Second Last chapter, enjoy.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry picked up his phone and dialed the familiar numbers. He knew this conversation would be hard to have, but he had no choice, he had to talk to her, he had to do it, for Ron and Hermione's sake.
The phone was answered after three rings.
"Hello?" the voice on the other end said. Harry took a deep, steadying breath.
"Hey Ginny" Harry began; he could hear Ginny take a deep breath of her own.
"Hello Harry, what can I do for you?" she asked civilly. She was almost choking on the awkwardness of the conversation. She had hardly spoken to Harry since the incident that had occurred at the beginning of that year.
She had bumped into him at Diagon Alley while she was buying things for her work. They had gone to lunch together and caught up. It had been years since Ginny had spoken with Harry and it seemed that there was so much that they had to talk about, even a few elements of unfinished business.
Truthfully, Harry had found out where Ginny would be that day, because he had every intention of 'bumping' into her and buying her lunch. Buying her lunch, and after so many years, finally telling her the truth.
The truth being that Harry Potter was in love with Ginny. Always had been, ever since he was old enough to realize what love was. He had always had strong feelings for her, but it was now definitely love. He believed she had the right to know.
He told her, and she had sat quietly for a few minutes. Of all of the things that Harry had expected, quietness was not one of them. He had expected her to throw something at him, or to reach out and hug him. He had expected her to yell and scream in anger, or to yell and scream in happiness. But never had he expected silence.
Turns out Harry had been too late. Ginny was already dating some one. And from what she apologetically told Harry, she was in love and very happy.
But of all the things said and done on that day, Harry had only really made on mistake. He had asked her who her boyfriend was.
Ginny had hesitated, and that was when he realized that he would not like the answer. He braced himself, trying to prepare for the worst, but nothing could prepare him for the name that left Ginny's lips.
Draco Malfoy.
The girl Harry Potter loved was dating, and very much in love, with his mortal enemy. In love with the boy who had dedicated his life thus far into making Harry miserable. The boy who was, according to all concerned, evil.
Ginny had been quick to defend Draco. Saying he was not like that, he had just been very misunderstood at school. Then Harry had made a second mistake.
He insulted Malfoy.
Ginny stated a few choice words, then stood, turned, and left the table, leaving the store and leaving Harry's life, but most of all, she was leaving him heart broken.
But Harry had no choice but to call Ginny now, because he was not going to let the same thing happen to his best friends. He was going to make them admit their feelings to each other before some one else could storm in and screw it all up for them.
"Sorry to call, but, I Hermione there with you?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, she came around this morning, asking for advice on my brother, why?" Ginny asked.
"I have Ron here with me, asking for advice on Hermione. I need you to do me a favor" Harry told her. Ginny took a deep breath.
"Ok"
"You have to make sure that Hermione comes to my quidditch game this afternoon" Harry told her.
"Ok, I can do that" Ginny replied.
"And get her to sit in the south stands, somewhere towards the middle row" Harry added. Ginny nodded.
"Can I ask why?" Ginny asked, intrigued. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"You'll see" Harry replied. There was an awkward silence, in which neither of them really knew what to say to one another.
The silence was doing Ginny's head in, but words were failing her. She knew that she had hurt Harry on that day, but he had hurt her to. He had insulted her boyfriend.
"How are you Gin?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.
"I am good, and yourself?" She asked, hoping to break the ice between the two of them Ginny would have liked it if they could be friends again, she knew it would be hard, but she hoped that with time, they could rebuild a stable friendship.
"I am getting better Ginny" He sighed. She nodded. Why was this so hard?
"So"
"Yeah, so" Harry repeated "I have to get going, get ready for the game and all. I hope to see you and Hermione there . maybe even Draco"
"Thank you Harry" Ginny smiled. He was making an effort, and that was a good thing.
"Bye." Harry said.
"Bye" Ginny replied before hanging up the phone.
"Oh Hermione, get ready to go to a quidditch game" Ginny called.
Then Ginny stopped, and thought of something.
