Work Text:
Ron never imagined he would stop being friends with Harry. The boy who he met on the train to Hogwarts on his first year and immediately became his best friend. The same Harry who had put his life at risk to save him so many times now.
But he also never thought Harry would lie to him about something so important. He put his name in the Goblet of Fire and was chosen for the Triwizard Tournament. And he lied about not doing it, too. How else would his name be there?
They hadn't talked in days now, and the first task was getting closer each day. The people have turned against Harry, and Ron doesn't care. He doesn't. He even thinks it's good people are wearing the Potter Stinks badges! He deserves it for being a nasty liar.
Ron left the dormitory into the common room only to find Harry there, sitting on the couch, pretending to be interested in the book in front of him. Ron simply ignored him and moved to where Dean and Seamus were instead.
Unlike Ron, Dean and Seamus thought it was great that Harry was in the Tournament, to represent and bring glory to Gryffindor.
Hermione, on the other hand, also thought it was terrible. Of course it wasn't because she was jealous of Diggory or mad that Harry had lied, but because she was extremely worried about Harry. Also, because she actually believed him.
Ron was also worried, he didn't know what the first task held for the competitors, and many people had died on that Tournament, but he can't admit that he's actually scared for Harry.
He met Hermione next to the Black Lake, where she was studying, as usual.
"Ron! Have you talked to Harry yet?" Hermione asked, getting up as soon as she saw Ron. They walked by the lake together.
Hermione's hair was curlier now, almost as if she took extra care of her curls, and she looked more grown up, prettier. Ron had been thinking of calling her to the Yule Ball.
"No, and I won't. If he wants to talk to me, he has to apologize."
Just as he said that, they saw Harry in the distance, next to Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts competitor. They've been awfully close ever since this whole thing started.
Ron eyed them for an awfully long amount of time, even Hermione started to find it weird.
"Ron! Are you even listening?" Hermione snapped her fingers in front of his face. "I know this is hard for you, but we have to help Harry in his first task. This is dangerous, he could die."
"Well, knowing Harry, I'm sure he already knows what to do. I'm not worried. Plus, I'll be rooting for Diggory."
"This isn't some joke, Ron. I'm truly scared. And I believe Harry, why would he put his name in the cup? And how? It's impossible."
"He probably bribed Diggory! Can't you see how close they are?" Ron spitted the words with venom, like he truly despised seeing the two together like that. Laughing, talking every hour of the day.
Hermione rolls her eyes, it's really annoying to be in between both ends of this. She thinks they're both being immature, but especially Ron.
No matter how hard Ron tried, he couldn't fully ignore Harry. Their beds were right next to each other and everywhere Ron went, Harry was there.
The day of the first task arrived and Harry was freaking out, but turns out he already knew the task involved dragons, according to Hermione.
Speaking of Hermione, she left him all alone to go talk to Harry before the task, and Ron was once again left with Dean and Seamus.
"Aren't you excited, Ron?" Seamus asked, overexcited, in Ron's point of view. His forehead had paint written "Potter Rules" in red, and Dean was just as excited.
"I am, to see Cedric win, of course." He said and received a skeptic look from both boys, who didn't fully believe him.
Truth is, Ron was scared shitless. If something happened to Harry out there, he wouldn't forgive himself for not trying to help him in any way.
Hermione returned to his side and the task started. Cedric succeeded with a little bit of a struggle, but he did it, and that's all that matters for his fans, that cheered loudly. Ron almost rolled his eyes, but he kept the act and also cheered. Fleur and Krum were also successful, but somehow they were even more insignificant to Ron.
When Harry's turn came, Hermione was really nervous. She was biting her nails, shaking her leg, even standing. Ron beat his pride and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hermione, it's okay. He'll make it. He's Harry!" He tried his best to reassure her, and it honestly worked better than he thought it would.
Harry struggled a lot in his task, which made Ron's heart stop repeatedly. He wanted to yell, to get out there and help his friend, but he couldn't. And if he could, he wouldn't. They're not friends anymore. But when Harry caught the golden egg, Ron couldn't help but sigh in relief.
