Harry Potter and the Founders
A/N:
I apologize for the extremely long wait and realize that I am more than a month overdue. Unfortunately, as I have mentioned several times previous my parents took their sweet time in getting the computer wiped and during that time (thanks to the virus) I could not even log in. When it finally did get wiped we had to set up accoutns and get new passwords, blah blah. In short, I am very sorry for the long wait and hope that you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Seven: Problems d'Amore
The day before the wedding was a blur of last minute decorations being set up, trying on old dress robes, Mrs. Weasley screaming at everyone because of her nerves, Fleur's horrible accent, a new cold Ginny, and de-gnoming the garden. All of the men (including Fred and George) went into London for Bill's bachelor party and all of the women went to a bachelorette party for Fleur.
So it was that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were the only ones left in the Burrow at the end of the day. All four of them were sitting in the crammed Family Room (Ginny and Harry were at opposite ends of the couch).
"So, what do you guys want to do?" Ron asked awkwardly.
"Let's play Quidditch," Harry suggested.
"I don't like Quidditch." Ginny said instantaneously.
"You're on the team," Ron said.
"Let me elaborate then, I don't like Quidditch when Harry plays." Ginny said coldly.
A long pause followed and then Hermione shot back,
"Well you don't have to play. The three of us can."
"We can't exclude Ginny," Harry said fairly.
"Yes we can." Ron said bluntly, "I mean come on, she's got enough guy friends she can just send them mail all night long."
Ginny glared daggers at him and sniffed disdainfully, "Believe it or not, Ronald, there is more to me than just a love of men."
"Not really," Ron countered irritably, "Everything you do is for guys. Back in Second Year you gave Harry a valentine, in Third Year you started dating whatever his name was in an effort to make Harry jealous, in Fourth Year you dated whatever his name was #2 in an effort to make Harry jealous, in Fifth Year you joined Quidditch to make Harry notice you, you joined Dumbledore's Army for the same reason and started dating whatever his name was #3 again, to make Harry jealous, in Sixth Year you-ow!" Ron rubbed the foot Ginny had stomped on gingerly.
"Let me elaborate again, Harry is not a man. Real men don't lead the ones they care about on."
"That's not true, Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, feeling his temper rising, "I broke up with you and made everything clear. You chose to ignore it!"
Ginny made no answer and instead got up from the couch,
"I'm going to go read a book," She announced coldly, "On Breaking Up With Your Cheating Boyfriend."
She stomped off upstairs and slammed her door loudly behind her. The trio remained seated on the collapsing couch. Hermione was the first to speak,
"So what are you two wearing to the wedding?"
"Dress robes." Ron said flippantly.
"Obviously. What color?"
"Mine are black," Harry said.
"Fred and George got me some nice new green ones. No more shall I wear mauve!"
Harry laughed and Hermione smiled. Ron looked over at Hermione, "What are you wearing?"
Hermione blushed, "I got a lavender dress."
"Nice," Ron said, "It doesn't clash with red hair."
"What?" Hermione asked, looking over at Ron in puzzlement. Harry sniggered and Ron blushed.
"Just um…didn't want it to…uh, to clash with Bill's hair. You know…it would be…really awkward if the guests' dresses clashed with the…with the groom's hair.
"Alright. Whatever you say, Ron, but lavender does clash with red hair."
She looked away and turned to Harry, "Do you know what color Ginny is wearing?"
"No, and I personally don't really care." Harry said gloomily, he looked at Ron, "Who's coming to the wedding?"
Ron scratched his head and began to count out on his fingers, "All of us Weasleys except Percy, you, Hermione, Lupin, Tonks, McGonnagall, Hagrid, all of the Order actually, and Mum invited the Lovegoods cause they live so close by."
"The Lovegoods?" Hermione asked, "As in Luna Lovegood and her father?"
"Yes."
Harry smiled, "Well with Luna and the twins there won't be a dull moment at the wedding."
