This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 1066

Title: Jump

Note:

Warnings:

Beta: LittleTee

Hogwarts

Assignment 3: Netiquette: Task #3 - Typing in all-caps: Can be considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling. Write about a volatile verbal argument.

"You idiot!" Hermione yelled from upstairs in The Burrow. "How dare you say that Crookshanks is responsible for you misplacing him? Haven't you learnt by now to start taking better care of your pets?"

"Of course it's him, I saw the feathers! Crookshanks is a menace and you need to keep him away from me!"

"Um, what's happening?" Harry asked, appearing next to Ron. He was in the kitchen when he heard his friends. He wondered if they would ever stop arguing, and a fleeting thought crossed his mind that perhaps there was a fine line between love and hate in their relationship. The thought made Harry's heart contract with longing.

He wished he was bold enough to tell them how he felt. He knew some of the Weasley family still thought he would end up with Ginny, but after many failed attempts at trying to be intimate, they had both agreed that they were not suited to each other. That he saw her as a surrogate younger sister, next to Hermione, while Ginny had confessed that she saw him as another brother. What did surprise him, however, was realising he had never thought of Ron as merely a brother. Yes, a best friend, but in his dreams, it often became more than that.

"Crookshanks ate Pig," Ron insisted furiously.

"He did not!" Hermione screeched from the top of the stairs. "Have you not learnt the last time you blamed me for your missing animal?"

Harry didn't want to say it, he hated to say it, but Hermione was probably right.

"Mate, are you sure he wasn't just malting or something?" Harry asked, attempting to sound as unbiased as possible.

"I—" Ron stopped suddenly. "You think?"

Harry nodded eagerly. He hated these shouting matches, especially in the Burrow where it was supposed to be peaceful. He had never understood why people couldn't just speak calmly, and rationally, well, other than when Draco Malfoy was involved, Harry believed himself to be quite level headed.

Ron stopped shouting, and Hermione looked furiously down at them from the balcony. It appeared when Hermione realised Ron had stopped, she decided to take her chance and exit, going into the room she shared with Ginny and slammed the door hard behind her.

"Then why wasn't he there?" Ron asked, still red-faced from the argument, and Harry had a fleeting thought that Ron looked cute, but he didn't dare say that out loud.

"Why wasn't who where?" George asked, coming into the room. "What's all the ruckus, little bro?"

"Pig is missing."

"Oh, nah, Fred has him in the kitchen, over-excited as he is, he flew into the wall of his cage and lost a few feathers, so we are fixing him up."

"Oh Merlin," Ron said.

"I thought that would be good news?" George asked, eyeing Harry at his brother's odd response.

"He thought it was Crookshanks, again," Harry said softly.

"Ron, you and Hermione just need to kiss and make up," George said, rolling his eyes, and Harry followed them into the kitchen to check on Pig.

Pig was twittering happily and seemed to be doing just fine. Ron seemed relieved to see his owl was doing okay, but Harry didn't dare suggest he go apologise. Even though Harry thought Ron had jumped the gun, again.

"I suppose I need to go say sorry," Ron mumbled.

"Good idea, mate," Harry agreed. He pretended that he was going to the room, and then as soon as Ron went into the girls' room, he snuck up and eavesdropped on the conversation.

Ron sucked at apologising, but he always had, and Harry found it an annoyingly endearing trait. After Ron managed to mutter something akin to the worst apology ever heard, Harry thought Ron would come out of the room right away.

"Hermione, it's just, I know I am being difficult."

"No shit, Ronald," Hermione countered. Harry could almost see her rolling her eyes at Ron.

"I can't help it, being around him like this is driving me crazy, have you ever just wanted to grab someone and kiss them until their eyes roll back in their head?"

Harry thought he did, but the conversation left him confused.

"No," Hermione said softly. "I don't think I ever want to be in a relationship at all."

"I didn't know that," Ron said.

"Yeah, I think you should just tell him."

"But what if it ruins our friendship?"

Was Ron talking about him? No, it couldn't be.

"Harry would never look at you any differently. If it's just a one-sided crush—" she stopped, and Harry suspected it was due to a look from Ron. "I know you think it's true love, if it is, tell him."

"Thank you, 'Mione," Ron said. Harry heard him walking towards the door, and darted for the room, practically jumping onto his bed to pretend he hadn't been listening.

"Harry?" Ron asked, peering into the room.

"Yeah, Ron?" Harry asked, trying not to sound as if he had sprinted for the bed.

"Do you think we could talk about something?"

Harry nodded eagerly and watched Ron close the door with a click. Harry sat up and patted the bed for Ron to sit next to him so they could talk.

"You know how the twins keep saying I should tell Hermione I like her?"

Harry nodded, gulping. He couldn't help but wonder if Ron was actually going to tell him what they had been talking about. Could he just tell Ron he had loved him since their third year? Or would Ron know he had been listening in on his best friends chatting?

"The truth is," Ron said, clearing his throat. "I've loved you since the day we met."

"You have?" Harry couldn't believe his ears. "Me?"

Ron's ears were red, and Harry thought he had never looked more attractive.

"I didn't mean to just—" Ron was saying, when Harry reached for him, pulling him close, and kissed him.

"I feel the same way," Harry grinned as they broke apart, both breathless from kissing.

"You're in love with me too?" Ron asked. It was clear to Harry this came as a complete surprise to Ron.

"Of course, ever since third year," Harry said, brushing a stray red hair softly out of Ron's face.

"Um, cool," Ron muttered.

"You're such a dork," Harry laughed, before pulling him in for another kiss.