Isn't It Ironic?

Chapter One (1/?)

"Cho, we must talk." Harry said to Cho one day in the hallway. Cho heard the nervousness in his voice, and immediately stepped off to the side.

"What is it Harry? Are you alright?" She asked sympathetically.

"Yes and no. Well, see, the thing is..." He began. He looked into Cho's eyes, which he once found beautiful, but now just plain. He stared at her for a moment, trying to think of the right words to explain what he was feeling. He couldn't understand why this was so hard! He's been going over it in his head for weeks, he knew exactly what to say, but he just couldn't spit it out.

"What is it?" Cho asked desperately. Harry watched as people walked by starring.

"I can't see you anymore. I'm so sorry, but I just can't be in this relationship any longer. We have great times together, and I love your company, but my heart isn't in it. I'm so sorry." Cho stared in disbelief.

"Oh, well, er, if that's how you feel, I guess I can't stop you and I won't try to. I just..." She trailed off as her eyes began watering. "It's just, I really like you Harry, and this is a big shock to me." She began sobbing and breaking down in the middle of the hallway. A crowd was now forming around them. Cho looked up and saw everyone's faces, began sobbing harder and ran off to her class. Everyone stayed to stare at Harry, while a few friends of Cho's ran off to comfort her.

"Ah, go on you bunch of eaves droppers! Leave the man alone!" Ron yelled breaking through the crowd. Harry was relieved to see his friend come to his aide.

"Thanks Ron." Harry gazed at Ron. He does have pretty eyes, he thought to himself. He remembered how he had laughed at a second year Hufflepuff only a few months earlier for wanting to know more about 'his friend over there.' She must have loved his eyes. He sighed but quickly put the thought into the back of his head. He still wasn't sure why he was having all of these feelings, but he didn't mind anymore. He used to get so bothered by it.

On night, he had a dream, a dream in which he was calling out for Cho. When he tapped her on the shoulder, she suddenly transformed into Ron! But in the dream, it seemed natural. They hugged and gave a quick kiss and began talking of Potions class. Harry had been so startled by the dream he awoke in a cold sweat. He didn't know WHAT to think of it! He wasn't, well, you know, because he was in love with Cho! Or, so he thought.

As the months passed he had more and more dreams, similar to that, but in some he was actually calling out for Ron by name. In one, they kissed for much longer. Eventually he almost got used to the idea it would happen. He figured it was just natural since they were such close friends. Heck, Ron even might have a dream like that! He didn't think much of them, and eventually he had them less often until he stopped having them all together. In some ways, he missed the dreams, and that's what scared him more than anything.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts class one day, Harry spaced out completely and later, when asked, couldn't recall a word the teacher had said! He was so intrigued by the dream it became an obsession. In class he tried to rack his brain, trying desperately to get back that feeling he had when they kissed. While he was spaced out, that's all he could think about. He remembered how the wind blew Ron's red hair in front of his eyes and how his masculine hands had put it back into place. He remembered when their eyes met, and how blissful Ron had looked to see Harry. But he told no one of his new feelings, because he was still unsure of them.

"Harry, you okay?" Ron asked. Harry immediately shook his head and gave a quick nod. "So did you actually break it off with Cho? I didn't hear you tell her. I just heard everyone say that as I walked by, that's why I stepped in to help..." Harry cut him off.

"Yeah, that's what happened. I'd rather not talk about it, okay?" Ron looked a little bewildered. This was the first time Harry hadn't spilt his guts and told Ron everything. But Ron understood, I mean, he and Cho had been dating for quite some time now, it was only understandable that he would be too upset to want to talk about it. He figured he'd ask again in about 10 minutes.

As they entered Potions, Ron sat next to Harry with Hermione on the other side. All the girls in the room glared at Harry and whispered, spreading rumors that Harry had ulterior motives, that he was cheating on Cho the entire time, and that it was actually Cho who broke it off first. Harry wasn't at all bothered by the idle gossip, but Hermione was. She didn't like people speaking ill of her best friend. She did wish to be more with him, but at the moment all they were was friends, and friends don't just stand back while others gossip about them.

"That's the REAL reason," a Slytherin girl said as she walked by Harry, pretending to whisper to her friend. Hermione looked at Harry who seemed as though he didn't hear.

"HEY! YOU! Come here." Hermione yelled after them as they continued to their seats. "Yes, I'm talking to you. Leave Harry alone! He did nothing to you and it's none of your business..." Harry then but in.

"Hermione, just stop, it doesn't matter..." He grabbed her arm but she pulled away fiercely.

"No, it matters to me. I'm not just going to sit back and let everyone make up stories about you! It's not fair!" She turned to him and he rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, you don't understand. I don't care what they say about me. I know the truth and they can say whatever they want to. Honestly, it doesn't bother me!" He tried convincing her once again, but had no success.

