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Tiny black dots were zooming about high in the sky when Hermione arrived at the Holyhead Harpies’ training ground. She watched as they laced in and out of each other, forming intricate patterns at tremendous speeds, darting forwards and back, weaving together a line of defence so impenetrable that she would have bet her wand that no one could have passed it. Ginny had improved so much in the past year, ever since Gwenog Jones had visited Professor Slughorn towards the end of her final year at Hogwarts, seen Ginny playing, and instantly offered her a trial for the team. It was nice to be outside after such a long day in a windowless office, and Hermione spread out her arms, embracing the cold air that whipped around her.

“Alright there, Hermione?� a voice called, and she turned around to see Ginny gracefully hopping off her broom and walking towards her. “You wouldn’t be out spying for the Chudley Cannons, would you?�

Hermione grimaced. She may not know much about Quidditch, but she did know that Ron’s loyalty to the Cannons was not something to be proud of. “Fortunately not! I have much more important things to talk to you about!�

“Ooh, sounds intriguing! I’ll just get changed, and then we can go and get a butterbeer or something.�

Ginny headed towards the changing rooms, and Hermione wandered slowly over to wait by the entrance. She did indeed have something very important to discuss, regarding a certain case of revenge that hadn’t yet been fulfilled. A few weeks ago, Harry and Ron had decided it would be funny to use Polyjuice Potion to swap lives for the day, resulting in the humiliation of both Hermione and Ginny. The two girls decided that vengeance would be had, and Hermione had just had the perfect idea.

“So, what’s this important matter you need to discuss?� asked Ginny, as she emerged from the changing rooms and they headed off into the nearby village. “And I warn you, if it’s anything icky about your relationship with my brother, I’m going to stuff my fingers in my ears and sing the Hogwarts song very loudly until you shut up!�

“Don’t worry; it’s not about my relationship exactly.�

“What do you mean, ‘exactly’?�

Hermione gestured to a little pub they were approaching. “Buy me a drink, and I’ll reveal all.�

When they were seated in a cosy corner of the warm pub, Hermione decided that now was the time to announce her plan. “I’ve had an idea for revenge for that little matter of Polyjuice Potion last month.� Ginny’s face darkened, and Hermione knew that it was still a touchy topic with her: she never had revealed exactly what had happened between her and Ron, but Hermione guessed it had not been a pleasant experience. She rushed on, before Ginny could stop her. “Those two boys have always been very close, and sometimes I think Ron looks forward to seeing Harry more than he does to seeing me.�

“I know, you’d think they were going out or something.�

“Exactly.� There was a long pause, and Hermione gave Ginny a very meaningful look.

“Hermione Granger. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking?�

“Well, what do you think I’m thinking?� she asked, quizzically, trying to hide the smirk of pride at having impressed Ginny.

“Some kind of device for setting the two up together?�

“Close. We all know that Weasley love potions are the best around…�

“You evil genius.�

“I know.�

“So you’re saying we actually make them ‘fall in love’?�

“Only for a few hours. But enough to give them some very awkward memories that they will never be able to forget.�

“Seriously, Hermione, it’s lucky you were on our side: if Voldemort had had you we’d have been screwed!�

“I’ll take that as a compliment!� Hermione laughed.

“Well you should. So when shall we do it?�

“I was thinking about next weekend: they’ve arranged to meet up on the Saturday, and I thought that would be a perfect opportunity for us to slip them something in the morning, and then see what happens!�

“I actually can’t wait for this to happen!� Ginny giggled. “Hermione, this is the best idea you’ve ever had.�

“Why thank you. Now, I’ve already got the love potion here with me. You have to give Harry some in the morning next Saturday. Make sure to give him enough to last about 6 hours. That should give them enough time to really embarrass themselves.�

“Ok. I’ll make sure I’ve got it right. Oh, I can already taste the sweetness of revenge in the air!�

*

Saturday morning dawned very warm and bright, and in two small houses, two very cunning young women began to prepare a breakfast that neither of their partners were likely to forget in a hurry. In one house, a thatched cottage at the end of a quiet little road, tousled red hair was sticking out from under a thick duvet, and as the delicious smell of sizzling sausage wafted up the stairs and into the room, the face of Ron Weasley emerged, wearing a look of excitement, as he registered the smell of the first meal of the day. He leapt out of bed and ran down the stairs, looking like a young child on Christmas morning. As he entered the kitchen, the sight of Hermione piling three juicy sausages, two crispy rashers of bacon, fried tomato, egg and toast onto a plate made his stomach grumble appreciatively, and he beamed at his amazing girlfriend.

“Wow, Hermione, what brought on this?� he asked, as he sat down at the table.

“Oh, nothing. I just felt like having a really nice breakfast on this lovely day.� She pushed a large glass of cool pumpkin juice in front of him, and Ron noticed how happy she was looking.

“Fanks so much! Food’s ‘mazing, Er-mi-nee!� Ron gushed, mouth full of a little bit of everything.

“So are you planning on doing anything today?�

“Yeah,� Ron swallowed his gargantuan mouthful. “Harry and I are meeting up. As it’s so nice we might play some Quidditch.�

“You could have a picnic. It’s the perfect day for one, and I’ve got loads of food you could bring.�

“A picnic? Seriously? Bit unmanly, don’t you think?�

“Oh, I don’t know. If you’re in the right mood…�

Ron took a large gulp of Pumpkin juice and smiled. Hermione watched very closely.

As he began to shovel the rest of his breakfast in his mouth, Hermione noticed a thoughtful expression wash over him, and held her breath as he reached out for the Pumpkin juice again. He took a long draft, and when he set down the empty glass, he didn’t touch his plate again. “Feeling alright, Ron?�

“Yeah…� he breathed. “I’ve just got the strangest feeling.�

“You’d better get ready to meet up with Harry.�

“Harry?� his eyes lit up as he said the name. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m seeing him, aren’t I?�

“You are indeed.� Hermione hid her smirk as she watched his eyes glaze over, and he became lost in his own thoughts. “Ron?�

“I was just thinking. Maybe we could use that picnic after all.�

*

In the other house, a few miles away, it was the red-head who was up this time, sitting at the kitchen table, reading an update on the latest Quidditch league tables. She glanced up as she heard footsteps coming downstairs, and saw Harry, slightly bleary-eyed, and fixing his round glasses on his nose.

“I don’t know why you wear those things. They’re so uncool,� she sighed as she turned the page of her newspaper.

“Hey, I got through all of school with these. I’m not about to stop now.�

“Do you want some coffee? There’s some here.� She gestured to a large mug sitting opposite her, and Harry flopped down gratefully in front of it.

“Cheers. I need this. I’m so tired.�

“You going to be ok to see Ron today?�

“Yeah, definitely! I haven’t seen him since – well…� he trailed off, very aware of the last time he had seen his best friend, and trying not to remember the trouble they had both been in.

“Yes, well. Try not to have this meeting quite as disastrous as the last,� Ginny warned, hiding her glee at the knowledge of what disastrous events might indeed occur in this next encounter.

“Yeah, don’t think will be trying that one ever again!� He took a sip of his coffee.

“Drink it before it gets cold. It’s at the perfect temperature.�

Slowly, he took another sip. And another. Harry’s eyes became distanced and unfocused, and he absent-mindedly drank again. Ginny had stopped pretending not to be interested, and waited until he had emptied half the mug before speaking. “Are you feeling ok, Harry? You’re very quiet.�

“Fine… just thinking about something.� As Ginny buried her mirth behind her newspaper, Harry took a large gulp and finished off the last dregs of his coffee. “I have to go and see Ron.�

“Yes, that’ll be nice. Are you doing anything interesting today?�

“Maybe… it all depends...�

He walked out of the room with a dazed expression, and Ginny smothered her face in a cushion so as to stifle the uncontrollable laughter that was now shaking her body. She heard the pop as he Disapparated, and waited for Hermione to turn up as planned, so they could wait out the arrival of the two new lovers.

