Be Careful What You Wish For

** I have to get out of here **

Ron sped out of the common room and into the hall, neither knowing nor caring where he was going. He was surprised when no one called after him. 'They're too busy worrying over Harry,' Ron thought.

** Harry **

That name made his already boiling anger rise. But as he stood against a 3rd floor corridor wall minutes later, his anger ebbed away, leaving only guilt. The red had subsided from his ears and face, but the redness on his fist remained from where it, only moments earlier, had collided with Harry's jaw. Ron sank to the floor and hugged his knees to his chest. And there he sat,
dwelling deep in his thoughts.

** What have I done **

'This is so messed up. They'll never speak to me again, they hate me. They
all hate me.'

'I'm such a bloody, self-centered, egotistical prat.'

Why him. Why'd he have to be Mr. Bloody Wonderful, so god-damned perfect? Why'd he have to always have the answers to everything? Why'd he have to always be the center of attention? Why did he always have to play the hero? And why'd he have to be the one who got the girl?

** And why did it have to be her? **

Ron Weasley was making his way up to the common room late Saturday evening, his robes caked with mud and dripping with excess rain water. The Gryffindor Quidditch team's practice had run later than expected, even though the team's captain and Ron's best friend, Harry Potter, had left the field an hour early. You see, Harry had been training with the team's two beaters the past few weeks during practice. They seemed to have improved a bit from the year before, but that didn't stop them from hitting their own captain in the wrist as he showed them both how to properly hold their clubs. Harry, who assured the team that he was fine on his own, set off for the hospital wing sporting his shattered wrist, but not before insisting that the rest of the team hang around and practice a good while longer.

Ron and the rest of the team had set up a mock Quidditch game, only stopping when the rain became too much. Skipping showers, Ron headed straight to Gryffindor tower. He wanted to make sure that Harry was alright. And to maybe catch a "goodnight" from a certain brown-eyed, curly haired girl.

As he rounded the corner to the Fat Lady, the portrait hole opened up and two fourth-year girls came out, whispering and giggling frantically. "...'bout time they finally got together. Out in the open, ya' know?" giggled one, her long blond hair waving up and down as she bounced up and down excitedly, her sapphire blue eyes twinkling. "I just knew they were going to hook up one of these days."

"I know," exclaimed her black-haired, brown-eyed friend. "I mean, it's so obvious that they were into each other. They're so perfect together! Awww ..."

They stopped as Ron came closer to them, the blond whispering in her friend's ear. Ron raised an eyebrow at her, and they both giggled, took one last quick glance at Ron, then hurried off. Ron had no clue what they both were going on about, but he didn't really care. "Stupid midgets," he muttered to himself, as he gave the password (Snuffles) to the Fat Lady. He entered the common room and immediately scanned the room for either of his two friends.

He spotted them both over by the couches together. Harry was sitting on the one nearest to the fire, one knee bent where he was resting his elbow on. He was holding his forehead in his hand, looking at Hermione. She was on her knees at his side; her hand rested lightly on his arm, and was talking to him softly. Ron smiled as he started over towards them, but his smile and his
steps faltered when it dawned on him how close they were sitting together. How close they were to each other, and how much closer they were getting. Way too close ...

"What the bloody hell is this?!?"

Their kiss broke and they both jumped out of their seats, horrified expressions on both of their faces. "Ron --" Harry started.

"I asked you what the hell you were doing! I came hereto see if your bloody arm was any better, and I find you here practicing C.T.S. with Hermione here!" Ron spat at him. "I guess I got the answer to my question," he added sarcastically.

"Ron, please ... just ..." Hermione tried to get out.

"So how long has this been going on, huh?" he shouted at them both, his anger rising by the second. "How long have you been sneaking around behind my back!"

"Ron, I swear ... it's not like that, please," Hermione cried, tears forming in her eyes. Harry stood in front of her, as if shielding her from Ron, his eyes flashed with anger. Though when he spoke, it was with a calm and level voice.

"Look, Ron -- it just -- well, it just happened. We were going to tell you ..." Harry tried to get out, but Ron's rage took over again.

