"Gin, do you fancy Harry?" asked Ron as he plopped down next to her on the sofa in the nearly empty common room after dinner.

"Oh, bugger off, you prat," Ginny retorted in a bored voice without looking up from her Charms homework.

"No, really, it's important," he replied, none of his usual teasing in his tone. "Do you fancy Harry?"

Ginny looked up at him with furrowed brows, like she wasn't sure if he was having her on or not. She studied his face, before looking quickly around the common room. "I'm not talking about this in the middle of the bloody common room," she declared. She didn't say she wouldn't talk about it with him, which was encouragement enough for Ron.

"Great, let's go then," said Ron without preamble, hoisting Ginny up and pulling her forward by the elbow before she shoved him away, batting at his arm as if he was a particularly annoying fly.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Ron, let me at least gather my things!" she said exasperatedly.

"Right," said Ron impatiently, nearly bouncing as he shifted his weight back and forth through his feet. The second she had shouldered her backpack, Ron shot off through the portrait hole, setting out for the seventh floor corridor, glancing back at Ginny occasionally to make sure she was still with him.

He stopped in front of the empty space across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Ron paid no attention to the graceless trolls attempting pirouettes as he began pacing in front of the wall, thinking of a nice place for a private chat.

As soon as the door appeared Ron wrenched open the doorway, ushering a panting Ginny into the room before closing the door with an audible click.

Ginny took her time getting comfortable on the cushy sofa the Room of Requirement had provided, and Ron swore she was doing it just to annoy him.

"So?" Ron prompted when she appeared to be settled. "Do you fancy him or not?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hang on, I want to know why you're asking first. What's this all about?"

Ron had hoped he wouldn't have to get into it so quickly. He had been hoping to catch her off guard in the common room, but now she'd had the whole walk to ponder his seemingly random inquiry. How could he play this strategically?

"Just a yes or a no, and then I promise I'll explain everything. But I don't want it to influence how you answer, so I can't tell you first. Please, just trust me, Gin."

He was expecting her to laugh in his face, or be her usual annoying, stubborn self, but she surprised him.

"You won't tell anyone?" she asked quietly.

Ron shook his head solemnly.

Ginny nodded, "Alright then." She exhaled loudly. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I fancy him," she answered.

Ron couldn't help but find himself grinning like all brothers do before they torment their little sisters, and tried to school his features. Don't tease her, you prat, he thought to himself, pretending it was Hermione scolding him. She's not eleven anymore.

"But it's just a silly school girl crush," she qualified quickly, glaring at him as sisters do when they know they're about to be tormented. "I swear. Hermione's been telling me for ages that Harry's never going to return my feelings if I don't act like myself around him. And I do really like Dean. It's not like I'm waiting around for Harry to return the favor or anything." She was blushing, and Ron realized he had not seen Ginny embarrassed like this in quite a long time.

"Hermione said that? She's been encouraging this?" asked Ron, mystified, more to himself than Ginny.

"Oh, honestly, Ron. Hermione and I are fairly good friends, you know. We've been sharing a room for how many holidays now?" The blush was gone, and she was rolling her eyes at him again. "You must have realized we talk about blokes now and again."

Now Ron was the one who was blushing. "No, I hadn't realized, actually."

"What's this all about, anyway?" Ginny demanded, sounding annoyed.

On this front, at least, Ron had prepared an answer. He had promised Hermione he wouldn't tell Harry, but she hadn't asked him not to tell anyone else. He expected Hermione would hex him if (when) she found out, but it was for her own good, wasn't it?

"Hermione fancies Harry, but she's too bloody noble to say anything and Harry's too bloody oblivious to notice."

Ron could tell by Ginny's face that whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that.

"Fancies Harry? Noble?" Ginny asked dazedly. "Did she tell you that?"

"She did." Ron nodded solemnly. "But she's fairly convinced that Harry fancies you."

Ginny's eyebrows ascended into her fringe as her eyes widened in surprise.

"I didn't know that you had talked about him before, or that she was giving you advice." Ron shook his head, "Really clears things up though, about why she hasn't said anything to him. Or you. Why she's being so noble about it all. I imagine she's not trying to interfere, or step on any toes."

Ginny shook her head in disbelief. "Bloody hell."

Ron nodded in agreement. "It's all rather melodramatic, isn't it?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Er…" Ron started. This was the trickier part. "You don't have to help or anything of course, but I was…erm, well I was thinking that I would help get them together. Since Hermione's miserable and Harry's got his head stuck up his arse and they're my best friends and all.

"But you're my sister so I guess I just wanted to make sure that you would be okay, first. I mean, I knew you had fancied him before… it's your feelings, too, isn't it? And if Harry fancies you back, I mean… I guess I was also hoping for your opinion. I don't really know how to proceed here."

"Don't you fancy Hermione?" Ginny asked, looking decidedly dazed again.

"Yeah, I suppose I do a little, but I'm not an idiot." It felt weird to be discussing this with Ginny, but she had been honest with him, hadn't she? "If she fancies me it's not even in the same league as the way she fancies Harry; and if anyone deserves something normal, something happy, it's those two." He shrugged. "'Sides, I'm trying this thing with Lavender, aren't I? Pining after Hermione is just sabotaging that before it even starts."

Ginny shook her head. "When did you grow up?" she asked, gently punching his arm.

"Dunno, really." He shrugged again. "Probably about time though, innit?"

Ginny snorted, and then sighed, leaning her head on Ron's shoulder. When she spoke next, her voice was small, and at that moment Ron was very aware that she was the little sister and he was the big brother. "Can I think about it?"

"Sure. We can't all be as selfless and noble as me. It's very hard being this good of a friend."

Ginny jabbed at him with her elbow, lifting her head and snorting again. "Prat," she said.

"Brat," he retorted, laughing, ruffling her hair.

"Urgh!" said Ginny, as she moved out of his reach, flattening down her hair. "You're the worst."

Ron grinned. "Love you too, Gin."