21. Coming Clean

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"Widdershins," Ron told the Fat Lady who bestowed a friendly smile upon him as she swung forwards. He quickly climbed through the portrait hole to the Common Room and stopped abruptly. Hermione was sitting alone on the red sofa before the fire staring silently into the flames. Without making a noise, he slowly tread across the dark carpet, which was now threadbare in places. He ceased his movements when Hermione shifted slightly against the cushions and sighed. He frowned. It wasn’t that Hermione hadn’t sighed before but she sounded different this time, defeated almost.

"What’s the point?" she said softly. Even from right behind her, Ron had to strain to hear the words. "He’s a cold-hearted prat and always has been."

"Does that mean I can never change?" He’d expected her to jump a little, but Hermione reacted in the extreme. Within seconds, she’d leapt to her feet and her wand was now pointed determinedly between his eyes.

When she saw Ron’s stunned expression, Hermione gasped and lowered her weapon immediately. "Gods, you scared me."

It wasn’t the sudden presence of someone behind her that had caused her to jump so; it was that she thought the person she had been describing had overheard her. The relief was strange but then forgotten as she realized who was actually staring back at her.

"Ron…"

The red-haired boy -man? she suddenly thought- looked seriously at her. "Can we sit down?" he asked.

Wordlessly, she nodded and slowly sank down onto the worn-out sofa cushions. Ron joined her, leaving a good distance between the both of them. Neither spoke and Hermione began to self-consciously play with the tassel of one of the many pillows.

Ron began. "Hermione…about…look, I’m…" He sighed, annoyed with himself. "I’m a royal prat, Hermione. Worse than that. There aren’t words to describe how much of an idiot I’ve been the last few days."

"I’m sure I could find a few." Hermione’s hand flew to her mouth as the words slipped out accidentally. She cursed herself. The first time Ron had looked sincerely at her in days and she’d gone and ruined it. She looked up tentatively and was startled to find a small smile tugging at his lips.

"You should watch that mouth of yours, Hermione. Or else use it to constantly remind me not to slip up again." She returned his smile cautiously and then noticed his hands were shaking. Alarmed, she looked back into his eyes, which were staring entreatingly into her own cocoa ones.

"When you told me about Charlie, you scared me. Confused me. Charlie’s always been my brother; you’ve been my best friend for almost seven years now. What you were telling me, it didn’t make sense, but then it didn’t make sense that you were lying either.

"Everything happened so fast. He’s in Azkaban now, Dad didn’t want him to be-" Ron broke off and then started again. "I came back here and I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for calling you a liar, I did…but then I saw you and Harry and I hated you," Hermione winced, " for being the one who had to tell me. "

"Hermione," his tone was urgent now. "I don’t hate you, Merlin knows how much I don’t. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m so sorry. Hermione-"

At the pure honesty she could hear in his words, Hermione gently reached across and took his hands in her own.

"Sshhh." Her eyes slowly crept back up to his and she was moved to see they were glistening. This told her that he was sorry for taking his hurt out on her more than any words possibly could. She’d never seen Ron show any sign of tears before. Harry once, last summer, but never Ron. He gripped her hands tightly and then suddenly drew her into a hug.

They stayed like that for a while, his arms wrapped securely around her and her head against his chest.

"Do you forgive me?" his voice asked from above her.

She sniffed. "Of course, you silly boy. But I don’t know about McGonagall. Maybe you should be giving her a hug, not me."

Ron laughed openly and she smiled against him. They were quiet for a few moments more until Ron shifted and she heard his voice again. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?" she moved to look at him properly.

"There’s something else. I need to talk about before you were taken…about the Three Broomsticks…I know nothing can happen now, but maybe soon we could-"

The comfort of their regained friendship was pulled out from underneath her as he brought up the one thing that could ruin it. "No."

The look on Ron’s face wasn’t exactly hurt, it was something else that she couldn’t quite place. Confusion?

"No?"

Hermione shook her head sadly. "No, Ron. It’s not because of what’s happened, I’ve felt this way a long time."

"Have you ever-"

She broke in again. "Yes. But it was the wrong time for you and I didn’t act on it."

"When?" he asked softly.

