A/N: This was a bonus feature for a fest a couple of months back. I mucked up the prompt some (the prompter wanted Ron jealous - but this is how it turned out.) For those of you in Manchester, the following warnings apply: Rated M for Ron's coarse language, angst, fluff, a few light kinks, and some wayward furniture.
My thanks to M, for the beta on this, in addition to helping turn it from sand into an ill-formed castle. Thanks dear! - DG

A/N2: All disclaimers and codicils and addendums in regards to ownership to copyright and IP of Harry Potter isn't mine in the least. See your Barrister for further details. Offers expire 11:59pm PST on whatever day I feel like. - DG


Ron stood in front of the full length mirror looking at his attire. He was forced to break his personal promise to don dress robes once again. But then, these aren't true dress robes, at least according to the Uniform code.

He earned his promotion from apprentice Auror to Auror, junior class. He'd have the paperwork and ceremonial duties and shadow a Senior Auror for at least another year, but he still wasn't trusted yet to go out into the field and catch various dark wizards without supervision or a bleeding leading string.

"Bloody rubbish I have to look like a twit in these things."

"But you look so fit in them."

Ron smiled at himself while thin arms wrapped around his uniform. He felt breasts press into his back and squeeze him for just a second.

Hermione broke his reflection to stand in front of him. "You look so good in these dress robes. It's nothing like traditional robes you wore to the Yule Ball."

"Fair point, I reckon," he retorted.

"And it's not like you couldn't afford a nice set from Gladrags this time."

Ron frowned at her implied meaning. You can afford nice new clothes now.

"I hated spending that much on robes I might wear twice in my life."

"Twice, dear? You're a vaunted war hero. You'll be wearing attire like this for decades to come." Hermione straightened his tie and brushed invisible flecks of dust from his jacket. "But these aren't real dress robes. This," she waved her hand across his outfit for the evening, "is the Auror dress Uniform. This is your ceremonial dress robes for when you're on the job. Face it, you are going to be Shacklebolt's favorite guard as long as he's in office. You might see it as mundane but from historical accounts, many Ministers of Magic have been assassinated."

"I look like a ponce." Ron fingered the end of the grey wool jacket.

"You look like an Auror."

Hermione stood back from him and gave him another once-over. His tie was straight and dust free. The lapels were flat on his chest. The epaulets on his shoulders shined via magic – and the best part was the purple wands embroidered on his left chest. She knew the history of the wands. Few men – and even fewer women – were entitled to wear them on their attire.

His jacket hung from his form magnificently. It should since it was tailored to fit him, unlike the previous set. His boots were polished and his slacks fell right to the tops of his boots and on the proper line on the back.

She stepped back and smiled. "You look like you should be on the cover of GQ."

"What's that?"

Hermione grinned. "Oh, how about Witch Weekly? It means you look exceptionally fit and dashing."

Ron grinned back once he understood. He looked Hermione up and down as well, taking in her navy blue dress robes and sapphire pendant around her neck. He privately hoped she would show off her arms but as expected, her robes were long sleeved and covered her neck as well.

"I see you staring. I don't have my scars covered under my robes tonight. Those," She stepped back closer and laid a gentle kiss on his cheek, "are for you and you only."

"People should know what you went through," he whined.

"They will, when I want them to know. But for now, I'm content that it's only in the family." Hermione kissed him gently. "I rather have you seeing me tonight with them instead of covered."

Ron waggled his eyebrows at what she was implying.

"Well then, let's get going so I can get you back home quicker. Merlin knows I want you all for myself this evening."


Hermione was seething under her calm exterior. Within moments of arriving there were people fawning over Ron Weasley. She was practically shoved aside by the first bird that approached. Hermione didn't know who she was but she was terribly rude. She never caught her name but he was whisked away and disappeared into the crowd.

She found her designated seat in the audience, relegated to being apart from Ron for his accolades for the night. Somehow she was seated at a different table from Ginny. That might be because of her Quidditch credentials. Instead of being front and center, like she expected, she was seated at one of the back tables along the far wall, far away from the front of the crowd.

Maybe it was that she worked in one of the smallest and least cared-for departments in the Ministry. Maybe the secretary in charge made a mistake. Either way, Hermione was not near Ron and that was unacceptable.

After the initial ceremonies were over, the other three were pulled into Kingsley Shacklebolt's orbit, meeting and greeting various people in the Ministry and Wizengamot. Everyone else wanted a piece of the newly minted Aurors or the latest rising Quidditch star.

