Chapter 3

Friday didn't come soon enough for Ron's liking. Fred and Angelina found a new way to wake him up everyday. Each more unpleasant as the first. The first day, Monday, was the ice. Tuesday he had awoken completely nude, all his clothes and bedcovers were gone, he had only a rag covering him. Wednesday they found a new way to embarrass Ron by using Angelina's girlish charm to the duos advantage.

"Ron, it's me Hermione."

"Hermione?" He asked groggily.

"Mmm hmm. Time to get up."

"Five more minutes." He groaned.

That's when Angelina used the evil within her to its fullest extent. She leaned down, kissing Ron lightly on the lips. And Ron, being an idiot for not opening his eyes and believing Angelina was actually Hermione, kissed her back.

Angelina absolutely died of laughter, and Fred decided to take a picture. Needless to say, Ron was humiliated, and didn't come out of his room until dinner when his hunger finally got the better of him and he showed his face at the table, greeted by Fred's cheerful grin. "Why, hello, Ron, you sly devil."

Thursday he woke up on the roof of the house with Pig, and about a dozen pigeons, sitting on him. Pig was sitting on Ron's nose, while the other birds decided that the rest of his body was a bloody toilet. Friday he was surprised when there was no practical joke waiting for him. However Pig did shoot through his window and pelt him in the head with two letters.

"Pig! You idiot!" Ron raged as he tore open the first letter.

Ron,

A little bird told me that you're going over to her house the last week of break. You know I find that very interesting, you'll be alone most of the time. I seem to remember last Christmas when you two were alone, under the mistletoe no less. Can't wait to hear what happens when I meet you in Diagon Alley the 31st.

See you later,

Harry

PS – Please send food

Ron growled. The mistletoe was not his fault. Someone had put it in the entrance to the common room and he and Hermione had walked back together from lunch. It didn't help that Fred and George spiked the punch, making Ron (who had six or seven glasses) a little loopy. The punch didn't take well for Hermione either, he guessed. She went right along with it when the fat lady told them that they had to kiss each other before going in because "it's a holiday tradition and just saying the password does not get you out of it." So they kissed each other, only to get into the common room. No other reason.

Before opening the other letter Ron angrily scribbled a letter back to Harry.

Harry,

I hate you, you know. The mistletoe was not my fault! How many times do I have to say that? I'll get mum to send you food. I'm going to visit Hermione only to get out of this loony bin. Angelina came early, I'm sure someone told you that, too. I'm glad to see you and Ginny are sending each other love letters. Stay away from my sister, you prat.

Your friend (and future murderer)

Ron

He opened the next letter, which was from Hermione. He sighed and opened it.

Dear Ron,

Three sounds great. I'll have a late lunch ready when you arrive, so you had better be on time. My parents won't be home until about nine. I just wanted to let you know. I have to go, I'll see you in a few hours.

Love,

Hermione

Ron's heart fluttered a little, not "love from" just "love". Maybe Hermione really did like him as more than a friend. He shook that thought from his head as he gave Pig the letter to Harry.

Not two minutes later, Fred and Angelina came up to Ron's room. "Today's the day, baby bro." Fred said.

"Would you two disappear, just for one second?"

Fred thought about that for a minute. "No not today, sorry."

Ron grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him. Fred, using what little common sense he had, ducked, letting the pillow hit Angelina in the nose. "Hey, ow!"

Ron grimaced. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

Fred took hold of the down pillow and hit Ron over the back of his head. Ron, having enough of his Fred's antics for the past week, launched himself around Fred's waist, tackling him to the ground. He stole the pillow from Freds grasp and put it over his brother's face. "That's what you get, you bloody pest!"

Ron may have been taller than Fred, but Fred was definitely stronger from all his practice at being a beater. He pushed the pillow away from his face, hitting Ron in the eye.

"Bloody hell, Fred!" Ron said, gingerly touching his eye, pulling away his hand only to see small drops of blood on his fingers. "Watch what you're doing!"

Angelina knelt down and pulled out a handkerchief. "Here, let me clean that up."

Ron grimaced as she touched the prickly cloth to his eye. "Christ, are you wearing a ring?" He snapped at Fred.

Fred nodded. "But I swear I didn't mean to clock you."

"This will give me a shiner…" Ron grumbled. "Either of you any good at healing charms?"

Angelina shook her head and pulled the cloth away. "Too bad, to, because that's already turning red."

"Mums, not here either, otherwise you know she would do it for you."

Ron sighed. "Well you had better think of a good excuse that I can tell Hermione. If I tell her the truth it'll just sound stupid."

"True, true, little brother. Very true." Fred laughed. "You might want to put something on your eye before it swells. Unless of course you want to let Hermione kiss it and make it better."

Ron stood up and shoved his brother and Angelina out of his room and slammed the door.

By the time two thirty rolled around, Ron had seriously regretted ever suggesting that he should go to Hermione's house. He wandered down the stairs with his trunk and set it next to the fireplace before he journeyed into the backyard, where Molly Weasley was resting on the swing.

"Hey, mum." Ron said. "Didn't know you were back."

She turned smiled at him. "I just sat down. What happed to your eye?"

"Oh, Fred happened."

Molly opened her mouth to say something but Ron held up his hand. "It was an accident. He slipped and got me good."

"I'll say he did. Do you want me to heal it? My wand is on the table-"

"No I don't have time. I have to go soon."

"Oh, that's right. This certainly is a good learning experience for you. You'll learn all about muggles."

Ron nodded, "Yeah." He sat down next to his mother, watching the birds fly overhead. "Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How do you know if a girl likes you?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I don't know, there are a lot of hints girls drop. Give me an example or two."

Ron thought for a moment. "She's hugged me loads of times. And last Christmas she kissed me."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Mrs. Weasley sounded hurt that her son would keep that from her.

"You don't understand mom, we were… uh, kind of tipsy."

"You were drunk?!"

"No! No, someone spiked the punch, you see and she kissed me under the mistletoe, or we kissed each other, rather. But I don't know if it counts cause the fat lady made us."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "You may think she make you. But you two were entirely in the right mind."

Ron shook his head. "It was the only way to get into the common room."

"She didn't make you. You could have just waited for someone else to come by and get in."

"Like I said, we had a little too much punch-"

"You don't really believe that do you, Ron? You've had alcohol before. I don't think any watered down liquor would do much to you. And as for Hermione, she's a very smart girl, and I doubt she had more than one drink. You're both just using that punch as a scapegoat."

Ron was quiet. He did remember that Hermione only had one single glass, and had not even finished it.

"To answer your question, Ron, you know a girl likes you, when she trusts you enough to kiss you under the mistletoe and lets you stay at her house for a week."

Smiling Ron looked at his watch. Three ten. "Well, I'm already late… wonderful. I'll see you in Diagon Alley with Harry and Hermione on the 31st." He kissed his mother and the cheek and ran inside the house.

"Bye, love!"

"Bye, Mum!"

Fred was standing in front of the fireplace when Ron ran into the room. Blocking Ron from getting to the Floo Powder. "Fred, I'm already late. Let me through."

Fred just smirked and held out his hand. "I wish you luck."

Ron eyed his brothers hand suspiciously. Then slowly offered his own hand and shook his brothers slowly. "Thanks."

Fred stepped out of the way and Ron took a pinch of Floo Powder and threw it into the fire, picked up his trunk, stepped into the emerald flames and shouted, "Hermione's house!"

A/N: Oh those crazy kids and black eyes. Whatever will we do with them?

Lenny