Part: (4/?)
Author: Sunnycouger (sunnycouger@lineone.net)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, JKR owns all and makes the billions from it :( I just borrow them on occasion to have my wicked way with them ;)
Category: Fred and Angelina. Ron/Hermione with some George/Hermione, Lee/Alicia and other pairings which will reveal themselves in time ;)
Part 4 - Battle of the Weasleys!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ron Weasley was not a man to be trifled with. Anyone would tell you that. He had a Weasley family trait of a short fuse and a belief in how right he was, and if ANYONE should know that it should have been his brothers. So they really couldn't say that they weren't warned about how he would react to certain situations.
"So, how are you actually planning on killing George?"
Ron looked at his best friend, Harry Potter who was looking surprisingly relaxed as Ron fumed beside him. "I thought I would throttle him until he apologised and then strangle him..."
Harry nodded his head. "Ah, that will be nice for him..."
"I think so, nice and tidy...plus I don't want to waste time cursing him, so it's kind of a necessity to do it that way..."
"Well, look on the bright side - there's no Azkaban sentence if you just beat him up a bit..."
"But if I just beat him up a bit I would be done in with Mum, so I would rather kill him and take my chances with the Dementors...at least then I would have a sporting chance."
Harry nodded his head as he appeared contemplative. "You know, on the off chance that it isn't nice for him to be pummelled to death - do you not maybe think it might be a good idea to talk to him first?"
Ron stopped and looked at Harry with a sigh. "No. Why, do you think I'm wrong?"
Harry winced slightly. "Define 'wrong' before I answer."
"Well, would you kill him if you were me?"
Harry turned green as he looked at Ron like he had lost his mind. "Ron, I wouldn't be in that position because it would be...weird. I mean it's Hermione, she's like my big sister...it would be like you dating Ginny..."
Ron shuddered as Harry walked on. "Thanks for that mental image..."
"Well, you started it," Harry said as he waited on Ron to catch up. "Don't you think you are maybe going a bit far in killing George just because he's going with Hermione is all I'm saying?"
Ron nodded his head and sighed. Stupid Harry, what kind of best friend was he? He should be acknowledging how right Ron was and how he wasn't over reacting at all. "I'm not overreacting..." he muttered to himself as he kicked the ground. "I don't care who she goes with..."
"Uh-huh, I see that..." Harry said with a sigh. "You know, maybe Fred has got it wrong. I mean it's not like he hasn't been wrong before and he did look a little...wound up with the Angelina thing."
"No, he got it right. He tried to deny it and you know how he gets when he gets nervous...all stuttery and Lee basically said it out right."
"You know, for them being such trouble makers you would figure they would be able to lie better...your family are horrible liars. You can see through it a mile away..."
"Weasley trait...anything remotely important and we are hopeless at covering it up - well apart from my former brother who is an accomplished liar, and back-stabber to boot."
Harry gave a low whistle as he looked at Ron. "It's nice that you're not bitter, you know that?"
Ron ignored him and they walked in silence a few steps before he spoke. "So, I think you should ask Ginny again. She won't tell anyone who she's going with, so, I think Lavender has been teaching her to 'play hard to get' and she's just lying. I mean lets face it: who is she really going to go with if it's not you, Colin or Neville?"
Harry looked at Ron with a shake of the head. "I'm pretty sure she has other friends you know."
"Uh huh, I know she does...but she's not going to go with any of them. So, you should ask her again, she probably just wants you to be...what do the women call it when they want you to bug them every two minutes?"
"Persistent?"
"Uh-huh, that's the word. Yeah, so that's what she wants from you. Persistence."
"Yeah, like I believe that. Besides, I have a date..."
Ron looked at Harry in disbelief. "You are giving up on my sister because she said no once?"
Harry shook his head and walked on. "No, I'm giving up on her because it's...weird. I mean come on, she's Ginny! Your sister and," he shrugged his shoulders, "don't you think it would be a kinda...strained and awkward night? I mean, she doesn't really talk to me and to be honest, she's...just Ginny, who I like I do but - not like that...plus, I need someone who will say more than 5 words to me. It would be bordering on the torturous..."
Ron narrowed his eyes - was there something wrong with dating Ginny? First Harry thought of Hermione as a sister (a sister? Had he even looked at her? There was nothing sisterly about her apart from her annoying, know-it-all streak - and Ron had been the one who had been accused of being slow?) and now Ginny? Did this boy even like women?
Harry winced again as he looked at Ron. "No offence..."
Ron looked intently at his friend before shrugging his shoulders - he supposed he could see where Harry was coming from. The two of them would have drove each other crazy within a week. "Fair enough, to be honest I would rather you two didn't date I think it would freak me out if I had to see the two of you with your tongues down each others throats at the Burrow," he stopped and shuddered as he grabbed a hold of Harry. "If you ever date Ginny and snog her in the Burrow I will have to kill you. Nothing personal, but you know, elder brother's prerogative and all that."
