In retrospect, there wasn't any reason for Ron to be as fidgety as he was.
Quidditch practice went normally. Everyone thrived, in fact. There was nothing to worry about for the newly-minted team. With everybody's skills combined, Gryffindor was miles ahead of every other House in talent. Her prefect of a brother (how he ever became a prefect, Ginny can't imagine) had no reason to be stuttering and lagging behind and acting like an overall scatterbrain.
Everything was normal - too normal, perhaps - all the way to how they brought up four mugs of hot chocolate from the kitchen after practice: one for each Weasley, one for Harry, and one for Hermione.
"I'll get it," Ron volunteered right away when it came to holding the mugs while they climbed through the portrait hole.
He always had been rather helpful. There were no alarm bells ringing - not a single one.
And so no one seemed surprised when Ron slid the mugs on the wooden table, fussed around with them, and handed them out by name.
"Harry," he said first, though Ginny knew it was just for appearance's sake. God knew whom Ron thought about first these days.
Harry, blissfully ignorant of any emotional ongoings as ever, took his mug readily.
"Hermione," Ron offered next, both his large stupid hands clasped around the steaming mug.
And Ginny, charged by the excitement of a hearty practice, and feeling like picking on his prat of a brother, reached out before Hermione could drop the pages of her miles-thick textbook, and grabbed the beverage from her brother.
"Why, thank you, Ron." Ginny grinned, proceeding to drink from the mug as if it had been meant for her all along.
"Ginny, no!" Ron screeched, almost causing Ginny to drop the mug altogether. Given that she'd only taken a sip, leaving the mug mostly full, she dutifully slipped it back on the table instead.
"What's wrong with you?" She glared at her brother. "It's just a cup of chocolate."
"Yeah, Ron," Harry piped in. Ginny turned to face their captain. "It really wasn't that big of a - "
And that's when the first pang of excruciating pain shot through Ginny's chest.
"Ginny, no!" He watched in horror as his sister swallowed the chocolate.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be - it was never how it was supposed to go.
Hermione, Hermione was supposed to have the cup. He even made sure that he didn't serve her first so it wouldn't be all that obvious.
"What's wrong with you?" Ginny glared at him as she slipped her mug back on the table. "It's just a cup of chocolate."
Nothing was happening. Maybe the potion had malfunctioned. Maybe there was still a chance that her sister drinking what was clearly a concoction meant for Hermione wouldn't end in a giant fiasco.
"Yeah, Ron," Harry piped in then. Everyone turned to look at his best friend. "It really wasn't that big of a - "
Ginny's loud, agonizing groan shocked everyone in the room. Her arms and legs trembled, her body doubled over on the couch.
"Ginny!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione all cried at the same time. Ron, being the closest and, frankly, not balancing a book on his lap, reached her first.
"Ginny, are you alright? I should have - what have I - oh, Ginny!"
His sister rocked and twisted her entire body in obvious pain. Ron felt guilt overflowing from every inch of him.
"Oh, Ginny," he said again, patting her helplessly on the back. "It shouldn't have - I had no idea - "
"Ginny." It was Harry's turn to coax her, as he knelt on the floor in front of her. Ron watched with quiet and dangerous fascination as his friend touched his sister by the shoulders. "Is there anything we can do to - Ginny!"
Ginny had looked up, lunged forward, grasped Harry by the collar, and pulled him straight towards her face. It was awkward, really - Ginny sitting on her knees on the couch, her strong hands tugging an even larger Harry nearly straight over and into her.
It would almost be funny - if it hadn't been the result of one horrible mistake.
"Ginny?" Harry's voice sounded strained now.
"What on - what was in that chocolate, Ron?" Hermione wailed helplessly behind him.
Ron swallowed. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't known that this would happen.
"I have to - " Ginny was shaking, all while pulling Harry closer and closer towards her. Her eyes trembled. Her lips trembled. Everything about her looked like a giant wall about to crumble. "I have to - I can't - "
With a sharp cry, she shoved Harry backwards until he fell on the opposite end of the couch.
Then, she resumed her moaning and groaning as she curled up into a ball once more.
"What is with her?" Harry asked, clearly shaken. "I hope it isn't Voldemort again."
"It's not." Ron hung his head. He had to be a coward. He had to resort to a nearly illegal sort of magic.
"Ron?" Harry watched him with bewildered eyes.
Ron swallowed hollowly again. Maybe it was better that Hermione was behind him. It was easier to confess it this way.
"That drink was meant for Hermione."
Harry frowned. Ginny was still doubled up in some sort of agony that looked comparable to being under the Cruciatus Curse.
"It's a - a love potion, of sorts," Ron admitted forlornly. "It's supposed to affect you and the first member of the opposite sex you see, well, barring family."
Ron could feel the smack coming. Hermione probably already had her hand raised behind him.
But the sight in front of him was just as lamentable as Harry looked towards Ginny the exact moment Ginny turned upwards towards Harry. There was fear in his sister's eyes.
"Ginny - " Harry had just begun to reach for her when Ginny let loose a loud, anguished groan and ran for her room.
A/N: This is a silly little AU I worked on right after visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter :) I hope you'll enjoy it! There are five chapters and should finish around Christmastime. I thought it might just add to everyone's Christmas cheer! :)