Like Three Monkeys

Like Three Monkeys

Ron Weasley never saw Harry's badly concealed smirks or Hermione's stolen glances or even her held back tears.

Hermione Granger never heard Harry's suppressed giggles or Ron's hidden compliments.

Harry Potter never spoke about his two friends and their obvious obsession with one another. He never felt it was his place.

Everyone else, however, saw and heard everything. They talked about it too, not to any of the three friends though. Where's the fun in that? Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas had an on going pool as to when "it" would all happen, if it ever did. It had started out as just a Gryffindor in-house bet, but it didn't take long for the rest of the houses to join in. And ever since fifth year, even teachers and staff members had taken to betting themselves, regardless of the rule breaking. It was all too tempting to pass up.



"Do you think Harry knows about any of it?" Seamus whispers to Dean one night after a very impressive row between Hermione and Ron over his favorite topic: Victor Krum.

Dean shrugs, he was growing rather bored of it all. "Don't you think Harry's got a few more pressing matters to dwell on?"

Seamus immediately feels bad, but as usual ignores it and perks right back up again. "Come on though, he's got to realize what everyone else does!"

Dean sighs. "Seamus, it's been six years of regular fighting between Ron and Hermione. Ever think we're the ones who've got it wrong? Maybe we're betting on the wrong couple."

Seamus narrows his eyes and gives his best friend a look of total disbelief. "You can't think Harry and Hermione? That's just wrong...."

"What does it matter?" Dean growls impatiently. "It's a stupid thing to bet on. I mean, seriously, there is a war going on."

Seamus again forces his churning stomach from his mind. "It's a distraction... and a right fun thing to watch."

Dean throws his hand in the air and leaves the common room in an aggravated huff.

"What's with him?" Ron asks as he takes the seat Dean had just vacated.

"Ever since your sister dumped him he's been a bit... short tempered. I think that that Weasley trait got passed to him from all that snogging."

Ron smacks him hard on the arm. "That's my sister you're talking about!"

"What?" Seamus laughs. "You didn't think they snogged? Cause let me tell ya, mate, did they ever!"

Ron glares at the smaller boy and his face turns a very scary red.

Seamus holds out his hands, palms out. He talks very fast in an effort to appease the fire-breathing, overprotective brother. "Sorry... Ron, calm down. I made it all up, Ginny never snogged anyone all right?"

Ron takes a few deep breaths, allowing his face to return to its normal shade. "All right, then."

"Hey, speaking of snogging -" Seamus grins uneasily as Ron's nostrils begin to flare. "- Or not snogging... How's it going with Granger?"

Ron blinks. "How do you mean? What's Hermione got to do with sn-snogging?"

Seamus relaxes slightly into his seat. "Just wondering..."

Ron's eyes narrow and Seamus no longer looks very relaxed. "What are you on about?"

Seamus giggles. "Er... nothing. You know how I am... Well, I've got to be off, tired, you know..."

Ron stares after Seamus as he climbs the stairs to their dorm room.

"I swear he's the only bloke I know who giggles... Weird..."

"You know talking to yourself is the first sign of dementia," Harry says leaning on Ron's chair from behind.

"You should know all about that, wouldn't you?" Ron smirks.

Harry half grins and nods his head.

"Just saw Hermione..." he says with a pointed look at Ron.

Ron shrugs one shoulder. "Yeah... and?"

"And... When are you going to let go of this whole Krum thing? He's not that bad a guy." Harry throws himself onto the couch across from Ron.

Ron scoffs. "Sure, he's a right good guy. Going after a fourteen year-old when he's a grown man."

"She's not fourteen anymore."

"I know! Trust me, I know..." He clears his throat loudly and shakes his head as if to clear it. "But she was fourteen when he started in on her, wasn't she?"

Harry's eyes shine with suppressed laughter. "All right, it's a bit dodgy-"

"A bit!"

"BUT Herm is a big girl, and a smart one. Don't you think she can pick a good bloke to fancy?"

"You'd think she could..." he mumbles miserably.

Harry sighs. "Just lay off her, all right? I'm getting a bit sick of the rowing. And you're just throwing good money away on Krum figures you're just going to destroy."

Ron stares blankly at him for a moment."

"How'd you-?"

Harry allows himself to laugh finally. "All I'm saying is buy one to destroy and use a bloody Repairo spell."

Ron shrugs. "You can't Repairo them after I get through with them."

Harry laughs harder, but quickly clears his throat. "Apologize."

"I will. I always do, don't I?"

"Apologize before you need help with your potions homework. It just looks better if you do."

Ron shrugs again.

Behind them there's a familiar "huff" and both turn to see Hermione standing at the entrance of the Common Room her books in her hands.

Harry yawns loudly and stretches obviously. "Merlin! I'm beat. I'll be heading up upstairs. Night, all."

As he passes Ron he purposely steps on his foot as a reminder to apologize.

"Ow!"

"Sorry," Harry says absently over his shoulder.

