CHAPTER SEVEN – It's Getting Complicated
Life continued at Hogwarts pretty much as before. Ron still spent most of his free time and mealtimes with Luna, and they usually studied together. Ron didn't say much about Hermione when he was with Luna, and Luna didn't ask any more about her.
Ron and Luna still held hands when walking together and were always connected when working on their studies in the common room. There were some nights when Ron studied with her in the Ravenclaw common room and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if they were really studying or off in some abandoned classroom furiously snogging each other. No one ever saw the couple snogging in public, but everyone knew they were together and were easily affectionate.
Hermione worked hard to not be upset seeing Ron and Luna being affectionate with each other in their usual casual manner. Often her thoughts would return to her conversation with Ron and how he had admitted that he'd be with her if he wasn't with Luna, so she clung to that hope. When with Ron, she tried not to mention Luna and his relationship with her.
Meanwhile she worked hard to be positive and affirming of not only Ron, but others around her, and her classmates were responding well. Hermione noticed that Ron was spending more time on his studies and homework with her than he had prior to their time in the room of requirement, at least she hoped it was true. She was complimentary to Ron when appropriate and even more helpful with his studies, and she was trying to not to be overbearing.
Ron and Hermione still bickered as they always had, but their 'discussions' now were more light-hearted and friendly. Ron still challenged her assumptions of things and Hermione still challenged Ron's attitude toward school and such. The Gryffindors in the common room no longer ran for cover when Ron and Hermione started one of their famous rows. Luna usually sat next to Ron, with a slight smile, her hands holding on to Ron as she just observed while her boyfriend argued with his now-restored best friend.
All seemed calm on the surface, but there was a bit of underlying uncertainty and tension amongst the three. Luna kept wondering if Ron's interest was waning, but she had no evidence to really support that, but she did notice that he was spending more time with Hermione, but that could just be because classes and homework were getting more serious. Luna couldn't help but have suspicions about Hermione's intentions despite her pleasant behavior toward her. Ron's words about having loved Hermione before still played in her mind and made her feel uneasy.
Hermione was secretly hopeful about Ron loving her still, but she couldn't be obvious about it. She couldn't help but feel some resentment toward Luna, especially when seeing them being affectionate.
Ron, on his part, was trying to strike a delicate balance between spending time with his girlfriend Luna and his best friend and homework-helper Hermione. He still liked the calm peaceful feeling he had when with Luna and loved the casual affectionate contact they still maintained, but really appreciated spending time with Hermione and all the help with school she gave him. He often realized that he had feelings for both girls but was not quite clear about exactly what those feelings were.
What was making life even more difficult for Ron was Lavender Brown starting to pay attention to him and her outright flirting was becoming embarrassing. Both Luna and Hermione were not happy with Lavender and both seethed when they saw her flirting around Ron. Ron tried to be cordial but not encouraging, hoping Lavender would realize he wasn't interested.
Soon the next Hogsmeade weekend was coming up. One night Ron was holding Luna around her shoulders as he read and she was leaning up against him with her feet on the couch, Ron gave her a short kiss to her hair and said softly, "Hey Lu, what time do you want to meet up to go to Hogsmeade on Saturday?"
Luna sat up and turned toward Ron, with a look of alarm on her face. "Is it Hogsmeade this Saturday?"
Ron sat up and leaned toward her. "Yeah Lu, it's the last one before Halloween."
Luna looked crestfallen and a big frown appeared on her face. "I can't go with you on Saturday, Ronald! I promised Margaret Turpin we'd work on our Magical Creatures project with Hagrid all day this Saturday. We're helping with the blast-end skrewts nesting time. Hagrid really needs our help."
Ron shrugged his shoulders. "ok, I guess, that's ok, I'll be ok. It's good that you're going to help your friend and Hagrid. I guess I'll just go with Harry and Ginny, or maybe Hermione. It's ok. You just have to let me know what I can bring back for you."
Ron leaned back and pulled Luna against him and continued to read. Luna leaned back but could not get the uneasy thoughts from her mind. What if Ron and Hermione go together by themselves?, they'd have the entire day to be together alone. I think I trust Ron to behave, but do I trust Hermione?
Ron saw Harry sitting a short way away with Ginny working on an essay of some sort. "Hey Mate, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Ron, what's up?"
"Uh, Luna can't go to Hogsmeade this weekend, can I go with you?" Ron gave Luna a brief squeeze as he finished.
Immediately Ginny's head popped up and looked directly at Ron. "No, he's going with me, Ron and you're not invited."
Harry looked just as surprised as Ron as they both looked at each other.
Together they both said "really?"
Ginny huffed and said firmly, "REALLY." She then looked down at Harry and said in a much softer voice, "and we're meeting at 9. We have lots to do."
