Just Friends... Right?

Why he had done it, he didn't know. It was very risky, he could have ruined himself. He couldn't help it though. When else would he be able to stare at Harry Potter for hours without looking suspicious? Staring into that peaceful face had been bliss. Such a longing he had to reach out and touch the lightning bolt engraved on the otherwise unblemished skin. But something happened that wasn't in Ron's plans at all. Harry woke up.

Those brilliant green eyes, wide and looking right into his own crystal blues. For a moment, Ron forgot himself in the green world of Harry's eyes. Then they were gone. He had closed his eyes, and his eyebrows were knotted together in confusion. Ron took that chance to bolt back to his bed and pretend to be asleep. He had made long rasping snores that he hoped had sounded genuine. Apparently they had, for moments later; Harry had gotten up and left the dormitories. He hadn't seen him.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a very melancholic sigh, for though he thought of Harry as more than just a friend, he knew nothing would ever change between them. So many times there had been opportunities for Ron to say something about it, or make some sort of move, but he never did. He knew that if he went to kiss him, or stroke his hair, things would get pretty weird between them. He would rather have Harry as a friend, than to have nothing at all.

Ron's infatuation with Harry had probably started when they first met. Most people that met him had judged him by his shabby robes and second hand objects. Even Hermione, another of his best friends, had judged him at first by his scruffy appearance. But it had been Harry who had accepted him at once.

Their friendship was sudden and deep, and Ron knew at once that it would be forever. He didn't remember when it had become more than just friendship to him, but he had realized it when he had caught himself staring at the way the magnificent dress robes brought out the deep green in Harry's eyes at the Yule ball in fourth year. Harry, of course, didn't notice a thing; he was too busy scowling at Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory at the time. Ron had put it down to the fact that he had always liked green, even though he thought he looked like a pumpkin whenever he wore his green hat. After that, he kept catching himself staring at the way Harry's black hair would catch the sunlight, the way his nose crinkled when he was laughing, or the way he always bit his lip when he was thinking.

Ron sat up in bed. He was hungry. How he could be hungry when his stomach was in knots worrying about what had happened earlier, he didn't know. But he found himself walking sleepily down to the Great Hall fifteen minutes later. He saw Harry immediately and sat down right beside him. It was then he found himself extremely embarrassed and at a loss for words. So instead of going into a deep conversation, he merely pretended to yawn.

"M-m-morning," Ron said, halfway through his fake yawn. "... I didn't have the greatest sleep last night."

He wasn't lying. He hadn't slept much. He had been up most of the night swimming immersed in the colour of Harry's hair and the creaminess of his skin.

Harry had then seemed slightly rumpled, and said a hasty good morning and got up to leave. This hadn't been what Ron was expecting.

"Where're you going? I just got here!" he whined.

When Harry had left, Ron had wondered why he was so uncomfortable; he wasn't the one who had suddenly found himself staring into great green orbs - at that he blanched. Did Harry know? Had he actually seen Ron staring him in the face from beside him? What if he did? What would he say? Would he even talk to him again?

Ron hit himself in the forehead, which had caused the Gryffindor students around him to stare.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, he though to himself. Why would he risk his friendship with Harry to get just one more secret glimpse at his face? He couldn't stand it if Harry never talked to him again. Harry's friendship was one of the only things keeping him from folding under the pressure of living up to the expectations his brothers had set, the other thing being the friendship of Hermione Granger.

That was it! Hermione would help him, wouldn't she? There was only one way to find out; he would have to tell her everything.