"TELL ME WHAT! THAT MY TWO BEST FRIENDS ARE A COUPLE NOW, THAT THEY'VE FOUND YET ANOTHER WAY TO DISCLUDE ME! THAT THEY'LL DESERT ME EVERY FIVE MINUTES TO GO SNOG IN A CORNER! THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO COME AND TELL ME!?!" "Ron, stop it," Hermione whispered pleadingly. "Everyone's staring!" Which was true, every head in the common room was fixed on the scene that Ron was making. Even those who had already gone up to their dormitories were heading down the staircase, their heads peaking out and searching for the source of the disruption.

Ron ignored the questioning looks, he was too angry to care. He ignored Hermione all together, and instead, rounded on Harry. "YOU KNEW THAT I FANCIED HER! YOU KNEW! I MUST HAVE SAID IT A THOUSAND TIMES!"

"I know," was all that Harry could say to this. He hung his head, unable to meet the anger in his friend's eyes.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING? HMMMM? WHY! YOU COULD HAVE, SO WHY DIDN'T YOU? YOU KNOW, I DOUBT YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT HER! HUH, DO YOU?"

It was this that made Harry angry. His face shot up, and looking Ron in the eye, with equal anger in his voice, said, "Excuse Me!?"

"I doubt you even have feelings for her, do you Harry? You knew I liked her, and that was just one more thing the good, great, golden boy Potter could snatch away from me, wasn't it? You probably couldn't stand the idea of me finally beating you in something, could you!?" And before he even knew it, Ron had his wand out, pointing it directly at Harry.

"Now listen carefully Ron, don't you EVER believe that you have ever had less than me! You, your family Ron! You have five brothers, and a sister! You have parents who love you, who take care of you! I know it seems to some people that I have everything in the world, but I thought being my friend for all of these years would show you that I had nothing! Oh, I had a family all right, one that abused me, and neglected me, and starved me! They made me sleep in a cupboard for Merlin's Sakes!" The common room was silenced at these words. No one, besides Hermione or the Weasleys had ever heard Harry speak of his relatives before, and never would they have believed that the Boy-Who-Lived would grow up being treated so horribly.

"And then I come to Hogwarts, and I meet you, and Hermione, and you were the only two things that have ever mattered to me! I love you like a brother Ron! Your family has been the only people who have ever been kind to me; they're the closest thing I have to a family. And I love Hermione. It's not some five-minute crush, or some one-time fancy; I love her Ron, with all my
heart. So don't you ever ... EVER underestimate my feelings for her!"

"And did you ever consider my feelings, brother?" Ron spat at him.

"Stop this right now, Ronald Weasley!" shouted Hermione, coming out from her spot behind Harry. This has gone on long enough! Now listen, I am NOT your property, and you have no reason to speak to Harry like that! You are NOT my boyfriend, you never were. And I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way towards you that you do about me. Now, Harry loves me," she smiled up at Harry and grabbed his hand. "And I love him too." As she said this, Ron seemed to come to his senses. He was still angry beyond belief, but he was now fully aware of just how many eyes were upon him. He turned around, seeing all of the faces staring back at him, each one etched with hatred and loathing. 'And why are they mad at me? They should be angry at them...'

"Ron ..." Harry started, walking towards him. Ron's back was facing him, having no inclination to turn around and face him, to see them together.

"Don't even start." Ron warned him in an icy, sharp voice.

"Ron, please ... just ..." Harry said softly, putting his hand on Ron's shoulder, trying to calm him. This was a big mistake.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ron yelled, spinning around with his fists clenched. Out of nowhere, as if flying on it's own, his fist came up and made contact with Harry's jaw. Harry was knocked off his feet, flying three feet straight into the common room wall, where he hit his head hard and crumpled to a heap on the floor.

Looks of disgust came at him, flashing at all angles from everyone in the room. The look on Hermione's face before she ran to Harry's side was enough to knock Ron out of his clouded stupor. And it was the intensity of that one look that caused him to run from the room at full speed, unable to take any more.

Ron could still not believe his actions even now, even hours later. It was like he was possessed by some other being, or under Imperius, or some other wild explanation to give reason for his behavior. But no, he thought, it was only the raging, green-eyed jealousy inside of himself that finally overtook his emotions after five years of squirming to escape. 'But Harry was right; his life was difficult before he came here to Hogwarts. But look at everything he has now. Even with Voldemort, he still gets everything!'

'I wish it could be me, I wish I could have all that.'

He had been sitting in the corridor for ages, he was exhausted, but he was not going to return to the common room. Not now. As he closed his eyes one last time before he drifted off to sleep.

** I wish everything was different **