Hermione was relegated to walking the crowd, listening in on various mundane conversations. Most of it was ministry small talk or gossip about who was shagging who and who was stepping out for another trifling dalliance. Most of it wasn't worth her time or effort. She wanted to be by Ron's side and yet he was nowhere to be found.

She walked up to the bar on the far wall and ordered a gillywater. Harry and Ginny were somewhere out in the crowd, making small talk which they were better at. Yet she stood on the wall, watching the people mingle and feeling her thoughts tangle like a ball of yarn in the hands of a kneazle.

Percy sidled up next to Hermione and looked at her. "Why aren't you out there with Ron? I'm sure he's looking for you."

She turned and frowned at his concerned features. "Hardly. I've not seen him since the moment we walked in the door. Someone grabbed him by the arm and led him out into the crowd and I've not seen him since."

"I'm sure he's missing you."

Hermione waved her hand off in the direction of the crowds. "I must not be that important tonight, not if he's not come looking once in the last hour. But I know this is what he wanted."

The crowd parted for an instant and Hermione saw her lover out in the middle of the crowd. There in the middle stood Ron and some woman planting a kiss on his lips. Bile rose in her throat so fast she didn't think she'd make it to the loo.

"Percy, excuse me. I've seen enough."

Percy turned and the quickly departing Hermione was exiting the room. He turned back and Ron was looking like a fish out of water. Ron stood in the middle of the gathering imitating a fish while the witch before him was roughly shaking his hand. Red started to course down his face and into the top of his robes.

He needs rescuing, that's for certain. Percy strode through the crowd to his younger brother. He was surrounded by various well-dressed witches in elegant robes. Yet Ron was turning his head left and right looking for Hermione, probably.

"Auror Weasley? You're needed. Please come with me."

Ron turned back and smirked at his brother standing before him. He smiled and followed Percy away from the crowds. They quickly left the main hall and escaped into a side hallway. "Thanks for rescuing me. I was waiting for Hermione to join me and she never did. She'd have kept everyone at arm's length, that's for certain. Where is she? Have you seen her?"

"I did." Percy frowned at his comment. "You're too late. I was talking with her when she saw what happened and left."

"Fuck," Ron groaned. He ran his hand through his regulation haircut and along his neck.

"Exactly. Why would you do –"

"I didn't. I dunno who she is. The bird who kissed me was thanking me for saving her son during the break-in at the Ministry. I have no clue what she was talking about but she seemed to think I saved him before he got caught by a Dementor. Anyway, I've been accosted all night by all these strange women, pawing all over me like Lavender did."

"Now you understand, don't you?"

"Bugger that. I don't want that kind of attention. Leave it to Harry and Ginny who eat it up like garden gnomes in the tomato plants."

Percy laid a hand on his taller brother's shoulder. "Go on, I'll cover for you. If anyone asks, I'll mention you had family business to deal with."

"Cor, I bet she's mad at me."

"From the looks of it, she was." Percy shook his head. "Go on, I've got it here. I owe Hermione anyway."

Ron smiled before turning heel and walking to the foyer where the Floo network was. "Grimmauld Place" he yelled when he threw the powder into the bottom of the fireplace. He was transported to their shared residence, further up in Greater London. He stepped out and heard a door slam further up in the house. "Bloody hell, this is going to be a nightmare. I didn't want to fight with her tonight."

Ron threw his cloak and uniform jacket over the back of the couch. He then yanked the zippers down on his boots before trudging up the stairs to the first landing. He saw the door to Ginny's study open and empty. "They're still at the party, probably." He trudged up the stairs to the second landing and saw their bedroom door closed. "Merlin, I hate when she hides from me."

He stomped up the next set of stairs and saw the door closed. He pulled his wand and casually unlocked it. He could have just apparated into the room but he was trying to be a polite wizard, at least this time. Ron opened the door and saw Hermione working the zipper on her robes. The room was disorganized and clothes were strewn everywhere. He saw a travel bag on the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" He growled in her general direction.

Hermione turned and scowled at Ron. "Away. If you're already snogging strange women at Ministry functions then you don't need me on your arm or in your bed." She piled more clothes into the travel bag – one that appeared to have an undetectable extension charm on it. "I can't believe, of all the nights, you'd do something like that. Why did you bother having me there if that was what was going to happen."

