Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I've just put them under the Imperious Curse until JKR breaks the spell.
A/N: If Harry and Ron seem OOC, it's because they realized they have to share their feelings before Voldemort takes that chance away from them.
Garden Party
Harry and Ron were out in the garden, lying on their backs, watching the clouds float past. Mrs. Weasley had sent them outside so they weren’t in the way. However, she had retained Hermione and Ginny to help finish the last minute preparations.
Ron rolled over on his side and looked at Harry, “So, erm, Harry, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember last night how I asked you if Hermione looked any different?”
Harry turned to face Ron. He had a feeling Ron was finally going to admit his feelings for Hermione, “Yeah, I do. Did you finally notice that she was a girl?”
Ron blushed, “Well, erm, I know she’s a girl. But something’s different. She actually looks like a girl now. Didn’t you see her hair today?”
Harry thought a minute. Hermione’s hair did seem less frizzy. He replied, “Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, it’s just that I had this weird dream last night, actually, every night since we came back from school. I dreamt that I asked her out mate,” Ron stammered.
Ducking his head so that Ron wouldn’t see, Harry grinned, “So you finally realized you like her. It took you long enough.”
Ron sputtered, “What? What do you mean I like her. I never said that, I just said I had a dream about asking her out.”
“No Ron, you said you’ve had this dream every night since we came back from school. That’s how many?” Harry continued before Ron could answer, “Maybe your heart is trying to tell you what to do. Just don’t be a complete idiot when you tell her, okay?”
“Who said I was going to tell her?” demanded Ron.
“I think you have to mate. Besides, you’ll be sorry if you never tell her. What if she ends up with Krum, or somebody else, because you never plucked up the nerve?” Harry watched his words sink in.
Ron got up, “I hope you’re right. I’ve got to go think a bit. See you later,” with that, he walked off.
Harry smiled, hoping he would have a chance to talk to Hermione soon to find out what Ron told to her. Harry jumped when someone cleared their throat. As he turned around his stomach gave a gleeful lurch.
Ginny smiled shyly, “Hi Harry. Mum just sent me to bring you inside. Ron is talking with Hermione in the shed. Why he would want to talk to her there with all the spiders is beyond me, unless he thinks it’s more private.”
Harry chuckled, “You caught on to that one pretty quickly. Does Hermione have any idea?”
“Ron wanted to ask her something about one of the Muggle artifacts my dad keeps in there. I’m betting it’s pretty fascinating in there right now. Wanna listen in?” Ginny dangled a pair of Extendable Ears, and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Umm, Ginny, I think he’s telling her that he likes her. Maybe we should leave them alone. After all, it’s not easy telling a girl you like her,” Harry felt his emotions dip as Ginny frowned, and quickly added, “But there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Well, it had better be good, since you aren’t going to let me listen in on my brother pouring his heart out,” quipped Ginny cheekily.
Harry cleared his throat, “Ginny, the reason we made you leave the kitchen earlier was because I needed some advice on how to talk to girls,” seeing Ginny’s scowl, Harry faltered, then continued, “more specifically, how to talk to you. Ginny, I really like you. You make my stomach feel like it’s full of butterflies, and just being around you makes me happy. I was afraid to tell you because I didn’t want to take the chance of losing you to Voldemort, but Remus changed my mind. He made me realize that if I didn’t tell you, I could lose you as well.”
Breaking into a huge grin, Ginny hugged Harry, “Oh Harry! I like you too. I have ever since you and Ron left for school your first year. But you liked Cho, so I didn’t think I had a chance.”
“I thought I was the one without a chance Ginny. I was really jealous when you told Ron that Dean was your boyfriend,” Harry hugged Ginny tighter, and rested his chin on her head. Most of the nerves that had been pent up inside him were gone, but he still felt awkward.
Ginny smirked, “Well, Dean never was my boyfriend. I just told Ron that to irritate him. Dean is just my friend. He actually likes Padma Patil, and has been sending her anonymous love letters by owl,” Ginny stopped rambling and leaned back to look up at Harry. Her cheeks tinged with pink as she stood on tip toe, “Harry, kiss me?”
Harry was floored. Just that fact that Ginny liked him back was enough, but she wanted to kiss him. Those three words sent a shiver down his spine. The nervous feeling was back, only this time it was nearing panic. This was going to be his first kiss with Ginny, and Harry could barely breathe. He nodded his head, and leaned down, before closing his eyes. He could feel Ginny’s breath on his lips for a second before he felt the sweet sensation of her soft lips against his. It was the most wonderful feeling Harry had ever experienced. Her lips tasted like raspberries, and she smelled like a spring breeze.
“Oy, Potter, just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean you can snog our little sister. Hands off!” George had an angry look on his face that matched the look on Fred’s face.
Ginny stepped in front of Harry, “If you want to remain my big brothers, I suggest you mind your own business, or I’ll Bat-Bogey hex you!”
Harry cleared his throat, “Umm, Fred, George, I really like Ginny. I know you want to protect her, but I swear I am not going to hurt her.”
“Harry, my brothers are complete gits. Instead of harassing Ron, who is confessing his love to Hermione in the shed, they’re bothering us. You know what will happen if that continues,” Ginny glared at her twin brothers.
“In the shed? Just remember Harry, we know where you sleep. Good day to you,” Fred cracked his knuckles, and slunk after George, who was already creeping towards the shed.
“Looks like you’ll get to find out what Ron’s saying anyway,” Harry looped his arm around Ginny’s shoulder.