How was quidditch supposed to help Hermione and Ron?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I still don't see what quiddicth has to do with me and Hermione" Ron sighed. Harry rolled his eyes yet again.
"You are going to tell her how you feel at today's game" Harry replied. Ron rubbed his forehead.
"Don't you think it will be a whole lot more romantic if I did it where there is a fewer amount of alcoholics and gamblers?" Ron asked. Harry chuckled. "Over a nice candle lit dinner perhaps?"
"I think the game is a perfect place to tell her how you feel. And the more people around to hear you the better." Harry replied. Ron looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"People are going to hear me, how embarrassing!" Ron exclaimed.
"Exactly" Harry replied.
"What do you mean exactly, you are just doing this to shame me out so that I can never show my face again at a Cannons game" Ron accused.
"No, I am doing it to get you back for punching me" Harry joked. "You really haven't figured it out yet have you?"
"Figured what out?" Ron asked. Harry sighed.
"Hermione is a very modest person, she doesn't like to be embarrassed" Harry Began
"No one likes to be embarrassed, I think that is the point" Ron replied thoughtfully. Harry glared at him for interrupting.
"Do you remember all of the times at Hogwarts when she would hide her face or something because some one gave her a compliment." Harry asked. Ron nodded. He remembered, he used to enjoy giving Hermione hollow compliments just so he could see her blush (not that he thought about it, that was very mean)
"What has that got to do with it?" Ron asked.
"Are you sure you are not blonde under all that red?" Harry exclaimed. Ron couldn't help but chuckle at his friends insult.
"I am having a blonde day, we are all entitled to one occasionally. You are going to have to spell it out for me, what is going on?" He asked.
"You are going to tell her that you love her in front of every one at the game" Harry told him.
"Wont that embarrass her?" Ron asked.
"No mate, it will embarrass you"
~*~*~*~*
Ron watched as the crowds soon filled the stadium, thousands of people, most dressed in orange. His hands were shaking, was he really game enough to go thorough with this. Was he really going to be able to tell Hermione his true feelings in front off all of these people.
He glanced across at Harry, who was standing beside him, watching the stadium fill. He adjusted his arm guards and then looked back at Ron.
"What are you thinking Ron?" Harry asked, Ron took a deep breath and looked back at him.
"How much I want to hit you right now" Ron replied, turning away from the vision of the growing crowds.
"You hit me in advance this morning, remember" Harry joked, rubbing his jaw again. His jaw didn't hurt, he was just doing it to make Ron guilty.
"Sorry about that" Ron replied. Harry smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Just think of what it will be like after this" Harry began "Just you and Hermione"
"And hundreds of thousands of laughing Cannons fans" Ron muttered. Harry couldn't help but chuckle.
"Are you ready for this?" Harry asked.
"No time like the present I guess" Ron replied, and then walked out onto the quidditch field.
In the crowd, in the south stadium, Ginny tugged on Hermione's sleeve.
"Look, is that Ron?" Ginny asked. Hermione squinted down at the man who was standing on the pitch.
"I don't know, I cant see him properly" Hermione said. Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Omnioculars, handing them to Hermione. She smiled at him and then pressed the zoom on it.
"It is, it is Ron" Hermione replied "What is he doing?"
Ron looked around the stadium. He was so nervous, it had been a long time since he had seen this many people in the one place, and knowing that he would have to shame himself in front of all of them was not helping his nerves.
He just had to remember he was doing it for Hermione.
Reaching into his pocket, Ron pulled out his wand and turned it onto his throat.
"Sonorus"
"Umm, excuse me everyone, can I have your attention please" Ron began, running his shaking hands through his hair. The stadium started to quiet down.
"What is he doing?" Hermione asked. Ginny shrugged and held onto Hermione's arm before turning back to her brother.
"There is something that I wish to say . I am in love" Ron began. Ginny and Hermione both gasped "I am in love, but the woman I love doesn't know it. And I guess I am here today to tell her"
Ginny held Hermione's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.
