Take Me As I Am

Ron walked up to Ginny. "Gin!" he yelled. She turned around.

"Yes?" she asked. Oh god, he knows, she thought.

"Its about you and Draco," he started.

"You know what? If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all," she said. Her tone was normal but her face expression was stern.

"It's not that. I need your help," he said.

"My help?" she asked. She was surprised.

"You know how I like Hermione right? Well, she's dating Harry and I can't get her to notice me," he said.

"How does this relate to me and Draco?" she asked. Ron smiled.

"So how did he capture your heart?" he asked.

*~*

Harry and Hermione were near the lake. They had a little picnic planned. "Wow, this is great," Hermione gushed. Harry smiled.

"I thought you would say that," he said as he kissed her cheek. Hermione moved away. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Well, I just want to know that you aren't dating me to show up Ron?" she asked. Harry looked at her and laughed.

"Are you serious?" he asked between giggles.

"Harry! Do you understand what I am saying? This is important!" she said sternly.

"So you think I am using you?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No. I don't think you are but this is important to me. I need you to be here for me not to show up your best friend," she started.

"My best friend? He hurt me! How could you still consider him a friend?" he yelled. Hermione shook her head again.

"You know what Harry, you seem so weird lately," she said.

"Hermione, I will never use you. I promise," he said. He took her hand in his and kissed it.

*~*

"Are you serious?" Draco asked when Ginny told him about Ron. They were in the Quidditch pitch, drinking some pumpkin juice.

"I am very serious. He likes her so much I feel so sorry for him," she said. Draco put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know what? I think that Ron deserves her more than Harry does," Draco said. Right after he said that he saw some people coming on the field. It was the Gryffindors, getting ready for Quidditch.

"Hey you!" Harry yelled. Draco and Ginny got up and Ginny told Draco to leave.

"What do you want Harry? You want to steal the field too?" she asked. She pushed Draco to the side, indicating that she could handle Harry.

"You shut up. This is Quidditch time and we don't want anyone here but us," he snapped.

"So what? Why don't you sue me?" Ginny said. Her tone was oblivious, making sure that Harry can't control her.

"Ginny, you get out!" Harry yelled.

"Fine. Stay away from me," she said as she pushed him aside. Harry stumbled back and Draco followed Ginny.

"Gin, you should stop this. The more anger you have, the more you get more vicious," he said. He held her hand and smiled at her.

"I can't. He hurt my brother and he should be treated as so," she said. Draco laughed.

"That's what I love about you," he said.

*~*

Ron ran to the library. Ginny told him that he should find some common ground with her. He thought he should start off with schoolwork. She liked to study, so maybe he should start to like to study. He walked into the library out of breath. He walked straight into the Charms aisle.

He found a book on the subject and brought it with him. He opened the book and started reading. He slammed it shut and borrowed the book. He brought it back with him to the Gryffindor tower. He sat in the chair next to the window and opened it again.

"Oh well, might as well start some where," he said to himself. He began reading. His mind was about to explode. No matter what he did, he only thought of Hermione. He breathed her, he lived her, and he would die for her.

"I can't do this," he said as he slowly closed the book. He put his face in his hands and began humming. For some reason, he seemed to be able to let go of everything by singing. He hummed and soon the hums turned into words. He took out a piece of parchment and began writing. His words came on to the paper so quickly. He finished and looked at it.

"Perfect," he said as he went to find Ginny.

*~*

"Wow!" Ginny said as Ron sang to her the song. Draco was sitting next to her and he clapped.

"That was good," Draco said.

"You think that?" Ron asked.

"Well, yeah. I think that it's great that we get along better now," Draco said to Ron.

"I think it's great too," Ron said back.

"I'd love to talk more about this but Hermione alert," Ginny said. Ron whizzed around to see Hermione walking up to him.

"Hey Ron!" she said. Ron smiled and nodded.

"Hermione? I think that we should talk you know?" he asked. He turned to Ginny and Draco and they nodded.