*

There was a gentle breeze wafting through the leaves of a large willow tree. Its branches were dripping with bright green leaves, which formed a curtain that closed off the rest of the world. An excellent place for privacy, Harry thought. His eyes scanned the park where he and Ron were supposed to meet, looking out for his old friend. But was friend the right word now? He didn’t know how he had never thought of Ron in this way before, but he had suddenly been overcome by a feeling so powerful that he believed it must have been there all along, and he hadn’t been able to get Ron’s face out of his head all morning.

As he glanced to his right, he saw a shimmer of orange approaching, and his heart leapt into his mouth. The sight of Ron really did take his breath away, and he felt a smile slide swiftly onto his face. Until this moment, he had been unsure quite how Ron felt about him: were they only friends to him? But now, seeing an identical smile brighten up his face, Harry knew that they felt the same. Ron stopped in front of him, and they stood for a few seconds, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Harry. How – how are you?�

“I’m… wonderful, thanks. How are you?� Harry noted how many times he had asked this and never really meant it. Now he had a sudden desire to know exactly how Ron was feeling.

“Fantastic.�

They stood staring at each other again, but not in awkward silence: they seemed to be trying to memorise each other’s faces, almost inhaling the other’s presence.

“So, what do you want to do today?� breathed Ron.

“Anything. What’s that?� Harry gestured to the wicker basket Ron was holding.

“Oh, it’s a picnic. I thought that might be nice.�

“It’ll be perfect. But let’s have it later. I just want to sit for a while.� Harry and Ron sat side by side next to the towering willow tree, and after about ten minutes of silence and staring, Harry decided he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Ron. I know this may be a bit of a shock, but I just need to tell you now. It doesn’t have to change anything between us, but it’s been eating me up inside for so long, not being able to tell you,� he stared fervently into the endless pools of blue that were Ron’s eyes, and uttered those three magic words. “I love you.�

Ron stared back at Harry for a few seconds, and then his face split into a soppy grin. He looked embarrassed, but replied. “I think I knew. Somewhere I always knew that there was more to you and me than just being friends. It’s always been there, and then today I must have finally realised it. I love you too, Harry.�

He took Harry’s hand and their fingers entwined themselves around each other. As they lay down in the luscious green grass next to each other, Harry couldn’t remember ever feeling so at peace with the world. Honestly, how could anything bad happen in a place as wonderful as this? His life up to this point seemed completely insignificant, as though it had all been leading up to this moment, all the past events culminating in this one realisation. He looked across at Ron, whose eyes were fixed on his face. “What are you looking at?�

“You.�

Harry’s stomach tightened and he knew instinctually that this was the perfect moment. He leant in and kissed Ron lightly on the lips.

*

Ron didn’t know how long they had been lying under that willow tree, but he didn’t care. He felt as though time had frozen, as though he could live the rest of his life in this moment. Although he couldn’t actually remember experiencing this strong attraction towards his best friend before today, at the same time he simply couldn’t imagine not feeling this way, and it was because of this that he knew it was meant to be. He turned his head to look directly into Harry’s eyes, which were so green he felt as though he was being lost in a forest. As he stared intently at the beautiful face next to him, trying to memorise every line and contour, his stomach grumbled, and he couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of so ridiculous a bodily function.

“Oh, Ron. Always so predictable!� Harry laughed. “What do you say to opening that picnic basket you so thoughtfully brought with you?�

“I think that is a wonderful idea.� Ron said, smiling. He wasn’t sure he’d ever used the word ‘wonderful’ in that context, but again, it just seemed right.

He unfastened the lid of the wicker basket, and gasped as he saw the beautiful array of food, candles, wine and glasses laid out neatly within. “Did you do this?� breathed Harry.

“I must have done.� Ron couldn’t actually remember making it, but then who else would have known to pack such things? He must have done it in a fit of romantic inspiration. He began to unpack everything, spreading the picnic blanket out on the floor in front of them, pouring two glasses of wine, and lighting the candles. In the fading light, the scene looked idyllic.

