Summary: A night out in a pub cause Harry and Ron to have problems with the women in their lives. Will Hermione and Ginny forgive them for being normal sixteen year old boys?
According to the reviews, this is a funny story. Please read and review!
Categories: Ron/Hermione AND Harry/Ginny Characters: None
Warnings: Substance Abuse
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 6
Completed: Yes
Word count: 10125
Read: 18174
Published: 02/08/05
Updated: 03/09/05
In the Doghouse by Phoebe Cat
Chapter 4 â“ In the Doghouse
Ginny stayed in her room for most of the day. Harry had knocked once only to hear; âIf thatâs you Harry Potter, I said I donât care to speak to you!â Later he slipped a note under the door that simply read: Iâm sorry, Ginny -- Harry.
*
Harry and Ron were helping Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen when Hermione arrived that night. Her parents brought her to meet Mr. Weasley after work outside the Ministry and the two had flooed to Number 12.
Harry greeted Hermione with a big hug. âItâs great to see you, Hermione.â They both looked at Ron who looked sheepishly back at Hermione. She immediately turned to Mrs. Weasley. âMrs. Weasley, thank you for having me.â
âOh Hermione dear, we are so glad you could be here.â Molly Weasley exclaimed. âWe will have dinner ready shortly. Ron, why donât you help Hermione with her trunk.â
Hermione turned to Harry, ignoring Ron. âHarry will you help me with my trunk? I have your birthday present in there and I want to give it to you.â
Harry picked up the trunk and they proceeded up to the room she would be sharing with Ginny. Hermione started to open the door, but Harry stopped her. âIâm not welcome in there. Youâll have to take it from here.â He sat down her trunk.
âWhat on earth are you talking about, Harry?â Hermione was puzzled.
âLetâs just say Iâm not Ginnyâs favorite person right now. Iâm sure she will fill you in on the details.â
Hermione looked puzzled. She hadnât known Harry and Ginny to argue. She couldnât imagine what they were up to. âWell wait, let me get your present.â Hermione opened her trunk. She pulled out a small package. Harry opened it to find a small book.
âSonnets From the Portuguese, whatâs it about?â Harry was not familiar with the book.
âItâs a book of love poems. They are really quite beautiful.â Hermione smiled sweetly at him.
Harry looked a little alarmed. âHermioneâŚdo you fancy me?â
âOh, of course not!â Hermione laughed. âI just thought you might need some help the next time you fancy someone. It may help give you the words to express your feelings.â
âFeelings? What feelings?â He pulled a face.
Hermione just shook her head and turned to enter the bedroom.
âThanks, Hermione. It may take a lot more than this to help me talk to girls.â He started down the stairs and looked back at her, âBy the way, Ron really feels badly about that phone call. You should at least hear him out.â
As he continued down the stairs, Hermione entered the room to the sound of Ginny squealing at the sight of her best girl friend. Harry loved that squeal. Too bad she wouldnât be squealing at the sight of him ever. What am I thinking? Harry scolded himself. Sheâs just a friendâŚwas just a friend. Now she was an ex-friend. He thought sadly.
*
Dinner was a bit strained that evening between the fighting foursome, but with all the commotion of the Weasley family, no one noticed except for Mrs. Weasley.
Since Ginny wouldnât look at Harry, he had several opportunities to stare at her without being noticed. She really had become pretty. Her long shiny red hair moved when she laughed a Fredâs latest joke. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled at her dad. Her skin was milky white with tiny freckles on her nose. Stop! Stop! Stop! You canât think of Ginny that way. She hates you now anyway.
Harry recalled a scene from the pensieve where another raven-haired boy had angered the object of his affection. He had been upset with his father when he saw this memory. Now he understood that sixteen-year-old boys seem to just have moments where their lack of maturity comes out.
Ron hardly looked up from his plate. He picked at his food which made everyone think he was illâŚor lovesick. âWhatâs wrong, Ickle Ronnikins? Canât eat in front of your girlfriend?â George smiled.