"Sure," Hermione said unsurely. What is he up to? I should say something, she thought. Ron looked at Draco and Ginny again and he began to motion to the parchment. Hermione found this odd. It seemed as if it were important to him. Ginny handed him the paper and Ron read what was on it. Draco passed him a quill and some ink and Ron began to write on the paper.

"I'll meet you later okay?" Hermione said as she walked away.

*~*

Harry was in his bed, lying there. He was thinking of all the bad things he had said to people. People now days were questioning his friendship. It was as if they didn't trust him. He had Ginny to worry about. She was off dating Draco and everyone but him seems to agree with her. They wanted her to be happy.

Then he has the whole Hermione problem. He really likes her but why does she think that he is using her? Harry sighed and turned over. Hermione seems to think that he was just dating her to show up Ron.

"Why does she think that?" he asked himself. He sighed. "I never would do that," he said. He turned on his back and looked up. "I would never treat her badly. If it wasn't for Ron, maybe I would be happy," he said.

"What am I saying?" he asked himself. "If it weren't for Ron, I wouldn't have met Hermione," he said. Ron introduced Hermione to him. Hermione and Ron would fight a lot but that was part of their friendship. Harry and Hermione would get along just fine. But now, that all has changed. Priorities have changed. He cares more about protecting himself than caring about Hermione. He cared more about if he got hurt rather than if Hermione got hurt.

Harry got up and walked out the door. He turned off the light and sighed. "Oh Hermione, forgive me," he said.

*~*

Ron met Hermione in the pitch. Hermione was sitting there, reading a book. "You wanted to talk to me?" she asked as he approached her.

"Uh, yeah. I just wanted to say that I am sorry about hitting Harry. I just got carried away," Ron said. Hermione smiled.

"Well, I don't really blame you. Everyone gets a little crazy at some points of time," Hermione reasoned.

"Well, I know how you two are. I feel happy for you," he lied. He put on a fake smile.

"Thanks. You know, you're a great friend. I will always think of you as a friend," Hermione said. Ron smiled. It wasn't a truthful smile but he smiled anyways. Hermione got up and left. She had left Ron, just like that.

"Will she ever think of me as more than just a friend?" he asked himself. He buried his face in his hands and sat on the cold grass.

"Hey, Ron!" yelled a voice. Ron turned around to see Oliver, or should I say Professor Wood coming up behind him. Oliver sat next to him and smiled. "Lovely day isn't it?" he asked. Ron smiled.

"I guess you could say that," Ron said unsurely.

"I saw Hermione leave. Was she alright?" he asked. Ron nodded. Just go, he thought.

"Well, I just wanted to tell her I support her dating Harry," he said. Though that wasn't a lie, he wished it were. He wished that he could date Hermione but he didn't have the chance.

"I know you like her," Oliver said. Ron looked at him awestruck.

"How did you know?" Ron asked. His mind was racing. He never told anyone but Harry, Ginny, and Draco.

"I could tell. You always look at her during class. I don't know about you but I think that the reason you dropped out of Quidditch was more about her than showing up Harry," Oliver said. Ron's jaw dropped. Oliver laughed.

"Are you for real? Am I that obvious?" he asked with a laugh. Oliver nodded.

"You know, even though that Harry is a better Quidditch player, you have a better heart. You apologize for something you meant to do, yet you say that you shouldn't have," Oliver said.

"Huh?" Ron asked. Ron himself knew what that meant but he was afraid he missed something.

"You are always the one to get hurt. This is your seventh year and you should be enjoying things. But I know one thing that just may cheer you up," Oliver said with a smile.

"What is that?" Ron asked. Oliver laughed.

"Hermione used to like you. The only reason she didn't date you was because she never knew how you felt. Show her your true colors," Oliver said as he stood up. Ron sat there thinking about what Oliver just said. Oliver seemed to say what he knew to help Ron. Ron guessed that Oliver thought that Ron deserved to date Hermione more.

"Hermione, you're everything to me. When could you ever see that?" Ron asked.