"Bloody hell," he groaned. "You don't even bother to ask me what the fuck was going on and automatically assume it's my decision. Is that how you expect us to have a relationship – you running off without finding out what the hell is going on?"

Hermione threw another pile of clothes on the bed without turning to confront Ron.

"Damn it, answer me."

Hermione stopped and turned to face him. Heartbreak showed on her face while barely restrained tears drown her brown eyes. "I know what I saw. How can you justify what I saw with my own eyes?" She turned back to the mess on their bed, shoving clothes haphazardly into the travel case.

Ron walked over and quieted her hands.

"Don't touch me," She snarled at his touch. "You humiliated me this evening and I want nothing to do with you."

Ron pulled her harder into his chest while she writhed inside his embrace. "Let me go!"

"No, not until I tell you what happened tonight."

Hermione fought harder in his embrace yet all she did was tangle her hair into a mess fighting against his immoveable arms. "I saw what happened. You threw me aside when all the ministry hags wanted you."

Ron held his arms steady while she continued to fight. He softened his tone, just for her preternatural hearing. "That's bollocks and you know it."

Hermione spun in his arms and put an ink stained digit in his chest.

"It's true. You've wanted the attention and the spotlight. Now that you're an Auror, you have it, including the attention from women who want nothing more than to get into your pants." Hermione sniffed. "You no longer need me, not after tonight. So, I'm leaving."

Ron let her go in befuddlement. She turned back to the pile of clothes on the bed and continued to shovel them into the travel sack. What she said absolutely no sense from the beautiful witch in front of him – nothing until he remembered what he told Percy earlier.

"Hermione, stop."

She continued to pack.

Ron stepped in between her and the travel sack and sat down. "Damn it, look at me." He fought the urge to yell right in her face.

Hermione turned and went to their closet.

"Would you stop and listen, please?"

She yanked her dress robes down her body before he stopped her hasty changing of clothes.

"Don't you turn your back on me, not when I'm trying to tell you what the fuck happened!" Ron roared at her from the middle of their bedroom.

"There's nothing you can tell me that will make me change my mind." Hermione shoved the rest of her dress down her thin body, pushing her remainder past her hips onto the floor. She stepped out of the heels and shrunk 2 inches. She reached for a jumper hanging in the closet.

Ron beat her to it, stopping her from moving and pressed her smaller body into the doorjamb. "That bird was thanking me for saving her son's life."

Hermione stopped struggling under his larger yet still lanky frame.

"She kissed me like a damn rent boy. I'm certain of that. Quite disgusting, really." Ron took a deep breath. "Another bird thanked me for saving her child's life during a live-fire training exercise out in Dorset. A child ran into the line of fire and I took a curse to keep the child unharmed. Put me in the dirt for quite a spell, that one did. A third one thanked me for stunning a troll during the battle at Hogwarts who was about to crush her." Ron sighed into her frazzled hair. "Almost everyone who wanted a piece of me tonight was out of gratitude, to thank me for some small reason."

Ron let her small wrists go and stepped back from her ever warming back. "Kingsley ordered tonight to start a new tradition. He wanted the new Aurors to shine for a moment, for the Wizarding community, so we can remember why we are doing the shit work without the accolades. Fuck, most of the Auror department was there as well. Sure, Harry and Ginny get the spotlight and all of the attention, but –"

Ron turned and walked to the other edge of the bed. Hermione stood still where he left her, waiting for him to finish his thoughts.

"I can't do my fucking job if every wanker knows my face. It's bloody hard enough as it is without some arsehole with a score to settle on every sodding mission." Ron turned and saw her shadowed face in the closet. "I don't want the attention, not anymore. I don't need every tosser between here and Glasgow pointing their wand at my head."

Ron stood back up and walked back to Hermione. His face was red from the tops of his ears to the hollow of his neck. "It's hard enough walking away from you to go on a mission but having my face plastered all over every fucking newspaper makes my job – and trying to come back to you – so much harder."

Hermione backed up further into the closet and was pressed into the clothes still hanging up.

"You think I wanted that strumpet Pansy Parkinson interviewing me while everyone watched? You honestly think I wanted tonight? Merlin's stash of wank socks, I don't need it." Ron ran his hands through his short hair. "The only thing I want is your respect. The only thing I need is you. The rest of the other bastards can fuck off."

Ron stepped right next to her barely clad torso. He felt the chill from her skin and saw her shiver slightly.

