A/N: I am so grateful to you guys for adding this story to your alerts! Keep in mind reviews are extremely helpful, especially for my difficulty with matching characters! This was a difficult chapter to write, but on to the story!
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A week had passed since the incident with Ginny and Ron. Though the situation was apparently "fixed," according to McGonagall, neither sibling was very pleased. Hermione walked in on them during a fight outside by the Quidditch pitch.
"What was I supposed to do about it, Ron?" Ginny yelled. "I can't help it that we liked the same stuff. We were raised in the same house and are almost the same age, so naturally, we'll be alike!"
"Yeah but you were the one that always copied me!" Ron yelled back. "I have my friends, you follow us around for three years before you actually have any sort of relationship with Harry or Hermione!"
"Hey!" Hermione yelled at them, breaking them out of their argument. "What is this all about?" She asked, more calm.
"Ronald is having a tantrum and got me involved in it." Ginny crossed her arms.
"Was not." He said, turning away.
"Ron!" Hermione called him as he started to walk away. He turned back in shame. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Sorry Miss Head Girl." He sneered. "I didn't mean to disturb you and your perfect life now."
Hermione gasped. "If you remember, I walked in here. And what is this perfect life crap? You think I'm any happier about this law than either of you?"
"Oh, please. Like you haven't noticed it yourself." He said.
"Noticed what?" She asked. A few people who were outside were giving them off looks.
"Ron is under the impression that you and a certain Mister Malfoy are with each other and that it's your fault." Ginny explained, glaring at her brother.
"What!?" Hermione screeched. "You know we only live together because we're Head Boy and Girl!"
"Come on, Hermione! Don't you see it?" His tone changed into a soft, yet mocking one. "You and Malfoy are obviously attracted with each other. Don't say that even when you and I were dating you didn't look at him like he wasn't the Slytherin sex god. We've all known you and he would eventually be together."
"What do you mean, we knew?" She sneered.
"Harry." Ron said.
"You had Harry in on this?" Hermione asked. Tears started to form in her eyes. She was determined they would not fall.
"I did not have him 'in on' anything." He said. "We both suspected it. Every other girl had their eyes on Malfoy. Why shouldn't you?"
"You think I'm no different than any other girl?" She whispered. She cursed herself as tears started to fall.
"Ron! Stop it!" Ginny said, crying herself.
"You never treated me with any respect! I'm glad I'm not matched with you!" Hermione yelled at him.
"I feel the same way, Hermione!" He yelled at her. "You know what? I hate living like this. This law is ruining my life!"
"Ron! Don't talk like that!" Ginny yelled. A small group of students including Neville and Dean were passing by the scene.
"Why shouldn't I? Everything that happens is wrong. I loved Hermione, now this law happens. Then we get these journals, and I'm matched with who I thought would be perfect, but who turns out to be my sister! I hate being Ron Weasley. Best friend of Harry Potter, the boy who lived and got to do everything while I stand on the sidelines with no recognition."
"Please don't say you hate your life, Ron!" Hermione cried. She ran up to him, trying to wrap her arms around him. He pushed her away and she fell to the ground. Ginny hurried over to Hermione and helped her to her feet. Neville ran over valiantly and grabbed Ron, shoving him onto the ground.
"What's wrong with you, Ron?" Neville yelled at him. Ron just glared at him. He got back to his feet and looked at the girls.
"I'm glad we're over." He said to Hermione in finality. He ran back to the castle.
"Thank you Neville. Come on, Ginny. You can stay with me tonight." Hermione whispered to her crying companion. They joined hands, and Hermione apparated them to the Head Dorm.
OOOOO
"Hermione!" Draco said when he saw her crying. "Ginevra." He acknowledged her as well. "What happened?" He attempted to escort them to the couch.
"Draco, I don't mean to sound rude, but can you just leave us alone?" Hermione guided Ginny to the stairs to her room.
"Do you want me to bring you some tea?" He asked quietly.
The girls both nodded. "Thank you." Hermione said. She took Ginny to her room, leading her to the couch by the fireplace. They both sat there in silence before Ginny spoke.
"I will never understand my brother. I'm worried about him."
