A/N: Ok, so this chapter veers away from focus a bit. But it fits into the story as a whole, so I'm hoping the moderator will be nice and not ask me to resubmit again. Sorry it's taken so long!
Disclaimer: All names and places used are property of J.K.Rowling.
*****
“You have to tell him.”
Ginny looked up, startled.
“What? Are you joking? I’m not going to tell him!”
Hermione sighed.
“Then what’s the point? He’s never going to work it out; you know he’s useless at that kind of thing.”
“But what would telling him achieve? I’m just his best friend’s little sister, and if I tell him, I won’t even be that,” she sighed heavily.
“It’s your decision Ginny, but if I were you I would take a chance,” Hermione pushed.
Ginny stared at Hermione and burst out laughing.
“What?”
She frowned as Ginny tried to calm herself down.
“What’s so funny?”
“The idea of you ever ‘taking a chance’,” Ginny giggled.
“Well thanks, Ginny. It’s nice to know you think so highly of me!”
“Oh, come on Hermione, don’t be like that,” she pleaded, smiling hopefully at her sulking friend.
“What’s so strange about the idea of me taking a chance with a boy I really…”
Ginny was staring at her with one eyebrow raised.
“Well ok…I can almost see your point. But do as I say, not as I do,” she said, wagging her finger authoritatively in Ginny’s direction.
“Like you said, it’s my decision,” Ginny said, throwing her friend a look that said “don’t even think about trying to push this”.
“Fine, fine,” Hermione muttered, before grinning mischievously at Ginny and saying, “I knew it, though. I knew it!”
Ginny groaned and pushed Hermione out of the room, in the direction of her classes.
*****
For the rest of that day, Ginny tried her best to avoid Hermione. This, however, was easier said than done. And sure enough, every time that she bumped into her friend, she was always with Harry. Then, for the entire duration of their conversation, Ginny would catch Hermione throwing her meaningful looks. No matter how many times she signalled to her friend to stop, Hermione refused to give in. Once, Harry caught Hermione mouthing “have you done it yet?” to her when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“Hermione, what on earth are you doing?” he laughed.
Ginny stared as Hermione searched for an answer, and evidently came back with nothing. Harry turned to look at Ginny, still grinning, though obviously more confused now.
“Ginny? What are you supposed to have ‘done’?” he asked. Ginny opened her mouth, but could not speak. Instead, she felt her cheeks grow hotter and hotter until she was certain her face was the same colour as her hair.
Evidently, Harry noticed her reaction. It certainly would have been hard for him not to.
“Ooh, are you plotting some kind of evil scheme? Oh dear Ginny, and I thought you were such a good girl,” he smiled.
She laughed weakly, and mumbled some excuse about getting to class. Throwing Hermione a dirty look, she left the corridor as quickly as possible.
*****
Ron collapsed down next to Hermione on the grass, exhausted. Hermione laughed at the expression on his face.
“Everything alright, Ron?” she smiled.
“I wish McGonagall would give us less homework,” he groaned.
“Well now Ronald, you know that could never happen. We do have “”
“-Very important exams coming up. Yes, I know Hermione! But all the same, I’ve got just about enough work, thank you very much.”
“If you’d just learn to organise your time better…” Hermione trailed off, stopping when she saw the look on Ron’s face. “Fine, I’ll be quiet. But you know what I think about it.”
“That it’s all my own fault,” Ron grinned.
“Precisely,” Hermione laughed. She settled back onto her elbows and they lay side by side, looking out onto the lake.
“So,” Ron smiled, glancing across at her, “are you looking forward to Christmas?”
“Of course! I love the festive season. And I think I’ve decided on the perfect gift for you, at last,” she said with mock-exasperation. Reaching down to her neck, Hermione delicately wound the chain of her locket between her fingers, running her thumb gently over the engraved surface. “I’m not sure how you’ll beat this, though,” she murmured thoughtfully.
Ron stared at her for a moment, watching her absent-mindedly play with his gift.
“You’re still wearing it,” he said, quietly.
Hermione turned to look at him, plainly surprised.
“Of course I am, Ron. It’s the most amazing thing anyone has ever given me.”
