written for the rhr_ficreq challenge
‘“What’ve you done?” Ron muttered to Harry, looking at Hermione’s haughty profile.’ JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, chapter eighteen, ‘Birthday Surprises’, US Hardcover edition, page 347. It’s all JK Rowling’s…
It was a habit of sorts that always made him watch; six years of sharing a desk with someone would do that. So when Ron caught himself staring at the door to the Potions classroom, he told himself it was because he was waiting for Harry.
When Hermione walked through without Harry, Ron turned his head quickly. It wouldn’t be pretty if she saw him staring at her. And she looked in a right strop anyway. Harry was right behind her, looking cold and grumpy, dropping heavily into his seat. She sprung up then, and without a glance to Harry, moved the chair, her caldron, and belongings closer to Ernie. Macmillan looked a little too pleased with his new coziness. Most likely he was glad to have Hermione’s help with whatever they were doing in class today, but Ron would have to remember to keep an eye on the grinning git, just in case. Yeah, and what would I say? Ron snorted. ‘Oi! Quit ogling my used-to-be-best-friend that I buggered everything up with in a fit of pathetic jealousy?’
If Harry was surprised by her sudden move, he didn’t let on. He just shook his head and took out his battered copy of Advanced Potion-Making.
“What’ve you done?” Ron asked Harry, tilting his chin toward where Hermione was now sitting too close to Macmillan. Is he smiling at her? I know they study together sometimes…
Harry scowled and opened his mouth but got nothing out before Slughorn bustled in. Harry shook his head. “Later,” he grumbled.
Had Harry had a row with Hermione? She never argued with Harry. Well, she’d been right put off with him over the Felix…Ron swallowed hard and tried not to think about that day; it only reminded him of, well, everything.
Ron looked back at Hermione. She was looking at Slughorn; hand calmly in the air. Harry was right, I shouldn’t have made fun of her…even if it was a good impersonation.
And then she was talking. It had only been a couple of days since he’d heard her voice, but that had been the first time in ages. Her voice was reassuring and cheering. Until he’d heard her he didn’t realize how much he’d missed it, though it had stung that she spoke to Harry and not him. And since he couldn’t look at her now without looking at Macmillan, the berk, Ron dropped his eyes to his desk and let her voice flow over him. He let his mind wander where it would, not caring what she was saying or that she wasn’t talking to him, just that he could hear her.
Something about sums and parts and wholes? Maybe I can get her to explain it to me later…
Not that he had any reason to think that she would. Every opportunity he took to talk to her since they’d all returned fell completely flat. She’d just sped up to walk with Neville or someone else.
She’s so bloody stubborn! And I know her. She won’t let up unless she has a reason, he thought, remembering third year and drawing small circles idly. An idea was taking shape in his head.
Later that evening, they were sitting as they always did when it was just the two of them; books on the table, wading through yet another round of homework. “I can’t believe you don’t have to write the essay for Slughorn.” he grumbled.
Harry didn’t look up from his Charms homework while he grunted noncommittally.
“It’s not like you actually made the antidote, did you?” he continued under his breath. Harry still didn’t look up. Ron glanced across the room toward the portrait hole where his girlfriend had just left. He’d shrugged off Lavender a few minutes earlier so that he could concentrate on the homework Slughorn had assigned for the class—except Harry—when none of them managed to find an antidote to their poisons. She hadn’t argued with him, and he felt a little guilty about getting rid of her for the night. But she didn’t take Advanced Potions and would have no idea what it was Ron needed to know or where to find it. There was only one other person in Gryffindor who would know.
He’d managed to write Golpalott’s Third Law and his name on the parchment but had gotten no farther. What he needed was help. Real help, not just a note scribbled in the margin of a book. No, he needed…
And there she was, back from the library most likely; his salvation. He smiled just the slightest bit. Time to work a little strategy; two birds with one stone.
He must have made some kind of noise, because Harry looked at him for the first time since dinner. Looking at Ron and then where Ron was staring, Harry shook his head in warning. “Not a good idea, Ron. She’s still pretty mad…”
“When has she not been?”
