In HBP, this would have been Chapter 10 The House of Gaunt, which wouldn't have had any Ron moments, so the majority of this is going to be Ron's thoughts, a few missing moments, and a letter to Bill. Forgive me if this chapter is short.

Chapter 167: Realization

For or the rest of the week's Potions lessons Harry continued to follow the Half-Blood Prince's instructions wherever they deviated from Libatius Borage's, with the result that by our fourth lesson Slughorn was raving about Harry's abilities, saying that he had rarely taught anyone so talented. Neither Hermione nor I was delighted by this. Although Harry had offered to share his book with both of us, I had more difficulty deciphering the handwriting than Harry did, and could not keep asking Harry to read aloud or it might look suspicious. Hermione, meanwhile, was resolutely plowing on with what she called the "official" instructions, but becoming increasingly bad-tempered as they yielded poorer results than the Prince's. It was starting to make us wonder just who this Prince bloke was and if he had made some of the potions up himself.

"Or herself," said Hermione irritably, overhearing Harry pointing some of these out to me in the common room on Saturday evening. "It might have been a girl. I think the handwriting looks more like a girl's than a boy's."

"The Half-Blood Prince, he was called," Harry said. "How many girls have been princes?"

Hermione seemed to have no answer to this. She merely scowled and twitched her essay on "The Principles of Rematerialization" away from me, as I was trying to read it upside down.

"It's five to eight, I'd better go, I'll be late for Dumbledore." said Harry, putting his stuff away.

"Ooooh!" gasped Hermione, looking up at once. "Good luck! We'll wait up, we want to hear what he teaches you!"

"Hope it goes okay," I said, waving Harry off and watching him go through the portrait hole.

Immediately Hermione went in on me. "What do you think?" she asked. I knew she was referring to the book.

I shrugged. I really didn't want to talk about it. "Dunno really. I mean, it just seems like a smart git's old textbook. Someone who just tweaked things and made it easier for himself. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"But Harry isn't really doing the work! He is letting someone else tell him what to do!" harped Hermione.

"Don't textbooks do that anyways, Mione? It's still words written in a textbook, just like the original words. In every book, someone is telling us what to do."

"It's not the same!"

"Okay Hermione, whatever. What are we supposed to do about it? Harry isn't listening to you, and frankly, I don't really care. So what do you want done? It's not like Harry is doing anything bad with the bloody thing. He's just getting good grades, is all."

Hermione could tell by the sound of my voice that I was done with the conversation. She continued on her essay, not saying a word for the next ten minutes as we finished our work.

"I've been meaning to ask you," I finally said, just to have some form of conversation, "what was that last smell that you didn't mention?"

Hermione's head shot up from her essay. She looked at me as if she were nervous.

"That's none of your business." she said quickly.

"Awh come on, Hermione. Why won't you tell me? Is it something gross? Is it embarrassing?"

"No...and yes."

"Tell me! I promise I won't laugh." I said, now intrigued.

"I can't tell you." said Hermione, as she played with the end of one of the strands of her hair. "At least not yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't tell you what it is yet. I have a lot to think about." said Hermione hesitantly.

"Oh." I said, mildly disappointed. "Well, when you are done, will you tell me?"

"Only if you tell me what you smelled." said Hermione, suddenly looking eager.

"That's easy." I said, smiling. "I smelled rain, keeper gloves, and ink."

Hermione looked surprised. "Okay, I can understand the keeper gloves, but you'll have to explain the rain and ink to me."

I laughed. "Well, with the rain, it reminded me of when it would rain in the summer and we couldn't play outside. Bill would play chess with me and tell me stories about him and his friends at school when he went, and adventures he and Charlie would have, he would teach me all kinds of shit. I enjoyed that a lot."

"That sounds nice." said Hermione. "I really wish I had an older sibling. Or any sibling for that matter."

Minus Bill, Charlie, and Ginny, siblings are overrated." I chuckled.

"What about the ink?" asked Hermione.

"That one I'm actually confused about." I said. "Although, I've discovered that I do smell it a lot more than I thought I did."

"Ooh! Maybe that means that you actually have a love for writing and learning!" said Hermione enthusiastically.

"I doubt it." I said. "You know damn well if I could get my hands on a shadow quill, I would use it to my heart's content. You should have given me Skeeter's."

"Well then, that's an unusual smell to be attracted to." said Hermione, putting her things away.

"I don't think it is actually." I said, as the ink scent traveled into my nose once again, making me feel calm, as if I were floating. At the same time, Hermione's milk and honey scent of her hair got caught in my nose as well, and it took me back to the night that she had fallen asleep in my bed, and how everything felt right.

Hermione gave me a cautious smile as I looked at her. I glanced down at her hands. "You got ink on them again." I said slowly, as my mind started to piece things together.

