Break it Up (Ron Weasley)

3. First Day Lunch

I waved once I finally found Cedric and some friends at the table in the Great Hall and made my way over to them.

"So," Cedric began once I sat down, "You will never believe what happened to Hermione and I in herbology."

I really hadn't noticed Hermione and Cedric hanging out so much until Ron brought it up, but now, something about it was making me upset.

"What happened?" I asked.

"First, Professor Sprout came over to us to ask about our summers and all that. We both went to answer, when-"

Cedric stopped short as his eyes fell on someone behind me. I turned around to see Hermione waving and gesturing to Cedric.

"Are you telling her about herbology?" she yelled over the table. Ron sat across from her and turned to face us. He was once again clearly showing how he felt on his face as he looked at the two of us with disgust.

"Yeah! And I was just about to get to the good part!" Cedric called back. He waved his hands toward the both of us. "Come tell it with me!"

She stood up and ran over to our table. I caught a glimpse of Ron just shaking his head in disapproval.

"Okay, so," Hermione began, but I was barely listening to their story. It wasn't even very funny.

"Oh you had to be there, y/n," Cedric remarked in between laughs.

"Yeah, I bet," I replied with a forced smile.

Cedric and Hermione continued their conversation as I looked down at my plate. I had barely touched my food. I wasn't really hungry.

"Psst," I heard from behind me. I looked up and turned around. It was Ron.

"Psst!" he said again, louder this time. "Y/n!"

"What?" I asked, turning my body fully around on the bench to face him.

"Come over here!"

I looked back at Cedric who was fully engaged in his conversation with Hermione. He wouldn't notice if I left to go sit with Ron.

I got up and walked over to sit opposite Ron and Harry, who were in some kind of argument of their own.

"What?" I asked, sitting down.

"Y/n, we have got to do something about Cedric and Hermione," Ron said, looking exhausted. "It's too much."

"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous Hermione has other friends," Harry remarked matter-of-factly.

I looked back and fourth between the two of them as they bickered more about their friend.

"Do something? Like what?" I asked, unsure of Ron's intentions.

"Like make them stop being friends. It's annoying," Ron huffed, looking back at the two of them once more.

"She is allowed to have other friends, Ron," Harry said. He then looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. "If you do decide to do something, I want no part of it."

"Fine," Ron scoffed, then looked back at me. "You in?" he asked with his mouth full of food. Classy.

I didn't know how to respond. Cedric and Hermione being friends really didn't bother me that much. It definitely wasn't bothering me enough to intervene in their friendship.

"No," I said, slowly standing up from my seat.

"No?" Ron asked, stopping chewing. "Ha!" Harry exclaimed. "Thank you for having some sense, y/n."

"Fine," Ron said, crossing his arms. "But if you ever want in, the offer still stands..." he trailed off.

"Why would I even want to do that?" I asked.

Ron's face scrunched up. "Well, you know, since you like Cedric and all I thought that-"

"Since I what?" I interrupted, taken back by his words. "I do not like Cedric." He's just my best friend. Plain as that.

He scrunched his nose up more. "You don't?" he and Harry said in unison.

"No! Why would you think that?" I asked, sounding desperate now.

Ron and Harry exchanged confused glances. "Uh, I don't know," Ron said. "I just thought, since the two of you are always together..."

"He's my best friend," I shot back.

Then, I raised an eyebrow at Ron.

"Is that why you want them to stop being friends? Because you like Hermione?"

Harry let out a snort and Ron's face flushed red. "No!" he answered. "It's just annoying that they're always together, that's all."

I squinted at him. "Mhm."

"Whatever! I just wanted to know if you wanted to help me," Ron said defensively. "Just forget about it."

"Why would that even matter?" I asked again. "It's not like they're dating."

Ron and Harry simultaneously raised an eyebrow at me. My jaw dropped. "Are they?"

"Well, not officially," Harry stated, fumbling over his words.

"Either way, we have no business intervening," I remarked. Ron just rolled his eyes.

"You're right. But if you change your mind..." he trailed off again.

"Yep. I know who to talk to."

I stood up to go back to my table when I saw Cedric holding his chest while laughing and Hermione giggling as well. They looked like they were really enjoying each other's company. I wasn't going to get in the way of that.

Instead of sitting down, I decided to leave lunch early. Cedric didn't even notice I left the table to begin with, and he was fine with Hermione.

As I walked through the halls back to my room, I couldn't help but think of everything Ron had said. It was ridiculous. It was not our place to get in the middle of a friendship like that.

But were they dating?

Even if they were, it shouldn't matter to me. I don't like Cedric.

But it's impossible to lie to myself. I do like Cedric. I have for years now. I've just never admitted it.

Did everyone know I liked Cedric?

Now, the thought of Hermione and Cedric was starting to bother me. I felt myself getting irritated as I pictured them together in the Great Hall, flirting. It was making me sick.

But, like I said before, it was not my place. Cedric and I were not dating. He didn't like me. That was that.

Although I told myself this again and again, Ron's offer still lingered in my head.