CHAPTER SIX: THAT ONE FATAL MISTAKE
"So, this is where you're hiding,"
Ron fought down the urge to jump out of his skin at the sound of the voice, but even then he didn't think it completely covered up the fact that he was startled from being snuck up on. He looked up from his book and saw Lavender trying to fight back a smile. Great, it was that obvious that she had surprised him.
"I'm not hiding," he informed her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Ron, I may not know you that well but even I know you avoid the library at all costs,"
"I guess you got me there," he said forcing a grin.
"Are you going to the Quidditch match?"
"Nah, I think I'll stay here,"
"Because you're mad at Harry?" She inquired.
"Yeah, I guess," he replied with a shrug. "It actually gives me the perfect opportunity to start my Divination project – which I should have started a week ago,"
"I don't think I've ever seen you and Harry mad at each other except for that time in fourth year," she said, pulling up a chair beside him.
"Can we not talk about Harry? That's kind've the reason why I came up here, so I wouldn't have to deal with him or – "
"Hermione," Lavender supplied.
"I'm not avoiding her. It's just she'll want me to talk about it and I really don't want to drag her into my problems with Harry,"
"She means a lot to you, huh?"
"Yes,"
He even surprised himself at how fast he had answered that. It had taken nearly five years of denial for that answer to come to him naturally.
"Yet she's out with Harry instead of here with you,"
"Harry's her best friend too. I don't expect her to be angry at him just because I am,"
"Well, if you were my boyfriend, I'd take your side,"
He was still taking in what she had said when he found her planting her lips on his. When he didn't resist, she deepened the kiss. By the time he got around to stopping it, she was sitting on his lap, straddling him.
He didn't know what to stay. He had never been kissed like that before – so full of passion and warmth. It wasn't as if he had kissed a whole lot of girls, in fact, he had only kissed one before that.
"What's wrong?" She asked when he stopped.
She still hadn't gotten off of him.
"I can't do this," he told her, and removed her from himself. "I have a girlfriend,"
He realized he was saying that as much to convince himself as he was her.
"I know you do," she said, still extremely close to him. "Tell me, Ron, have you and Hermione had sex?"
"I don't really think that's any of your business," he stammered, growing red in the face.
"Usually when people say that it means 'no',"
Ron said nothing and looked at the floor.
"Are you a virgin, Ron?"
His face was growing redder by the second, but he kept his gaze focused his on shoes, until Lavender gently touched his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
She stared intently into his ice blue eyes. "Do you still want to be one?"
He had no control over his limbs as Lavender took his hand and led him down an aisle, with shelves full of old, dusty books that looked like they hadn't been touched since Hogwarts opened. He recognized instantly where she had taken him. It was rumoured this was the spot where many of the students came to fool around.
What was he getting himself into?
That thought and all other thoughts of reason vanished the second Lavender had him pushed up against one of the bookshelves and started kissing him; first his mouth and then his neck. He unfastened her robe, letting it drop to the ground while he reached around her and put his hands up underneath the back of her shirt, pressing his body into hers as he did it. Lavender moaned with delight, pulling him down to the floor with her…
"Ron? Ron, are you even listening to me?" Gillian said impatiently.
"Sorry," he apologized. "My mind keeps wandering. I think we've been at this too long," he said, rubbing his eyes.
Their entire afternoon had been spent in Gillian's apartment going over all the details of the reception, from the point when the guests arrived right down to where each individual person would be sitting.
"Once we get the seating arrangement finished we don't have to look at this stuff again tonight. Of course, you could have taken care of this little detail already," she added with a knowing look at him.
"I told you already," he began, slightly annoyed, "Hermione and I didn't get to that last weekend,"
"It has nothing to do with that, Ron. You could have done this yourself, you know. You and I had already discussed which guests would be sitting at what table. I'm starting to think you don't want this wedding to happen,"
"Hey, that's not true,"
"Did Hermione convince you to have a muggle wedding?"
That comment elicited a spark of anger within him. "She didn't convince me to do anything. And it's not a muggle wedding, there's just certain muggle aspects to it,"
"At least she can motivate you to get something done," Gillian remarked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you hardly lifted a finger with this wedding until she came along,"
"You're the one who said it was okay that I ask for her help," he pointed out.