Ron and Hermione look at one another for what felt like forever for both concerned before she finally let of another "huff".

Ron clears his throat and stands, his hands so deep into his pockets his whole body was hunched over uneasily.

"Hello."

Hermione rolls her eyes.

"Hello," she answers tersely.

Ron's mouth twitches to the right.

"Er... Sorry for... you know."

"No, I don't. Do explain yourself."

Her eyes are glistening a bright brown.

"Oh, come on! You know what for! .... You know everything."

Hermione just glares at him, ignoring his awkward grin.

Ron's mouth twitches again before he lets out a low growl.

"Sorry for being a prat about Vicky," he mutters quickly.

"Victor."

"Victor," he says, trying not to vomit in the process.

"Really, Ronald..."

Ron clenches his stomach in order to stop it from flipping about.

"...I just don't understand why you're constantly criticizing Victor. He really is a wonderfully sweet person."

Ron tries to mentally stop the blood from rushing to his face.

"I'm sure he is," he says through clenched teeth.

Hermione sighs.

"Why though?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you... fight me so much about this?"

Ron gulps. He wonders why she's blinking so bloody much.

"I - I dunno. I just don't think...."

"What?" her voice is unnaturally high.

Ron's rushing blood had won out, it always did.

"I don't think it's right.... He's old!"

Hermione's face looks quite red as well.

"So what if he's a bit older?"

"A bit? Mione, he's twenty-one! You're sixteen! It's not right! It's illegal!"

"It is not!"

"It was until a few months ago! I had a mind to call the authorities!"

"You haven't a mind at all when it comes to Victor!"

Ron's face now matches his fiery hair exactly.

"I haven't -? Me? Hermione!"

"Are you going to finish a sentence or should I pull up a chair and wait?"

Ron's fists close and he feels a very strong urge to run up the stairs and punch Seamus. Why Seamus? Why not?

"Hermione, he's old."

"Is that you're one complaint?"

"NO! I've got a list, you want to see it?" he asks quickly without thinking.

Hermione can't help the smirk that crosses her face.

"You've actually written out a list?"

Ron feels as though he's sunken into the floor.

"No, of course not," he mutters quietly.

In fact he did have a list written, it was under his many maroon Weasley sweaters at the bottom of his trunk upstairs.

"But I could name plenty of reasons why you shouldn't date that... that... pedophile!"

Hermione bites her bottom lip in a very unattractive way.

"He's. Not. A. Pedophile."

"Well, he... he went to that school and he's learned the Dark Arts, hasn't he? They all learn it there. Loads of Dark Wizards about that place."

"Just because he went to Durmstrang, does not make him a Dark Wizard, Ronald."

His stomach clenches again.

"Sure it does."

"Voldemort went here, and look what happened to him. Next point."

Ron sighs.

"He... he... he's got one eyebrow! It looks like a caterpillar died up there!"

Hermione growls.

"I cannot believe you."

"You should. I happen to be a very good judge of character."

Hermione laughs mirthlessly.

"Says the boy who slept in the same bed as Peter Pettigrew for 11 years!"

Ron blinks at her.

She covers her mouth quickly as if trying to push the words back in.

"I-I'm sorry, Ron. I-I didn't mean-"

"Bugger."

He looks towards the left of her, trying to decide whether to stay or go.

"Ron," she says again in a near whisper.

Ron scratches his ear absentmindedly.

"I-I-"

He can't think of what to say. He knows what he wants to say, but doesn't think it's a good idea to say it.

"It's all right. I guess we can both be prats in one argument."

"I'm a bit tired of arguing. Aren't you?" she asks quietly.

"Course."

He shuffles his feet a bit before meeting her eyes.

"Want to play a game of Chess?" he asks.

Hermione grins, and blinks back her tears yet again.

"You always win."

Ron smirks and shrugs again.

"It's the only thing I can ever win against you.... Besides you've been getting better. And I can show you some tricks, if you'd like."

Hermione looks to the floor to hide her blushing face behind her hair.

"All right."

They sit across one another and Ron sets up the board.

"Ron?"

"Hmm?" he hums as he places the queen on her proper spot.

She doesn't say anything and he looks up at her.

"What?" he nearly whispers.

She stares into his blue eyes and stammers slightly.

"Nothing... Er... so what sort of tricks can you show me?"



Ron doesn't see her hands fumbling in her lap and he doesn't notice her chewing on her lip. He isn't aware of her forced slow breathing or even that her nails were bitten to the nub.

Hermione doesn't hear his beating heart as their fingers brush against each other in their hurried playing. Nor does she heed the affection in his voice when he declares her mediocre move as brilliant. She is unaware of his nervous laughter or his constant uneasy gulping.

And in his room, Harry remains silent as he wonders about his two friends downstairs. Seamus is at his side asking annoyingly personal questions about the two feuding Gryffindors, but he keeps his lips tightly sealed. It's not his place after all.

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