To Love and Betray

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed as she broke apart from Harry and stood up. Harry followed her lead, stumbling as he tried to pull himself back together. Ron was glaring at both of them, face flushed with anger.

"Now Ron," Hermione said. "It's not what you think."

"Oh it's not, is it?" he said coldly. "Well than what is it? Because it looked to me like my two best friends were snogging the hell out of each other."

"We-"

"I don't want to hear it, Hermione," Ron snapped, holding up his hand. "It's quite obvious what I've interrupted."

"How'd you know we were here?" Harry demanded.

"Oh I don't know," Ron said sarcastically. "Maybe it was the fact you, her, and your Firebolt were missing, or the fact that I found this," he held up Harry's note, "lying below the open window, or wait, maybe it could be this curious arrangement of trees that reads 'I LOVE HERMIONE'. What do you think, mate?"

Harry was lost for words.

"I thought so," said Ron. "Should I inform everyone that you'll be late for breakfast?"

"Ron, please!" Hermione begged. "Don't be that way, just listen to me!"

"Listen to what, Hermione? There doesn't seem to be much left to tell. You and Harry are apparently madly in love, and it clearly doesn't seem to matter if I know. I guess I'm just an accessory to you now. Oh, there's no need tell Ron. I'm sure he doesn't care."

"Ron, of course I don't think of you that way!" Hermione cried, tears brimming in her eyes once more.

"Well you do a bloody good job of acting like it," he returned.

Hermione broke down into sobs. Harry came up to put a comforting arm around her. Ron stared at him in disgust.

"Look, Ron," Harry said. "I'm sorry we didn't say anything. But it all happened so fast and I never had a chance to talk to you. You would have been the first person I would tell."

"Yeah right," said Ron. "I'm always the last to know!"

Harry felt his temper rising. "You're not! Ron, just listen to me! I thought you were my friend!"

"I thought Hermione was your friend too," Ron retorted. "But from the looks of things I'd say that's not the case."

Harry was boiling with anger. "Fine! Be that way!"

"I will!" Ron shouted back at him. "I'm tired of being referred to as 'Harry Potter's sidekick' anyway! You and Hermione do whatever you want because I never want to talk to either of you again!"

With that, Ron grabbed Harry's broom and shot back off toward the castle.

"HEY!" Harry hollered after him. "THAT WAS MINE!"

It was no use; his former best friend was long gone. Harry then turned his attention back to Hermione who was still crying into his side.

"This is awful," she sobbed. "I wanted R-ron to b-be happy for us. N-now ev-veryone's going to b-be mad."

"Don't worry, Hermione. It was probably just a shock for Ron and I'm sure he'll come around," Harry coaxed, hoping that what he was saying was true.

"I hope so," she said.

She grabbed his hand and their fingers intertwined. "Let's go, Harry."

They walked slowly back up to the castle, hand in hand, her head lying against his shoulder. When they reached the common room, there were greeted by a round of applause from virtually all of Gryffindor. The sixth and seventh year boys came up and clapped Harry on the back.

"Way to go, lad!" Seamus said, but Harry was ignoring them. He was searching the crowd for Ron, determined to make him listen if Harry had to tie him down. He finally found him, sitting in the corner of the room by the fire, hunched up with his face in his hands.

Harry managed to tug Hermione away from the cheering crowd over to where Ron sat.

"Come to torment me some more?" he asked, not lifting his eyes.

"No," Harry replied. "You have to hear us out."

"I don't have to do anything," said Ron, standing up and glaring at them. "I am Head Boy and as such I'm giving you both detention for being out on the grounds before curfew."

He stormed off to the dormitories, leaving Harry and Hermione looking stunned. Harry took off after him, but Ron had locked the entrance and Harry didn't push it further.

When he returned downstairs, he looked at Hermione solemnly.

"He's not going to talk to us."

Hermione sighed. "Don't blame yourself, Harry," she said soothingly. "I can understand his being mad at us. I mean, how would you feel if your two best friends of seven years started dating?"

"I see what you mean," he replied. "But did he have to give us detention?"

"He had every right to," she said. "We did break the rules. I know he wouldn't normally do it, but he's just mad at us. In laments terms, he's just being Ron. Short-tempered and moody."

"I guess you're right, Hermione," Harry said. "I just can't stand it when he gets mad at me."

"Welcome to my world," she chuckled.

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "You're right. I'm sure he'll cool off eventually. If I know him, he probably just needs some time."

Hermione nodded. "Come on, Harry. Let's pick up where we left off."

After finding Harry's Firebolt mere inches from the fire, they returned to the lake.

***

Harry soon found out that his prediction about Ron had been very wrong. True to his word, the youngest Weasley son spoke not a word to either of them for days. Whenever he passed Harry or Hermione in the corridors, he'd always keep his head down and keep on walking. If they had to work in pairs during class, Ron would grab Neville first because he knew the round-faced boy would comply, even if he did have a tendency to blow up every potion he concocted. He even forced Dean to trade four-posters with him so that he wouldn't have to be next to Harry. He was behaving as though he hated Harry worse than he hated Draco Malfoy, as if Harry were the bane of his existence. Ron Weasley was isolating himself from his former friends.

People began to notice his unusual behavior. Often times Harry might be stopped in the corridor or approached in the common room and asked if something was wrong. Professor McGonagall even kept him after class once to ask what was going on. From her tone, she sounded as if she were scared that Hogwarts might be losing their Dark Arts fighting trio. Harry simply responded to all of them by saying it was too complicated.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione would try to forget about Ron's attitude by spending time with eachother. Nothing warmed them more than to walk hand in hand along the grounds. They walked to classes together, ate meals together, and sat together in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed, often times indulging in deep, passionate kissing. However, Ron wasn't the only one who wasn't as supportive of their relationship as most were. Malfoy would go off mocking them whenever he saw them together.