Harry looked at Ron plainly for a second before nodding his head with a smile. "Okay, I will guarantee here and now that if I do that you can kill me...no grudges."
Ron let out a breath and smiled at Harry. "Good, thanks, Harry."
"Glad to be of help," Harry smiled as they walked on.
Ron grinned. "So, who you taking to the Ball then?"
Harry looked down quickly. "Um, you will never believe it..."
Ron looked at Harry apprehensively. "If it's a bloody Slytherin I am going to have to tell Dumbledore because there's clearly something going on with everyone's sanity."
Harry shook his head and laughed. "Nope, not a Slytherin. What do you take me for?"
"Colin did it."
"Yeah, but that's Colin...he's...a bit different from the usual Gryffindor..."
Ron let out a laugh. "Yeah, he's got a few screws loose, he did stalk you for a year after all."
Harry looked at Ron and smirked. "Hey, I am apparently very stalkable according to Katie when she was trying to set me up with the fruitcake from Hufflepuff."
Ron shook his head. Only those Quidditch girls would tell Harry of all people that they were 'stalkable'. "They girls are off their rockers...so, who you going with then?"
"Sally Anne."
"Perks?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "No, Sally Anne Weasley your long lost cousin - of course Sally Anne Perks. Do you know any other Sally Anne's?"
"I barely know that one - how did you get talking to her?"
Harry looked down and smiled slightly as he kicked his shoe off the ground. "Quidditch. She was out practising when I went out for a fly and we kinda got to talking. She then proceeded to beat me at shooting Quaffles..."
"She's a chaser, she should beat you. Besides, you suck at that. Why do you think we put you in goal when we play at home?"
Harry frowned at Ron. "I thought it was because I was a half way decent Keeper?"
Ron shook his head and gave a condescending pat on Harry's arm as Harry looked more than a little offended. "Never mind, you are a fantastic seeker..."
Harry looked down and muttered. "Oh, bloody generous of you to give me that...here was me getting ready to hang up my firebolt as well. "
Ron laughed as Harry sulked and looked very unlike the saviour of the world as he muttered inaudibly while intermittedly throwing dirty looks in Ron's direction before they both paused when they heard a voice.
"I mean it, George! You better not say that!"
Ron stopped and hit Harry's arm at the sound of Hermione's voice from round the corner. He gasped and pointed in the direction the voice was coming from as Harry looked at him.
"It might not mean anything?" Harry said hopefully.
"Fine, I won't say that - I'll just tell him that I let you practice kissing on me so he wouldn't have to make do with an amateur?" George's teasing voice echoed back at them as if in answer to Harry's statement.
Ron felt his breathing quicken as he turned around and stormed back down the hall quickly followed by Harry who looked stunned. Ron clenched and unclenched his fist in an effort to control his temper - he would not over react, he would not over react. He would kill him, but he would not react right away...
"Why are we coming back up here?" Harry whispered as he looked at Ron. "I thought you wanted to talk to them?"
"I do, but I want to see if she'll tell me when she doesn't know that I've heard her and her 'lover boy'..." Ron spat as he stopped and turned around.
Harry nodded his head as he looked icily down the corridor. "I cannot believe she would do that! It's just wrong!"
"He's as bad, he said he would talk to her for me!" Ron whispered to Harry as Hermione and George became visible from the end of the corridor. "Just walk and pretend that we didn't hear anything and see what they said..."
"What if they lie?" Harry asked as him and Ron began walking slowly towards Hermione while Ron forced a smile on his face.
Ron looked at them both and took another deep breath. "Then I will kill him."
Harry nodded his head as he forced a smile on his own face as Hermione gave him and Ron a smile as she approached.
"Ron! Harry, what are you doing here?"
Ron looked at her and felt a surge of jealousy overwhelm him as he thought about her and George but forced the feeling down as he looked at George with a tight smile. "Looking for my dear brother, and I found him. What are you two doing here?"
Hermione looked at George and blushed slightly as she turned back to look at Ron and Harry. "Just talking..."
Harry glared at George who stepped back in surprise before he turned his cool gaze to Hermione. "What about?"
Hermione looked at him nervously. "Um, just stuff..."
Ron nodded his head as he looked at George, not even bothering to force a smile. "What kind of 'stuff'?"
"The stuff we talked about earlier, Ron," George said as he looked more than a little confused at the tone that his brother and Harry were taking with him and Hermione.
Ron looked at Harry and they both gave a derisive laugh before folding their arms simultaneously and giving George and Hermione a look of disbelief. "You know what Harry and I were talking about?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, what?"
"The Yule Ball...Harry's going with Sally Anne, they met playing Quidditch and that's where they have been secretly seeing each other..."
