Delayed Friendships

After a few moments of standing at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, not really knowing what to do, Hermione turned and ran after Ron. He had a good head start, however, and all she had to go on were the loud noises Ron's feet were making as he flew down the corridors ahead of her. Eventually she found herself in the entrance hall, where she realised she could no longer hear Ron's footsteps.

Hermione had no idea why she was running after this boy late at night, when she could be sleeping. She just didn't feel right letting him run off alone into the darkness when he was so clearly upset. She shook her head, and suddenly noticed that the great door which led outside was slightly open. Hermione sighed, and after glancing quickly around to make sure no one was watching, she slipped out the door after Ron.

She pulled her wand out of her robes, whispered 'Lumos', and began to walk around the lake, all the while keeping an eye out for any sign of movement. Before long, Hermione had reached what she fondly thought of as her spot, and was surprised to find Ron sitting here, facing the lake with his long arms wrapped around his knees. She carefully approached Ron, and was about a metre behind him when his voice stopped her in her tracks.

'Nice spot, this, isn't it?' he said quietly.

'Yes,' Hermione replied as she sat down awkwardly beside him. 'I - '

'- Come here a lot,' Ron finished for her. 'Yeah, I know.'

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Hermione thought about why Ron had possible come to her spot, and how he knew it was her spot. One of the reasons why she liked it so much was because it was so secluded - you couldn't see it from most parts of the castle. In fact, the only one she knew you could see it from was the Astronomy tower. Ah, thought Hermione. That's it. He would have seen me from there. Probably when he was up there with one of those bimbos in Ginny's year. Makes me sick.

'Um, Hermione? Are you okay?'

Hermione realised she must have had another one of those odd expressions on her face, judging by the quizzical way in which Ron was looking at her, and she desperately tried to look normal again.

'Yes, fine,' she said. 'Absolutely fine. So ...'

'Why did you follow me?' Ron said suddenly, a mixture of confusion and suspicion on his face.

'Oh, well, I -'

'Did one of them tell you to come after me?' he asked in an uncharacteristically scornful voice. Hermione knew this question referred to his sister and his best friend.

'No,' she said. 'They didn't even see me standing there.'

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. 'I - it's just - why did he go to her instead of me? My sister! It's not even like she's his friend! I'm supposed to be his best mate, for Merlin's sake. He's supposed to come to me! I've always been there for him, always. Bloody hell!' Hermione flinched slightly as Ron picked up a rock from beside him and threw it into the lake with enough force to seriously injure a fully-grown Hippogriff.

'Maybe he just needed the advice of someone who wasn't as close to him as you are,' Hermione suggested. 'Maybe he needed a more honest opinion. I know you're honest!' she said quickly, as Ron looked like he was about to aim his wrath in her direction. 'But maybe sometimes you tell Harry what he wants to hear, rather than what he needs to hear. And he needs to hear that - that Sirius isn't coming back.'

Ron nodded, and Hermione saw this as a sign to continue.

'Harry's human, Ron, and he needs to talk about how he's feeling to get over it. You didn't really encourage that - you tried to distract him and make him ignore it. Remember the other night, when you were playing chess? You've seen how tense he is. It's not your fault, you didn't know any better. That's just the way people work. We're social creatures. Oh, and also,' she added, 'Ginny's a girl. And therefore is better equipped to deal with situations of a sensitive nature.'

'That's true,' Ron said after a moment's silence. 'You're good at it, anyway.'

Hermione blushed, and was very grateful for the darkness. 'I'm not that good. It's just common sense really.'

'Nah.,' he said, shaking his head. 'You always know what people are thinking and stuff. Ginny says so too.'

'Maybe we should head back up to the castle,' Hermione suggested in an attempt to change the subject. 'It's getting late.'

'Yeah, okay. I don't feel like punching anyone anymore.'

Hermione was just about to stand up, when suddenly Ron moved towards her. As he began to lean over her, her mind screamed at her. He's going to kiss you! it shrieked in a shockingly shrill tone. She was about to enter panic mode when Ron leaned back, wand in hand, and she realised that all he was doing was picking it up. He didn't even offer her his hand to help her up, and she scrambled up herself in a very inelegant and flustered manner.

'So...' Hermione started, desperate to cover what she felt was a mortal mistake. She knew Ron probably hadn't even noticed, but this didn't stop her feeling like a thousand people were pointing at her and laughing, including the tarts in Ginny's year. Especially the tarts in Ginny's year, actually.

'Do you reckon I should say anything to Harry?' Ron wondered aloud, saving Hermione from the image of the laughing tarts.

'No,' she said. 'No, I think he'll come to you now. It's like the dam's been broken, really.'

Ron nodded in agreement, and they began to walk back up to the castle, making small talk about the essay Snape had set them that day in potions, and what they would be doing for the rest of the week in transfiguration. When they eventually arrived back at Gryffindor tower, the common room was as deserted as the corridors had been, and the two exchanged slightly awkward goodbyes before Ron headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Hermione sighed and slumped into a comfy chair by the fire, which was slowly dying in the grate. She was just dozing off to sleep when a voice brought her back to the waking world.

