Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Hermione's POV

Ron and Fred are acting rather odd. I watch them out of the corner of my eye, straining to hear what they were saying. For some reason I had a funny feeling it was about me. My heart fluttered a little. Calm down, Hermione I thought. Until you figure out which of these boys you really care for it'd do well for you to keep your heart from fluttering at all.

I thought back to my phone conversation with Harry. He'd been so sweet. He missed us already. I almost wanted to steal Ron's broomstick and fly to Privet Drive to comfort him. Whether he admits it or not he's still really upset over Sirius but can you blame him? He's calling me tomorrow. I like Harry a lot. I do but then there's Ron. He makes me soo mad sometimes and then other times he makes me laugh and feel all happy. Oh it would be so much easier if I didn't like either of them. The only people who know about my feelings are Viktor and Ginny. I'm scared Ginny might tell Ron or Harry. She's not the best at keeping secrets. Ooh, I know I only truly like one of them but I can't figure out who's friendship I'm mistaking. I mean I've always felt something for Harry. Ever since that day on the train. He's kind of my hero. *Blushes* But during the Triwizard competition when Ron and Harry were fighting I started spending time alone with both of them I saw a different side of Ron. There's something about how mad he makes me that Harry just doesn't do. Oh why can't this be easier!

I look longingly back at the telephone. I wish I was still talking to Harry. Maybe if I told him how I feel he could help me sort this all out. I could never tell Ron. He'd get mad that I might not like him, start yelling and get jealous of Harry. I do wish he wouldn't do that. I know he thinks Harry considers himself better than us but he doesn't. It's not his fault he gets in all these impossible situations that make him even more famous. He has no control over it.

It doesn't look like Ron and Fred are coming back anytime soon, I thought. I think I'll go send Viktor an owl.

***

That made me feel a little bit better. I sighed as Pigwidgeon flew away carrying my letter to Viktor. I hope he replies soon. I smile a little, feeling happier.

"Hermione!" I hear Mrs. Weasley call.

"Yes?" I poke my head out in the hall.

"Will you come down and help me with dinner dear?" she asked. I nodded and hurried down the stairs. I always get the feeling that Mrs. Weasley doesn't care for me much. Maybe its cause I'm not famous like Harry or I dunno maybe she can sense my mixed up feelings. I was surprised at how welcoming she had been. True, she'd always allowed me to stay at her home and been kind but there was always something about the way she treated me that bothered me.

Ginny was already down in the kitchen when I got there. She smiled at me. I saw her mouth "I need to talk to you later" at me before Mrs. Weasley swept me away to set the table. The adults had decided to minimize the amount of magic they used so that none of the Death Eaters would be able to get a feel for where we were hidden.

I wondered what Ginny had to talk to me about. Hmm and what had she and Ron been discussing that Fred wanted to tell me? I shrugged.

"Hurry up now, dear," Mrs. Weasley tells me. "We don't have all day."

Ginny appears beside me, putting dishes of mashed potatoes and chicken down on the table.

"Hermione did you see what I said earlier?" she whispered so her mother wouldn't hear. "Ron came to talk to me today and you would really like to know this information."

"What did he say?" I ask, nearly dropping the place setting I was arranging.

"He wanted to -"

"Ginny, the peas!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.

Ginny made a face and ran back to the kitchen.

I sighed as Ron and Fred made their way to the table. Fred scrunched up his nose at the dinner.

"It doesn't look too good does it?" he asked no one in particular.

"Its the best I could do cooking the Muggle way," Mrs. Weasley said as she walked past presumably to go round up the Order of Phoenix gang.

Dinner was a quiet event. No one was really up for talking what with the danger looming so close. Everyone seemed to inhale the food, leaving quickly to go back to their duties.

As soon as me and Ginny were done doing the dishes for Mrs. Weasley. (Heaven forbid she do anything else the Muggle way.) Ginny pulled me aside to tell me what had happened between her and Ron this afternoon.

"He said he liked you!" Ginny said happily. "That's a good thing right?" she asked as I groaned.

"No, Ginny, I still haven't decided who I like yet. You know that." I sat sank down onto the couch by the telephone my head in hands.