Hermione stared at her feet. "He definitely has some unhealthy anger issues, but I never knew it was this bad."
"You could always deduct points for him being a git." Ginny said weakly, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Hermione laughed feebly. "That wouldn't do any good. It would just hurt the rest of Gryffindor house. This is personal."
"But you're Head Girl." Ginny protested. Hermione shook her head.
"That's what makes Ron so mad. Maybe I should just quit this position. You could take over."
"Hermione! Don't say that!" Ginny got on her knees, moving closer to Hermione on the couch. "This is in no way your fault! You deserve this more than anything else!"
"We have to help him! I never knew he was so…depressed. But what do we do?" Hermione asked, more tears coming. Draco's knock came upon the door. Hermione stood to open the door. Draco's face showed shock and pain at Hermione's tears. She reached her hands out to take the tray, but Draco walked past her to place the tea on the coffee table. He turned back to her to envelope her in a hug. Hermione pulled him over to the couch and sat down next to Ginny.
"What's wrong, Hermione? Tell me." Draco said, inching closer to her, leaning in.
As Hermione and Ginny told Draco about the argument, his face showed sadness and anger at Ron's inappropriate accusations of Hermione and his pushing her, but showed concern at what else Ron said. "Draco, what do we do about this?" She asked.
"We could tell my mom." Ginny suggested.
"Or McGonagall." Draco offered. Hermione nodded.
"I think it would be wise to do both. Possibly set up some sort of conference. Ron's anger issues have gone on too long, and he needs help. We'll go to McGonagall first, though." She stood. Draco grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down.
"Wait. Don't do this immediately. You're too upset now. Wait until tomorrow and calm down. It will be much easier to talk about it that way." He said.
Hermione sat down slowly, looking at him strangely. "You're so good at this kind of thing, Draco."
"I promise I'm not going to attack Ron or anything, but I think I should better go down to Gryffindor Tower. Maybe talk to Potter; see what he has to say about this."
"The password is 'Pig Snout.'" Ginny said helpfully.
Draco smiled. "Head Boy, remember?" He said, pointing to his badge. "See you." He walked out as the girls silently drank their tea.
OOOOO
Draco walked into the Gryffindor common room. Most eyes in the room turned to him. He strode past them to the boys' staircase. Walking up to the very top, he saw the makeshift door that read "Eighth Years," and walked in. Inside was Ron and Harry, sitting in silent discussion. Ron turned to see Draco enter.
"What are you doing here?!" He stormed up to Draco, who put his hand up in noiseless protest.
"I don't want to fight, Weasley." Draco said. "I do wish, however, to ask you about Hermione."
"Yeah?" Ron asked, still angry.
"She told me about what you said to her and your sister. And they are currently sitting in Hermione's dorm, bawling their eyes out."
"Well, that's their own fault for being so emotional." Ron said in a feeble attempt at an argument.
"No, it's because of these stupid journals." Draco said. "I don't blame you for being mad about it. But you really shouldn't have taken it out on Hermione. And what else you said and did… the girls are really hurt and worried for you."
Ron put a hand to his forehead. "I know I shouldn't have. I just… I guess I miss her, that's all. And now we'll never be able to be together again with this law." He sat on his bed.
"Ron, we all feel this way." Harry said, jumping into the conversation. "You think I don't miss Ginny? We just have to learn to accept it."
"I know. I don't know what to say now. Neither of them will forgive me this time." Ron said.
Draco responded. "They are very upset. They both want to tell your mother and Professor McGonagall. Neither Hermione nor I think it's worth taking points away. But you should make this up with them."
Ron nodded. "I will. I'll think about what to say. But for now, tell them I'm sorry, will you?"
"I will. Goodnight." Draco got up and left.
OOOOO
The next day during their free period, Ginny and Hermione went to the Headmistress's room. "Hello, girls." McGonagall greeted them.
"We have a problem." Hermione said.
"How can I help you?" McGonagall asked as she gestured for them to sit.
They girls sat in chairs across from McGonagall's desk. "Yesterday, my brother and I were fighting." Ginny started. "Hermione walked in when we were screaming at each other. Ron was angry about the two of us being matched with each other."