"You're right. I did, but now I'm starting to think that wasn't such a good idea,"
Ron got up from the couch and let out an exasperated sigh. "I told you why I needed her help,"
"Yes, I know, because you thought it was the only way you could repair your friendship. But is that the only reason?"
"Of course it's the only bloody reason!" He shouted. "I'm not interested in her. I haven't been for a long time,"
"You've never told me why your friendship with her is wrecked,"
"Does that matter?"
"It matters to me. We're getting married, Ron, and if you can't tell me one silly, little secret from your days as a teenager, we have a problem,"
He had to fight to keep from yelling at her for calling it 'silly' and 'little'. It wasn't her fault. She had no idea what he had done. "I made some stupid choices that cost me her trust. That's all. I thought you wanted to get this done, but you're too busy grilling me for information on things that happened a lifetime ago,"
"Well, I don't feel like working on it anymore," she said simply.
"Fine," Ron said, fed up and grabbed his jacket off the coffee table. "I'll talk to you later. I need to get some air,"
Neither one said good-bye as he left her apartment. He knew he had to get out of there then before his temper took over and he said some things he would regret. Hermione was the only person who could handle his temper and the things he said while he was under its influence. If he let loose on Gillian, there would most definitely not be a wedding happening anytime in the near future – and maybe not at all.
"Hermione, please, slow down," Ginny begged of her friend.
Hermione came to a complete stop, allowing her friend to catch up. "I thought you wanted to jog with me,"
"I wouldn't call this jogging," Ginny panted, when she had finally caught up to her. "It's more like running at the speed of light," she said, grabbing at her side where a cramp had formed.
"Sorry. I should have taken it a bit easier. But this is what I do after a day of work. It helps me to relax,"
"You mean drop dead?"
"Come on, Gin, we're almost to your house. Are you ready to go on?"
"How about I just apparate at The Burrow and you meet me there?" She suggested.
"You were the one who wanted to join me," Hermione reminded her.
"All right," Ginny huffed. "Just give me another minute,"
Hermione gave her exactly that before starting up again. Groaning in protest, Ginny followed her.
"So, I hear you took my brother shopping in London," Ginny called ahead to her.
Hermione slowed down but didn't look back. "Is this an attempt to get me to stop again?"
"Maybe," she admitted. "My brother doesn't let just anyone take him shopping in a non-wizard area,"
This time Hermione did stop. "What are you getting at Gin?"
Panting, and still holding the stitch in her side, Ginny said, "you're telling me you have no clue?"
Hermione looked at her blankly.
Ginny shook her head. "For an extremely intelligent person, Hermione, you sure miss the simplest things. Why do you think Ron let you pick those shops?"
Hermione shrugged. "Because he had no choice?"
Ginny shook her head again. "Because it's you. Believe me when I tell you there's not anyone else on this earth that Ron would have let talk him into shopping at a muggle store – especially for his own wedding,"
"He could have said no. He's said no to me plenty of times before,"
Ginny was growing frustrated. "You really don't get it, do you? He let you pick them, because it's you. He still – "
"Ginny, if you finish that sentence I'm leaving you right here," she warned.
"Hermione, his wedding was going to be a traditional wizard one until you came along. What does that say?"
"It says you're reading into something that's not there," Hermione said and started jogging away – and nearly collided into Harry.
Had he just apparated there all of the sudden? She wondered how much of their conversation he had heard. She looked at his face, but it revealed nothing.
"Harry, what are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to Ginny,"
She didn't miss the fact that he was purposely avoiding eye contact with her.
"Harry – "
"Hermione, I said I needed to talk to Ginny,"
She took the hint. He was still furious with her and there was no way she was going to change that at the moment. The best thing she could do was get of his way. "I'll see you back at the house, Gin," she said, before running away.
Harry said nothing, even after Hermione had left. It was up to Ginny to break the silence. "What is it, Harry?"
"Can we go for a walk?"
She nodded silently.
He fell into step beside her and together they walked in the opposite direction from The Burrow in silence.
Hope you enjoyed it! Keep letting me know what you think. I appreciate all the reviews I've gotten so far.
I'll try and have chapter seven up by Friday or Saturday.