After the awkward kiss, Ron and Hermione stood in the hall, each refusing to look at the other.
Ron was very confused. He didn't have much experience in the area of kissing...well, all right, he had none at all, but weren't sparks supposed to fly when you finally kissed that girl you'd been dreaming of since third year?
Maybe the first time was always like that. Harry's first kiss certainly hadn't been the experience of a lifetime...but Hermione was neither crying nor thinking about her dead boyfriend while she kissed him.
Maybe she was thinking about her former boyfriend, though...
But Ron couldn't dwell on this train of thought for long, because Hermione broke the silence.
"Ron, we need to get to dinner," she informed him.
"Yeah..." he said absently, and they resumed their procession.
The next day passed slowly and painfully for Hermione. Finally, she managed to corner Harry and Ginny in the common room on Tuesday evening. "We need to make sure it's working," she hissed at them. "R.R. meeting in the Room of Requirement tonight at eleven."
Somehow, all three of them managed to creep out of their dorms that night. Hermione was the first to arrive. She looked around the room to find it plainly furnished with only a clock, three dark green chairs that appeared extremely comfortable with a table sitting near them, on which rested a pen and paper on a clipboard.
Hermione glanced at the clock and noted that she was six minutes early. She sat herself down on a chair and picked up the clipboard and pen. She labeled the top of the paper "R.R. Plan Details", and then waited for the other two to arrive.
Ginny was next, and she had just managed to situate herself when Harry arrived, right as the clock chimed eleven.
"Hermione, I think we're both very curious as to why you actually broke a school rule to get us here," Harry said.
"Ron kissed me," Hermione blurted out.
Ginny's eyes widened in shock, but Harry only nodded. "He told me," Harry confirmed.
"And you didn't say anything?" Ginny asked indignantly.
"Sorry, Gin," Harry said quickly.
"Look, can we just get to the point?" Hermione asked, irritated.
Harry and Ginny were silent.
"Good," Hermione said in a businesslike manner. "Harry, how has your part in the plan been coming along?"
"Uh..." Harry stalled.
"Harry, if you don't drop the hints about Lavender, he'll never break up with me," Hermione said sharply, and then gave him no time to reply. "Ginny, you have been working on Lavender, I assume?"
"Yes," Ginny said quickly. "I'm positive she likes him."
"And you've been hinting that Ron likes her?"
"Yes."
"Harry, you're sure that Ron likes Lavender and doesn't know it?" Hermione asked, scribbling away on her clipboard.
"I'm totally certain on that, 'Mione. Once he realizes that you two won't work out in this millenium, he'll go for her. I know it," Harry confirmed.
"And you both realize that if any of us are even slightly wrong, this whole plan will go totally askew and Ron will most likely hate us forever?" Hermione asked, still scribbling.
Ginny sighed, and then looked at Harry, who nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, we do."
The next morning, Hermione awoke, feeling cheerful.
Well, she felt cheerful for about five seconds. That is, she felt cheerful until she remembered what had happened.
“One of these days,” she muttered, “I’m going to wake up and realize that this was one really long nightmare.”
She glanced at her clock, assuming that Lavender and Parvati had left the dorm early to do something silly, as they often did.
She realized with a start that she was already two minutes late for Transfiguration, her first class, quickly leaping out of bed and running to her closet to get her robes.
This is going to be a long day…
Draco sat in Transfiguration, feeling his concentration ebbing as Professor McGonagall explained why turning gerbils into owls was so difficult.
He found his thoughts drifting to Hermione. Stop that!, he thought angrily. That disgusting mudblood doesn’t deserve to pollute your thoughts!
But no matter what he told himself, it didn’t work. He kept seeing those deep brown eyes, with their long lashes…her soft lips, moving towards his own…
“Mister Malfoy!” Professor McGonagall called. “You will please demonstrate this wand movement?”
“Er…” he said, trying to remember even faintly what she had been saying, but to no avail. After glancing frantically around the room for some hint, he just made a rather strange flicking and jabbing motion in the air.
“Were you listening to anything I was saying, Mister Malfoy?”
“I…uh…”
At that moment, Hermione burst into the room, looking like she had run frantically through the castle to get there. Draco pushed the thought that she looked beautiful when her hair was like that out of his mind.
