A/N: Ok, this is taking much longer than expected because of massive queues and OOCness that I had to fix. Yes, I know it's still slightly off-focus, but I promise I'll get back to Ron/Hermione goodness in the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Obviously, all characters and general important stuff belong to J.K.Rowling.
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For the next week, Ron did everything within his power to avoid Harry and Ginny. He would hurry to his classes to ensure that he secured a place next to Neville, Seamus or Dean, and would heavily involve himself in conversation when he noticed Harry come in through the door. He took his lunch outside and sat in secluded spots where he could not be seen from the castle, and made sure that he was always in bed, pretending to be asleep, when Harry entered the dormitory. Though part of him fought against it, Ron also tried to avoid Hermione, not wanting to discuss what he had been witness to with anyone. However, Hermione did not give up easily and cornered him at breakfast, demanding to know what was going on.
“What on earth is wrong with you?” she fumed.
“Hermione, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, trying to edge past her and make a speedy getaway.
“Oh yes you do, Ronald Weasley. You have been flat out ignoring me and Harry for the last week, and I want to know why!”
Ron stared at her defiantly for a moment, but crumbled under her demanding glare.
“Fine,” he mumbled, “but keep your voice down. Let’s go outside.”
They sat together in the deserted courtyard, listening to the larks twittering in the trees nearby. Ron sank his head into his hands and sighed heavily.
When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to speak, Hermione repeated her question.
“Well? Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Why have you been getting up at six thirty in the morning “ when God knows you are the laziest person I know “ just to have your breakfast alone? And why have you suddenly become so pally with Neville during classes?”
She stared at him intently, waiting for an answer that took a long time to come.
“Look, Hermione…it’s complicated…”
“Oh no, Ron, you are not using that tired line. You’ve been avoiding me and I think I have a right to know why,” she said angrily.
Ron glanced up worriedly, realising that he had offended her.
“I wasn’t intentionally avoiding you, Hermione,” he started, but was halted by the incredulous look on her face. “Fine, maybe I was. But not because of something you’ve done…I just didn’t want to talk about it,” he muttered.
Hermione’s expression softened when she saw his frown.
“Talk about what, Ron?” she asked, gently.
It took a while for him to reply, as he struggled with bringing the memory back so vividly, even if it meant releasing some of the weight from his shoulders.
“About…Ginny,” he managed.
“Ginny? But what could Ginny have done to upset you this much?”
“It wasn’t just her,” he said through gritted teeth.
“But what…oh,” Hermione suddenly realised what must have happened.
Ron looked up sharply.
“You sound like you know something,” he said, watching her cheeks redden.
“I-I made her talk to me,” she said, searching his face for signs of anger. Though there was a moment when she thought he might lash out at her, his expression fell and he just looked dejected.
“So I’m the idiot, then? Everyone else saw it coming?”
“What happened?”
“They were fighting, and Ginny ran off. Harry said he’d go after her “ I thought he was just going to make sure she was alright! But it turns out he wanted to take advantage of her when she was upset, and use her for some…some…” he struggled to find the appropriate word but, words failing him, just trailed off with an angry groan.
Hermione looked taken aback.
“Ron, what exactly were they doing?” she asked, her voice conveying her shock.
He took in her expression, and almost laughed as he realised what meaning she had drawn from his words.
“Nothing like that, Hermione. Bloody hell, if it had been anything like that…” he tensed visibly. Returning to his train of thought, he spoke bitterly, “But you wouldn’t have been able to prise them apart with a crowbar, he was that attached to her face.”
Hermione breathed in sharply at his harsh words.
“But are you that upset, really?” she probed carefully, “I always thought if anyone would have your consent to be with Ginny, it would be Harry…”
“Are you joking, Hermione? Of course I’m upset! They’re not together, are they? There haven’t been any changes in their relationship recently to suggest that he actually cares about her. He’s just using her, Hermione. He practically molested my little sister,” he said, clenching his fists angrily.
Hermione could see the tension running through Ron’s body, but she refused to believe that Harry was capable of acting in such a way.
“Now that is going too far,” she protested. “How can you possibly accuse Harry of something like that? And for that matter, how do you know their relationship hasn’t changed? What if you just haven’t noticed it changing? You’re certainly not known for your keen observation of other people’s feelings…” she said, but she muttered the last part quietly and Ron was too preoccupied to hear her.