"There goes Potter and Granger!" he would say. "The Hero and the Mudblood! Say Potter, I thought someone like you wouldn't sink that low!"

Harry would always cover Hermione's ears and tell Malfoy to shove off when this happened. Malfoy would always cackle at them and take off with Crabbe and Goyle blundering along in his wake, occasionally breaking into a round of "Weasley Is Our King" to make matters worse. Nevertheless they were happy, and their love began to grow stronger, but at the same time their relationship with Ron was growing weaker. He continued to ignore them for over a week, and when he finally did speak to them again, it was of no cheerful tone.

It was a week before the start of Quidditch season, and it was time for a new Gryffindor Captain to be chosen. Angelina Johnson had left the previous year, but beforehand she and Madam Hooch had selected her replacement. It was now time to make the announcement, and the entire Gryffindor team had been called down to the pitch. However, the team was now three members short due to the fact that all the Chasers were gone.

"Gather 'round," said Madam Hooch as Harry, Ron, Andrew, and Jack eagerly awaited the announcement. Hermione, to Ron's disgust, stood behind Harry holding his hand.

"The new Gryffindor Team Captain is," she gave a dramatic pause, "Harry Potter."

Harry's mouth dropped open as Madam Hooch handed him the golden C to put on his Quidditch robes. He couldn't believe it. Captain. Andrew and Jack clapped their hands and waved their clubs in the air. Hermione reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's wonderful, Harry!" she exclaimed. "Do you want me to sew it on for you? I've had a lot of practice after making all those house-elf clothes!"

"Uh, sure," said Harry. He was watching Ron, who had stormed off upon hearing the announcement. His fists were clenched and though Harry couldn't see his face, he knew Ron was red with fury. Harry dashed after him, which would soon prove to be a mistake.

"Ron!" he said. "Talk to me! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Surprisingly, Ron turned to face him. He was glaring at Harry in a somewhat Uncle Vernon-like manner, and his muscles were flexed as though he might try to wrestle down a troll single-handedly.

"You want to talk?" he said coolly. "Fine, let's talk. But, about what Harry? How you stole what should have been a glory moment for me by getting the Quidditch Captaincy? Just couldn't let the whole Head Boy deal get by you could you? You had to beat me at something, didn't you? Or did you want to talk about how you betrayed me by going out with Hermione when you knew I liked her?"

Harry gaped at him. "Ron, I had no idea-"

"Of course you didn't!" he barked. "You were to busy trying to get her for yourself!"

"That's not true!" Harry shouted.

"Of course it is!"

"Ron I would never do that to you. I couldn't help what happened between Hermione and me. Some things just happen without you knowing."

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Ron bellowed. Without another word, he reared back and punched Harry in the face as hard as he could. Harry fell to the ground, clutching his face, which was already turning bloody.

"MR. WEASLEY!" shouted Madam Hooch from a few feet away.

Ron ignored her and stomped off toward the castle.

"MR. WEASLEY, YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

When he continued to ignore her, she stamped her foot and knelt down to examine Harry (after having to pry a shocked Hermione off of him).

"Broken nose," she said. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Kirke, take Potter up to the infirmary. I need to go have a word with Mr. Weasley."

Hermione and Andrew obeyed, picking up Harry from the ground and escorting him off the Quidditch Pitch.

***

Ron burst through the front doors into the Entrance Hall. He knew Madam Hooch would be on his tail, so he quickly hid in a nearby empty classroom. He found a small desk and sank down in it, filled with anger at everyone, including himself. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He'd punched his best friend, possibly hurt him badly, and he had no right in the world to have done it. Now Harry would never forgive him and neither would Hermione. At the thought of her, he slapped himself. She would hate him for this. And wasn't she the reason he was so angry in the first place? It hadn't been so much the fact that she had gone out with Harry that got him; it was the fact she had gone out with anyone. Ron tried to deny it, but he knew he was jealous. He had wanted her for a long time, but he had waited too late and Harry made a move first. On top of that, he didn't know how Harry had fallen in love with her. They had always been just friends, and then suddenly they were in love.

He's just like you, Ron thought. He just got up the courage to talk to her.

Ron slapped himself again for having missed his chance.

For an hour he remained in that empty classroom, just trying to figure out what to do.

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

Ron jumped up as Hermione broke into the room.

"How'd you find me?" he asked defensively.

She held up what he recognized as the Marauder's Map. Harry never told him where he kept that map stashed.

"YOU BROKE HIS NOSE!" she yelled at him. "HOW DARE YOU HIT YOUR BEST FRIEND?"

"FRIEND!" Ron hollered back. "WHAT KIND OF FRIEND IS HE?"

"A very loyal, caring, and honest one!" she answered a little more calmly. "And you were stupid to think anything else!"

"So now I'm stupid am I?"

"If you think of Harry in that way you are!"

"Fine then!" he snapped, temper flaring once more. "I'm stupid! You just go find Harry and be alone with him. He's the only one you care about anyway!"

She glared at him. "That's not true, Ron! I care about you too! That's why I'm here. I think you need to go apologize to Harry. You'll be ruining a perfectly good friendship if you don't!"

"Give me one good reason why I should!"

"Because you're important to him Ron! And he's important to you. You two have been friends since we started school and look at what you've accomplished together. If you two break off your friendship, many terrible things could happen!"

Ron stood there for a moment, staring at her. Then without notice, he left the room. But to Hermione's dismay, he did not go to the infirmary but returned to Gryffindor Tower.

"Fine," she said. "I warned you Ronald Weasley."

She turned on her heel and went to rejoin Harry.