Shoulder Pillow

Chapter 5: I Think You Smell Wonderful

 Ron was not taking the new developments well.

"Harry, no! Do you not remember how crushed Hermione was after what he said to her?"

"Ron, I'm right here. And I told you, he apologized."

"See, Ron, he apologized! I don't see why you're so upset. Hermione's alright with him, so what's your deal?"

"What's my deal? What's your deal? Why're you two so quick to forgive him?"

"Ron, he apologized to me, and I'm okay with Harry seeing him. Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"So what, just because Harry wants to get in this guy's pants we're supposed to forgive and forget?"

Ron's face was practically the same shade of red as his hair. His eyes were stone cold and unremorseful, his hands clenched on the armrests of the chair he was sitting on in the common room. Hermione's eyes went wide, and Harry's mouth dropped open, his brow furrowed. A sharp breath that almost seemed like a laugh came out of Harry's mouth, his face was contorted with disbelief.

"Is... is that what you think of me? That I just want sex from him?" Harry's heart was stuttering in his chest, it couldn't seem to function quite right. "Do you really think that low of me?"

"It wouldn't be the first time you only wanted someone for sex. Ginny was one of those people, wasn't she?" Ron tilted his head as if he were genuinely asking. Hermione made an outraged sort of squeaking noise, shooting up from the couch she and Harry had been sitting on, adjacent to Ron's chair.

"Ronald Weasley you know as well as I do that-" Harry stopped her with a hand on her wrist, gently pulling her back to sit down. He wasn't looking at either of them. He couldn't look at either of them. The problem was that Ron didn't know as well as Hermione did. Sure, Harry had liked Ginny, had really liked her. And Ginny had liked him, at least he had thought so. And they had gone on a date, they just... hadn't told Ron. They had both been afraid that Ron wouldn't take it well.

It had all gone sour at a party after a football game Harry's team had won last school year. Harry and Ginny had both had too much to drink. The morning after hadn't been very pleasant for either of them. Ginny had decided that she didn't want a relationship that had begun with sex, so that had been it. It hadn't mattered that Harry had wanted to try for a real relationship. It hadn't mattered that Harry was sure that they could've loved each other and made it work. Ginny had said no, and Harry wouldn't ever push her into something she didn't want.

All Ron knew was that Harry had slept with his sister, and never taken it any farther. Harry hadn't bothered to tell him any of the rest of it, he knew Ron wouldn't believe it coming from his mouth. It seemed that Ginny thought the same.

"I think," Harry started, trying to swallow past the hurt in his throat, "I think that I need to get to class. I don't want to be late to first hour." He stood up from the couch, grabbed his bag, and started walking towards the door. But he paused, looked over his shoulder at Ron, and said, "Come talk to me when you get your head outta your arse." Hermione stood up again and follow him out the door.

I can't believe I said that to him. Now he'll never talk to me. I should've just kept my mouth shut. Harry shook his head as Hermione laid her hand on his shoulder. All Harry could see was Uncle Vernon shutting the door of his little cupboard under the stairs, shouting at him for talking back, those awful names-

"Harry, Ron didn't mean those things he said. He'll come to his senses, I'll talk to him. I don't really understand why he's being like this, I told him that Malfoy apologized, I told him that I was okay with you and him," Hermione explained.