21AUTHORS NOTES:
We start off exactly from a point from the book. The first few sentences are word for word from the HBP Chapter 14 "Felix Felicis". It is from this point on that our Romance story between Ron and Hermione diverges into a slight AU story that will stick to the most major canonical events of the HBP book.
As I had always been looking for a fic that sticks very close to canon and sticks to the characters relatively well, but is still AU, I thought: why not write it myself?
The main idea for the story comes from this question: What if Ron had never kissed Lavender?
We will stick to a lot of Ron and Hermione POV and switch between them very fluidly as conversations unfold. But don't worry, you will be 100% able to tell who's thoughts it is you're reading and through whom we are feeling and experiencing things. Sometimes we will see things from Harry's POV for a bit of a mystery aspect.
I'm aiming at a length for at least 80k-100k words, so strap in and enjoy :) I've already got a lot of this fic written out and planned ahead for future chapters. I'll keep the chapters coming in very soon for the foreseeable future!
Obviously I don't own any of these characters. That's all JK Rowling magic.
"You know perfectly well what we're talking about!", said Hermione shrilly. "You spiked Ron's juice with lucky potion at breakfast! Felix Felicis!"
"No I didn't," said Harry, turning back to face them both.
"Yes you did, Harry, and that's why everything went right, there were Slytherin players missing and Ron saved everything!"
"I didn't put it in!" said Harry, now grinning broadly. He slipped his hand inside his pocket and drew out the tiny bottle that Hermione had seen in his hand that morning. It was full of golden potion and the cork was still tightly sealed with wax.
"I wanted Ron to think I'd done it, so I faked it when I knew you were looking." He looked at Ron. "You saved everything because you felt lucky. You did it all yourself."
He pocketed the potion again.
"There really wasn't anything in my pumpkin juice?" Ron said, astounded. "But the weather's good…and Vaisey couldn't play…I honestly haven't been given lucky potion?"
Harry shook his head. Ron gaped at him for a moment and was hit with a ton of revelations, everything from the past week till now, had just struck him.
Hermione had kissed Victor Krum, an accomplished and famous Quidditch player. There was obviously no need to question Victor's abilities. The same goes for Harry for that matter.
And Hermione was ALSO super surprised when I was made a prefect and not Harry.
And just seconds ago I could have sworn it sounded like the ONLY reason that I saved everything COULD ONLY have been because of a lucky potion, not that I just happened to be playing good, no, in order for me, Ron Weasley, to play good, I need a bloody lucky potion. I just can't, I- Hermione really thinks THAT little of me?
I never really had any hope I'd get to be with her ever since I was too chicken to ask her out at the Yule Ball and she went with…Krum. He kissed her, not me. I'll never be kissing her…I'll never be good enough, and clearly she thinks so too. Every time I accomplish something she's surprised and stumbles for words…which is funny considering she's usually quick to respond in perfectly formed sentences. Well…
Ron could feel tears swelling up in his eyes but he suppressed them as hard as he could and turned to Hermione.
"You added Felix Felicis to Ron's juice this morning, that's why he saved everything! See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"
"I never said you couldn't - Ron, you thought you'd been given it too!"
But Ron already strode past her out of the door with his broomstick over his shoulder.
Ron had just reached the shivering outdoors and felt the cold air on his heated face.
He was angry. At least, that's what it looked like to others. Inside, he was crying tears, trying to masquerade his emotions by acting angry. Ron could see that almost all of the other students had almost reached the castle, so he would be making his way up alone.
He didn't mind, actually he welcomed it. A bit of alone time was what he needed at this moment. He had walked a good hundred feet when he felt some of his pretend-rage fade. His insecure and negative thoughts began to make him more miserable than angry. He began to argue with a mean little voice inside him. A voice he knew all too well. The voice of his insecurity.
She'll never love you. You know that right? I mean, after all, she IS Hermione Granger, top of her class and beautiful. And you are? Ron Weasley. As soon as YOU achieve a tiny little thing, it's a surprise to everyone, considering my IQ is probably the same as that of a mountain troll.
Ron tried his best to cheer himself up a bit.
But I DID become a prefect, and I was chosen for it because, well…I do think I am brave. I went down to the Chamber of Secrets for gods sake. And was almost eaten by spiders when Harry and I went to the forbidden forest to find out more about the chamber. I mean, even if Hermione and I will just be friends forever, I'd still give my life to save hers.
