A/N: Hey, this chapter took me forever. I hope you all like it. Only I have a feeling all of you are going to hate me for it.
After brunch, Susan led Ron into the living room where they talked about something that Hermione so badly wanted to hear. Unfortunately, she was stuck helping Mrs. Weasley clean up the dishes. Her mind was racing as to what Susan could be saying to Ron. She did not know what to think in the slightest. Hermione was so overwhelmed that she did not even notice when Mrs. Weasley was talking to her. She just nodded occasionally and looked blankly at the chipped wallpaper straight in front of her.
She looked over her shoulder every once in a while, hoping to see Ron coming into the kitchen with a very distraught Susan behind him, but her vision never came. She was very worried as to what could be happening between them. Hermione realized that she never really did tell Ron her feelings for him. If Ron and Susan ended up falling for each other it was her fault. She lost her chance, she knew it. It was all over, everything she wanted.
"Hermione. Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley brought Hermione out of her trance. "You've been scrubbing the same dish for at least ten minutes. Are you alright?"
"Oh, yea, I'm fine," Hermione said speaking barely over a whisper.
Mrs. Weasley gave a concerned look, but decided not to question Hermione's statement. "Well, if you're sure, dear. I finished the rest of the dishes. Why don't you go out into the living room with everyone else?"
Hermione put down her dish rag and walked over to the living room, not glancing at Mrs. Weasley's questioning glare. She needed to know what was going on with Ron. She needed to tell him how she felt so that Susan could not do it before her. The living room, however held everyone, but Ron and Susan.
"Looking for someone?" Fred came over to Hermione with George and Andy right behind him.
"Yes, actually—"
"Well, that's not what's important right now." George interrupted. "Listen we have an entirely hypothetical question."
Hermione just nodded trying to see if she could spot Ron behind the twins towards the staircase.
"You see, we know you know almost everything about anything, so we were wondering if you could tell us hypothetically of course what would happen in this situation. See, we are using some—well—some ingredients that could cause destruction to just about everything within a thirty mile radius, hypothetically.
Hermione sighed. "If you are using what I think you're using, make sure you don't put more than three drops if it into the entire mixture and definitely don't put it near any source of heat."
"Hypothetically," said George.
"Sure, hypothetically," Hermione said in annoyance. "Have you seen Ron?"
"Ron? Oh, he's with Susan in his room," Fred said smirking.
"We told you he fancied her. He's always in denial though. Embarrassed I assume. Do you think they're snogging yet Fred?" George said.
"Not a chance, Ron may fancy Susan, but there is no way that statement can be turned around," Fred laughed.
"I dunno, guys. She was talking about him the whole way up here," Andy spoke.
Hermione looked horrified. She never thought about this possibility. She pushed the laughing boys aside and sprinted up to Ron's room. She was fuming by the time she got to the attic. She did not even bother to knock on the door and found Ron and Susan doing just what she feared. She was too late.
When Ron saw Hermione he pushed Susan off of him so hard that she squealed in fright.
"Hermione… I can—I can explain!"
Hermione's eyes were full of tears that she was so desperately trying to hold back. "What is there to explain, Ron? I saw everything. Don't tell me that I was just imagining."
"But, Hermione," Ron sounded as if he was begging her to listen, but she could not.
She caught Susan's triumphant stare and Hermione turned and ran out of the room as quickly as she had burst in.
She ran into Ginny's room and slammed the door behind her so hard that one of the pictures on the wall had fallen down and smashed to pieces. Hermione went over to the picture and lifted it from the floor while wiping the tears from her eyes. It was of her, Ginny, Harry, and Ron. It was fourth year, Ginny's third, in front of the Hogwarts express. Hermione traced her finger around the form that was Ron. He would smile up at her and then turn his head and smile at the Hermione in the picture.
