Happiness
Chapter Three - Family Ties
A/N: Complete fluff alert! The third and final part of the Happiness series. I wasn't sure who's perspective to do this from so I've alternated between Ron and Ginny and separated the sections using wavy lines. I like the Ginny/Hermione pairing but I'm considering trying some m/m slash. I'm a big fan of Sirius/Remus but I'd have to come up with a new perspective on it cause it's been done so many times. I dunno…
Ok, I'm a little confused - is f/f slash called "yaoi"????????? If so, sorry I called this slash!
If you are offended by homosexuality, don't read this. There - you have been warned. Flame away if you like though - it'll give me a good laugh!
Disclaimer: All belongeth to J.K. Rowling, nowt belongeth to me!
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Ron
"What wouldn't I give for one of those!" Ron marveled for the thousandth time, fingering the gleaming handle of Harry's new LighteningBolt broomstick. "One model up from a Firebolt - you don't know how lucky you are Harry!"
Practice was over for the evening so he and Harry left the deserted Quidditch pitch and wandered down towards the castle, chatting idly about this and that. They were passing the Forbidden Forest when Harry stopped suddenly.
"What?" Ron asked nervously. The Forest looked horribly threatening by night, and he couldn't help remembering Aragog. Harry pointed towards a gap the tall, silent trees.
"Look, Ron. Over there."
Ron strained his eyes against the darkness and there, among the shadows, he made out two indistinct figures. Harry put a finger to his lips and they crept closer.
A shock of red hair stood out in the gloom. Hair so red that it could only be Weasley hair. It was long and straight and obscured the face of the other figure. Ginny. But who was she with? The two figures seemed to be locked in an embrace.
"Looks like your little sister has a boyfriend, Ron!" laughed Harry. "Shall we leave them in peace?" Ron almost agreed, but something made him grab Harry's hand and drag the other boy closer; into the edge of the Forest. From this angle, the head of the person with Ginny was visible. It had long, brown hair…
"Hermione? " gasped Harry incredulously. Ron's mouth fell open and he let out a strangled gasp. Hermione and Ginny broke apart, both breathless and pink in the face, and Ginny spun around, her chestnut eyes wide and scared. For a long minute the four of them stared at each other wordlessly. The seconds dragged for centuries until Hermione broke the silence in her usual, business-like manner.
"Well, I suppose they had to find out sometime. Why not now?"
Ginny nodded her agreement and looked at Ron and Harry, her face registering mute appeal, silently begging for their acceptance.
"How…um…how long has this been going on?" Harry asked finally. Again it was Hermione who replied.
"Only a couple of weeks. We were going to tell you, but…" she tailed off.
Harry took a deep breath. "Well, if you're happy, I'm happy," he stated, managing a watery grin. "It's just come as a bit of a shock."
A sunny smile broke out over Ginny's face and she radiated delight. Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him chastely on the lips. The three of them turned to Ron, who had gone a rather peculiar shade of gray.
"Ronnie?" asked Ginny in a small voice.
Ron looked down at his little sister's flushed face and tousled hair. He had never been terribly happy with the idea of her dating at all, let alone dating a girl. Ginny…a…a lesbian? No, it was too weird to contemplate, even if it was Hermione she was dating. No…especially as it was Hermione.
He gave them a look of disgust, then turned his back on them and sprinted away, up to the castle. The icy night air froze his cheeks and stung his eyes. They could do what they wanted, but they couldn't expect his blessing.
But what about all that time in the fifth year that he and Hermione had been dating? He felt as though she had made a mockery of him. Turned and laughed in his face. He shivered and brushed the thoughts away angrily.
On arriving back at Gryffindor Tower, he headed straight for his dormitory and drew the curtains tightly around his bed. He didn't want to risk seeing any of them again that night.
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Ginny
"Hey Gin, d'you want a hand with your runes homework again?"
Ginny raised her head and looked at Hermione with a forlorn expression, before unceremoniously bursting into tears. Here we go again, she thought, mentally kicking herself and trying to stem the flow. She leapt up and raced to her dorm, throwing herself down on her bed and howling her heart out. A few minutes later Hermione came in, sat down, and put her arms around Ginny's shaking body.
"Shhhhh," she crooned soothingly. "It's all right. Calm down."
Ginny gave a convulsive sob. "I c-can't k-keep doing this!" she exclaimed, holding onto the other girl like she was a last lifeline.
Hermione hugged her closer. "Maybe you should just go and talk to him…"
Ginny snorted scornfully. "Yeah and be totally ignored just like all the other times."