"All this," Ron waved his hand behind him, trying to indicate his meager possessions, "everything I'm doing right now is so I can be good enough for you. I want to be worthy of you. I don't give a fuck what those sods at the Ministry think. I only care what you think. I'm busting my arse for us to have a permanent someday." Ron leaned in even closer, hot breath mingling inside the confined space of the wardrobe. "It took me going arse over tits to know what I wanted in my life. I need you by my side and everything else will work itself out. I love you and no one else."

Ron laid his large hands on Hermione's face and claimed her lips that were cracked from the evening. He tasted the salty crust on them and felt the grains under his calloused fingertips. Yet he pulled back from falling into a snog with her just to look at those dark brown eyes. "I need you, and only you. No one else turns my head like you do."

He felt her hands rest on his hips and work their way under his jacket. Hermione worked them under his uniform robes and ran her short nails up and down his dress shirt. "But what I saw – "

Ron pulled her back to his waiting lips, his tongue begging entrance along her teeth. Hermione acquiesced immediately, falling into the snog he was giving with the hope that more would be afforded. She let him in and he plundered her mouth, making his way around her face to her highly sensitive ears. "No one holds a candle to you." He nipped her ear to make his point.

Her small hands tugged on his dress shirt and worked the hem out of his trousers. Chilly hands nestled into the waistband of his trousers and pants. "It's so hard seeing that happen," Hermione muttered into his jacket. " – knowing that you're helping everyone and not just me. I hate sharing you with anyone else. It hurts."

"I don't intend for you to share me, if that's what you're worried about." Ron pulled back from her neck and looked at his paramour. "I'm not leaving, that's for certain, at least if I get a choice in it. You're it for me." Their eyes locked in the shadows of the walk-in, each one burning for the other. "I reckon I can do great things with you."

Hermione leaped into his arms, burying her head into his neck and shoulder. Her words were muffled into his shirt, growing increasingly wet under her free flowing tears. Ron carried her to the dresser outside of their walk-in and sat her rump down on the antique bureau.

"Hey, look at me."

Hermione looked up and saw bright blue eyes shining at her in the candlelight of their room.

"You were reminded when I acted a git with Lavender. That's what set you off, wasn't it?"

Hermione nodded feverishly.

"At least you didn't set conjured canaries on me."

Hermione tried to laugh but it came out wet and choked from her unwinding emotions.

"No, see? I've kept them as a reminder when I hurt you when I was being a prat." Ron held his hand out to show the old peck marks in the pale skin on his hand. Hermione traced one small mark with her fingers. Soft ginger hairs stood up under her delicate touch.

"You saw what happened and misinterpreted what was going on."

Hermione smiled. "I've been rubbing off on you. We'd have rowed about this instead of almost talking like adults."

"Or you would have run off to Harry and cried on his shoulder – or Ginny's too."

"I've not done that in a while, actually."

Larger hands traced the chilled skin of her thighs. "'Bout time you cried on my shoulder instead of theirs. I've been waiting to be that for you, even when I'm being a fuckup." He traced his hands up her barely clad torso, running his digits over her growing nipples inside her navy brassiere.

"You done crying?" Ron moved his hand across her clavicle, moving the blue straps down her arms. "'Cause if you are, I'd like to get you out of these things and me out of these damn Auror robes. I've been itching for an hour now!"

Small hands reached up from her perch on the dresser and started to loosen the tie around his neck. "I was rather randy earlier, before everything went awry. I didn't want to let you out of my sight before you were kidnapped and taken from me."

Ron smiled at her. "You're always gagging for me when I clean up just right."

She didn't reply so Ron let her work, fingers taking each mother of pearl button on his dress shirt slip through the button holes. Each one opened upon his vest, white clashing with his pale skin. "You know, I could have used some rescuing this time around. Those birds kept me in their beaks most of the night."

Hermione finished the last button on his shirt and spread the pressed cotton off his arms. "Had you in their beaks, did they?"

Ron nodded while she worked the buckle of his trousers. "I hope you didn't scare them too much with your propensity for odaxelagnia. That is for me only."

"What the fuck is that?"

Hermione leaned over and lifted his vest, exposing the ginger hairs on his navel and lower. She gently bit the taut skin before sucking it gently between her teeth and lips. She let go and sat back on the edge of the dresser. A bright red welt was left behind.

"Just what I did. You know I occasionally need you to bite me, to get me off."

Ron smirked at her actions and her words. "Tease. You should have said that; I love giving you love bites."

"But how could I impress you with my vocabulary if I don't use it from time to time."

