Aetas nam mutatio by H Cooper
Disclaimer: places and characters belong to J.K Rowling.
*****
It was approaching the end of February and Ron was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Harry, contemplating whether or not to make a start on his transfiguration homework. He had just about decided that it would probably be a good idea to at least write an introduction, and was reaching forwards for his bag when Hermione and Ginny entered through the portrait hole. Something about the way they were walking with arms linked, and the expression on Hermione’s face, made him pause mid-reach. As he watched, they stopped by the staircase leading to the girls’ dormitory, where Ginny seemed to be comforting her friend, before embracing her briefly. Hermione sensed Ron’s curious gaze; turning to look at him she gave a small wave, and headed off up to the dormitory.
Ginny made her way over to them, sitting down comfortably next to Harry.
“Hi,” she greeted them brightly, kissing Harry on the cheek.
Ron dragged his eyes away from the staircase to regard his sister.
“What’s going on?”
“Great. I’m good Ron, thanks for asking,” she laughed.
“I’m being serious Ginny, what’s going on with you and Hermione?”
She watched him carefully for a minute, and then seemed to come to a decision. Sighing quietly, she said, “Hermione’s just broken up with Michael Corner.”
Ron fought hard to control the grin that was threatening to burst out across his face. He was vaguely aware of Harry asking, “Is she alright? What happened?”
Forcing himself to calm down, Ron focused on Ginny as she explained.
“She’ll be fine. She said she’d been thinking since Christmas that it wasn’t really working, and she felt guilty making him think otherwise.”
“So she broke up with him?” This time Ron could not suppress a smile.
Ginny turned her eyes to her brother, shooting him an icy look.
“Yes Ron, but that doesn’t mean she’s not upset about it.”
“Sorry, sorry…I know,” he mumbled guiltily.
“So hold on a minute,” Harry began, “he didn’t actually do anything to her, did he?”
Ron could tell Harry was trying to hold in his protective side just as much as he himself was trying to hold in his glee.
“No, he didn’t. She just didn’t feel comfortable in the relationship any more, in the last few weeks I think it’s been quite one-sided,” Ginny sighed. “I feel sorry for Michael.”
Ron laughed. “I don’t!”
Ginny glared at him. “You could at least try to feel some sympathy for him, Ron. If anyone knows what it’s like to be in his lovesick position, it’s you!”
Harry burst out laughing, while Ron turned a dark shade of beetroot.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he fumed.
“Oh come on Ron, you’re not still trying to hide it?” Harry chuckled, delighting in his friend’s discomfort.
“I am not listening to this! I’m going to bed,” Ron grumbled, rising up from his seat and heading for the dormitory.
“Ron!” he heard Harry call out from behind him. “Oh come on, Ron. Don’t be such a baby!”
But Ron kept walking away, desperate to hide the red cheeks that gave him away completely.
*****
For a whole glorious week, Ron and Harry had Hermione back again. After one rather disastrously uncomfortable conversation, the boys decided to leave the issue of Michael in the past, as they seemed only capable of putting their feet in their mouths.
“So what happened with Michael?” Ron asked casually the morning after Ginny had dropped that particular bomb.
“I’d really rather not talk about it,” Hermione mumbled, lowering her head and taking far more interest than usual in her cornflakes.
“But, you are ok, right?” Harry asked cautiously.
“Mmhmm,” she nodded, not meeting his eyes.
“Because if you wanted, me and Harry could always…you know…sort him out for you,” Ron volunteered.
Hermione’s head snapped up immediately.
“Don’t be an idiot, Ron.”
“What? I was just trying to be “”
“Well don’t. Just leave Michael alone, will you?” she glared.
“So…was Ginny right when she said you broke up with him?” Harry ventured.
“Please can we not talk about this? I’d rather just go back to how things were, without Michael,” she frowned.
“But -”
“Harry!” she said, shooting him a warning look with her eyes.
There was an uncomfortable silence and Ron cleared his throat nervously, the sound of which appeared magnified by the deathly quiet.
“So…these eggs…” he said awkwardly.
That afternoon, Hermione acted as if the horribly tense conversation hadn’t ever happened; a pretence with which Ron and Harry were happy to play along. The three soon settled back into their comfortable routine, the only difference being that the boys would subtly steer Hermione away whenever they saw Michael nearby, for which she was silently grateful.
*****
One afternoon, after some severe pushing from Hermione, Ron found himself alone in the library, studying for his looming Potions test. He didn’t notice that Draco Malfoy had entered the room until he heard an instantly recognisable snort of derision coming from just above his right shoulder.
“Was there something you wanted, Malfoy?” he grumbled, trying to remain calm when the mere sight of the blond Slytherin made him want wipe the smirk off his face.
“No Weasley, I was just shocked to see you actually studying for once,” Draco replied coolly.
“Look, Malfoy,” Ron said through gritted teeth, “I just wanted to do some quiet, undisturbed revision, so I’d really appreciate it if you’d bugger off.”
Draco ignored him completely, continuing idly, “I suppose I’m just not used to seeing you without ‘the boy who lived’ or your little Mudblood. Tell me, are you shagging her yet?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked obnoxiously.
Ron’s face turned a dark shade of lobster.
“Shut up, ferret boy, unless you want me to break your nose again” he threatened, standing up swiftly so that they were now facing each other full on.
Draco, however, seemed to find Ron’s display of bravado hilarious.
“I see, so she won’t let you go that far? Just the odd fumble and grope in the halls?”
