I'm back! Earlier than I expected, but since I had already written this chapter, I might as well go ahead and put it up.

Um... there's much cursing in this one, so cover the children's eyes.

I'm not J.K. Rowling and I don't own anything Harry Potter.

Thank you for reading, and thanks to all of you who reviewed! I was so happy to come back and read what you had to say!


Ron paced the short space between his and Harry's beds, willing his blood to stop boiling long enough for him to think.

He looked at Harry's bed, resisting the urge to set the blasted thing on fire after what the git had likely been doing to his sister.

His baby sister.

He sat on his bed, his head in his hands. He had thought he was okay with this, the idea of Harry and Ginny being together. But the reality of it was proving far more difficult to accept than the theory.

There was some sort of … protective instinct or something that rose up inside him when he saw them …

He didn't even want to think about it, really. Images appeared in his mind against his will, helpless little Ginny resisting weakly as Harry had his evil way with her. Although a part of him knew that it was far more likely to have been the other way 'round.

It was just that he felt so … betrayed. He had trusted Harry, and the prat had gone and messed with his sister behind his back. Although what could he have expected, really? That Harry would just walk up one day and ask his permission to shag his bloody sister?

He could just imagine that conversation.

"Fancy a bit of Quidditch Ron? Oh and, by the way, you don't mind if I give it to Ginny, do you? Thanks, mate."

Ron sighed, running his fingers through his hair until it stood on end. He was just so … pulled to pieces with all these bloody emotions.

One moment he was waking up to gut-clenching fear as he watched Hermione approaching danger like she was headed off for tea. The next he was staring at his best friend's guilty expression and Ginny's hastily fastened blouse. It was perfectly obvious what they had been doing.

He had gone from knee-weakening relief to face-punching fury in a matter of seconds.

It was all too much for his system, really. He was going to evaporate or something if things didn't let up soon.

He stood, pacing again for lack of something better to do. He looked around for a moment before he remembered that he had thrown their clock out the window when he had forgotten how to turn the blasted alarm off. The stupid thing had kept screaming until George finally went outside and exploded it to pieces.

Damn it, where was Harry? It just wasn't like him to chicken out of a confrontation.

He sat down again heavily, his ancient bedsprings creaking loudly in protest. He pulled his wand out of his pocket, knocking a few things off of one of Harry's shelves with a sharp gesture.

There. He felt a tiny bit better, now.

The door opened slowly and Harry walked in, wiping water from his hands onto the sides of his trousers. Ron really didn't want to think about why he'd had to wash them.

He looked down at his wand, twirling it between his fingers.

"Took the scenic route, did we?"

He glanced up to find Harry watching him with guarded green eyes.

He closed the door and walked to the middle of the room, facing Ron like he had been called up to the front of the classroom. He shrugged, rolling down the sleeve of one arm to match the other.

"Hermione wanted to talk to me."

Ron nodded, his fingers tightening on his wand as he tried to work out what he wanted to say.

Harry looked around, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I guess I should be glad that you haven't gathered the troops, at least."

Ron looked up to find him offering a sheepish smile. Ron did not return it.

He shrugged.

"Bill's not here, Percy's been gone all day, I didn't want to bother George with this shit, and Charlie might actually kill you. So yeah, it's just me."

Harry didn't look terribly relieved, the smile fading from his face as he looked into Ron's eyes.

He rocked back on his heels, obviously waiting for Ron to begin. The trouble was, Ron couldn't think of anything to say. He could think of plenty of things to punch, but nothing to say.

After a few more moments of silence, Harry sighed, running the fingers of one hand through his hair.

"Right, well, this is the part where you tell me to keep my filthy hands off your little sister. Or something else in a similar vein, if you don't like that."

Ron shrugged.

"Naw, I like that. Let's go with that."

Harry nodded, moving to sit on his own bed across from Ron.

He wove his fingers together, staring down at them for a moment before bringing his eyes back to Ron's.

"I-look, mate, I'm in love with your sister. With Ginny. I'm not messing her about or anything. So you really don't need to worry-"

Ron scoffed loudly.

"Worry!? I don't need to worry!? Are you fucking joking?"

Harry shook his head, his gaze earnest and unwavering.

"I would never hurt her."

Ron stood, throwing his hands in the air.

"Oh, that's a laugh! You wouldn't hurt her!? You've done nothing but make her cry since the moment you bloody looked at her, mate!"

Harry looked back down at his hands.

