Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter One Hundred Twelve

Avoiding

Hermione had enough of this. It had been three days since Harry's birthday and the Weasley family had come to stay with them. She had expected that Ron and she would have worked things out by now, but she had barely spoken to him. No, that wasn't true exactly. They had talked plenty. During the party he had told her and Harry an amusing story that involved garden gnomes and she in turn told them about the time she had been lock in the public library when she was seven. She had talk to him too, over the last two days, when the twins or Ginny or Harry were there saying comments that had both Ron and her blushing. But she had yet to talk to Ron alone.

At first she thought that it was just bad luck that someone always seemed to be around when she wanted to talk to Ron. After all, with the six Weasley now living here, the place was rather crowded most of the time. But lately it has felt like Ron had been trying to avoid her. This morning for example, she had found him walking down to the kitchen alone and as soon as she had say hello to him, he had mentioned leaving something in his room before running upstairs and coming back down with Harry. She wanted to bring up the matter after breakfast, wanting to understand what Ron was doing, but then Harry had asked why Percy hadn't come with the other Weasleys and that started a long, awkward conversation.

"Oh, well, things have been difficult with Percy lately," Ron said in a whispered, looking back towards the kitchen. "Let's go to our room, it would be easier to explain there."

"What's easier to explain?" asked Fred who was closely followed by George and Ginny.

Ron didn't answer, but nodded his head toward the upstairs room and his siblings followed too.

"Harry just asked about Percy," Ron explained to his siblings first.

"Oh," they all said at the same time, all with the same thoughtful expression.

"What happened?" Harry asked again.

"As you know, thing hadn't gone so well for Percy towards the end of last year … you know with his boss disappearing and all," Ron started, "well, he had been getting a lot of flak for not noticing that Crouch's owls were sort of off and he should have reported it a lot sooner."

"That's too bad," Harry sighed, feeling sorry for Percy and the trouble he had now.

"I wouldn't feel too sorry for him," Fred said making a face. "He got a new job about two weeks ago. He's been promoted to Fudge's junior assistance."

"Seems to be really proud of it too," George added, "doesn't seem to care that he's a complete lackey."

"He's working as Fudge's assistance," Harry gasped.

"Yeah, that was our reaction too," Fred said. "Something that Percy didn't appreciate."

"He thought that we should be proud of him," George said, "but I told him that working for a gormless git isn't something to be proud of."

"He also didn't like it when I asked how he got that job after what happened to him with the whole Crouch mess," Ron added, "I wasn't trying to have a go at him, but it just doesn't make sense that he would be promoted a day after the Minister was all upset with him for how he worked."

"So what happened?" Harry asked warily.

"He appealed to Dad and Mum of course," George rolled his eyes. "Said something about that's how jobs works sometimes and that if you work hard enough people will see the work you put into things and they'll want to promote you."

"Well Dad grimaced at that … I don't think he agreed with Percy, but he wasn't about to say that in front of the rest of us," Fred said. "Perce gets all hot and bothered when you tell him he's wrong about something that he thinks is a fact. I don't think dad wanted to embarrass him."

"But Percy could tell that Dad was upset about something," Ginny said. "That's when Dad asked Percy whether or not he believed what Fudge said about You-Know-Who's return."

"Percy gave a non answer," Ron rolled his eyes. "You know, that he's sure that you, Harry, believe you saw what you had, but Fudge didn't have enough proof of that to justice a worldwide panic that will happen when people hear that he has returned. It was a waste of breath really. I'm not sure Percy knows what to believe, he just wants to be on Fudge's side because that's what's best for his career."

"Well, Dad said just about the same thing," Ginny went on. "You can't believe Harry and Fudge at the same time, and that Percy was going to have to choose which side he was on."

"Percy didn't say anything to that, but he moved out not long afterward and we know he's still working with Fudge," Ron finished. "Dad's really upset about it; I don't think they talk too much when they see each other at work. Mum's been sending him letters all the time, but I don't really know how that's been working for her."

"Hermes is still delivering the letters so I don't think it's been that bad," Ginny pointed out.

"I just don't know why she bothers," George grumbled. "The jerk obviously picked his job over his family."

"He has the right to be a clueless idiot and believe the crap the Ministry has been spewing if he wants to be," Ginny said.

"Is there more to that sentence or is that all?" Ron asked.

Ginny shrugged, she hated that her brother had kept his job and hadn't talked to his family since, but she wasn't about to write him off yet. Percy had always been the most concerned with authority and it was hard for him to believe that the Ministry was actively being blind to the truth. She also knew the more their family tried to enlighten Percy to the truth the more stubborn he will become. She just hoped that he would see the truth for himself sooner rather than later.

"I'm sorry I'm causing problems in your family," Harry sighed when no one said anything for a long time.

"You didn't, Harry," Ron said. "Percy's the one that caused the problem …"

"But it's because of what I said …"

"Seriously, Harry, you told the truth, it's his own fault that he doesn't want to believe you," Fred said.

"Yeah, whatever," Harry sighed.

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry; his friend could be ridiculously obtuse sometimes when he felt like he should blame himself about something. "Come on, let's play some chess … I've been looking forward to trouncing you."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Harry rolled his eyes right back at Ron, but they went downstairs and played the game just the same.

Hermione found herself thinking about Percy's decision for a while longer before she realized that she had still not spoken to Ron alone. She knew there was nothing she could do about the strain that had been put on the Weasley family because of the decision to help Harry and the Order. Her issue with Ron, however, was something she could change and she was going to make sure she did so tonight.