"You better pick soon," Ginny told me. "Ron already thinks you fancy Harry."

"Well that's not entirely untrue," I reply still wondering what to do.

"Would you like to be alone?" Ginny asked awkwardly. She probably thought I was crying again. I cry a lot lately. I always have.

"Yah, if you wouldn't mind." I looked up at her appreciatively.

She shook her head. "You know where I am if you need me."

As soon as she'd gone I pulled my scrap of parchment out of my pocket and dialed the number into the telephone.

"Hello?" a dull voice answered.

"Harry, you answered this time!"

"Yah, after you called the first time everyone's scared to even touch the phone." He voice sounded a cross between amused and angered.

"I'm sorry," I say falling into silence. He doesn't say anything for awhile either. But its not an awkward silence more like a comfortable one.

"Harry?" I asked. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" He probably thinks I'm going to say something about Ron or You-Know-Who.

"Hermione? What is it?" he says again. I'm tempted just to tell him about Mrs. Weasley's bad cooking but instead I decide what I'm about to say needs to be said.

"Harry I - I like you."

There was silence.

"Do you mean-"

"Yes."

"Really?" He seemed shocked.

"Yah," I say softly.

He doesn't speak. Please say something! I pleaded silently.

Maybe I made a huge mistake. Oh I can be so stupid sometimes. What if I made things weird between us? What if he doesn't like that way at all? Now he's always going to think everything I do I do because I like him and I'm not even sure if he's the one I like. I mean what if I like Ron? Oh God - Ron! Of course Harry's going to tell Ron what I said and then Ron's going to feel really hurt because he likes me. Oooh what have I done? I think quickly. Oh no this is bad... Wait Harry's talking.

"Hermione I think I like you too."

My heart stops. He does? He really really does? Oh my God Harry Potter likes me! Harry Potter likes me! But Ron likes me too ... Oh Harry Potter likes me!

"Hermione?"

"Why?" I ask. Hoping this will help me figure things out.

"Why what?"

Harry Potter likes me!

"Why do you like me?"

"I like you because," he pauses. "I like you because I know you actually like me for me and you're not just my friend because of who I am. I like you because you're smart and fun and pretty. I like you because I can talk to you about anything. I like being around you."

Aww that's so sweet...but that really doesn't help me with anything. But maybe I should go with Harry. Would Ron ever say any of that stuff to me? No probably not but would Harry ever get me as riled up as Ron? I like sparring with Ron.

"Harry," I say twisting the phone cord around my fingers. "Could you not tell Ron about this? I don't want to make him feel bad or unincluded."

"Yah, I think that's a good idea," he agreed.

I smiled. My plan was working out perfectly.

"Sorry Harry but I should really be going Mrs. Weasley needs my help with stuff."

"Yah ok, I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Ok, bye."

I hang up the phone happily. Running upstairs I knock twice on Ron's bedroom door. I hope Fred's not in there with him.

***

"What?" Ron calls irritably from behind the closed door.

"Can I come in?" I ask. The moment I spoke the door was thrown open.

"Ron I need to tell you something," I say taking a deep breath. Please let this be the right thing to do.

I see him gulp.

"Ron I like you."

His face turns a brilliant shade of pink. He looks scared almost as if he would puke. I stepped back just in case.

"Serious?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Seriously." I say trying hard not to laugh. No wonder Fleur and everybody else had laughed so hard when he asked her to the ball. Ron was just hilarious with things like this.

"Are you sure?" he asked running his hand through his hair uncertainly.

"Yes," I say wanting to shout: get over your damn insecurities would you! Yep no one annoyed me as much as him.

Out of nowhere he engulfs me in a big bear hug. It felt nice and comfortable. Shouldn't it feel more romantic and I dunno...give me butterflies?

"Wow, Hermione this is - this is great. I've liked you for a really long time." He still looks quite flustered.

"Why do you like me?" I ask him. I want to know. It might help with my decision. I'm hoping his answer will be sweet and thrilling like Harry's.

"I dunno...I just do I guess. It's not the sort of thing you're supposed to know right? It just happens."