In the joyful commemoration in Gryffindor's common room, Harry was basically being worshipped by everyone. Everyone but the one person he wanted.
His eyes met Ron across the room. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss his best friend's blue, warm eyes that always came with a smile. But now there was no smile, and no warmth.
Harry shoved everyone away from his way just to get to Ron, who had his arms crossed and a pout that Harry used to find funny, now it's just annoying.
"Ron. I thought you'd congratulate me by now."
"As if. You were just lucky. You were the worst one out of all the competitors." Ron purposely tried to sound as harsh as he could.
Harry's eyes widened, his heart ached. He didn't expect Ron to be like this, so cruel. It didn't even sound like his Ron.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss him, and it's harsh to hear Ron talking to him like that, like he doesn't matter, or that he's as despised as Malfoy.
"Are you seriously being like this? I told you, I didn't put my name in the cup!" Harry's voice was raised now, he was upset. His face was red of anger and blood from his bruises from the task.
"Go tell your boyfriend that, he might believe you!"
"Boyfriend? Who the hell are you talking about?" Harry was utterly confused at the words Ron was spitting with so much hate. He never saw him like this, not even towards Malfoy.
"Diggory, obviously! You've been all over him, are you two dating or what?"
Harry's eyebrows frowned, he opened his mouth, trying to get some words out of his mouth.
"Are you jealous?"
Ron didn't answer. He found it extremely insulting that Harry thought he was jealous. Jealous of Diggory? What a joke. Instead, he simply walked away, tossing against Harry, making him almost fall back.
"I can't believe this..." Harry said, more to himself than anything else.
The Yule Ball arrived. Cho Chang, Harry's first option for a date, was going with Cedric, and Hermione, Ron's first option, was going with Krum. That left Harry with Parvati and Ron with Padma, although it was entirely coincidence that they ended up with the sisters.
After the first dances, Ron was sitting by a table, totally bored, just looking at Hermione as she danced happily with Krum. At least she was having fun.
Harry joined him. He didn't know why he kept trying to be nice to Ron.
"Having fun?"
"Plenty. And you? Bet you'd rather be dancing with Diggory instead of Parvati."
"Can you stop being an asshole?" Harry asked, already annoyed by the whole thing. He didn't know what Ron's problem was, he was never the type to make such insensitive jokes, especially not about him.
"Can't handle the truth? He's a tall, handsome man who protects you from everything and makes you laugh so badly, I bet you'd love to he dancing with him." Ron knew he was being an asshole, but he couldn't help himself. There was a feeling in his gut that made him feel that he wanted to dance with Harry, and the idea of him wanting to dance with Cedric made his blood boil.
No, he didn't want to dance with Harry, that's a stupid idea. He wanted to dance with Hermione and was confusing the ideas because he's also upset at Harry, of course.
Harry mumbled something under his breath before leaving his side. Just to provoke him, he actually went to Cedric and talked to him for an awkward amount of time.
Eventually, Hermione left Krum's side for a while and sat next to Ron, both of them looking at Harry, who was having another dance with Parvati because she insisted.
"He looks happy." Hermione commented, trying to get a reaction out of Ron.
"Like I care."
She took a look at Ron now, noticing his expression and body language.
"You're jealous."
"Of Parvati?" Ron asked, clueless. That was the worst take Hermione ever had.
"No, idiot, of Harry. You're jealous when he's with Parvati and you're jealous when he's with Cedric and you're jealous when he's with Cho."
"I'm not jealous, I'm upset because he ruined our friendship."
"No, you're jealous because you love him."
Ron looked at her like she was insane, but he knew she was right, deep down.
"What are you insinuating? I'm not gay!"
"I meant platonically, but if the shoe fits..." It was hard talking to Ron, Hermione was constantly sighing at how dense he could be. "There's nothing wrong, if you are. It's just love, like all the other couples here."
