Part II of the Ron and Hermione Saga

Payback

Chapter 1: Finding The Truth

Author - PreciousLittleMe

Rating - G

Keywords - Ron/Hermione, Sixth Year

Category – Romance

Disclaimer - They unfortunately don't belong to me, no matter how much I wish they did…

Author's Notes – And so the saga continues…Reading Part I (Come What May) isn't essential but recommended as it explores the beginning of the R/Hr relationship. Thanks to all the great reviews for Part I :-) To Ang3l666 Harry won't be left out or alone for too long! Please read and review!

Hermione sat in the common room, with Ron beside her, his arm around her waist. She had quickly gotten over her embarrassment at the looks they had first gotten and the comments they had to deal with ("It's about time you two went out…") and now felt perfectly content in his arms. It had only been a week since their first date, and they had only kissed twice but she felt as if she had been going out with him forever. Harry and Ginny's taunts had continued however, although done in a friendly way, grew old quickly. Hermione had begun to wonder if they were covering up something in the same way she and Ron had done not that long ago.

"Do you two ever separate?" asked Ginny, coming down from the girls' dormitory. Harry, who had previously been reading his Transfiguration book, looked up and immediately joined in.

"You'll have to make sure you don't end up permanently that way."

Ron store daggers at them both.

"Don't you two have anything better to do than annoy us? Anyone would think you didn't want us together in the first place." Hermione said.

"I need to go to the library anyway. I'll leave you two alone."

"Yeah, I better go to. I'm not getting any work done in here." Harry said, the two of them leaving.

"I wish they wouldn't keep going on." Hermione said, sighing.

"We should get them back." Ron said, only half thinking about what he said.

"We should you know. It's serve them right."

"But what could we do that would teach them?"

"Do exactly what they wanted to do to us."

"What's that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and remembered why it took Ron so long to ask her out. "Make them realise that they like each other of course."

"Oh no you don't. Ginny isn't going out with Harry if I can help it."

"Why not?"

"Harry's life is too dangerous and I don't want her to be involved in it."

"She's already involved in it Ron, whether you want her to be or not, just by being his friend. You must know that Harry would never let her get hurt."

Ron nodded grudgingly. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know yet. I'll think of something."

"I love it when you're scheming." He said, reaching over and kissing her on her forehead.

"Just wait. You haven't seen the half of it."

The next day, which was thankfully a Saturday allowing plenty of time for planning, Hermione pulled Ron into the library as soon as breakfast has finished, giving Harry a vague excuse about homework.

"What is it?" Ron said, looking rather worried.

"We need to think about getting Harry and Ginny back." She said, heading down to the table in the furthest corner and sitting down.

"Do you know what we're going to do?"

"Not exactly. I think the first thing we should do is just talk to them. See if they'll admit anything and just try and squeeze as much as information out of them as possible. Maybe we'll get some ideas from them."

"What am I supposed to say? 'Hey Harry, I know she's my sister and all but do you happen to fancy Ginny by any chance?'"

"Not quite that obvious." Said Hermione, smiling.

"I'll think of something I s'pose."

"If we can do it today we can meet in the Astronomy Tower tonight to plan. We shouldn't be disturbed there."

"I'll see what I can get him to tell me. I have to go to Quidditch practice now."
"See you tonight." Hermione said as Ron left.

Hermione searched the whole school but eventually  found Ginny where she had started – the Gryffindor common room, watching a wizard's chess game between two fifth years.

"Ginny can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you come upstairs?"

Ginny gave Hermione a quizzical look. "Why?"

"Because what I want to say you won't want the whole of Gryffindor hearing."

Ginny walked up to the dormitory without replying. When she got there she sat cross-legged on her bed. Hermione remained standing.

"I don't know exactly how to put it, so I'm going to just come out and say it. You knew I fancied Ron without me telling you. I know you fancy Harry without you telling me."

So much for trying to be subtle.

"Correction, I used to fancy Harry, and everyone knew about that."

"I think you still do."

"What makes you think that?"

"A lot of things that I recognise from when I was still trying to get Ron to notice me."

"Like what?"

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not falling for that one. I'm not telling you so you can stop doing it, first you have to tell me the truth."

"I don't like that truth."

"That doesn't mean it's not true."

"You're not going to give up on this are you?"

"Never."

"I do fancy Harry okay? But don't tell Ron, I don't even want to think of his reaction."

"I won't." Hermione replied, feeling slightly guilty, even though technically she had told him before she had made her promise.

"I did stop liking him for a while, when I got caught up in other things, but seeing him so much last year…It's different than last time though."

"I know the feeling."

Ginny smirked. "I guess you do."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Thanks for telling me the truth. I wouldn't have enjoyed nagging you about it."

Ginny shrugged. "It was pretty hard to deny, especially to you seeing as you've been in the same position and all."

Another fifth year girl came up the stairs.

"Are you coming back down?" she asked.

"Yeah." Ginny replied turning to Hermione, "Please don't tell anyone else. Let him figure it himself."

Hermione nodded, and Ginny went left.

"Hey Harry you knew I fancied Hermione. You should tell me who you fancy to make it fair." Ron asked as they left Quidditch practice.

Harry snorted. "What makes you think I fancy anyone?"

"I just think you do. So do you?"

Harry thought about it for a second, wondering if he should answer truthfully.

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not a reason."

"I never said it was."

"I think I know who it is anyway."

"Who?"

"You tell me."

Harry shook his head, "If you think you know you can tell me."

Ron though about what Hermione had said about not making it too obvious, and wondered whether he should keep it that way. Stuff it, he thought, we're just going around in circles this way.

"Ginny."

Harry came to a sudden halt.

"Why would you say that? I thought you hated it when Ginny fancied me before, and she's over me now anyway."

"I did hate it before, but then I realised that maybe you loved her like I had to Hermione." Ron avoided saying that he loved Hermione to spare his own embarrassment.

"That doesn't explain why you think I fancy her Ron, and even if I did why would I tell you? In case you've forgotten she's your sister."

"I can see the signs now, after Hermione and me…you know, and the signs are showing that you fancy her."

"Let Hermione perform a truth charm on you, then we'll see."

"I don't think so."

"Why not? If you have nothing to hide…"

"What do you want me to say Ron? Yes, I fancy Ginny. Did I want you to know? Of course I didn't. Not only is she your sister but she doesn't fancy me any more either, and I didn't want her to know, or anyone to know. You're the first person I've told. I haven't even admitted it outside of my thoughts. What am I meant to do now?"

Ron went into a stunned silence. He definitely wasn't expecting this.

"I…I don't know. I'm not going to tell her. You have to trust me on this."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "I believe you, it's just I didn't exactly plan on telling you this way…or at all."

"Don't worry about it."

But Ron was worrying. If he told Hermione and they made a plan that backfired he didn't want to think of the consequences. Harry was no where near ready to tell people. What would happen if Ginny really was over him? How would Harry take it? Ron wondered what he would tell Hermione.

A/N - I know there wasn't really much nookie or R/Hr love in this chapter, but don't worry, it's coming.