"This girl is the best thing that ever happened to me. And I think that I am just stupid enough to stuff it all up. If I haven't stuffed it up already. But I love her, I love her with all that I am, and I think that I would have to be the luckiest man alive if she loved me back. I don't deserve it, but I am going to be selfish, and ask for her love anyway" Ron said. Hermione sighed and buried her head into her hands. This was so embarrassing, surely Ron knew that she hated embarrassment.
"The girl that I love is here, and is she did as I kind of set, she would be sitting in over there, somewhere" Ron said, pointing to the south stands, this just made Hermione hide her face even more.
"Don't let him say my name, don't let him say my name" Hermione mumbled. Ginny laughed and rubbed her back.
"Hermione, I love you . " Ron began
"He said my name" She groaned, but she couldn't stop the happiness from flooding her voice.
"I love you, and I know I am a bit of a stuff up. You've that about me for over 10 years. But I love you, and I hope that some one up there thinks that I am good enough for you . I hope that you think I am good enough for you" Ron said.
"I promise not to hurt you Mione, I would rather die than hurt you. We have been through so much together, and I want to go through so much more with you" Ron told her. "How about it Hermione"
Hermione didn't know what to do. She couldn't move, she was half dying of embarrassment, half dying of happiness. Ron loved her.
But she couldn't reply. She didn't know how to reply. She couldn't exactly stand and yell what she felt. She couldn't stand and do anything. Hermione was glued to the seat. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe.
Ron looked around the stand, hoping for any movement, any movement at all that showed that Hermione was even there. No one moved. No one even breathed. Ron stood, shaking.
"Hermione?" He asked, some what sadly. Some one in the crowds started to laugh at him, and soon, all of them began to laugh. Thousands of people, laughing at Ron.
He took his wand, shaking his head sadly, and muttered "Quietus"
He turned to move away. He just wanted to go home. He had embarrassed himself in front of all these people, and it didn't even seem that Hermione was there. What a waste of time and effort.
Hermione watched as Ron very sadly moved back towards the exit. He was walking away. He was leaving.
It was then, that Hermione realized, that she wasn't the one who should have been dying of embarrassment, but he should be. And it looked very much like he was.
Ron hated being shamed almost as much as Hermione did. It had taken a lot of guts for him to stand in front of all of these people and talk like that. He had embarrassed himself in front of all of these people, and it was all for her.
But now he was leaving. She had to stop him. She couldn't let him walk away with out knowing her feelings.
She stood "Ron"
She yelled, but there was no way that he could hear her over the noise everyone else was making, he just kept walking.
"Ron" She yelled again, and again, she was not heard.
"Here Hermione, try this" Draco smiled, holding out his wand and saying "Sonorus"
"Ron" She said again, but this time, her voice was magnified.
Ron stopped, and turned to the southern stands. There was some one there, standing.
"Ron" the voice called again. Ron smiled, it was Hermione. He moved to run to the stands.
"Wait, Ron" Some one said from behind him. Ron turned around "Take this"
Harry had thrust his Firebolt 12000 into Ron's hand.
"Thanks man, for everything." Ron smiled.
"What are you yapping for, go, Hermione is waiting for you" Harry slapped his best friend on the back. Ron jumped on the broom and then flew as fast as possible to the stands, dismounting, and then catching Hermione in his arms.
Hermione quickly did the quieting charm on herself and then hugged Ron.
"What do you say Hermione, will you love me the way I love you?" He asked.
"I will love you that much and more Ronald Weasley" Hermione replied.
"I am really sorry if I have been a jerk about the whole . everything" Ron replied. Hermione laughed.
"Ron, you are a jerk, but you are my jerk" She smiled.
"Really?"
"Really!" She smiled. Ron laughed and hugged her tighter.
"I love you" Ron smiled.
"I love you too" Hermione smiled. "With all of my heart"
The embrace tightened as Hermione brushed her lips softly against his. Every one in the crowd cheered for them.
"But Ron"
"Yes Hermione" He asked.
"If you ever embarrass me in front of this many people ever again. I am going to have to kill you" She laughed. Ron just kissed her again.
