The weeks passed and Harry waited patiently for Ron o build up the courage to kiss him. Ron felt worse and worse as time went by. He felt he was making Harry wait unnecessarily just because he was scared. Then of course there was the slight problem of how to tell Ron's parents. It would of course have to happen eventually.
One evening when Harry was warming his feet in front of the fire when he realised what month it was. February would ordinarily have just been like any other month if it hadn't been for the fact that it contained Valentine's Day. He wondered whether to get something for Ron and couldn't come to a decision so he waited for Ron to finish his homework and join him by the fire.
"You know," said Harry quietly as the other Gryffindors did homework or went up to bed. "It's ummm… it's Valentine's Day in a few days… I thought maybe… we could… do something?"
Ron blushed furiously but smiled as well.
"Ok, what did you have in mind?" Harry stared into the fire and thought.
"Dunno, I guess… we could…" he trailed off as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "We could always spend the day in the 'Room of Requirement', that way it would supply us with anything we needed."
Ron thought about it.
"Ok," he smiled, linking his fingers through Harry's.
Harry glanced behind them but there was only Hermione and Ginny in the common room now. Ginny had been informed several days before of the situation. She'd already had a hunch and Hermione merely removed any doubt.
Harry swam through the lake in the grounds once more. He looked all around for Ron and sensed something was amiss. There were no merpeople. He continued to swim deeper and deeper into the murky depths. Suddenly he spotted Ron and swam as fast as he could towards him.
As Harry reached his best friend he realised that Ron wasn't under a spell, or breathing. Harry grabbed Ron and pulled him to the surface. Dragging Ron to the bank Harry hoisted him up and shoved him away from the water.
"Ron?" Harry whimpered. He put his ear to his friend's mouth. Nothing.
He blew air into Ron not having time to enjoy the sensation of their lips touching.
"C'mon, Ron." Tears began to stream down Harry's face. "Don't do this to me. Don't go where I can't follow."
He blew into Ron again watching carefully as his chest rose and fell, then pushing down hard to try and start Ron's heart.
He continued for several minutes his sobbing becoming more and more hysterical.
"Ron," Harry whispered. "Come on…"
Eventually Harry tired and he knew it was no use. Ron was gone and wasn't going to come back.
"Why did you leave me?" He shouted. The tears rolled faster down his face as Harry cried harder, putting his head in his hands. "You promised you'd never leave."
Harry stood up and walked away from Ron's body, unable to bring himself to look at it. It was his fault Ron wasn't alive; he hadn't tried hard enough to revive his friend.
Harry woke with a start, cold sweat rolling down his face, mingled with tears. It had only been a dream he told himself. But if it was only a dream why did he feel like Ron was in danger? He pulled the curtains open from around his four poster and found it was quite light. He wandered over to Ron's bed and looked through the curtains.
Ron wasn't there.
"Ron?" Harry ran down to the common room. No one around. He ran back upstairs and found a note at the foot of Ron's bed. He picked it up and read;
If you ever want to see your lover again, you will come to the room of requirement at midnight tonight.