Title: Close your mouth, you'll catch flies

Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny

Rating: T for swearing

Summary: After Ron bursts in on Harry, "groping," his sister, he and Hermione have a talk about their own relationship, or lack of.

Disclaimer: Alright, you've caught me, I don't own Harry Potter.

AN: This is just an idea I had in my head; it may not be very good or make much sense, but just give it a read please and thank you!

The Will of Albus Dumbledore, pg. 99 – 100:

The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart.

'Oh,' said Ron pointedly. 'Sorry.'

'Ron!' Hermione was just behind him, slightly out of breath. There was a strained silence, then Ginny said in a flat little voice, 'Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry.'

Ron's ears were scarlet; Hermione looked nervous.

'I'll see you later,' he said, and followed the others out of the bedroom.

Ron marched downstairs, through the still crowded kitchen and into the yard, and Harry kept pace with him all the way, Hermione trotting along behind them looking scared.

Once he reached the seclusion of the freshly mown lawn, Ron rounded on Harry.

'You ditched her. What are you doing now, messing her around?'

'I'm not messing her around,' said Harry, as Hermione caught up with them.

'Ron –'

But Ron held up a hand to silence her.

'She was really cut up when you ended it –'

'So was I. You know why I stopped it, and it wasn't because I wanted to.'

'Yeah, but you go snogging her now and she's just going to get her hopes up again –'

'She's not an idiot, she knows it can't happen, she's not expecting us to – to end up married, or –'

'If you keep groping her every chance you get –'

'It won't happen again,' said Harry harshly. 'OK?'

Ron looked half-resentful, half-sheepish; he rocked backwards and forwards on his feet for a moment, then said, 'Right then, well, that's…yeah.'

Harry walked away, into the yard, shoulders slightly slumped, a miserable air around him. Ron was right, he couldn't dangle this feeling of absolute bliss with the girl of his dreams in front of her only to rip it away when he left for however long, without any reassurance that he'd actually be back. It wasn't fair to her, it wasn't right.

She deserved to be happy, with a bloke that could actually stick around, and not have to go running off, hunting for things he wasn't even sure of what or where they were.

Steeling himself, he sat down on the grass, not really paying much attention to his surroundings. All he could see was her face, all he could think about was how beautiful she was, how amazing and just perfect her lips felt on his.

Quickly, he pushed these thoughts into the back of his mind, locking it away as best as he could.

Ron was right, he couldn't do that to her – she deserved more, better even.

Hermione's frightened look turned to one of disbelief and rage as she watched Harry's retreating back.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked her, taking in her angry expression.

"How could you do that?"

"What? She's my baby sister, your trying to tell me I'm not allowed to protect her? It's for her own good Hermione. He can't string her along only to up and leave her."

"What like you and me?" Hermione said, unable to bite her tongue.

Ron looked at her confusion and shock etching themselves into his handsome features. "Hermione, I'm not quite following. What in the name of Merlin's knickers, does Harry feeling up my sister and me and you have to do with anything?"

"Oh honestly Ronald, I can't imagine that even you are so daft. Can't you see it's the same bloody thing?" She said as more of a statement than a question.

Ron scoffed at her, leave it to her to knock him down when he was confused. "Look Hermione, obviously I'm not as smart as you, but it doesn't take a genius to see that it isn't the same thing. Because, call me crazy, I haven't the foggiest memory of ever groping you, or ever even kissing you for that matter!" Ron said, his ears turning a deeper shade of red that one wouldn't think possible as he spoke, his voice rising as his temper did.

"Well obviously," Hermione retorted, "Considering we haven't. But that's exactly it isn't it. Ron... don't you understand how hard this is for them? They obviously want to be with each other, but they can't."

"Hermione, answer me honestly: Are you drunk?" Ron asked, assuming it could be the only sensible cause behind her arguing with him over something he was so utterly confused about.

"You know… just forget it." She said with an eerily calm voice as she walked away, leaving Ron not only feeling confused but a little scared.

It was hours later before he dared to approach her on the topic again. She was sitting out by the pond. Slowly he walked over to her, a little fearful that she might set another set of rabid birds on him should, or worse this time. He took a breath before he spoke to the bushy haired girl before him.

