Skewed Perspective

"Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school."

Ron stared at the copy of The Daily Prophet he was holding, barely noticing how his hands had balled into fists that were crumpling the edges of the paper beyond all recognition. The article still stood out as bold as anything, staring up at him in black and white. He threw the mangled paper onto his bed and began to pace the dormitory in quick, angry strides.

Harry and Hermione. Together. Well that just topped everything off perfectly, didn't it? Not that he hadn't seen it coming, he supposed. After all, since Harry's betrayal (for that was how Ron insisted on viewing the situation) Hermione had been spending a lot more time with The-Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived than she had with plain old Ron Weasley. Bloody well obvious where her loyalties lay. Oh, she'd tried to get the two of them to talk and all; but then, she wouldn't want her precious boyfriend to have a fight with his former best friend hanging over his head during the all-important tournament, now would she? Bloody hell, it sickened him to see how blind he'd been this whole time. She'd never exactly been as keen on him as she was on Harry, had she? If it had been Hedwig instead of Scabbers that Crookshanks had been after last year, she probably would have been a lot more careful with that ginger menace.

He snatched up the paper again. "His close friend, Colin Creevey." Ron snorted derisively. Close friend. Right. A thin ray of hope began to filter through. Colin wasn't exactly privy to Harry's most private thoughts. Perhaps he had misinterpreted what was simply an ordinary friendship? And hadn't Ron's own father said more than once how Rita Skeeter liked to twist and manipulate the truth to manufacture a better story?

Yes, yes, that's all it was. Colin had made a remark about how Harry and Hermione were always together, as friends, and that horrid Skeeter woman had blown it all out of proportion. She was obviously prone to exaggeration; after all, she had described Hermione as 'stunningly pretty'. Ron snorted again, this time in laughter. Saying Hermione was stunningly pretty was like saying that Ron was an exceptional student. Oh, certainly, her eyes were a nice color, rather like melted Honeydukes chocolate. And her hair, if a tad bushy, looked fairly fetching when it slipped out of its band and fell around her face. But really--'stunningly pretty'? Ridiculous.

Ron's hope was growing with each passing thought, his shoulders relaxing from their almost painful state of tension. He even allowed himself a spurt of laughter; to hear Colin tell it, he and Harry were best friends! Utterly barking mad, especially when everyone knew that Ron was Harry's . . . best . . . friend . . .

In an instant, Ron's elation deflated like a punctured balloon. He had been Harry's best friend; but ever since the Goblet of Fire had spit out Harry's name, the two had barely spoken. Who's to say that Harry hadn't started talking with Colin more often? Maybe Harry had felt comfortable confessing some sort of hidden feelings for Hermione to Colin, feelings he'd never bothered to mention to Ron. The thought brought a kind of sick twisting to Ron's insides, and he rubbed a hand absently over his stomach.

Why do you care so much, anyway? The thought popped unbidden into his head, in a voice that sounded uncomfortably like Hermione's. He tried to shift it aside but, rather like Hermione herself, the more he tried to ignore it the louder it got, until finally he gave in. Stupid mind, always bringing up stupid logical arguments. Why did he care so much? The way he was going on, it almost sounded like he fancied Hermione or something.

Ron let out a nervous laugh. Of course he didn't fancy Hermione. Of course he didn't! It was just that . . . just . . . that Harry was even monopolizing her! Ron felt his ire rising yet again. Yeah, that was it. God forbid the famous Harry Potter share anything with a nobody like Ron! Didn't want to share his fame, didn't want to share the Tri-Wizard tournament, and now . . . now he was trying to stake a claim on their best friend. The nerve of him! The paper was thrown back down on the bed, by now so battered that it was hardly recognizable.

Well, Ron Weasley wasn't going to be friends with someone who couldn't even share a friendship. No, he would go and participate in whatever disgusting detention Snape had in store for them, but he'd be damned if he'd talk to that glory hog while he was doing it.

Ron was confident when he left the dormitory that he had worked out his feelings. Fancy Hermione? Hah!

But the seed of doubt was planted.

And it wouldn't take long for another event to make sure it began to grow.