I only got two reviews for the last chapter... was it really that bad? Well, this ones more... action packed, in a way ;) But, still. It was pretty sad.

:( - me being sad.

It made me lose inspiration... hence the timely update. The faster you review, the faster I write a new chapter! (Please keep that in mind as you try and ignore that little review button at the bottom of the page)

"Harry, Weanbey, you'll serve your detention on this afternoon, after classes… yes, I think that'll do. You shall be… organizing the potions closets."

Ron and Harry stooped out of the potions classroom.

"I can't believe he still hasn't learnt my name after nearly a year of going to his stupid potions class," Ron said grumpily.

"It's only stupid because you're bad at it," Harry pointed out.

"You're only good at it because you're cheating."

"I'm not cheating!" Ron raised his eyebrows. "I'm… taking advice."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Ron's voice trailed off. Harry followed Ron's eye line and wasn't surprised to see that his was watching Hermione confiscate something off of a first year, with a dreamy expression. Harry frowned at him, and Ron woke up. "Shove off," he said when he saw that Harry was grinning. "I still haven't forgiven you for five months of lying to me."

"Oh, really? So what are you going to do about it?"

"I still haven't figured it out, don't crowd me!" Ron said, rather pathetically. Harry smirked. Even though Ron was talking about punishing Harry in some way, Harry knew that he deserved it, and was awaiting his punishment rather eagerly, to his own surprise.

"I deserve something…" he stood still, and Ron stayed back, looking at him confused. Harry opened his arms. "C'mon, punch me. Right now."

"What, with Hermione the prefect right there?" He laughed. "Nah… I don't have to hit you."

"Listen, Ron, I'm serious. It was a stupid thing to do and I deserve some sort of punishment!"

"Been spending time 'round Filch lately?" Ron laughed and carried on down the corridor.

"No! Ron," Harry followed his friend down the hall, and he knew that some people must think that he had gone quite mad. "Hit me or – or something!"

"What? No!" Ron said, frowning now, but not stopping.

"I did something stupid and I hurt you…"

"Yeah, it was a stupid thing to do," Ron agreed.

"So… do something about it! I know… I'll do your homework for a month! No, wait! The rest of the year!"

Ron laughed again.

"Why, you'll just do it as bad as me, mate."

"But, the point is that you don't have to do it."

Ron shook his head and carried on.

"You can borrow the Half-Blood Prince," Harry offered, but immediately regretted it. Ron looked thoughtful as they got into class, but then he shook his head.

"Nah, I think Hermione's right, there's something sinister about that book."

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're just trying to get in her good books!"

"So what if I am?"

"I'm offering you my Potions book! Do you want me to feel bad?"

Ron didn't answer as he brought out his Charms book, though he looked a bit smug. Harry understood.

"That's really evil," he muttered. Ron gave him a smug little smile, but then pouted.

"As evil as lying to your best friend for five months?" he said in a mock-sweet voice.

The door opened and whoever came through earned a disapproving look from Flitwick. "Sorry I'm late, Proffessor." And then Hermione was there and Harry had to shut up. And Ron just kept on looking smug. "The first year wanted that Frisbee back…" she added to Ron and Harry, sitting between them. Harry didn't look up, and Ron doodled happily on his piece of parchment. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothin'," Ron said happily, and went to pretending to listen to Flitwick. Hermione frowned and gave Harry a questioning look but Harry didn't dare move his eyes from his Charms book. She huffed and brought out her own stuff.

As the classes for the day finished, Harry and Ron exchanged glances and made their way down to the dungeons. Ron had been highly annoying that day, gaining Harry's sympathy in many different ways, which all involved reminding Harry of the terrible things he had done.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Harry asked gloomily. Ron didn't answer. In fact, he looked thoughtful. Harry said nothing, and decided it was best if he didn't. Maybe he'll stop, he thought hopefully, though he didn't put much thought behind it. They made their way down to the dungeons in silence; besides, Harry was exhausted. The sleep he had gotten in the hospital wing was obviously not enough for the many sleepless nights he had spent in Ron's wake. God, why did his conscience have to be so… insistent?

He was ready to walk right into the potions classroom, when Ron put his hand on the door handle, impeding Harry's entrance.

"Wha-?" Harry started, but Ron ignored him.

"Harry, I have a…" he struggled to find the right word, "request."