Hermione looked down at her hands and then back at me. "I'll be back." she said, getting up and taking her things quickly to the girls dorms.

I snatched a piece of parchment out of my bag. I inked up a quill and began to write.

Bill!

You gotta help me!

Okay, so we had Potions last week and we smelled this love potion shit and I smelled ink as one of the scents and now I'm smelling it more and more. I didn't realize how much I was around it and smelled it on a daily basis until the lesson, and now it's like I can't get away from it.

Hermione said some barmy shit that maybe I loved learning. Imagine that! But I think I know what it is. It's actually Hermione! Am I really in love with her?! And if I am, what do I do?

I can't be in love with Hermione, she's my best mate! I mean yes I do like her a lot and not in a friendly way, but to be in love with her? Am I going off the bend? And if I am really in love with her, do I tell her? Shit Bill, what do I say? What did you say to Fleur?

HELP ME!

Ron

By the time I was done, Hermione had came back down. I told her that I was going to send my letter off and that I would be back.

I rushed off to the owlery where I had to track down Pig, who seemed to be flirting around with some of the owls himself. I called him over, tied to letter to his leg, gave him a nice pat, and then launched him into the air, watching him fly off.

On the way back, I took my time. I really didn't want to sew Hermione too quickly. It wasn't that I was ashamed of my feelings for her, that was very far from the truth. I just needed to think about how to go about things. Or if I should even make a proper move.

On the way back, I seen Lavender and Parvati, who immediately started giggling, walking towards me.

"Hey Ron," said Lavender, stopping in front of me, causing me to halt. "how is it going?"

"Oh, hi Lav. Parvati." I said, trying to ignore Parvati's giggling from behind her hand. "I'm good. Just got back from sending off a letter."

"That sounds fun. Hey, are Quidditch tryouts coming up?" asked Lavender, her blue eyes bright.

"This weekend." I said. "Are you going to try out? I didn't know you liked to play."

Lavender laughed as if the idea was preposterous. "Oh no, I don't play. I'm terrified of being on a broom, especially flying at those speeds."

I laughed. Her being scared was actually cute.

"Are you going to try out?" she asked.

"Harry wants me to, so I guess I'll give it a go." I said, which was true. I really didn't hold out much hope on making it though.

"Oh great! I was hoping you would." said Lavender happily. "Is it okay if I come and watch you try out?"

That shocked me, but I didn't let it show. "I guess. I mean you really didn't need my permission."

"I know. I just wanted you to know that I will be rooting for you, that's all." said Lavender, blushing and smiling at me.

"Oh. Well then...thanks." I said, not knowing what else to say to that. Though it did feel nice to know that someone was going to be rooting for me personally.

"You're welcome. Bye Ron!" said Lavender with a wave. She looped her arm through Parvati's and the two walked off, giggling even louder.

I shook my head, but held it a little higher as I went back to the common room. Hermione was still there, only it looked as if she had went and changed clothes. She was no longer in her school uniform. Instead she looked as if she were ready for bed, in Gryffindor shorts and one of my shirts that she had swiped, which I didn't mind.

"Going to bed soon?" I asked, suddenly not feeling as nervous as I had earlier around her.

"I might." she said as I sat down on the couch with her. "I just wanted to get comfortable while we waited for Harry to get back."

"Should...should I get into my PJs too you think?" I asked.

"I mean, it isn't required dress, but if you feel like you should, by all means." laughed Hermione.

"I'll just stay like this, smartass."I said, nudging her. "Or maybe I'll just take my shirt back and wear that."

"And leave me in a bra? Such a gentleman." said Hermione playfully. Then, she covered her mouth with her hands, realizing that she had just mentioned her bra, which I was perfectly okay with.

"You sleep in a bra?" I asked.

"That's rather personal, don't you think?"

"Nope. It's just a bra. I'd tell you if I slept in one."

"Ron Weasley, you wear bras?"

"I have no choice. Look at these tits Mione, they're like sand bags." I said, pointing to my flat chest.

"Must you be so vulgar?" she asked, laughing along with me.

"You've known me for six years, so you know the answer to that." I said, winking at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up Crookshanks as he passed by the couch, sitting him on her lap and letting him behind the ear.

Crookshanks gave me a look of satisfaction, as if Hermione would never scratch behind my ear or something.

"Cheeky menace." I said, jokingly sneering at him.

"You still jealous of Crookshanks?"

"I despise him, he's so fucking cocky. Look at him. Sitting on your lap having a pet." I joked.

"Ignore Ron, Crookshanks." said Hermione in that silly voice that was reserved for him. "He's just angry because he isn't the only I'm supposed to be the only ginger bloke in my life."

"You're a cheeky menace too." I said, pulling one of her curls.