“She’s angry, Ron,” Harry whispered a bit harsh. “And hurt. I talked to her today about it…”
“What do you mean, ‘it’? About me and Lav-” he lowered his voice immediately. She was scanning the room and did look cross; for his tactic to work, he needed a predictable Hermione. She’d definitely bolt the room if she heard him mentioning Lavender. Bugger that, she might just leave when she sees I’m here.
Harry looked over his shoulder at Hermione quickly, then back at Ron. “I spent the whole of Potions with wet socks and cold toes all because I mentioned to her if she could …if you two could…if she could just let…”
“You didn’t…does she think I put you up to it?” he sputtered. This was critical to his plan. If she thinks I’ve got Harry talking to her for me, this’ll never work.
“Dunno,” Harry shrugged, “She just stalked off and hasn’t said a word to me since.”
Ron looked back at Hermione and sighed in relief. She seemed to be satisfied with sitting in the common room for awhile; she’d taken out a book and curled up on the sofa to read.
Harry noticed Ron staring at her. “You could try apologizing…”
“She won’t even look at me, Harry. I tried talking to her, and you saw what happened: she acted like I wasn’t there,” he mumbled. “No, I’ve got something else in mind…” Harry raised his brows. “I know her. She always has to be right. First I’ll get her to talk to me, and then I can fix this. Get everything back to normal.”
“But how are you going to…?”
Ron raised his voice loud enough for Hermione to hear him. “No, Harry, I don’t think that Potions book will help.” Harry gaped at him. Ron raised his eyebrows. Just play along Harry. He chanced a quick look to Hermione; she heard that, but she’s more interested in her book. “There’s not much helpful in Advanced Potion-Making for this essay,” There! Her eyebrow twitched.
“Playing with fire, mate,” Harry warned under his breath, before saying loudly, “Maybe you could ask Ernie? He looked like he had an idea of where to start,” Harry offered. Ron gave Harry a slight nod, thanks mate.
“No. He did all right but really didn’t get very far...” She’s tilted her head a little. She’s listening now; time to step it up. “I went to the library and found these …” Ha! Both eyebrows up! I’ve got her attention.
Harry thumped open one of the books on the table. “You went to find these?” Ron glared at him. “When did you have time?”
Hermione had turned ever so slightly toward their table, nose still in book. “I went right after class. Didn’t want to waste time, you know.” He smiled. She’d always reminded him not to dawdle; maybe she’d like that he did it of his own accord. “This one says that the sum of the components of the antidote is more than it would be for the individual ingredients. So, if I have a poison with three ingredients, then the antidote will be more than each of those three combined.” He was watching her closely. She looked pleased and seemed to be smiling ever so slightly.
Harry shook his head. “I still don’t get that, Ron.”
Ron grinned; Harry was doing really well with this. “If the three ingredient poison has a half cup of each of the three, then the antidote to those three has to be more than half a cup for each. It’d be, like a cup each, say. So the antidote would have to be three cups total, in this case.” He felt rather accomplished. And when he saw her look up, his spirits lifted even higher. Granted she was looking at the back of Harry’s head and not at him, but still, there was hope here. Yes! I’m brilliant! I know you better than anybody!
“But what are the antidotes that make the volume, Ron? That’s what I don’t get.”
Ron smiled covertly. Harry really was quite good at this. “That’s where I lose it too, mate. I mean, is it wormwood or rue for asphodel?”
“Rue.” Harry nodded.
“I thought it was lovage…” Ron mused. Even I know how ridiculous that is. Come on, Hermione…
“Lovage is for,” Harry cast about for something outrageous, “Polyjuice potion.” Harry grinned. If anyone knew Polyjuice, it was Hermione. She snorted right on cue and shifted to put her feet on the floor. Just a bit more and she’ll be here.
