’The sooner he gets here… the better…’ Ha. The sooner he gets here means the less time I'll have with Hermione is more like it.
Ron turned over in his bed. It had been three whole nights since Harry got attacked by dementors, and his father’s words kept playing over and over in his head. He knew that whatever he had to say to Hermione he had better say it quick. This was his final chance. It was planned that Harry would be coming the next day.
Ron tried getting back to sleep, but instead his eyes fell upon the bed that Harry would be sleeping in. In twenty four hour’s time, it would be occupied by his best friend. Ron groaned quietly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Harry’s company; he just wanted time alone with Hermione. He knew that he wouldn’t get any with Harry there.
He turned over again. It was the middle of the night and he couldn’t sleep. His stomach churned nervously as he thought, once again, how and when he would tell Hermione his feelings.
Should he just corner her while going down to lunch? Or ask her to come inside his room? Should he do it while everyone was watching?
No, THAT would be the dumbest thing I could ever do.
He’d just bring her into a private place where nobody would interrupt them, and he would have to do it that day, too. He didn’t think he could bear to wait any longer.
But what if… what if she doesn’t feel the same way about me? I'd be making a total fool of myself for nothing!
Ron grumbled into his pillow.
“I could never talk to her again,” he whispered to himself. Somewhere in the dark, his owl, Pig, hooted in its sleep.
Ron knew that he should sleep, too, for he had a big day to look forward to. It was time he told Hermione how he felt… she deserved it.
*
It was already five o’clock in the evening, the next day, and Ron STILL had not told Hermione. Every time he saw her he cringed with butterflies, but he just could not get the words out.
The Advance Guard, Harry’s retrieval committee, had left long ago, and Ron knew he did not have too much time left.
He and Hermione were in his bedroom playing a game of Wizard’s Chess on Ron’s bed, and Ron was beating her brilliantly.
But it wasn’t that he was winning that made him feel good, it was that she was actually alone with him.
“I think the Queen is the best piece,” Hermione noted, picking hers up and examining it.
“What? You’re mental!”
“Why?”
“Because the knight is most obviously the best piece!” Ron retorted.
“First of all, ‘most obviously’ isn’t proper English.”
Ron grinned. He loved it when she did that.
“And second,” Hermione continued, “how? That thing can only move in a L shape. The queen can move in any direction she wants for as much as she wants.”
“She might be more valuable, yes, but there’s only one of her and a knight has a better chance of knocking out another player anyway.”
“At least you think so,” Hermione said.
“Yes I do.”
Hermione rolled her eyes.
Silence followed as they continued the game and Ron was soon once again lost in his thoughts.
Just do it! Please just say how you feel! Please, there’s not much time left. You’ll never know how she feels unless you tell her how you feel!
“Is that my checkmate, Ron?” he heard Hermione’s voice from somewhere in the distance.
Tell her how you feel!
“Ron?”
Just hurry up please!
“Ron…”
GO!
“Hermione,” Ron said quickly, surprising himself. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked deep into her chocolate eyes.
This caught her attention.
“Yeah?”
He couldn’t believe he was going to do this. “I…I need to tell you something-”
“Yeah?” She looked at him as if she expected something, and leaned in closer to him across the chessboard.
Ron leaned in as well. They were now just a few inches apart. “I’ve been holding this in for a long time.”
“What is it?”
They were now just one inch apart.
“I...” He couldn't think.
Hermione smiled and slowly reached over to his hand and intertwined their fingers.
Ron looked down and grinned. He knew he could say it now.
He looked back into her eyes. "Hermione... I lo-"
But Ron never finished. He never got to tell Hermione how he felt.
A board outside the room had squeaked, and the doorknob turned. Ron knew who it was.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion from that point on.
His stomach squelched with sadness as he watched Hermione spring back up, forgetting him and looking eagerly at the door.
Ron’s heart tore in half as he watched Hermione’s expression change from dreamy to ecstatic. He continued to gaze into her eyes, and he knew that his time was up. There was no point anymore.
He faked a grin and she beamed back at him, also knowing who was on the other side of that door.
Sure enough, when the door opened, there stood Harry, bags and all.
Before Harry could even barely step into the room, Hermione squealed with delight. “HARRY! Ron, he’s here. Harry’s here!”
Without any warning, Hermione leapt off the bed, making the chess pieces scatter, ran to Harry, and threw herself on him in a gut wrenching hug. Even Pig started to fly around the room in excited circles, and Hedwig started to hop up and down on her ledge.
Ron watched silently and listened as Hermione started to tell Harry everything that they had been holding in during the entire summer, still hugging him. His heart raged with jealousy.
He gets everything… everything. Why couldn’t I have just had this moment? I was so close… Just ten seconds more…
The room seemed more cold and gloomy than ever. Just before Ron got off the bed to greet his best friend and calm Hermione down, he looked back one more time at the abandoned chess game.
Only Hermione’s Queen was left standing… next to his fallen Knight.
When Harry Wasn't There by bratface0201
Chapter Notes: This is Ron’s last chance to tell Hermione how he feels! Will he go for it? (Written before book 6 came out... also I think is this a more realistic ending!).