"Well, if you bring out the 'how could you?' card, I'm gonna have to accept, aren't I?" Harry said.

Ron grinned. "Yeah, that was kind of what I was hoping for." He loosened his grip on the door handle. "Listen. To be honest, I don't think you're being completely honest with me." Harry said nothing, so he continued. "So, I want answers. Now."

"I don't think that-"

"During detention. I'm not that thick, Harry, I didn't get you in detention for the fun of it."

Harry's heart sank.

"I mean, Slughorn's not going to stay, the lazy bastard… I reckoned that we're not really gonna have any alone time, and you're gonna either ignore it or avoid me or… whatever. Which would be fine by me… but I've decided that I want the truth. The whole truth." Harry dared himself to look into Ron's eyes. He looked dead serious.

Harry winced involuntarily and Ron threw his hands up in the air, and for a moment Harry thought that he was going to be pummeled (for the one-hundreth time).

"I knew it!" Ron shouted, and then he groaned.

"What? What are you-"

"There's more, isn't there? You didn't tell me everything, did you?"

"What? Well…"

"Oh god." Ron put his head in his hands, and Harry stood, petrified, watching him. But then he seemed to regain himself. "I want to here it," he said, rather bravely. "OK?" Harry could find no way out.

"OK."

"Boys… I'm going to have to leave you here. I have… um… exams to correct."

Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry in an 'I told you so' kind of way. Even though it was feeble, Harry had been counting on Slughorn staying.

"I trust that you'll leave the classroom in order? We've had some rather messy first years down here…" And it was plain to see that they were not very talented. Ingredients lay disregarded, cauldrons overflowing with god knows what… And Harry thought, with a sudden hope, that Slughorn might not- "And I'm going to have to take your wands." Damn. "It wouldn't really be detention with them, now, would it?"

"No, Professor," the boys chorused grudgingly.

"OK then!" Slughorn clapped his hands, obviously forgetting that he had the wands in them, and dropping them to the floor. Harry winced; he was fond of his wand, and he had good reason to be. Ron made a face as he heard the clanking. "Oh dear… ah well. Anyways, I shall be back in two hours…" Two hours? This was going to be torture. "… for dinner. If you haven't finished the classroom then you shall go without it, I'm afraid."

Ron groaned.

All this just for being late? Harry suspected it had more to with Slughorn's fondness of his memories.

"Oh, and there are brooms and mops in the closet," he reminded them as he closed the door rather hastily.

As soon as he left, the boys turned to each other.

"First half spring cleaning?" Ron suggested.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. Maybe that would give him a chance to think about strategies. Though all Ron would have to do was beg, and he could have Harry eating out of the palm of his hand.

The first three quarters of an hour were then spent gaining a number of ugly burns and being attacked by creatures that Harry had never known hid in the potions' closet. It was filled with more 'Arggggg!''s than actual talking. And Harry had been distracted on how to not say certain things about certain people's siblings so that he had received the biggest number of casualties.

But, Ron's eagerness to know the truth and having Molly Weasley as a mother and Fred and George as brothers gave him the ability to clean up messes at an alarming speed. Harry's heart sunk once more as he thought of how much Ron wanted this, and how he was still trying to find a way to worm his way out of it.

"OK, not one word of this to mum or she'll have me cleaning the whole Burrow over the summer," Ron said, sighing as he sat down in the nearest stool. Harry looked around desperately for something else to clean. Ron noticed. "Is it really that bad?"

"No, not at all," Harry lied.

Ron thought this was about Hermione… god, when he learnt the truth… But – if Hermione was all he suspected, maybe Hermione was all he wanted to know…

"OK then," Harry said, in order to split the tension. "Ask any question and I'll answer it." Maybe he could avoid Ginny during this.

"Yeah?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry repeated, using all of his strength to stare into Ron's eyes and not turn away. Ron stared for a moment, as if thoughtful. But then he leant back.

"OK."

"Oh, and if you want to hit me, feel free! Maybe I'll be free of your pouts after this."

"Yeah, maybe," Ron said, but he didn't smile. He was obviously scared. He must think of Harry as Harry thought of Dean. If he did, Harry was so dead right now. "So. Was it all pretend, or did you guys actually go out?"

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Really? That was the first question? Awesome.

"It was all fake," Harry said honestly. "Pretend. It never happened. I've never thought of Hermione that way. Ever."