"Yeah, well, I don't like boys. That'd be weird as hell."
"I don't know about boys, plural, but you like Harry. Stop denying it."
Ron rolled his eyes, but he wasn't upset. Hermione was just trying to help, and honestly, he had wasted all of his annoyance on Harry.
Ron involved himself even less on the second task. The less he had to do with Harry, the better.
But the night before the second task took place, both Ron and Hermione were called to McGonagall's office, along with Cho Chang and a girl Hermione identified as Fleur's sister.
"Why are we here, at night? We didn't do anything this time!" Ron whispered to Hermione, distressed.
"Maybe it's about the second task, I don't know. Just shut up and walk."
Inside, professor McGonagall told them to sit down, and she proceeded to explain that they would have to be put to sleep, put deep into the Black Lake so that, in the morning, the competitors would save them.
"But for what reason were we picked? Why us specifically?" Cho asked, seeing the confused faces of her colleagues.
"The task is to save someone you'd miss the most, and well, it was perfectly clear who they'd choose. Gabrielle for Fleur, Cho for Cedric, Hermione for Krum and Ron for Harry." McGonagall explained and Ron's heart dropped.
He was the one Harry would miss the most? That doesn't make any sense. It was probably Hermione, but since she was already picked, they picked him instead. Plus, it's not like Harry himself said it was Ron. It was just Dumbledore's choice.
Harry's task was going well, with his newfound tool Neville had shown him. There, he found Ron. Hermione was also there, but in his heart, he knew Ron was the one for him.
He held his body tightly around the waist and swam back into the surface, where Ron finally woke up. He was breathing heavily as he looked at Harry in the eye, before he hugged him. They were pulled into dry land and given towels to get dry.
Still looking at Harry, Ron asked. "How did you know it wasn't Hermione?"
Harry adjusted his glasses after cleaning the water out of the lenses. "I just did. I- I love Hermione, obviously, but... this past weeks made me realize how much I miss you."
Ron couldn't help but smile a little, his stomach doing something he wasn't proud of, and wouldn't admit so soon. He hugged Harry once more.
Later in the dormitory, which was completely empty, for some reason they didn't know, Ron sat next to Harry in his bed.
"Am I forgiven for being an absolute asshole to you?"
Harry smiled and quickly nodded. "Of course. I had forgotten all about it as soon as I saw you on the lake."
Ron smiled back, his ears getting red. "You really missed me?"
"More than anything."
A silence fell between them, a comfortable one. But Ron hated being in silence when he had so much to say.
"I really was jealous, of Cedric. And everyone else you were hanging out with."
Harry wasn't surprised, he had already figured Ron had been feeling like that. If he was being honest, he'd felt a bit jealous himself when he saw him and Hermione so close lately.
"I know. I was a little jealous of Hermione too."
"No, I don't mean in a friendly way. I mean, like- like, you know."
"I know. Me too."
They linked looks again, a familiarity and understanding falling between the two boys. It was nice, but they needed more.
"Hermione made me realize it. That I- I have a crush, maybe. Not a crush, like- that I like you. Love you, maybe. Not maybe, I do. But I don't want it to be too much, that is-" Ron kept choking on his words, nothing sounded as good as it did in his head, and he felt like he was messing up.
Before he could say anything else to try and redeem himself, Harry leaned in and kissed him. Ron was very surprised, his eyes wide open at first, his hands stopped in the air, not knowing what to do with them.
But then Harry kept going, and it's like Ron's eyes immediately closed for him, and his hands went to Harry's hips as he finally kissed him back.
It was awkward and new, Ron's lips were too dry, they didn't know what to do with their hands, but Harry tasted nicely and Ron didn't want to let go.
When they got away from each other, the first thing they did was laugh.
"That was... awful." Ron said, sincerely.
Harry nodded, laughing. "Yeah. Good thing we have plenty of time to train."
Ron smiled and blushed even more, his ears the color of Harry's shirt. "Yeah, plenty of time."