Ron pulled her face up from her gaze on his belt buckle. "Who said I need impressing? I'm gagging for you because you're you, not because you have a whole dictionary stuffed in your head."

"So about those other women tonight, the ones who were fawning over you?"

Ron stepped between her splayed thighs and ran his lips over hers. "They aren't you. They annoyed me worse than Lavender did, talking about parties and gatherings. They bored me immediately, especially the two that offered considerably more." Ron pressed her lips back to his while working his hands into her updo. Tendrils of hair fell between his fingers. Apple blossoms and vanilla wafted to his nose, with considerable appreciation.

Hermione's eyebrows crawled up her head. "Did you just say, Considerably more? What was going on there tonight while I was stuck on the outside?"

Ron chuckled as he pushed the straps of her bra down following the pushing of her breasts up out of the cups. "Those hags have nothing I want, not compared to you." A quick flick of his fingers was enough to silence her protesting. "Your tits are the only ones that I want to do this to."

Ron knelt down and took one breast into his hands while suckling on the other. Moans and groans from the couple echoed around the expansive room. He worked quickly because he needed more from her than just moans of pleasure.

He ran his hands down her body and pried her knees further apart. Heat greeted him along with a third aroma that gave detail to his dreams. "And let's talk about this fanny of yours. Your twat is the only one I have any interest in." He ran a hand along her knickers and felt how aroused she was. Hermione bucked her hips in response to his touches.

Ron let go of her breast he'd been paying attention to and looked down her body. Gooseflesh peppered her skin across her body. But his prize still lay hidden. He glanced up and saw her brown eyes even darker than before.

"Want me to prove how much I want you?"

He saw her nod rather shyly.

Ron stood back up and dropped his trousers and pants.

A lascivious grin erupted on her face. Ron looked to her left and saw the mirror attached to the dresser. "Um, Hermione, what –"

"It's unbreakable unless you use magic on it. I charmed it after we broke it the first time."

"Oh. Excellent."

Ron stepped right up to her body and looked. "This just won't do."

"Leave it."

Long calloused fingers worked under the elastic of her matching knickers. Hermione shuddered under his renewed touch. "Cor, you're turned on."

She nodded feverishly. "It's you."

She laid her hands on his face, pulling it back to hers for another snog. Deft hands worked their way down her body and onto her splayed thighs. Ron shifted his hands and pulled her knees even wider. "You sure about the mirror?"

Hermione turned her face up and froze instantly. "Yes," she moaned in response.

Ron held her close while he waited for her to get acclimated. He watched her breathing, the color blooming on her cheeks and chest, and her nipples stand up for him. He leaned in and dropped kisses along her lips and cheek. Small hands reached around his arms and worked their way into the flesh on his hips. She squeezed hard, signaling him to move. She moaned a second time when Ron thrust once again.

Ron pulled back and watched him move in and out of his lover. "Look at that, taking it all. Greedy fanny you got there." He moved in and out, watching their copulation. She kept him in rhythm, chanting his name in litany with epithets thrown in for good measure. Yet he watched her in the mirror as the muscles in her back contorted under his ministrations.

He leaned in further and pressed his lips on hers. She panted through the kiss, sucking on his tongue that was begging admittance. "You think those birds tonight would do this for me? You think they'd be willing to get shagged on the bureau in my bedroom?"

Hermione shook her head while he continued to move in and out of her. He glanced in the mirror and saw light beads of sweat on her back. Ron looked to her face and saw perspiration breaking out along her forehead too.

"Look at me." Hermione opened her eyes and saw deep blue ones burning into her. "Those bints can't get me hard enough to want to fuck'em. They don't want me, I reckon." Ron moved his hand and moved Hermione's leg around his waist. "They want a war hero in their knickers." He lifted his other arm to where she could wrap her other leg to the other side. "You're the only one who gets me hard enough to do this."

Ron lifted Hermione off of the top of the dresser with her wrapped around his torso. He took tentative steps backwards, praying that the bed hadn't moved in the last five minutes of their lovemaking.

As Hermione bit him at the crux of his neck and clavicle, he felt the bed behind his knees. "That better be the bed," he growled from her biting.

"It is, trust me."

Ron sat back blindly with Hermione still intertwined on him. He landed with a thud along with her on his body. Her breasts bounced in front of his face. It was too much temptation. He lifted one to his waiting mouth while he continued to move his hips up and down under her.