O

Ron wasn't really sure why he kept avoiding Hermione whenever they might end up alone together. All summer before he got to Grimmauld Place he thought about what he would say to her … thought about how their relationship might change if he just had the nerve to talk to her. But now that he was face to face with the actual talking part, he found that the words wouldn't come out. All that he could really think of when he got close to saying anything was what had happened the last time he had asked her out. He wasn't really sure if she had wanted to go to the Yule Ball with him or if she was just trying to put him down nicely. Lately he had been thinking it was the former, especially after she had kissed his cheek, telling him that he wasn't second to her. Still, he was having trouble getting over her rejection, even if it was a regretful one. The pain of it was the same.

There was a knock at the door at that moment, breaking Ron from his thoughts. He got out of his bed, where he had been deep in thought for the last hour or so since the end of dinner. "What is it?" he asked as he snapped open the door. He had expected to see his mum, probably telling him to make sure to clean his teeth, or something like that so he was shocked when he found himself looking at Hermione. "Oh … hey." he then muttered, his ears rapidly turning red.

"Hi," Hermione said nervously biting her lips.

"Er … Harry's not here," Ron found himself saying, not sure if he was saying it to himself (realizing that he was going to have to talk to her alone now), or if he was telling her this.

"I know, he's still in the kitchen talking to Ginny," Hermione said, she had made sure of that, even telling Harry that she needed to talk to Ron alone for a while.

"Oh … right," Ron said shakily.

"We need to talk. Can I come in?" Hermione asked him and Ron nodded, not really sure what else he should do. He wasn't sure if he liked the way thing were starting. "We need to talk" didn't seem like a good thing to him.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Hermione ask when she got settled on the edge of his bed and Ron was left standing in the middle of the room.

"I haven't been avoiding you," Ron lied, "we've been hanging out together all day."

"You've avoided being alone with me," Hermione mumbled, looking at her hands. "I thought that we were … that we understood where we …" she tried to form her thoughts but they didn't seem to come out straight. Still, she looked up at Ron and asked, "Was I wrong?"

"Wrong?" Ron repeated awestruck to find that she seemed to as nervous as he felt.

"About what's been happening?" she asked in a whisper before she started biting her lower lip again.

Ron found himself moving towards her as he tried to answer the question. He wasn't really sure what to say … what she was asking, but he knew he needed to say something. By the time he sat down next to her, his head was empty of the words he needed, and his eyes searched her face for an idea on what he should do now. Looking into her pleading eyes he found a courage that he hadn't had in concerns of her since before he had asked her to the ball. He felt he didn't have to worry about anything as long as he did the right thing in this moment.

Words were useless to Ron, they always came out wrong or he used them at the wrong time. Ron didn't need words at this moment; he would just let his action speak for him. He leaned forward slowly, closing his eyes as his lips met hers.

It was only for a few seconds, but Ron felt as if his heart was about to beat out of his chest. He was thrilled and terrified in equal measure and as he slowly pulled away from her he opened his eyes again to see how she reacted to this.

Hermione's own eyes were still closed as she slowly brought her hand up to her lips in a daze, clearly shocked about what he had just done. Ron's ears turned red, not really sure what this reaction meant, but feeling it couldn't have been good.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed together, looking concern for a second before she smiled at him. "Don't be."

Before he could think what she meant … or even comprehend what she had said, she leaned towards him this time and brought their lips together again.

O

"So what do you think I'll find when I go upstairs," Harry asked Ginny as they sat at the kitchen table.

"Probably Ron alone in his room because Hermione chicken out and went to her own bed," Ginny shrugged. "You know they've been dancing around their feeling for a year now."

"Yeah, well, liking someone is difficult," Harry shrugged, thinking about Cho and wondering if anything would happen between them. It didn't seem likely, she and Cedric seemed happy together the last time he had seen them.

"You're telling me that … I had the biggest crush on you remember … I could barely talk to you," Ginny said.

"I do remember," Harry said. "I think our friendship as grown since you've been able to talk to me."

"Yeah, it has," Ginny agreed, just dimly aware of her disappointment that Harry just brushed off her reminder of said crush. She wasn't really sure what her feelings for Harry were anymore, but he was right that when she gave up her childhood fantasy of being with him, their friendship had gotten better.

"You really think Hermione chickened out?" Harry asked.

"Maybe," Ginny shrugged.

"You see me … I think I'm going to walk into the room to the two of them snogging," Harry said.

"Well if that's what you want …" Ginny chuckled at the obvious annoyed face that Harry had.

"Of course it's not, I'm thinking that I might just stay down here all night just in case," Harry said, "that's not something I want to see."

"Now now, Harry, you've face the darkest wizard ever … I think you can handle your best friends kissing," Ginny laughed.

"I think you've overestimate my courage," Harry said gravely. "Oh well, I'm off to face my fate. If I don't make it to breakfast tomorrow, know that I'll have suffered a tragic sickness."

"You're such an idiot," Ginny shook her head, "you're worse than Ron."

"I suppose," Harry chuckled, "good night, Ginny."

"'night Harry," Ginny said back.

When Harry opened his door he groaned, "I was seriously joking about this," he muttered to himself as he watched his two best friends spring apart from each other, both blushing but looking pleased with themselves at the same time.

"Harry!" Hermione said, her voice slightly high pitched at being caught in a somewhat compromising situation. "I thought you were going to give …"

"It's been forty five minutes Hermione … how much time did you want?" Harry asked.

"Forty … oh," Hermione said, blushing more than ever.

"Should I come back later?" Harry asked.

"If you don't mind," Ron answered this time, even as Hermione stood up.

"No, no, I better go," she said.

"If you insist," Harry said, standing away from the door to let her out but before she could she turned back to Ron.

"We'll talk more tomorrow," she said giving him a smile that he returned.

"Sure," he answered.