"I know that, and I'm sorry. It was never … intentional. I just… damn it, Ron; you of all people should know that I've just had more pressing things on my mind! It's not like I could take her out for tea between finding the horcruxes and killing effing Voldemort!"

His eyes stared into Ron's, willing him to understand.

Ron was well past understanding. He was sick and tired of Harry's excuses. There was always something more important for him to do, and it never seemed to matter who got shunted aside in the process.

He crossed his arms, eyeing Harry with disdain.

"Well, sorry mate, but I just don't think you're any good for her. I want you to back off and keep your fucking trousers on."

Harry's eyes were pleading now.

"I can't – I just can't do that. We're together now, me and Ginny. And I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's the way it's going to be."

Ron's chest was tight and painful with something unpleasant clawing to get out. In a brief moment of clarity, he set his wand down on his nightstand, valiantly resisting the urge to curse his best friend.

He stood with his back to Harry for a moment, just seething in silence. He turned abruptly, venom pouring up from his throat to spill from his lips.

"No. This is my family, and you don't get to tell me what to do. I know that's not what you're used to and all, being Harry fucking Potter. I know you're used to just saying the word and the world stops to spin in whatever direction you fancy. But that's not how it works here. This is still my house, damn it! And you!"

He walked forward to push Harry roughly in the chest.

"You are going to stay the fuck away from my sister, d'you understand? If I see her crying again, I'll hex your bits off."

Harry stood, his own hands clenched into fists. His eyes were different now, burning with hurt and fury and something else that may have been disdain but Ron was reluctant to identify.

He shoved Ron suddenly, causing him to stumble back from the unexpected blow.

"So what's it like, Ron? Being such a fucking hypocrite, I mean?"

Ron stood perfectly still for a moment, literally blinded by rage. Harry's face was lost for a moment in a haze of red.

His lips barely moved as he spoke, feeling his ears burn with fury.

"What d'you mean by that, mate?"

Harry clenched his jaw, looking very much like he wanted to punch Ron in the face. Ron could sympathize with the emotion.

"You want to talk about making girls cry, Ron? What about Hermione? How many times has she cried because of you?"

Ron flinched, stepping away to rest one hand on his dresser, his emotions rising up to choke him. He cut his other hand through the air angrily.

"This isn't about Hermione."

Harry shook his head in disgust.

"You don't even know, do you? You've lost count. Well, I haven't. And I've been meaning to tell you something, mate, for a while now."

Ron just waited in silence, bracing himself for whatever had been building inside of Harry to come rushing out at him like a flood of acid.

"I have as much of a right to protect Hermione as you do for Ginny. She's … you already know that she's been a sister to me. And I don't like the way you've treated her."

Ron looked away, swallowing hard against the emotions in his throat.

"It's different now, me and Hermione, we're-"

Harry advanced on him.

"Yeah I know it's different now. And speaking of keeping your fucking trousers on, I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to tell me the truth."

His eyes were chips of green glass, cutting into Ron's skin.

"Are you shagging her?"

Ron rolled his eyes in disbelief, bringing his hands up to brace against the sides of his head, trying desperately to keep his brain from spilling out.

"Seriously? Why is everyone asking me that today?"

Harry looked confused.

"Everyone? I-just answer the bloody question, Ron."

Ron shook his head, throwing his arms out helplessly.

"No. No I'm not. Wait-are you shagging Ginny?"

Harry shook his head.

"No. But I probably will. And, judging by the way you've been pawing at Hermione like a kneazle in heat; it won't be long for you, either. I don't like it, but that's the reality of the situation. So you and me, we're going to work out some rules, alright? To protect our girls from, well, from each other, I guess."

Ron shook his head, backing away to collapse on his bed, his hands braced on his knees.

"You're mental, you are. Rules? Like – don't fucking sleep with my sister, you randy git?"

Harry nodded, his face still tense as he sat back down on his bed.

"Something like that, yeah."

Ron wrinkled his forehead.

"So what happens if we break them, then?"

Harry shrugged.

"We get to kill each other."

Ron smiled for the first time since storming up to his room, the edges of his mouth curling slowly upward in evil glee.

"Oh, well I quite like that."

…

Hermione approached Ron's closed door with some trepidation. She had watched Harry walk out of the house with a book tucked under his arm, and she had been amazed to see that there was no obvious bruising.

She pressed her ear to the door, listening for cursing or the sound of breaking objects.

Silence.

She opened the door carefully, peeking her head in to find Ron laying on his bed with his hands tucked beneath his head. He looked over at her as she shut the door.