“Nah. Polyjuice needs runespoor eggs…” Ron stopped looking toward her and focused on the book in front of him. She was on her feet now; he couldn’t risk blowing it at this point.
“Everyone knows that roonespoor eggs are in Amortentia, Ron.” Harry scoffed.
“Actually, Harry,” Hermione said quietly from behind him, “Roonspoor eggs are for potions to enhance mental focus.” She still had her book in hand, so it wasn’t a done deal yet. Ron struggled to keep a blank face. He looked up at her carefully. She still wasn’t looking at him, but this was definitely progress.
“We really could use some instruction here, Hermione….” Harry smiled at her carefully.
Ron nodded at her. This was it. He was opening his mouth to say the first words he’d said to her since coming back from the hols when she finally looked at him. And he was struck dumb. The look on her face was almost a warning; she looked just like she did when he walked in on her and Harry in that Charms classroom months ago.
“Won-Won? I forgot to wish you luck before I left...”
He’d been so caught up in his master plan that he hadn’t heard the portrait hole opening or Lavender approach. Hermione moved so fast she might have Apparated, and Harry visibly deflated. Lavender kissed Ron on the top of his head. “No progress?” she pouted. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to pull myself from you a bit longer, Sweetheart. Finish up tonight so we can catch up on our time together tomorrow, all right?”
And she was gone up the stairs for the night. Ron was stunned; Lavender had no idea what kind of devastation those two sentences had caused. Nearly two hours of planning and a half hour in execution were utterly destroyed in less than two minutes.
Ron gaped at Harry who looked completely gobsmacked. “Has she always had bad timing?”
“No worse than mine, I guess.” Ron smiled sickly.
“Look, Ron, if you can’t apologize to Hermione...”
“You saw her, Harry.” Annoyed, Ron leaned forward, pushing books and parchment aside. “She won’t speak to me. How can I fix it if she won’t speak to me?”
“And you won’t trick her into backing down, either.” Harry sighed in what sounded like irritation. “It’s not like fourth year when you tried to surprise the name of her Yule date out of her.” Ron winced slightly, he’d rather not have thought of that, either.
Harry looked intensely at him, “Look, Ron. Are you… happy with this thing with Lavender? Because at Christmas, well…”Harry cleared his throat uneasily, “Is it worth the end of a six year friendship?”
This was a touchy subject. They had an unspoken agreement not to talk about that gift from Lavender. Or the greeting that never came from Hermione; he had a cold, creeping feeling about it then. Harry mentioning it now only confirmed his worries. There is no going back…
Ron thought for a moment. “I thought the six year friendship might be something more, before…” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, since when did he and Harry talk about these things? “No. No, I’m not happy…”
“Then end it with Lavender before someone gets hurt,” Harry said matter-of-factly. Ron must have looked startled. “Or maybe you don’t want something with Hermione, either?” Harry sounded offended.
“On the contrary…I want it very badly.” It was barely louder than a whisper. “It’s just not that easy.” Harry pinched his nose just under his glasses; he looked very tired. They sat in a pondering silence for several minutes.
Letting his glasses fall back into place, Harry fixed Ron with a pointed glare. “You need to work fast, mate. It’s not fair to Lavender if you don’t want to go out with her anymore. And,” Harry smirked, “Hermione is a ‘free agent’.”
“You don’t have to rub it in, Harry.” Ron frowned; visions of McLaggen hanging on Hermione making his stomach flip uncomfortably. And there was Macmillan to watch now, too. Bloody hell…
“You did.” There was an edge to Harry’s tone. “And in more than just words, too, you know.”
“Did I sound as smarmy as you did when I said it?”
“No,” Harry paused and smiled, “you sounded like a complete prat.”
A/N: Apparently, I have a one-track mind. And none of the above would have happened without the gracious and knowledgeable aid of Naiad8 and queenb23more who were both kind enough to stop me pulling my hair out and made sense of some of my more complicated sentences. Harry’s uncomfortable honesty and sincerity is from a series of in depth emails with nates1mom. Ladies, you are all simply brilliant!