'Hermione?'

'Ginny?' Hermione whispered. 'Where are you? Why are you still up?'

Ginny crept round from behind one of the bookcases and fell into the chair across from where her friend was sitting.

'I've been up for ages, just sitting here,' she explained. 'Then I heard you and Ron outside the portrait hole and hid. I don't know why, I just didn't really want to see anyone.'

'It's really late. Ron was a little, um, upset. When we got back from patrolling we saw you and Harry hugging and he ran off. He was a bit hurt that Harry had turned to you instead of him,' Hermione explained, and then noticed something about her friend. 'Ginny, have you been crying?' she asked softly.

'No, no. I'm fine,' Ginny replied, dismissing Hermione's question with a quick wave of the hand. 'Really,' she stressed when she saw the sceptical look on her friend's face. 'So how come you went after Ron? Is something going on between you two?'

'What? No!' Hermione said, as she began to blush furiously. 'Not that I know of anyway. Okay, so he's nice, and funny,' she added, smiling. 'But he doesn't think of me like that. I doubt he even thinks of me at all. Not that I think of him. Especially not in that way!'

'Right,' Ginny said, nodding. 'And that's why you wore make-up when you went patrolling this evening.'

'Make-up?! I didn't put any - oh, Merlin,' said Hermione, as realisation dawned on her. 'I spilt ink over myself earlier and April cleaned it off me. I thought I heard her cast another spell as well, but I didn't have time to check. So now Ron thinks I wore make-up to impress him!'

'Calm down, you looked nice. Anyway, I bet Ron thought so too.' Ginny ducked as Hermione threw out a hand to playfully smack her.

'I don't think about Ron like that!' she whispered to Ginny. But what about earlier when you thought he was going to kiss you? her mind whispered back. 'Shut up,' Hermione said firmly, a comment aimed at both her friend and her rogue brain cells. They were going to have to be kept in check in future. She sighed as the image of Ron came into her mind. 'Oh, I don't know. Maybe I -'

'It was so hard comforting Harry this evening without telling him how I feel,' Ginny interrupted.

'Ginny, I was in the middle of saying something,' Hermione said, feeling a little put out.

'Yes, yes,' Ginny said before continuing as though Hermione had said nothing. 'The poor boy just let it all out, and it's lucky that I was around. Everyone else had gone to bed, you see, and -'

'Hang on a minute, I always listen to your problems and help you, but the one time I might have something I need help with - I'm not saying I definitely do - you don't even listen!'

'Don't be silly, Hermione.'

'I'm not being silly! Am I just the official shoulder to cry on for members of the Weasley family?!'

'Fine!' said Ginny as she got to her feet. 'I'll never come to you again then!' And with that, she stormed off up the staircase, leaving Hermione feeling both angry and upset.

'Crap!' she said, and punched a handy cushion several times. When she looked back up, she was surprised to see Harry standing only a few feet from her, looking slightly apprehensive. 'Sorry,' she apologised. 'Didn't realise there was anyone around.'

'It's okay. I was just wondering if you'd seen Ginny around.'

'Oh, she just went to bed,' Hermione said. 'She was a bit upset.'

'My fault, I suppose,' Harry said as he took the seat Ginny had just vacated.

Hermione looked at him in surprise. 'Actually, it was my doing. I was annoyed with her because I was talking to her about this thing, and she interrupted me and started talking about herself. I know it's silly, but I just wanted to receive help for once, instead of giving it.'

Harry nodded. 'I know. You do help Ginny a lot. I don't mean to sound selfish here, but was she talking about me?' He caught Hermione's look of surprise and explained. 'I know she likes me. And I know how much she tries to hide it.'

'How do you know?' she asked.

Harry smiled a little. 'You're not the only people-watcher around here, you know.'

'But if you know, why don't you talk to her about it?'

'It's not that easy,' he said, and as his smile disappeared Hermione noticed how old and tired he looked. 'I think I like her, but it's too dangerous for her. I'd never want to put her at risk.'

Hermione nodded. 'I have no idea what things are like for you. I won't pretend I do. But maybe you need the kind of relationship you could have with Ginny as a means of support. After all, Ron can be a bit of a dolt at times.'

'You're telling me,' Harry said, and allowed the smile to return to his face. 'What's happening with you two anyway?'

'What do you mean? Hermione asked, not liking the way all conversations she had been having recently involved her blushing.

'Well, you wore make-up just to patrol tonight -'

'That wasn't my fault! April did a glamour spell without me knowing!' she protested.

'Yeah. Okay. I believe you. It's getting really late, I think I'll head up to bed.'

'Me too,' said Hermione.

'Look, it was good talking to you,' Harry said as they walked towards the stairs. 'Really easy. Kind of like we've been friends for ages, if you know what I mean.'

Hermione nodded and smiled at him. 'Night then. And I don't fancy Ron.'

Harry held up his hands as they went their separate ways. 'No one said you did.'