"Hi."

She smiled hopefully.

"Hello yourself. So … how did things go with Harry?"

His shoulders rose and fell in an odd sort of shrug.

"Not exactly how I'd pictured it."

She nodded, stepping closer to the bed and folding her hands in front of her.

"Well I saw him going outside to read, so I figured that things had gone pretty well, considering."

To her surprise, Ron sat up quickly, bracing his hands on the mattress beside him.

"You mean he's already reading it!?"

She cocked her head in confusion.

"Reading what? I – what are you talking about? He just had a book, Ron, not anything dangerous."

Ron's eyebrows swooped down petulantly.

"You'd be surprised." He muttered, falling back on the bed and crossing his arms.

He gave her a sidelong glance before reaching out one long arm and tugging on the hem of her blouse.

"C'mere."

She stepped closer, stopping when her knees hit his mattress. He scooted over on the bed to make some room and looked up at her expectantly.

Hermione backed away, rubbing her arms nervously.

"Actually Ron, I came up here to speak with you."

Ron looked at her pleadingly.

"Oh no. That's never good is it? Well, whatever it is, I'm sorry. There, we're done. No need for speaking at all, really."

Hermione cracked a smile at his rapid-fire attempt at staving her off.

She drew herself up to her full less than intimidating height, assuming a serious expression.

"I'm afraid that won't do. I've been thinking-"

"Oh, there's a shock!"

She gave him a quelling glance, stopping him mid eye-roll.

"Yes, well I've been thinking that-" She paused and glared at him, but he just watched her with wide-eyed innocence. "that what we really need in order to … more effectively foster our … relationship is some rules."

She jumped slightly in surprise as Rom emitted a loud groan and flopped onto his stomach, pulling his pillow over his head.

She took a step closer in concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm bloody spectacular."

His voice was slightly muffled by the pillow, which did nothing to absorb the sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Hermione felt doubt stab her like a knife in the ribs.

What if he wouldn't stay with her if she needed rules? In her mind she watched all of her carefully considered precepts flying out the window like an owl with an urgent letter. If it really came down to it, she would let them go. She knew in her heart that she would do anything to keep him.

"Do you have a problem with my wanting rules?"

Ron pushed down on the pillow over his head like he was attempting to smother himself before abruptly rolling over with a great sigh, throwing the pillow onto the floor.

"No."

He rubbed his hands over his face and turned his head to look at her.

"No, of course you want rules. You're Hermione. It's just that this is exactly the kind of day I've been having."

Hermione cocked her head in confusion.

"The kind of day … what do you mean by that?"

Ron sat up slowly, resting his head in his hands and running his fingers through his hair.

"I-nothing. It doesn't matter."

She watched him push something further back beneath his bed with the heel of his boot. After a moment he seemed to gather himself and looked up at her expectantly.

"Well, let's have it, then. Should I take notes or have you already made some for me?"

Hermione scowled at him, conveniently forgetting that she had scribbled out a few notes on some parchment before giving it up as a bad job and throwing them in the rubbish bin.

She folded her arms peevishly.

"That won't be necessary. I believe they are fairly simple to remember."

Ron's lips thinned at the emphasis she put on the word 'simple'. He gave a jerk of his head in her direction.

"Go on, then."

Hermione fidgeted, suddenly nervous. Then she thought of the way he had been bossing her around lately and her back straightened with a fresh infusion of righteous indignation.

"Well first off, don't tell me where to go, what to do, or how to do it. Just because you're my boyfriend does not give you the right to dictate my behavior."

Ron leaned forward, his hands jutting out at his sides in an expression of innocence.

"What are you on about? I never do that!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him before stepping forward and poking her finger into his chest menacingly, dropping her voice to a low growl.

"You stay here."

Ron rolled his eyes, his hands now flying up above his head in exasperation. Hermione kept her finger on his chest, her eyes searching his face.

"Oh, c'mon, Hermione. That doesn't count. You really didn't want to be up here with me an' Harry anyway, believe me."

Hermione shook her head, dropping her finger but remaining within arm's reach.

"And what about the rest of it? The way you made me go inside today instead of facing the danger together, as we've always done? The way you've insisted that we refrain from helping reconstruct Hogwarts since my little accident? I've simply had enough of it, Ron. I'm entirely capable of taking care of myself, and I certainly don't need you to tell me what to do."

