Nico di angelo at Hogwarts

[10] Realizations (Kinda...)

"Ugh !" Harry groaned as he flopped down in an armchair near the fire.

"I hate Malfoy !" He went on to exclaim vehemently.

His friends, who usually would have made a half-hearted disparaging remark about the person in question or inquired of his dark deeds, merely shared a look.

"What ?" Harry asked. He was a bit exasperated from the verbal battle (it would have turned more than verbal, but none of them really fancied detention for a month), and didn't know how he felt about his best friends reaching the point in their relationship where they could communicate with a single look.

Though, to be fair, Hermione could always do that.

Her I-know-you-haven't-done-your-homework-so-don't-lie-to-me-and-get-it-done-this-instant glare was quite well known amongst the Gryffindors.

Hermione heaved a sigh and gently set down the book she had been reading. Her entire composure was that of one about to enter a lion's den.

"Harry, I think - actually, we (that is Ron and I) think that maybe it's time for you to accept the fact that you...don't hate Malfoy."

"What do you mean ?" Harry asked, perplexed. "Of course I hate him ! He's Malfoy !"

That sounded weak even to Harry, but thankfully, they didn't mention that.

Ron growled in frustration. He had been trying (emphasize on trying) to read some complicated book or the other to impress Hermione and he really didn't have any patience left to deal with this very-much-simple-and-obvious matter.

"Look, mate," he said, pressing his eyes with his index finger and thumb as his friends turned to look at him.

"I really wanted to do this softly, to ease you into it - I really did. But I've decided that being straightforward with you is the best way to avoid giving myself a migraine."

Harry indignantly opened his mouth to assert that no-thank-you-he-was-not-that-bad, but Hermione realized that and beat him to it.

"What Ron means to say is that you can be a little oblivious sometimes. But don't worry about it - all the best people are."

Ignoring this exchange, Ron barrelled on, making energetic hand gestures all the while (he was getting passionate due to his efforts to impress Hermione going down the drain).

"You don't hate him, mate. You're just plain obsessed with each other. And don't even try to deny it. You stalked him for a year on the basis of a stupid 'feeling'. He climbed a tree and made a hundred, handmade 'Potter Stinks' badges just to get a rise out of you."

"That was a pretty intense piece of magic," Hermione added thoughtfully.

Ron paused to give her a weird look, which passed unnoticed, before continuing.

"And he lied to a bunch of the most dangerous Death Eaters (some of which he was related to) to save your life - along with ours - and then you made me fly with you into a room full of Fiendfyre to save him and his goons."

"Well, it wasn't like I could just leave him there !" Harry interjected indignantly.

"That's just it, Harry," Hermione intervened softly. "You never could just leave him alone."

Harry groaned.

"It's not that simple !"

"It's never been simple with the two of you," Hermione answered softly.

Harry couldn't believe it. His friends seemed fully convinced that he was obsessed with Malfoy.

And he was not !

He was not.

He wasn't - right ?

"And as if anyone needs any more proof aside from you staring into each other's eyes all day and every day-" Ron began, but was cut off by Harry yelling that he had been glaring at Malfoy, not staring at him.

Ignoring his friend's dramatic outburst, Ron continued,

"You spent your entire Wizarding life calling Malfoy your arch-enemy, while Voldemort was out there, trying to kill you ! Bloody hell, mate ! You had the most powerful Dark wizard out to kill you, and you were just fixated on Malfoy as your arch-enemy !! You were twelve ! Twelve year olds don't have arch-enemies !"

"Rivals, I'm pretty sure I said we were rivals."

"No, mate. You said arch-enemy. I remember quite clearly," Ron countered, nodding his head sagely.

"W-Well," Harry stuttered, a bit flustered. "It was Malfoy who sought me out every year on the train, not me !"

"And the one year he didn't, you went to find him," Hermione continued, as smoothly and softly as ever.

Ron rubbed a weary hand over his face. "Just face it, mate. You've got the hots for Malfoy. And just so you know, we're okay with it."

As he watched the two of them, Harry felt a surge of pride for his best friends, who had matured a lot over the course of years.

"Though I don't know what you see in the the pointy ferret."

Well, as mature as Ron can get.

"He's not pointy any more, Ron. He's grown a bit softer around the edges - filled out a bit, and he doesn't look like a ferret, not really. And- why are you staring at me ?"

Harry didn't know what had made him say all that, but he was just making sure that Ron got his facts right ! Not like he had any personal interest in the boy; therefore no reason for Ron and Hermione to stare at him like that.

His friends just shared a look (again, dammit. He was being left out of their conversations !), before Hermione spoke up.

"Well, if I had any reservations about this theory of yours, Ronald, they have been successfully dispelled."

Ron grinned widely at her and the two of them stood up and walked away, ignoring Harry's calls trailing after them.

"Hermione ? Hermione ! What did you mean by that ?! What theory ?! What reservations ?! Ron ! Ron, what did she mean- ? Hello !..."

Too late, Harry remembered that he hadn't denied having 'the hots' for Malfoy. But it was just a mistake ! He'd just been preoccupied with correcting Ron about Malfoy...not that Malfoy was interesting enough for him to loose his focus or anything like that...

Merlin, what's going on with him ?!

A/N : Hi !!

I made my own cover !!!!!

Actually, I was going to put Nico's POV after this...but this scene went on for so long...I know it's really short for some of you (me included) but I would like to keep all my chapters about the same length from now on. So there's really no point in writing a 2000-3000 word long chapter only to follow it up with a 1000 word long chapter. So next chapter's Nico's POV.

Hope you're enjoying !!

Also, if it's not too much trouble, please suggest some big, completed, Drarry or Solangelo books. I might have already read them, but could you try ??