Chapter Text
The fire and moonlight was the only thing that still shined as Hermione walked up to the dorms. Ron, who was now left alone, sat on one of the couches, unable to stop his mind from wandering to the one person he shouldn’t be thinking of. Harry Potter. Who was currently with Cho Chang who Ron had taken a disliking toward.
He didn’t want to think about what they could be doing because thinking about it meant that he cared. And Ron didn’t care. Or at least he knew he shouldn’t. Five years of knowing Harry, and up until last year Ron wasn’t having an internal crisis over his best friend. A crisis he refused to deal with.
The portrait door swung open, dragging Ron’s eyes toward it, and in stepped Harry, dark hair more tousled than usual, cheeks flushed, and a smile that would put the sun to shame.
“What happened?” Ron asked, barely listening for the answer he already knew. Harry sat down in front of the fireplace instead of next to Ron. The ginger’s heart slightly plummeted without his permission.
Stop caring , he told himself. It wasn’t a big deal. Then why did it feel like it?
“We, uh, we kissed,” Harry replied, his smile never faltering.
“How was it?” Ron leaned forward, pretending to be intrigued.
“It was sort of… wet?” Ron frowned at Harry’s answer. “Well, she was crying.”
“That bad at it, are you?” he teased.
“Oh, shove off. Who are you to judge?” Harry teased back. “You’ve never kissed a girl!”
“I know not to make them cry!” He exclaimed and Harry scoffed. “So what’s going to happen now? I mean are you dating?”
“We’ve only kissed, Ron!”
“I know, but,” he trailed off for a brief moment, trying to keep his thoughts straight. “What if that’s all it was? A kiss?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing! She just lost Cedric and, I don’t know, maybe she’s trying to replace him.”
“What?” Ron watched the smile drop from his friends’ face. “You don't think she could like someone like me?”
“That’s not what I said!”
“But it’s what you’re implying!”
“Oh fuck off, Harry, you know that’s not what I meant!”
“Whatever, Ron.” Harry got to his feet and stormed off to their dormitory, leaving Ron more ticked off than he already was.
Now, pulling away from the hug with Harry, he finally understood the jealousy that stemmed from his heart in his fifth year. He now knew why he had hated Cho, who had done nothing than be nice to him. He should have known. It was so obvious, it had been hiding in plain sight. But Ron had been blinded by denial of having such feelings that it took him until a few weeks to realize he was in love with his best friend. And it was not Hermione that he made out to believe.
Ginny was next to hug Harry and a hint of jealousy flickered in Ron. Not only has Ginny fancied Harry since she first heard his name, but she was a girl. How was he supposed to compete with that?
“It’s so good to see you, Harry!” Ron’s mum exclaimed. “I’m afraid you and Ron will be having to share a room and a bed this time around. I hope that’s alright with you, dears.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Harry smiled. “Ron?”
“Um, yeah, that’s fine.” He spoke, trying to keep his voice even. How was he going to get through this? He already knew he was going to spend the rest of the summer with Harry, but sharing a bed with him was too much. Harry was going to find out and Ron won’t be able to live with himself if he did.
After talking, Hermione had left Ron’s room, the two boys got ready for bed and moved under the covers, their arms awkwardly brushing against each other as they lay there. Ron could hear Harry’s ragged breathing and wondered if his friend could hear how his heart raced every second.
“Are you awake?” Ron asked, filling the silence. It was a stupid question, but he was desperate for conversation.
“I don’t fall asleep as quickly as you do, Ron.”
Ron snorted quietly, slightly amused.
“Don’t be a dick, Harry.”
“You’re one to talk.”
“Oi! Don’t be rude .”
“Well, then, don’t be a dick.” Without even looking, Ron knew his friend wore a smirk. Always been quite the cocky bloke.
“Alright. Alright.” Ron slightly shifted, causing his leg to bump into Harry who didn’t seem to notice at all. If only he knew the panic it brought inside him. “Does Ginny know you’re an arsehole?”
There was a long pause.
“Why would Ginny care if I was or not?”
“I just figured– I mean– since you’ve ditched Cho, I figured you’d go after my litter sister. Which I suppose if anyone had to date her– you’re a proper bloke.”
“Ron, what are you talking about?”
“I mean you like her, right? You like Ginny.” The last part came out more like a statement than a question.
“What are you on about? Why would you think that?” Harry asks, sounding almost offended.
“Well what’s wrong with thinking that? Why are you acting like fancying Ginny is a bad thing?” He yelled in a whisper, trying not to wake the rest of the Burrow.
“I’m not! Ginny is lovely but I don’t fancy her . I like someone else, Ron!”
“You like–” Ron stopped himself, taking in the information. Harry didn’t like Ginny. Who could it possibly be then? Parvati Patil? Harry did take her to the Yule Ball. Or was it a Slytherin and that’s why he hasn’t told either him or Hermione? Or was it… “Is it Hermione?”
“Merlin, no! She’s like a sister to me.”
“Then who?” Ron lightly pressed. But when Harry didn’t answer, Ron knew he would have to press a little harder. “Which girl gets The Chosen One?”
“It’s no one, just let it go.” He turned his back toward him which Ron didn’t appreciate. Reaching forward, Ron yanked Harry’s shoulder hard enough so Harry was now facing him.
Ron’s breath hitched as he got a perfect view of Harry’s full face. His hair fell over his scar but Ron had memorized it to the point where he knew where each line connected to another. His pupils were blown, emerald green iris shimmering from the candle that was lighting up the room. But the thing Ron couldn’t keep his eyes off were his lips, slightly parted due to the shock of their proximity.
“Luna,” Harry whispered. “I fancy Luna.”
“Oh.” Ron was an idiot for thinking it was about to lead to something more. Although he had hoped. He hoped Harry would pull him down by the collar of his shirt and kiss him senselessly. But he was only a fool. “For, uh, how long?”
“You know, since last year.”
“Oh,” Ron repeated. But he knew he had to say more. “That’s um-lovely. She’s lovely.”
“Er– yeah… she’s great. Very smart and… has nice skin.”
“Yeah. Nice skin.” He replied shortly before turning his back to Harry. “You might as well tell her. She probably likes you back.”
“... You think so?”
“Sure.” He swallowed any sentence of a real compliment. “I mean, you’re the Chosen One. Who wouldn’t like you?”