Hermione smiled. How could she have been so clueless? She just watched as the boy's eyes looked lovingly at the bushy-haired girl next to him. He had felt the same all along. She was just too distracted with her love for him to notice. Tears streamed down her face, but they were tears of happiness this time. She thought back to how happy she was being friends with him. She was so oblivious to everything. All the times h had tried to tell her and she just never let him. This was all her fault. He tried to get her and she had pushed away. She was too scared.
She was so lost in her memories that she barely heard the knock on the door. Susan came in and Hermione just looked at her blankly. How could she be mad at her? Susan won Ron before she could. Hermione knew it was not Susan's fault for all of this. She was just the first to tell Ron how she felt. Hermione missed her chance.
"Listen, Hermione," Susan started. "Sorry you had to see that. I just told Ron, before you walked in, that I had feelings for him and he just jumped on me. I was shocked myself actually." She laughed at this, seeming pleased with herself. Her sympathy act was not working too well. "I guess he felt the same way. I'm sorry if that upsets you."
Hermione sighed knowing that when she started talking the tears would all come back. "It's alright."
Susan, who had her back to Hermione, spun around so quickly that her hair whipped around violently. "Oh?"
"Yea, I can tell that you know I have feelings for Ron, but you were the braver one. You got him first. It's my mistake and I can't jeopardize your relationship for something that I should have done so much sooner. You won his heart and I can't do anything about it. So why should I be upset about it?"
Susan had her mouth gaped open in shock. "You mean you're okay with all of this?"
"Yea, I am." Hermione gave a weak smile. It was so hard to lie, especially to herself.
Susan walked over to her and looked at the picture she was holding. "You know, Ron told me about when you were younger. How old were you there?"
"It was our fourth year of school."
"Oh, yea, Ron said that he liked you then, but he said he doesn't now. He got over you after you went to the ball with—oh, what's his name?"
"Viktor Kr—"
"Oh it doesn't matter anyway. Ron said that he has no feelings like that for you now."
Hermione swallowed hard. She had forgotten about the ball.
There was silence for a while, until Susan spoke again, "You won't mind still joining us to that little surprise Ron has been planning?"
"No, I guess not."
Susan smiled mischievously once again. "We are going tomorrow, though. Today, Mrs. Weasley said that we need to get settled in."
Hermione looked confused, "What do you mean?"
"Mrs. Weasley said she told you! We are staying here for a couple of days. It seems there's a terrible storm in our town and it would not be safe for us to travel back until it dies down. I hope you don't mind."
"Why would I mind?" Hermione said through gritted teeth. She thought that she would have a chance to win Ron's heart after Susan left, but this ruined everything.
Susan smiled and went to the door. "Oh, and could you move everything off of that bed over there?" Susan pointed to Hermione's bed. "Mrs. Weasley said that I could take one of the beds in Ginny's room and I like that one best."
"That's my bed," Hermione scowled.
"Oh, well Mrs. Weasley did say something about a cot that's stored up in Ron's room. She said someone could sleep on that. You can bring it down here." With that Susan sauntered out of the room with more arrogance than Hermione could endure.
Then Hermione saw Ron walk passed the door, making sure that he would not catch Hermione's gaze. Hermione was just about to go and talk to him and apologize for the scene she made, but then heard Susan stop on the stairs and start to talk to him.
"Ron, I talked to Hermione. She seemed delighted to see us as a couple!"
"Really? She didn't look happy when she found us—"
"Oh, she said that had nothing to do with that. She explained everything to me, don't worry. She's so happy for us. She said she wouldn't want it any other way. Don't give it another thought. Come on, I need to go tell Mrs. Weasley that Hermione so generously offered her bed to me."
They didn't say anything after that and Hermione grunted. How could Susan say such a thing? I did not sound delighted at all. How could anyone be delighted hearing that the one they love doesn't feel the same way? Hermione sat on what now would be Susan's bed. She buried her face in her hands. This is definitely not what she was expecting her summer to turn out like at all.
A/N: So, Susan is a b—I mean witch. Yea, sorry to all of you who wish they could throw something at me for even writing this. I hope you all will still keep reading though. I mean, you all want to know how there trip tomorrow will be don't you? Please review!