A/N: I had some trouble finishing this chapter off, and I'm afraid it comes off sounding slightly corny. So, there you have it. Apologies if it makes anyone cringe.
Disclaimer: The characters here aren't mine. None of them. Life's really not fair...
*****
The next day, Harry and Ron were making their way towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, exchanging jokes that would cause Mrs. Weasley to smack Ron around the back of the head if she happened to overhear them. Unfortunately, Harry was too busy laughing hysterically over the punch line of a particularly rude joke to watch where he was going.
“Ow!”
He collided with what appeared to be a moving stack of books, provoking a cry of pain. As the books collapsed onto the floor Ginny appeared, looking rather worse for the wear.
“Oops…sorry Ginny!” Harry grinned, and bent down to help her gather up her things.
“Yeah well…” she muttered, trying to suppress a smile, “watch where you’re going in the future, Potter.”
“Come on, Ginny,” Ron laughed, “with that many books you’re just a disaster waiting to happen.”
Adjusting the pile carefully, she threw Ron a scornful look and turned to Harry.
“I was just on my way to the library. I have a free lesson now so I thought I’d catch up on some work.”
“You have a free lesson? Why? It’s not lunch already is it?” Harry asked, confused.
Ginny laughed.
“Always thinking about your stomachs, you two. Actually, Potions was cancelled. None of the teachers were available to cover for Snape so we were let off for once.”
Ron’s face lit up.
“Snape’s ill? Oh, there is a God!”
However, after a piercing stare from Ginny he changed tack.
“Er…I mean…not great that he’s ill of course…because that would be a bad thing to say…very, very bad…” he glanced at his sister’s face. “You know, you become more like mum every day.”
Ginny moved as if to hit him but, finding that she would lose control of her books again, sent Harry an appealing look.
“Harry?”
“Sure,” he shrugged, and punched Ron playfully on the shoulder.
“Hey!” Ron moaned, rubbing his arm with a look of hurt on his face. “Why are you on her side? That’s just not fair!”
Harry and Ginny giggled until, suddenly, a thought struck her.
“Hey, what have you two bought Hermione for her birthday?”
“Oh I found a shop selling hand-made leather bound diaries. Figured she’d probably finished her old one off by now,” Harry smiled, then looked expectantly at Ron.
He had paled and was looking extremely shifty.
“Ron…” Harry groaned, “tell me you haven’t forgotten.”
Ginny turned to stare at her brother, positively fuming.
“Ron! You’re a miserable excuse for a friend! The 19th of September, Ron? Tomorrow? It’s her 18th for God’s sake! I can’t believe you forgot!”
Ron was staring at the ground, looking very guilty.
“Urgh! Men are so useless!” Ginny exclaimed, as she stormed off around the corner, barely hearing Harry’s “Hey!” of protest.
They walked on in silence, Ron thinking furiously. Just before they reached their classroom, Ron put a hand on Harry’s arm to stop him.
“Mate, I need to borrow your cloak and the map.”
“But Ron, I’m not sure now is such a great idea, we still have Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms!”
“I know, I know. Just tell them I’m ill or something. Please, Harry? She’ll kill me if she realises I forgot.”
Harry heaved a weary sigh and shook his head in acceptance.
“Fine. But if you get caught I’m not covering for you!” he shouted at Ron’s fast disappearing back, as he raced off towards the common room.
*****
Ron reappeared in the common room at about five o’clock that evening, looking tired and dishevelled.
“Ron! Where on earth have you been? You missed two lessons!”
Hermione rushed towards him, eager to scold.
“Had an emergency…” he muttered.
“What kind of emergency? Surely nothing serious enough to mean you had to miss your lessons. I knew Harry was covering for you when he said you were ill. What’s that?” she pointed at something Ron was trying to conceal behind his back.
“It’s nothing,” he replied, looking nervous and attempting to push it even further from sight.
Instinctively Hermione reached behind him and tried to grab it.
“Hermione! Leave off, would you? I said it’s nothing!”
Hermione’s hand dropped back against her side, and she looked slightly hurt. Ron sighed inwardly, then shrugged.
“I’m just going upstairs for a minute, I’ll be right back down.”
Hermione nodded mutely, and returned to her seat.
*****
As Ron hid the box in his trunk he heard the dormitory door open behind him. Craning his neck, he saw Harry walk in.
“Oh, hi Harry. Here’s your stuff,” he said, dumping the cloak and the marauder’s map onto his bed.
“So what’d you get her?” Harry asked, trying to look in Ron’s fast-closing trunk.
He tapped the side of his nose and grinned.
“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find that out, won’t you?”
Harry raised an eyebrow, but decided not to push it.
“Alright. Let’s go back down then. Dinner beckons, I believe.”
Ron’s stomach growled in agreement, and they headed off toward the main hall.
*****
“Ah…gerroff! What the…” Ron woke up the next morning to feel Harry prodding his arm. “Harry!”
His friend laughed and said, “It’s eight thirty. Ginny’s already been in but you were dead to the world. Apparently Hermione’s getting a bit impatient and if you don’t get dressed soon, well…”
“Yeah, yeah,” he moaned, struggling out of bed, “I’m dead meat, I get it.”
As Ron finished buttoning up his shirt, the door to the dormitory opened. He breathed in sharply when he saw Hermione walk in. She twirled slowly in front of them, smiling broadly.
“D’you like it?” she asked, brushing herself down.
“Hermione, you look…” Ron stuttered.
“It’s great, Hermione. Present?” Harry cut in, as Ron seemed unable to speak coherently.
