Chapter Four

Hurting

Ron is going to kill me, was Harry's first thought. This was followed by Gah! I'm kissing Hermione! Unfortunately, both these thoughts were cancelled out by the next thought, Wow. How did Hermione get to be such a good kisser? Harry's mind caused him to forget both of his original, and somewhat more intelligent, thoughts as the kissing got deeper. Tongues were definitely involved. Oh, no! That pesky little conscience he seemed to have developed over the last few years was bothering him again!

Get a grip! Stop kissing Hermione! You have a girlfriend! Who is Ron, your best friend's sister! And now you're kissing Hermione, whom only a few minutes early you were trying to hook up with above-mentioned best friend! Harry knew this little voice was probably right, but before he could stop, he heard someone open the door, followed by a sharp intake of breath. He tore his mouth away from his "friend's" to see who was standing in the doorway.

Please don't let it be Ron! he thought. But it wasn't. Oh, the figure had red hair and the samefreckles as Ron, but it wasn't Ron. It was Ginny. And all Harry had time to think now was Oh shit!

"Ginny, please, just listen to me!"

"Harry I know what I saw!"

"Really Ginny, it wasn't what it looked like!" interjected Hermione.

"You, be quiet!" she said back. The room was silent for a few tense seconds as Ginny and Hermione stared at one another.

Hermione broke the silence. "Come on Ron, let's go."

" I don't think I want to—ow!" He said as Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "See you two later!"

"Really Gin, it wasn't all that bad!" said Harry, completely oblivious to his two friends exiting.

"Oh, yes, from where I was standing I could tell it wasn't 'all that bad', to be sure."

"Ginny, come on! It really wasn't like that!"

"Yeah, I bet! I mean I'm sure Hermione was just… just choking, and you were helping to get the object out of her throat using your tongue!" she screamed. "I'm not stupid Harry!"

"Ginny, I know you're not stupid! Come on, please just give me a chance to explain!"

"You don't need to explain Harry! I saw what you two were doing!" Harry didn't fail to note the tears in her eyes.

"Gin, please forgive me!"

"What's to forgive? Just because we used to date doesn't mean you're my property." She said, her voice soft and dangerous. "I just thought, that since the only reason we broke up was because you wanted to protect me, maybe you wouldn't turn around and start making out with one of my best friends the second I'm gone, but obviously, that assumption was wrong!"

"O.k. first, We didn't start making out the second you were gone, secondly, we didn't mean for you would find out, and thirdly, we only did it once-" He paused as he considered what he had just said. "That's really not what I meant!"

"Oh, great so it's great as long as I don't find out! And I'm sorry but did you say you only Did It once?"

"Not what I meant!"

"That's what it sounded like to me!"

"Well that's not what I meant!"

"I'm sure it's not what you meant since you didn't 'mean' for me to find out about any of this!"

"Ginny, come on! Would I really do that to you?"

"Obviously not because you were too busy doing 'that' to Hermione!"

"Gin, please you have to believe me!"

"Yeah, right!"

"GINNY! I AM NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH HERMIONE!"

"We can hear you, you know!" yelled Ron from the next room. "Oh and Hermione tells me to say that Harry's telling the truth! Though, from what I've seen, yeah not so sure."

"NOT HELPING RON!" Yelled both Harry and Hermione. Hermione voice sounded like she'd been crying. Damn, I've really screwed things up, haven't I?

"You know what?" said Ginny, voice both tearful and angry. "I don't have to sit here and listen to this crap that you're throwing at me." And with that, she walked out of the room. Harry could think of nothing to do except sit down, bury his head in his hands, and pretend he hadn't just lost the only girl he really loved.

Ron's POV

He didn't know what was going on between his friends. He had so many thoughts racing through his head on a continuous loop, he had no room for anything else. Each of these thoughts were attached to a different emotion. Confusion- what just happened? Anger- how could Harry do that to my sister? How could Hermione do that to me? Sadness- I guess she really does like him better. Jealous- what does he have that I don't have? Besides money, looks, fame, and an obvious talent? Guilt- If I had just listened to Hermione in the first place, none of this would've happened!