"LOOK, you two. Harry is a decent boy who works hard to keep up his grades as well as being the most famous boy in school. You try fighting off a Dark Lord, studying for the O.W.L.s, being the star Quidditch player AND juggling a social life and see how well you do!" She exploded as the entire class sat in awe. The entire room was in silence, which was soon broken by the sound of clapping.

"Bravo Granger, just wonderful! Now that the little lover's quarrel is done with, may we please continue with class?" Professor Snape raised an eyebrow and Hermione flushed a bright crimson. She rushed to her seat and took out her quill, ink and paper. There were a few giggles and laughs from the class, but soon everything returned to normal. Hermione didn't look at Snape the remainder of class, while she would glance at Harry every few second. Harry did not look at her once.

* * * * *

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was the last one to enter as everyone settled in for the night. Harry was sitting next to the fire re-reading Quidditch Through the Ages, but stopped reading and looked up at Hermione. They hadn't spoken all day.

"Harry, I'm really sorry..." she began, but Harry seemed to not be listening. He had picked back up his book and Hermione just stopped. She sat down on the armrest and grabbed the book right out of his hands.

"HARRY POTTER! You talk to me right now! Why are you ignoring me? What have I done to you?" He looked a little startled.

"You embarrassed me! You made me look like a fool! Hermione, just do me a favor and stay out of my personal life for now." Harry's eyes softened as he saw the devastated look on Hermione's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up on you there. I just have so much stuff on my mind, I just can't seem to sort everything out, nothing seems to be making any sense..." Hermione smiled.

"It's okay. You can tell me anything Harry, you know that!" Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Not this. You wouldn't understand." Hermione felt hurt, while Harry wish he hadn't said anything.

"Is it about Cho?" Harry stared into her eyes.

"Well partly." He decided he may as well tell her some of it, because he knew she was so nosy and would never stay out of his business anyway, so better sooner than never. "I'm not regretting breaking it off with Cho at all." He said defiantly. Hermione's smile widened at this. She began to feel butterflies in her stomach. Maybe this is our chance! Maybe now we will finally become a couple! She thought to herself hopefully.

"Why did you break up with her?" Hermione asked in a very soothing voice.

"Mixed feelings I guess. I was having so many doubts of whether she was the one. I didn't actually expect to marry her or anything, I just wasn't sure if I should be wasting my time with her or someone else..." he trailed off as Ron suddenly came into his mind. All Hermione could think was that he was trying to find some way to tell her how he felt. They both sat in silence for a moment.

"Harry, I think I know why you broke up with Cho. I can tell by your eyes." Harry went deathly white. How had she known? She couldn't possibly... No, no, there is no way she can know how I feel about Ron.

"Oh, er, really?" he replied, trying to sound very sure of himself. Instead his voice came out shaky and very unconvincing. He leg began to go weak so he rested it his ankle on the opposite leg.

"Yes." Hermione ran her fingers through Harry's hair. Harry's face returned a bit more to it's normal color, as he realized what she must have been thinking. He wanted to burst out laughing, but controlled himself, too worried about hurting her feelings.

"Hermione, it's not..." but he was stopped in mid-sentence as her lips met his. He was startled and kept his eyes open and stared at her. She closed her eye, and slowly tried opening his lips with her tongue when he pulled away. "Hermione, it's not you.," he said. Hermione looked a little embarrassed. She looked more like she would cry now more than ever, but some how kept her composure.

"Oh," she stated faintly. She felt so stupid. How idiotic had she been? To think Harry actually liked her. It was good while it lasted, she thought. At least now I know what it's like to kiss him. She smiled to herself, but then threw it out of her mind as her misery crept back. After a long moment of silence, she finally blurted out, "Well, who?"

Harry stared at Hermione, expressionless. Hermione stared right back at him. She looked into his eyes unblinking, searching for a clue. She had absolutely NO idea, in the least. Harry wasn't about to fill her in either.

"WELL?" she asked again. Harry again just sat with a blank look upon his face. Hermione, very embarrassed and frustrated walked up to her room and slammed the door behind her. Harry gave a sigh of relief. He grabbed his book off the floor (it had been in her lap, so when she stomped to her room it had fallen to the ground) and proceeded to his room as well.

* * * * *

The next day was very awkward. Hermione was very distant and said almost nothing at all. She didn't even raise her hand in Defense Against the Dark Arts, when asked what to do when confronted with a Vampire. Harry spoke to no one except Ron, but nothing extraordinary came out of their conversations. They basically had the common dialogue, and Harry didn't dare tell Ron about his and Hermione's 'encounter' the previous night.