“Yes. Ginny bought it for me; isn’t it beautiful?” she grinned.
Hermione was wearing a soft, sapphire blue top with long flared sleeves and a deep v-neck. Ron could not help but goggle at the curves which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
“Here, Hermione, I got you something,” Harry smiled, giving Ron a barely noticeable smack as he walked past him.
She turned her attention to the parcel that had been placed in her hands. Tearing at the paper, she pulled out the diary and, stroking the soft cover, grinned at Harry.
“Happy birthday, Hermione,” he said, giving her a quick hug.
“Thanks Harry, it’s just what I needed.”
There was a light tap on the door and Ginny entered, giving Hermione a hug before turning to Harry.
“Hey Harry, could you come downstairs a minute? I need your help with something.”
Harry looked puzzled, and glanced at Hermione who nodded happily.
“Go, it’s alright. I have a whole day for attention-giving, you know,” she laughed, and Harry threw her a grateful smile.
“Ok. I’ll be back in a bit,” he said, following Ginny out of the room and leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
*****
Ginny slumped down into one of the large armchairs in the common room, and gazed into the fire happily. Harry, confused, looked around the room.
“Ginny?”
“Mmhmm?”
“You wanted help with something?”
She looked at him as if he were slow.
“No Harry. I didn’t.”
“But…you said…” he spluttered, absolutely baffled.
“I thought maybe they should have some time alone,” she smiled, looking back into the fireplace.
Harry paused, letting the meaning of her words sink in. After a minute had passed and he was still standing in the same position, Ginny glanced up at him.
“Harry?” she said questioningly.
“Yeah…” he smiled, “you’re probably right.” With that he sat down on the sofa opposite Ginny, and settled himself amongst the cushions.
*****
“Ron?” Hermione asked, as he had not said anything since Harry and Ginny left and was just staring at her.
The sound of her voice appeared to bring him out of a dream, and he grinned.
“Happy birthday, Hermione. I bought you something too,” he said, turning to rummage through his trunk.
“Aha!” he gave a cry of triumph, and when he turned to face her, Hermione was surprised to see that he was holding not a book, but a small box.
Holding it out expectantly, he flashed her a shy smile.
“I hope you like it,” he said as she took it from him.
Eagerly, Hermione pulled off the wrapping paper and saw a small wooden box, carved with a pattern of leaves and vines. She glanced nervously up at Ron.
“Go ahead,” he grinned, “open it.”
Prising the lid open gently, she gasped.
Nestled inside the box was a silver locket, ornately carved with tiny twisting vines and hung on a delicate chain. Quietly she removed it from the box and stared at it.
“It’s not just that…” Ron muttered, thinking that her lack of speech meant that she was unimpressed, “open it up.”
Searching carefully, Hermione found a small clasp on the side of the locket and opened it with her fingernail. Inside was a tiny picture of Ron, Harry and herself, taken about a year ago. The Ron in the picture had his arms flung around their shoulders, and was grinning broadly at her. However when she looked up, Ron was staring at his feet.
“Ron…”
He looked up at the mention of his name.
“It’s…it’s beautiful Ron. It’s perfect.”
His face cracked with a smile of relief, as he shuffled his feet, mumbling something like, “Yeah well…s’alright…”
She embraced him tightly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Moving away, she saw that his cheeks were burning. Nervously, she held it up to him.
“Would you…would you put it on?”
For a second, Ron was confused, thinking that she wanted him to wear it. However when she turned her back to him and lifted her hair away from her neck, he understood.
“Oh,” he muttered, clearing his throat, “um…sure.”
Reaching around her front he brought the necklace together behind her neck, and carefully fastened the minute clasp. As it fell against her skin, she involuntarily straightened her back, causing the neck of her top to shift down slightly. She was about to let go of her hair when Ron spoke softly.
“Wait…”
There was a raised line on her skin, leading from the top of her spine out across her shoulder. Gently, he traced it with his finger. Hermione shivered.
“Hermione, what is this?” he muttered, noticing another scar disappearing away beneath her top.
Turning around to face him she kept her eyes to the ground.
Slowly, she began to speak.
“It was last Christmas. You know I went home for the holidays?” she raised her eyes to meet Ron’s, and, seeing his worried expression she rushed on. “Well, the thing is, on Boxing Day the Death Eaters found my house. I think they wanted to use me as bait for Harry. They were only there for about ten minutes before the Order appeared, but I had to fight them off by myself and they…cornered me.”
Ron saw tears appear in her eyes as she hastily brushed them away.
“I was dueling with one of them, but there was another behind me and I didn’t realise. All I heard was him muttering some curse, I don’t know what it was, and then there was this blinding pain and…and I had these deep cuts all down my back.” At this she turned and raised the hem of her top, revealing yet more scars. “Dumbledore said they would disappear with time, and they are I suppose…”
Behind her, Ron was clenching his fists, his face dark with fury.
“Hermione, I am never letting you go anywhere without another wizard beside you. Ever. Do you hear me? I can’t believe I wasn’t there to help you!”
Hermione turned quickly.
“Don’t ever think that this was your fault, Ron. I mean it. How were you to know this would happen?”
She looked at his face and saw guilt written all over it.
“Oh Ron…” she sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. Unsure of what to do, Ron carefully laid his arms around her waist. They stood like that for a few minutes, and then she pulled away, looking at him intently.
“I absolutely forbid you to feel guilty. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.”
Ron could have sworn he saw a twinkle in her eye as she said this.
He nodded dumbly.
“Now come on, I have an eighteenth birthday to celebrate!” and she dragged him from the dormitory, forcing a smile to reappear on his face.
*****