"I tried to break them up, and Ron started getting, well, snooty, I suppose, about me being Head Girl. He was accusing me of, um, liking Draco from before we started dating. And now that the two of us are living together in the Head Dorm, he said we were attracted to each other and all…" Hermione shook her head.
"Ron started to get really upset, and saying…" She started to cry. "He was saying that he h-hated his life!" Ginny completed.
Hermione said, "I tried to, I don't know, comfort him, I guess. I was going to hug him, and he pushed me to the ground. Neville saw and shoved Ron away, and then Ron left."
"I… I am worried." McGonagall said. "During these hard times with the new law in place, tensions are building. But saying that you hate your own life… and with Mister Weasley… what would you like to do?" She asked the girls.
"We want Ron to get help, but we don't think we should deduct points." Hermione stated.
"We? Did you tell Mister Malfoy about this?" McGonagall asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes. He actually went to talk to Ron yesterday, and Draco said that Ron seemed really sorry."
"Professor, really, we don't want Ron to face any punishment, per se. But I've noticed throughout life that Ron has, well, some anger issues." Ginny said, wiping her eyes. "Is there any way we could talk with my mom, too?"
Professor McGonagall said, "I think that's a good idea. Shall we floo her?" She stood up and walked to the fireplace. Throwing in a small bit of floo powder, she kneeled down and stuck her head in the fireplace to call for Molly.
In about five minutes, Molly flooed herself to the Headmistress's office. She and Ginny hugged, and then she and Hermione. She sat down across from McGonagall. "What is the matter, Headmistress?"
"Your son and these two ladies had an altercation last night." McGonagall said. The girls explained to Molly what happened. Molly was silent throughout the story.
"Ronald said that—that he hated his life?" She asked, in disbelief.
"We thought that maybe he could get some… counseling." Ginny said.
"I think that, given the circumstances, that would be a good idea." Molly said. "Can we get Ron in here?"
"I'll call him down." McGonagall went to call a house elf to fetch Ron. Molly turned to the girls.
"I'm so sorry, you two. Especially you, Hermione. I always knew he had anger issues. I just… I never thought…"
"We never thought any of this would happen, Molly. Our lives have changed so much by this new law, and I think Ron has taken it much harder than anyone else." Hermione said.
"Mr. Weezy is on his way!" announced Mathilde the House Elf. They all waited for his knock on the door.
"Hello, Ronald." Molly said quietly; she seemed more upset than anything.
"Hi, Mom." He came forward. "Hi." He said to the girls.
"Hi." Ginny said.
"Mister Weasley, please sit down here." McGonagall pulled over one more chair. He sat down. "We have all been discussing about your altercation with Ginny and Hermione yesterday."
"I know. I'm so sorry." He said to the pair of girls.
"We know you are Ron. We're just worried for you." Ginny said.
"We have decided it would be best if once a week, you went to see a counselor to talk." McGonagall said. "I feel that my very good friend, Healer Emerald, would be a good match for you. He deals with teenaged wizards. You would be excused from class so that you could go to your appointments."
Ron appeared a bit surprised, but took the news well. "Okay." He said. He seemed somewhat embarrassed. Molly hugged him.
"I'll owl Doctor Emerald tonight, and he should be able to see you within a day or two." McGonagall said. "Girls, thank you for coming to me. I'll ask you to leave now so that I can talk over specifics with Molly and Ron."
The girls departed after both hugging Molly goodbye. They departed to Hermione's dorm.
"That was… weird." Ginny said, shaking her head.
"What? Why do you say that?" Hermione asked.
"I just never thought Ron would say the things he did… do the things he did." Ginny shook her head.
"How about we just do something fun tonight?" Hermione asked. "Ron is taken care of. We'll all be okay." Ginny's face brightened.
"I like that idea." She said. "Can we read Witch Weekly?" She said in her overly-girly tone.
Hermione groaned. "I was hoping we could experiment with some new potions, but okay." Ginny laughed.
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A/N: Okay, well someone needed to be upset about this law. Guess it was Ron. And it was so hard to write this chapter. I wrote and rewrote it three times. I think it's time for chocolate ice cream.
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