Ron stood there shocked. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Harry was dating Malfoy and now Ron just wanted to run away from him. He didn't know whether to be angry or depressed. Or even surprised that Harry was gay!
"Er, Ron?" Harry stared at Ron. He had been standing there silent with a blank expression on his face for quite a while.
Ron jumped. "Oh," he said, "I have to, er, go. You can go back to… your..." Ron gulped "boyfriend."
Harry eyed him, wondering what was going on. He thought that Ron would be angry at him. Maybe even hit him if he had the chance. 'Maybe he just needs some time,' Harry thought, 'I should leave to let it sink in.' He left Ron standing there staring at his feet to go back and sit with Draco and his friends.
Harry had started dating Draco only a couple days ago and they were already in a serious relationship. He hadn't returned that night because he had spent it with Draco. Nothing happened, though Draco wanted something. Harry couldn't do it though. He still loved Ron, but as he saw it, nothing was going to come out of that because Ron fancied some girl - so Harry was trying his best to move on.
When Hermione, who had watched Harry leave the Great Hall with Ron, saw Harry come back in alone, she got worried. Hermione stood up and left her bowl of cereal at the table. As she made her way out of the Great Hall, she spotted Ron slowly walking towards the staircase back to the common room.
"Ron!" she shouted.
Ron slowly turned around and faced her, waiting for her to catch up.
Hermione hurried over. "What just happened? Why was he sitting with them? Why didn't you come back?"
"Hermione, calm down," Ron replied. He took a deep breath and let the truth come out. "Harry is dating Draco. Which is why he is sitting with him at breakfast. Which is why he didn't come back last night. And I don't want to know what the reason was for that."
Hermione stood there, listening to Ron tell her the bad news. She could tell he was hurting inside, since she knew that he was going to tell Harry his feelings soon. But now this had come up. 'Way to bring up his courage, Harry!' she thought, 'Why would he all of a sudden start going out with Draco?'
"Oh Ron," she said, giving him a big hug, "I know this must be hard, but you have got to keep trying!"
"Keep trying? Why in the world would I keep trying? There's no point anymore. He's got someone now and he doesn't need me. He doesn't want me," Ron stated.
"You need to keep trying," she insisted, "You know now that he fancies men. And whether you like it or not, you are a man, Ron. You still have a chance. You've got to show him you care."
Ron sighed. Hermione was right, as usual. He at least needed to let Harry know that he fancied him. "Fine. I'll think of something to do about it later. Right now I just need to lie down. I'm not hungry anymore."
Hermione was about to protest, telling him he needed to eat, but she decided that this just wasn't the time to do it.
"You go lie down," she said, "I'm going to finish eating."
Hermione headed back to the Great Hall while Ron made his way up to the Gryffindor common room. 'Now just what am I going to do to get Harry to know that I like him?' Ron thought.
Ron walked past a Ravenclaw girl in the hallway and watched as she smiled while reading a note someone had handed her.
And that's when an idea popped into his head.