âShut it George!â Ron continued to look down.
The girls excused themselves early and went to their room to avoid further contact with Ron and Harry.
*
The next a day, Molly Weasley had had all she could take. It was hard enough to deal with the stress she was feeling over the impending war. She wasnât going to have her children fighting with their friends. She asked each one of them separately what was wrong, but none of them gave her an honest answer.
âIâm just worried about my long distance relationship with Dean.â
âNo, nothingâs wrong, Mrs. Weasley, I guess Iâve just been a little worried about my homework.â
âNothing mum, girls are just always cranky. Itâs themâŚnot us.â
âIâm still just overwhelmed at being back here in his houseâ (This was the truth, but not the real answer to her question.)
*
Harry and Ron were playing a game of Wizardâs Chess when Mrs. Weasley approached them, âOK boys, what is going on between you and the girls? Iâve never seen so much tension between you.â She sat down a couple of pumpkin juices for them.
âItâs nothing, Mum. They are just cranky. Maybe itâs their time of the month.â Ron took a large gulp of juice without looking up from his game.
Mrs. Weasley raised an eyebrow. âYou will tell me whatâs going on. And you will tell me right now!â
Harry drank his juice, hoping that he could avoid talking if his mouth was otherwise engaged.
âMum, I donât think we can discuss this with you. You wouldnât understand. It has to do withâŚyou knowâŚs.e.x.â He spelled the word sex in a whisper. He was suddenly horrified that he had even spelled the word sex in front of his mother.
âI wouldnât understand? Ronald Weasley, I can assure you that I know something about sex! I do have seven children for goodness sake!â Ron cringed at her words. The thought of his mum having sex made him sick.
âYour father and I never sat you down and talked to you about this. We just figured with five older brothers that you would hear it from them before we could tell you anything. Now, do you and Harry have any there specific questions you want to ask or would it be easier if each of you told me what you did to upset the girls?â
âI guess so.â Ron mumbled.
Ron took a deep breath and started. After a few minutes Harry realized that Ron was telling the whole story. Everything that had happened was just flowing out of his mouth like he couldnât control it. Veritaserum. She must have given us veritaserum. He thought as Ron continued to spill his guts about the pub, the drinking, the muggle girls and the phone call. He finished the tale with his final drunken plop onto his bed.
Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Harry. It was now his turn. He suddenly felt ill. He was about to tell Mrs. Weasley that he, Harry, had molested her only daughter. Ginny was her precious daughter. And it wasnât like they were dating and things got out of hand. She might be able to understand that. But he had just attacked Ginny for no reason.
Harry looked down at the chessboard. He couldnât look Mrs. Weasley in the eye. He focused on his remaining chessmen and started. âItâs pretty much like Ron said, but he left out one of our topics of conversation at the pub.â He proceeded to tell her about the spell that Fred and George had cast on Ginny. How he was curious about it and wanted to test it out for himself. It was as if someone else was speaking, Harry couldnât control what he was saying. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth kept spilling forth. He tried to hold back comments about how sexy Ginny had looked in her short nightgown, but he couldnât. He finally heard himself saying ââŚand thatâs when she slapped me.â He still hadnât looked at Mrs. Weasley.
Ron stood up, knocking the chessboard over. Chessmen flew everywhere. He grabbed Harry by the neck. âYou didnât tell me everything! Iâm going to kill you!â Mrs. Weasley quickly pointed her wand at them and said âpertificous partus.â They were frozen in their positions so that they could only move from the neck up.
âWell,â she took a deep breath, âthat is quite a story.â
âFirst of all, going to the muggle pub was a very stupid and dangerous thing to do, not to mention underage drinking. But we will deal with that issue later.â Molly already knew that they had slipped out that night. The adults at Number 12 had suspected the boys would try to go out for Harryâs birthday and decided to let them think they had gotten away with it. They had been followed by a guard and were perfectly safe. A special charm had now been put on the door to prevent any further outings. Now that they had confessed to the crime, she would have to punish them.