Ron stood up suddenly, forcing her head back to look up at him. He glowered down at her, storm clouds drifting in the sky blue of his eyes. One large hand wrapped around her upper arm, holding her in a grip too gentle to hurt, but certainly too firm to break. He spoke through clenched teeth.

"An' just what am I s'posed to do, Hermione? Just step back and watch you put yourself in danger? I've done that before, but not now. Not ever again."

Hermione jerked on her arm, unsuccessfully attempting to escape his grasp.

"You're supposed to trust me to make my own decisions."

Now her teeth were clenched as well as they glared into each other's eyes. Ron was the first to break, shaking her slightly so her teeth rattled around in her head.

"No. You're too … damn it, Hermione; you're just too brave for your own good. Don't you realize what could happen to you? I-" His hand loosened on her arm, stroking her softly. "Sometimes that's all I think about, is what could happen to you. And what would I do, then? If you were … if I hadn't been able to protect you? There'd be nothing left for me, 'Mione."

His eyes bore into her, pouring out fear and sadness to cover her heart like a clinging shroud.

She assumed a brisk tone in an attempt to shatter the tension in the room.

"Nonsense. Nothing's going to happen to me. And even if something did, you'd still have Harry, and your family."

Tears welled up unexpectedly in her eyes as she thought of her own parents, wandering Australia without any knowledge of their only daughter.

Ron shook his head insistently, his own eyes growing suspiciously wet.

"No. None of it matters. Not without you, Hermione."

She started to shake her head in denial, but his hands framed her face, keeping it still as he stared down at her. His fingers trembled slightly against her skin.

"D'you remember … well of course you remember when we went to Shell Cottage after-" His voice broke and he swallowed before continuing, his voice ravaged with emotion.

She nodded, her eyes transfixed on his face.

"After what happened. And you were so … and I couldn't … "

He shook his head angrily, scrunching up his face in concentration. His eyes opened suddenly, spearing Hermione with cold determination.

"After I left … you and Harry, an' I had to stay with Bill, I did a lot of thinking."

Hermione tried to nod, but he held her head still. Her mind was reeling from the rapid change of topic, but she was fiercely interested in what he was about to say. Ron had never spoken of that time before. Her heart picked up speed, fluttering against her ribs like a trapped bird.

"I was … it was the stupidest thing I've ever done. In a spectacular career of stupid things."

He shook his head and sighed, trying again.

"The worst part was not knowing where you were and what you were doing, what kind of danger you were in when I wasn't around to … look after you. I had these terrible nightmares … "

He smiled without joy, the merest stretching of his lips.

"Well, you know all about that. Anyway, I had a bit of time to think about my … priorities. And it all comes down to you. To keeping you safe, even if that means bossing you around a bit sometimes. It's not because I don't … trust you. I know bloody well that you're the smartest witch I'll ever meet, it's just that … you're my witch, and it's my responsibility to protect you."

He closed his eyes, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers.

Hermione felt a burst of warmth in her chest. She was his witch. She should have been irritated by his claim of possession, but she felt only joy as her heart melted like a chocolate frog in the sun. She couldn't stop herself from smiling radiantly as he continued.

"I made a vow then, that if I was ever lucky enough to find you again, that I would never let you out of my sight. That I would keep you safe, no matter what."

A single tear trailed down his cheek as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"An' I've already failed at that, a thousand times over. But I've got to keep trying, you see. There's jus' nothing else I can do."

Hermione brushed the tear from his face with her fingers, trailing them down to wrap around the nape of his neck.

"I do see. But Ron, you still need to allow me to make my own decisions. "

Ron nodded, his forehead rocking against hers.

She decided that that was likely the best she was going to get out of him.

She shivered as his hands slowly traced their way down her back to wrap around her waist, pulling her up against him. His arms locked around her like iron bars, holding her tightly to him as he buried his face in her hair.

"M'sorry. M'so sorry, 'Mione."

Hermione knew that he was not apologizing for his dictatorial behavior, but rather for his temporary abandonment. She nodded jerkily, her own arms closing around his back as she rubbed her face into his chest.

The wound in her heart that had begun to heal when he had walked back into the tent with Harry, dripping wet with freezing water and watching her with wary hope suddenly felt different. It was no longer open and seeping pain. It was finally closed and healing properly. She hadn't even realized that it had been hurting before this moment.

She raised her face, suddenly desperate to feel his lips against hers. She stretched up on her toes and kissed his bottom lip, popping his eyes open with shock. His arms loosened around her for a moment before his face swooped down to kiss her fiercely, apparently as consumed with desperate emotion as she was herself.

