"So, why don't you use the mirror to tell her."

"Because, I told you. I'll tell her when I see her in two weeks."

"Two and a half."

"Exactly." Ron beamed brightly, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

Despite himself Harry snorted with laughter. "You know Ron, sometimes you really are a wanker."

"You know Harry," Ron laughed. "That might be, but it hasn't stopped me with the ladies."

"Prat." Harry chuckled.

"Git."

Ron tilted his head to the side and took off down the hall back toward Gryffindor tower. Harry quickened his step until he fell into stride with Ron. It wasn't long until the reached the portrait of the fat lady and she swung open to reveal a nearly deserted common room. A group of third year girls were gathered around the fire in the chairs that Harry, Ron and Hermione normally claimed for themselves.

The two boys moved through the common room quickly and mounted the stairs, making their way once again toward their tower dormitory. When they reached their door they opened it to find Neville fast asleep, his nasally snores filling the room, and Seamus and Dean sitting at the foot of their beds, sharing a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans between them.

"Oi, Ron!" Seamus tossed a few more beans in his mouth as he talked. "Where've you been?" He reached over to his nightstand and extracted an off-white envelope from underneath a pile of wrappers. "This arrived for you a few minutes ago." He tossed the envelope at Ron who caught it against his chest.

Ron turned the envelope over and saw the familiar miniscule, precise letters of Hermione's writing. Harry watched as a gentle smile washed over his friends face as he took the letter to his bed and placed in a spot of predominance on his bedside table. Without another word to Harry or anyone else he pulled of his clothes and readied himself for the night.

He climbed under the covers and pulled the draperies around the bed, cutting him off from the rest of the room. He lay there quietly and listened to the familiar sound of Harry preparing for bed, as well as Seamus and Dean's almost nightly routine of discussing the day's gossip. Ron wasn't sure if he should be annoyed when the conversation worked its way around to him and Rane and the events of the night before. But decided in the end not to let it bother him. What he really wanted was for everyone to go to sleep so that he could read Hermione's letter undisturbed, and telling Dean and Seamus off for be gossiping blighters would only delay that.

So Ron lay quietly in his bed until the conversation had died down into nothing and the lights had been extinguished. When Dean and Seamus's heavy breathing joined in with Neville and Harry's he felt it was safe to reach out of his curtain and snatch up the letter and his wand from the night stand.

He made certain the curtains were pulled tight before he muttered, "Lumos" and enough light emitted from the tip of his wand so that he could read.

He tore open the seal hastily and pulled the sheaf of parchment from within its envelope.

My Dearest Ron, It began, I couldn't help but think of you today, but then I can't help but think of you everyday. But today I thought of you because of something I saw. I was walking down the hall, I was going to meet Ester, Bjorn, Maj, Thora, and Yorick in our usual study room, when I passed by the charms classroom. Inside were a group of first years practicing Wingardium Leaviosa. They weren't having very good luck at it. They were trying to levitate a feather and couldn't manage to make one hair rise off the table. In his aggravation of the boys, someone who surprisingly looks a lot like Harry, shouted the words and flicked his wand a little to fiercely and managed to make a book lying on anther table soar into the air. In his surprise he let his wand drop and the book came crashing down on his friends head, knocking him out cold. I know it was horrible of me to laugh, but I knew it was something that you would have found amusing. Besides, it made me think of that night in the girl's lavatory when you saved me from the troll. Do you remember that? What a foolish question. Of course you do. That was the night we became friends after all.

I talked to Harry and Ginny today. I don't know how I could have forgotten, but I failed to mention to them that I am coming home for Easter. Do you think you could pass the message along for me? I suppose I could write them a letter myself but you already know and you're there…

Well, there really isn't much else that's new since I last wrote yesterday. End of year exams are coming and students have begun revising. It's such a pleasure to be around students who take revising and examinations as seriously as I do. However, and I can't believe I'm actually writing this, you're never going to let me live it down, I miss you distracting me. It's quiet tedious to do nothing except revising and writing essays. For once I wish that Maj, or Ester or even Yorick would challenge me in an impromptu game of Chess, or maybe Exploding Snap. Honestly, I miss your attempts at procrastination. At least then I was forced to put my studies aside and relax once in a while.

Would you look at the time? I have no idea how it became this late. But I really ought to be getting to bed. I have double Charms early tomorrow morning, and I daresay by the time you get this it will be rather late. I'll bid you goodnight and pleasant dreams then. So, until my next letter…

I love you and I miss you,

Hermione.

Ron reread the letter twice more before he swung around onto his stomach so that his head hung over the side of the bed. He pulled a box out from underneath, lifted the lid and slipped her newest letter in on top of the rest. He slid the lid securely into place before pushing the box back under his bead and swinging back around so that he was lying on his back. "Nox." He whispered and the light from the tip of his wand went out. He dropped it on his table before lying back, hands folded under his head, staring up at the canopy above.

Hermione's letter had been very curious. He had expected at least some mention to the rumor that was going about, but it was surprisingly devoid of any hint that she knew anything of what Harry and Ginny had told her. Her letter was very similar to all the letters that she had sent him previously. The only real difference, and he wasn't sure Hermione had even noticed it, but he certainly had, was that she ended the letter with I love you…Normally she ended with a simple your Hermione, always Hermione and sometimes, love Hermione. But not I love you.

"I love you and I miss you." He repeated to himself and was surprised to feel a sense of warmth and calm steel over his body, making him drowsy and his eyes heavy. He settled back into the mattress, plumping the pillow behind his head, before turning over onto his side. His last coherent thought before slipping into the welcoming embrace of sleep was that despite what he said four weeks ago and what Harry and Ginny had told her today, Hermione still loved him.