"No," Ron grinned, "there won't. I wonder what she'll come in…be funny if she wore crocodile skins or something? Maybe," He laughed, "Maybe she'll wear a Crumple Horned Snorkack!"
Harry grinned, "Believe it or not Ron, she actually wore a semi-normal outfit last year when I brought her to Slughorn's Party."
Ron sobered, "Oh. Right. You and Luna. I gotcha."
"What? No!" Harry started, "No, I don't like Luna that way Ron."
"If he did he would have told me," Hermione said, "Because Harry wouldn't have forgotten to mention that, would he?" She said, emphasizing the last phrase and looking at Harry severely.
"Of course I don't like her." Harry said emphatically, "Gosh, I already told you two that – do I have to say everything twice before you finally get it?"
"Some of us do," Ron muttered. Hermione turned to him.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Harry groaned, "Oh come on Ron, just ask her and save us all a lot of suffering!"
"Ask me what?" Hermione demanded, looking from one boy to the other. Ron blushed furiously and stared at his feet,
"Shut up Harry!"
"Shut up about what!" Hermione demanded angrily. "Tell me, Harry!"
"He knows nothing and will say nothing unless he wants to get socked again!" Ron said between gritted teeth.
"Ron knows everything and will say everything unless he wants to get socked again!" Harry said between laughter. Hermione glared at them both.
"You both know something and will say something unless you both want to get socked again!"
That shut up the two boys who proceeded to look at anything but their companions. Hermione pulled out her wand.
"Alright, alright!" Ron exclaimed, "I'll…I'll tell you tomorrow night, Hermione. I promise, just don't, don't resort to magic. You know neither of us can defend ourselves against you. We'd never hurt you."
Hermione lowered her wand, "Fine. I'll wait. But you'd better tell me. If you don't I will hex you."
"Agreed."
"And Harry," She rounded on him, "I'll hex you next time you keep another secret from me in general, understood."
"Yes ma'am," Harry said, laughing. Hermione rolled her eyes,
"Boys." She sniffed disdainfully and proceeded to straighten out the room with her wand.
"Don't you ever help your poor mother out, Ronald? This room is a horrible mess."
"She has Fleur to do that! Or Ginny!" He exclaimed, sounding appalled at the idea of cleaning.
"That is a horribly sexist comment," Hermione said prissily, "Take it back."
"No," Ron said bluntly, "I meant it. Can you imagine me running around cleaning while Ginny plays Quidditch or vice versa? It makes more sense my way, Herm."
"He has a point," Harry said. Hermione glared and took care to 'accidentally' let her wand slip and smack both Ron and Harry across their heads with a rather heavy book on Prewett Genealogy. Ron and Harry took matters into their own hands at that point and proceeded to tickle Hermione to death until she had shrieked herself hoarse and proceeded to make a mess of the room she had just finished cleaning. And that was how the evening before Bill and Fleur's wedding was spent; in laughter and jokes between three friends.
Harry and Ron crammed themselves into Ron's garish orange room that night, both staring at the ceiling. Harry turned over on his side so that he faced the window and could feel the summer breeze on his face as he looked over the grounds of the Burrow. Ron, on the other hand couldn't stay still. He was constantly tossing and turning and sighing emphatically. Finally, he couldn't contain what was bothering him any longer,
"Harry!" He whispered urgently, "Harry, are you still awake?"
Harry rolled over to look at Ron's silhouette, "Yeah."
"Good," Ron took a breath, "Mate…what if she says no?"
"Who?" Harry asked, frowning slightly.
"Hermione."
"To dance?" Harry said, hiding a smile, "Ron, she's not going to say no to either of us, you know that-!"
"Not to the dance," Ron snapped irritably, "I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend."
Harry's smile froze, "What?"
"I'm going to ask her out," Ron repeated in a loud whisper, "Tomorrow, at the wedding. What did you think I was going to ask her?"
