My first Harry Potter fic; it's Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny, though it might not seem like it. Please keep it in mind while you read!

"Gerremoffme!" Ron yelled, but with one last look of vindictive fury, Hermione wrenched open the door and disappeared through it. Harry thought he heard a sob before it slammed.

He looked at Ron, who was fighting of the small yellow birds Hermione had conjured up.

"Erm… I'm going to go and see how she is," he said awkwardly, torn between two friends.

"Yeah, get out of here," Ron growled, having a some sort of a fit, destroying birds with a flick of his wand.

Harry hesitated before he followed the sobs. It wasn't hard to find her in the charm's class. This time, there weren't any birds. He sat down next to her, on one of the tables. Soon, she was crying on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about you and Ginny," Hermione finally mustered, drying her eyes. "It must be terrible. Seeing her with someone else."

"Yeah. It is."

Hermione nodded, not daring to look at her face.

"Terrible," she repeated in a whisper. "Like this feeling. This feeling is terrible. I hate it, Harry. I want it to go away," she said, her voice trembling.

"Believe me, Hermione, if I knew how, I'd tell you. I know how you feel. And I hate it too." He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. "I honestly thought that he liked you." As soon as he said those words, he cursed himself. That was going to make it better. Way to go, Harry.

"So did I," was all she said. "But with Ginny, I know that she likes you."

"Huh?"

"Oh, yeah," she laughed, cheering up. "She's liked you for ages. I probably shouldn't tell you this but… do you remember the Valentines Day card?"

"Yeah… but c'mon, Hermione. That was years ago. She's with Dean now."

"Maybe she's just forgotten. Or buried it. Maybe you made her think it was impossible," Hermione said. She was quiet, trying to think back if that had happened with Ron. Maybe he did like her… no. He'd still be with her, not Lavender Brown.

"Great, Hermione. It's my fault, now."

"Oh? Oh, yes. Haha," she muttered. "You like Ginny," she stated. Harry blinked.

"Um, yeah. Like." Like didn't seem like the right word. For Harry, it was more like: madly in love with, or something along those lines.

"I… like Ron," she stated, though struggling more with the words. She breathed out heavily, and felt like a great weight had been lifted. "Wow, it feels good to talk about. You're good to talk too."

"Thanks-"

"I think that we should date."

Harry blinked.

"Huh?"

"Not really of course. But to get them to see how great we are."

"I don't think-"

"Come one, Harry," she said, tugging on his arm. "Do this for me."

"Hermione. I don't really think that-"

"Please."

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't do that to Ron. He's my best friend. As much as a best friend as you are, Hermione. I wouldn't do it to you either."

She sighed a closed her eyes.

"I know. It was ridiculous. But for a second, it seemed like a good idea."

Harry wouldn't admit it, but it had seemed like a good idea to him too.

He stood up. "Maybe we should go back to the common room."

"Yes. We should."

She stood too. And then she kissed him.

At first, he was confused. What was going on? His eyes were wide open, as if trying to wake up from this insanity. But then he realized what was happening, and pushed her away.

"Hermione!" he stammered, not moving his hands from her shoulders, as if keeping her at a safe distance.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." She put her hand to her head. "I don't know what came over me. Sorry. I'm a mess." She sat down once more, head in her hands. He was afraid that she was going to cry again, so he put her hand on her back. He wondered what to say.

"OK, all is forgiven. Just – don't do that again." He frowned, and then shuddered. It felt like what he'd imagine kissing a sister would feel like: not good.

She looked up. Oh, she was tearing up. "I'm sorry, Harry," she mumbled.

"I've forgotten it already."

"Really? Thanks. I'm so, so sorry. Please, hex me if I ever do something that stupid again. Or… something. I don't have feelings for you – not like that-"

"I know. Let's just… go. Um… now. Just – don't…"

"I know," she sighed. It's not like she had planned it. It's not like she was crazy about Harry. That had just been… awkward.

But Harry kept his distance the whole way back to the common room, and kept on giving her sideways glances. She did the same.

But at the fat lady portrait, Harry stopped her.

"Let's just make this clear. That meant-"

"Nothing," she finished for him.

"Nothing, right. Good." He patted out his trousers.

"And it was-"

"A mistake," she finished again.

"OK. We can go in now," he said, breathing out, relieved. She nodded. They were both feeling as awkward as each other about this. And looking up to see the Fat Lady looking at them, interested, just made it worse.

They both fumbled inside, now even redder.

Hermione spotted Ron, however, in the corner, with Lavender, and turned a great shade of purple worthy of uncle Vernon.

Harry spotted Ginny, however, on the sofa in front of the fire, sitting on Dean Thomas' lap. The monster inside of him roared.

Without thinking, he grabbed Hermione's waist and drew her towards him.

"Harry!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"

"I decided to accept your plan."

"What -? Oh. OK…"

Harry dared a look over at Ron, who had stopped what he was doing (snogging Lavender). He looked confused.

"He's going to kill me," he whispered in Hermione's ear.

"And Ginny me."

To Harry's joy, he saw that Ginny looked dumbstruck; almost as so as her brother. He tore his gaze away from her and dared to look at Hermione, who was looking rather pleased with herself.

"What the heck to I do now?" he dared to whisper.

"I don't know," she whined quietly. "I didn't get to think too far. Now this seems even more stupid."

"But it's working…?"

"I know that. Just put your arm around my shoulder and give me a kiss-" Harry frowned "-on the cheek," she frowned back at him, "when you drop me off at the girls' stairs…"

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to share a dorm room with the guy. He's going to murder me in my sleep."

"But if it works, we won't have to keep this up for long. Besides, I'll have my own torture."

Harry gave her a questioning gaze.

"The girls in my dorm room are going to want to know all about it."

"Oh god," Harry whispered.

Hermione nodded.

They made there way towards the girls' stairs.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione said loudly, knowing that Ron would be able to hear her. She gave him an urgent look.

"What? Oh, um, yeah-" he hesitated and gave her a peck on the cheek. He could feel many eyes from all around the common room stare at him.

She breathed in. She could already feel what a bad idea this was. "OK," she mustered, and ran up the stairs, hiding her face with her bushy hair.

"OK," Harry agreed, making a beeline towards the boys' dorm rooms, not daring to look anywhere but his feet. As soon as he was away from Ginny, and the monster in his chest had died down (kind of), he finally realized the full stupidity of what he was doing.

But…

What if it worked?

Who cared?

He wasn't going to lose one of his best friends because he was pretending to date the other.

He tried to sleep, but he couldn't. Not when he dreaded Ron's arrival. In fact, he kept his wand in his hand, just in case. And he kept his glasses on. He didn't want to accidentally curse Neville.

Neville was in fact, the one who came in first. But he seemed to believe that Harry was asleep. And he was asleep within moments, snoring loudly.

And that was when Ron came in. He stood there for a while, and Harry wished that his heart wouldn't beat so loud.

He heard Ron go towards his bed, and he tightened his grip around his wand.

But there was no sound. He heard his friend undress and get in to bed.

Great, now he would have to dread the morning.

"Mate?"

Oh god.

"If you're awake – I… um." Harry heard a sigh, and held his breath, waiting for the explosion. He even closed his eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... Go for it."

What?

Thanks for reading, if you've reached this far.

OK, I PROMISE that this is Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny. Promise.

Please review! It's my first Harry Potter fic!