"I think…no, I know, I began to like you after our fourth year but I only fully realized my feelings at the beginning of last year after Ginny commented that we’re fighting more than usual. I started to think that we could have had something, but then, one night, you came into the Common Room, and you were holding Lavender’s hand and smiling like an idiot." She laughed quietly, shaking her head again.

"You never said anything…" his voice was hushed.

"What was I supposed to say? Hey, Ron, I’ve just realized I fancy you, would you mind dumping Lavender even though she noticed you first?"

"If you’d just told me…"

"I’d probably still feel the way I do now, Ron. I’m only your best friend, I can’t be anything more."

"'Only’ my best friend doesn’t justify what you mean to me, Hermione. You and Harry- you’re like family." He stopped as his words began to sink in.

"Exactly. You’re my family too. And that would make you my brother…if I tried to let myself get involved with you…it would feel too forced."

Hermione gave him another hug. "This is what I want."

As Ron laid his head atop hers, he knew he would agree in time.

"You’re probably right. Ah well, I would have dropped you for some gorgeous, leggy blonde in time anyway."

She slapped his arm and snorted in laughter. "You wish, Weasley."

---

Ginny glanced around the library inconspicuously before Harry felt a rustling under the table by his leg. He looked at the red-haired girl in question.

"Every Flavour Bean," she whispered. "Pince is in her office."

Harry grinned and then reached into the bag to retrieve a yellow one. He put it into his mouth and chewed slowly before wincing. His lips pursed and he coughed out, "sour lemon."

Ginny laughed as loudly as she dared and then took one for herself before shoving the purple bag into the pocket of her school robes. She slipped it into her mouth.

"Eurgh…marshmallow." She grimaced before swallowing.

"You don’t like marshmallow?" Harry asked. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised but it struck him as odd that he didn’t already know that about her. He’d spent enough time at the Burrow to compile a long list of Weasley likes and dislikes.

Ginny shook her head. "When I was little Ron told me it was dyed Moke droppings. Since then they’ve always seemed too…squishy to eat."

"I don’t know," said Harry. "I’ve always liked Flumps…but I suppose Ron has a penchant for putting people off sweets. I’ve not eaten a Jelly Slug since second year."

Ginny smiled, remembering. "D’you reckon he found Hermione?"

Harry’s face became more serious. "I hope so. I can’t stand being the ally between them again."

"It’ll be nice for the three of you to be together again." The smile on Ginny’s face faded slightly. She shook it off with another laugh. "You’re probably getting sick of the sight of me all the time, anyway."

He frowned. "What? Why would I?"

Ginny gave him a wry look. "Harry, do you have any idea how hard it is to hang around with a single member of the ‘Golden Trio’? It’s okay during summer- Hermione will stick with me then, but that’s mainly because you and Ron are out playing Quidditch. Since Ron and Hermione have been well, I’m not sure ‘fighting’ is the right word, I’ve got to know you better. Even in just a few days."

Harry regarded her in surprise. He knew that he, Ron and Hermione were incredibly close as friends, but now he saw how Ginny could feel sometimes. She had good friends of her own year, he knew, and some from his own, but somewhere along the line she must have felt like there was some sort of blockade between her and the three of them.

"Ginny…if you ever want-"

She quickly interrupted him. "No, it’s okay, I’d be a tag-along anyway."

Harry held a hand up. "Ginny, I’m sorry if we’ve ever made you feel like that. You shouldn’t even need to say anything about it. You’re never a tag-along. I- We like having you around. Honestly."

She felt a little embarrassed at finally admitting her childish view of her older friends but Harry’s easy and sincere smile made her relax.

Ginny stood up, closing the book she’d been pretending to read. "Come on. Let’s find Hermione and Ron."

As she turned to place the book on a random shelf, she failed to see the look of strange curiosity on Harry’s face. The pair left the library, just in time to miss an exaggerated "Shhhh!" as Madam Pince returned to her desk, large glasses dangling on a chain around her neck.

A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews, they keep me going. The story should progress a little more quickly now, since I've got the sticky 'beginning' over with (yes, I know you're saying 'beginning?!') and I've dealt with Charlie. Thanks and hugs go to Angel for beta-ing. Please review.