Surrender

Harry looked up as Ron climbed in through the portrait hole. Ron was as pale as a ghost and instead of joining Harry in front of the fireplace, went straight up the spiral staircase to the sixth year boys' dormitory. Harry raised an eyebrow at his friends retreating figure before shrugging his shoulders and returning to the Quidditch book he had been reading.

Thoughts whirled through Ron's head as he flopped down on his four-poster. He tried to get his head around the fact that Hermione, his best friend for six years, had said she was in love with him. He just couldn't admit to himself that the feeling was mutual.

Ron was wide awake when Harry and Seamus finally came up. The other two boys who shared the room, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom, had gone home for Christmas. As Harry and Seamus got ready for bed, Ron kept his back to them, pretending to be asleep. He was still tossing and turning almost an hour later when a pillow sailed across the room onto his bed.

"Ron, I swear, I am this close to Stunning you! Either shut up and go to sleep, or cast a bloody Silencing spell!" Seamus yelled across the room.

Ron hurled the pillow back at Seamus and turned his back on him, grumbling. He continued battling with his thoughts until he finally fell into a troubled sleep.

*~*~*

The next morning Ron was early to rise and go down to the common room. He had decided that until he figured out his feelings for Hermione, he would simply avoid her. Easier said than done, seeing as she was in a majority of his classes.

There were few people in the Great Hall for breakfast yet. Good, he thought to himself tiredly. I don't want to talk to anyone. Ron sat down to butter some toast, dropping back to his thoughts.

He didn't realise that he was still buttering that same piece ten minutes later, when Harry walked in.

"Like some toast with your butter there, Ron?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Ron looked up, then down, dumbly. He groaned when he saw the inch-thick layer slowly melting, and threw the toast back onto his plate, before taking another, starting the whole process over again.

Harry chuckled and sat down opposite him, dressed for Quidditch practice. Harry had been appointed the new Gryffindor captain, and had already led the team to victory in his debut.

"Tired?" Harry asked, getting some toast for himself.

Ron yawned widely. "What makes you say that?" he grumbled.

"Try the fact that you're using the wrong end of the butter knife."

Ron looked down at his breakfast again, and saw that Harry was right. He was using the handle of the knife to spread butter on his toast. "Oh."

Throwing the toast and offending utensil down in disgust, Ron got up and walked out of the Great Hall, breakfast completely forgotten.

"Don't forget Quidditch practice," Harry called after him. Ron waved a hand to show he'd heard, but kept walking, muttering to himself.

Harry watched his friend leave, puzzled at his behaviour. Shrugging to himself, he settled down to his own breakfast.

*~*~*

Ron was caught up in his brooding again when he turned a corner in the corridor and almost walked right into Ginny.

"Look out, Ron!" she said, sidestepping just in time.

"Oh, uh...sorry," he replied, distractedly.

"You look terrible," she stated plainly.

"Thanks ever so much."

She eyed him curiously. Growing up as the only daughter in a house of teenage boys, she instantly picked up on his mood. "Who is she then?"

"What?"

As much as Ginny wanted Ron and Hermione to admit their feelings for each other, she also knew that Ron had a habit of harbouring hopeless crushes for girls who, in her opinion, were very pretty but usually as thick as two short planks, a la Fleur Delacour.

"I'm not stupid, Ron. It's as plain as day that you're brooding over some girl. Who is she?"

"There is no 'she'," said Ron irritated. He hated the fact that his sister could practically read his mind.

"Well it isn't a 'he', is it? Mum would probably have a fit."

"Of course it's not a 'he'!" he spluttered.

"So it is a 'she' then?" she smiled. "You'll get over her."

"I doubt it," he mumbled.

Startled by his own answer, Ron pushed past her, heading off towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, hurry up then. We have Quidditch practice this morning," Ginny called to his retreating back. She had become a new Chaser on the team, after the twins, Angelina and Alicia had left school. How odd, she thought to herself, before heading off to the Great Hall for breakfast. The whole conversation was soon forgotten at the prospect of talking to Harry, without her elder brother hanging over her shoulder.

*~*~*

Ron grumbled all the way back to the common room and was so engrossed in his muttering that he didn't see the portrait hole open until it was too late.

Crack! Ron stumbled and fell with a thud as he collided with the Fat Lady's picture frame. He clutched his forehead, which had taken the brunt of the impact and cursed loudly.

"Ron!"

Brilliant, he thought to himself. Just what I need right now. He didn't have to look up to know Hermione was standing over him. So much for avoiding her.

Hermione rushed over to help him up. Ron raised his eyes slowly to meet hers. "Morning, Hermione," he ventured cautiously. Hermione's features softened and a smile spread across her face as she looked down at his sheepish grin and the red lump growing on his forehead.

"Are you all right?" she asked, extending a hand to help him up.

He noticed, for the first time, the small jolt of electricity that sped through his body when their hands touched.

Startled by this new development, Ron mumbled his thanks and sidled past her into the common room. As he passed by, he muttered some kind of excuse, which to Hermione sounded like either, "I have Quidditch," or "I love cabbage." Knowing his dislike of most vegetables, she decided the former of the two made much more sense.

Hermione watched the Fat Lady's portrait close behind Ron. She shook her head, wondering at Ron's odd behaviour as she headed to the Great Hall at a fast walk. Hermione would normally head to the library first thing in the morning, only emerging for a quick breakfast just before classes started. However, this particular morning she simply had to talk to Ginny.