"Harry, is, er, something wrong?" Ron asked quietly at lunch. Harry stared down at his food for a moment.

"Why do you ask?" He tried to sound very confident, but that's not what came across.

"Come on Harry, I know something's up. You haven't even looked at Hermione all day, and when I asked her she looked as though she were going to cry, and then ran off! Come one, what's going on?" Ron was getting angrier now.

"NOTHING, OK?" Harry threw down his fork and stormed off. He went outside and stood in front of the lake. He picked up a rock and skimmed it across the surface. He wished so badly he hadn't broken up with Cho. So what if he had feelings for Ron, they weren't normal feelings and should be hidden, right? He could learn to love Cho again, right? He tried desperately to convince himself of this, but failed miserably. There was no turning back now, and he would just have to accept it.

* * * * *

He entered the empty Gryffindor common room and sat down on the chair he sat in last night. He opened his book and continued to read right where he had left off the previous night. In a way, he hoped Hermione would try to ask him again; he wanted to badly to tell someone, anyone, about what he was feeling. He felt so alone, so out of place, he just needed some help.

Hermione entered not long after Harry. Harry followed her with his eyes as she walked up to her room. As it turned and she reached the top step, he couldn't see her anymore. She stopped. She turned back around and walked slowly down the stairs, and they both looked at each other. She came over to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and he began to cry. He stood up and they hugged for a moment, and to Harry, it was the best thing in the world.

* * * * *

"I've accepted the fact you don't like me, fine, in some ways it may be for the best, it won't ruin out friendship blah blah blah, but then, who is it?" after a little crying on both of their parts, Hermione dragged Harry up to the girls bathroom for some privacy. Everyone was down at the Quidditch field watching Slytherin practice, and all the girls went wild for Draco Malfoy, the Seeker, so they were alone, and Hermione was guessing they would be for a good portion of the night that remained.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to say anything." He looked down at his tennis shoes.

"Oh, come on Harry! It's not that big of a deal! I won't tell a soul, and you know you can trust me. Even if she is already taken, you can still..." Harry looked up at her. She immediately stopped. She was speechless.

"He's my best friend Hermione, what am I supposed to do?" He blurted out.

"Oh no. No, this, this, isn't real. You can't like, like..." she stopped once again. Her face went extremely white, and fell back and sat against the sink. "RON?" She yelled out. Hermione stared at him in disbelief.

"Please, please, don't say a word, you swore to me!" Harry pleaded desperately.

"But, no, this, no, I don't know, I can't, oh gosh. What am I saying? This is the reason why you've never gone out with me! You've always liked you OTHER best friend! Why didn't you tell me sooner! When we first met I thought 'he's so sensitive and such a nice guy, maybe he is gay,' but then I started to like you! Then, among other things you have done, you went out with Cho! That certainly said to me there's no way he's, he's, gay." She said the word as though it were nasty. "You've just been messing with my feelings right form the start! I thought I actually LOVED you! But now, oh gosh, Harry, what do you think you're doing??" She yelled loudly and began to hit Harry across the chest. Harry grabbed her arms and held her in close. She began to cry, and all Harry could do was comfort her.

* * * * *

The next day, it was yesterday all over again, well, for the first half anyway. Hermione refused to talk to Harry, even though Harry tried very hard. Eventually, Hermione gave in. At lunch they both went down by the lake.

"Harry, you have to understand why I'm upset. I'm not mad at you, just very upset. I'm sorry for not talking to you today. It's not your fault you don't feel anything for me, but, I mean, it is sort of depressing when the one person you like more than anything doesn't like you back, right?" Harry nodded, thinking of Ron.

"Hermione, I completely understand. I'm so glad I have someone to talk about this with now." Harry looked at Hermione and smiled. That was the first time she had seen him smile since he broke up with Cho. Hermione smiled back. They hugged and walked back to the dinning hall together. As soon as they entered a crowd gathered around. At the front of the crowd was Cho.

"So THAT'S the real reason? You're with, with HER now?" She yelled, threw something at Harry and ran off in tears once again. Harry rolled his eyes and just sat down. All the girls crowded around Hermione wanting details of what had happened. Hermione broke through the crowd and followed Harry.

"Harry, it's okay. I won't say anything." Harry briefly smiled as he sat down next to Ron.

"So, you two snog like they're all saying?" Ron asked jokingly. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

"Hardly!" Harry replied. Hermione smiled at the thought. She just found out Harry was gay, but was now being accused of being his new girlfriend. Why couldn't this have happened BEFORE she knew he was gay? It would have been much more fun, she thought. Oh well, fate just really doesn't like me I guess. She stared down at her food, played with it a little with her fork, and began eating. Ron and Harry started up a conversation about the first Quidditch game of the season in two weeks, and Hermione, completely uninterested, spaced out and kept thinking of how many signs there had been.

