Right in Front of Me

traitor

You betrayed me,
And I know that you'll never feel sorry
For the way I hurt.

"Hey, you doing Ok?" Ron was asking him. Truthfully, no. But he didn't quite know how to talk to Ron about it. Telling Ron about these feelings for Draco would make them more real, and he needed to deal with it by himself. Maybe he could tell him the being queer part? But... there was also countless worries piled in his head. The Death Eaters, Voldemort... people wanting him dead.

"Uh... yeah. I'm good. Just trying to think about what to write about for my Defense homework." He lied. He didn't need to make Ron worry about him, that was selfish. He just had to handle his problems without being a big baby.

"You sure, H? You look like you're thinking a lot." Ron said, more adamant.

"No. I mean. Yes. Yeah, yes. I'm fine. I think I'm going to go work in the library though. I think I'll focus better in there. I'll see you at dinner!" Harry needed to get out of there before he poured everything out to him. The thing about Ron was that he was such an easy person to talk to, he always made Harry feel like... he wasn't so crazy. But Ron has his own stuff. He has his own life to worry about without Harry topping it with his problems.

When he got to the library he saw Hermione reading at one of the tables. He went over to her. "Hey Hermione." He said, approaching her. "Mind if I sit here with you?" He asked. She smiled.

"Not at all." Harry sat down and unpacked his books. He finally felt like he was able to  get some work done. Hermione helped him feel more calm. Harry didn't know how much time had past before he felt someone sitting down next to him, he looked up and it was Blaise. He smiled brightly, he hadn't seen much of Blaise this year, so it was good to see him.

"Harry!" Blaise said in a quiet voice of excitement. "It's so good to see you." Blaise had the type of smile that made you feel like everything was good. And in that moment everything he had been worried about vanished.

"Blaise, I'm so happy to see you." He said earnestly. "How've you been?" They'd really only seen each other in Defense class and that was it.

"I've been Ok, but not great." Harry frowned, and Blaise smiled again. "Only because we haven't seen each other. But, now I'm great." Harry laughed and so did Blaise. He heard a small chuckle and realized that, oh yeah... Hermione was sitting at the table too.

"Blaise, I don't know if you've ever met her but this is my friend Hermione." Blaise reached his hand across the table to shake Hermione's. She smiled and accepted it.

"Hi, I've heard lovely things about you." She said in a tone Harry didn't quite recognize.

"And I, you." Said Blaise. "You're the smart witch Ron and Harry always mention, yes?" Hermione blushed and looked at Harry with a smile.

"You and Ron talk about my intelligence?" She asked, smile still on her face.

"Yeah, of course. And how you're an amazing advice giver. Well, that's usually me because I'm always coming to you for advice.... always." Hermione and Blaise both laughed at that.

"And... Ron talks about me?" She asked, and Harry stopped for a moment. Did Hermione like Ron as more than a friend? Harry smiled slyly.

"Yeah, loads. He thinks a lot of you!" Hermione blushed and went back to her reading, but her cheeks were still glowing red. A few minutes of silence went by before Blaise closed his book.

"Wanna do something fun?" Blaise asked him. Harry closed his book too.

"Like what?" He asked Blaise.