"Okay," Hermione nodded her head but looked puzzled. "Good...I'm glad for you, Harry..."
Before she could continue Harry had interrupted by looking at Ron. "It's not the best meeting place though, Ron...not as...'private' as some other places..."
Ron nodded his head as he looked directly at George and Hermione. "You should meet in the prefect's bathroom then, Harry. I hear that you can get away with just about anything in there."
Hermione looked absolutely horror stricken as she took a step back. "Oh...oh..."
"Ron, I think...I think you might be a little off base here..." George's panicked voice began, "you can't get away with anything in there - nothing. Right, Hermione?"
Hermione was still speechless as she looked at Ron with her hand at her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh...this, it's not..."
"Not what?" Ron asked as he glared at George and clenched his fist before shoving it in his robe pockets. He would not react, he would not react...
George turned away from Ron and began looking around as if to look for an exit. "Not what you think it is. You know, I would love to explain this to you just now but I have to be somewhere."
Ron nodded his head. "You have to be here."
"No, no...I'm pretty sure it's somewhere else, you know...a place where there are lots of people...preferably more than one teacher..." George muttered as he continued to try and look past his much taller brother. "We can talk there..."
"Or we could talk here."
George looked up and forced a nervous smile on his face as Ron narrowed his eyes. "Or we could talk here, good idea."
Ron looked at Harry and nodded his head as they both took a step back but kept their eyes on the two guilt ridden people in front of them. "Can you believe them?"
Harry shook his head. "Nope, I mean...it's just..."
"Wrong? Tell me about it." Ron sighed as he looked over at Hermione and George. He wanted to pretend that he was just angry at the fact that George had lied to him, but he knew deep down it was more than that. He knew he was hurt because she went with his brother, of all people she had to go with his brother?? There was just something wrong there...something not right.
"Listen," Harry began as he turned to block Ron's view of the others. "I know we were joking about it earlier, but you really shouldn't hurt him. You'll just look petty..."
Ron looked at Harry and gave a sad smile. "You didn't here what he said - he told me he would fix it and that I shouldn't ask anyone else..."
Harry shook his head. "This is a mess. Well, okay, you are well within your right to beat him up but you know...don't curse him."
Ron looked over and felt his anger rise again before he reached into his pocket and handed Harry his wand. "You should probably keep that then..."
"Um, excuse me? Why are you giving Harry your wand?" George's voice came over towards them causing both Harry and Ron to turn and glare at him. "Or should I just be standing quietly over here?"
"Oh this is ridiculous, I am not standing here all day. Ron, can I speak to you?" Hermione asked as she walked over towards Ron and Harry.
Ron looked at her coolly before shaking his head. "Can't, I have to talk with my 'brother', family stuff and all that. Harry wants to talk to you though, right, Harry?"
Harry looked at Hermione and nodded his head as he indicated with his head for her to follow him. "Yeah, we should go and let George and Ron talk."
Hermione looked nervously at Ron and George. "I think we should stay..."
Harry shook his head. "No, I think they should be alone. We'll get you at the staircase, Ron."
Ron nodded his head as Harry led Hermione away. "'k, bye, Harry."
As they disappeared George looked at Ron apologetically. "I know what you must be thinking but you've got it all wrong, I mean what you heard was just us clowning around..."
"Were you clowning around when Fred said you were snogging in the prefect's bathroom?"
George opened his mouth in absolute shock. "Fred? Fred as in my twin Fred? As in both our brother Fred?"
"Uh huh," Ron began as he took a step closer to George. "The one and only. Is he a liar?"
George looked murderous. "I swear I'm going to kill him..."
"Were you together with her?" Ron forced himself to say calmly.
"Well, it would depend on what you would mean with together..."
Ron felt his face flush in anger as he fought every instinct to just punch him, but he would be calm. He wouldn't let them get a reaction. "Did you kiss her?"
"Once or twice..."
Ron nodded his head as he turned around. He would not react, he would not react, he would not react... He shook his head as he turned around abruptly and let out a roar as he pounced at George - screw the non reaction.
George looked shocked as Ron pushed him to the floor and proceeded to punch him hard across the cheekbone but he recovered in time to push him off and get back on his feet ready to defend himself.
"You flipping idiot! What did you do that for?"
Ron got to his feet and stared at George. "Because you are a back-stabbing, lying, cheating, sorry excuse for a Weasley!"
"I know you're upset," George began as he clenched his own fist. "But I think you should watch what you're saying. So, take that back."
"Make me," Ron retorted as he glared at George. "You are also the closest thing to a Slytherin that I've seen. Malfoy probably has more integrity than you!"
George's eyes widened as he ran at Ron and punched him in the face. Ron pushed him off and aimed a blow at his stomach knocking the wind out of him. George looked up at Ron and charged again, dodging a punch as he returned the punch his little brother had landed in his stomach moments earlier. As Ron was doubled over he took the initiative and aimed a blow at his face. "Take it back!"