"Ron, please, I need – "

Ron lifted his hips again, to let her move her feet from under his arse. She breathed a sigh of relief from the change in position. "Better?" Hermione nodded and started grinding her hips into his. He sat up on his elbows and watched with glee at how she rode him. "Touch yourself. Let me watch you."

Hermione gazed at him through her lust fogged eyes and did as asked, mimicking his own actions from earlier. She removed her hands from his thighs, dangling ever so far off the edge of the bed. They snaked up her hips, dragging the edge of the tips along the hair between her thighs along the slight swell of her abdomen to the crevice of her navel and up to her barely-there breasts, swaying while she worked her way towards climax.

Her constantly stained hands worried her nipples, making them stand out as peaks under her frantic manipulation. "That's it, scream for me, get yourself off, squeeze me hard! Fuck! Hermione, so close."

Ron's coarse words drove her mad, encouraging her to thrust harder along his hips. Her chants lost comprehension minutes ago but she needed one thing to come over the edge. Ron sat up on the bed and saw the love and lust in her eyes. No one else would ever be privy to the look of adoration there.

He pushed forward on his hands and reached the crux of her neck and shoulder. Ron didn't bother asking but leaned as far as he could reach and clamped down, teeth and lips pressing none too delicately into her taut flesh.

"OhShitRon!" Hermione yelled, clamping down on him harshly. "FuckHermioneSoGoodfuckyeah!" as his words ran together with bare comprehension. She froze while he thrust half a dozen more times. Ron bellowed her name while he felt completion.

He stopped, spent from their lovemaking, and they collapsed onto the bedclothes. Heavy breathing ricocheted around the room like an errant Bludger.

"That was fuckin' fantastic. We should do that more often."

Hermione rolled her head to the side and looked at Ron. He was on his back still gasping for breath. "Did you mean that, that I'm the only one who stimulates you that way?"

Ron grinned, smiling like his first trip to Honeydukes with sickles in his pocket. "Cor yes. I've been wanking to you since I was 14. It only got better once we started shagging." He reached over and ran a long digit down her face. "Those birds tonight are nothing compared to you."

He rolled over and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. "Don't think for a moment that I want anyone else. I'd rather fight and fuck with you than anyone else."

"Ronald," Hermione shrieked, "Such language!"

He quirked an eye at her. "Not five minutes ago you loved hearing me curse."

"Well," she blushed, "that was during our passionate moment. But now?"

"I reckon for being bloody brilliant, you're pretty barmy."

Hermione rolled her eyes once again. She lifted herself up off the bed and sat on the edge. Ron heard her muttering about such language and uncouth.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Loo. I'll be right back."

Ron rolled on his side and watched Hermione twitching her hips. "You ok?"

She looked over her shoulder at the door before putting on her housecoat. "Yeah, just a little sore."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not. Trust me."

Hermione slid the door barely open and slipped out. She turned and ran head-first into Ginny.

"Where'd you go? Percy said you left in a tizzy earlier."

Hermione looked down then at her girlfriend through her lashes. "Well, he's right, mostly."

Ginny leaned a hand over and touched the spot on her neck. "You might want to cover that back up before going to see Mum and Dad Sunday. I don't want them bothering you for it."

"I will."

"So what happened? Harry and I didn't see you all evening."

Hermione blushed once again, the color washing down her face onto her neck and chest, butting up against the scars on it. "I was chuffed at being seated at the back of the gathering. Then, I got upset when I saw the other guests with Ron. I didn't think but acted out. I… misinterpreted what was going on and left in a huff." Hermione ran her hand over the back of her neck. Ginny smiled at watching her girlfriend imitate her brother. "Ron showed me how wrong I was."

The door opened and Ron stepped out onto the landing in nothing but a vest and sleep trousers. He stepped in front of Ginny while snaking a hand back for Hermione. "Oy witch. Can't a man come through? Quit blocking the loo." She grasped his wandering hand before it could embarrass her any further.

The ladies' parted as Ron walked across the landing to the bathroom. The door closed with a resounding thud.

"You joining him in there?"

Hermione winked. "I'll silence the door once I'm in there."

Ginny laughed, shaking her head in mirth. "Go on. I'll keep Harry occupied for a while."

Hermione turned at the door and looked back. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The door closed and Ginny laughed even harder. "Oh believe me, there are things you'll not do." Ginny chuckled harder while climbing the stairs to her shared bedroom. She had her own hero's pants to get into tonight.