Around them, the game started, but nothing could pull them away from each other.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ok, this is the second last chapter, there is only one more, and that is the epilogue
Keep reading.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry picked up his phone and dialed the familiar numbers. He knew this conversation would be hard to have, but he had no choice, he had to talk to her, he had to do it, for Ron and Hermione's sake.
The phone was answered after three rings.
"Hello?" the voice on the other end said. Harry took a deep, steadying breath.
"Hey Ginny" Harry began; he could hear Ginny take a deep breath of her own.
"Hello Harry, what can I do for you?" she asked civilly. She was almost choking on the awkwardness of the conversation. She had hardly spoken to Harry since the incident that had occurred at the beginning of that year.
She had bumped into him at Diagon Alley while she was buying things for her work. They had gone to lunch together and caught up. It had been years since Ginny had spoken with Harry and it seemed that there was so much that they had to talk about, even a few elements of unfinished business.
Truthfully, Harry had found out where Ginny would be that day, because he had every intention of 'bumping' into her and buying her lunch. Buying her lunch, and after so many years, finally telling her the truth.
The truth being that Harry Potter was in love with Ginny. Always had been, ever since he was old enough to realize what love was. He had always had strong feelings for her, but it was now definitely love. He believed she had the right to know.
He told her, and she had sat quietly for a few minutes. Of all of the things that Harry had expected, quietness was not one of them. He had expected her to throw something at him, or to reach out and hug him. He had expected her to yell and scream in anger, or to yell and scream in happiness. But never had he expected silence.
Turns out Harry had been too late. Ginny was already dating some one. And from what she apologetically told Harry, she was in love and very happy.
But of all the things said and done on that day, Harry had only really made on mistake. He had asked her who her boyfriend was.
Ginny had hesitated, and that was when he realized that he would not like the answer. He braced himself, trying to prepare for the worst, but nothing could prepare him for the name that left Ginny's lips.
Draco Malfoy.
The girl Harry Potter loved was dating, and very much in love, with his mortal enemy. In love with the boy who had dedicated his life thus far into making Harry miserable. The boy who was, according to all concerned, evil.
Ginny had been quick to defend Draco. Saying he was not like that, he had just been very misunderstood at school. Then Harry had made a second mistake.
He insulted Malfoy.
Ginny stated a few choice words, then stood, turned, and left the table, leaving the store and leaving Harry's life, but most of all, she was leaving him heart broken.
But Harry had no choice but to call Ginny now, because he was not going to let the same thing happen to his best friends. He was going to make them admit their feelings to each other before some one else could storm in and screw it all up for them.
"Sorry to call, but, I Hermione there with you?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, she came around this morning, asking for advice on my brother, why?" Ginny asked.
"I have Ron here with me, asking for advice on Hermione. I need you to do me a favor" Harry told her. Ginny took a deep breath.
"Ok"
"You have to make sure that Hermione comes to my quidditch game this afternoon" Harry told her.
"Ok, I can do that" Ginny replied.
"And get her to sit in the south stands, somewhere towards the middle row" Harry added. Ginny nodded.
"Can I ask why?" Ginny asked, intrigued. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"You'll see" Harry replied. There was an awkward silence, in which neither of them really knew what to say to one another.
The silence was doing Ginny's head in, but words were failing her. She knew that she had hurt Harry on that day, but he had hurt her to. He had insulted her boyfriend.
"How are you Gin?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.
"I am good, and yourself?" She asked, hoping to break the ice between the two of them Ginny would have liked it if they could be friends again, she knew it would be hard, but she hoped that with time, they could rebuild a stable friendship.
"I am getting better Ginny" He sighed. She nodded. Why was this so hard?
"So"
"Yeah, so" Harry repeated "I have to get going, get ready for the game and all. I hope to see you and Hermione there . maybe even Draco"
"Thank you Harry" Ginny smiled. He was making an effort, and that was a good thing.
"Bye." Harry said.
"Bye" Ginny replied before hanging up the phone.
"Oh Hermione, get ready to go to a quidditch game" Ginny called.
Then Ginny stopped, and thought of something.
How was quidditch supposed to help Hermione and Ron?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I still don't see what quiddicth has to do with me and Hermione" Ron sighed. Harry rolled his eyes yet again.