Then there was the one that made him most ashamed. In the very back of his head, he could feel it, that terrible part of him that kept emerging over and over. When Harry had been in the hospital in their first year, when Sirius had been taken from Harry because he couldn't clear his godfather's name, when Rita Skeeter had spread all of the terrible rumors about Harry, when Voldemort had returned, when Cho-Chang broke up with Harry, when Sirius died, when Dumbledore died, when Harry had broken up with Ginny, and now.

It made Ron sick to think about it, but he couldn't help it. He always got a sense of euphoria whenever Harry did something wrong. It proved he wasn't the perfect golden boy everyone thought he was. It proved he could be hurt. It brought him down to Ron's level.

Ron barely registered when his sister walked into the room and sat down beside him.

"Did I do the right thing?" she asked, in a sad voice.

Ron jumped up, noticing Ginny for the first time. Her eyes were filled with tears, one halfway down her cheek, the little droplet magnifying a single red freckle, contrasting her pale face. Her red hair that had always caused her head to look like it was on fire was now limp and pale. Her robe hung sadly about her shoulders.

"Did I do the right thing?" she repeated, her voice shaky and unsure.

"Yes." Ron turned to see Hermione looking contrite. "Yes you did" the brunette said. "There is no excuse for what just happened, but Ginny, please believe me-"

"I really don't want to hear it right now," interrupted the redhead. She didn't sound angry, just tired. "Should I just leave?"

"You can't!" said Ron, surprised that she would suggest that. "Where would you go?"

"I thought I would just go back-" she broke off, not wanting to say home, but not knowing what else to call it. "Back to Fred and George" she finished.

"You can't put them in danger like that!" said Ron, shocked. "Someone could follow you! You know what it's like now! There are Death Eaters everywhere! And-"

"Ron!" interrupted Hermione. "She gets the picture. Don't you think that she's had enough for one day? You should go rest."

"No. If I'm staying, I'm going to be useful." She replied, beginning to sound surer of herself.

"Ginny, are you sure you don't want to go lie down for a bit?" sid Hermione, sounding worried. "You must be really tired."

"No, really I'll be fine."

"Ginny, come on, you need to take a break," said Hermione. "You look like you haven't had a good nights sleep in days!"

"I'm fine! Ron, tell her I can help!"

Both of them were looking at him now, giving him looks that seemed to threaten disembowelment if he didn't agree them. "Umm, well, I guess Ginny can help if she feels up to it…" Ginny smirked at Hermione while the second shot a look at Ron, that if looks could kill, he would've been six feet under.

Ginny bounded out of the common room toward the portrait hole.

"Why did you let her go?" asked Hermione, voice frosty.

"Because she looks fine! I don't know what you're complaining about! You should be happy we're getting some more help!"

"You should've sent her off! Think about it for just a second Ron. Who did she just have a fight with?" she was using that tone that implied Ron had the mentality of a two year old again. Oh how he hated that tone.

"Harry," he replied, resigned to the lecture that would undoubtedly come next.

"Right, and what was that fight about?"

"You two eating each others faces," he replied, unable to resist smirking.

"Oddly put, but yes. So do you really think she's going to want to work with Harry and myself?" Ron's eyes widened as he realized what he had just done. "Exactly."

A/N O.k. loyal readers, few though you may be, Here;s to bring you up to soeed on everything, since it is just a bit confusing. I'll try to keep it short. Mrs. Weasley is in the hospital, Mr. Weasley is semi-insane because of that; Charlie is dead leaving his weepy fiance with his family; Bill and Fleur are missing; Neville is missing; Cho is missing; Lupin is in the hospital because the werewolves turned on him; Tonks is pregnant, unmarried, and distraught; Moody is dead; fred and George's shop burned down; Fred, George, Sara (Charlie's fiance), and Mr. Weasley are in hiding and Ginny ran away.

The D.A. has developed into a sort of Order for the younger group, specializing in Spy work, Harry leads it with Ron and Hermione as his second and third in command. The horcruxes have been found (we think) and destroyed.

Harry and Hermione do not love each other, but Ginny thinks they do, as does Ron. Ginny is now helping the D.A. Ron is mad at Harry and Hermione, Ginny is mad at Harry and vexed with Hermione, Hermione is mad at Ron, freaked out about Harry, and worried about Ginny. Harry is worried about Ginny, mad at Ron, and ignoring Hermione.

O.K. that's about it. Thanks a heap to all my awesome reviewers! Hope to update soon. Sorry about my un-J.K.ish, american style writing! Love you all! Buh bye for now!