"For a dance," Harry said blankly, not able to comprehend why this was affecting him so, "I thought you were going to ask her to dance with you."
"How could you think that?" Ron asked, his tone revealing the humor he saw in Harry's statement, "You and the twins couldn't stop telling me to ask her all last night!"
"I thought we were talking about you asking her on a dance!" Harry snapped irritably, turning over on his side so that his back was facing Ron.
There was an odd silence and then Ron said in an odd, strained, voice,
"Do you have a problem with that, Harry? 'Cause I really don't see any difference between me asking Hermione to be my girlfriend and me asking her on a dance. They both involve romantic feelings."
"Not necessarily!" Harry argued, "You could go to a dance with a friend."
"But you know I like her!"
Harry didn't answer.
Ron sighed, "Do you not want us to be dating then?"
Harry shrugged, "Of course I want you dating. You've liked her for years."
Ron's voice brightened, "So you don't have a problem with it?"
"No," Harry shrugged again, "No, I don't have a problem with it. Why would I? She's just Hermione after all. I don't like Hermione. She's my friend. Nothing more."
"So there's no problem?" Ron whispered optimistically.
"No." Harry agreed, staring fixedly at the pond.
"Good," Ron half chuckled, " 'Cause I don't know what I'd have done if you'd liked her, mate."
Silence reigned again throughout the room and a frog croaked loudly in the pond below Harry's window. Ron turned over again,
"But, Harry, what if Hermione says no? What if she doesn't want to be my girlfriend? What if she hates me for asking?"
"Hermione won't hate you for asking."
"If she says no?" Ron asked skeptically.
"Well if she says no that means she's not interested, doesn't it?" Harry snarled, more viciously than he had intended. He sighed loudly and ran his hands through his hair. What was wrong with him?
"What I meant to say is," He said more quietly, "If she says no maybe she's just not ready to be dating yet."
"She dated Krum!" Ron said stubbornly.
"Things are…different now." Harry replied, "We're not going to school again, Ron, we won't have that protection. We have no plans for the near future outside of Bill's wedding. We have no idea what or where Voldemort's horcruxes are. You haven't even told your mother that you're dropping out of school yet!"
"Telling Mum I'm dropping out is worse than it sounds," Ron defended, "and telling her seems scary enough."
Harry didn't answer for a long time; finally he turned away from the pond and looked over at Ron's darkened silhouette, "Ron, I don't think this is the best time to talk about you dating Hermione."
"Why not?"
"Because…" Harry looked down at the floor, "…I don't even know. Good night."
Harry flopped down on his bed again and stared at the ceiling, his thoughts lost in a dark never-ending tunnel of confusion and incomprehension.
A/N:
Thank you to all for reviewing, here are my long overdue replies:
harry'n'mione4ever: I'm sorry it took me so long in updating, I hope you liked this chapter. Harry's a little confused about his feelings...
Sky Spirit: Thanks, and again, I think some HHR shippers will have enjoyed this chapter. After all, Harry's getting a little uncomfortable about certain things. Rather like he was in Book 6, when he was thinking about Hermione and Ron dating...
Maegmel: As always, I do try. Anyways, now that you're up in NU - if you are reading this, good luck! And I will totally understand if you don't have time to review...
AzhureTigress: Yeah, I didn't keep up with the whole quick review thing this month (again am sorry) but as I said at the beginning I have a whole list of excuses - mostly my parents procrastinating and not taking in the computer. Please continue to R and R!
lindsey: Well, tell me since you are an HHR shipper, what did you think of Harry's feelings in this chapter? Am I still portraying him in character?
pinktricity101: Well I can't tell you if it will be HHR, but I think this chapter gives away some RHR hints and HHR hints...
Aznballla21: Yeah, I'm trying not to use too much "relationship drama" in this story. It is rather hard not to, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it...
Akako: I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend, but what language is that?