Harry and Ron always hung out together. That didn't really count; because a lot of people hang out together that are the same sex. Harry always confided in Ron first, that might count! Harry was a very smart dresser, and was always first to comfort Hermione when she was having problems. She remembered back to the summer after fourth year when Viktor Krum started seeing another girl and completely forgot about her. She hadn't been in love with him, but it hurt her that he didn't even say 'I think we should see other people' or 'I don't want to see you anymore.' Anything, no goodbye, nothing. To this day they still haven't talked.

"It's alright Hermione. He's a jerk anyways. If I were you I'd take a hot bath, pamper myself up and go out and flirt like crazy with the next guy that walks by! Show him how your too good for him, and he will come crawling back. And even if he doesn't, you'll probably have a new hottie at your beck and call anyway!" Harry was so good at comforting her. When she asked Ron about it all, he gave her a pathetic solution.

"Well, I would just forget about it. No use crying over it. If your really mad call him maybe and ask him back out, but other than that, just accept it." Hermione almost laughed at that idea, thinking Ron was joking. When she saw how serious he had been, she was just in shock. Ron was just your average boy; he didn't understand girls like Harry did. Now Hermione knew why.

* * * * *

The next day, Tuesday, Harry and Hermione hung out every chance they got. They talked about the cutest guys at school, about what rock stars were in and which ones were just plain awful, which pop group could dance best, and things like that. Hermione loved talking about all this, now she finally felt like she had a true friend! All her life she had always been the one that was 'one of the boys,' but not a girl anyone would date. She had never easily made friends with girls, but now she felt like she had one. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of Harry being the way he was. It was so comforting and so exciting to finally be able to talk about things of this nature with someone!

"So, Hermione, who do you have your eye on? Or should I say, who has their eye on YOU?" Harry asked at lunch. Every person in the dinning hall had their eye on them, to see if they really were a couple or not.

“Harry, I don't feel very comfortable sitting here with you." She looked at the table and wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Why not?" He asked curiously.

"Everyone's staring, and I can see them whispering back and forth to each other as their eyes shift from me to you and so on. I don't like this much. I think I'll just go sit somewhere else..." she trailed off as she began pilling up her books. If she left, Harry would be left all alone. Ron was still in Potions; he had accidentally dripped the 'mystery potion' they were supposed to guess onto Draco Malfoy's new robe, burning a hole right through it the size of his fist! Ron was forced to stay after to clean up the remaining liquid on the floor, along with Draco. Draco, furious at this, ran at Ron wand raised. Just before Draco had turned him into a toad Snape caught his arm. Draco (for the first time ever it seemed) was forced to write along the board 'I will not attack a fellow classmate' while Ron scrubbed the floor.

"Hermione, don't go, please?" He gave his famous puppy dog look. Hermione always gave into those big green eyes.

"No, really, I must go." She didn't dare look at him for fear she may have to surrender.

"Well, if you're going to go, at least make it believable!" Harry blurted. She sat back down with a blank expression on her face. "Look, if you pretend to break up with me, you can leave and tell everyone it's over, then there will be no more gossiping, no more rumors, and then tomorrow we can sit together and tell everyone we have patched things up and are just friends. OK?" Hermione grinned and nodded her head.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! I cannot believe I EVER thought we would be a good couple! You weren't even listening to a word I said!" Hermione threw her books down with a bang to get more attention, but everyone in the lunchroom was already watching anyway.

"Hermione, baby, please. I meant it..." it took all of Harry's strength to stop from laughing, along with Hermione.

"No! This is it! It's OVER, for good! And you know what else? You were NOT the best kisser ever so don't get too full of yourself just yet!" Harry was shocked at this but couldn't say anything back because she was already gone. He sat back down and put his head in his hands. He covered his face as he laughed quietly. To all others around it must have looked as though he were crying. Ron then walked in after an infuriated Draco just in time to see the entire thing. He ran up to Harry and asked if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry put down his hands and couldn't stop smiling. All eyes were turned to Hermione as she finished the story she started with Harry. Harry told everything to Ron, and Ron laughed as well.

"Gosh, to think, you and Hermione? That would be just too weird. I didn't think she was your type, well, she's not MY type anyway."

"Oh, and you think you know my type?" Harry asked. He laughed at though of it. He has no idea! He thought. He never would either.

"Well, I think I know you a little bit better then your letting off!" Ron answered, shoving Harry a little.

"Oh, I doubt it." Harry stated calmly. He then changed the subject to Quidditch and they picked up right where they left off the previous day.