They drank their wine in silence, looking out through the sweeping branches of the willow tree, and listening to the low chuckle of a nearby stream. This day was perfect.

*

As the sun’s rays disappeared gracefully below the horizon, the two boys were finishing off the remains of their picnic, and it was with a heavy tone of regret that Harry reminded Ron of the time. “We really should be getting back.� It was strange, he knew where he lived, and that it was with Ginny, but that seemed like another life. So much had happened in this day that he couldn’t imagine wanting to spend time with any other person. “But we can see each other all the time,� he added, hastily, catching the fall of Ron’s face.

“I know. I just feel like this day has been the most perfect day of my life. Hermione keeps mentioning this play, where someone says how ‘parting is such sweet sorrow’. I know what she means now.�

Harry took Ron’s hand. “It won’t be forever.�

“Yeah, I suppose. I’ll see you back to yours.�

The two held hands and Disapparated, as they had so many times before, but never had it been with such desperate poignancy. When they opened their eyes again, they were standing outside Harry’s house. “This has been the best day of my life,� Harry whispered. He was beginning to feel odd, but he put it down to the prospect of leaving Ron.

“And mine.� Ron leant in to kiss Harry goodnight, but as their lips touched, something felt incredibly, incredibly wrong. They both froze at the same time, and as they broke apart they each saw a look of confusion on the other’s face. Very quickly, however, this confusion morphed into a look of shock and disgust, as each realised exactly what they had been doing. Before they could even begin to question each other, they whipped around at the shrieks that were coming from within the house. The door burst open to reveal Hermione and Ginny, doubled up in fits of laughter.

Harry turned back to Ron, a look of utter humiliation on his face, as he slowly began to realise what had been happening all along. Ron’s face had almost gone purple: it looked like he had forgotten how to breathe. He stood staring at Ginny and Hermione, mouth opening and closing silently, like a fish.

“You… you… we…� spluttered Harry, his mind feeling like a puzzle that had just been broken up.

The girls only laughed harder, but eventually he heard a few words being squeezed out of Ginny’s mouth. “We… love potion… revenge!�

It was as though the puzzle was gradually being put back together, and Harry realised with horror the awful plan the girls had concocted.

“You – you set us up?� moaned Ron. “Because of the Polyjuice Potion?� Harry looked at him, and then looked away instantly, remembering the thoughts that had been going on in his head not five minutes before. Ron seemed to have been thinking the same thing, because he took a giant step away from Harry, as though no one would notice what had been going on between them.

As the peals of laughter began to slow, Harry looked straight at Ginny, silently demanding an explanation.

“Don’t look at me, it was Hermione’s idea. And a rather brilliant one, may I add.�

“Hermione?� spluttered Ron, looking absolutely gobsmacked.

Hermione beamed with pride. “Yes. It was my idea. Although I couldn’t have done it without you, Ginny. That stunt with the Polyjuice Potion was rather humiliating for Ginny, and very upsetting for me, so we decided to have a little revenge.�

“By doing this?� demanded Harry. “Force-feeding us love potion?�

“And it went better than we could ever have imagined!� cried Ginny.

Harry could feel the hot flush of abject mortification burn across his face. The things he had thought, done. And with Ron! He wasn’t sure he could forget this, and yet he wanted to wipe the memories out of his mind for good.
“But we –" Ron started, then stopped, looking incredibly awkward.

“You’ll get over it� said Hermione, breezily. “And if not, well, at least you’ll have that special memory of Harry to cherish. Now, we’d better get home. We’ve all got work tomorrow, and I’d really hate it if word got around about your… frolics today.�

“You wouldn’t!� Harry and Ron whispered together.

“No, I’d never dream of it! That is, I won’t if you agree never to pull anything on us again.�

“Never!� they exclaimed, and caught each other’s eye for a moment. In that split second, they agreed never to try to outwit women again for the rest of their lives.