Harry looked at Ginny, gulped and said, "Uh, right, 9 sharp."
Harry then looked at Ron and shrugged his shoulders. "Uh, I guess I'm not available, mate, sorry."
Ron didn't know whether to laugh at his mate's predicament or be angry at his sister, but Luna calmed him down by saying, "I think it's sweet that Ginny wants Harry all to herself. It's how I feel about you Ronald." She then turned again and looked Ron directly in his eyes and spoke more seriously than Ron could remember, "I want you all to myself, you understand?"
Now it was Ron's turn to gulp as he saw Harry stifle a laugh. "Uh, yeah Lu, I understand completely. I mean, you are my girlfriend."
"And you are my boyfriend."
Luna then turned and resumed her place leaning up against Ron's side and gave a sigh of contentment. "This is where you belong, Ronnie, here with me."
Later that night after walking Luna back to the Ravenclaw tower Ron entered the Gryffindor common room to find two girls still there, and it looked like they were waiting for him.
Lavender got to Ron first and smoothly stepped up to him and said in a sweet voice, "Oh, Ron, I understand that Luna can't go to Hogsmeade with you this Saturday." She then took her hand and ran it up Ron's arm. "I want you to know that I'm available on Saturday. Maybe we could go together and get to know each other better? I'm sure we can have lots of fun together, hmm?"
Ron backed away trying to keep the horrified look off his face. "Uh, thanks Lavender, but uh, um I don't think that's going to work."
Keeping her voice soft and sweet, she replied, "really? Are you sure? Why not?"
Ron's brain went into overdrive trying to produce a decent excuse for not having to spend the time with the overly saccharine Lavender. "Uh, uhm, here's the thing, uhm," he said stalling for time. Then it came to him. "Uhm the thing is I already asked Hermione to go with me and she said yes."
At this point, Hermione, who was the second girl waiting that night jumped up with a confused look on her face and looked at Ron. Before she could say anything, Ron continued, "uhm, ah, um, right Hermione, remember you said you'd go with me, right?"
Lavender looked over at Hermione with a scowl, "are you sure? I don't remember seeing him ask you."
While Lavender was looking at Hermione, Ron gave the most pleading and begging look he could toward her. He mouthed the words "please, oh please?" as he silently implored her to agree.
Hermione looked at Ron, then Lavender then Ron again and gave a slight smile. "Yeah I agreed to go with Ron if Luna wasn't able. We haven't done much as best friends lately and we thought it was a good idea, so yeah, we're going together."
Lavender's shoulders slumped and she looked crestfallen as she walked silently up to the girls dorm. At the first step she turned and asked, "maybe next time, Ronnie?"
Ron shrugged his shoulders and smiled without saying anything as he watched Lavender leave.
As soon as she was gone, Ron ran over to Hermione and picked her up into a warm bear hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was going to ask you as soon as I got back from dropping off Luna, but then Lavender was here. I really would like to go with you Hermione, really."
"It's ok Ron, I want to go with you as well. It's been a long time since we went to Hogsmeade just us and I think it will be fun. Leave at 9 like Harry and Ginny?"
Ron put Hermione down and took a deep breath. "Thanks, that'll be great. It has been a while since it's been just us."
Ron leaned down and kissed her cheek as he turned toward the boy's dorm. He laughed and said, "hey, I got it right that time, only got your cheek. Good night Hermione and thanks again."
Hermione also laughed and said, "good night, Ron, or should I call you Ronnie?"
Ron grimaced, "urgh, no, no, no Ronnie please no, makes me feel about six years old."
Hermione laughed again, "Ok, no Ronnie."
Meanwhile, Luna was asleep with thoughts of Ron with Hermione plaguing her dreams. How stupid of her to somehow allow Ron and Hermione to be alone? But Ron says he's her boyfriend…
Hermione's head was swimming as well. Spending the day with Ron to herself was going to be awesome and she couldn't wait. She couldn't wait to find out how Ron really felt about her that day. In her mind, Hermione almost called it a date with Ron, but that would be hoping for too much, or would it?
Ron was trying to fall asleep but thoughts of Luna and Hermione were bouncing around his brain. He was glad to be going to Hogsmeade with Hermione, but wasn't sure how Luna would feel, and he was especially glad to not be going with Lavender. It had been a while since Ron had been alone with Hermione, and the first time since they confessed feelings for each other in the room of requirement so he was a bit unsure of what might happen, but he didn't want to be untrue to Luna… and oh yeah, what's up with Harry and his sister? Seems to be much more than Quidditch Captain and Seeker going on…
No matter what happens next, he needed to talk to Harry…
