Harry Potter hadn't wanted to face facts. But he needed to.
Now, in point of fact.
He couldn't keep both of them - not Ron and Hermione both. He'd seen what Black and Snape got up to, and they were relatively isolated. Just bring the two of them within, well, a house of rooms, and they would sooner break the walls than break bread together. Harry really didn't see how Dumbledore could have thought that either would manage to be in a fight without hexing the other. Dumbledore, Harry was slowly learning, was entirely too fond of second chances. But, Harry thought, in this case, it was perhaps Sirius' second chance which shouldn't have been given. Snape was a right git towards Lupin and Black, but Harry'd seen him actually look almost Human, when talking with Molly. Come to think of it, Snape was nearly always pleasant when interacting with Dumbledore... except when Dumbledore was being too lenient with Potter. Harry didn't particularly like that Snape was mean and nasty to him (and that seemed to have overflowed onto Ron and Hermione), but it was strange to think of Snape being pleasant - and Harry'd seen that, over and over again.
Harry was getting distracted again - He had news, learned when Snape and Dumbledore spoke to him...
He'd always told them both, before, and just thinking about it brought a warm smile to his mind. Thousands of conspiratorial memories threatened to crowd into his head. Those were good times.
But, he had to face facts - bringing Ron and Hermione together right now would be counterproductive.
To pretty much everything, really. It wouldn't fix their friendship (and Harry was starting to wonder if that was ever going to get fixed), and it wouldn't help with the War either.
So, Harry had a choice, a choice that really wasn't a choice.
He could go with Ron - solid Ron, who was currently locked at the lips with Brown, a solidly lightside witch.
Or he could go with Hermione - clever Hermione, who had actually slept with Draco Malfoy. And from the looks of it, might do so again.
When Harry sat down and thought about it, there really was no choice.
He just really, really didn't like it.
When Ron found out...
Harry wouldn't be his friend, either.
[a/n: Did you see that ending coming? Harry has reasons enough to stick by Hermione, let alone his suspicions about Malfoy.
And harry hasn't even started contemplaiting not telling ron about draco. (which, um, what would telling him accomplish?)
Leave reviews!]