Always Second Best

It was another night on the run, nothing different.

Hermione was sat reading, Ron playing around with the radio and Harry keeping guard outside.

It was the norm now.

Ron glanced up from the radio, and looked at Hermione.

Her hair now fell into soft ringlets, her face was a perfect oval shape and her skin was pale, but seemed to glow even in the dark. It gave him shivers when she concentrated. He could stare at her all day, and nothing would change. She'd still be the most beautiful girl in the world.

A beautiful girl that would never know how he really felt.

He couldn't tell her, not just because he'd probably faint before her got chance, but because he had the feeling that she loved Harry.

In fact, he knew she did.

The way she looked at him, the way she laughed when he made a sarcastic statement, the way they'd spend every night together and forget that Ron existed.

It was bad that Ron had grown to hate and envy his famous best friend, but it was even worse that he had grown to fall deeper in love with a girl that would never take him.

Then again, how different was it from being at home?

His mother always wanted a daughter, and before Ginny was born, he was the hope to finally be the daughter Mrs Weasley craved for.

But again, he let her down.

He turned out to be Ronald Billius Weasley. A lanky, red-headed boy that was constantly teased by his brothers. A boy that - until now - never understood how much he loved his family.

The few months that had gone by had made Ron hurt in silence. Watching his two best friends become closer. Hoping on his new best friend, the radio, to never mention any of his relatives in the hourly death list.

'Ronald?'

Ron glanced up to see Hermione looking at him, her head tilted slightly to the right.

Hermione got up hastily and ran over to Ron, flinging her arms around his neck and looking deep into his eyes. Ron only noticed then that he was crying.

'Ronald, whats wrong?'

There it was, the usual caring voice of Hermione Granger.

'Nothing,' Ron muttered into her shoulder. 'You don't need to know.'

'I don't need to know, no,' Hermione said, softly. 'But I want to know.'

Ron laughed slightly. Typical Hermione, wanting to know everything.

'I don't want to tell you, Hermione.'

Hermione looked into his eyes again, and smiled.

'Only if your okay, that's what matters.'

She got up and walked outside of the tent, to where Harry was sitting. Ron got up after a moment or two, and silently peeped outside the tent.

He saw Harry place his arm around Hermione and hug her gently as she placed her head on his shoulder.

Ron, unaware of the real situation, stormed back into the tent.

Always second best, he thought.