“I expected more from you, Miss Granger,” said Professor McGonagall sternly. “As I was about to explain to Mister Malfoy,” she began as Hermione went to her seat, “this is a N.E.W.T. level class. You are here because you received a high grade on your O.W.L., and I expect each and every one of you to act like it. Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger, you will both see me after class.”
“So, why were you so late, Granger?” Draco hissed at Hermione menacingly after class as they walked towards Professor McGonagall’s desk. “Snogging with the Weasel?”
“You know very well that Ron was here!” Hermione said, hurt. “I don’t even “ "
“Thank you both,” Professor McGonagall said. “You have just given me a wonderful idea for your detentions.”
“And what’s that?” Draco asked sarcastically.
“You will learn to work together.”
“But, Professor “ " Hermione started, but was cut off.
“I’m sorry Miss Granger, but you know I am for House unity. Maybe this will promote it a bit."
"But...but...you don't...you can't..." Draco sputtered.
"I believe I can, Mister Malfoy. Report here Friday evening immediately after dinner, please."
The next day, Harry and Ron were in the common room after their classes.
"Ever notice how Lavender looks at you, mate?" Harry asked Ron, motioning towards the girl in the corner, who was, as always, giggling with Parvati.
"Um...sort of," Ron said rather awkwardly.
Truthfully, Ron was unsure of how he felt for anyone right now. If he liked Hermione, why wasn’t kissing her enjoyable? But she was his girlfriend now! He had to like her. After all, he had had a crush on her for three years.
“Did you ever…like her a bit, mate?” Harry asked.
“Hermione?” Ron asked, still thinking about her.
“Lavender, Ron! Of course you like Hermione…don’t you?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, of course I do!” Ron said a bit too quickly.
“Whatever you say, Ron,” Harry said skeptically.
“You’re saying I don’t like my own best friend?” Ron asked angrily.
“You mean girlfriend, don’t you?” Harry said, raising his eyebrow.
“Of course I meant girlfriend! She’s just been my best friend for so long…” Ron tried to explain.
“That it’s impossible for you to be boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all!” Ron defended himself. “Do you…like her, mate? Is that why you’re trying to break us up?”
“What? No! I’m not trying to break you up!” Harry protested.
“Sure sounds like it,” Ron said coolly. “If I were you, I’d stick to my sister.”
“Would you stop trying to change the subject?” Harry asked, exasperated. “I like Ginny, not Hermione, OK?”
Ron’s anger immediately died down, turning into a fit of laughter. "Got you to admit it! Finally!" he sputtered out between gales of laughter.
"All right, all right, it's not that funny!" Harry said indignantly.
"Yes it is," Ron claimed, then suddenly he got extremely serious. "If you do anything to hurt her, mate, I swear that I'll shove you into my cauldron when Snape's not looking. Actually, maybe I'll do it when he is looking, I might get extra credit..."
Harry snorted. "Don't worry, mate. I can't hurt her if she doesn't know how I feel. Which she won't, if I can help it."
"Harry! You can't do that!" Ron protested.
"You're hiding feelings from Hermione," Harry said quietly.
"But...that's...different!" Ron exclaimed.
"So you admit that you are?" Harry asked.
"No!" Ron protested. "That's not fair! You tricked me!"
"Look, mate, why don't we strike a bargain?" Harry asked, feeling rather desperate. "You clear things up with Hermione, and I'll tell Ginny."
"Why do you care if I clear things up with Hermione, anyway?" Ron asked.
"She's one of my best friends, Ron. I don't want either one of you hurt," Harry said. "So is it a deal?"
"Well...fine," Ron said reluctantly.
Both boys were wondering if they had gotten themselves in too deep in the name of friendship, both for entirely different reasons.
A/N: So all the details of the plan are finally out. That was one of the hints I talked about in chapter six. If you'll notice, in that chapter Lavender avoids Ron's eyes, and Parvati is giggling while Ron talks to them, while Ron is too worried about Hermione to pay attention. No, it's probably not true love, but how many people like the person they're going to marry in their Junior year?
Just to clarify, this is not turning into an H/G fic. I needed to have Ron change the subject, and I just ended up writing it this way...
You know the reviewing drill by now...