Ron flinched at the mention of Hermione's name, as if he was still having trouble admitting it, or if he feared she would enter at the sound of it.

"OK then. Good," Ron said, breathing for a second. But then he went tense once more. "Did you guys ever…" he made a face, as if that would explain it. But Harry was reluctant to finish any sentences, or to give any ideas. He wasn't going to answer unless it was in the question. Ron noticed and shrugged, giving up. "Did you guys ever," he paused. "Make out?"

Harry wasn't sure what to answer. What was the definition of make out? Did it have to be voluntary? But he wasn't going to ask Ron that. But he couldn't help try to avoid it.

"You mean like you and Lavender?"

Ron shrugged, but Harry still said nothing.

"Yeah, like me and Lavender! Sheesh…"

Harry flinched before he answered. "No."

Ron stared and scrutinized at Harry's face.

"But did you kiss?"

Harry squirmed on the spot.

"Uh… kind of-"

"Kind of?" Ron asked.

"I mean, sort of…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron said, obviously struggling to keep his voice level. Harry got a bit annoyed. It wasn't like he owned her or anything. He had no right, especially when he was snogging Lavender at the same moment. "Go on!" Ron pushed.

Harry rolled his eyes… he couldn't help it. "Listen, Ron, it's not like you own her or something," he said his thoughts aloud. Ron looked hurt. "You were making out with Lavender that very second!"

Ron struggled. "So?" he said feebly.

"So, it was an accident!"

"How can snogging someone be an accident?"

"It was barely snogging! I… she… our lips met," he said, failing in making it sound less bad than it already was.

"What the heck's that supposed to mean?" he asked, standing up. But Harry did not back off. He stood up too.

"Listen, Ron! Stop being such a selfish git," (yeah, he went there,) "and accept the facts! I'm sorry, OK? I never meant to kiss her! I'm pretty sure she never meant to kiss me either! And-"

And then Ron punched him. Harry was surprised at the amount of force put behind it, and staggered back, tripping over the stool and plummeting to the floor. The shock of it was incredible, especially when he had been expecting it nearly the entire year. His glasses had fallen off, and he was sure that he had heard a smash. Oh, great. What was the spell again…? No use anyways, Slughorn had taken their wands.

There was an eerie silence from Ron as Harry looked around for his glasses.

"You're not supposed to hit someone with glasses," he muttered, not sure if he was aiming for a joke or an accusation. "Ow!" he said involuntarily, as his fingers found glass. His thumb had to be bleeding now. Ron still said nothing. But, his hair was a wonderful shade of red, so Harry could spot him with or without his glasses. He stood up rather clumsily and brushed his front clean. He then made his way to his stool, and set it back up. OK, now he couldn't see. But he could see that Ron was hanging his head in shame.

He looked at the blur that was Ron.

"I kind of deserved that."

Ron's blur looked up, and he seemed to see that Harry couldn't.

"Oh, god!" he said, jumping onto the floor and feeling around for Harry's glasses. Harry knew that he found them, because he shouted out as his hands felt glass too. "Oh, no… they're smashed…" he said. Harry winced. They would have to wait until Slughorn came back (or at least, Harry would) to leave. "I'm an idiot…" Ron was saying as he sat back, playing with Harry's glasses as if he expected them to fix without magic. And then he looked at Harry. "But I'm not really sorry," he said truthfully. "You were kind of asking for it."

"Yeah… I kind of was." He paused. "Am I bleeding? I can taste blood…"

"I'm not going to look in your mouth, mate."

"Oh, OK."

There was another silence.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to be truthful with you."

"Oh no! You didn't make out, did you?"

Harry was about to argue that Hermione still wasn't Ron's property, but his jaw screamed otherwise.

"No. Ron, listen. There's a reason I did it. The pretending to date Hermione. Yeah, she did it to get to you, but I did it to get to someone else."

Harry didn't need his glasses to see Ron's confusion.

"I did it-" he hesitated. He didn't really have to tell him. This was his chance to go back. Use Hermione to shield his feelings for Ginny. Maybe earn another punch, but… who was he kidding? He was getting punched anyways. Ron noted the silence.

"Is it really so bad that you can't tell me? I like Hermione, Harry."

Harry turned. It was a bit pathetic to look at Ron, he'd look like an idiot without his glasses.

"Uh... it was kind of because of..." he gulped. "It was because of Ginny."

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