"That's no attitude to have…"
"What attitude do you expect me to have? He blanks me every time I go near him! There is NO WAY I'm putting myself through that torture again!"
Twenty minutes later, Ginny knocked hesitantly on the door of the Seventh year boys' dorm.
"Who is it?" Ron's voice yelled through.
"It's me. I need to talk to you." Ginny waited awkwardly in the silence that followed. Then…
"Go away."
She sighed exasperatedly. "Don't be such a baby Ron. I'm coming in…" She shoved the door open. Ron was sitting alone on his bed, pretending to read an upside down copy of the Daily Prophet.
Ginny took a deep, calming breath. "Look, Ron, I don't care whether you're listening or not but I need to say this to you. I know that, for some reason I don't understand, you are against the idea of me dating Hermione. So I'm gay. Is that really such a big deal? I'm still me Ron, still your little sister Ginny. We are family. You can't change that." She stopped and looked hard at him, trying to break his mask of indifference. He sighed and turned the page of his newspaper, but she knew him better than that. She waited in silence, her eyes burning into his face. Finally he looked up.
"If that's all you're going to say then you can leave now," he said.
"You're my brother Ron. I'm not going to just leave things like this. Why can't you just accept this as a part of me?"
"Get out Ginny."
"Trust me, I'm going."
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Ron
Ron tossed and turned in his four-poster, but every time he shut his eyes, Ginny's plaintive face appeared, as though it was imprinted on his eyelids. He wondered what he could think about to get rid of it, but his mind kept slipping back to Ginny and Hermione.
Quidditch…..him and Harry walking back from the Quidditch pitch and discovering…..No!
Homework…..he was having trouble with his latest potions essay - maybe Hermione could….No!
Girls…..himself kissing a beautiful girl. Two girls kissing each other…..No!
He gave up, climbed silently out of bed and went down to the deserted common room. The last embers of the dying fire were still smouldering gently and he stared into it pensively. Eventually he fell into a restless doze in a cosy armchair.
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Ginny
Draco Malfoy swaggered over to the Gryffindor table and pinched a piece of buttered toast from Ginny's breakfast plate.
"Hey!" she yelped indignantly, swatting his hand away.
"Malfoy. What do you want?" Hermione added.
"Actually, I heard a little rumour. Just came over to see if it was true…"
"And what rumour might that be?"
"Well," Malfoy was clearly enjoying himself. "A little bird told me that you two have been," he grimaced, "dating!"
A wave of cold ran down Ginny's spine and she felt tears prickle behind her eyes. She blushed a deep crimson and stared hard at her plate. Under the table, Hermione's hand clasped her own supportively. Malfoy looked as though Christmas had come early.
"I can't believe it!" he smirked. "The mudblood and Weasel Jnr - a gay couple!"
"Shut your mouth Malfoy," snapped Hermione. "If you know what's good for you, you'll piss off back to your own table now."
"Are you threatening me, Granger?" he spat. "You're just a couple of pathetic, perverted lesbians. It's sick!"
"Say that again Malfoy." Ginny looked up in surprise at this, to see Ron striding down from the other end of the table, a look of black thunder on his face. "Are you calling my little sister and my best friend sick, Malfoy?" he asked dangerously.
"What if I am Weasley?" the blonde boy countered smoothly. "Just what do you intend to do about it?" He clicked his fingers and Crabbe and Goyle appeared at his side, glowering menacingly.
"This," said Ron simply and thrust his fist into Malfoy's face with incredible force. Malfoy staggered and cried out, clutching his nose, which was now spurting large quantities of blood.
"No one insults my sister," Ron growled. "Or my friend," he added as an afterthought.
Malfoy shot them a death-glare, his pale face liberally spattered with red, but Ron's gaze was steady, daring him to try anything. Malfoy turned and slunk away, his goons stumping after him.
"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione. Ginny jumped up and hugged her brother, feeling decidedly relieved.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
"Hey," said Ron, embarrassed. "What else could I have done? You are family, after all, even if you can be a bit of a brat." At this, Ginny punched him playfully. He grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry Ginny, I'm sorry Hermione. This is going to take some getting used to, and I know I acted like a complete arsehole before."
"S'OK," Ginny smiled warmly and Hermione nodded. "We might just forgive you!"
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Another A/N: What did you think? Too much fluff? Please review and let me know - I live for your reviews! Big hugs and greatest thanks to all who reviewed my last story - you have helped me to survive and not die from lack of reviews! OK, I suppose you've got the hint by now, so long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!