Instead of giving in to his temptation to punch him, Ron simply growled, “Hermione and I are just friends, Malfoy, and if you dare call her that filthy name again I swear I’ll “”
Draco interrupted Ron’s rant incredulously.
“What? You mean you haven’t even kissed her?” He laughed spitefully. “For God’s sake Weasley, isn’t it enough that I was forced to watch you two skipping around each other for six years? Now she dumps her boyfriend for you and you still insist in indulging in this stupid game?”
Ron’s mouth dropped open as he tried to take in what Malfoy was saying.
“Honestly, you might as well be a man and do something,” he was sneering. “Oh, but silly me, I forgot “ you’re not a man, are you Weasley? You’re a pathetic excuse for a wizard.”
And with that he swept out of the library, leaving Ron struggling to work out what on earth was going on.
*****
Harry looked up when Ron failed to reply. Smiling at the dazed expression on his friend’s face, he tried again.
“Hi, Ron.”
Slowly, and with obvious effort, Ron turned to look at him. After a moment’s pause, he seemed to realise that Harry had actually said something.
“Huh?”
“I said ‘hi’,” he laughed. “Are you ok?”
Ron shook his head, his mind a jumble of thoughts. After a moment, he looked at Harry and said, “You would never believe what ferret boy just said to me.”
“Malfoy? What did he say this time? That arrogant, jumped-up little tosser…did you punch him again? Please, God, say you punched him again!”
Ron gave a vague smile.
“No, ’fraid I didn’t. Almost wish I had, though.”
“Why? What did he say?” Harry looked concerned, and Ron could almost see the cogs ticking in his brain, eager to come up with some reason to beat Malfoy up.
Laughing nervously, he said, “He suggested that Hermione “ I dunno “ fancied me or something! He couldn’t understand why I wasn’t ‘shagging her’ yet. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
However when Ron scanned Harry’s face he did not find the incredulity he expected to see mirrored there. In fact, his friend burst out laughing.
“What? Why are you laughing?” The tips of Ron’s ears were beginning to turn a dark shade of pink.
“Well firstly,” said Harry, after he had composed himself somewhat, “the thought that Malfoy was actually giving you advice. Now that is possibly the strangest thing I have ever heard! But I’m mainly laughing because of how shocked you look at what he said!”
“Well…aren’t you shocked?” Ron asked, perplexed.
Harry just stared at him with open-mouthed disbelief.
“Am I shocked? No, Ron, of course I’m not bloody shocked!”
“What? Why not? I mean, the idea that me and Hermione “”
“Oh would you just stop lying, Ron?” Harry groaned, exasperated. “I know you like Hermione. Of course I know! I’m not a complete idiot.”
Ron gaped at him, stuttering wildly but unable to actually form a sentence.
“And anyone with half a brain cell would realise that she likes you too!”
“What?”
“Don’t be thick, Ron, you heard what I said.”
“But…but…”
“But nothing. God only knows how you haven’t noticed it for the last FOUR YEARS, though. I mean, come on mate, she broke up with her boyfriend because of you!”
“That’s not true. Ginny said she felt like it wasn’t working anymore!”
“Oh I wonder why,” Harry replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “We all saw you two at the Christmas party, Ron. And besides, that’s not what Ginny told me.”
“Why? What did Ginny tell you?”
Harry raised an eyebrow.
“What do you think she told me?”
Ron stared at his feet, shuffling in embarrassment.
“Well, I think I might know, but I don’t want to sound like an idiot…”
“Oh, bloody hell Ron!”
“Ok, ok! It’s just…I mean I never thought Hermione would even consider…I hoped, of course, but“” he stopped when he noticed Harry’s grin. “What?”
“So this is it then? You are finally admitting that you like Hermione? No excuses, no lies?”
There was a moment’s silence as Ron considered what he was about to say. Finally, he looked up and met Harry’s questioning gaze.
“Yup, I suppose it is.”
Harry beamed from ear to ear.
“Finally! Can’t believe it took you so long to tell me, though,” he scorned mockingly.
“Yeah…sorry about that. I just thought you’d be sort of strange about it,” Ron shrugged. “So…Hermione actually likes me?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Ron looked uncomfortable and, after an awkward silence where Harry watched him try and fail to speak, he finally managed to choke out, “So…now what?”
Shrugging helplessly, Harry said, “I suppose you’ll have to tell her.”
“Right,” Ron replied, attempting to sound confident. “How exactly do I do that, then?”
*****
Hermione jumped when she heard someone clear their throat right behind her. Spinning around, she saw Ron standing by her chair, looking even more awkward than usual.
“Hello Ron,” she said, smiling.
“Can we, umm, can I talk to you?” he asked, his cheeks turning tomato red.
“I had presumed that that was what we were doing,” Hermione laughed.
“No, I meant, would you come and walk with me, or something?”
“What’s the matter? Why can’t we talk here?” she replied, becoming gradually more concerned.
“It’s sort of…private,” he muttered, speaking so quietly that she had to crane her neck forward to hear him.
“Well it’s quite late, Ron, we shouldn’t really be wandering in the corridors.”
He gave out a groan of frustration.
“Always with the bloody rules, Hermione! Well then, can we go to the boys’ dorm? The others aren’t back yet, and I really need to talk to you.”
Taking in the look on his face, she closed her book and stood up.
“Fine.”
For some reason unfathomable to Hermione, Ron suddenly looked terrified.
“Well? Shall we go then?”
Nodding dumbly, he led her up the stairs to the dormitory. Closing the door behind him, Ron watched as Hermione sat down on his bed and regarded him curiously.
“So?” she asked expectantly.
“Hermione, is there anything you want to tell me?”
*****