The Cowardly Lion

The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts

I looked up from my book. The evening sun was pouring in the leaded window. The light blinded me, so I looked back down at my Arithmancy book. I've been at school for three weeks now. I sighed at all the work I had to do. I looked around the common room. There was Ginny, still pouring over The Wizard of Oz. I smirked at her. I guess Ginny's no speed-reader. I heard someone outside the portrait hole. A few moments later I heard the portrait swing open, and Ron entered. My breath caught in my chest. I just stared at him, I don't know why.

~*~

"Abra Cadabra," I said. The portrait hole opened and the first thing I saw when I entered the common room, was Hermione, the golden light spilling through her hair, she was staring at me. I looked this way and that, to check whether she was really looking at me...She was. I just smiled at her, I don't know why.

~*~

He grinned at me. I almost melted, but I reigned myself back in...almost. I think I grinned back at him. I swept my hair behind my ears, and turned back to my work. I didn't exactly know what to say. That must be a first. I flipped through my book absent-mindedly. I lost my page in the process. I suppose I was wondering if Ron was coming to sit down by me...He did. I kept flipping through my papers distractedly. I had no idea what I was doing. I knew that my heart was racing, my face was reddening, and my breathing quickened, but I had no idea what I was doing.

"Hey Hermione," he said.

"Oh, hey Ron," (I was trying to sound distracted and aloof...I think.)

"What are you working on?" he asked, obviously casting around for something to say.

"Oh, just Arithmancy." I was trying not to look at him.

"I see."

"Did you just get back from practice?"

"Oh, no. Me and Harry had some Divination to look up in the library. Ginny wouldn't be in here if I just got back from practice would she?" I knew he'd be grinning at me if I looked up at him, so I didn't.

"Oh, I guess not."

~*~

She wasn't looking at me. I didn't know why. I kept talking though. She was sporadically flipping through her books and papers, I didn't think she was actually doing any work. She was quite jittery. She was shaking again. I was starting to get worried.

"Hey, Hermione, why don't you take a break. You look like you're about to crash...Why don't we take a walk? Maybe go down to the lake, watch the squid..."

~*~

"Oh, sounds lovely..." I told him sarcastically. But I got up to go anyway. I tripped coming out of the portrait hole. My face flashed red, I know. But I don't think he noticed. He just grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and let go. My hands were quite cold, and his were so warm. I wished he kept on holding my hand. Needless to say, I was shaking worse than ever. By the time we reached the Great Hall I was so muddled up, I barely noticed anything. I kept staring at my feet. I didn't notice anyone walking past; I didn't hear their voices. I just thought, 'I'm with Ron. Ron's taking care of me.' It felt so right. As we walked past the Quidditch pitch we saw Harry coming towards us. He had something in his hand.

"Hey guys!" he shouted, "Look what I found in the garbage bin in the locker rooms! Here Hermione..." I blushed as I saw what he was pinning on me.

~*~

It was a "Weasley is our King" badge the Slytherins had chucked. Harry already had one on.

"No longer a derogatory fashion statement for our ol' friends the Slytherins, eh?" Harry said as he admired the one that he had pinned on Hermione. It did look good on her...If only she'd stop blushing...HANG ON! That HAS to mean something! Argh, if only girls weren't so difficult to understand! She's probably blushing because Harry pinned it on her. Yeah, I bet that's it. Suddenly I thought Harry was a bloody git. Just like Krum...

~*~

I looked up at Ron. He was scowling.

"Ron? What's the matter? Do you want us to take them off?" I asked.

"Yeah. Yeah I do," he spat, "Give them here."

I hastily unclasped mine and put it in his hand. Harry followed suit. Ron stuffed them in his pockets. I rather wished I had mine back. It felt liberating to wear it. Harry suggested we go back in for dinner. As we walked I kept looking over at Ron. He was absolutely silent, and he was staring at his feet, kicking the grass occasionally. He must really hate those badges...

~*~

"You guys go ahead. I've got something I have to do quick." They looked at me sympathetically and quizzically at the same time. Harry looked even more like a stupid fool when he did it. I marched off, not really caring which direction I went. I ended up in the Charms corridor. Everyone was chatting happily, rushing off to dinner. I didn't really notice them. Too preoccupied. Suddenly, I stopped dead when I realized another reason why Hermione might have blushed. It was a grand moment of epiphany for me. A grin spread across my face. It was one of those mushy love-grins, I'm sorry to admit. I rushed back down the hall.

"Hey Weasley! Good luck against Ravenclaw this week!" shouted a fourth year.

"Hey Ron! Thanks for helping me with that Impediment Jinx! I stopped that Slytherin I told you about in his tracks!" yelled Dennis Creevey before he was swept away by the crowd.

"Hello Ronald. Excellent save against Hufflepuff the other day by the way...If you'll excuse me, I must be getting along. The Snorkack Issue is coming out today...Weasley is our King..." hummed Luna as she floated off.

I had slowed down by then. Did this many people want to talk to me every day and I just haven't noticed? I looked down at my Head Boy badge, my Quidditch Captain pin, then pulled out the "Weasley is our King" badges from my pocket. I know this was a cruel joke once...but not anymore. My friends WANT to wear them. Hermione wanted to wear it! I ran down the next three flights of stairs.

~*~

Harry and I sat there, nervously wondering what to do. My stomach was doing flip-flops. We were both picking at our food. I sank my head in my hand and sighed. When, all of a sudden, Ron came bounding into the Great Hall. I lifted my head, and my flip-flops were replaced with a sensation of weightlessness as I saw him grin at me. He walked over and sat down, very out of breath.

"Feeling relieved after ridding yourself of those badges, Ron?" I asked, since he was smiling and all. He grinned and reached in his pocket.

~*~

"Here! Sorry I was being such a prat about them. They're not mine to dictate what you guys do with them."

"Glad you've come to your senses," smirked Harry. They both put them back on. I smiled at Hermione, who was gazing at her badge lovingly, and blushing again. How come I never noticed how gorgeous she was until fourth year? I almost came over and grabbed her; I wanted to so much. But, not now I thought. It would probably embarrass her. Once dinner was over, Harry was practically out of the hall before Hermione and I got up.

~*~

Harry shouted something about...oh, I don't even remember now. But it left me and Ron sitting across from each other at the table. I remember feeling very aware of myself as we sat there in a haze. Why hadn't this happened before? All the time we've wasted! I looked up at him, glanced at his freckles, his ruffled red hair, his blue eyes reflecting something I'd never seen before and I just, became someone else. Became a different me, still me, but now merged with Ron. It felt like complete understanding. Like I'd told him all the things I couldn't even BEGIN to before. He took my hand across the table, a little hesitantly. I think we were both really nervous. He stood up still holding on. We walked to the end of the table, arms extended across. We came to the end and stood there, facing each other. I was tingling; there was so much tension. Everything I ever misunderstood about Ron was suddenly crystal clear.

"Oh, Ron!" I exclaimed through all of my emotions, I was surprised that I made a sound, "I'm so sorry I ever insulted you, about anything. I take it all back, all of it." A tear ran down my cheek.

~*~

I wiped the tear away. I didn't puzzle at it like I would have before, because I understood this tear. It meant that she cared; it was that simple. She cared about ME. Not Krum, not Harry, me. And at that moment, I felt like a king. And because of that, I found the courage to do what I had never dared, and had always feared. I kissed her.

~*~

"Weasley is MY King," I finally uttered...without blushing.