âSecondly, Ron, Iâm not surprised at your behavior towards Hermione. Itâs perfectly normal for young men to become aroused at the sight of a pretty girl.â Ron moaned. He couldnât stand to hear his own mum talk like this. âEspecially if he fancies her.â She added. âYou have learned the hard way about how alcohol can affect you. Iâm sure you would have said something different to Hermione if you had been sober.â Ron was blushing. How did his mother know that he fancied Hermione?
âThirdly, Fred and George will be severely punished. The spell they put on Ginny was outlawed in the â1969 Witchâs Liberation Movementâ. Although I am quite impressed that they were able to research it and perform the spell.â Molly looked away with a satisfied smile on her face. Fred and George had learned something at Hogwarts.
She then turned to Harry, who was still looking down. âAnd fourth and finally, to you Mr. Harry Potter. I am very disappointed in you.â Harry felt his heart breaking. Mrs. Weasley had always treated him like a son, and now he had disappointed her. âI would have never thought you would take advantage of any young lady, let alone our Ginny! Harry, look at me.â
Harry turned his head he had tears in his eyes, âIâm really sorry.â He said softly.
âI know you are dear.â She pulled him into a hug. He was unable to respond because of the spell she had put on them earlier. He just stood there being hugged by the only woman he had ever considered a mother figure.
âWhy are you hugging him? After what he did?â Ron yelled.
âRon, I have forgiven you and Harry. She turned to Ron. âI love you both and nothing can change that.â
âBut, Mum. He hurt Ginny!â Ron scowled.
âRon, I expect that you should forgive Harry, too. After all he will probably be your brother-in-law someday.â
Harry looked stunned. Could she read his mind? Did she know that he was starting to have feelings for Ginny?
âWhat? Mum, what are you talking about!â
Molly removed the petrifying spell from the boys after Ron swore he wouldnât attack Harry again. They sat down and she then explained the intricacies of the Chastity Spell that Fred and George had apparently used on Ginny. She finished with, âSo you see, if the spell never allows the witch to become intimate with any man, she could never marryâŚnever have children.â
âSo I was right, â said Harry, âthe spell wore off so Ginny couldâŚwellâŚyou knowâŚdo stuff.â
âNot exactly,â Molly smiled looking fondly at Harry, âthe spell doesnât wear off. When the right man comes along, the spell will simply have no effect on him.â
It took a few seconds for this information to sink in for Harry and Ron. âDoes that mean that Harry and Ginny are destined to be together?â Ron asked. Molly nodded with a smile.
Harry was dumb struck. His jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. Weâre destined? Ginny and me. Is that why I canât stop thinking about her? Iâm the right man?
Molly interrupted his thoughts, âNow, the three of us are the only ones who know this and I think we should keep it that way.â Molly pleaded. âIf Ginny knew what her brothers did she might hurt them badly. Harry I donât have to tell you how difficult it can be to have the burden of knowledge about your future.â She looked at him knowingly.
She must know about the Prophesy. Harry thought. âI think it would be better if she didnât know. At least not any time soon.â Harry said.
âHarry, I do hope that if you become involved with Ginny any time soon, you will show her a bit more respect than you did the other night. You two are certainly too young to be havingâŚthat sort of relationship.â Molly hoped she had made her point.
Ron grunted in agreement with his mother. âAs for you, Ronald, I see the way you look at Hermione. You remind me of a lion stalking a gazelle! Itâs as if you are going to pounce at any minute! You need to get control of yourself before you start any kind physical relationship with her. You are so eager, she wouldnât have a chance.â
âMum! Iâm notâŚeager. Weâre just friends.â
Molly rolled her eyes. âYour father needs to speak with both of you.â She said as she left the room.
They both hoped that conversation would be later, much later or never.
They began to clean up the chessmen. Ron looked at Harry, his best friend who was to become his sisterâs boyfriend, her lover and her husband. He tried to take it all in. He shook his head. âUmph! I still canât believe you did that to Ginny. What a prat!â
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.