Part III
"He steals all the good ideas, you know." Ron nods in Harry's direction. "Things sound better if The Boy Who Lived says them instead of The Boy Who Lived's Second Rate Sidekick. The Great Harry Potter casts a long shadow."
"Ronald Weasley, you are far from a second rate sidekick." I grab both his hands and squeeze to show I mean the encouragement and not just saying it to, well, say it. "You're good at loads of things Harry is rubbish at."
He looks down at me skeptically. "Name one."
"Wizard's chess."
"Big deal. When was the last time a girl was impressed by a bloke who played a brilliant game of Wizard's chess?"
"First year," I confess. "In the common room the night we were sorted and every game I've ever watched you play after that, Ron. You're not second rate. Don't ever say that. Don't even think it. Besides -" I squeeze his hands again to get him to look down at me. "I can think of one thing I know you're better at. Not that I have first hand experience with Harry, but from what Cho and Ginny said, you're a million times better at snogging."
"Really?"
I step forward till we're standing toe to toe. "And I think this would be a perfect opportunity to prove it."