"Not a bloody chance - back-stabber!"
George gave a loud scream and took another hard swing but failed to notice as Ron rolled out the way causing George to punch the wall. "Ow! You bloody well broke my hand! How can I play Quidditch with a broken hand? Pomfrey doesn't heal wounds caused with fighting, you pillock!"
Ron looked at him, eyes fiery as he aimed a punch sharply at his brothers face. "Oh, my heart bleeds."
The punch connected and George fell on the floor in a heap leaving Ron watching him. As Ron saw his brother on the floor he shook his head and walked over to the other end of the corridor before speaking quietly. "I can't believe you did this to me. Why did you lie and say you would help?"
George struggled to a sitting position as he worked his way over to the wall and leant against it as Ron went to the other side of the corridor and slid down. "I didn't lie. I did talk to her for you, it was a nothing between me and Hermione..."
Ron shook his head as he looked at George. That was easy for him to say. "It's not nothing to me."
George closed his eyes as he heard Ron's pain laced voice and leant his head back against the wall. "I know, I'm sorry..."
"Little late for that..." Ron muttered as he looked at his bruised hand. "You knew I wanted to ask her..."
"And she wants to go with you, she does. She told me."
Ron huffed as he looked at his brother. No way would he be a 'pity' date for anyone, especially not Hermione. "Well, I don't want to go with her, so you may as well take her."
George looked at him and shook his head. "Could you be any more stupid? There is absolutely nothing going on between Hermione and me..."
"Now," Ron said sourly. He wasn't being stupid, he was being smart. He couldn't go with her now.
George groaned as he looked at his hand. "Fine! There's nothing going on now. And she really wants to go with you, and you want to go with her and you're just being an idiot."
Ron looked down and shook his head. "If she had wanted to go with me she wouldn't have made the moves on my brother...not that I should be surprised, she seems to like older guys. She'll be after bloody Snape next..."
George shuddered as he looked at a queasy looking Ron. "Please don't even say that, it's disturbing..."
"Hey, Krum and him have a lot of physical similarities - greasy hair, black robes, big nose, sour expression, sallow skin and" he winced as he continued, "now that I think about it she does seem overeager for his approval in Potions..."
George shook his head. "You are a sick puppy, Ron."
"I just..." Ron slumped his shoulders down as he looked at George. "I don't think I can bring myself to ask her after what you two did."
George sighed. "Well, if you want your petty pride to get in the way then go ahead and don't ask her - but you'll be the one who suffers."
Ron looked at George and sighed. He supposed he could be right but it...it was his brother. She had kissed his brother. How could he get over that? He stood up and walked over to George and reluctantly held out his hand to help him up. "I hate you for this, you know?"
George stood up and patted his brother on the shoulder. "I know, I am sorry though."
Ron shrugged the hand of his shoulder and began walking away. "So you said. You better go see if you can fix the hand - Angelina will kill me if you can't play against Ravenclaw. See you later..."
"See you..." George said quietly as he watched Ron walk away looking dejected. "Ron?"
Ron turned around. "What?"
"I really am sorry, but you shouldn't blame Hermione."
Ron shook his head. "Yeah, I know..."
"Is Fred in the common room?"
"No, he had to go see someone or something - he left just before me and Harry."
George nodded his head. "When you see him tell him I want to see him right away. I'll be at the hospital wing and then I'm going to the common room. Tell him he better find me before I find him."
"You can't blame him - if you didn't lie this wouldn't matter!"
George shook his head. "If he hadn't opened his big mouth this wouldn't have even come up, now tell him, okay?"
Ron let a laugh escape, turned around and began walking away again. "Fine, if you want to blame anyone but you then fine, I'll tell him."
George stood as his younger brother disappeared and felt like the worst scum on the planet at having caused Ron to look so depressed. His own brother hated him. This was officially a disaster - how could he have been such an idiot? "Because it's a family trait...idiocy is bred into us..."
He turned and began walking to the hospital wing slowly. He would kill Fred first of all, then he would have to try and talk to Ron again, and then he would have to talk to Harry who looked more than slightly pissed himself. He exhaled sharply as he walked up the stairs to the hospital wing. He would be better off jumping out the Astronomy Tower - the impact of the ground would be less painful than what he had to live with.
"Stupid conscience, always knew it would be a hindrance..." he muttered as he climbed the stairs ignoring the giggling of the students who saw his bruised and bloodied face. "Well, George, just think - things can only get better from here on in..."
Only better - he just wished he believed that.
TBC
In part 5 - George finally finds an unexpected ally in the hospital wing while Ron has a talk with Hermione about, amongst other things - George, the Yule Ball, older men, whether violence solves anything and whether or not she does indeed have a thing for a certain Potions professor...;)