"Hermione… look, I know you're mad but well, I guess I get it now." He said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he walked to stand beside her.

She scoffed at him, looking at him with big eyes, disbelief and anger flashing within them. "You guess do you, well thanks so much, really shows how much thought you've put into it."

"Just listen will you? Then you can yell and scream all you want, just shut up for a minute." He said, completely forgetting all about the book his brother's had given him.

Her eyes popped slightly, her lips were drawn together in a tight line McGonagall would've been proud of as she looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

He tugged the collar of his shirt away from his neck needing to breathe as he took in the scary look she was giving him. Quickly, he carried on before he lost his nerve. "I get that you're mad. It is the same thing I suppose, but it's not like I don't… you know," he said, too shy to say the words. She'd know what he meant to say though, that he loved her, that he'd walk through the burning fires in hell for her.

She nodded.

"But… now isn't exactly the time is it? Well I mean… it could be the time, but I'd rather not, I don't want to have this," he said, motioning between the two of them, before continuing on. "And then, we could lose it, you know?"

"That's a load of shit and you know it."

He looked on at her, mouth hanging open.

"Oh, close your mouth will you. Unless you're trying to catch flies, and their bound to come you know, with the shit that's just been coming from your mouth." She said, angrily. Sure she wasn't one to swear, but right now, she just didn't care.

He regained his ability to speak after she'd turned her back to him, pissed and ready to walk away from him for the second time today.

"Hermione, fine, fine, you're right, it is a bullshit reason, but it's not like I don't want to. I do. It's just…" 'That you're in love with my best friend,' he thought to himself bitterly. He knew, deep inside his heart of hearts that it couldn't possibly be true; she loved him, simple Ronald Weasley, didn't she? She'd hinted at it recently, she acted as if she did, but then, that stupid nagging voice in his head just wouldn't shut up. He'd always thought she'd fancied Harry more, always cared for him more. She was always rowing with him, Ron, rather than with Harry. But he rationalized with himself, he was being stupid wasn't he, just jumping to ridiculous conclusion with little to no proof to go on. Quickly, he pushed these thoughts away, he'd deal with that later, right now, he had to deal with a very pissed off witch, who was now allowed to use magic outside of school. It was safe to say, one false move, and he was screwed, royally.

Lamely he continued on, "I don't know Hermione. It's just not the time now. It sounds stupid I know. But you know how I feel, and when the time is right, everything will fall into place. Right?" he asked, needing reassurance, because he wasn't feeling all too sure about himself right then. He knew it was a weak reason, but right now, he knew it just wasn't the right time. They'd be leaving soon, together yes, but they had to focus, and they couldn't focus if they were snogging each other every chance they got. Harry needed them right now, more than they needed to feel each other up.

She looked at him, eyeing him wearily, the anger in her eyes, he noted, had died down a fair bit. He took that as a good sign.

She knew he was right. When the time was right, things would fall into place. Although, she had just called him out on this very reason, it made no sense to rush into something, when they weren't even promised tomorrow, in all realness. She wouldn't know what to do, if she was with him today, and he was gone the next. Maybe, he was right, things would happen in their own way. After all, they weren't the most ceremonial pair were they, why break the tradition now?

It wasn't the best reasoning, but she couldn't help but think it.

"I suppose." She said finally, as she looked back up into his beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Right…" he said after a few beats of silence. He looked away from her as he looked out over the water; it was a beautiful shade ofblue today. It was still, much like the rest of the world as he looked back over at Hermione and everything just seemed to stop as she half-smiled up at him. It may have been only half a smile, but it was all he needed to make his heart start to thump hard and fast in his chest.

"You'll see. Everything is going to be turn out just fine." He said, still looking at her, smiling as he watched her fruitlessly trying to smooth down her beautiful bushy brown hair.

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand, and held it in his own, lacing their fingers.

This was all he needed right now. Just to sit here, and know in his heart, that one day, things would all come together.

He just knew it.

AN: I don't think this was very good, but let me know what you thought please and thank you! It's greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for reading!

- angel6