"You are going to tell her how you feel at today's game" Harry replied. Ron rubbed his forehead.
"Don't you think it will be a whole lot more romantic if I did it where there is a fewer amount of alcoholics and gamblers?" Ron asked. Harry chuckled. "Over a nice candle lit dinner perhaps?"
"I think the game is a perfect place to tell her how you feel. And the more people around to hear you the better." Harry replied. Ron looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"People are going to hear me, how embarrassing!" Ron exclaimed.
"Exactly" Harry replied.
"What do you mean exactly, you are just doing this to shame me out so that I can never show my face again at a Cannons game" Ron accused.
"No, I am doing it to get you back for punching me" Harry joked. "You really haven't figured it out yet have you?"
"Figured what out?" Ron asked. Harry sighed.
"Hermione is a very modest person, she doesn't like to be embarrassed" Harry Began
"No one likes to be embarrassed, I think that is the point" Ron replied thoughtfully. Harry glared at him for interrupting.
"Do you remember all of the times at Hogwarts when she would hide her face or something because some one gave her a compliment." Harry asked. Ron nodded. He remembered, he used to enjoy giving Hermione hollow compliments just so he could see her blush (not that he thought about it, that was very mean)
"What has that got to do with it?" Ron asked.
"Are you sure you are not blonde under all that red?" Harry exclaimed. Ron couldn't help but chuckle at his friends insult.
"I am having a blonde day, we are all entitled to one occasionally. You are going to have to spell it out for me, what is going on?" He asked.
"You are going to tell her that you love her in front of every one at the game" Harry told him.
"Wont that embarrass her?" Ron asked.
"No mate, it will embarrass you"
~*~*~*~*
Ron watched as the crowds soon filled the stadium, thousands of people, most dressed in orange. His hands were shaking, was he really game enough to go thorough with this. Was he really going to be able to tell Hermione his true feelings in front off all of these people.
He glanced across at Harry, who was standing beside him, watching the stadium fill. He adjusted his arm guards and then looked back at Ron.
"What are you thinking Ron?" Harry asked, Ron took a deep breath and looked back at him.
"How much I want to hit you right now" Ron replied, turning away from the vision of the growing crowds.
"You hit me in advance this morning, remember" Harry joked, rubbing his jaw again. His jaw didn't hurt, he was just doing it to make Ron guilty.
"Sorry about that" Ron replied. Harry smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Just think of what it will be like after this" Harry began "Just you and Hermione"
"And hundreds of thousands of laughing Cannons fans" Ron muttered. Harry couldn't help but chuckle.
"Are you ready for this?" Harry asked.
"No time like the present I guess" Ron replied, and then walked out onto the quidditch field.
In the crowd, in the south stadium, Ginny tugged on Hermione's sleeve.
"Look, is that Ron?" Ginny asked. Hermione squinted down at the man who was standing on the pitch.
"I don't know, I cant see him properly" Hermione said. Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Omnioculars, handing them to Hermione. She smiled at him and then pressed the zoom on it.
"It is, it is Ron" Hermione replied "What is he doing?"
Ron looked around the stadium. He was so nervous, it had been a long time since he had seen this many people in the one place, and knowing that he would have to shame himself in front of all of them was not helping his nerves.
He just had to remember he was doing it for Hermione.
Reaching into his pocket, Ron pulled out his wand and turned it onto his throat.
"Sonorus"
"Umm, excuse me everyone, can I have your attention please" Ron began, running his shaking hands through his hair. The stadium started to quiet down.
"What is he doing?" Hermione asked. Ginny shrugged and held onto Hermione's arm before turning back to her brother.
"There is something that I wish to say . I am in love" Ron began. Ginny and Hermione both gasped "I am in love, but the woman I love doesn't know it. And I guess I am here today to tell her"
Ginny held Hermione's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.