“Don’t be so naïve, Hermione. You need to accept that the Harry we knew and trusted turned out to be just as sleazy as all those other apes who tried to put their slimy paws all over my sister.”
“I still think that you should talk to them before you go jumping to any conclusions,” she chided.
“I don’t want to talk to them Hermione, understand? Especially not Harry. But I can’t believe Ginny could be so stupid as to be taken in by that act! No, I don’t want to talk to either of them.”
He sank his head down into his hands and tried desperately to control his rising anger; he did not want to lash out at Hermione.
“Well,” she said, after a brief pause, “I don’t think you have any say in the matter.”
Raising his gaze to look at her, he saw two figures hovering nearby out of the corner of his eye. Turning around sharply, he recognised Harry and Ginny standing side by side. The sight of Harry incensed him, and he leapt to his feet without taking in their hands, which were clasped together tightly, or the protective way he stepped slightly in front of Ginny.
Striding forwards, Ron unleashed his anger, no longer trying to avoid his friend.
“You bastard!” he yelled, shoving Harry painfully hard in the chest. “You sleazy bastard! What gives you the right to use her as some kind of toy the minute I turn my back? You think you can just use her for your own enjoyment, break her heart, and get away with it?” He drew his arm back to smash his fist into Harry’s face, but Ginny, remembering how Malfoy had fared after one of Ron’s punches, leapt in front of him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she screamed, suddenly so much like his mother that Ron stumbled back a step. “You leave him alone!”
“Ginny, I’m doing what’s best for you! He’s just using you because he knows how much you care about him!”
“How would you know what’s best for me, Ron? Did you never stop for a minute to think that maybe I’ve been through those questions myself? That I wouldn’t do anything with him unless I thought he really wanted it too?”
Ron sighed heavily.
“But Gin, how can you know that? How can you just assume that he wants what you want?” he asked, throwing a dirty glare in Harry’s direction.
She shook her head in amazement.
“How can you just assume the worst? He’s been your best friend for over six years, Ron. Do you really think he’d do anything stupid to jeopardize that?”
She took a step backwards and Harry put his arms around her, making sure that he was staring right at Ron as he spoke.
“I’m not just using her, Ron,” he said slowly. “This isn’t just some teenage, lusty thing I did without considering the consequences. Yes, maybe I wasn’t going to act on any feelings I had for Ginny, but that was because of you, mate, not her. I thought I’d be betraying you.”
“Well that obviously mattered to you a lot, didn’t it?” Ron sneered. “You still went ahead and threw yourself on her.”
Harry sighed angrily.
“Would you give it a rest? Ginny was upset. She told me how confused she was about…well about me, I guess, and it was really getting to her. Honestly, I was just comforting her and…one thing led to another. I was going to ask you first, Ron, to check that you were ok with it. I swear that’s the honest truth. And I would have spoken to you straight after but you’ve been successfully avoiding me for the past week, haven’t you?”
Ron stood frozen to the spot.
“You really feel the same way about her?” he asked, after a long silence.
Harry just tightened his hold on Ginny, resting his cheek against her hair.
“I really do,” he replied seriously.
There was another silence as Ron mulled over what Harry had said, debating whether or not to believe him.
“Well then…and I suppose there’s not much I can do to stop you being together, is there?”
Harry grinned.
“But if you do anything, and I mean anything, to hurt her, your life will not be worth living, understand?” he threatened.
Harry laughed.
“I understand, Ron. I’ve seen your wrath, remember? I certainly don’t want that directed at me!”
Ron nodded brusquely, still not wanting to back down completely, as Harry disentangled himself from Ginny and stood in front of him, hand outstretched.
“Friends again?” he asked tentatively.
Ron regarded Ginny, who was gazing happily at his best friend. Sighing resignedly, and realising that nothing could stop his sister when she set her mind to something, he grasped Harry’s hand in his.
“Friends,” he replied carefully.
A squeal from behind him reminded them that Hermione was still there, and barely before he could turn around she had enveloped them both in an awkward bear hug.
Drawing back carefully, she said with a stern look on her face, “you two are not allowed to fight again this year. I’ve had quite enough drama, thank you very much!”
Laughing, the group turned and walked back inside, Harry’s arm resting protectively around Ginny’s waist.
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