If that terrible scenario were to ever come up I mean…not that I — why am I thinking of terrible scenarios? Er — maybe if I saved her from something really terrible or made a noble sacrifice, she'd fancy me? No that's dumb. I shouldn't be a good person FOR someone else. I AM that way; I am nice and would make sacrifices even if Hermione wasn't around.
But her being around would make it a bit more worthwhile wouldn't it? Oh what the bloody hell…who am I kidding. It would just be another surprise to her, wouldn't it? I mean…when we thought Sirius was a mass murderer, I did jump him with a broken leg to stop him from getting up again…he would have had to kill me and…Hermione…to get to Harry. God I'm glad Sirius wasn't who we thought he was.
Well…it's never happening.
Ron could feel a tear running down his cheek. Nervously he looked if anyone was around. He noticed that Harry and Hermione hadn't left the stadium yet. Now he could feel more emotions coming.
He couldn't walk up to the castle like this, and he had to make a getaway because Harry and Hermione might come out at any moment, and other students couldn't see him like this either. He quickly made his way over to the edge of the forbidden forest. He jumped behind a tree, let his back into it, and sunk to the floor, with a blank expression on his pale face.
A single tear was running down his cheek, which, thanks to the cold, he couldn't even feel. Ron reflected deeply over the past.
Why can't she jus-…why is it so surprising that I- and KRUM. Oh he's a perfect fit for her. I should have know, ever since then, that I could never get her. I mean, really, WHO am I next to Victor Krum…or even Harry for that matter. Who am I, Ron Weasley, next to the chosen one. I don't hate Harry for it all, he didn't chose all this and I know that, but I can't help but hate myself for being such a loser. Also…she seems to fancy Harry. He doesn't need lucky potion to be good at Quidditch. And Hermione called him fanciable and tall…I'm tall too…but apparently I'm not fanciable…
He let out a sigh.
I should have tried to get over Hermione ever since the Yule Ball…that's probably where they snogged too…after I was too chicken to ask her out…but would she have said yes? I mean…she did say that I should pluck up the courage and ask her earlier next time…but what does that mean? She seems to like Harry?
So maybe…maybe she was just being nice…I was acting all jealous and mean towards her and Viktor, perhaps she saw how insecure I was and thought that the possibility of her saying yes to me asking her early to a ball would cheer me up… So, she was just trying to be nice, or try to win the fight we were having…she'd never imply wanting to be asked out by me.
Well…she did ask me to Slughorn's party…but that wasn't much of a "Ron I WANT to go with you", more of a "Ron, we are ALLOWED to bring someone and to make you stop feeling left out, I'll bring you this once, so you can just shut up about the Slug Club already". I do look forward to it though…perhaps I would have caught her underneath a mistletoe? Assuming she'll still want to go…Oh but there are other people also, so her rejecting me would just have been more embarrassing…but…what am I doing?
He began to sober up.
I just saved every Quaffel and helped win the game…I should be celebrating. Okay, let's think about Quidditch for now…and I don't feel like talking to Harry about it either. He wouldn't understand when I told him I don't feel like I'll ever be enough for Hermione, or maybe he'd just laugh at me thinking I must be joking. "You and Hermione?! Honestly mate, you really think you could get her?".
Besides…maybe Harry caught onto the fact that Hermione likes him and maybe Harry wants her as well. Why wouldn't he? Hermione has to be the prettiest girl I'v e-, STOP! I can't keep pondering and wondering "what if?". I need to move on…it won't be easy, but I have to…okay let's go to that party.
He wiped his single tear off of his face, got up and peeked out of the forbidden forest to make sure Harry and Hermione weren't on the path.
Ron had only looked the direction of the stadium when he made his way back onto the path, keeping his eyes peeled on the changing rooms door. As he turned to make his way back to the castle he could see Harry and Hermione walking side-by-side up to the castle, likely no more than 40 or 50 meters away from them.
What did he care if they saw him walking behind them. He'd get curious questions about why he'd gone to the forest.
Surely, the two of them were celebrating Gryffindor's victory with a private snog in the changing rooms,' he thought with a bitter feeling in his stomach. He made his way back to the castle.
Still filled with deep, stinging sorrow in his heart, as he had come to the conclusion that he needed to give up on his desire to be with Hermione, he entered the castle. He never cried about Hermione, but every time she had belittled him or acted surprised over his achievements, he found himself deeply questioning his abilities and with extreme pain in his heart. Like someone had stung it with a hot needle.