“And look, we have front row seats! Accio Bench!” Ginny summoned a bench for them to sit on.
Harry raised his eyebrows, and asked, “Ginny, aren’t you going to get in trouble for using magic?”
With a wink, Ginny replied, “As long as Mum didn’t see me, I’ll be fine. You can’t actually tell who did the spell anyway. In most Wizarding families, the parents watch to make sure their children don’t use magic. Fred and George used to do magic in their room all the time. Mum didn’t realize until they were of age, and she decided it was too late to do anything, but she was rather stingy about giving them pudding for quite awhile.”
Harry remembered how he had gotten blamed for Dobby’s hovering charm the summer before his second year. Focusing on the commotion that was beginning to unfurl, he leaned over and kissed Ginny’s temple. Feeling content as she leaned into his side, Harry realized this was the best birthday ever.
Ron started back to the house with Harry’s words still ringing in his ears. As he approached the back door he saw Hermione and Ginny walking towards him. His palms suddenly felt extremely clammy, and his feet were stuck in one spot. Remembering what Harry had told him, he bolstered his courage, and began walking towards the girls. He cleared his throat, “Hermione, I had a question about one of my Dad’s Muggle artifacts. It’s in the shed. Can you explain it to me?”
Hermione looked surprised, but recovered, “Sure Ron. Ginny, why don’t you go get Harry. I’m sure we won’t be too long.”
Ginny nodded, “Is he still in the garden?”
“I just left him there.” Ron replied softly. “Why don’t we go take a look at the, erm, thingy, in the shed.”
Ginny shrugged as if to say go ahead.
The brunette witch followed Ron towards the shed, noticing he was slightly red. She wondered what exactly was in there. Knowing Mr. Weasley it was a plug of some sort, but Ron knew what plugs were. It would be impossible to live at the Burrow and not know. Hermione wrinkled her nose at the dust swirling in the air. A light came on as they entered, and Ron shut the door. He gestured for Hermione to have a seat at the table, which was oddly covered with a lace tablecloth.
“So where is this “thingy” you wanted to ask me about?” Hermione questioned as she sat down.
“Well, erm, I actually wanted to talk to you in private, that was just an excuse,” Ron blushed, and continued, “Did you get something unusual this summer?”
Realization dawned on Hermione. Ron had sent her the chocolate bar! Scrunching up her face as if in concentration, “Well, someone sent me a bar of my favorite chocolate this summer. But there wasn’t a note to say who it was from.”
Ron looked startled. He never considered anyone else sending Hermione something too. He was going to throttle Harry for giving him the idea to talk to Hermione.
Knowing how thick he could be at times, Hermione decided to take pity on Ron. She smiled, “I tried to get Dobby to tell me who sent it, but he wouldn’t. He seemed to think that you would never speak to him again if he told me that you sent it.”
Ron blinked and his jaw dropped. He moaned, “You knew it was me?”
“Not until just now. It was very sweet of you to send me chocolate since you know my parents wouldn’t let me have any. Thank you Ronald,” Hermione smiled, and took Ron’s hand giving it a squeeze.
Hearing his full name, and feeling Hermione’s hand in his, he took a deep breath, “I sent it because I like you. Like a girl. I mean, like a girlfriend. I mean, I fancy you ‘Mione.”
Jumping up and throwing her arms around him, Hermione squealed, “I fancy you too!”
Deciding that Harry had been right after all, Ron swallowed his nerves while blushing furiously, and took the next step. Wrapping one arm around her waist, and using his other hand to lift her chin up, Ron took and chance and whispered, “Hermione, can I kiss you?”
Hermione didn’t answer, but pulled his head downs towards her. She kissed him softly on the lips, and smiled at the thought that the boy she had liked for three years was finally kissing her.
Ron deepened the kiss, tentatively exploring Hermione’s mouth with his tongue. He was in heaven, and felt like he never wanted to stop feasting on the delights Hermione had to offer. The happiness was short lived, replaced with horror, as the shed door was thrown open wide.
“I fancy you Gred!” teased Fred in a falsetto.
“I fancy you to Forge! Let’s snog!” replied George in an equally high voice.
The twins pretended to snog each other as Ron blushed feverishly. Having turned bright pink, Hermione looked beyond embarrassed.
From his seat on the bench, Harry called, “It’s about time!”
His friends whirled when they heard Harry’s voice. Hermione was the first to recover her voice. She shouted, “What do you mean, it’s about time! Harry James Potter, if you knew that these two monkeys were spying on us, why didn’t you stop them?”
Harry smirked and, “Well, it might have been so they would stop interrupting Ginny and me. They were going to keep bothering us, but someone mentioned that Ron was hiding in the shed with you.”
Ron’s voice was laced with sarcasm, “Gee, I wonder who would have told our dear brothers where to find us! Ginny, when I get my hands on you…”
Hermione cut him off, “Wait, did you just say they interrupted you and Ginny? What were you doing?”
Fred replied with mock disgust, “You two weren’t the only ones we’ve caught snogging today.”
George continued, “And we felt honor bound as your older brothers to mortify you as well. Equal treatment for all I say.”
“Now it’s time for dinner. Chop chop.”
“You’ll need to clean up if you don’t want Mum to know what you were doing.”
The mischief makers disappeared with two loud cracks, leaving everyone else in the garden.
A/N: My wonderful beta Amanda wrote a one shot and I had to borrow some details from it. Look for a new story to be posted by Pandafan81 once the queue is open! (12/28/05)