(no subject)
Title: Slugs, SPEW and Common Ground
Author: Kate, of babyslothsandpuppysizedelephants
Genre: Romance
Characters: Ron and Hermione
Summary: Takes place during Order of the Phoenix when Harry is being an angst machine (not that I blame him, of course). Harry, Ron and Hermione have been best friends since they were eleven, but lately Harry’s been drifting apart and Ron and Hermione are realizing that they need each other more than ever as Harry becomes someone they don’t quite understand as well as they thought.
Ron plopped down by the lake, knees drawn up to his chest and eyebrows knit together in a scowl. Hermione joined him a moment later, clumsily run-walking down the hill and crossing her legs to sit.
The two sat together in silence for a moment, and then together: “What the fuck is wrong with Harry?”
They looked at each other and giggled, and Hermione continued “Really, though, I understand he’s going through an awful time and he has more than every right to be upset and what he went through with Cedric last year was terrible and I know times are hard, but he’s hardly the only one suffering, and I don’t understand why he feels the need to take it out on us.”
“We’re his best mates, and we’ve stuck with him through everything. You’d think he’d appreciate us a bit more. ‘Specially you.”
Hermione blushed. “Well, thank you. He’s been talking to Luna Lovegood and your sister a lot more, and the other day Neville told me that he felt a lot closer to him recently, too. I dunno… I feel like we’re losing him, Ron. Not that he and I have ever been like the two of you anyway…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, you know, you guys have always been best friends and I’ve always been the third wheel. You’re inseperable. Last year when you had that fight, he was miserable. I know he’s my friend, but I don’t make him nearly as happy as you do.”
“Hermione… don’t…. don’t say that. You’re… brilliant.”
She blushed. “Oh, c’mon. You two treat me like I’m your nagging mother half the time.”
Ron looked concerned “Do we? Blimey, Hermione, I never wanted you to feel that way. I mean, I know I’m…not always.. the nicest…”
Hermione snorted.
Ron looked really offended now, “Hermione, really, stop it.”
“What?”
“Do you really think we treat you that badly?”
“Well… goodness, Ron, that’s hardly news.”
“Hermione, no. I… I’m just kidding most of the time, really, and I know we don’t agree on everything, but if I ever… if I ever really hurt you, then…no. Hermione, if I’m being a prat, slap me. I don’t want you to feel… like that, I mean Harry and I, we love you- I mean,” Ron was looking everywhere but Hermione’s eyes now, and they both began nervously picking at the grass.
After a few moments, they had both pulled out quite a few chunks of grass and Hermione spoke up, looking straight ahead at the lake “Well… when you make fun of S.P.E.W., it really bothers me.”
Ron sighed. He couldn’t believe that he was having a Serious Emotional Discussion with Hermione Granger. But these were Serious Emotional Times, and he knew that they all had some serious growing up to do “Okay, Hermione. But you’ve got to admit, spew- I mean, the Society for the Prevention of Elfish Welfare isn’t perfect. You can’t just trick the elves into liberating themselves. You can’t save everyone, Hermione. You go around acting like these elves are all opressed yet you take it on yourself to save them, and treat them like kids. You’re trying to be their ally, when really you’re just insulting them and-“
“I KNOW that, okay?” Hermione interrupted him, and then sighed heavily, pulled her knees up to her chest, and her buried head in them. She then propped her chin on her knees, and continued to look out into the lake. Ron noticed her eyes were wet. “I…. I know that, Ron. It’s just so fucking hard, when the world is like this. I just want to make things different. I know it’s not okay, tricking them into picking up clothes and stuff, I just… I just don’t know what to do.”
“Believe me, Hermione” said Ron, in a gruff, quiet voice, “I know what it’s like to feel powerless.”
More grass-pulling. Did I really say that? Ron thought. God, who am I?
They were quiet for a while, and then Ron spoke “Look, Hermione. I’m… sorry. S.P.E.W isn’t all bad and it’s not like I’ve always had the elves’ best interest at heart either and really, I… I think you’re brilliant, Hermione, and look, if you tone down your whole Almighty Savior of Elfkind act and just try to support Dobby”-he noticed Hermione nodding, like she understood, she understood that this was Dobby’s fight and that he was good enough to fight it, that she didn’t need to be a mother to the whole world, and Ron found himself in that moment…. proud of her, oh God damn it, what was he doing- “I’ll tell Harry and everyone to be nicer about it, and-“
“It doesn’t bother me what they say about it,” said Hermione abruptly. “Just you.”
Ron was completely confused, now. This is why Ron did not often engage in Serious Emotional Discussions.
“Wha- wha”
“Just because, well, um, that thing, when we were second-years,” her voice trailed off, and there was more awkward grass-pulling “And… and Draco called me… well, you know.”
It was completely quiet now.
“And- and you defended me. And… I don’t know. I had… never seen you like that before.” Hermione’s cheeks were very red now, and Ron’s were getting there. “And… I don’t know when you started vomiting slugs… I dunno, it made me realize, oh, I don’t know, just….something about standing up for what’s right, even if it doesn’t make you look very… cool- I mean, not that I thought you didn’t look cool, I… I mean.” Hermione decided to stop that sentence right there, took a breath, and said “And that’s what I was thinking about when I started S.P.E.W, I guess. You and your slugs,” and she and Ron began to pull grass some more, both blushing and looking away from each other. But then Hermione looked to her left as Ron looked right, and there they were. And Ron cleared his throat.
“So, is that why you called it spew, then?”
Hermione opened her mouth, ready to yell at him when she noticed the twinkle of humor in his eyes, and his mouth curling up. This wasn’t cruel mocking, this was banter between friends, wasn’t it? And soon Hermione was giggling, and she snorted, and then the two of them were laughing together and Hermione reached her hand up fix her hair and as she put it down again, her fingers wound up right on top of Ron’s, and they stayed their for longer then necessary, until both parties pulled away, and resumed grass-pulling and staring at the lake.
Something was different, that was for sure. Harry wan’t there like he usually was when they were together. But the difference wasn’t Harry’s absence, no, it was the presence of something new, and both Ron and Hermione laid up that night with quizzical expressions on their faces, trying to figure out exactly what the fuck that talk by the lake was all about.