For what seemed to Ron like an eternity, they just stared at each other. Suddenly, a voice came from behind him and startled him out of his reverie.
“There you are! Not interrupting anything, am I?”
Michael Corner sat down cheerfully beside Hermione, slinging his arm protectively across her shoulders.
“No, not at all,” she smiled, turning her attention to him.
Ron looked away as Michael drew Hermione in towards him and kissed her heavily.
“Well, I’d better be going,” he said, struggling to make his voice sound normal.
“Ron, you don’t have to-”
“See you later, Hermione,” he interrupted, already getting to his feet.
“See you later…” she replied, and Ron failed to notice the note of disappointment in her voice.
*****
Ron, Harry and Ginny were sitting together in the Gryffindor common room, huddled around the fireplace. Harry was teaching Ginny how to succeed in Wizards’ Chess, something that Ron never had the patience for. Instead, he chose to settle himself in an armchair with the latest update from the official Chudley Cannons newsletter. He was trying very hard to block out all the noise in the room; having decided that concentrating was much easier when there was no one else around. He had already snapped at Ginny and Harry, and it had worked for all of two minutes, the noise levels quickly returning to full volume. Sighing loudly, and trying desperately to block out the sound of his sister’s giggles, Ron shifted in his seat. Finally, he threw down his magazine and got up from the armchair, turning to face Harry.
“I’ll be back soon, I’m just going to find Neville and ask to borrow his earplugs,” he said loudly.
“That’s nice, Ron,” Harry murmured, not really hearing him. Ginny didn’t even turn around.
“Right,” he sighed, marching off upstairs. He wasn’t actually going to borrow Neville’s earplugs, but he needed some time to himself, without the noise from downstairs.
“Let’s see how long it takes them to notice I’ve not come back,” he muttered to himself, sitting down on the bed and enjoying the peace and quiet.
*****
When Ron returned downstairs half an hour later, the atmosphere in the common room had changed entirely. The attention of everyone there was focused on Harry and Ginny, who were now standing a few feet apart, Ginny red in the face and shouting.
“Honestly Harry, I’ve come to accept that my brother is an unobservant fool, but I’d really expected more from you!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ginny!” Harry cried desperately, his eyes pleading with her to calm down.
She threw him a look of utter disappointment and, in muted tones, replied, “Exactly. But I wish you did.”
And with that she turned on her heel and ran out of the common room, the sound of her sobs resonating back through the portrait hole.
Ron started forward, but Harry put out a hand to stop him.
“No Ron, I’ll go after her. Whatever’s wrong is my fault,” he sighed, and jogged off after Ginny.
Ron shook his head in amazement. Something big had obviously happened when he was upstairs, but he certainly wasn’t going to ask the second years about it. Slumping back down into his chair by the fire, he tried to return his focus to the Chudley Cannons newsletter.
*****
Almost an hour had passed and Ron had successfully read three lines of the article. He could not stop fidgeting and glancing at the clock, wondering what had upset Ginny so much. Eventually, he could take it no longer. Despite the fact that she could be a complete pain in the neck, Ginny was his little sister and he had to look after her.
Not really sure where he was going to search, Ron left the common room, turning corners in an aimless way, hoping to stumble across Ginny. After about ten minutes, he found himself walking down the corridor leading to the library. It was obviously closed as all the lights were out and the corridor itself was almost pitch black. He was about to turn around and leave, thinking that he could check the grounds, when he heard a faint noise that made him stop.
Peering into the black hallway, he could just make out the red gleam of Ginny’s hair. Breathing a sigh of relief, he moved more purposefully towards her. He stopped, however, when his eyes began to adjust to the darkness. He realised, with a jolt of shock, that his sister was not alone.
Ginny was pushed up against a wall, and was heavily involved in what looked like a passionate clinch.
Ron clenched his fists as a powerful rage swept over him, and without thinking, he strode forward, yelling, “GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF MY SISTER!”
The couple broke apart, and Ron felt as though he’d just been punched in the chest when he realised who Ginny’s partner was.
“Harry?” he asked, his voice now barely audible.
Before either of them could speak, Ron turned around and ran as fast as he could away from the corridor, refusing to take in what had just happened.
*****