"This girl is the best thing that ever happened to me. And I think that I am just stupid enough to stuff it all up. If I haven't stuffed it up already. But I love her, I love her with all that I am, and I think that I would have to be the luckiest man alive if she loved me back. I don't deserve it, but I am going to be selfish, and ask for her love anyway" Ron said. Hermione sighed and buried her head into her hands. This was so embarrassing, surely Ron knew that she hated embarrassment.
"The girl that I love is here, and is she did as I kind of set, she would be sitting in over there, somewhere" Ron said, pointing to the south stands, this just made Hermione hide her face even more.
"Don't let him say my name, don't let him say my name" Hermione mumbled. Ginny laughed and rubbed her back.
"Hermione, I love you . " Ron began
"He said my name" She groaned, but she couldn't stop the happiness from flooding her voice.
"I love you, and I know I am a bit of a stuff up. You've that about me for over 10 years. But I love you, and I hope that some one up there thinks that I am good enough for you . I hope that you think I am good enough for you" Ron said.
"I promise not to hurt you Mione, I would rather die than hurt you. We have been through so much together, and I want to go through so much more with you" Ron told her. "How about it Hermione"
Hermione didn't know what to do. She couldn't move, she was half dying of embarrassment, half dying of happiness. Ron loved her.
But she couldn't reply. She didn't know how to reply. She couldn't exactly stand and yell what she felt. She couldn't stand and do anything. Hermione was glued to the seat. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe.
Ron looked around the stand, hoping for any movement, any movement at all that showed that Hermione was even there. No one moved. No one even breathed. Ron stood, shaking.
"Hermione?" He asked, some what sadly. Some one in the crowds started to laugh at him, and soon, all of them began to laugh. Thousands of people, laughing at Ron.
He took his wand, shaking his head sadly, and muttered "Quietus"
He turned to move away. He just wanted to go home. He had embarrassed himself in front of all these people, and it didn't even seem that Hermione was there. What a waste of time and effort.
Hermione watched as Ron very sadly moved back towards the exit. He was walking away. He was leaving.
It was then, that Hermione realized, that she wasn't the one who should have been dying of embarrassment, but he should be. And it looked very much like he was.
Ron hated being shamed almost as much as Hermione did. It had taken a lot of guts for him to stand in front of all of these people and talk like that. He had embarrassed himself in front of all of these people, and it was all for her.
But now he was leaving. She had to stop him. She couldn't let him walk away with out knowing her feelings.
She stood "Ron"
She yelled, but there was no way that he could hear her over the noise everyone else was making, he just kept walking.
"Ron" She yelled again, and again, she was not heard.
"Here Hermione, try this" Draco smiled, holding out his wand and saying "Sonorus"
"Ron" She said again, but this time, her voice was magnified.
Ron stopped, and turned to the southern stands. There was some one there, standing.
"Ron" the voice called again. Ron smiled, it was Hermione. He moved to run to the stands.
"Wait, Ron" Some one said from behind him. Ron turned around "Take this"
Harry had thrust his Firebolt 12000 into Ron's hand.
"Thanks man, for everything." Ron smiled.
"What are you yapping for, go, Hermione is waiting for you" Harry slapped his best friend on the back. Ron jumped on the broom and then flew as fast as possible to the stands, dismounting, and then catching Hermione in his arms.
Hermione quickly did the quieting charm on herself and then hugged Ron.
"What do you say Hermione, will you love me the way I love you?" He asked.
"I will love you that much and more Ronald Weasley" Hermione replied.
"I am really sorry if I have been a jerk about the whole . everything" Ron replied. Hermione laughed.
"Ron, you are a jerk, but you are my jerk" She smiled.
"Really?"
"Really!" She smiled. Ron laughed and hugged her tighter.
"I love you" Ron smiled.
"I love you too" Hermione smiled. "With all of my heart"
The embrace tightened as Hermione brushed her lips softly against his. Every one in the crowd cheered for them.
"But Ron"
"Yes Hermione" He asked.
"If you ever embarrass me in front of this many people ever again. I am going to have to kill you" She laughed. Ron just kissed her again.
Around them, the game started, but nothing could pull them away from each other.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ok, this is the second last chapter, there is only one more, and that is the epilogue
Keep reading.