Two Can Keep a Secret

Chapter 13- One step at a time

Hermione and Ron weren't speaking to each other again, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed by that. Fred didn't know that her two best friends knew about them, though she was planning on telling him when things were resolved between them. Harry finally managed to pull her into an empty corridor after class one day.

Harry sat there in silence for the first few moments before he cleared his throat nervously. "So... you and Fred? How long has that been going on for?"

She swallowed. Hermione had expected Harry to yell at her for upsetting Ron the way she did, but this calm reaction was rather surprising for Harry. She tried to think of the exact date. "Almost a year ago," Hermione answered.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "A year?" he asked in a hallowed voice. "You have been keeping a secret from us for a year?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing!" Hermione snapped, suddenly feeling annoyed with him. "I was trying to protect him from the media...and from You-Know-Who. He could easily use my loved ones for bait to get you too. You saw how The Daily Prophet ate up my relationship with Krum. I didn't want to repeat that again."

Harry grew quiet for several moments while he thought about that. "Yeah, but you still should've told us. We're your best friends....at least I thought we were."

Hermione reached for Harry's hand quickly. "You are! I don't know why I kept it a secret from you." She gave a feeble shrug. "It seemed better that way at the time."

"I understand," Harry said finally after a few moments. "You deserve to be with somebody who makes you happy. I'll talk to Ron. I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

Harry tried to talk to Ron a few times, but Ron continued to be mad at Hermione for a few weeks. She didn't feel like attending a quidditch game when it finally came, but she still felt like she had to support them as a team. She had accused Harry of putting his lucky potion in Ron's drink, but that accusation had caused another fight between her and Ron. Hermione had been thinking about ending the fight after the quidditch game until Ron and Lavender kissed at the party and he kept parading her around much to Hermione's annoyance. She knew he was purposefully trying to show off, and that made her furious.

When Slughorn's Christmas party arrived, she had no problem writing a letter to Fred to invite him to be her date. They decided that they would let the rest of the world know about them at that party.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked her when she told him the news.

"Of course. I'm tired of hiding. If it annoys Ron, that makes it all the better." She glared at Ron and Lavender when they weren't looking.

"Come on, can't you just-" Harry began, but Hermione interrupted him.

"No, Harry. I can't. We both need to get ready for the party. I'm really glad you asked Luna. Though I know George isn't very glad about it," Hermione said, as she smiled.

Harry frowned at her comment. "We're just going as friends. What does George have to do with this?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Hermione!" Harry stepped in front of her and pretended to pout.

"Fine. He likes her. He's just too chicken to tell her."

"Really? George and Luna? That's almost as unlikely as you and Fred."

Hermione gave her friend a look, but he quickly added, "But you two make a great couple! I should get ready..." He rushed upstairs before she could make another comment. Ron looked over at her and opened his mouth to say something to her, but she narrowed her eyes at him and headed upstairs.