She balled his shirt up in her fists, yanking him down to her level as she did her best to pour her love out through her lips.

He stumbled slightly, falling to his knees before her so that she was the one leaning down to him. His face was lifted to her in naked adoration, bathing her wounded heart with salve.

She pulled back, tracing his face and shoulders with her hands, memorizing the look on his face with hungry eyes. She could put up with any amount of bossiness if it meant he would always look at her this way.

He guided her lips back to his with a soft pleading sound rumbling up from his throat. She lost herself for a moment in the exquisite texture of his mouth, the startling effect his lips appeared to have on the rest of her body, on her heart.

His rough hands started to creep beneath her top, his fingertips rubbing circles on the skin of her back. She arched, reveling in the contact. There was something so … indescribably perfect about the feeling of his skin against hers.

He started tugging on her blouse, trying to pull her down on the floor with him. She resisted, yanking herself out of her lust-induced fog as she remembered something. She stepped away, leaving him kneeling in obvious confusion.

She held out a staying hand as he moved to follow her.

"Wait."

His eyebrows crunched together as he sat back on his heels.

"Wait? You started it!"

An edge of irritation crept into his tone, putting her on the defensive. She crossed her arms tightly, adding an edge to her own voice.

"I have a few more rules to discuss with you."

Ron stared at her in gaping-mouth disbelief for a moment before flinging himself to the floor, sprawling out dramatically like he had been mortally wounded.

He brought up one forearm to cover his eyes.

"You've got to be joking."

She shook her head despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

"I'm perfectly serious."

She watched him for a few moments before he finally peeked out at her from beneath his arm.

"Aren't you going to start, then?"

She shook her head again.

"Not until you get up off the floor."

He sighed noisily and got to his feet, flopping onto his bed in exactly the same position.

"zat better?"

The toes of one of her feet began to tap ominously.

Her voice was heavy with superiority once she swallowed enough of her irritation to be able to speak.

"I have some rules regarding our more … amorous activities as well, Ron."

Ron lowered his arm and turned to stare at her, his lips kicked up at the corners.

"You mean snogging, don't you?"

Hermione's face began to burn as she nodded.

He rolled his eyes.

"Blimey, you an' Percy. Some people know all the bloody words in the dictionary and still can't just say what they mean."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Anyway. As I was saying, with perfect clarity might I add, I have some rules."

"Yeah, I've gathered that much, actually."

He shut his mouth with a snap beneath the concentrated heat of her glare. She took a deep breath and plunged onward.

"My first rule is that we keep our clothing on at all times."

Ron speared her with a knowing look and she blushed harder as she remembered that she had been the one trying to remove his shirt the other day. She cleared her throat.

"My second rule is that all … physical displays of affection must be confined to private areas."

Ron's eyebrows shot upward as he sat up eagerly, his face twisting into a smirk. Hermione felt her ears burn with Weasley-like intensity as she reviewed the less than ideal wording of her statement.

"I mean, secluded areas. Not in front of other people. Of course I didn't mean, well…"

She grew angry with his obvious glee at her discomfort. Her arms crossed so tightly that she was compressing her ribs. She cracked her next words against him like a whip.

"My final rule is that you must stop when I tell you to, or all privileges will be irreversibly revoked."

His face crumpled with hurt, the smirk melting away like it had never been. He leaned from the edge of his bed and untangled one of her arms, holding her hand tightly.

His eyes searched her face earnestly as he stroked her hand.

"Hermione, you must know that I … I would never … I mean-"

He looked down at her hand, tugging her closer before lifting his serious eyes to hers.

"I'll always stop when you want me to. Always. And if I didn't … well, you've got my permission to hex me. You might as well have the first go at it, cuz I don't know how much would be left once Harry got to me, anyway."

Hermione smiled at his jest. At least, she hoped he was jesting. What had he and Harry been talking about, precisely?

Her smile faded as he pressed his lips to the palm of her hand, the innocent kiss weaving spirals of heat throughout her body.

She spoke breathlessly.

"Do you agree? To my rules, I mean."

He nodded, kissing his way from her wrist to her elbow, pulling her closer with every caress of his lips.

She yanked his head up impatiently by his hair, mashing her lips against his forcefully until he groaned and crushed her against him.

She lost herself in his embrace, feeling secure now in the safety of their agreed-upon rules.

She was so deeply engrossed in the feel of him that she didn't even notice when he pulled out his wand and muttered a locking spell.

Dun-dun-dun! Thanks for reviewing!