The boy who loved

Chapter 6.14 (Harry's epiphany)

The weekend's brutal wind had died out at last. The weird mist had returned and it took them a little longer than usual to find the right greenhouse the next morning.

Aurora took her place beside Elizabeth and Caspian, around that term's project, a gnarled Snargaluff stump. She pulled on her protective gloves.

"Best protect your faces, ladies," said Caspian, blocking a long, prickly, bramble-like vine as it whipped through the air, "wouldn't want to ruin them."

"Always such a gentleman," said Elizabeth, grinning when Caspian himself got hit in the face. Then all of a sudden she froze, listening intently to a conversation held beside her.

"-why don't you try getting off with McLaggen, then Slughorn can make you King and Queen Slug-"

"We're allowed to bring guests," said Hermione. Aurora looked around Elizabeth and saw Hermione had turned a bright, boiling scarlet, "and I was going to ask you to come, but if you think it's that stupid then I won't bother!"

Aurora didn't know which part was the most entertaining. Hermione sitting there with a beet-red face, Ron's obvious jealousy or Harry, who was trying his hardest to ignore the conversation going on around him by making as much noise as he possibly could.

"Harry is the best part," said Elizabeth laughing, clearly thinking the same thing.

"You were going to ask me?" Asked Ron, in a completely different voice.

"Yes," said Hermione angrily. "But obviously if you'd rather I got off with McLaggen..."

There was a pause while Harry continued to pound the resilient pod with a trowel. Elizabeth snorted behind her hand. Her face was getting red with trying to hold in her laughter.

"No, I wouldn't," said Ron, in a very quiet voice.

Harry missed the pod, hit the vowl and it shattered...Elizabeth lost it. She bursted out laughing.

Both the crash and Elizabeth seemed to have awoken Ron and Hermione to their presence. Hermione looked flustered and immediately started fussing about her copy if Flesh-eating Trees of the World to find out the correct way to juice Snargaluff pods. Ron, on the other hand, looked sheepish but also rather pleased with himself.

"Hand that over, Harry," said Hermione hurriedly, "it says we're supposed to puncture them with something sharp..." Harry passed her the pod in the bowl.

"Harry, can you help me for a second?" Said Aurora, waving him over. Harry gratefully left his table and went over to hers.

Aurora pulled him to the side. "Unexpected or not?" She whispered, her eyes moving between his face and Ron and Hermione.

"Not really surprised," sighed Harry, "I had an inkling it would happen sooner or later. But...I'm just not sure how to feel about it. I mean, Cho and I don't even look at each other. What if Ron and Hermione started going out and then split up?"

"You're worried our friendship wouldn't survive?"

"I'm just saying. You, Hermione and Ron are my best friends. I don't want anything to come between that. I mean, I liked you for years but ignored it for the sake of our friendship and now that I'm finally getting over that- this starts. What if they break up and it will be just like third year...or what if they stay together and I-"

"-will become the third wheel?" Finished Aurora. She sighed. "I don't think it would go that far, Harry. And if it does, I'll talk to Hermione, and you'll talk to Ron about it and it will be fixed in no time. And they have never been able to stay mad at each other for long. Just...let it be, all right?"