I sigh and stare at the ugly carpet. Well I hadn't expected anything grand from him anyways.

He reaches over and hugs me surprising me once again. He holds me tighter (if that's possible).

"Ron did your read my - oh, I'll come back later," Ginny's embarrassed voice floats from the door. I quickly pull away from Ron but by the time I turn she's gone. Oh no.

I grab Ron's hand firmly. "Ron promise you won't tell Harry about this?" This was going to be hard. He already suspected I fancied Harry so Ginny said. If I were him I probably wouldn't make the promise.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'll explain later," I say. "Just please. Promise me."

"Ok," he said slowly. He didn't look happy.

I dashed desperately out the door after Ginny. I found her downstairs with George.

"Please don't tell Harry about this," I beg her. She stares at me hard like she's trying to read my mind.

"Why?"

"I don't want him to feel hurt or anything. I'll tell him everything later. When he gets here."

Ginny was harder to convince than Ron but after ten minutes of my incessant pleading I managed to convince her.

"But you better tell him," she warned.

My plan wasn't working out the way I had planned it. There was no way I could keep this out. They were going to find out sooner or later. Oh they weren't both supposed to like me! Now how can I get one of them to dislike me? And which boy? Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach. This isn't like me. I'm deceiving all my best friends. When they find out they'll hate me. All the better to make it work then right?

***

Harry's POV

I can't believe Hermione likes me. I didn't even know that I liked her that way. I didn't actually think I did...until she said it. All of a sudden I just started feeling all these feelings for her. Maybe its cause I'm feeling lonely. But that might not be completely accurate after all I did like her at one time before and I remember thinking how pretty she was at the ball. It doesn't matter now anyway. Once I'm back at the house and Hermione and I are together I can make my final decision. We didn't say we were going out or anything. I don't want this to turn out like the whole Cho thing. But with Hermione I don't think it'll be that way.

I'm lying in my bed now. Usually at Privet Drive I have awful nightmares or I lie awake worrying all night. Tonight I'm just thinking of Hermione. Yah I think I do like her. Funny how I never realized it before.

Ron likes her too. I can tell. I'm almost positive she knows that as well. I want to send her an owl or better yet phone her but checking my watch I see its far too late to do that. Besides someone will definitely start suspecting something if I start calling more than once a day. What time does Hermione wake up? I think. I want to call her as soon as I can. Is she thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about her? Is that even possible? I laugh. I should really go to sleep now. I am tired. Dumbledore's coming to get me soon. He didn't say when but he said before the end of the week. I hope its tomorrow. I want to see Hermione. Would I like her this much if she hadn't said anything? Do I actually like her? ... And I thought Cho was confusing!

***

Ron's POV

Hermione likes me! I never saw that one coming. I was sure she liked Harry. Ha finally I got something that Harry Potter doesn't. He didn't like her anyway. Why doesn't she want me to tell Harry though? He's my best friend. He'd understand. I know he would.

This is getting me worried. Maybe she does still like him a little but thinks she has no chance with him.

Oh shut up! I think to myself. Sometimes I sound like a girl. Hermione likes me she told me herself. Hermione never lies and she definitely wouldn't lie to either me or Harry. We're her best friends.

*Yawn* I think I'm going to go to sleep now no use worrying about this anymore.

***

Hermione's POV

I can't sleep. I keep worrying. Harry could arrive at any moment and there's no way he and Ron won't eventually talk about it. Well...maybe I could tell them it was a joke. No...they'd get really mad at me. Plus that'd be mean.

Maybe one of them will stop liking me or I'll figure out who I like best and I can dump the other one. But that's mean too. There is no nice thing I can do!

Oh how am I going to do this without losing one of my best friends? I should have never told either of them that I liked them.

I wish I knew how to do a memory charm. That would be so helpful right now. I could tell Ginny about all this, she might be able to help. No, she'd probably get mad at me for doing that to her brother. Fred wouldn't be any help either. He'd definitely say to go for Ron.

I hope I wake up in the morning and it's all a dream. Neither of them like me, I don't like them and None of this ever happened. I've just fallen asleep on the Hogwarts Express.