I was somewhat reluctant to read this because I'm not a RHr shipper but it is a fascinating insight to Ron's mindset and how little things can become twisted when jealousy and insecurity settle in someone's mind. He's driving himself bad with hypotheticals and possibilities - how many times had he heard the two of them walk away, for example - when it's clear to us that Hermione was not favouring Harry over him here.

It's very well written. From the poisonous orange bits to the moments of longing/admiration Ron has for Hermione. I loved his fuck Aunt Muriel bit.

Thank you for writing this balanced, nuanced insight into Ron on the horcrux hunt.

I love your writing. Ron's POV is sad and endearing. One of the other reviewers said you captured his insecurities perfectly, and I agree.

I love this story. I think you captured Ron's insecurities very well without making him out to be a terrible person. For some reason, I found it funny that Harry had the loudest and heaviest footsteps. And I'm very impressed with how you incorporated that with Ron (wrongly) realizing that perhaps Harry and Hermione could be spending more time together than he previously thought. You are a talented writer. I'm just gonna go read your other stories...

I’m fascinated by Ron’s thoughts, which have such a jealous twist, especially when we learn he never put the locket on. As a reader, I wonder if it’s Ron’s nature to be so jealous or the cumulative effects of wearin* the locket. (I think both.).

I’m so 8mpressed by every word!

In less than three thousand words, you've managed to get at the very heart of Ron's character. It's nothing short of amazing.

Ron's actions in canon will never properly balance for me. I found myself unable to forgive his flightiness as easily as Harry did. At his highest peaks, I cheered for him as the Everyman so rarely seen in Young Adult fiction. In the lead-up to his darkest moments of jealousy and pettiness, though, Rowling never bothered to present a side of him as nuanced and relatable as you've shown here.

My inner H/Hr partisan would be unhappy if I didn’t also point out the wonderful bits illustrating Ron’s jealousies and insecurities in both dialogue and narration: ‘If you had green eyes, you’d have been strew,’ ‘Only I’m never sure that I’m the only one watching,’ ‘I hate that there is nothing in this world that I can do for her that he can’t do better,’ ‘How often have I listened to the sound of the two of them walking away?’

The last bit where the reader learns that Ron has been having all of these uncharitable, awful thoughts *without* wearing the locket is either indicative of my poor reading comprehension or a masterfully crafted jab at the notion that he would have been much more likeable without the horcrux’s influence.

I love your descriptions of the forest and of Hermione’s clothing. ‘ghost-gray cotton of her cardigan’ is fantastic. As ever, there isn’t a single word out of place.

Do you publish any original fiction? cause I’d be happy to read that, too.

Wow! Wow! That is some story.

This is possibly the most effective depiction of the horcrux's twisting of Ron's existing insecurities into the dark places of jealousy. It's nuanced, sensual and very disturbing - as it should be. Excellent short.

Wow. That's the best description of Ron ' s relationship to the locket that I've ever seen.

You've really captured the essence of Ron here; what makes him such a fascinating character. That second-best thing he has in his head could very well have been the thing that killed him. But for all that self-doubt and self-loathing, he's such an amazingly strong, kind person. You've laid all of that out for us spectacularly well. Brava.

I read fanfiction as if it were candy, trying to get that sugar high so I can go on with the rest of my humdrum life, with at least a little bit of sweetness. However, when I read your stories, there was no sugar high, there was no rush of adrenaline from some halfway decent smut, or the twinge of a crush around the walls of my heart from supposed angst between Ron and Hermione. I was moved by and identified with Ron's pain, in his deconstruction of his self image and his foiled desire to do something sweet for his beloved; I was flush with a sense of indecorous arousal at the images of Oliver, Katie and OC together in a bed, despite the sense of heavy sadness that came as a slap at the end for the the two left standing.

I am afraid that if I read anymore of your stories, that I will give up writing myself because I can not imagine doing a finer job than you.

I do hope you continue to write, whatever it is that must come through, as it seems you weave bits of magic that have nothing to do with HP fandom at all. The magic is all yours.

Well done...

This was wonderful. In my head, Ron always remembers Hermione's birthday! Nonetheless, I liked your take :-) Great job!

Oh Ron, poor poor Ron. Always thinking he's second best even when he isn't. I love the voice you've given him in this: it's very true to Ron as we know him. Beautifully done.

I remember reading this - and I know I did because the link is purple instead of blue - but apparently my suckiness as a reviewer kicked in again.

A very powerful piece. From an outsider's point of view, looking at everything objectively, all that happens is very normal & innocent. There's nothing between Harry & Hermione than a strong friendship, and the locket is simply a locket. Then you look at it from Ron's POV, & everything is twisted just slightly. He sees something completely different, and what you've done here is make that perfectly plausible. It's so easy to see what he sees.

The last line is just ... wow. Such a dark, magnificent understanding of Ron at this time.

Very well written

" light and hollow- like a bone sucked dry" gods, what a chilling description. And the rest follows suit, with more and more nerve-racking, specific, sensual details of the endless wandering in the woods under the evil influence of something that has its own hungry fragment of nothing locked inside. The gradual devolution of Ron's state of mind sneaks up on you bit by bit...

Very effective, very creepy and convincing.