Me Too

Suddenly, the door opened. Ron walked through the door into the room, caught sight of Hermione, and walked over to her.

"You know," he said, "there are better places to read than on my bed."

Then he saw what she was reading. "Hey!" he said angrily, snatching the book from her. Then something curious happened. Ron looked as if he were doing some quick thinking, and appeared to struggle with himself for a moment. To her surprise, he handed the journal back to her.

"Just do me a favor, okay?" he said. "Read it straight through. Don't skip anything."

"Why not?" she asked, still surprised that he was letting her read his journal.

"Just...just read it all, okay?"

"Okay, Ron. Whatever you say," she said, happily opening the book again.

He looked at her for a moment before leaving the room again.

December 25^th

I haven't written much this year, we've been busy. Someone's been attacking people, everyone knows Harry speaks Parseltounge, and they all think he's the heir of Slytherin. To top it off, Ginny's not feeling well. Tried to get her to tell me what was wrong, but she just ran up to her dormitory.

Hermione cringed. That was not a fond memory.

March 22^nd

Hermione's been petrified. I don't know what to do. I'm worried out of my mind. We have to find the Heir of Slytherin, before something happens to her. What am I going to do? I look around to talk to her and she isn't there. I want to ask her for help with my homework, but she can't tell me what to write. I want to hear her voice, but she can't talk to me. I'm going to go crazy.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Wow. Ron was crazier about her being petrified than she was. Interesting....

March 29^th

Dumbledore's been sacked. Malfoy's strutting around Hogwarts like he owns the place, and I'm still going crazy about Hermione.

April 14^th

Malfoy said that he hoped someone would die, and it was a pity that it wasn't Hermione. I almost killed him right there, but Harry and Dean wouldn't let go of my arms.

He almost killed Malfoy for her? What a sweetheart!

She spent the rest of the day reading Ron's abbreviated accounts of their years at Hogwarts. She had gotten to the fourth year before things started to get interesting.

December 25^th

I can't believe Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Krum! She should have gone with me! Is it my fault it took me four years to realize she's a girl? Okay, maybe it was my fault. But still, she was fraternizing with the enemy. That's the only reason I was mad. I think Padma Patil hates me now.

Hermione snorted. Then she wondered, was that the only reason Ron was mad at her? She could have sworn....

May....I'm so bloody angry I've forgotten the date

Voldemort tried to kill Harry. This time he almost succeeded. Hermione and I were practically dying with worry when Harry was portkeyed away with Cedric Diggory. Cedric's dead. I can't believe it. Hermione caught that reporter woman who's been spying on us all year. My best friend is bloody brilliant, have I mentioned that lately?

Hermione smiled. Thank you, Ron.

I don't know what we're going to do with Harry. He's torn up about the whole thing. I think there's something he's not telling us. I hate it when he does that.

Hermione read over the account of their fifth year. She remembered all the things he mentioned vividly. The D.A., Umbridge, Firenze, Harry's scar, and the Department of Mysteries. She also found some interesting things she hadn't known.

Ginny's been acting funny lately. So has Harry. I wonder if they've been seeing each other on the sly. Not that I'd mind, but I wish they'd tell me.

Hermione thought that was funny. Ginny and Harry? Okay, maybe it wasn't so funny. And when Sirius died....

I don't know what to do. He's dead. Just gone. It's like some part of me has been ripped out. He was a good guy, he didn't deserve that. If I'm feeling so awful, I can only imagine what Harry's going through.

But the most interesting bits were about her. She was so surprised.

Hermione is still a know-it-all. That's why I love her...Hermione surprises me sometimes. She made a Patronus in the D.A. meeting tonight, and I still couldn't get the hang of it. My best friend the hero, and my other best friend the brain...Hermione was acting strangely today. I hope nothing's wrong with her.

But those were just the best friend parts. The parts that really surprised her came sprinkled randomly in his entries.

Hermione looked really pretty today. Why did I notice? I'm confused...Hermione kissed me today. I think she wanted to make me feel better about the Quidditch match, but she just made me more distracted. Now I'm really confused...Why do I argue with Hermione so much? We bicker a lot, and we remind me of (of all people) my parents. I always wondered how they managed to stay together when they argued all the time, but I think I understand now. Wait, does that mean I like Hermione? Now I'm completely confused.

And this entry. Hermione knew that this was the reason Ron didn't want her to read his journal. But was it also the reason he had let her?

We are home again, the term is over. Ginny is smiling to herself about Dean Thomas (I think it's Dean, at least) and Fred and George are living in London. Now that it's just me and Ginny here, I miss Harry and Hermione more than ever. But especially Hermione. I don't know why it's taken me so long, but I've finally realized why we fight all the time. It came around the other day. I was thinking about the Department of Mysteries, and Sirius, and what would happen if Harry died. I couldn't bear it if I lost my best friend. But then I thought about what would happen if Hermione died, and I felt like a part of my heart had been ripped out, just by thinking about it. I heard someone say once 'you don't love the person you can live with, but the one you can't live without.' I couldn't live without Hermione. So does that mean I love her? I'm not confused any more, because I know it's true. So now what do I do? And why did it take me so bloody long to realize it?

She couldn't believe her eyes. Ron loved her? Oh, Merlin, this was complicated. What was she going to do? Her best friend of five years was in love with her! What was she going to say to him?

And then it hit her. Exactly the right words to say.

"Ron, I love you too," Hermione whispered to the empty room.

Because she had suddenly realized that it was true. She loved Ron! Her heart felt light, and if she hadn't been sitting down, she would have fallen on the ground.

A few minutes later, she heard someone calling her.

"Hermione?" called a voice she recognized as Ginny's. "Hermione? Where are you?"

The redheaded girl opened the door. She looked at Hermione, sitting on her brother's bed all alone, a look of shock on her face.

"Hermione?" she said again. She was starting to sound like a parrot, even to her own ears.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Hermione didn't answer. "What's wrong?" Ginny asked worriedly.

Hermione held up a book. It was a leather bound book, and Ginny recognized as Ron's diary. Even with her peculiar, but not unreasonable fear of diaries, she plucked the book out of Hermione's hands.

She quickly perused the words on the page. Ah. That's what was wrong. Ginny wondered what Hermione would do.

"I...." Hermione said, her voice catching. "I...think I love him too."

Ginny grinned. "It's about damn time!" she said.

Hermione looked startled.

"Hermione," Ginny laughed, "everyone and their great aunt knows that you and Ron like each other. Bloody hell, it's about time you two noticed."

Hermione got up and left the room without another word. Ginny followed her, curious to know what would happen next.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked, once she got to the kitchen. Fred, George, Bill, Charlie and Harry all glanced up from the table.

"He's out in the garden," Harry told her, looking back and forth between Hermione and Ginny. As Hermione walked out of the house, Ginny signaled to the others. They all crowded around the window as Hermione approached Ron.

"Ron?" Hermione said.

He turned to look at her. "Well?" he asked, a strange note in his voice.

She didn't answer, just threw her arms around him. He grabbed her around the waist, and they stood there embracing for a few moments.

Then Hermione spoke, and Ginny had to strain to hear her words.

"Me too," she said.

As Ron and Hermione finally kissed, Ginny firmly closed the curtains.

She turned around and grinned at her brothers and Harry, who grinned back.

"Well, now," Harry said, looking happy, but slightly confused.

"That was," said Charlie, "quite...interesting."